Shopify POS Review 2026: Features and Pricing
Shopify is a top choice for growing online retail businesses.
The bottom line:
Shopify offers one of the best e-commerce POS systems around. We think it’s an excellent fit for small- and medium-sized online retail businesses alike. It also supports in-person sales. Shopify isn’t the cheapest product. But it’s packed with valuable features like shipping discounts, marketing automation and 24/7 support.
Software details
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$39
and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89.
Pros & Cons
Pros
No long-term contracts or termination fees.
All plans include an online store.
Built specifically for online sellers.
24/7 chat support.
Cons
No free plan options.
Compare to other products
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 3.3% + $0.30
Payment processing fees
In-person: 0.4% + $0.08
Online: 0.5% + $0.25
Plus interchange
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Need more options? Check our picks for best payment processing systems
Square: Best free POS plan. Unlike Shopify, Square isn’t built specifically for online retailers. But its free POS plan does include an online site, sales reports and invoicing and booking tools. However, you’ll pay higher online transaction fees. Square’s free plan charges 3.3% plus 30 cents per online purchase, whereas Shopify’s Basic plan charges 2.9% plus 30 cents. Read our full Square review for more details.
» MORE: Compare Square vs. Shopify
Helcim: Different pricing structure. Helcim uses an interchange-plus pricing structure that passes interchange savings to the merchant. Interchange-plus pricing can be more cost effective for higher-volume businesses than Shopify’s flat-rate pricing. And Helcim includes a free online store builder. Read our full Helcim review.
Stripe: Better for simple online billing. Similar to Shopify, Stripe lets businesses integrate checkout modules into their websites or send payment links to customers. Stripe doesn’t have the extra bells and whistles that Shopify does. But if you don’t need a full e-commerce setup, Stripe can be a quick and simple way to start accepting payments online. Read our full Stripe review for more details.
» MORE: Compare Stripe vs. Shopify
Full review
Shopify is an e-commerce powerhouse. It aims to offer everything online retailers need to make and manage sales. And if Shopify doesn’t have a feature you want, there’s probably an app for it. More than 8,000 are available.
This review and star rating focus on Shopify as a point-of-sale (POS) system. But we’ll touch on other parts of the platform. Like many competitors, Shopify wants to be a one-stop shop for running a business — not just tracking sales. As a result, it intertwines services like business accounts with payment processing.
Some business owners prefer not being locked into the Shopify ecosystem. We’ve heard from others who appreciate this convenience. You’re more likely to get your money’s worth if you fall into the latter camp.
That’s because cost is a factor. Shopify has a range of POS plans, but businesses just starting out might find it too expensive. Our list of the best free POS systems has better alternatives.
We also recommend Shopify for online-first businesses. Some of its most valuable features support those sellers. For instance, Shopify integrates with social media and marketplaces like Amazon. It has shipping discounts, too. You can use Shopify in-person. But there are better fits if brick-and-mortar sales matter most.
Shopify is best for:
✔️ Managing multiple sales channels.
✔️ Building an online storefront.
✔️ Shipping discounts.
Shopify POS overview
| Payment processing model | Flat rate. |
| Payment processing fees |
|
| Monthly fee | Shopify e-commerce plans:
Shopify’s alternative solutions for mainly selling in-person:
|
| Hardware cost |
|
| Contract length | No contract required. Plans are paid month to month unless you sign up for an annual, two-year or three-year plan. |
| Customer support | 24/7 chat support in all plans, plus phone support for Plus and Retail plan subscribers. |
Where Shopify POS stands out
Features for multichannel selling
Shopify has a robust set of features for businesses promoting items across multiple sales channels. You can sell products from your online storefront, Google, Instagram, TikTok and other online marketplaces. Some examples include Amazon and eBay. Shopify also sells hardware for accepting in-person payments.
The platform tracks and syncs inventory changes across each channel. That way, all of your sales information is in one place. The Basic plan alone supports up to 10 inventory locations.
What's new with Shopify?
In January 2026, Shopify announced that its users will soon be able to sell products via AI platforms, like ChatGPT. This could boost your business’s visibility, but it comes at a steep cost.
Businesses selling via ChatGPT will pay 4% of sales to its parent company, OpenAI, according to technology and business publication The Information
That means Basic plan subscribers would pay 6.9% plus 30 cents per transaction. At that price, small businesses will have to determine if ChatGPT is worth it. It may not be until we know how people shop with that platform.
This is less of an issue with Gemini and Google AI Mode. Those won’t charge extra, according to The Information.
Shipping discounts
All Shopify plans give businesses access to shipping discounts. This is a big plus for online retailers that mail items to customers across the country.
Discounts range from 77% to 88% depending on the plan you choose. The Grow plan and up also come with up to $200 in shipping insurance per eligible shipping label.
Ease of use
Building a website can be intimidating. Shopify makes it approachable with more than 1,000 website themes. Most cost extra, but there’s a handful of free options.
Shopify also offers 24/7 chat support in all plans, along with other online resources. These include video tutorials, a community forum, webinars and business courses.
Where Shopify POS falls short
Overall cost
Shopify’s pricing ranges from $39 to $399 per month for a subscription. That’s not counting payment processing fees (which, to be fair, are competitive).
Unlike some other popular POS systems, such as Square, there are no free plan options. And if you need additional in-person selling features like staff roles and permissions, you’ll need to pay an extra $89 per month for the POS Pro add-on.
What small-business owners say about Shopify
NerdWallet checked online forums like Reddit and reviews from sites like TrustPilot, G2, the App Store and Google Play to gauge how users feel about Shopify. We used an AI tool to help analyze this feedback. Here are the major trends we spotted.
👍 Easy checkout process
Online users notice customers taking advantage of Shop Pay, Shopify’s accelerated checkout feature. Customers use it to save their payment and shipping information. From there, it lets them complete purchases in just a click or two. Some commenters say they themselves prefer it while buying from other businesses, too.
👎 Paying extra for third-party apps
Online commenters complain about having to pay for third-party apps to access different features. For example, some users download apps for managing site data in bulk. Others add ones that collect online reviews of their business.
Regardless of which POS system you choose, there’s a good chance you’ll need to integrate with a third-party app. For example, Square doesn’t have an in-house reservation management system. Instead, it relies on a separate product called OpenTable.
That said, Shopify says it has more than 8,000 apps. I can see how it would be easy to buy too many apps or end up with ones that don’t do what they promise (like increase conversion). This isn’t a deal-breaker, but it’s something to be aware of.
👎 Payout timing
Reddit users aren’t fans of Shopify’s deposit timing. Shopify says it typically takes 2 to 5 days to deposit funds from credit card sales. That is, unless you have a Shopify Balance account.
Merchants who opt to deposit funds to a Shopify Balance account usually only wait a day. But lots of commenters already have business bank accounts outside of Shopify. They don’t want to keep their money in a Shopify account just to access quicker funding.
Shopify does indeed have slower payouts than some of its competitors. For example, other providers like Square and Finix offer free next-day deposits — regardless of your bank account.
How we evaluated Shopify
NerdWallet’s writers and editors independently review POS systems, like Shopify, by analyzing more than 30 data points. We collected data from Shopify’s public-facing website, help articles and company representatives.
Our evaluations also take user sentiment into account. This involves looking through individual reviews and feedback on sites like Trustpilot, the App Store, Google Play and Reddit. Then, we use AI tools to help spot larger trends within those comments. Since we cannot verify each user’s individual experience, we don’t incorporate user reviews in our star ratings. For more information on how we score POS systems, see our full methodology.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify charges a monthly fee, which varies depending on the plan you choose. Additionally, you will pay a payment processing fee to Shopify for each card transaction.
On top of its multichannel plans, Shopify has a basic Starter plan. It allows subscribers to sell products at events and through social media and messaging apps.