As a store owner with several locations, my day begins early, making sure everythingis set for a smooth operation….I wanted to talk about Do I Have To Upgrade Shopify Point Of Sale Pro 18 and how i answer this …
An essential part of our everyday regimen, improving processes and supplying insights that help us make informed choices.
and assist you exercise which version of’s point of sale system is ideal for you. Let’s dive in. OK, so there are two primary factors to utilize Lite. One– it lets you offer at point of sale quickly, and cheaply. The key thing to comprehend about Lite is that it is bundled with every Shopify strategy– there are no extra charges for using it. This indicates that you can sell with Lite for as little as $5 per month. It’s also very fast to set up. By contrast, is an add-on that costs $89 per
month, per location– suggesting that if you wish to sell in more than one locationthan place at when, things can get costly quite rapidly. Two– it’s really simple to use. If all you want to do is accept basic payments in one area, Shopify POS Lite lets you do that really quickly– all you’ll need actually is your phone and a card reader. By contrast, which is tailored more towards retail outlets and multi-location selling,
might be overkill for merchants with fundamental POS needsneed. It will usually involve more setup and more hardware. But ultimately, you might find yourself growing out of Lite quite rapidly– especially if you plan to sell in more than one place simultaneously. And that’s where the “plan is available in. I’ll go over the contexts in which can be the ideal fit for merchants in just a moment, however before I do,
What is the difference between Shopify and Square POS?
In the morning, I log into to check inventory levels across all locations. With its central control panel, I can quickly see which items are running low and need restocking. This conserves me important time that I can assign to other elements of managing the company.
might require no introduction since it is the most popular e-commerce software application supplier globally. The company was established in 2006 by a business owner called Tobias Lütke who struggled to construct an online store for snowboarding devices and set out to build the very best ecommerce platform to make it easier. Observing that the software application was great, he switched his focus from building an online store to supplying tools for merchants that needed to develop one.
‘s e-commerce software application has taken pleasure in paralleled growth and gathered countless customers across the globe. By 2016, the company had almost $400 million in yearly income, which figure exploded to $4.6 billion by 2021 after the Covid pandemic stimulated an online retail boom.
forayed into point-of-sale systems in 2017 by releasing a Bluetooth-enabled debit and charge card reader for brick-and-mortar shops. Ever since, it has actually built more products and turned them into a major source of income. The company is based in Ottawa, Canada.
Throughout the day, helps me handle transactions efficiently. Its user-friendly interface enables my staff to process orders promptly, whether it’s at the checkout counter or on the store flooring using mobile devices. The built-in payment processing makes sure smooth deals, keeping our consumers happy.
One of the standout features of is its robust analytics tools. I routinely review sales reports and consumer insights to determine patterns and tailor our marketing efforts accordingly. The capability to develop customized reports provides me a much deeper understanding of our company performance, enabling me to make data-driven choices.
Comparing to Square POS, the switch was driven by several factors. While Square offered basic functionality, provided a more extensive solution tailored to the requirements of multi-location businesses like ours. The ability to manage stock centrally, together with sophisticated analytics and reporting capabilities, were crucial selling points.
Additionally,’s community used smooth combination with our online shop, enabling us to manage inventory and sales across all channels from one platform. This omnichannel method has helped us provide a combined shopping experience to our customers, whether they’re going shopping in-store or online.
In general, the switch to has been important in optimizing our operations, enhancing performance, and driving development throughout our several areas.
Pros:
Advanced inventory management: Central stock tracking throughout several places, making it simple to manage stock levels and restocking.
Robust analytics: Offers comprehensive sales reports and customer insights to help make notified organization choices.
Smooth integration: Integrates efficiently with’s ecommerce platform, enabling an unified online and offline retail experience.
Personalized: Deals versatility to develop customized reports and tailor the system to specific company needs.
Scalability: Matched for organizations with numerous locations, with functions developed to support development and expansion.
Cons:
Rates: consists of a month-to-month membership cost, which may be more expensive than some other point-of-sale (POS) systems.
Relieve of use: While designed to be user-friendly, mastering all the functions of may take a while for new users.
Compatibility: POS Pro might not be fully compatible with all third-party hardware, requiring particular equipment purchases.
e-commerce strategies:
$ 29 for Basic when billed each year (or $39 when paid monthly).
$ 79 for regular when billed every year (or $105 when paid monthly).
$ 299 for Advanced when billed annually (or $399 when paid monthly).
Custom-made prices for Shopify Plus.
All e-commerce plans featured POS Lite for selling in-person. Updating to Pro for brick-and-mortar companies costs an extra $89 per area.
‘s alternative options for mainly offering in-person:
$ 5 for Starter plan, that includes one Lite area.
$ 79 (when billed every year) for Retail strategy, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one Pro area.
How Much Does a POS System Cost?
Hardware cost
$ 49 for Tap & Chip card reader.
$ 219 for Tap & Chip counter top set (iPad not included).
$ 299 for Go mobile device.
$ 349 for terminal.
$ 459 and up for terminal countertop sets.
Agreement length
Our flexible strategies are created to fit your needs, with the alternative to pay monthly or commit to a longer-term agreement for extra savings. Pick from annual, two-year, or three-year plans, and enjoy the freedom to change your mind with no obligations.
Pros:
Free standard version: Square provides a free version of its system, making it available for little companies with restricted budgets.
Easy setup: Square is known for its simple setup procedure, enabling businesses to start processing deals quickly.
All-in-one solution: Square offers additional services like payment processing, consultation scheduling, and payroll, all integrated into one platform.
Compatibility: Functions with a vast array of third-party hardware, offering more flexibility in selecting equipment.
Client support: Square supplies responsive client support through phone, email, and chat, helping businesses repair concerns effectively.
Cons:
Minimal stock management: While adequate for fundamental requirements, Square’s inventory management functions might not be enough for businesses with complex requirements.
Standard analytics: Square’s reporting abilities are not as extensive as’s, lacking some advanced analytics features.
Less scalable: Square might not be as appropriate for businesses with numerous locations or those preparing substantial growth, as it does not have some features required for complex operations.
The Pro version offers higher versatility in regards to selling areas, as there is no limit to the number of areas you can add, unlike the Lite variation. However, each additional area added to a membership will incur an extra month-to-month charge of $89. While this might seem like a downside, it is essential to keep in mind that this fee represents just a little portion of the general expenditures of a successful retail operation. The “per place, monthly” prices approach enables for higher modification and adaptability, making the Pro plan a scalable option for companies of all sizes. In addition, the Pro strategy uses enhanced control over personnel usage, enabling you to reward team member for their performance and performance.
provide different gain access to rights to your system, or designate various roles to them, then is a better option than the ‘Lite’ variation. It provides you a really large range of tools for handling your group’s relationship with your system. 3– it offers you a lot more customer-focused functions. Lite lets you accept payments from your customers inexpensively and just, however that has to do with it. By contrast, lets you do far more for your customers. Unlike the ‘Lite’ version, it.
The Go is an all-in-one terminal that includes a card reader and barcode scanner. You can use the scanner to instantly detect the cost of an item and the card reader to get the cash from the consumer. This device accepts tap, chip, and swipe payments. It has a 5.5-inch high-definition display and a long battery life to guarantee you can use it for an entire service day after a complete charge.
The smaller sized card reader lets you accept tap and chip payments from clients however not swipe. It connects wirelessly to a tablet or through Bluetooth to a mobile phone. It is compact and easy to manage, implying it is suitable for services that operate on the go, e.g., farmer’s markets.
Shopify Payments
provides a payments processing option that lets you charge money to all major debit and charge card. Your customers can insert their cards, tap them, or swipe them depending upon the type of hardware you selected. There’s also Tap to Pay, which lets you accept payments on your iPhone with no additional hardware. The prices is transparent– between 2.4% and 2.7% on each effective deal– without any concealed charges or setup costs.
Stock Management
Among the significant pain points that retailers deal with is managing their stock; understanding which products are readily available at an offered time and the rates for each of them. The advantage is that offers features to assist.
You can analyze each item and appoint items to various areas and channels utilizing’s software. You can also perform precise stock counts with your barcode scanner after getting goods. You can set the system to alert you if a product is lacking stock or to supply sale product suggestions. Likewise, you can get detailed reports to track your sales; what products are selling quicker, what products aren’t offering, which products ought to be restocked, and so on syncs one of the industry’s best point-of-sale systems with the e-commerce platform. With the app, you can offer your service or products personally and online. Take orders from customers,
As soon as you have a strategy, you can download the app– readily available for iOS and Android devices. Using the app, you’ll have the ability to visit and start personalizing your system. If you’re offering personally, you can either use Tap to Pay on iPhone or purchase hardware, and you’ll be ready to start taking consumer orders.
is finest for businesses that:
Desire to leverage’s e-commerce functions. While does provide 2 easy prepare for organization’s that primarily sell personally or on social networks, the bulk of its offerings are for omnichannel sellers who wish to build a customized online shop using.
Sell online and in individual. is optimized for offering across online shops, social networks channels and brick-and-mortar stores. The outstanding lineup of functions is ideal for omnichannel merchants.
Prefer to use a single company for and payment processing. Payments is included with all monthly strategies to process online deals in addition to in-person payments. You can utilize a third-party provider, such as Amazon Pay, Authorize.net or Braintree, to process payments. Your rates will likely vary from what Shopify Payments charges if you work with a third-party processor, however, and Shopify will charge you an additional deal fee for not using its in-house item.
Deciding factors
Clover uses options for e-commerce businesses and in-person shops to let businesses select the mix they require. features vary by month-to-month strategy. More costly monthly plans consist of advanced stock and reporting capabilities.