Online POS Choices for Your Business ~ Scott Andrew Alpaugh

 

If you run a retail business, you know how important it is to have a reliable and efficient point-of-sale (POS) system. A POS system is the software and hardware that allows you to process transactions, manage inventory, track sales, and more. But with so many options available in the market, how do you choose the best one for your needs and budget?

In this blog post, I will compare some of the most popular online POS systems and their cost tiers. Online POS systems are cloud-based solutions that run on any device with an internet connection, such as tablets, smartphones, or laptops. They offer many benefits over traditional POS systems, such as:

1.  Lower upfront costs: You don't need to buy expensive hardware or software licenses. You only pay a monthly or annual subscription fee based on your usage and features.
2.  Scalability: You can easily add or remove devices, users, or locations as your business grows or changes. You can also access your data from anywhere and anytime.
3.  Security: Your data is stored and backed up in the cloud, so you don't have to worry about losing it due to theft, fire, or natural disasters. You also get automatic updates and patches to keep your system secure and up-to-date.
4.  Integration: You can integrate your online POS system with other tools and platforms that you use for your business, such as accounting software, e-commerce platforms, loyalty programs, marketing tools, etc.

So what are some of the best online POS systems out there? Here are some of the most popular ones and their cost tiers:

• Shopify POS: Shopify is one of the leading e-commerce platforms that also offers a powerful online POS system for retail businesses. Shopify POS allows you to sell online and offline seamlessly, sync your inventory and orders across channels, accept various payment methods, create custom discounts and promotions, manage customer profiles and loyalty programs, and more. Shopify POS has four cost tiers:

•   Basic Shopify: $29 per month + 2.9% + 30¢ per online transaction or 2.7% per in-person transaction. This plan includes all the essential features for starting a new business, such as an online store, unlimited products, two staff accounts, 24/7 support, etc.
•   Shopify: $79 per month + 2.6% + 30¢ per online transaction or 2.5% per in-person transaction. This plan includes everything in Basic Shopify plus more features for growing your business, such as five staff accounts, gift cards, professional reports, etc.
•   Advanced Shopify: $299 per month + 2.4% + 30¢ per online transaction or 2.4% per in-person transaction. This plan includes everything in Shopify plus more features for scaling your business, such as 15 staff accounts, advanced reports, third-party calculated shipping rates, etc.
•   Shopify Plus: Custom pricing based on your needs. This plan is for large businesses that need enterprise-level features and support, such as unlimited staff accounts, dedicated account manager, priority support, custom checkout options, etc.

• Square POS: Square is another popular online POS system that offers a simple and affordable solution for small businesses. Square POS allows you to accept payments anywhere with a free card reader or a mobile device, track sales and inventory in real-time, send digital receipts and invoices, create customer feedback and loyalty programs, manage employees and payroll,and more. Square POS has two cost tiers:

•   Square Free: $0 per month + 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction. This plan includes all the basic features for running a small business, such as unlimited products, unlimited devices, unlimited users, 24/7 support, etc.

•   Square Plus: $60 per month + 2.5% + 10¢ per transaction. This plan includes everything in Square Free plus more features for growing your business, such as advanced inventory management, multi-location support, customizable loyalty programs, marketing tools,etc.

•  Lightspeed Retail: Lightspeed Retail is an online POS system that specializes in serving niche retail sectors, such as apparel, jewelry, bikes, home decor, etc. Lightspeed Retail allows you to manage your inventory with detailed product attributes, create custom purchase orders and transfers, accept various payment methods, offer layaways and special orders, generate sales reports and insights, integrate with e-commerce platforms and other apps, and more. Lightspeed Retail has what works out to four cost tiers that progress in price as you add "tiers":

•  Basic: $69 per month + $29 per additional register + payment processing fees based on your volume. This plan includes all the essential features for running a single-store business such as one register, one user account, unlimited products, 24/7 support, etc.

I hope this has helped you if you are thinking about what point of sale system to use for your business.  Thank you for visiting my blog!  If you'd like to visit my personal blog you can find it HERE.