Written by Dan Barraclough Reviewed by Ruairi Shirlow Updated on 9 January 2023 On this page POS hardware costs POS software costs Lightspeed POS costs TouchBistro POS costs Credit Card Fees Example cost of POS for a small business Example cost of POS for a large business Expert Verdict POS Cost FAQs Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. POS systems will typically cost you around $1,500 upfront and then around $1,800 per year.To help you, we've used our 10+ years experience in the market to research these systems in Australia to give you solid insight on what they entail.Read on to find out more about the breakdown of POS costs and providers that may be suited to your business.If you want to get a head start on finding a POS system you can use our quote comparison tool, we'll be able to match you with the suppliers best equipped to attend to your needs and they'll get in touch with obligation-free quotes tailored to you – it's that easy and also completely free. Save by Comparing POS System Quotes Do you already own a POS system? Yes No Answer the question to get started...POS Hardware CostsTo understand how much a POS system costs, you need to consider the different types of hardware your business requires. Below, we’ve outlined what you’d typically need, and what you can expect to pay in terms of POS hardware costs, if you’re running a small, medium, or large business. Size of businessWhat you’ll needOverall costStart-up retail storeTabletCard reader$700Small businessTabletCard readerReceipt printerCash drawer$1,200Medium business2x tablet2x card readerReceipt printerCash drawer$1,800Large business6x tablet6x card reader6x receipt printer6x cash drawer$6,500+ POS Hardware Costs Conclusion In terms of hardware, then, the cost of a POS system for small businesses will end up at approximately $1,200 altogether. However, most POS providers are flexible with their hardware packages, offering you the option to pay up front or on a monthly basis. That’s why it can be hard to nail down an exact price, though.The easiest way to get crystal clear POS pricing for your business is to get free quotes from POS suppliers – and we can help you there. Simply tell us what you need from your POS system using free comparison tool, and we’ll match your business with trusted suppliers that best suit your needs. They’ll then get in touch with more information and no-obligation quotes. It’s free to get started, and only takes a minute. Save by Comparing POS System Quotes Do you already own a POS system? Yes No Answer the question to get started... POS Software CostsAs well as buying hardware, you’ll may need to pay a monthly subscription fee for the software that powers your POS system, though some offer free plans.The cost of a POS system for small businesses will differ from those for larger corporations. That’s a given. But to make things easier for you, we’ve carried out plenty of research and selected two of the best POS systems in Australia for retail and hospitality, and explained their POS system price plans below.Lightspeed Retail: Best For ShopsLightspeed Retail is one of the biggest names in the POS industry, offering ecommerce integration as well as in-depth inventory management tools, which makes it a great option for shop owners. Lightspeed Retail POS Costs Lightspeed Pricing From $79/month Pricing See more See less Package Price Lean $79 Standard $129 Advanced $199 TouchBistro: Best For HospitalityTouchBistro is the world's leading restaurant POS system. Designed for that experience in mind, it's particularly suited for the the hospitality sector. It offers inventory control and many order-related features.TouchBistro POS Costs TouchBistro Pricing From $100/month Try TouchBistro Pricing See more See less Package Price (billed annually)What you'll get Standard $100/month Integrated payments, 24/7 customer support, API access. Further extensions and integrations can be added with additional monthly charges. POS Software Costs Conclusion While most POS suppliers offer set price plans for their software packages, they can also offer bespoke pricing to ensure you only pay for exactly what you need. That said, if you run a small business, you’re likely to end up paying somewhere between $100 per month and $250 per month for POS software.Also, POS providers might base their pricing on different factors. For instance, Lightspeed charges more for the different integrations you’d like to install, while TouchBistro offers the same features on all plans, but charges more for the number of users you’d like to have access to the POS system. With this in mind, it’s always worth looking into what’s on offer for each plan, and deciding which type of pricing format suits your business best.If you want a quick and easy way to get an exact price for your POS software, then all you need to do is use our free comparison tool and tell us what you need. We’ll match your business to POS suppliers that best suit your requirements, who’ll then contact you with more information and no-obligation quotes for you to compare. It’s quick, easy, and free to get started. Save by Comparing POS System Quotes Do you already own a POS system? Yes No Answer the question to get started... Credit Card FeesCredit card fees are some of the most important considerations for your business when looking at how much a POS system costs. That’s to say that most the payment platform you integrate to your POS system will charge you upon each transaction.Using our experience and industry knowledge, we’ve selected some of the most popular POS suppliers and explained their credit card fees below.That said, it's worth mentioning most POS system offer a variety of payment platforms to choose from and wise money is on using the transaction fee as a factor to inform your choice. Lightspeed and Square, however, have their own payment platforms and charge the transaction fees themselves. Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Swiped rate transaction fee 2.90% + $0.30 Swiped rate transaction fee 2.60% + $0.10 Swiped rate transaction fee 1.9% Keyed in rate transaction fee (AU) 3.30% + $0.30 Keyed in rate transaction fee (AU) 2.60% + $0.30 Keyed in rate transaction fee (AU) 2.2% Compare POS systemsThe easiest way to compare POS systems is to get free quotes from trusted suppliers that best suit your needs. If that sounds of interest, then simply tell us what you need (it only takes a minute) and we’ll match you with the right POS suppliers. They’ll then get in touch with you, offering more information and no-obligation quotes for you to compare.To give you an idea of how much different POS suppliers might charge your business, check out our examples below.Example cost of POS for a small businessYou’re currently running one or two small stores, and you want to synchronise your brick-and-mortar inventory with an ecommerce store. You employ a small number of employees, but you want to start growing. You also want to view your sales performance with regular reports, in order to make it easier for you to grow your small business.Your POS system costs are likely to be around:POS software cost: $150 per monthPOS hardware cost: $1,200 upfrontPlus transaction fees Example cost of POS for a large businessYou run multiple stores or business locations, selling across multiple channels. This means you need a retail POS system to help you stay on top of your sales figures, your inventory levels, and your employees’ performance. You need more advanced features, such as gift cards, advanced reporting, customer relationship management (CRM) to help retain customers, and much more.Your POS system costs are likely to be around:POS software cost: $300+ per monthPOS hardware cost: $6,500+ upfrontPlus transaction fees Save by Comparing POS System Quotes Do you already own a POS system? Yes No Answer the question to get started... Expert VerdictUsing our years of experience in the POS field, we’ve shown you exactly how much a POS system costs in Australia. The overall cost will depend on the size of your business and the features you need, but you’ll likely end up paying around $1,500 upfront, and then $1,800 or so per year to use your POS system.The best way to find a clear price that’s tailored to your business is to compare POS system quotes from trusted providers. If that sounds good to you, then use our free comparison tool and tell us what you need from your POS system.We’ll then match your business with POS companies that best cater to your needs, who’ll then contact you with more information and non-obligation quotes. It’s quick, easy, and free to get started. POS Cost FAQs What goes into the cost of a POS system? Usually, three things make up the overall cost of a POS system: hardware price, software subscription, and credit card fees. How much does a POS system cost? It completely depends on your size. It could cost around $700 for a budding retail store and around $6,500 for a large multi-location company. Furthermore, in some cases, the software part of the system is paid as a monthly subscription, becoming a fixed cost. Which POS system is the cheapest? Out of the ones we surveyed, Square and Lightspeed Hospitality tie as the cheapest as they both offer free plans. Note that Lightspeed Retail – the one mentioned in this article – doesn't offer a free plan though! Written by: Dan Barraclough Dan’s a Senior Writer at Expert Market, specialising in digital marketing, web design, and photocopiers, amongst other topics. Reviewed by: Ruairi Shirlow Business Services Researcher Ruairi uses his 3+ years of research experience to uncover insights which can help Expert Market provide the best business solutions for their users. He has done this by meeting with business owners to find out what is important to them and what challenges they face on a daily basis. Ruairi specialises in tools that can be used to grow your business and has done research for a wide range of categories on Expert Market, such as EPOS, Website Builders, and Merchant Accounts.