The 5 Best iPad POS Systems for Canada

Square is an all-in-one iPad POS system, complete with all the software and hardware necessary to run your business. Square is suitable for various industries, including retail and hospitality. It integrates front and back office, and allows you to take control over all aspects of your business at once.

Square is a great option for small businesses as it comes with comprehensive, ready-made software packages. The interface itself is easy to use on an iPad, and best of all, there are no charges for the basic software package. This means you don’t need to commit right away, and instead you and your team can figure out if it's the right fit for your business first.

Flexible and convenient, the software itself won’t cost you anything – all you need is an iPad and a card chip reader!

If you have an online business, Shopify POS is the perfect supplement to help take it off the screen. It also includes a great CRM (customer relationship management) system, so you can develop a relationship with customers and keep them coming back.

It integrates well with your online store, so you’ll have an easy overview of all your sales. For anyone without an online store, this POS system is most likely not worth it – so you’re better off opting for a different system.

Shopify POS works with a number of hardware, such as cash drawers, receipt printers and barcode scanners. The app can be installed on multiple devices so you can use several cash registers at the same time, all at no extra charge, and run a smooth operation online and offline.

This Toronto-based software company offers a cloud-based POS system exclusively for iPads. It can be used for restaurants, bars, night clubs, breweries and quick-service establishments. TouchBistro relies on food industry experts to create a system that’s genuinely useful and industry specific.

You will need to commit to a minimum of 12 months, which is a drawback if you’re running a startup or small business, or simply don’t want to commit too quickly. The app is fairly easy to use, although it can be unresponsive on occasion.

You can also opt for a self-service kiosk and a customer-facing display, both of which are customizable, meaning you can align them to your brand whilst giving your customers great service and more options.

A Canadian born and bred company, Lightspeed offers iPad POS systems for restaurants and retailers. One of its unique features is that you can customize the system to suit your business. If you don’t need this extensive customization, you can opt for a ready-made package instead.

Lightspeed offers extensive stock inventory management tools to ensure you stay on top of inventory levels. Users have reported that customer service is great, with quick responses to enquiries.

Lightspeed provides insightful analytics, making it easy for you to see employee performance, marketing, sales, inventory levels, and more.

Epos Now is a flexible, customizable, cloud-based POS system. Because it’s cloud based, it can run on any device, including iPads. Epos Now boasts features such as inventory management, a customizable dashboard, automatic purchase orders (so you never run out of stock), and real-time reports.

This system allows you to keep an eye on everything happening across your business. You can integrate third-party apps to create a comprehensive, functional system. You can also create profiles for customers and run loyalty programs or special offers to establish a deeper relationship with your customers.

Unfortunately, the system cannot use different tax rates in different provinces in Canada, which can be a big drawback if you have multiple locations across provinces.