The Best Retail POS Systems for US Businesses

Square is the best POS system for retail, according to our research and testing. It offers free, retail-specific POS software, affordable yet stylish hardware, paid plans geared towards growing businesses and a free online store builder. This makes it the most scalable and best value-for-money POS system we’ve looked at.

That said, larger retail businesses looking for advanced customer engagement and retention tools might find that Clover or Shopify are better fits than Square.

We know that modern retail POS systems aren’t just for managing stock and monitoring sales, but are also used to improve marketing and connect online and in-person sales. That’s why during our most recent research project, we took these features into account when testing the six top retail POS systems available in the US.

The Best Retail POS Systems: At a Glance

Check out the table below for a quick overview of the POS systems for retail stores, and keep reading for detailed reviews of each.

1. Square: Best for new retail businesses

Price: From $0/month
Free plan: Yes
Transaction fees: From 2.6% + 15¢ to 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction

Square is best for early-stage retail businesses and single-location storefronts, as it comes with a completely free software plan that comes with a generous amount of retail tools, including a customizable POS checkout screen, digital and physical receipts, basic stock tracking, and a free online store builder.

For businesses with high turnover, Square’s interface prioritizes speed and simplicity with clean visual item grids, universal search bars, and easy controls. With this, a new hire can master basic checkout, item modification, and receipt generation in around 15-30 minutes.

And as the business grows, the Square Retail Plus plan offers more advanced retail tools for greater needs, including multi-location tools. Businesses can request, track and receive inventory transfers between stores, as well as process customer returns and exchanges for purchases made at any location. Other tools include automated stock replenishment with reorder triggers based on real-time inventory levels, bulk shipment recording, and creating product bundles by combining multiple SKUs into a single item.

Pros and cons of Square

Square is a great choice for small businesses and startups, offering an intuitive POS system with generous free features and affordable hardware. However, as your business grows, some limitations – particularly around payment processing costs and support – may become more noticeable.

How much does Square cost?

Square starts at $0 a month for its standard software plan, while its Retail Plus plan costs $49 a month. You can also get access to the Square for Retail Premium plan, which is custom-priced, including its in-person and online transaction rates.

The Premium plan also throws in 24/7 support, a dedicated account executive, discounted bundled rates on certain tools (including Square Marketing, Loyalty, and Payroll add-ons), and custom API integrations between your POS software and your company’s core business management system.

For its free plan, Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ in processing fees for in-person transactions, and 3.3% + 30¢ for online sales. These are slightly cheaper on the Square for Retail Plus plan, which is 2.5% + 15¢ in-store and 2.9% + 30¢ online.

Square also has some of the most affordable hardware on the market, starting at just $10 for its non-contactless card reader, with the first one provided for free. Its other hardware prices include:

• Square Reader for Contactless & Chip: $59
• Square Stand (for iPad): $149
• Square Terminal: $299
• Square Register: Around $799-$829

Meanwhile, its countertop kits start at $579, whereas you’d be paying $1,799 for Clover’s equivalent.

Our experience with Square

We found Square generally very easy to use. The backend was quite intuitive, and we had no trouble creating menus or listing items. We appreciated the search function, which helped us find tools quickly.

However, we did struggle with more demanding tasks, such as adding discounts at checkout. It took a little digging in the checkout menu to find this function, since it wasn’t clearly visible on the main checkout screen. We also found the process of cancelling orders and adding staff accounts to be overly complicated.

When it comes to hardware, we tested the Square Terminal, its portable POS device, and card machine. While it was easy to access inventory and process payments from the device, we did have issues with the physical design. The card machine was quite wide, so it wasn’t easy to hold in one hand, making it better suited to countertops.

Square’s shortcomings

Although Square is a fairly versatile POS system, capable of handling both small and medium-sized retail operations, it does have its limits.

 Square’s profit management tools aren’t extensive, as all plans lack a built-in cost-versus-profit analysis tool, which could be an issue for businesses needing to track profitability at a granular level. Shopify has a better set of tools to help businesses manage multi-channel and multi-location sales, including online orders.

There’s also no training mode for employees. This might not be an issue, since Square was one of the easiest systems to use that we tested. But if you have a large staff team and need to get them up to speed quickly, you might benefit from a system like Lightspeed Retail, which does allow for training.

2. Shopify POS: Best for businesses managing in-store and online sales

Price: From $29/month (billed annually)
Free plan: No
Transaction fees: From 2.4% + 10¢ to 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction

Shopify is the best solution for businesses handling both in-store and online sales, thanks to its integrated ecommerce and POS systems that keep inventory, orders, customers and reporting syncronized across every sales channel.

Useful features include Buy Online, Return In Store (BORIS), which allows businesses to accept in-store returns for online purchases. It also offers Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) functionalities, where customers can purchase on your online store and select which store to pick the items up from. The POS register instantly alerts store staff to fulfill the order from the floor stock.

Additionally, you can create customer profiles that sync in-person and online purchase history, making it easier to reward customer loyalty (such as Shopify’s native rewards-based currency, Shop Cash, to incentivize shoppers to return). And like Clover, Shopify also has an extensive app store, allowing you to tailor both your online store and your POS system to your needs. It integrates with over 8,000 apps, including loyalty tools, CRM software and social media integrations.

Pros and cons of Shopify POS

Shopify POS is one of the strongest options for businesses that sell across both in-store and online. Its unified platform and intuitive interface are particularly well suited to omnichannel retailers, although some of its most valuable retail features are locked behind higher-tier plans.

How much does Shopify POS cost?

Shopify POS costs $29 when billed annually, or $39 when billed monthly. Its other pricing plans include:

• Shopify Grow: $105/month ($79/month billed annually)
• Advanced Shopify: $399/month ($299/month billed annually)

Every plan includes the free Shopify POS Lite application, which includes mobile checkout, basic customer profiling, manual discount entry, and single-store inventory lookup. However, for more advanced features, you can upgrade to Shopify POS Pro, which costs $89 per month ($79/month billed annually). This includes advanced stock take, BOPIS, BORIS, and custom roles/permissions.

How much are Shopify’s transaction fees?

Shopify’s transaction fees depend on which plan you choose:

• Basic: 2.6% + 10¢ (in-person), 2.9% + 30¢ (online)
• Grow: 2.5% + 10¢ (in-person), 2.7% + 30¢ (online)
• Advanced: 2.4% + 10¢ (in-person), 2.5% + 30¢ (online)

How much is Shopify’s hardware?

Shopify’s hardware is a little more expensive than Square’s, starting at $49 for its Tap & Chip Card Reader. Other prices are listed below:

Shopify also offers full countertop hardware bundles:

• Base display/terminal: $219-$349
• Cash drawer: $139-$159
• Receipt printer: $269-$399
• Barcode scanner: $229-$329
• Total full countertop kit: Around $650-$1,225+

Our experience with Shopify POS

While we found Shopify’s frontend easy to navigate, we had a little more trouble navigating the backend.

What made the frontend easy to use was the intuitive layout of the checkout page, product library and discount buttons. Plus, the addition of an AI assistant allowed for quick troubleshooting and feature lookup. We also generally liked the sleek and modern appearance of the frontend, which made subtle use of color to make features stand out.

However, we had more trouble using the backend, mainly due to the sheer volume of features and menus (Shopify’s backend is for managing sales across multiple channels, after all). The abundance of menus and submenus made finding features such as staff accounts and discount settings difficult, leading us to rely on the AI assistant a lot.

Shopify’s shortcomings

One of Shopify’s main downsides is that using its POS system also requires you to pay for a Shopify online store on top of what you’ll be paying for the POS, and that doesn’t come cheap. Online store plans range from $39 to $399 per month.

If you’re not interested in an online store but still want great functionality, we’d recommend Clover instead. If you do want an online store, but don’t want to pay Shopify’s hefty fees, then you should consider Square. It has free plans for both its POS software and ecommerce software, and its paid plans work out cheaper than Shopify’s.

3. Clover: Best for high-traffic physical stores

Price: From $16/month
Free plan: No
Transaction fees: From 2.3% + 10¢ to 3.5% + 10¢ per transaction

Clover is the best POS system for high-traffic physical storefronts, as its hardware is specifically built to speed up checkout and reduce operational disruptions.

For example, the Clover Station Duo has a dedicated 7-inch customer-facing screen, allowing customers to see an itemised order summary, running total, taxes and payment prompts in real time. They can also tap their card or digital wallet without waiting for the terminal to be repositioned, helping reduce transaction times during busy trading periods.

Clover also offers a biometric fingerprint scanner. This lets cashiers log in or switch accounts instantly with a single touch rather than typing multi-digit PIN codes or swiping staff badges. Each login is also linked to an individual user profile, helping businesses maintain accurate audit trails and employee accountability.

Pros and cons of Clover

Clover stands out for its integrated hardware and user-friendly design. However, businesses that need flexibility in payment processing or a more tightly integrated omnichannel platform may find some of its limitations restrictive.

How much does Clover cost?

Clover’s pricing starts at $16 per month for 36 months under its Basic retail plan, or $349 upfront. This includes the compact terminal system with a 3.6″ screen, a built-in receipt printer, real-time sales tracking, tax reporting, and individual employee logins and permissions.

Its other retail plans include:

• Standard ($180/month for 36 months or $1,899 + $84.55/month): includes the Station Duo (14″ merchant-facing POS with 8″ customer screen), a cash drawer, and detailed sales reports.
• Advanced ($240/month for 36 months or $2,648 + $104.90/month): everything available in Standard, plus the Flex handheld POS with an 8-hour battery life and built-in receipt printer.

How much are Clover’s transaction fees?

Clover’s transaction fees depend on which plan you choose. Under the Basic plan, processing fees are 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person payments, but go down to 2.3% + 10¢ under the Standard and Advanced plans. Transaction fees for online sales remain at 3.5% + 10¢ across all plans.

How much is Clover’s hardware?

Clover sells proprietary hardware terminals that include built-in card processing, receipt printers, and optional biometric fingerprint scanners:

• Clover Go ($149): handheld pocket reader that connects to smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth.
• Clover Flex ($599-$699): handheld, 5-inch touchscreen terminal with a built-in barcode scanner, card reader, and receipt printer.
• Clover Mini ($799-$999): compact 8-inch countertop display with an integrated receipt printer and chip/NFC reader.
• Clover Station Solo ($1,699-$1,799): single 14-inch merchant display with a cash drawer and high-speed receipt printer.
• Clover Station Duo ($1,799-$2,599): 14-inch merchant screen paired with an integrated 7-inch customer-facing display and card reader

Our experience with Clover

Clover has remained consistently easy to use in our testing, despite offering advanced features. We particularly like Clover’s frontend, which is highly intuitive and makes great use of color to highlight features.

That said, it wasn’t quite smooth sailing when it came to certain backend features. For example, we had trouble finding where to set up discounts and loyalty programmes, and real-time syncing issues disrupted the overall smoothness of the experience.

When it comes to hardware, we were particularly impressed by how light the Clover Flex, Clover’s handheld POS device/card machine, was. Despite its size, it fitted easily in our hand and didn’t feel cumbersome, making it a great option for taking payments on the shop floor.

Clover’s shortcomings

Clover’s great hardware comes at a hefty price and its software plans, barring its Starter plan, aren’t cheap either. This means it’s not the best option for small or new retail stores. You’ll get better value for money with Square, which has very affordable hardware.

4. Lightspeed Retail: Best for multi-location merchants

Price: From $89/month (billed annually)
Free plan: No
Transaction fees: From 2.6% + 10¢ to 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction

Lightspeed Retail is the best POS system for multi-location retail businesses, thanks to its comprehensive inventory management tools and excellent marketing add-ons.

Lightspeed centralises inventory management through a single master database, ensuring every Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) created at headquarters is automatically synchronised across all store locations and ecommerce channels. Staff can also view stock availability at other stores in real time, making it easier to fulfill customers’ orders or transfer inventory between locations.

It also offers built-in stock transfer workflows, allowing managers to create and track inventory transfers directly from the POS. The system supports barcode shipping labels, receiving confirmations and automatic inventory updates when stock arrives.

Pros and cons of Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail’s advanced inventory management and reporting capabilities make it a strong choice for businesses managing large product catalogs, although some users find parts of the back-office less intuitive and harder to navigate compared to competitors.

How much does Lightspeed Retail cost?

Lightspeed Retail costs from $89/month for its Basic plan when billed annually, or $109 when billed monthly. This plan includes one register license, core inventory matrix management, integrated payment processing, and basic ecommerce site capabilities. Its other plans are:

• Core ($149/month, billed annually): everything in Basic, plus customer loyalty programs, advanced inventory tracking, mobile scanner app integration, and expanded ecommerce workflows.
• Plus ($289/month, billed annually): everything in Core, plus custom analytics, open API access, advanced workflow automation, and priority 24/7 phone support.

How much are Lightspeed Retail’s transaction fees?

Lightspeed Retail uses a flat-rate payment structure through its Lightspeed Payments processing system:

• In-person card payments: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
• Online payments: 2.6% + 30¢ per transaction
• Manual keyed-in transactions: 3.5% + 15¢ per transaction

How much is Lightspeed Retail’s hardware?

Lightspeed Retail’s hardware can be purchased outright with no mandatory leasing commitments.

• Mobile payment card reader ($49): Bluetooth card reader supporting contactless (Apple Pay / Google Pay) and chip transactions.
• iPad security enclosure/swivel stand ($199): Heavy-duty counter stand designed to secure register iPads on the sales floor. (iPad sold separately).
• 1D/2D barcode scanners ($149-$329): Handheld scanners optimized for fast matrix SKU scanning and stocktake audits.
• Cash drawer ($129-$149): Till drawer featuring printer-driven automatic pop-open triggers.
• Thermal receipt printers ($269-$399): High-speed paper printers designed for high-frequency cash wrap environments.
• Smart desktop POS terminal: Dedicated touchscreen register unit with integrated payment card reader.

Lightspeed Retail also offers two desktop hardware bundles – the iPad Desktop Retail Bundle ($800-$1,200) and the Complete Desktop Terminal Bundle ($1,200 – $1,500+).

The iPad Desktop Retail Bundle includes an iPad stand, tap & chip card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner. Meanwhile, the Complete Desktop Terminal Bundle offers the smart POS terminal, receipt printer, cash drawer, and 2D wireless barcode scanner.

Our experience with Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed remains a slightly difficult-to-use platform, which is the main reason it slipped down in our rankings during our latest round of testing.

We had a lot of difficulty creating a discount, mainly because the process was overly complex, with too many options for offer time limits. Bulk importing products also took a lot of time, and we didn’t like that we weren’t alerted clearly when an import had failed. We also didn’t love that the dashboard menu featured a lot of unlabelled icons that required hovering to interpret.

However, it wasn’t all bad. The frontend was much more intuitive than the backend, and we didn’t have much trouble processing payments or creating customer profiles during a sale. We also appreciated the depth and flexibility of features like the loyalty system and product categorisation, particularly for businesses with complex inventories or advanced needs.

Lightspeed Retail’s shortcomings

Lightspeed Retail’s main shortcoming is that, unlike the other providers on this list, it’s not fully transparent with its pricing. It lets you know how much you’ll pay for its software and basic hardware packages, but not how much additional hardware or add-ons cost.

The provider with the most clearly laid out pricing is Square, which tells you what everything costs, from hardware accessories to add-on software.

Like Shopify, Lightspeed Retail’s POS system is also app-based and requires an iOS tablet – it’s not compatible with Android. So, if you’re looking for a physical terminal and a wide range of hardware, we’d recommend Clover or Epos Now instead.

5. SumUp: Best for micro-merchants and pop-up stores

Price: From $0/month
Free plan: Yes
Transaction fees: From 1.9% + 10¢  to 3.25% + 15¢ per transaction

SumUp is the top choice for micro-merchants and pop-up stores because it combines low upfront costs, portable hardware and an easy-to-use POS system that can be set up and used within minutes.

Like Square, SumUp also operates on a $0/month base subscription model, meaning businesses can start taking payments right away without any long-term contracts or monthly cost. Its register interface is also easy to use, offering a smartphone-like layout where cashiers can process item entry, apply discounts, and complete contactless card transactions with little to no onboarding.

Devices like the SumUp Air provide pocket-sized card processing with cellular/WiFi connectivity. This is particularly useful for mobile sellers (such as market stalls) to accept card payments anywhere without carrying bulky cash drawers or external printer hardware.

Pros and cons of SumUp

SumUp’s low upfront costs, portable hardware and intuitive interface make it easy to start accepting payments, but businesses with more advanced operational requirements may find its back-office tools somewhat limited.

How much does SumUp cost?

SumUp starts at $0 per month for its standard pay-as-you-go plan, which includes a wide variety of retail tools, including basic catalog and product management, fast product lookup, park order functions, custom tipping, financial reporting, and more.

You can also upgrade to the POS with Connect Plus plan for $199 per month. This includes everything in the free plan, plus customer rewards, monthly SMS and email promotions, and dedicated installation and training. Meanwhile, the POS with the Connect Pro plan costs $289 per month and includes unlimited marketing promotions.

How much are SumUp’s transaction fees?

You can expect to pay the following for SumUp’s transaction fees:

• In-person payments: 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction
• Invoicing, keyed-in and online payments: 3.25% + 15¢ per transaction

How much is SumUp’s hardware?

SumUp devices operate independently without mandatory leasing contracts:

• SumUp Air ($39-$49): Pocket-sized Bluetooth card reader connecting to smartphones and tablets.
• SumUp Solo ($99-$129): Touchscreen standalone mobile terminal with built-in Wi-Fi and free unlimited 3G/4G cellular data.
• SumUp Solo + Printer Dock ($149-$179): Solo touchscreen terminal plus a charging base station and built-in thermal receipt printer.

Our experience with SumUp

The frontend of SumUp’s POS system is very user-friendly, but the backend remains hard to navigate.

SumUp’s frontend has a simple, clear and responsive interface, with a minimalist design making finding features such as order cancellation and editing easy. We especially like the “park order” function, which allowed us to quickly adjust items mid-transaction.

However, the backend consistently frustrated us, since its design was much clunkier, and we ran into a lot of slow loading when trying to access reports, bulk imports or user settings. The sidebar menu would also often cover up other navigation elements, which made completing tasks difficult.

SumUp’s shortcomings

SumUp doesn’t have an automatic offline function, which means that if you lose internet access you won’t be able to keep processing orders. Many competitors, including Clover and Lightspeed Retail, offer this function, since it’s a useful backup in a crisis.

While SumUp offers great marketing features, its gift card creation tool is only for digital gift cards, whereas competitor Square allows users to create both physical and digital gift cards.

Additionally, SumUp doesn’t supply handheld POS devices, which are useful for shops without a dedicated checkout counter. Most competitors offer this type of device, including Square, Shopify and Clover.

6. Epos Now: Best for speciality and high-SKU retailers

Price: Around $39-$69 per terminal per month
Free plan: No
Transaction fees: From 2.5% to 2.6% + 10¢ per transaction

Epos Now is our pick for speciality and high-SKU retailers – such as apparel boutiques, electronic stores and jewelry shops – as its advanced inventory management tools allow users to create and manage a wide variety of item variations.

Epos Now’s built-in Product Matrix tool groups item variations under single products rather than separate product creation. This way, employees can instantly check if a clothing item or electronics variant is in stock across different colors and sizes directly from the register.

When stock levels fall below a certain threshold, the system automatically creates supplier purchase orders (POs), helping businesses maintain inventory availability and reduce the risk of stockouts. It also tracks “dead stock” and gives store owners clear data on which product lines to mark down, bundle or discontinue, improving inventory efficiency and freeing up working capital.

Pros and cons of Epos Now

Epos Now’s intuitive interface, wide app marketplace, and reporting capabilities make it a strong POS option. That said, businesses should be aware that they may have to pay extra for some advanced features and may find its ecommerce less developed than dedicated omnichannel platforms.

How much does Epos Now cost?

Epos Now charges software and support fees regularly, typically around $39-$69 per terminal per month, under a fixed contract (usually 12-to-24 months).

On top of its contracts, Epos Now also offers Care & Premium Support packages, which cost an extra $54-$69 per contract per month. This includes 24/7 phone assistance, priority software updates, and expedited device replacement options.

How much are Epos Now’s transaction fees?

Through its in-house payment processor, Epos Now Payments, you are charged a flat rate for every sale you make. This is 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person card payments, or 2.5% for non-standard/premium cards.

However, if you opt out of Epos Now Payments to use an external payment gateway, Epos Now will apply an additional monthly software surcharge.

How much is Epos Now’s hardware?

Epos Now’s hardware can either be purchased upfront or through its financing model, where countertop terminals are discounted in exchange for a mandatory software/support contract (usually 12 to 24 months).

For example, its Handheld POS Terminal costs around $849-$1,199 for the standalone touchscreen terminal and base without a contract software. However, if you opt for the software contract, costs start at just $15 a month.

Epos Now also offers a Complete Countertop POS Bundle, which includes the terminal, cash drawer, and thermal printer. This costs $299-$499 upfront when tied to a 12-month contract.

Our experience with Epos Now

Epos Now was one of the more challenging POS systems we tested, mainly because there were so many tools at our disposal. For example, adding products to the inventory was very easy, but creating variants for them wasn’t because of the amount of detail the platform demanded for each variant.

We also found it quite hard to type on Epos Now’s touchscreen-mounted register, because the screen was very large and set a little too high for comfort. We think this could easily be improved if the provider made the mount retractable.

Epos Now’s shortcomings

One of Epos Now’s main shortcomings is its total lack of native marketing tools, placing it at odds with all the other providers on this list. However, you can integrate your Epos Now POS system with a variety of marketing apps, such as Mailchimp or Loyalzoo.

Additionally, Epos Now is not the easiest system to use; our testing found its backend processes, like creating product variants, to be overly complex and time-consuming. It was the one we struggled with the most during testing, so it might not be a good fit for novice POS users. For a simple system, we’d recommend Square.

How to Choose a Retail POS System

Choosing the best retail POS system for your business requires evaluating several key factors. Here are the most important things to consider before making a decision:

• Cost and pricing structure: Look closely at the pricing structure and assess what’s included for free and what comes at an added cost, to get the best deal.
• POS functions and available hardware: Assess your business needs and choose a provider that meets them closely. For example, do you want to sell online or only in-person? Do you need a system that can manage multiple stores or just one? You should also look at the physical equipment that’s available to buy or rent from each POS system provider.
• Ease of use: This will speed up training and service times, and reduce room for error. However, if you and your employees are experienced with POS systems, you could compromise on ease of use in favor of advanced features.
• Customer support: Choose a POS system that has a customer support phone line, since calling is usually the fastest way to get an issue resolved. Live chat channels, help centers and community forums, if the POS system has them, can also be great for quick troubleshooting.
• Security features: consider the security tools included, like payment encryption, PCI compliance, user permissions, and activity tracking. These features help protect customer payment data and reduce the risk of unauthorised access.
• Hardware accessories: review the range of compatible accessories to ensure the system can support your daily operations. Depending on your business, you may need barcode scanners, receipt printers, cash drawers, or handheld devices for mobile checkout.

How we tested retail POS systems

The Expert Market team tested and assessed seven different retail POS systems, spending around 160 hours researching POS platforms and more than 20 hours testing them.

During this time, each POS system was evaluated in six categories that are important to retail businesses, broken down into up to 12 subcategories, to get an impartial ranking:

• Usability (35%): The day-to-day operational speed, interface design, order entry workflow, cashier navigation, and overall ease of learning for new or temporary staff.
• Software/features (25%): The depth and flexibility of core software tools, such as stock management, purchase orders, and reporting analytics.
• Pricing/commercial value (20%): total cost of ownership (TCO), including monthly software fees, payment processing rates, custom integration fees, and contractual lock-in terms.
• Help & support (10%): availability and responsiveness of live technical support channels (24/7 phone support, live chat, dedicated account managers) and the depth of self-serve knowledge bases.
• Hardware (5%): the quality, durability, mobility, and appeal of the physical card terminals, iPad stands, barcode scanners, and receipt printers.
• Reputation (5%): market perception, online user sentiment, platform stability, and brand track record across indepedent review aggregators.