Shopify POS Review: Is it Right for Your Business?

Our research team compared 12 different point of sale (POS) systems across various research areas, and Shopify easily snaps up one of the top spots with an overall score of 4.1/5.

Shopify rates well in many of the categories we researched, these include: hardware, price, usability, and customer score. We highly recommend this POS system for any business that is currently using Shopify's ecommerce platform because the integration between the two provides an easy way to mange both an online and physical store.

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How Much Does Shopify POS Cost?

Shopify plan

Shopify POS Subscriptions

Shopify offers free POS software with all its Shopify plans and, if your store is fairly small and you have an ecommerce platform with Shopify, this can work out quite well. The free POS software is pretty basic and will allow you to serve customers, take payments, and manage your inventory.

However, beyond these functions, the free version is fairly limited. Square, one of its competitors, offers a free and feature-rich POS app, which Shopify is lacking. If you want a comprehensive POS system, it can get a bit pricey at $89 per month, per location. If you have multiple locations, the price tag can get quite hefty. For better insight, read our dedicated Square POS review. 

Bear in mind that, in addition to of these costs, you also have the transaction fees. Although these are a little lower than other competitors. Square's transaction fees are 2.6% and 3.5%, and Shopify's transaction fees are 2.4%. 

However, the ecommerce transaction fees are different and these are based on the plan you opt for. The more expensive the plan, the lower the transaction fees.

If you use Shopify's ecommerce platform, or want to use it, then it makes sense to use the Shopify POS over a non-Shopify POS system. This is because integrating between different providers can cause a lot of issues, and if these do not integrate seamlessly, and something were to go wrong, you'll need to contact each provider separately to try and rectify the issue.

You can use our free quote tool to compare pricing with other POS providers.

The Pros and Cons of Shopify POS

Pro – Integrates With Shopify Ecommerce Platform

If you currently use Shopify's ecommerce platform, the main benefit is that it integrates seamlessly and allows you to merge your online and physical store. Shopify is a leading provider in the ecommerce world and, while it doesn't perform as well on the POS side, the combination of the two creates a multichannel selling system.

You can provide customized discounts, send digital receipts with Shopify POS, and your customers can check out on the go. You can also track your inventory, categorize an unlimited amount of items, and sync orders across multiple online and physical stores.

You can also use the POS system to develop marketing campaigns via email or social media, providing you with multiple ways to develop relationships with your customers.

Pro – No Contract

Instead of signing a contract with Shopify, you pay on a month-by-month basis. The upside of this is that you won't be stuck in a contract you want to get out of. The flexibility makes it a good choice for small businesses, or businesses with tight budgets.

Some POS providers, such as Lightspeed, provide cheaper pricing when you pay annually, which can also be limiting. This is especially true for start-ups or small businesses because you'll need to invest a hefty amount upfront, and you'll be tied to the provider for a year, minimum. 

Pro – 24/7 Customer Support

Shopify scores a 4/5 in the help and support category, with 24/7 customer support as one of its top features. This provides customers with the confidence and ease to fix any emergency problems that crop up, at any time. When running both an online and physical store, you may be facing an extra set of issues, so having great customer support is important to prevent the issues from escalating.

Con – Heavy Focus On Ecommerce

Shopify has a heavy focus on ecommerce, which is no surprise considering its ecommerce platform is incredibly popular and highly rated. However, this does mean that its POS software lacks a lot of features found in other systems. It's not a suitable POS for the hospitality industry as it lacks specialized features.

You can only use Shopify POS with one of its ecommerce plans, which means you'll have access to this even if you don't want to sell online. This is why it only really makes sense to use Shopify POS if you also want to make use of the ecommerce platform.

Cons – Card Payments Can't Be Taken Offline

Shopify POS can only process cash payments offline, which means if something happens to your connection, you won't be able to process card payments. If you're a mobile business, this is especially painful as it may be difficult to find or maintain a stable connection. Other POS systems, such as Square and TouchBistro, offer the ability to take card payments offline.

Shopify's Key Features Explained

Inventory Management Tools

In addition to being able to track inventory, inventory management tools can only be found in the Pro plan, so you'll need to pay to access them. These tools are fairly comprehensive and provide a ton of solutions, so it's no surprise our research scores it a 5/5 for stock management.

On the Pro plan, you can create purchase orders to streamline your ordering process. Your order history can develop forecasting for your business, based on performance and seasonality. Low stock warnings can be set up so you don't fall behind or run into issues, as well as sales suggestions that will highlight which products aren't selling.

You can also access inventory analysis, which will help you decide which items should be re-ordered, and which are not doing as well and are taking up valuable inventory space.

Manage Customers

Each time a customer shops online or in store, a customer profile is created. You can easily keep track of customer data, their buying history, notes, shipping addresses, and marketing preferences. This will help tailor and customize your marketing campaigns for your customers.

Whenever your customer shops online or in store, their order data is synced so you can track both types of purchases. This is one of the main benefits of having your ecommerce platform and POS system linked.

Another plus is that you can develop a tailored loyalty program for customers that can be used for both online and in-store purchases.

Integrated Reports and Analytics

The integration of ecommerce and a POS system means you can get reports and analytics from both your online and physical stores. You can generate reports and insights into products, sales, and staff performance. Your dashboard also gives you an overview of your stores and sales.

Other reports you can access include discounts, finances, products, and cash flow. The extensive reporting functions are one of the reasons Shopify POS scores a 4/5 for business development in our research.

What Kind of Business is Shopify POS Best For?

Retailers With Online Stores

As is clear throughout this review, we recommend Shopify POS to retail stores that also have an online presence. Whether you already have an ecommerce store with Shopify, or want to switch to Shopify but also want to integrate your physical store, Shopify is a good option.

The best POS systems for your business will depend on your unique needs and pain points. Syncing an ecommerce site to your physical store will provide you with a seamless way to manage stock, customers, and sales data.

It scores well in several of our research areas including hardware (4.5/5) and usability (5/5). While it is a solid POS system, it does lack the specialized features that are required by other industries, such as hospitality. Retailers without an online store can make use of this POS system, however, there are better options out there with more features and a better price point, such as Square.

How Does Shopify Compare to its Competitors?

Price

When it comes to pricing, Shopify scores a poor 2.7/5. Even though it does offer free POS software, which comes with its paid ecommerce plans, this POS software is fairly basic and won't be of much help to retailers. Compared to its competitors, such as Square, which offers a much more robust free POS app, Shopify is lacking.

The paid POS version is $89 per month, per location, which can get pricey, especially when you also have to pay for the ecommerce side. This starts at a reasonable $29 per month, but this only accommodates two staff accounts, basic reporting, and four inventory locations. If your business is a start-up or a small business, this might be fine. However, you'll likely outgrow this plan and need to pay more every month.

Pricing can get expensive with Shopify, but for retailers who want the integration between online and physical stores, it's worth it.

Features

Shopify offers great features for retailers with its in-depth inventory management, staff management, and comprehensive reporting. However, most of these features are hidden by a fairly pricey paywall that makes them less accessible to small businesses. Other POS providers, such as Lightspeed, offer similar features specifically catered towards retail businesses in need of a POS. Lightspeed also offers features such as a built in CRM system.

Does Shopify POS Have Good Customer Reviews?

Most positive customer reviews are centered around the ease created by the integrated ecommerce and POS systems. Some did find that the POS system is lacking in some aspects. Many users commented how easy it is to use, which isn't surprising considering our research rates its usability at 5/5.

Overall, yes, there are good customer reviews, however, some customers did find that it lacks extensive customization. The lack of customization does mean that it's generally much more user-friendly.