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Best POS system for retail stores (October 2026): 8 systems compared on price, inventory and lock-in

By Ari FeldmanSenior POS reviewer·Updated October 20, 2026·How we score

The short answer

Lightspeed Retail is best for deep inventory and several stores, and Shopify POS if you also sell online. Square is the easiest free start, Clover suits in-store shops that want all-in-one hardware, and JET POS is the value pick to own outright, with $0 a month and any processor.

At $20,000 a month in card sales, our 3-year totals ran from about $22,168 (JET, with a card-terminal allowance) to $27,399 (Lightspeed Core). Card processing was 75% to 95% of every total, so the rate you pay matters more than the monthly fee. JET's place assumes a processor charging 10¢ a sale; at Square's 15¢ it would cost $23,068 and rank third.

Disclosure: WHICHpos is published by the company that makes JET, so we score JET on the same public grid and publish the same honest cons as every other system. More on our About page.

Best retail POS at a glance (with prices)

We compared the eight systems below that sell to retail stores. Toast and TouchBistro are on our list too, but they are built for restaurants (Toast's retail plan starts at $90 a month), so we don't rank them here.

System	Best for	Software / month	Card-present rate	Starter hardware	Contract	Processor lock-in	Score
JET POS	Owning it outright	$0	Your processor's rate	Topaz 2.0 $1,299 · Onyx MAX $1,800 (drawer + printer included; card terminal from your processor)	None with JET; your processor's terms apply	None; any processor	8.7
Square	Free, fast start	$0 / $49 / $149 per location	2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 15¢	Reader $59 · Register $899 · Register Kit from $1,189	Month-to-month	Square only	8.4
Shopify POS	Selling online + in store	Basic $39 ($29 yearly) + POS Pro $89/location ($67 on a 12-month term)	2.6% / 2.5% / 2.4% + 10¢	Tap & Chip reader $49 · POS Terminal $349	Monthly, or yearly terms	Integrated readers need Shopify Payments	8.0
Clover	All-in-one in-store hardware	$0 / $29.95 / $84.95 (Retail Growth), +$19.95 per extra device	2.6% / 2.5% / 2.3% + 10¢	Compact $349 · Station Duo $1,899	Monthly billing if bought (no ETF published); 36-month subscriptions can't be canceled	Devices locked to their processor	7.4
Lightspeed Retail	Inventory depth, multi-store	$89 / $149 / $289 billed annually (about $109 / $179 / $339 monthly)	2.6% + 10¢	Smart Terminal V2 $449 (plus an iPad)	Auto-renews for the same term; early exit = remaining fees	Lightspeed Payments, or $400/month fee (lower-volume merchants)	7.3
SumUp POS	Small budget	$0 / $49 (POS Plus) / from $99	2.6% + 10¢	POS Lite + Solo reader $499	Free and POS Plus: cancel anytime	SumUp only	7.2
Epos Now	Cheap upfront bundle	$84 (with $399 hardware bundle)	2.6% + 10¢	Complete Solution $399	12-month minimum, auto-renews	+$20/month with another processor	6.5
KORONA POS	Convenience & liquor	$59 / $79 / $99 per terminal	Your processor's rate	Quote only	Month-to-month	None; any processor	—

Verified October 20, 2026 on each vendor's own pricing pages. Scores follow our public methodology; KORONA is new to our comparison and not yet scored. Lightspeed's monthly-billing prices are third-party reported.

What a retail POS really costs over 3 years

For one register at $20,000 a month in card sales, three years of hardware, software and processing came to $22,168 to $27,399 in our model. Processing was by far the biggest piece in every case.

3-year cost of one retail counter at $20,000 a month in card sales

500 card sales of $40 a month for 36 months, US list prices on October 20, 2026, tax and shipping excluded. Hardware = one register with cash drawer and receipt printer where the vendor sells one (SumUp's and Epos Now's bundles list no cash drawer, KORONA's hardware is quote-only and Square doesn't list its kit contents); scanners excluded for every system. JET and KORONA have no processor of their own, so we modeled them at 2.6% + 10¢. JET's card terminal comes from your processor; we added a $349 allowance for it, in the range of countertop card terminals sold by Square ($299), Shopify ($349) and Lightspeed ($449). We assumed no monthly processor fees for JET or KORONA. JET's place assumes a processor charging 10¢ a sale; at Square's 15¢ it would cost $23,068 and rank third.

Setup (one register)	Hardware	Software, 36 mo	Processing, 36 mo	3-year total	Processing share
JET Topaz 2.0 includes a $349 allowance for the card terminal your processor supplies	$1,648	$0	$20,520	$22,168	93%
Square Free + Register Kit no stock intake or purchase orders	$1,189	$0	$21,420	$22,609	95%
SumUp POS Lite + POS Plus drawer and printer not included	$499	$1,764	$20,520	$22,783	90%
Clover Station Duo, Retail Growth bought outright	$1,899	$3,058.20	$18,360	$23,317	79%
Square Plus + Register Kit	$1,189	$1,764	$20,700	$23,653	88%
Epos Now Complete Solution 12-month auto-renewing term	$399	$3,024	$20,520	$23,943	86%
Shopify Basic + POS Pro (yearly)	$1,375	$3,456	$20,520	$25,351	81%
Lightspeed Core (annual)	$1,515	$5,364	$20,520	$27,399	75%
KORONA Retail hardware quote-only, not included; shown last	Quote only	$2,844	$20,520	$23,364 + hardware	—

Processing per month: $20,000 × rate + 500 sales × per-sale fee. Square Free: $520 + $75 = $595. Square Plus: $500 + $75 = $575. At 2.6% + 10¢: $520 + $50 = $570. Clover Retail Growth (2.3% + 10¢): $460 + $50 = $510. Each × 36 months. Shopify hardware: iPad $449 + stand $149 + POS Terminal $349 + printer $289 + drawer $139 = $1,375. Lightspeed: iPad $449 + Stand with Payments $199 + Smart Terminal V2 $449 + drawer $129 + printer $289 = $1,515.

Lightspeed's US store didn't show a receipt-printer price, so we used Shopify's $289 price for the same Epson model. Square's Register Kit is a "starting at" price; Square's Canadian page lists a cash drawer, printer and paper in the kit. Shopify's POS Pro is $67 a month on a 12-month term for stores new to POS Pro; at the $89 monthly price and $39 Basic, the Shopify total rises to $26,503. Clover's total assumes you buy the hardware outright.

Three things move these totals more than any monthly fee:

Your card rate: 0.3 points on $20,000 a month is $60 a month, or $2,160 over three years.
Who sets the rate: on an open system you can shop for an interchange-plus quote. In our Visa and Mastercard fee model, a typical card mix came to about $442 a month at this volume, which would bring JET's 3-year total to about $17,571 and KORONA's to about $18,767 plus hardware. A mix of mostly premium rewards cards can cost more than a flat rate, and interchange-plus pricing carries monthly network fees.
Which plan you need: Square Free looks cheapest among the locked systems, but stock intake, purchase orders and vendor management need Square Plus.

JET's lead over Square Free is only $441 over three years in this model, and it comes entirely from the 5¢ lower per-sale fee we assumed for JET's processor, which more than covers JET's higher hardware cost. If your processor charges 15¢ a sale like Square, Square Free comes out $459 cheaper, and monthly account or PCI fees (Wells Fargo charges $9.95 + $10 a month) would add about $718. Get the per-sale fee, monthly fees and terminal price in writing before you count on JET's lead.

Retail features compared

Lightspeed has the deepest inventory tools and Shopify the best online sync. JET sells its own scale ($349.95), approved for trade in the US (NTEP) and Canada (Measurement Canada).

Feature	Lightspeed Retail	Shopify POS	Square	JET POS
Variants (size × color)	3 options, up to 200 variants per family	Up to 2,048 variants per product	Yes (item variations)	Yes
Purchase orders & receiving	Yes, plus supplier catalogs and NuORDER	Yes, built into Shopify admin since Stocky retired	Plus plan and up	Stock-in (receiving) with case-to-unit conversion; purchase orders not listed
Stock transfers between stores	Yes, approved in the POS	Yes (sending and receiving in the POS need POS Pro)	Premium plan	Multi-store included; transfers not listed
Serial numbers	Paid add-on module	Not native; apps (reported)	—	—
Label printing	Zebra and DYMO printers	Label printers $209–$499, free label app	—	Custom label templates, bulk printing
Legal-for-trade scale	Third-party Hyperspace integration (US)	None native	—	Integrated scale $349.95, NTEP + Measurement Canada approved
Offline card payments	Smart Terminal only, capped; no gift cards or loyalty offline	Compatible readers, with limits; no swipe, Tap to Pay or keyed	—	Keeps selling offline; card approvals depend on your terminal
Online store sync	Built-in eCom; Shopify connector from $89/month	Native: one catalog and stock count	Online site on every plan	Online store included with JET Retail
Age-check prompt	Third-party Hyperspace app (US)	Apps	—	—
EBT / SNAP	Not documented	Not documented	Yes, 1.8% + 5¢	Works with your EBT processor; split baskets
Loyalty	Built in	Apps; "loyalty insights" with POS Pro	Plus plan and up	Included
Processor choice	Lightspeed Payments, or $400/month fee (lower-volume merchants)	Shopify Payments for integrated readers	Square only	Any processor

"—" means the feature isn't documented on the vendor pages we checked, not that it can't be done. Clover's Retail Growth plan adds item management, discounts, returns, reports, gift cards and loyalty that its free Starter plan leaves out. KORONA has a built-in age prompt the cashier can't skip.

Best retail POS by store type

Pick by what your store does every day.

Boutique or apparel store

Lightspeed handles size-and-color matrices, layaway, special orders and built-in loyalty. If you sell online as much as in store, Shopify POS keeps one catalog for both. Exchanges at any of your stores need POS Pro.

Convenience store, bodega or liquor store

You need fast scanning, EBT, age checks and something that keeps selling when the internet drops.

EBT: Square publishes an EBT rate (1.8% + 5¢). JET works with your EBT processor and splits one basket between EBT and another payment. Lightspeed and Shopify don't document EBT, so plan on a separate EBT terminal. USDA says most retailers pay for their own EBT equipment.
Age checks: KORONA prompts the cashier to confirm age when they hit Total, and nobody can skip it. Lightspeed (US) uses the third-party Hyperspace app. Federal tobacco rules require a photo ID check for anyone under 30.
Value: KORONA and JET both let you choose your processor, which matters on thin c-store margins.

Grocery, deli or bulk store (selling by weight)

Selling by weight needs a scale approved for trade, and your state may require it to be inspected and sealed before you use it. In Canada, retail food scales are inspected every five years.

JET sells an integrated scale ($349.95) approved in both the US (NTEP) and Canada (Measurement Canada). Lightspeed connects to scales in the US through Hyperspace. Shopify has no native scale support.

Hardware store

Lightspeed fits best, with house and contractor accounts, quotes, special orders and a serial-number add-on for power tools.

Several locations

Lightspeed and Shopify both move stock between stores. Shopify's Basic to Advanced plans include up to 10 locations, and POS Pro is $89 per location. Square needs Premium ($149 a month per location) for transfers and returns across stores. JET includes multi-store at $0 a month.

New or very small shop

Square Free gets you selling for a $59 reader and no monthly fee. Move to Plus ($49) when you need stock intake and purchase orders.

Can you use your own payment processor?

Only with some systems. That matters because processing is 75% to 95% of what a retail POS costs over three years.

JET and KORONA: yes, any processor. JET doesn't sell terminals or set rates, and it is integrated with Verifone terminals, so ask whether your processor supplies one. Your processor's own contract and fees still apply.
Square and SumUp: no, their own processing only.
Lightspeed: its February 2026 service agreement says you "must use Lightspeed Payments unless otherwise agreed". Otherwise it charges "an additional $400 a month for lower volume merchants" or "up to 0.58%" of volume. At $20,000 a month, $400 is 2 points of your sales on top of your processor's own fees; to come out ahead, an outside processor would have to charge under 0.85% all-in, which is below card interchange.
Shopify: integrated readers need Shopify Payments. You can ring a sale on an outside terminal and mark it paid in Shopify POS with no Shopify fee, but staff enter the amount twice. Online orders through another gateway pay 2% (Basic) to 0.6% (Advanced).
Clover: devices can't move to another processor. Bought through a bank such as Wells Fargo, the price sheet is different (2.60% + 15¢ in person, plus $9.95 a month and a $10 PCI fee).
Epos Now: charges $20 a month if you don't use its payments.

More on why this matters in our processor lock-in guide.

Which retail POS systems work offline?

The three we documented all keep some selling going without internet, but card payments are where they differ.

Shopify: offline card payments on compatible readers, up to limits you set. No swipe, Tap to Pay or keyed cards offline. Shopify says to reconnect ideally within 24 hours.
Lightspeed: cash sales, parked sales and new products offline. Card payments offline only on its Smart Terminal, with caps. No gift cards or loyalty offline.
JET: keeps ringing sales and printing receipts offline, then syncs on its own. Whether a card can be approved offline depends on your terminal and processor.

Our picks, one by one

JET POS: best value to own (8.7)

Pay once for the station (Topaz 2.0 $1,299 or Onyx MAX $1,800, cash drawer and receipt printer included) and pay $0 a month after that, with every feature unlocked. You keep your own processor, there's no contract, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee. It also sells its own scale ($349.95), approved for trade in the US (NTEP) and Canada (Measurement Canada).

The catch: JET runs on Android only, not iPad. You get the card terminal and rate from your processor, so you have to shop for both. It doesn't list purchase orders or serial numbers. If those, or a large online business, run your store, Lightspeed or Shopify fit better. Read the JET review → or see current prices at jetpos.ai.

Square: easiest free start (8.4)

$0 a month, a $59 reader and a free online site are enough to start selling. Month-to-month, with no cancellation or PCI fees. EBT is accepted at 1.8% + 5¢.

The catch: you can only use Square's processing. Inventory intake and purchase orders need Plus ($49), and transfers between stores need Premium ($149). Read the Square review →

Shopify POS: best if you sell online (8.0)

One catalog, one stock count and one customer list across your store and website. Purchase orders and transfers are now built in, and products can have up to 2,048 variants.

The catch: most stores need POS Pro on top of a Shopify plan. Two changes to plan for: the POS Go handheld stops working as a mobile POS on May 26, 2027 (the Victa Mobile at $399 replaces it), and the Stocky inventory app ended on August 31, 2026. Read the Shopify POS review →

Clover: best in-store hardware (7.4)

Polished all-in-one devices, from the $349 Compact to the $1,899 Station Duo with its printer and cash drawer. Clover's Retail Growth rate of 2.3% + 10¢ was the lowest published card rate in this group.

The catch: Clover devices can't move to another processor. Its 36-month subscriptions can't be canceled, and you don't own the hardware at the end. Bank and reseller prices differ from clover.com. Read the Clover review →

Lightspeed Retail: best for inventory and multi-store (7.3)

The deepest retail toolkit here: variants, purchase orders, supplier catalogs, transfers, customer accounts, quotes, special orders and built-in loyalty.

The catch: it was the most expensive setup in our model. It effectively requires Lightspeed Payments, renews for the same term automatically, and charges the rest of the term if you leave early. Read the Lightspeed review →

Also worth a look: SumUp, Epos Now and KORONA

SumUp (7.2) is cheap to start, with a $499 POS Lite bundle and a $49 POS Plus plan you can cancel anytime, but you can only use SumUp's processing. Epos Now (6.5) has a $399 starter bundle but a 12-month minimum that renews automatically. KORONA ($59 to $99 per terminal, month-to-month, any processor) is strong for convenience and liquor stores, but its hardware is quote-only.

Compare all systems Find your POS in 2 minutes →

Retail POS pricing in Canada

Canadian prices differ, and some vendors don't publish them at all.

System (Canada)	Software / month	In-person card rate	Notes
Square	Retail Plus C$79 per location (Free plan C$0)	Credit 2.5% (2.45% on Retail Plus) · Interac 0.75% + 7¢	Register C$999
Shopify	Basic C$49 (C$37 yearly) + POS Pro C$119 per location	Credit 2.6% · Interac 15¢ flat	Interac can't be taken offline
Lightspeed Retail	US$89 / $149 / $289 (shown in USD on the Canadian page)	Through Lightspeed Payments	Same plan table as the US
Clover	Not published (sales quote)	Not published	Says "No PCI charge"
JET POS	$0	Your processor's rate	Free shipping to Canada; scale approved by Measurement Canada; French interface

Systems that let you choose your processor can pass on Canada's lower small-business card rates. From October 24, 2026, Visa's small-business tier covers up to C$750,000 a year in Visa volume, with in-person interchange of 0.70% on basic (Core) cards, before network fees and your processor's markup. Details in our Visa and Mastercard fee guide.

How we scored

Every system runs the same six-category grid, published on our How we test page: pricing and total cost 25%, software features 20%, contract and lock-in 15%, hardware 15%, ease of use 15%, support 10%. Cost and lock-in carry the most weight because that's where retailers get burned.

That weighting is why JET scores highest, and also why JET isn't the best pick for every store. If your store depends on deep purchase ordering, serial tracking or a big online business, Lightspeed or Shopify will serve you better, whatever the score says. Full method: How we test.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best POS system for a retail store in 2026?

It depends on what your store needs most. Lightspeed Retail is strongest for deep inventory and several stores. Shopify POS is best if you also sell online. Square is the easiest free start. Clover suits in-store shops that want all-in-one hardware. JET POS is the value pick to own outright: $0 a month and any processor. WHICHpos is published by the company that makes JET.

How much does a retail POS system cost?

Software runs from $0 a month (Square Free, JET) to $149 (Lightspeed Core) on the plans in our model, and more on top tiers. A register setup costs about $400 to $1,900. At $20,000 a month in card sales, 3-year totals ran from about $22,168 (JET, with a card-terminal allowance) to $27,399 (Lightspeed Core). Card processing was 75% to 95% of every total. JET's place assumes a processor charging 10¢ a sale; at Square's 15¢ it would cost $23,068 and rank third.

What is the cheapest POS for a retail store?

Square Free has the lowest upfront software cost ($0 a month) and a Register Kit from $1,189. Over three years, JET (Topaz 2.0, $1,299, $0 a month) came out lowest in our model, about $441 below Square Free, after a $349 allowance for a card terminal. JET's place assumes a processor charging 10¢ a sale; at Square's 15¢ it would cost $23,068 and rank third. See our cheapest POS guide.

Which retail POS has the best inventory management?

Lightspeed Retail. It handles variants (up to 200 per product family), purchase orders, stock transfers, min/max replenishment, serial numbers (paid add-on), customer accounts and special orders. Shopify has caught up on purchase orders and transfers, which are now built into Shopify admin.

What is the best POS for a store that also sells online?

Shopify POS. It runs your store and website from one catalog and one stock count. Its POS Pro add-on ($89 per location a month, or $67 on a 12-month term) unlocks the retail tools most stores need.

Can I use my own payment processor with a retail POS?

With JET and KORONA, yes. Clover devices work only with the processor that sold them, whether that's clover.com or a bank such as Wells Fargo, and can't be moved to another processor later. Square and SumUp only work with their own processing. Lightspeed requires Lightspeed Payments or charges a fee ($400 a month for lower-volume merchants). Shopify's integrated readers need Shopify Payments, but you can ring sales on an outside terminal and mark them paid, with no Shopify fee.

Do retail POS systems work offline?

Most keep selling, with limits. Shopify takes offline card payments on compatible readers, but not swipe, Tap to Pay or keyed cards. Lightspeed handles cash sales offline and cards only on its Smart Terminal, with no gift cards or loyalty. JET keeps ringing sales and printing receipts offline and syncs when you're back; offline card approvals depend on your terminal and processor.

Which retail POS works with a scale for selling by weight?

JET sells an integrated scale ($349.95) approved for trade in both the US (NTEP) and Canada (Measurement Canada). Lightspeed connects to scales in the US through a third-party Hyperspace integration. Shopify has no native scale support. Whatever you use, your state may require the scale to be inspected and sealed before you sell by weight.

Which retail POS systems accept EBT/SNAP?

Square publishes an EBT rate of 1.8% + 5¢. JET works with your EBT processor and can split one basket between EBT and another payment. Lightspeed and Shopify don't document EBT, so stores using them typically add a standalone EBT terminal. USDA says most retailers pay for their own EBT equipment.

Is Lightspeed or Shopify better for retail?

Lightspeed is better for complex inventory and wholesale buying. Shopify is cheaper over three years in our model and better if you sell online. Our Lightspeed vs Shopify POS comparison runs the numbers for 1 register, 3 registers and 3 stores; its totals include a barcode scanner, so they run $149 to $209 higher than the ones here.

Sources

Every price and rate on this page was checked on October 20, 2026 against the pages below. Something out of date? Tell us and we fix it with a visible note.