POS systems
How to choose a POS system for one location
Quick answer
Work out what a typical sale costs at the plan's card rate, add the monthly software fee and the reader price, then read the contract. A $0 plan can be paid for through a higher rate and a 2-year term with an exit fee. Check that inventory, online ordering, offline payments, a customer list and timecards are on the plan you will buy, not an add-on.
We compare eight POS systems on what each company publishes about its entry plan: the cheapest plan that takes card payments for one location, $0 plans included. This guide explains what we weigh, the prices you will see, and the traps our research found. Every company page was read on Sep 27, 2026.
What we weigh, and why
- Card rate (30%). We price a $30 in-person card sale at the entry plan's rate. On a small ticket the fixed fee matters as much as the percentage, and you pay it on every sale.
- Monthly software fee (25%), for one location at the regular price.
- Cheapest card reader (15%), the upfront hardware cost.
- Contract (15%). Month to month with no exit fee scores best; a termination fee, or terms the company doesn't publish, scores zero.
- What the entry plan includes (15%): inventory tracking, an online store or online ordering, offline payments, a customer directory or loyalty, and employee timecards.
The formulas are in how we score POS systems.
The prices you will see
Card rates. Shopify POS, Clover and Lightspeed Retail charge 2.6% + 10¢ in person, about $0.88 on a $30 sale. Square charges 2.6% + 15¢, about $0.93. SpotOn charges 2.79% + $0.20 on its $0 All-In Plan, about $1.04. Toast charges 3.09% + 15¢ on its $0 Starter Kit, about $1.08.
Monthly fees. Six entry plans cost $0 a month: Square Free, Toast's Starter Kit on Pay-as-you-Go, Clover Starter, Helcim, SpotOn's All-In Plan and Loyverse. Shopify Basic is $29 a month paid yearly or $39 monthly. Lightspeed Retail Basic is $89 a month billed annually or $109 monthly.
Readers. Square's first magstripe reader is free, and its chip and contactless reader is $59 (hardware). Shopify's Tap & Chip reader is $49 (hardware), Lightspeed's Mobile Tap v2 $79 (store), Helcim's Card Reader $99 (help centre) and Clover's Go reader $199 (shop).
Traps our research found
$0 plans paid for through the rate and a term. Toast's $0 Starter Kit comes with a 2-year agreement; its merchant agreement charges $150 for each month left if you leave early. SpotOn's All-In Plan has a "2yr minimum term" and processing minimums, and its terms charge the difference to the hardware's full list price if you cancel within a year. Over two years, a higher rate on every sale can cost more than a monthly fee.
Exit fees on paid plans too. Lightspeed's service agreement charges the recurring fees for the rest of the term if you cancel early.
Contract terms nobody publishes. Clover's pricing FAQ says contract terms and termination fees "can vary based on your service provider". Its 36-month device subscriptions are non-cancelable, and its $450 hardware credit requires a 3-year contract.
No single rate. Helcim prices at interchange plus its margin, "Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢" at up to $50K a month. The margin is published; the total isn't, because interchange varies by card.
No processing at all. Loyverse is a free POS that doesn't process cards or sell readers; a partner sets those prices.
Restaurant tools as add-ons. A kitchen display costs $30 a month per device on Square Plus, $749 plus $35 a month on Toast, $799 plus $25 a month on Clover, and $20 a month per station plus $500 hardware on SpotOn. SpotOn's online ordering is in a $50-a-month Core Bundle.
Shop tools as add-ons. Shopify's POS pricing puts in-store inventory management, staff roles and loyalty insights in POS Pro, $89 a month per location.
Other card rates. Keyed-in cards cost more: 3.5% + 15¢ on Square and 3.5% + 10¢ on Shopify and Clover. Square Free charges 3.3% + 30¢ online and adds 1.5% on non-US cards. Shopify adds 2% on Basic if you use another payment provider.
Pages that disagree. Where a company's pages conflict, we use the worse reading:
- Shopify's POS page puts inventory management in POS Pro, while its main pricing table marks it Included on Basic.
- Lightspeed's payments page promises offline mode, while its help centre calls it a beta on the Smart Terminal only.
- Toast's starter-kits page says "3.09%", while the kit's order summary says 3.09% + $0.15.
- SpotOn's terms call the agreement month to month, while its pricing page says 2-year minimum term.
A checklist before you buy
- Price your typical sale at the plan's in-person rate, fixed fee included.
- Add 24 months of software fees, and compare with a $0 plan's higher rate over the same time.
- Read the contract length, the early termination fee and the renewal terms.
- Price the reader, and any hardware you would have to pay back if you leave.
- Check which of inventory, online ordering, offline payments, a customer list and timecards are on your plan, and what the add-ons cost.
- Check keyed-in, online and international card rates if you take those payments.
- Check support hours on your plan, not the top plan.
Where to go next
See all eight in our POS ranking. Restaurants can start with our list for restaurants.