POS systems

Everything below links to the page it comes from, and says when we checked it.

Work out what one card sale costs you

Six of the eight entry plans cost $0 a month, so on those the card rate is the main cost. On a $30 in-person sale, the entry plan's published rate comes to:

• $0.88 at Shopify POS, Clover and Lightspeed Retail, all at 2.6% + 10¢. Shopify's rate needs Shopify Payments; with another provider, Basic adds a 2% fee.
• $0.93 at Square, at 2.6% + 15¢.
• $1.04 at SpotOn, at 2.79% + $0.20 on the All-In Plan.
• $1.08 at Toast, at 3.09% + 15¢ on the Pay-as-you-Go Starter Kit.

Helcim charges interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ on in-person sales up to $50K a month, so the total depends on the card, and it publishes no all-in rate. Loyverse doesn't process cards: your payment partner sets the rate. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Check what the entry plan leaves out

We check five things on each entry plan: inventory tracking, an online store or online ordering, offline payments, a customer directory or loyalty, and employee timecards.

• Lightspeed Retail Basic includes four. Offline card payments are a beta on its Smart Terminal only, which the help centre says "may not be available".
• Square, Shopify POS, Toast, Helcim and Loyverse include three. Square puts inventory tracking and timecards on Square Plus, $49 a month. Shopify lists inventory management in POS Pro and time tracking through other apps. Toast puts online ordering in its Core pack, at 3.39% + 15¢. We didn't find offline payments or timecards at Helcim. Loyverse has no built-in online store, and time cards sit in its $25-a-month Employee management add-on.
• SpotOn includes two. Online ordering and loyalty come in its Core Bundle, $50 a month plus 0.20% of card volume (that part capped at $200).
• Clover Starter includes one, offline payments. Stock tracking, the customer database and loyalty start on Essentials, $29.95 a month.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

If you won't sign a two-year contract

Square, Shopify POS and Helcim sell without a long-term contract and mention no termination fee. Loyverse is free, and you can cancel its paid add-ons anytime. The other four have terms to read first:

• Toast sells the Pay-as-you-Go Starter Kit on a 2-year agreement. Leave early and the fee is $150 for each month left in the term, so leaving after one year costs $1,800. The agreement then renews for one-year terms.
• SpotOn puts the All-In Plan on a 2-year minimum term. Cancel within a year of installation and you pay the difference between what you paid for the hardware and its full list price.
• Lightspeed charges the recurring fees left in the term if you cancel before it ends, and wants 30 days' notice.
• Clover says contract terms and termination fees "can vary based on your service provider", so we didn't find the term for Starter. Its 36-month device subscriptions can't be cancelled.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

If you run a restaurant

Our list for restaurants counts four features on the entry plan: table management, a kitchen display, split checks and online ordering. Toast, SpotOn, Helcim and Loyverse state at least two. Loyverse is the only one of the eight whose entry plan states a kitchen display. Toast, Clover and SpotOn sell one as an extra: $749 plus $35 a month at Toast, from $799 plus $25 a month at Clover, and $20 a month per station plus $500 of hardware and $100 installation at SpotOn. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

How the ranking weighs them

The card rate on a $30 sale counts for 30% of the score and the monthly software fee 25%. The cheapest card reader, the contract and what the entry plan includes count 15% each. The formula behind each criterion is on how we score POS systems.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a POS system cost a month?

• $0 on Square Free, the Toast Starter Kit on Pay-as-you-Go, Clover Starter, Helcim, the SpotOn All-In Plan and Loyverse.
• $29 a month billed yearly, or $39 month to month, for Shopify Basic.
• $89 a month billed annually, or $109 month to month, for Lightspeed Retail Basic.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

How much is a card reader?

• Square: the first magstripe reader is free, one per account; the contactless and chip reader is $59.
• Shopify: Tap & Chip Card Reader, $49.
• Lightspeed: Mobile Tap v2, $79.
• Helcim: Card Reader, $99.
• Toast: the Toast Tap comes in the $0 Starter Kit, or $99 on its own.
• Clover: Go, $199.
• SpotOn: Terminal, $240. Its All-In hardware is $0, paid for through the higher card rate.
• Loyverse sells no reader; it comes from your payment partner.

Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Is Square POS really free?

Square Free is $0 a month per location, and you pay 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person sale and 3.3% + 30¢ online. Inventory tracking, timecards and loyalty start on Square Plus at $49 a month, and phone support lasts only your first 90 days. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Do I need Shopify POS Pro?

POS Pro costs $89 a month per location on top of your Shopify plan. It adds unlimited staff, in-store inventory management, rich customer profiles and returns at any location. Shopify's main pricing table marks inventory management as included on Basic, so check which you need before you add it. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

Can I take cards when the internet is down?

Square, Shopify POS, Toast, Clover and SpotOn say yes. Square declines an offline payment unless the device reconnects within 24 hours, and Shopify needs a compatible reader. Loyverse keeps selling offline, but card payments depend on your partner. Lightspeed's offline mode is a beta, and we didn't find one at Helcim. Checked Sep 27, 2026.

What support comes with the entry plan?

Toast offers 24/7/365 phone or web messaging, Clover 24/7 phone, and SpotOn 24/7 phone and email. Shopify and Lightspeed offer 24/7 chat. Square offers chat and email, plus weekday phone support for your first 90 days. Helcim offers phone support, plus tickets from its dashboard. Loyverse keeps its 24/7 live chat for paid add-on users. Checked Sep 27, 2026.