Top POS systems for your Shopify store

The eCommerce POS integration not only gives your consumers a seamless shopping experience but also helps you manage your business more efficiently. Customer management, inventory, eCommerce, security, reporting, and other features are all available in POS software. Retailers want it linked, but getting the correct set of Shopify extensions is proving challenging. They may not be appropriate for your existing module, or you may want to install additional applications. As a result, our article will provide some helpful guidelines for choosing the best POS system suitable for your Shopify store.

What is Shopify?

Shopify is a commerce platform that allows anyone to set up an online store and sell their products. Merchants can also sell their products in person with Shopify POS.

Shopify is now the leading commerce platform designed for businesses of all sizes. Whether you sell online, on social media, in-store, or out of the trunk of your car, Shopify has you covered. The first Shopify store was our own, and it’s been our mission to make commerce better for everyone ever since.

What is a retail POS system?

A point-of-sale (POS) system is the hardware and software that lets you check out customers, accept payments, and manage your physical retail stores.

POS systems are now widely used by many businesses in different countries and industries, especially those building omnichannel shopping experiences. In fact, research has forecast that the global POS software market will rise to $42.5 billion by 2027.

A POS system is made up of three parts: 

• • Software

• • Hardware

• • Payments

Software

POS software is the operating system used to ring up sales and manage your store, products, customers, and staff. 

Most point-of-sale software providers give various subscription options at different price ranges. While the lower-cost plans provide all you need to sell in person, the higher-priced plans usually include more advanced features.

Modern POS software, such as Shopify POS, is designed for retailers that sell online and in-person, including unified multi-channel sales reporting, customer purchase history, inventory management, order fulfillment, etc.

Hardware

To accept payments, you’ll need POS hardware. Make sure that the new POS system you select can accept all payment options, including cash, credit and debit cards, mobile payments such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, and gift cards.

Depending on which payment methods you want your POS system to accept, you’ll need a cash register, tap-and-chip card reader, cash drawer, and bar-code scanner.

Payments

POS systems also take care of routing funds to your bank account after each sale. But if the POS system has integrated payment processing, you can avoid paying third-party payment processing fees, know when to expect payouts, and track in-store and online sales and payments from the same back office.

What are the benefits of a retail POS system?

The best retail POS systems come with features that make running your store easier. A few benefits include:

• • Mobile checkout

• • Secure payments

• • Multi-location inventory management

• • Easy to use

• • Customizable

Mobile checkout

Retail POS software is often installable on any iOS or Android tablet or smartphone. This software allows store staff to serve consumers anywhere in the store, receive payments, and check them out on the spot.

One of the most obvious advantages of mobile checkout is that consumers may receive one-on-one service from staff, and staff have the information they need to provide individualized service at their fingertips.

For example, with Shopify POS, staff may check up on a shopper’s purchase history to ensure the things they propose match their interests and preferences. If the shopper has a favorite color, the shop staff can add a note to the customer’s profile so that context is shared with any store associate who serves them in the future.

Mobile POS systems also make it easier for shop staff to service more than one client at a time. This is extremely helpful if your shop has a small team or often serves a high volume of customers. 

Secure payments

Retail point-of-sale systems with integrated payment processing should be able to process credit card transactions both in-store and online.

Confirm that your payment provider is dedicated to protecting your payment information and essential business data. For example, Shopify Payments is included in all Shopify POS plans and has PCI-compliant servers, payment data encryption, and 3D secure checkouts.

Multi-location inventory management

A retail POS system allows you to manage multiple store locations without the need for different systems.

At a minimum, your retail POS system should allow you to easily transfer stock from one shop to another or from your warehouse to a store without the need to alter stock quantities once the inventory is received manually.

A retail POS system can tap into your sales data and provide smart suggestions for which stock to include in your next purchase order and manage the inventory you already have. For example, Shopify POS suggests purchase orders based on product sales and seasonality per store location. You may also set reorder points and receive notifications when a product runs out of stock in one of your stores.

Along with inventory management, the best retail POS system changes stock quantities automatically when a stock moves between stores and your warehouse.

Easy to use

When selecting a retail POS system, make sure it is simple and intuitive. This reduces the amount of time you spend learning how to use it and allows you to onboard new staff more quickly.

Any store POS system worth considering should provide a free trial period. Before making any financial commitments, make sure you’re comfortable with the interface and like using the POS.

Customizable

While we recommend choosing a POS system with the features and capabilities you require right out of the box, it’s equally important to consider how customizable it is. After all, your business needs are likely to change as it evolves and customer habits and preferences change.

You may enhance the functionality of your POS system with Shopify by adding applications from the Shopify App Store. These applications may help you with marketing, bookkeeping, scheduling, and almost any other aspect of operating a business and generating sales. You may add shortcuts to your home screen to access functions without leaving Shopify POS, rather than switching from one software to another.

Factors to consider when choosing a POS system

Whether you’re opening your first store or are thinking of switching from your current point-of-sale system, here are some key factors to consider when choosing the best POS system for your business:

POS software fees

First things first: your POS system must be within your budget. But several factors can impact the price of a POS system. The first is POS software fees. 

Most POS software has either a monthly fee or an annual fee and different plan tiers at different price points. Higher-tier plans typically have more advanced features.

For example, each online merchant on Shopify’s Basic account receives free Shopify POS software including everything they need for in-person selling at pop-up shops and events.

For $89 per month, per shop location, merchants with permanent store locations may sign up for Shopify POS Pro, which includes comprehensive reporting and analytics as well as additional control over staff accounts and user rights.

Hardware costs

The second thing you should factor is hardware costs and functionality. The hardware cost varies based on your demands, the forms of payments you wish to take, and the number of businesses and employees you have.

You can buy, lease, or rent POS hardware depending on your needs. If you’re creating a pop-up shop, for example, renting rather than buying POS hardware makes more sense.

Consider the hardware and features you’ll need to run your business, then compare the POS providers’ offerings to discover the greatest value.

Payment processing fees

Consider payment processing expenses and the cost of your POS system’s payment hardware.

Your credit card processor will charge you a fee each time you complete a sale. This cost is charged each transaction as a hidden fee as well as a monthly fee. The amount you pay for each transaction is determined by the customer’s credit card in many situations.

Check if your point of sale provider supports integrated payment processing before choosing a payment processor. For instance, all Shopify POS options include Shopify Payments, and there are no registration or setup fees. Get faster payments and greater management of your cash flow by paying the same pre-negotiated rate for all credit cards, beginning at 2.4% + $0.

Mobility

Modern POS systems, such as Shopify POS, are mobile, allowing you to sell wherever your clients are. Mobile checkout is becoming standard in retail since it reduces payment wait times and improves store circulation, especially at the checkout counter.

Order fulfillment options

Customers today want the freedom to purchase how they want. Whether a customer purchases online, in-store, or through a combination of channels, businesses must make the process as simple as possible.

When your POS system and e-commerce platform work together, you can provide more flexible order fulfillment options like purchasing online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), and home delivery to your customers, as well as a more convenient shopping experience.

E-Commerce platform integration

Using separate systems to handle online and physical stores resulted in a confusing consumer experience, with little annoyances like not being able to use digital gift cards in-store to more big troubles like inventory visibility across locations. 

Shop owners require real-time access to goods and inventory to manage their shops and better serve their consumers. Because the information is updated instantly and automatically across online and physical stores, managing inventories through an integrated system will assist you in reaching your goals.

With our middleware platform – Hexasync, you can easily automate and optimize your POS operation, allowing your company to focus on effectiveness and income rather than activities like updating inventory information and processing orders and refunds.

POS software features

Aside from basic features like accepting payments, the best POS systems will also include the following:

• • Integrated payment processing

• • Centralized reporting and analytics 

• • Multichannel inventory management

• • Staff management

• • Flexible order fulfillment 

• • Multi-store management

• • Customer relationship management

Customer support

The best POS systems also have the best customer support available via email, chat, or phone. When selecting a POS system, ensure the support is free and available anytime you need it.