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Are you a business owner or web merchant looking for a point-of-sale system? Shopify POS offers you a flexible and affordable means of accepting payments and processing invoices on smart devices and desktop platforms.
Shopify POS has so many benefits for e-commerce, and it’s also a great POS system for brick-and-mortar retailers that can’t afford the expense of an advanced POS system. Shopify POS gives you all the functionality you need in a POS designed for small business owners and e-commerce entrepreneurs.
In this Shopify POS review, we’ll unpack everything you need to know about implementing and executing this platform for your business.
What Is Shopify Point-of-Sale?
Shopify is the worlds leading online platform for e-commerce. Since 2005, Shopify emerged into a significant player in the growth of online retail businesses, allowing anyone with a computer and an internet connection the opportunity to create a viable internet-based retail business.
It’s safe to say that Shopify changed the game, and some 15-years since its launch, this tech company continues to dominate the online e-commerce industry. The simplicity and low cost associated with running a Shopify store make it an attractive startup idea for many entrepreneurs.
However, only a few manage to make their stores work, and some might have to go through plenty of ideas before they finally find a niche that provides a profitable business.
Shopify decided to expand its business model into the bricks-and-mortar retail business in 2013. The launch of the Shopify POS app for Android and iOS allows shop owners and mobile business owners the chance to take payments anywhere.
Whether you’re processing a card payment at a flea market or dealing with a cash payment at your register in-store, Shopify POS can help you process your payments quickly and efficiently.
Use the Shopify POS app to accept payments in a wide variety of formats, product invoices, and receipts, as well as track and manage your inventory with each sale.
The premium Shopify Payment plans allow entrepreneurs to hook up other payment devices, like credit card machines, then the Shopify app, giving retailers a broader range of payment options for customers, from any sales location.
The app syncs directly with your Shopify store, allowing you to run the software from your mobile device of choice. There’s no need for a fixed POS system – it all works off your phone or tablet device.
What Retail Hardware Can Merchants Use with the Shopify App?
When it comes to helping merchants out, Shopify POS integrates with all your current retail hardware, including your cash drawer and barcode scanners. The app also syncs with your receipt printers and other tech solutions like iPad payment stands.
Retailers can run the Shopify app alongside multiple cash registers and sync them together. There is no fee for additional licenses, and you can run the app on as many machines as you like.
What Payment Systems Can Your Customers Use?
If you’re offering your services in the United States or Canada, your customers can swipe their credit cards to make a transaction. It’s convenient for your customers and saves you time. If you’re running the app in the UK, retailers can use contactless payment systems form credit cards using EMV-compliant swipe-and-tap RFID chip card reader.
If you’re operating outside of these locations, you’ll need to apply to your local banking authority for a card reader to take mobile payments. There are plenty of options available, and most of them link to the Shopify app for secure communication between your payments hardware and other business systems.
What Does a Shopify POS Subscription Cost?
Shopify understands that sellers require different functionality from their payments package. Some new websites might not need the high-end payment features and functionality of a successful authority site.
It’s for this reason that the Shopify POS app comes in different pricing tiers, with functionality suitable for everything from small websites to the largest e-commerce sites.
Pricing plans start at $9 per month, and increase, depending on the plan you choose. If you want the advanced features, such as hardware integration and inventory management, you’ll need to go for the top-tier subscriptions.
After selecting your package, check your auto-billing settings on your account. The system automatically bills your credit card for the subscription amount in a 30-day billing cycle.
What are the Shopify POS Subscription Plans?
Here we’ll look at the difference in the features and pricing of the Shopify POS app plans available for online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
The Shopify Lite Plan
This package is the basic entry-level Shopify POS app plan. With this subscription, you don’t get an online store as a part of your package. It mostly for new Shopify stores that are looking to expand their payment platforms for customers. This subscription costs $9 per month, and you get expensive rates on credit card transactions.
Current credit card rates on the Lite Plan are 2.7% for every purchase. The retailer will also need to utilize one of the Shopify payment gateways. On the upside, you can register as many devices and products as you want with this plan. Retailers also get access to Shopify customer support.
The Basic Shopify Plan
The next upgrade from the Lite plan is the Basic Shopify POS app plan. This subscription costs you $29 per month, but you get a digital Shopify store included in the cost of your plan. Online payment rates are 2.9% + 30¢.
However, it’s important to note that physical transactions have the same rate as the Lite plan and might be expensive for some merchants to absorb. You also get all the same perks as the Lite subscription, as well as two staff accounts, and integration to your social media channels.
The Shopify Plan
The first two plans are more for newbie e-commerce site owners that are dabbling in their first online business. However, if you’re a serious webmaster, and you’ve been doing e-commerce for a while, you need a plan with more power.
The Shopify Plan is the ideal choice for e-commerce entrepreneurs that want to grow their business. This plan isn’t cheap, and the subscription fee will set you back $79 per month.
However, you get what you pay for, and with this plan, you not only get a free Shopify store but reasonable credit card merchant rates as well. The fees work out to 2.6% + 30¢ for your online store and 2.5% + 0¢ for in-person sales at brick-and-mortar retail locations. There is also an external payment gateway fee of 1.0% of the transaction total.
With the Shopify plan, you also get 5-staff accounts, as well as professional reporting, and abandoned cart recovery.
The Advanced Shopify Plan
For those e-commerce entrepreneurs looking to scale their business to the next level, the Advanced Shopify plan is a great choice. The hefty $299 monthly subscription fee seems expensive, but there’s plenty of value for your money in this plan.
This plan features the best credit card merchant rates on offer, with 2.4% + 0¢ for retail sales and 2.4% + 30¢ for online purchases. The external payment gateway fee is affordable, at 0.5% of the transaction value.
The Advanced Shopify plan also includes 15-staff accounts, gift card issuance and processing, advanced reports builder, and third-party shipping calculators. This subscription is the ideal choice for large e-commerce businesses that are ready to grow.
The Shopify Plus Plan
Finally, we get to the last option available for Shopify POS. The Shopify Plus Plan is the granddaddy of all the subscriptions. This plan is suitable for the largest e-commerce businesses or entrepreneurs that are managing multiple stores online.
This powerful POS solution is the ideal choice for retail organizations with brick-and-mortar locations that want to integrate hardware systems into the POS. You’ll need to work with Shopify to iron out the details and operations parameters you need for your business. There is no list pricing for this plan, and we imagine that it costs a pretty penny, depending on the size of your business.
Final Notes on Pricing
It’s important to note that all the prices on the site don’t include sales tax. Therefore, you’ll need to factor the tax into your budget when purchasing your subscription. If you decide to opt for the 6-month plan, then you get a 10% discount on the usual monthly pricing. Taking an annual subscription gets you 20% off the standard monthly subscription fee.
We like that each of the plans come with the option of upgrading to the “Retail Package,” consisting of additional staff accounts, shift registers, and hardware integrations. For $49 per month, it’s a great starter kit for new brick-and-mortar retail stores.
For those entrepreneurs or e-commerce companies that don’t already have a Shopify account, you get the advantage of using a 2-week free trial before you start paying for your subscription of choice.
What Are the Benefits of Implementing Shopify POS?
There are plenty of benefits for retailers that choose to go with Shopify POS. Merchants enjoy high-quality customer service with an affordable pricing structure, considering the value that’s on offer with each pricing tier.
The user-friendly design of the software allows for a fantastic retail experience for e-commerce stores and brick-and-mortar retailers. Shopify is continually working on the app to remove any bugs or glitches in the app. Some users state that it can be somewhat glitchy at times, but we expect those issues to resolve soon.
The Shopify POS app integrates and syncs with your Shopify store seamlessly, making it the ideal complement to help you process payments.
The more you can improve your retail experience for your customers, the more likely they are to return to your store for repeat business. The Shopify POS app opens up new payment platforms for business owners and e-commerce entrepreneurs, allowing you to grow your revenues.
Flexibility
The Shopify POS offers e-commerce sites plenty of flexibility in handling and processing payments. There are five different plans available to suit any size e-commerce or retail business.
Free Hardware
When you opt for the Advanced or the Shopify Plan, you get a complementary cash drawer, receipt printer, as well as a barcode scanner.
Multiple Payment Methods
The Shopify POS permits your customers to use more than one payment gateway or method when making a transaction at a retail location or online.
Gift cards
The gift card module on the Advanced and Shopify Plans, is an excellent way to boost your earnings. With the gift card module, you can either email your customer the card or print one at your brick-and-mortar sales location.
Process Offline Transactions
With the Shopify POS app, it’s possible to take payments, even when you don’t have internet access. When you get back online, the system updates automatically, issuing receipts, and updating your inventory and daily metrics.
Customize Payments
Retailers have the opportunity to update and change payment methods – such as accepting checks.
Apply and Issue Discounts
Shopify POS also offers you the option of creating discount codes on products in your Shopify store, or to your order totals.
Useful Apps
Along with your Shopify POS, you get access to more than 2,400 other handy apps you can integrate into your store to improve your customer experience.
Daily Metrics
Shopify POS allows business owners and e-commerce stores to track metrics, helping you monitor your sales, inventory, and other critical business information.
Shopify POS is a User-Friendly Platform and Payment Solution
One of the reasons why Shopify is such a popular online store platform is due to its user-friendly operation. Setting up a Shopify site is easy, and most people can do it in a day with a little help from a few basic tutorials.
The simplicity of Shopify is a significant contributor to its success, and we can see that Shopify POS also comes from the same design team. The POS solution also has a very user-friendly feel to it. Navigating the platform is easy, and you can get anywhere you need to go in a few clicks from the dashboard.
Both the back-end and front-end features of the app are easy for new users to understand, and it’s an excellent choice for retail owners that don’t have the time or tech skills to learn an entirely new sales software solution.
With a few clicks on the dashboard, you have the functionality to run and analyze reports, add customer profiles, set variations, make sales, and import products. The user-friendly and straightforward nature of the platform allows you to get up and running with the system in less than an hour.
Shopify POS Reporting
When you sign up for Shopify POS, you get a range of useful tools included in the service. We like the analytics tools that provide you with a dashboard to check on your orders, sales, and your traffic patterns visiting your store.
You also get comprehensive product reports, allowing you to track your best-selling products. Filter your sales effortlessly, and create filters for sales by a staff member, date, locations, customer, or any other customizable metric you feel adds value to your analytics process.
Shopify POS Integrations
Shopify POS also comes with plenty of integration compatibility with other programs and apps. There are dozens of useful apps to add to your Shopify POS system, and we recommend the following software for approved use with your new POS platform.
If you’re good with codding, then you can use the Shopify API to code apps for your POS and store.
Shopify POS Customer Service
For those new Shopify store owners and POS users, you get access to Shopify’s world-class customer and merchant support 24/7. Reach out to a service consultant via live chat, telephone, or email.
We found that the live chat service is quick to respond, and they offer fast and efficient fixes to most problems. Email support is less efficient., and it may take up to 24-hours for a service consultant to reply to your query.
Shopify POS Store Management
Shopify store owners already know that they can operate the entire store from the back end of their Shopify account. For instance, issuing refunds is easy by returning the customer’s funds through the payment channels they used to make the original transaction.
The POS also allows you to monitor any changes to your inventory levels or cash float as well. Monitor staff changes, and Staff PINs for your POS system. You have the option of creating original, unique PINs for each of your staff members, allowing you to track the way they handle payments in a brick-and-mortar store.
It’s also possible to track online or offline order history with Shopify POS, and you can filter transactions by product, customer, or date.
Shopify POS Customer Management
The automated customer management tools you get with Shopify POS help you create new profiles instantly, giving you insight into your customer’s buying habits. The Shopify POS also tracks all your orders, regardless of whether they were online or offline, syncing them for analysis.
The Shopify POS acts as a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solution, providing you with all the details on your customers at a click of your mouse. This data is valuable for launching marketing campaigns, allowing you to inform your customers or new product releases or special offers.
Shopify POS acts as an all-in-one retail or e-commerce solution to help you grow your business to the next level.
Mobile Solutions for Shopify Stores
More than 50% of all online sales happen on mobile devices. With the way the world is moving, it’s not surprising that mobile is taking over. Who wants to use a laptop while shopping, when you can do it with your phone?
Not only does Shopify offer your customers a mobile solution for shopping, but it also allows merchants a way to manage their business on the move as well. Access your dashboard to attend to urgent processes quickly, and manage product inventory, all at a click of a button on your mobile device.
Any Drawbacks of Shopify POS?
Shopify POS is an innovative solution revolutionizing payment processing for retailers and e-commerce platforms, but it also has a few drawbacks.
Some users report the inventory features are somewhat buggy, and the functionality of the inventory tracking and ordering processes needs some tweaking. Most users complain about eh feature but say it doesn’t detract too much from the overall user experience of the POS. The introduction of a low stock alert would be a nice touch.
The offline mode of the POS isn’t as functional or as proficient as the online option. When offline, it’s impossible to process your credit card transactions.
Trying to apply a store-wide discount code is an arduous and tiring process that seems to take forever, especially if you have plenty of items on sale.
The basic packages are somewhat useless. If you have any sort of retail store, you’re going to need the “Retail Package” option, which allows for the integration of retail hardware, as well as staff accounts and other functionality you’ll find useful.
Operating System and Hardware Requirements
Shopify users will already have most tech solutions in place to manage their store. However, in case you’re a physical retailer working out of a store, you’ll need to take the Advanced or Shopify plan if you want to integrate your current barcode and receipt systems to manage stock and track orders.
Card Reader Point of Sale Solutions for Shopify POS
When accepting credit card payments at an offline location, you’ll need to apply with a payment processor in your country for a credit card machine. You then link the credit card machine to your Shopify store, and the POS syncs everything up when you go back online.
Shopify POS supports the following card reader systems.
- The Swipe, Tap, and Chip card reader
- The Moneris iPP320 card terminal
- The Chip and Tap card reader
- The Chip and Swipe card reader
- The Swipe card reader
All of the above card reader systems integrate efficiently with your Shopify POS. When making a payment through the Shopify POS, the transaction details show in your dashboard. To be eligible for the Shopify card reader option, you need to be operating a brick-and-mortar business in the US, Canada, UK, or Ireland.
A Quick Guide to Starting with Shopify POS
In this quick-start guide, we’ll unpack everything you need to know to get your Shopify POS up and taking sales.
Step 1 – Configure Your Admin Settings
After downloading and installing the Shopify POS app to your device, complete the setup. If this is your first time registering with Shopify, then you’ll need to enter some basic information.
Before you start setting up your payments and adding products, check to see that Shopify POS is compliant with the local laws in your country. Complete the rest of the initial setup, and ensure that your email address, store address, and all store settings are ready to go and up to date.
Step 2 – Organize Your Store and Products
If you’re starting your store with a blank slate, then make sure you go over a few tutorials to understand how to set up Shopify and the POS for the first time. Shopify is a very user-friendly platform, and a quick tutorial can go a long way into helping you set everything up.
Add products to your store from the Shopify POS app or through the Shopify admin. Decide on the right products for your niche based on your research, and then upload them for sale. Remember to add images for easy browsing on your POS device, and create a gallery if you want to list your products by category.
It’s essential to configure your taxes, and then set the availability of product to the point of sale. Remember to stock products at all Shopify POS locations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIxM_BP3Mtc&feature=emb_logo
Step 3 – Set Your Tax Rate
Charging tax is a part of any business. Unless you live in a tax haven, you’ll have to make sure you’re contributing your share to society by paying your tax.
However, sales tax differs from state to state in the US, and it’s a different rate in most countries throughout the world. Therefore, you need to enter your sales tax rate on the software yourself. After setting the rate, the POS integrates it into your system, and adds it to your receipt and invoicing processes.
After configuring your taxes, makes sure you have a plan to segregate your earnings for your tax payment the following year.
Step 4 – Enable Payment Gateways
You’ll need to set up a payment provider if you want to accept payments from your customers. A payment provider offers you and your customers a safe and secure transaction. Shopify uses a private payment provider, Shopify Payments, and they support a variety of other third-party payment processing providers for use with the Shopify POS.
However, if you want to use a third-party payment processor in your Shopify store, you’ll need to be running the Shopify or advanced plan. When setting up your third-party processor, consider the costs involved with managing your payments through that gateway.
Shopify Payments helps e-commerce entrepreneurs and brick-and-mortar retailers avoid transaction fees, viewing payments directly through the dashboard in your Shopify admin.
Step 5 – Set up the POS Hardware Systems or Integrate Your Existing Hardware
When setting up your Shopify POS system, ensure that you have all the retail hardware, you require to process payments and handle admin processes. Your Shopify plan will dictate the type of hardware you can run with your Shopify store.
If you want the full package, then it’s best to go with the Shopify or Advanced plan. It might be more expensive, but you get all the retail hardware you need, as well as the support to help you run it in your store.
Users migrating to Shopify POS from other platforms should check what equipment is compatible with the new platform before writing off any old legacy systems.
If you’re running the hardware from outside the US, Canada, UK, or Ireland, the standard retail package won’t work for you. You’re going to need to use your standard credit card processing equipment from your local banking institution. However, Shopify POS will integrate into most of these systems without any issues.
If you need assistance with sourcing and buying your hardware, you can get it from Shopify Hardware Rentals. This division supplies equipment to small businesses that don’t have the capital to invest in hardware.
Shopify POS run a helpdesk with 24/7 support for their merchants. The response time on the live chat is excellent, with most operators picking up within 90-seconds of us asking a question in the chat.
Step 6 – Test the System
After configuring your Shopify POS system, and setting up all your hardware to launch, it’s time to test the system before you launch. Testing is a vital part of your pre-launch activities, as the last thing you want to happen is to run into hiccups and bugs with your processes on launch day.
Run some tests on the following processes to ensure that everything runs smoothly. If you do encounter any problems, contact the support team at Shopify for assistance.
- Take a partial payment
- Refund a paid order
- Cancel a shopping cart
- Update an existing order
- Mark an order as filled
- Take a complete payment
The purpose of this stage of the process is to try and break the system. If you put it to the test, and nothing goes wrong, then the chances are everything’s ready to go.
Shopify POS FAQs
Do you still have a few more questions about Shopify POS? We get it. There is so much functionality to this platform that it might leave you feeling somewhat overwhelmed right now. That’s ok. There are plenty of other people like you that are trying to get their heads around the value on offer with Shopify POS.
Here are a few frequently asked questions about the Shopify POS; hopefully, you can gain some insight from them.
What does a Shopify POS system cost?
Shopify offers different plans to suit your needs. If you already have a Shopify store, the lite plan is your best option. If you need a store and a POS, the Basic plan is a good choice.
However, if you’re a serious e-commerce player, then you’ll benefit from the Advanced or Shopify plan that allows for customizable options and better integration with existing legacy systems in your retail business.
Pricing ranges from as little as $9 a month to a subscription fee of $299 per month for the Advanced Shopify Plan. You can also upgrade your plan as you scale your business, allowing newbies to start small and then grow into the platform.
What payment methods are on offer with Shopify POS?
If you’re a retailer using your Shopify POS alongside your iPhone or iPad, you can accept almost any payment method from your customers. Users in the United States and Canada have the option of swiping cards as well.
If you’re operating your store from a brick-and-mortar location outside of the US, Canada, Ireland, or the UK, then you’ll have to contact your local payment providers for options on processing solutions and card machines available to you in your country.
If you are operating in either the US, Canada, the UK, or Ireland, you can accept contactless payments and credit/debit cards through the EMV-compliant Swipe, Tap, and Chip card reader systems. Android users can also accept cash and swipe credit/debit cards with a swipe reader.
Can international users work with Shopify POS?
You can access Shopify POS from any location in the world that has an internet location. However, while Shopify POS is still a very handy tool to use with your online processes, it might not be the best choice for international retailers working out of brick-and-mortar locations.
Physical retailers in international locations might have issues with the hardware setup required for the payment processing on site. Therefore, check with your local payment processing vendors for more information on devices that will be compatible with Shopify POS.
What retail hardware can I use with Shopify POS?
Shopify integrates with retail hardware explicitly designed for use with its platform. You can apply to Shopify for the “Retail Package” and receive all the hardware you need in a bundle.
Shopify POS also integrates with other hardware like barcode scanners, but you’ll need to take the Advanced or the Shopify subscription if you want these features included.
Is there a free trial of Shopify POS?
Yes, Shopify POS is available on a free 30-day trial.
Can I scale my Shopify POS to multiple brick-and-mortar retail locations?
Shopify POS has no limitations on the number of locations you can add to the POS system. This feature allows you to scale the platform as you grow your online or offline business.
Conclusion
Shopify is a powerful platform for doing business online. Now with the introduction of Shopify POS, there’s a robust payment processing option for Shopify that suits both online and offline business.
Look through the plans one more time. Settle on a subscription that’s the right choice for the needs of your business. Shopify makes it easier for you to process payments, and it’s an excellent choice for multichannel retailers, influencers, bloggers, retailers, and even large businesses.
Shopify POS
Pros
- Easy to Use & Integrate
- Excellent Design & Functionality
- Fair Pricing
- Free Hardware for Some Plans
- Complete POS Solution
Cons
- Some Inventory Features are Buggy
- International Users Might have issues with hardware
- Weak Offline Functionality
Stay Ahead of the Market with Benzinga Pro!
Want to trade like a pro? Benzinga Pro gives you the edge you need in today's fast-paced markets. Get real-time news, exclusive insights, and powerful tools trusted by professional traders:- Breaking market-moving stories before they hit mainstream media
- Live audio squawk for hands-free market updates
- Advanced stock scanner to spot promising trades
- Expert trade ideas and on-demand support
