Trying to run your liquor store without the right point of sale (POS) system is like trying to make a mule without ginger beer: it simply won’t work.
Unfortunately, investing in a POS system isn’t as simple as picking up a mixer to complete your cocktail. It’s a major decision that will impact your store’s day-to-day operations and long-term success, so it requires careful planning and thorough research.
That’s why we’ve created this quick guide to finding a POS system for your liquor store. Keep reading to see our list of essential liquor POS features and our handpicked selection of the best providers.
Must-Have Liquor Store POS Features
Your liquor store POS system plays a significant role in your business’ success. It shapes your customers’ checkout experience, simplifies your inventory management process, gives you insights into your sales trends and changes, and more.
To reap these benefits, you need a system with the following features:
- Built-in age verification protects your store from the consequences of underage alcohol sales and speeds up the checkout process.
- Real-time inventory monitoring with liquor-specific features like case breaking makes it easy to keep your shelves stocked with the perfect balance of bottles.
- Advanced reporting and analytics help you monitor your store’s sales performance over time, understand customers’ shopping habits and product preferences, and identify sales-boosting opportunities.
- A customer loyalty program increases your customer satisfaction, repeat business, and revenue.
- Marketing features like email and SMS integration and flexible promotions give you the chance to attract new customers and make more sales.
Along with these features, we recommend thoroughly vetting your provider. Check their reviews on sites like Trustpilot and Capterra, schedule a live demo to talk with a representative and see the system in action, and make sure your POS provider offers training and 24/7 support at no additional cost.
5 Top POS Systems for Liquor Stores
Now that you’re an expert in liquor store POS systems, you’re ready to start evaluating providers.
To make your journey as simple as possible, we’ve curated a list of the five best POS systems for liquor stores. Let’s dive in.
1. ePOS Now: Best Price
First up is ePOS Now. This provider made our list because they offer simple hardware and straightforward software at an affordable price.
With ePOS Now, you can process sales transactions, track stock levels, and review your sales history without paying for advanced features — which is why it’s a solid option if you’re on a budget or new to owning a liquor store.
Based on reviews, current ePOS Now customers enjoy the software’s simplicity and low price, but other reviewers mention frustrating bugs and feature limitations. Here’s what one user had to say:
“ePOS Now works for our store! Overall, the flexibility and customization are the best features and the reason we stay. In addition, ePOS is always updating and improving!”
Get in touch with ePOS Now’s sales team for detailed pricing information.
2. Bottle POS: Best Features
Next on our list is Bottle POS. This provider offers software uniquely designed for liquor stores, giving you access to all the features you need to navigate the industry.
For example, Bottle POS includes seamless age verification, case-bottle inventory tracking, and a centralized database of common liquor store SKUs to simplify your day-to-day operations.
Based on their 4.8-star Trustpilot rating, Bottle POS’ customers enjoy the software’s functionality and appreciate the high quality of support. Check out this review:
“This is the one! I have been in the software space for 30 years and Bottle POS’ team did an amazing job. Some of the BEST support I have seen to date. If any of you are considering flipping your POS system, do NOT hesitate. The platform is very well thought out!”
Use Bottle POS’ build and price tool to get an instant, custom quote on a POS system for your liquor store.
3. Lightspeed: Best for E-Commerce
Online alcohol sales are exploding in popularity, which is why we’ve included Lightspeed in our list of the best POS systems for liquor stores.
While this provider offers brick-and-mortar POS functionality, their main strength is e-commerce. You can use their software to build a custom, fully integrated online store to let customers browse your aisles virtually and place pickup or delivery orders.
Lightspeed’s customers have given it a 4.3-star rating on Trustpilot, with most reviewers mentioning the wide range of features:
“I use Lightspeed for my point of sale, merchant services, e-commerce, and website hosting. The biggest benefits for me are having one point of contact for all those services, 24/7 support, that it is cloud based, and that I can access the system when I'm away from work.”
Lightspeed is one of the most expensive POS solutions on our list, with their standard tiers ranging from $109 to $139/month.
4. mPower POS: Best for Multi-Location Liquor Stores
mPower POS is another POS solution built specifically for liquor stores. Their software includes standard features like barcode scanning, age verification, and customer purchase history tracking, but we’ve included it for its multi-location management capabilities.
mPower POS’ inventory and sales reporting synchronization make it easier to keep an eye on more than one liquor store at a time — which makes it a great option if you’re hoping to open new locations.
Current users seem happy with mPower POS’ software and service, giving it a 4.1-star rating on Capterra. Here’s what one reviewer had to say:
“This program has given us the ability to sort through a lot of inventory that is not moving and to keep our fastest movers in stock at all times. We believe it has made a significant difference in our sales. Once learned, it is not a difficult program to use.”
You can expect to pay an inital $1000 and $120/month for mPower POS.
5. POS Nation: Best All-Around
Our final (and favorite) POS system for liquor stores is POS Nation. We’ve designed our software with liquor stores in mind, giving you access to scanner-powered age verification, automated liquor purchase orders, real-time inventory tracking, in-depth reporting, and more.
Along with our comprehensive list of features, we offer industry-leading customer support. You can get in touch with our expert team 24/7 at no additional cost, so we’ll be here to answer your questions, solve problems, and help you make the most of our software.
Our customers are consistently pleased with our software and support team, rating us 4.7 out of five stars on Trustpilot. Here’s one user’s experience:
“Installed the POS Nation software a little over a year ago.. and it has performed wonderfully. Inventory was a breeze to set up, very intuitive for new users, and support was extremely easy to use, solving our problems with one call every time. The ensuing reports are very useful at showing our business detail day to day etc. We have experienced zero software issues since we installed and started using the POS Nation system. Hats off to POS Nation!”
We offer pricing plans to fit every liquor store’s needs and budget, so use our pricing tool to get an instant quote for your business.
Stir Up Liquor Store Success With POS Nation
Looking for the very best POS system for your liquor store? You’re in the right place!
Whether you’re starting your liquor store journey or have been open for years, our comprehensive selection of features, reliable support team, and industry experience can help you achieve your small business goals.
Start your POS Nation journey by scheduling a personalized demo with one of our liquor store experts today.
