As a small business owner, you’ll take easy wins where you can get them. Think of a point of sale (POS) system as an “easy” button for your business operations.
From managing employees and inventory, to tracking sales and more, small business POS systems digitize and automate key functions within your business. Plus, their reporting can help set your business strategy for pricing and customer loyalty promotions.
But what’s the best retail POS system for your small business? And what features do you really need?
Let’s examine some of the top POS systems for small businesses on the market today. From popular features to best-fit businesses and more, we’re providing the information you need to make the best decision for your business.
Best POS Systems for Small Businesses
Before we examine the top POS systems for small businesses, let's first ask an important question: Do you even need a POS system as a small business owner?
You have likely already guessed that the answer to this question is yes — but why is that? What features can a POS system offer your business that you can’t accomplish through manual processes like handmade spreadsheets and simple time clocks?
Retail store POS systems offer several features that help you keep your finger on the pulse of your small business operations.
Advanced inventory management features can assist you in avoiding inconvenient out-of-stocks.
Employee management features go far above and beyond simple time-clocking, enabling you to optimize employee scheduling and create customizable user permissions by role, ensuring that data is only accessible to staff members who need it.
Operations aside, your small business can also benefit from the customer-oriented features of a POS system. To stay competitive in the current market, your business must enact customer loyalty programs, run promotions, and offer gift cards and online sales.
Additionally, customers in 2023 will expect multiple payment options. Implementing the right POS system enables you to accept credit cards and payments through services like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, making it more convenient for customers to buy from your store.
Related Read: 6 Major Advantages of Contactless Payment
Because POS systems are crucial for small businesses of all types, we’ve rounded up the seven best options available. Let’s dive into the strengths of these POS systems to see which could be the right fit for your small business.
The 6 Best POS Systems
1. POS Nation
POS Nation’s complete point of sale solution helps you streamline your business. We pride ourselves on providing incredible customer support without hidden fees or long-term contracts. POS Nation for Retail offers a simple-to-use, feature-packed retail POS software solution that’s a great fit for single-location stores or multi-store chains.
POS Nation is a good fit for liquor stores, grocery stores and markets, convenience stores, tobacco shops, lawn and garden centers, hardware stores, and general retail environments.
Pricing: Starting at $99/month with access to POS software, touch PC, receipt printer, scanner, cash drawer, and chip reader. POS Nation comes backed with 24/7 support and a lifetime warranty.
- Ease of Use: 4.5
- Customer Service: 4.8
- Average Rating: 4.6
2. Square for Retail
Square offers retail POS software solutions for any size business. Known for their portable, mobile-phone-ready card readers suited to small businesses, Square also offers solutions for larger-scale stores and chains. Square’s pricing starts with a no-monthly fee option.
Square for Retail is a good fit for businesses like CBD dispensaries, food and beverage service, health and fitness, and general retail stores.
Pricing: Free Plan (plus processing fees), Plus Plan is $60/month (plus processing fees), Premium Plan is custom priced.
- Ease of Use: 4.7
- Customer Service: 4.4
- Average Rating: 4.7
3. Lightspeed Retail POS
Lightspeed Retail is one of the giants of omnichannel retail POS software. Lightspeed offers retail solutions designed to integrate with e-commerce for omnichannel support. Lightspeed Retail operates in over a hundred countries across the globe.
Lightspeed Retail is a good fit for bike shops, gift stores, health clubs, sporting goods stores, and other general and specialized retail types.
Pricing: Lean Plan is $69/month, Standard Plan is $199/month, Advanced Plan is $199/month.
- Ease of Use: 4.3
- Customer Service: 4.2
- Average Rating: 4.2
4. Bottle POS
Bottle POS is a cloud-based system built specifically for liquor stores aiming to streamline and automate inventory management. Their solution can integrate with multiple distributors, making it easy to pull invoice data from suppliers.
Bottle POS is a good fit for any liquor store business looking for an iPad-compatible solution to run their back office operations. Because it’s cloud-based, you can check on any mobile device. Other features include label printing, sales reporting, and machine learning that ranks items from A to D (translating to the highest to lowest seller).
Pricing: Starting at $69/month.
Capterra User Ratings: Not Available
What customers say:
- "We love the automated invoicing, it saves us countless hours in a day." - Bottle POS User
5. Revel Systems
Revel Systems is designed to help small businesses streamline operations and leverage business data. An iPad-based POS solution, Revel Systems is cloud-based and accessible from anywhere. This intuitive solution enables users to run their stores efficiently and effectively.
Revel Systems is a good fit for coffee shops, pizza stores, restaurants, quick-service restaurants, and general retail.
Pricing: Starting at $99/month.
- Ease of Use: 3.8
- Customer Service: 3.4
- Average Rating: 3.7
6. Clover POS
Clover POS is designed to be an easy-to-use POS solution for multiple types of small businesses. Clover offers multiple integrations with third-party apps like MailChimp, QuickBooks, and more to help make setup and ramp-up as quick and easy as possible.
Clover POS is a good fit for businesses like restaurants, quick-service dining, professional and personal services, and general retail.
Pricing: Starting at $69/month (plus processing fees).
- Ease of Use: 4.1
- Customer Service: 3.4
- Average Rating: 3.9
Find the Ideal POS System for Your Small Business
A basic understanding of various POS systems' offerings and customer ratings is a great starting point. Still, you need more than this post to help you select the perfect POS system for your small business.
To select the perfect POS system to help your small business grow, you’ll need to identify the specific features and hardware you need to succeed.
Check out our free resource, the Retail POS System Buyers’ Guide, to help you identify your specific needs in terms of features, functionality, and more. Next, you’ll want to schedule a demo with our team.
See POS Nation for Retail in action, and determine whether it’s the right solution for your store. Our retail expert will answer any questions you have during the demo, giving you all the information you need to decide.
Lastly, use our Build and Price tool to see exactly what your dream solution costs before committing to anything. Get started by reviewing our Retail POS System Buyers’ Guide today!
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