The bottom line
Lightspeed is a POS with deep retail and restaurant features, and card processing runs through Lightspeed Payments. Retail plans start at $89 a month billed yearly, or $109 billed monthly, plus 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person card sale.
A shop with $10,000 a month in card sales over 400 payments pays about $389 a month on Retail Basic billed yearly. Lightspeed doesn’t publish its online, keyed-in or restaurant processing rates.
Lightspeed fees at a glance
Visit Lightspeed- Pricing model
- mixed
- Contract
- Fixed term; early exit fee covers the rest of the term
- Payouts
- Typically within 2 business days
- Monthly cost to take cards
- $109 (Retail Basic, billed monthly ($89 if billed yearly))
| Payment type | Rate | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In person (card present) | 2.6% + 10¢ | lightspeedhq.com |
| American Express | 2.6% + 10¢ | lightspeedhq.com |
Monthly fees and plans
- Retail Basic: $89/month
- Retail Core: $149/month
- Retail Plus: $289/month
- Restaurant Starter: $69/month
- Restaurant Essential: $189/month
- Restaurant Premium: $399/month
Checked October 25, 2026 on lightspeedhq.com. Prices change, so confirm with Lightspeed before you sign.
The monthly fees in the table are yearly-billing prices. Here are all the plans, as listed on Lightspeed’s pricing pages:
| Plan | Billed yearly | Billed monthly |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Basic | $89 a month | $109 a month |
| Retail Core | $149 a month | $179 a month |
| Retail Plus | $289 a month | $339 a month |
| Restaurant Starter | $69 (period not labelled) | |
| Restaurant Essential | $189 (period not labelled) | |
| Restaurant Premium | $399 (period not labelled) |
Who it’s for
- Independent retailers who need real stock tools. Lightspeed says Retail Basic is “Designed for essential day-to-day needs for independent retailers.”
- Shops with a varied card mix. Lightspeed says its rate “is always the same no matter what card your customer chooses to pay with.”
- Owners who can commit to a year. Yearly billing saves up to 18%, Lightspeed says.
Who should skip it
- Very small or brand-new shops. You pay at least $89 a month before you take a single payment.
- Owners who want to keep their current terminals. Lightspeed says existing terminal hardware can’t be reused.
- Restaurants that want rates up front. Lightspeed doesn’t publish restaurant processing rates.
The catch
Plans are priced with Lightspeed Payments. Retail prices are shown under “Save with Lightspeed Payments.” No price is shown for using another processor, so we read this as plans being priced for Lightspeed Payments users. Ask if you want to use someone else.
Your old terminals won’t work. Lightspeed says “you cannot use any existing terminal hardware you might already have as these have not been injected with the certified firmware.”
Monthly billing costs more. Retail Basic is $109 a month billed monthly, against $89 billed yearly.
Online, keyed-in and restaurant rates aren’t published.
Chargebacks cost $15. Lightspeed says that’s “The only thing you can expect.”
Kitchen screens cost extra. Lightspeed lists $30 a month per screen for restaurants.
Leaving early costs the rest of the term. Lightspeed’s service agreement, which covers its North American retail customers, says ending a plan early triggers a fee that includes the fees left in the term, and terms longer than 90 days renew unless you give 90 days notice. Ask for the term on your order form before you sign.
Hardware prices aren’t published. Lightspeed says its hardware is sold separately.
What owners complain about, checked against the terms
Money complaints from recent public reviews, in our words, checked against Lightspeed’s own terms. Reviewers aren’t a typical sample, so check these before you sign.
What owners mentionCharged for another month, or another year, after asking to cancel.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- Lightspeed's service agreement renews plans automatically for the same length as the first term. To stop a term longer than 90 days, you give written notice 90 days before it ends; on a shorter term, the notice equals the term. Leaving early costs the early termination fee in the catch above. Lightspeed's service agreement ↗
- What to check
- Find the renewal date and notice period on your Order Form, and send notice in writing before that deadline.
What owners mentionThe subscription price or the card rate went up partway through.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- The agreement lets Lightspeed change its fees on 30 days written notice. Renewals are charged at the then-current price, and discounts from your first Order Form don't carry over unless agreed in writing. Lightspeed's service agreement ↗
- What to check
- Ask which discounts end at renewal, and check each processing statement against the rate on your Order Form.
What owners mentionBeing required to take card payments through Lightspeed Payments.
- What the terms say (read Oct 26, 2026)
- Where Lightspeed Payments is offered and you qualify, the agreement says you must use it unless Lightspeed agrees otherwise in writing. Using another processor adds a monthly fee based on your estimated card volume. Lightspeed's service agreement ↗
- What to check
- To keep your current processor, get Lightspeed's written OK and the monthly fee amount before you sign.
What it costs at your size
These are estimates. They use Lightspeed’s published retail rate and assume every payment is a card tapped, dipped or swiped in person.
Example: Retail Basic, $10,000 a month, 400 payments.
- Rate: 2.6% × $10,000 = $260
- Per-sale fee: 400 × 10¢ = $40
- Plan, billed yearly: $89
- Estimated total: $389 a month, or $409 if you pay monthly
Over a year, yearly billing costs 12 × $89 = $1,068, against 12 × $109 = $1,308 billed monthly. That’s $240 saved for committing to the year.
Compare those numbers with what you pay now in the fee calculator.
Compared with
Beyond the rate
What the rate table doesn't show, taken from Lightspeed's own terms and help pages: can they hold your money?, works offline?, hardware lock-in, leaving, support. Show ▾
Can they hold your money?
Lightspeed may suspend or end your access right away, without notice, if it believes one of the reasons in its agreement applies, such as unpaid fees or a material breach.
Source: lightspeedhq.comWorks offline?
Yes. Retail POS (X-Series) help page: payment-only offline mode on the Lightspeed terminal, tap or insert only (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex); per transaction and total limits that cannot be raised above the preset maximum; payments are not authorized until you reconnect, and a declined offline payment is a loss. Restaurant products not checked.
Source: x-series-support.lightspeedhq.comHardware lock-in
Lightspeed says you cannot use payment terminals you already own with Lightspeed Payments.
Source: lightspeedhq.comLeaving
If you end your plan before the term is over, Lightspeed charges an early termination fee that includes the fees left in the term, and plans renew unless you give 90 days notice on terms longer than 90 days.
Source: lightspeedhq.com
Get told when Lightspeed's fees change
Providers change fees with little notice. Alerts start soon, and we'll send nothing else.
Common questions
How much does Lightspeed cost per month?
Lightspeed's Retail plans are $89, $149 and $289 a month billed yearly, or $109, $179 and $339 billed monthly. Restaurant plans are listed at $69, $189 and $399, but the page doesn't say whether those are monthly or yearly prices. Card processing is charged on top.
What are Lightspeed Payments rates?
On its retail pricing page, Lightspeed lists 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person card sale. Lightspeed says the rate is the same no matter which card your customer uses. It doesn't publish online or keyed-in rates, or the processing rates for its restaurant plans, so ask before you sign.
Can I save by paying for Lightspeed yearly?
On Retail, yes. Lightspeed says you can save up to 18% by paying annually. Retail Basic drops from $109 to $89 a month, which saves $240 over a year. Core drops from $179 to $149, and Plus from $339 to $289. The trade is that you commit to a year.
How fast does Lightspeed pay out?
Lightspeed says payouts typically arrive within two business days. It also offers instant or same-day payouts for eligible merchants, which it says typically arrive within 30 minutes. We didn't find a price for those faster payouts, so ask Lightspeed what they cost before you rely on them.