The short answer
- Our pick: PayPal POS. A free app with no monthly fee, inventory tracking with low-stock alerts, and in-person cards at 2.29% + 9¢. It’s the lowest cost at every sales level we price, from about $55 a month at $2,000 in card sales to $3,705 at $150,000.
- You also sell online: Shopify. One product list and one inventory count for both. Basic is $39 a month ($29 if you pay yearly) and in-person cards cost 2.6% + 10¢, more than our pick at the counter.
- Big catalog, several staff, or more than one register: Lightspeed Retail, for deeper inventory and reporting tools. Plans are $89, $149 or $289 a month billed yearly, and cards cost 2.6% + 10¢.
- You want the hardware bundled into one monthly payment: Clover. Retail bundles start at $16 a month for 36 months. Read the catch first.
Visit PayPal POS, or read our Shopify breakdown if you also sell online.
Retail POS options side by side
We may earn a fee if you sign up with some providers in this table. It never changes the prices we show or what we recommend.
- PayPal POSVisit PayPal POS
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.29% + 9¢
- Online
- 2.99% + 49¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Free POS app
- Contract
- No contract stated
- SquareVisit Square
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.6% + 15¢
- Online
- 3.3% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Free plan
- Contract
- No contract
- Shopify POSVisit Shopify POS
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $39 · Basic plan
- Contract
- Monthly or yearly billing
- CloverVisit Clover
Flat or custom
- In person
- 2.3% + 10¢
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- From $16 · POS plan
- Contract
- 36-month hardware subscription option; terms vary by reseller
- LightspeedVisit Lightspeed
Flat or custom
- In person
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- $109 · Retail Basic, billed monthly ($89 if billed yearly)
- Contract
- Fixed term; early exit fee covers the rest of the term
Prices checked Oct 22 to Oct 25, 2026 on each provider's own pricing page (how we check).Order: providers we can price in full come first, lowest first-year cost for a business taking $10,000 a month across 400 in-person payments; the rest follow alphabetically. Payout never affects the order.
We may earn a fee if you sign up with some providers in this table. It never changes the prices we show or what we recommend.
| POS | Software price per month | In-person card rate |
|---|---|---|
| PayPal POS | Free app, no monthly fee. Card reader $29 (first one), terminal $199. | 2.29% + 9¢ |
| Shopify | Basic $39 ($29 yearly), Grow $105 ($89 yearly), Advanced $399 ($359 yearly). POS Lite included. POS Pro adds $89 a month per location, or $67 a month on a 12-month term (cancel early and you owe the rest of the term). | 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic, 2.5% on Grow, 2.4% on Advanced (all + 10¢) |
| Lightspeed Retail | Basic $89, Core $149, Plus $289 billed yearly. $109, $179, $339 billed monthly. | 2.6% + 10¢ |
| Square | Free $0. Plus $49 and Premium $149, each per location. | 2.6% + 15¢ on Free, 2.5% on Plus, 2.4% on Premium (all + 15¢) |
| Clover | Basic bundle $16 a month for 36 months (or $349). Standard $180 and Advanced $240 a month for 36 months, or buy the hardware and pay $84.95 or $104.90 a month. | 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic, 2.3% + 10¢ on Standard and Advanced |
Sources: PayPal POS, PayPal fees, Shopify, Shopify POS, Lightspeed, Square, Clover.
Our pick for a retail shop, by monthly card sales
-
For a retail shop under $5,000 a month, a retail shop at $5,000 to $25,000 a month, a retail shop at $25,000 to $100,000 a month or a retail shop over $100,000 a month · must have Inventory tracking
Our pick
- a retail shop under $5,000 a month: $55 a month
- a retail shop at $5,000 to $25,000 a month: $247 a month
- a retail shop at $25,000 to $100,000 a month: $1,235 a month
- a retail shop over $100,000 a month: $3,705 a month
Lowest cost, and it has inventory tracking.
Why not the others?
Left out: Stripe, Stax (card processing only, no POS software of its own); 5 others (built for appointment businesses); TouchBistro (a restaurant-only POS).
Can't confirm here (a must-have or the full price isn't published): Clover, Toast, Helcim, SpotOn, Heartland, Chase, SumUp.
How we picked
A month of card fees plus the monthly fee at $2,000 in 100 card payments; $10,000 in 200 card payments; $50,000 in 1,000 card payments; $150,000 in 3,000 card payments, all in person, from each provider's published rates. Providers whose price depends on interchange, a hardware bundle or a quote have no full price here. Our pick is the lowest cost option that has every must-have; within 10% of it, no contract, faster payouts and longer support hours win. Payment from a provider never changes it. How we pick
Who each one is for, and who should skip it
PayPal POS. Our pick for most stores. A free app with inventory tracking and low-stock alerts, no monthly fee, and in-person cards at 2.29% + 9¢. Hardware is a $29 card reader or a $199 terminal. Skip it if you want your online store and your counter on one inventory (Shopify does that), or if you need Lightspeed’s deeper inventory and staff tools.
Shopify. For stores that sell online and in person. Online standard cards cost 2.9% + 30¢ on Basic, and rates drop on bigger plans. Shopify recommends POS Pro for stores with “a lot of foot traffic, multiple tiers of staff, or a large inventory catalog.” Skip it if you have no online store. And note that using a processor other than Shopify Payments adds 2% per sale on Basic, 1% on Grow and 0.6% on Advanced.
Lightspeed Retail. For established independent stores that need more inventory and reporting tools. Lightspeed describes Retail Basic as “designed for essential day-to-day needs for independent retailers.” It also says its card rate is the same no matter which card your customer uses. Skip it if you’re just starting. Basic billed monthly is $109 a month, or $1,308 a year, before any card fees. You also can’t reuse card terminals you already own.
Square. For small shops, pop-ups and market sellers. No monthly fee on the Free plan, no locked-in contract, and hardware you buy outright: a $59 reader, a $149 Stand, a $299 Terminal or an $899 Register on Square’s US site. Skip the Free plan if you take a lot of online or invoice payments. Those cost 3.3% + 30¢ each on Free, versus 2.9% + 30¢ on Plus.
Clover. For stores that want hardware and software in one monthly payment from day one. Skip it if you want to stay flexible. Every bundle is a 36-month subscription, and when it ends it carries on at the same monthly charge unless you buy or return the hardware, with 30 days’ notice. Clover says its web prices “are only available on Clover.com.” If a bank sells you Clover, its price and terms can differ.
What about Toast? Toast also sells a retail POS, from $90 a month. Toast says it’s “ideal for convenience stores, grocery stores, and liquor stores.” Its hardware offer terms describe the retail plan with a minimum 12-month term, and it only runs on approved Toast hardware. See our Toast page for the full picture.
What one month really costs: an example
Say your store does $15,000 a month in card sales across 300 payments, all in person. Here’s the estimate at published rates, with the cheapest listed plan billed monthly:
| POS | Card fees | Software or bundle | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square (Free plan) | $435 | $0 | $435 |
| Clover (Retail Basic bundle) | $420 | $16 | $436 |
| Shopify (Basic) | $420 | $39 | $459 |
| Square (Plus plan) | $420 | $49 | $469 |
| Lightspeed (Retail Basic, monthly billing) | $420 | $109 | $529 |
This is our estimate. It assumes every payment is a domestic card taken in person, and leaves out keyed-in payments, add-ons and chargebacks. Clover’s $16 includes its Compact device for 36 months. For Square, Shopify and Lightspeed you buy hardware on top. Lightspeed billed yearly is $89 a month, which brings it to $509. Your real numbers depend on your card mix. Put yours into the fee calculator.
Notice how close the top two are. At this size, the choice comes down to features and terms, not the rate. Square has no contract. Clover’s bundle runs 36 months.
The catch: fees to ask about before you sign
- Chargebacks. Lightspeed charges $15. Square says it charges no fee for handling chargeback disputes, and doesn’t say whether it refunds the processing fee on one. Shopify and Clover don’t list a chargeback fee on the pricing pages we checked.
- Keyed-in payments. Typing a card number in costs 3.5% + 10¢ at Shopify (Basic) and Clover, and 3.5% + 15¢ at Square. Lightspeed doesn’t publish its keyed-in rate.
- Marketplace orders on Shopify. Shopify charges 1% on synced marketplace orders over 50, up to $99 a month.
- Hardware. Shopify lists its POS Terminal at $349, a tablet stand at $149, a receipt printer at $289 and a scanner at $209. Lightspeed doesn’t publish hardware prices. Ask for a full quote.
- Billing term. Lightspeed says paying yearly saves “up to 18%.” Basic is $89 a month billed yearly, versus $109 billed monthly. Ask what happens if you cancel partway through a paid year.
Store only? Compare Square, Lightspeed and Clover. Running a cafe or restaurant instead? See restaurant POS systems, or go back to all POS systems.
Get told when these prices change
Providers change fees with little notice. Alerts start soon, and we'll send nothing else.
Common questions
What is the best POS system for a small retail store?
If you sell online as well as in the store, Shopify keeps both in one system from $39 a month. If you only sell in person and want the lowest fixed cost, Square's Free plan is $0 a month with 2.6% + 15¢ per card payment. Lightspeed Retail, from $89 a month billed yearly, suits stores that need deeper inventory tools.
How much does a retail POS system cost per month?
At published prices: Square $0 (Free), $49 (Plus) or $149 (Premium) per location. Shopify Basic $39, or $29 billed yearly. Lightspeed Retail $89, $149 or $289 billed yearly, or $109, $179 or $339 billed monthly. Clover's retail bundles $16, $180 or $240 a month for 36 months, hardware included. Card fees come on top.
Do I need Shopify POS Pro?
Not always. Every Shopify plan includes POS Lite. Shopify says it recommends POS Pro for "businesses that have a lot of foot traffic, multiple tiers of staff, or a large inventory catalog." POS Pro costs $89 a month per location, or $67 a month on a 12-month term (cancel early and you owe the rest of the term), so a one-person shop should try POS Lite first and upgrade only when it runs out.
What's the catch with Clover's $16 a month retail bundle?
It's a 36-month hardware subscription, and cards cost 2.6% + 10¢ on it, not the 2.3% Clover advertises for bigger bundles. At the end of the term it carries on at the same monthly charge unless you buy or return the device, with 30 days' notice. And the web price is only available when you buy from Clover.com.