The short answer
- You sell online and in a store: 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¢.
- Store only, small, and you want the lowest fixed cost: Square. The Free plan is $0 a month and in-person cards cost 2.6% + 15¢.
- Big catalog, several staff, or more than one register: Lightspeed Retail. 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 Shopify or read our Shopify breakdown first.
Retail POS options side by side
- Shopify POSVisit Shopify POS
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online
- 2.9% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $39 · Basic plan
- Contract
- Monthly or yearly billing
- LightspeedVisit Lightspeed
Flat or custom
- In person
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- $109 · Retail Basic, billed monthly ($89 if billed yearly)
- Contract
- Not published
- SquareVisit Square
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.6% + 15¢
- Online
- 3.3% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Free plan
- Contract
- No contract
- 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
Prices checked Oct 19, 2026 on each provider's own pricing page (how we check).
| POS | Software price per month | In-person card rate |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify | Basic $39 ($29 yearly), Grow $105 ($89 yearly), Advanced $399 ($359 yearly). POS Lite included. POS Pro adds $89 per location, billed yearly. | 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: Shopify, Shopify POS, Lightspeed, Square, Clover.
Who each one is for, and who should skip it
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 charges no dispute fee, but it keeps the processing fee on the disputed payment. 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.
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, billed yearly, 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.