Best POS System for Small Business
In this article, we give you an overview of the best POS system for small business available today, 4 of the best to be specific. Before we start, we want to make sure you understand what a POS system actually does. A POS system, or Point-of-Sale system, is the the system you use as your main cash register.
We used to have a simple cash register to record sales and day-to-day transactions in businesses. Now times have changed and so has the cash register. It has got upgraded to POS or Point of Sale. The humble cash register has been replaced by a laptop, receipt printer, barcode scanner, debit/credit card reader, and more! In short, POS is a system where orders are processed, bills are generated and paid.
Choosing the best POS system for your small business is crucial. The right POS can enable management of business expenses with greater proficiency. It will show which products sell better and when to restock. It also helps in engaging customers with loyalty rewards.
The best POS should offer a complete package of hardware and software solutions for faster payment process, stock and customer management and, payroll and accounting to name a few.
The Top 4 POS Systems for Small Business
We have evaluated and reviewed the POS systems available in the market so that you can decide on the best POS system for your small business.
Square POS Review – Best No Monthly Fee POS System
Square POS is free to start with. That means zero initial investment. It has excellent features and is user-friendly. It is the preferred choice for food trucks and other mobile businesses because of its ease of set-up and use.
It offers credit card readers and POS mobile app. The app is compatible with both Android and Apple phones. It gives you real-time data for you to understand and track fast-selling items and understand the heaviest footfall times. You can use the various filters to check sales, discount given and refunds processed. You also receive low stock notifications. With the square dashboard, you can reduce paperwork and billing mistakes.
You can access customer purchase history, their preferences and their feedback from the Directory feature. The directory can also save card details and give digital receipts of the transactions. You can handle third-party pickups using Square POS.
Square has got simple pricing plans. It doesn’t charge you monthly or set up fees. You need to pay for every transaction 2.75% for the Square reader and 2.5% + 10 cents for Square cash register payments. They also customize pricing packages depending upon the revenue through card sales and average ticket size of the transactions.
Clover POS Review – Best Monthly Fee POS System
Clover POS allows you to choose software and hardware options that are best for your business. Clover hardware provides an all-in-one solution. You can process contactless payment or scan a barcode or get receipts printed.
It offers 2 software plans and 4 hardware options. With the Clover Register Lite software you can accept different types of payment. It tracks sales and generates reports. You can also set employee permission and manage their shifts. The monthly fees are $14. The in-person charges are 2.7% + $0.10 per transaction and 3.5% plus $0.10 for keyed-in transaction.
Clover Register is priced at $29 per month plus 2.3% + $0.10 for in-person transaction. The fee for keyed-in transaction is 3.5% + $0.10. The software gives you an additional service for the management of inventory. Using Clover register you can create a customer loyalty program and loyalty list.
The hardware options start with $69 for Clover Go that can process magstripe cards. Clover Flex is a handheld device and costs $499. It can scan barcodes and print receipts. The countertop hardware is Clover Mini and costs $749 and Clover Station costs $1,349.
Shopify POS Review – Best POS for Online Businesses
Shopify POS is one of the best options for retail stores. It is a web-based option. It is easy to set up and can be customized for small businesses. It is a subscription basis plan.
The Shopify Light plan is for business done on Facebook and the fees are $9 per month.
The Basic Shopify fee is $29 per month with 2.7% fees for credit card processing. It gives you 2 employee accounts with a domain and website. It also provides inventory control. For shipping, it gives you the option to print labels and other tools. Once your business starts picking up you can upgrade to Shopify at $79 per month plus 2.5% credit card processing fees. The Advanced Shopify plan is for $299 per month plus 2.4% fees for credit card processing.
You can have a free trial of 14 days.
Quickbooks POS Review – Best for Businesses using Intuit Accounting Software
Quickbooks POS is the best option in case you are already using Quickbooks accounting software. The integration is seamless and is compatible with desktops as well as tablets.
To use the POS service you need to pay a one-time processing fee. The Basic plan is for $1,200 and Pro is for $1,700 and Multi-Store is for $1,900. Multi-store option is for multiple stores. The multi-store plan is best for consolidating multiple store data and to track inventory movement between stores.
For the POS services you can choose between 2 plans. The Pay as you Go plan doesn’t have any monthly fees. It has swipe/dip fee which of 2.7% and keyed payment fee is 3.5%. The second plan is the monthly subscription plan with $19.95 per month fees. The swipe/dip fees are 2.3% and the keyed payment is 3.2% + 25 cents.
You can have a 30-day free trial before deciding to opt for the POS system.
Conclusion – What’s the Best POS System For Small Business?
Small businesses choosing POS for the first time can opt for Square as it offers the best POS system. It has no set-up fees and the only cost you need to pay is per transaction. It offers complete basic features of an ideal POS.
Clover POS gives you an all-in-one option. Its unique software and hardware options are best for customized POS system.
Shopify POS is best for small online businesses and retail stores. Their Shopify Lite has the lowest monthly fees. It doesn’t require specific hardware or software as processing happens online. It has one of the best e-commerce tools.
Quickbooks POS are specifically for businesses using Intuit accounting software. Though it doesn’t have a subscription fee, the one-time fees is on the higher side. Hence for small newly set-up business, it is not advisable.
We have given 4 completely different POS system with its unique features. You can choose the one best suitable for your business in terms of ease of use, monthly budget, and type of business.