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Lightspeed is a strong fit for retailers with large, varied inventory and for full-service restaurants that want floor plans and deep reporting. It is legitimate: Lightspeed Commerce Inc. is a Montreal company listed on the NYSE and TSX (LSPD), with about 150,000 customer locations and $1.23 billion in revenue for the year ended March 31, 2026. It costs more than entry-level systems, hardware is quoted separately, and its U.S. arm has an F rating at the BBB with complaints about billing and cancellations, so get every fee and the cancellation terms in writing.
Your options
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Lightspeed This review Established retailers with large or complex catalogs and full-service restaurants that want detailed reporting and are willing to pay for it.
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Toast Alternative Restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders and payments, and are willing to get a full written quote.
- Company
- Lightspeed Commerce Inc., Montreal; NYSE and TSX: LSPD; U.S. office at 460 Park Ave South, New York1
- Scale
- About 150,000 customer locations; revenue of $1,227.0 million for fiscal 2026 (year ended March 31, 2026)1
- Retail plans
- Basic $89, Core $149, Plus $289 a month, each with 1 register; extra registers and locations cost more; annual billing saves up to 18%2
- Restaurant plans
- Starter $69, Essential $189, Premium $399 a month; Kitchen Display System $30 per screen a month; Enterprise by quote3
- Card processing
- Lightspeed Payments card-present rate listed as 1.5% on retail plans; the company says fees vary by business and additional service fees may apply2
- Hardware
- Not priced on the plan pages; iPad-based setups, scanners and printers are quoted2
- Support
- 24/7 chat and phone support on all retail plans; onboarding and professional services available2
Pros
- Deep inventory tools: variants, purchase orders and multi-store stock
- Built-in eCommerce and loyalty on retail plans
- Restaurant floor plans, offline mode and kitchen display add-on
- 24/7 chat and phone support
- Public company with about 150,000 customer locations
Cons
- Higher starting price than most retail rivals
- Hardware and many add-ons are quoted, not listed
- BBB rating of F for its U.S. company
- Complaints about billing after cancellation and post-sale support
Best for: Established retailers with large or complex catalogs and full-service restaurants that want detailed reporting and are willing to pay for it.
Skip it if: You run a small shop or food truck with a simple menu, low sales or a tight budget.
Lightspeed vs. competitors
| Company | Monthly software | In-person card rate | Contract | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed | $89 to $289 retail; $69 to $399 restaurant | Listed as 1.5% card-present (Lightspeed Payments) | Monthly or annual billing; confirm terms with sales | Visit site |
| Shopify POS | $39 to $399, plus POS Pro $89 per location | 2.4% to 2.6% + 10 cents | Monthly subscription | Read review |
| Toast | $0 to $69, or $69 + $9 per employee | Not shown on the pricing page | Not published on the pricing page | Visit site |
| Clover | $0 to $89.95 for the first device (Wells Fargo) | 2.40% to 2.60% + 15 cents (Wells Fargo); as low as 2.3% + 10 cents on clover.com | None through Wells Fargo; 3 years on clover.com's $450 credit offer | Read review |
POS systems we reviewed
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Lightspeed This review BestGuide rating: 4.0 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Established retailers with large or complex catalogs and full-service restaurants that want detailed reporting and are willing to pay for it. -
Toast BestGuide rating: 4.6 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders and payments, and are willing to get a full written quote. -
GoDaddy POS BestGuide rating: 4.5 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small retailers and service businesses that already run their website on GoDaddy and want low-rate in-person payments in the same account. -
SpotOn BestGuide rating: 4.1 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Full-service and quick-service restaurants that want handhelds, online ordering and 24/7 phone support from one company and plan to stay at least a year. -
Shopify BestGuide rating: 4.1 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Retailers who sell online with Shopify and want their physical store on the same inventory and customer system. -
Clover BestGuide rating: 4.0 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Retailers, restaurants and service businesses that want sturdy all-in-one hardware and are willing to compare written quotes from more than one Clover seller.
Lightspeed pricing at a glance
Lightspeed software plans in U.S. dollars, as listed October 20262
| Plan | Monthly price | Built for | Notable inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Basic | $89 | Essential day-to-day needs for independent retailers | 1 register, inventory, basic eCommerce, payments, 24/7 support |
| Retail Core | $149 | Retailers growing their business | 1 register, full eCommerce and more management tools |
| Retail Plus | $289 | Established retail operations | 1 register, advanced customization and tools for scaling |
| Restaurant Starter | $69 | Simplifying daily operations | Customizable POS, menu manager, floor plans, integrated payments |
| Restaurant Essential | $189 | Full-service restaurants | More features than Starter; see the plan table |
| Restaurant Premium | $399 | Venues connecting several departments | The most features of the listed plans |
| Kitchen Display System | $30 per screen | Restaurants | Add-on on any restaurant plan |
Retail prices reflect Lightspeed Retail (X-Series); the page offers monthly or annual billing with annual saving up to 18%. Extra registers, locations, hardware, payment processing and some add-ons such as reservations cost extra. Lightspeed says prices can vary and additional service fees may apply.
Lightspeed, step by step
Start a trial or talk to sales
Retail offers a free trial; restaurant and enterprise setups usually start with a sales call and quote.
Get a full quote
Ask for software, hardware, processing rates, add-ons, contract length and any early termination fee in writing.
Onboard and import data
Lightspeed's team helps load products, menus and staff; complex catalogs take longer.
Run daily operations
Sell on iPads, track inventory, purchase orders and reports from the cloud back office.
Cancel carefully
Check your agreement's notice period and get written confirmation that billing and payment processing have stopped.
Lightspeed POS legitimacy and licensing
Yes. Lightspeed Commerce Inc. is headquartered in Montreal and trades on the New York Stock Exchange and Toronto Stock Exchange under LSPD, so it files financial reports with regulators in both countries. For the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026 it reported $1,227.0 million in revenue and about 150,000 customer locations. The company says its growth focus is retail in North America and hospitality in Europe.
Its customer service record is weaker than its finances. The BBB gives Lightspeed Commerce USA Inc. an F, with 39 complaints in three years, and it is not accredited. On Trustpilot it scores 3.7 out of 5 from 2,520 reviews, with 18% one star.
Lightspeed POS cost
As listed October 2026, Lightspeed Retail plans are $89 (Basic), $149 (Core) and $289 (Plus) a month, each with one register; additional registers and locations raise the monthly cost, and annual billing saves up to 18%. Lightspeed Restaurant plans are $69 (Starter), $189 (Essential) and $399 (Premium) a month, with a kitchen display system at $30 per screen per month and an Enterprise tier by quote.
On top of software you pay for card processing and hardware. The retail pricing page lists a 1.5% Card-present rate. The fee for a card that is tapped, dipped or swiped in person. Compare POS systems for Lightspeed Payments, but notes that prices vary and other service fees may apply, so ask for the full processing schedule. Hardware is not priced on the plan pages.
What you get with Lightspeed
- Retail: inventory with variants, purchase orders, multi-store stock, built-in eCommerce, loyalty, a wholesale catalog through NuORDER, a mobile scanner app, and, depending on plan, Insights forecasting, landed costs, API access, workflows, custom user roles and SSO.
- Restaurant: customizable menus and floor plans, offline mode, pre-auth bar tabs, online and QR ordering, Advanced Insights, a manager app, and optional reservations, kitchen display and inventory.
- Golf: tee sheet, POS. Point of sale, the hardware and software you use to ring up sales and take payments. Compare POS systems and marketing tools for courses.
- Extras: Lightspeed Payments, Lightspeed Capital cash advances in some regions, and payroll and workforce tools.
What customers say about Lightspeed
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- Helpful, patient onboarding staff
- Easy to use software for staff at the register
- Strong inventory and reporting tools
- Individual support reps who go further to fix problems
Common complaints
- Support harder to reach after the sale
- Slow cancellations and billing that continued afterward
- Unresolved hardware and setup problems
- Processing or contract charges that surprised merchants
Lightspeed complaints and how to avoid problems
Reviews praise onboarding and ease of use, but complaints on Trustpilot and the BBB focus on what happens later: support that is harder to reach after the sale, cancellations that take a long time with billing continuing, unresolved hardware problems, and processing or contract charges merchants did not expect.
- Get the processing rate, every monthly add-on and any contract term or early termination fee in writing.
- Ask who owns the hardware and whether it works with another processor if you leave.
- Cancel in writing, keep the confirmation, and watch your bank and processor statements for the next two cycles.
- If a dispute stalls, file with the BBB and your state attorney general.
Who should look elsewhere
If you sell a few dozen items or run a pop-up, a $0 monthly plan from Helcim, GoDaddy or Stripe, or Shopify’s $39 plan, will cost much less. Quick-service restaurants may find Toast’s starter plan cheaper to begin with. Lightspeed makes most sense once inventory complexity, multiple locations or table service justify $89 to $399 a month in software.
Alternatives to Lightspeed
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Shopify
Better if you sell mostly online and want one system for your web store and a few registers, starting at $39 a month.
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A system built mainly for restaurants, with a $0 starter plan, worth quoting against Lightspeed Restaurant.
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Clover
Widely available through banks with a $0 starter software plan, though terms vary by reseller.
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A free POS app with a card reader
If you have a small catalog and low sales, a $0 monthly plan from Helcim, GoDaddy or Stripe can cost far less than any Lightspeed plan.
Next steps
Lightspeed reviews
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Lightspeed POS cost per month?
Retail plans are $89, $149 and $289 a month and restaurant plans are $69, $189 and $399 a month, as listed October 2026. Extra registers, locations, hardware, processing and add-ons cost more.
What are Lightspeed's processing fees?
The retail pricing page lists a 1.5% card-present rate for Lightspeed Payments on all plans, but Lightspeed says fees vary by business and additional service fees may apply. Ask for the complete fee schedule before you sign.
Is Lightspeed POS cloud based?
Yes. Lightspeed runs in the cloud, so you can see sales and inventory from any device. Lightspeed Restaurant also has an offline mode for when the internet drops.
Why does Lightspeed have an F rating with the BBB?
The BBB rates Lightspeed Commerce USA Inc. F and lists 39 complaints in the last three years; BBB grades weigh unanswered and unresolved complaints. Most complaints involve billing, cancellations and service.
Does Lightspeed have a free trial?
Yes, Lightspeed Retail offers a free trial. Restaurant plans start with a sales conversation.
Is Lightspeed better than Square or Shopify?
Lightspeed has deeper inventory and restaurant tools, but costs more. Shopify starts at $39 a month and is stronger for online-first sellers; Square and other $0 plans suit small, simple shops.
What hardware does Lightspeed use?
Lightspeed runs on iPads with compatible card readers, receipt printers, scanners and cash drawers. Hardware is quoted separately and not listed on the plan pages.
Who owns Lightspeed?
Lightspeed Commerce Inc. is a public company based in Montreal and listed on the NYSE and TSX under LSPD.
How many businesses use Lightspeed?
Lightspeed reported about 150,000 customer locations at March 31, 2026.
How do I cancel Lightspeed?
Contact Lightspeed support in writing, follow the notice terms in your agreement, and get written confirmation that both software billing and Lightspeed Payments have stopped.
Sources (7)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- SEC EDGAR: Lightspeed announces fourth quarter and full year 2026 financial results (Form 6-K, May 21, 2026) (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Lightspeed: Retail POS pricing (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Lightspeed: Restaurant POS pricing (accessed October 12, 2026)
- BBB: Lightspeed Commerce USA Inc. (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Lightspeed reviews (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Shopify: POS pricing (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Toast: Restaurant POS pricing and plans (accessed October 12, 2026)
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