On this page13 sections
Shopify POS is the best fit for retailers whose online store matters as much as the shop floor, since products, inventory, customers and orders sync between your website and registers. It is a legitimate point of sale from Shopify Inc., the Ottawa-based, publicly traded ecommerce company. The tradeoffs: you need a paid Shopify plan (from $39 a month billed monthly, or $29 billed yearly), serious stores need POS Pro at $89 per location a month, and Shopify doesn't issue refunds on fees. Service gets poor marks: the BBB rates Shopify Inc. F with 1,721 complaints in three years, though the POS iPhone app holds 4.4 out of 5.
Your options
-
Toast Alternative Restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders and payments, and are willing to get a full written quote.
-
GoDaddy POS Alternative Small retailers and service businesses that already run their website on GoDaddy and want low-rate in-person payments in the same account.
- Company
- Shopify Inc., Ottawa, Ontario; BBB lists it as started in 20054
- Plans (billed monthly)
- Basic $39, Grow $105, Advanced $399; Plus from $2,300 a month on a 3-year term, as listed October 20261
- Plans (billed yearly)
- Basic $29, Grow $79, Advanced $299 a month2
- In-person card rate
- 2.6% + 10 cents (Basic), 2.5% (Grow), 2.4% (Advanced), 2.3% (Plus); manual entry 3.5% + 10 cents2
- POS Pro
- $89 a month per location, billed yearly; adds unlimited staff logins, roles, inventory tools, exchanges anywhere and retail reports1
- Hardware
- Tap & Chip Card Reader $49, POS Terminal $349, Verifone Victa Mobile $399, Eddy tablet stand $1493
- Trial
- 3 days free with no card, then $1 a month for 3 months on most plans2
- Refunds
- Shopify's terms say it doesn't provide refunds; cancel anytime on monthly plans5
Pros
- Online store and registers share one inventory and customer list
- Posted plan prices and card rates
- In-person rates from 2.6% down to 2.3% + 10 cents
- Low-cost hardware, from a $49 card reader
- Highly rated POS app (4.4 on the App Store)
Cons
- Requires a paid Shopify plan, from $39 a month billed monthly
- POS Pro adds $89 per location a month
- Extra 0.2% to 2% fee if you don't use Shopify Payments
- No refunds on subscription fees
- BBB rating of F with 1,721 complaints in three years
Best for: Retailers who sell online with Shopify and want their physical store on the same inventory and customer system.
Skip it if: You run a restaurant, sell only in person and want a $0 plan, or need a vendor with strong phone support.
Shopify vs. competitors
| Company | Monthly software | In-person card rate | Contract | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify POS | $39 to $399, plus POS Pro $89 per location | 2.4% to 2.6% + 10 cents (2.3% on Plus) | Monthly subscription | |
| Square POS | $0, $49 or $149 per location | 2.4% to 2.6% + 15 cents | No long-term contract | Visit site |
| 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 |
| 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
-
Shopify This review 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. -
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. -
Square for Restaurants 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, cafes, food trucks and service businesses that want to start selling today with no monthly fee or contract. -
Lightspeed 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. -
Helcim BestGuide rating: 4.3 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 and growing US or Canadian businesses with steady card volume that want transparent interchange-plus pricing without a contract.
Shopify pricing at a glance
Shopify plans and POS rates, as listed October 2026 (U.S.)2
| Plan | Monthly billing | Yearly billing | In-person rate | Online rate | 3rd-party payment fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $39 | $29 | 2.6% + 10¢ | 2.9% + 30¢ | 2% |
| Grow | $105 | $79 | 2.5% + 10¢ | 2.7% + 30¢ | 1% |
| Advanced | $399 | $299 | 2.4% + 10¢ | 2.5% + 30¢ | 0.6% |
| Plus | From $2,300 (3-year term) | Not offered | 2.3% + 10¢ | 2.25% + 30¢ | 0.2% |
| POS Pro add-on | $89 per location, billed yearly | $89 per location | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Rates assume Shopify Payments. Manually keyed in-person cards cost 3.5% + 10¢ (3.4% on Plus); premium and international online cards cost more. Hardware is bought separately.
Shopify, step by step
Open a Shopify account
Start a 3-day free trial with no card, then pay $1 a month for 3 months on most plans.
Pick a plan and POS level
Every paid plan includes basic in-person selling. Add POS Pro at $89 per location a month for a permanent store.
Buy hardware
Use an iPhone, iPad or Android device with a $49 Tap & Chip reader, or buy a $349 POS Terminal or $399 handheld.
Sync your catalog
Products, inventory and customers are shared between your Shopify website and your registers.
Sell and get paid
Take cards through Shopify Payments, or use a third-party processor and pay an extra transaction fee.
Shopify POS legitimacy and licensing
Yes. Shopify POS. Point of sale, the hardware and software you use to ring up sales and take payments. Compare POS systems is made by Shopify Inc., a commerce company based in Ottawa, Canada, listed on Nasdaq (since March 31, 2025, after moving from the NYSE) and the TSX under SHOP. Shopify says millions of merchants have made $1.1 trillion in sales on its platform. Shopify Payments, which powers the card readers, is available only in select countries, so check the supported list if you’re outside the U.S.
Shopify’s reputation for service is weak. The BBB rates Shopify Inc. F, not accredited, with 1,721 complaints in three years. Trustpilot shows 1.3 out of 5 from 5,188 reviews, but many of those are shoppers upset with individual stores; Shopify’s terms make each merchant the seller of record, not Shopify. The POS app itself rates 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store.
Shopify POS pricing explained
You pay for three things: your Shopify plan, card processing and, optionally, POS Pro. Plans cost $39 (Basic), $105 (Grow) or $399 (Advanced) a month billed monthly, or $29, $79 and $299 billed yearly. Plus starts at $2,300 a month on a 3-year term. Every plan includes casual in-person selling. The $5 Starter plan older reviews mention no longer appears on Shopify’s pricing page; the only $0 option listed in October 2026 is an “Agentic” plan for selling through AI channels, not a store POS.
In-person card rates with Shopify Payments run from 2.6% + 10 cents on Basic to 2.3% + 10 cents on Plus. If you use another processor, Shopify adds a fee of 2% (Basic), 1% (Grow), 0.6% (Advanced) or 0.2% (Plus) on top of what that processor charges.
POS Pro costs $89 a month per location, billed yearly. Shopify was advertising free hardware with a year of POS Pro, an offer it values at $2,400, in October 2026; read the terms before you sign up.
Free POS features vs. POS Pro
Included with every plan: in-person payments, limited staff logins, simple customer profiles and returns at the original purchase location. That’s enough for pop-ups and markets.
POS Pro ($89 per location a month): unlimited staff logins with roles and permissions, rich customer profiles and loyalty insights, returns and exchanges at any location, inventory counts, purchase orders and low-stock alerts, professional retail reports and omnichannel options like buy online, pick up in store. Shopify recommends it for stores with heavy foot traffic, multiple staff levels or large catalogs.
What customers say about Shopify
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- One system for online and in-store inventory
- Easy setup and a well-rated mobile POS app
- Large app store for adding features
- Clear posted processing rates
Common complaints
- Hard to reach a person in support
- Held payouts, reserves or restricted accounts
- Charges continuing after a store is closed and no refunds
- Costs add up with POS Pro, apps and hardware
- Shoppers blaming Shopify for problems with individual stores
Shopify POS hardware costs
You can start with a phone or tablet and the $49 Tap & Chip Card Reader. Shopify also sells a $349 countertop POS Terminal with a customer display, a $399 Verifone Victa Mobile handheld that scans barcodes, a $149 Eddy tablet stand, a $289 receipt printer and a $209 barcode scanner, as listed October 2026. Bring-your-own accessories need to be on Shopify’s compatibility list.
Shopify complaints and how to avoid problems
Merchant complaints focus on support that’s hard to reach, payouts held or accounts restricted during risk reviews, and charges after a store closes. To protect yourself:
- Keep some cash reserve in case payouts are held while Shopify reviews your account.
- Pause or close your store, and cancel apps separately, before your next billing date; Shopify’s terms say it doesn’t refund fees.
- Check app subscriptions monthly, since third-party apps bill on their own.
- Use Shopify Payments to avoid the extra third-party transaction fee.
- Post a clear refund and shipping policy, which Shopify’s terms require.
Who should look elsewhere
Restaurants are better served by restaurant systems like Toast, which handle tables, kitchen tickets and tips. If you sell only in person and don’t need a website, Square’s $0 plan or Helcim’s no-monthly-fee setup costs less. Very large, inventory-heavy retailers with no online focus may prefer Lightspeed.
Alternatives to Shopify
-
A $0 plan and $59 reader if you mostly sell in person and don't need a full online store.
-
Deeper inventory tools for large catalogs or multiple stores, at a higher monthly price.
-
Helcim
No monthly software fee and interchange-plus pricing, which can be cheaper at higher card volume.
-
Built for restaurants, with table, kitchen and tip tools Shopify POS lacks.
Next steps
Shopify reviews
Written by readers, read by our moderators, never edited by the company.
No reader reviews yet. If you have used Shopify, yours will be the first.
Write a reviewHow do I know I can trust these reviews about Shopify?
- Every reviewer confirms an email address before a review can publish.
- Our moderators read every review before it publishes.
- Companies can respond publicly but can never edit, hide or remove a review.
- Paying BestGuide never changes the reader rating or which reviews publish.
Frequently asked questions
Is Shopify POS free?
The POS app and casual in-person selling come with every paid Shopify plan, which starts at $39 a month billed monthly. POS Pro costs $89 per location a month extra.
What are Shopify POS transaction fees?
With Shopify Payments, in-person cards cost 2.6% + 10 cents on Basic, 2.5% on Grow, 2.4% on Advanced and 2.3% on Plus. Manually keyed cards cost 3.5% + 10 cents.
Do I need POS Pro?
Not for occasional in-person sales. You'll want it for a permanent store that needs unlimited staff logins, roles, inventory counts, purchase orders or exchanges at any location.
What hardware do I need for Shopify POS?
A phone or tablet plus a card reader. Shopify's Tap & Chip Card Reader costs $49, and a countertop POS Terminal costs $349.
Can I use Shopify POS without an online store?
Yes. You still need a paid Shopify plan, but you don't have to publish a website. Square or Helcim may cost less if you only sell in person.
Does Shopify POS have a contract?
Basic, Grow and Advanced can be canceled anytime. Plus has 1 or 3 year terms. Shopify's terms say it doesn't refund fees.
Can I use another payment processor with Shopify POS?
Online, yes, with an extra Shopify fee of 0.2% to 2% depending on plan. For in-person sales, Shopify recommends Shopify Payments with its own card readers, which are available only in select countries.
Is Shopify POS good for restaurants?
Not really. It's built for retail. Restaurants usually do better with Toast or another system with table and kitchen features.
Is there a free trial?
Yes, 3 days free with no card, then $1 a month for 3 months on most plans.
What is Shopify's BBB rating?
F. The BBB lists Shopify Inc. in Ottawa as not accredited, with 1,721 complaints in the last three years.
Sources (7)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- Shopify: POS pricing (accessed October 13, 2026)
- Shopify: Pricing (plans and rates) (accessed October 13, 2026)
- Shopify Hardware Store (accessed October 13, 2026)
- BBB: Shopify Inc. business profile (accessed October 13, 2026)
- Shopify: Terms of Service (accessed October 13, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Shopify reviews (accessed October 13, 2026)
- Apple App Store: Shopify Point of Sale (POS) (accessed October 13, 2026)
BestGuide is free to use. Some companies we review pay us when you visit their site or contact them through us. Compensation may influence which companies we feature and their order. It doesn't change what our reviews say. Advertising disclosure