Shopify is a leading e-commerce company that offers a point-of-sale (POS) system that integrates with its online retail platform. Whether you sell online through Shopify or not, you have access to the same intuitive interface for managing orders, inventory, and staff. Using Shopify’s own hardware makes it easy to accept payments, while the POS app works on both iPad and Android and can be customized to suit your needs.
Pros
- Easy to use and intuitive
- Integrates with your Shopify online store
- Comprehensive inventory management tools
Cons
- High monthly costs if you operate from multiple locations
- Can only accept cash payments without an internet connection.
Ideal For
- Small to medium-sized businesses looking for an easy-to-use POS system
- Shopify customers who want to sell in person and online
- Businesses who want to adopt an omnichannel approach to customer service
Why Go With Shopify POS
Shopify POS is designed for a variety of businesses, offering a personalized experience, whether you’re running a multi-store, full-service store or selling at events. Shopify POS is built on the Shopify eCommerce platform, which means you have access to an easy-to-use dashboard and all the tools used by millions of online stores. Shopify POS offers a customizable mobile app that’s compatible with a variety of devices, including iPad, iPhone, and Android.
With a variety of pricing tiers, you can choose a plan that meets your business’ immediate needs, while still having the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade if needed. While the main reason to choose Shopify is for its integration with your online platform, there’s a Lite plan for those who are simply looking for a POS solution. Regardless of the plan you choose, you’ll need to purchase point-of-sale hardware. You can buy it directly from Shopify, which means it should work seamlessly with your tablet and the Shopify POS app.
Shopify’s customer service is excellent. Its tutorials, knowledge base, and community forums make it easy to learn the platform. So, even if issues arise, you can be sure that you’ll have a solution at hand.
What’s On Offer
- Omnichannel sales ensure a consistent experience for your online and offline customers.
- The platform offers integrated digital marketing tools, shipping solutions, and more, providing a comprehensive solution for businesses.
- Product and inventory management to stay organized and reduce errors.
- Includes support for discounts, returns, refunds, and exchanges. Reports
- and analytics so you can make informed business decisions.
- Customer profiles to track your lifetime purchase and spending history.
- Monthly pricing plans with no hidden costs.
- Integrated one-time payment process.
- 24/7 support via chat, phone, and email.
Ease of Use
Shopify POS offers a powerful multi-store experience, ensuring that businesses can effectively manage sales across multiple locations.
One of the most notable features of Shopify POS is its ease of use. There’s no complicated application process, which means all you need to sign up is an email address. If you’re familiar with Shopify POS or want to explore its features, you can get started right away. Otherwise, a series of instructions will guide you through a series of setup steps.
When completing the setup process or contacting customer support, you’ll need to provide your name and phone number.
If you ever run into any issues, Shopify has a variety of support options. Its knowledge base and community forum can help you with most issues, while email and live chat support are available if you run into a more complex issue.
So, if you’re new to Shopify, you’ll find:
- Simple sign-up process
- A setup guide that makes it easy to get started
- A comprehensive knowledge base, active community forum, and YouTube channel answer most questions and help you learn how to get the most out of the platform.
- A clear and intuitive interface
What’s Unique About Shopify POS?
Naturally, Shopify POS integrates seamlessly with your online retail platform. Millions of businesses use Shopify to power their e-commerce sites. It’s a proven and highly respected option. Shopify has applied its online experience to its POS systems. If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution to manage your inventory and sell products online and in person, Shopify is a great option to consider.
Even if you only want to use a point-of-sale system, you’ll benefit from features built for online retailers. For example:
- Easy-to-use tools for product and inventory management
- Analytics and reporting that provide a wealth of data that you can use to make future business decisions
- Payment options that allow you to set special discounts and automatically calculate taxes based on your store location
- A customizable mobile app that is compatible with iPad, iPhone, and Android devices
More advanced features for higher-level investors include: - Omnichannel retailing to provide a better customer experience. This enables options such as in-store checkout and delivery, online shopping and in-store pickup, and online returns and exchanges for in-person purchases.
- Smart inventory tools to predict demand, alert you to stock shortages, and make recommendations for discounted items.
- Staff management lets you assign sales to employees to earn commissions.
You can purchase point-of-sale hardware, such as card readers and barcode scanners, directly from Shopify, with free shipping and a 30-day return policy. Buying directly ensures that the hardware is compatible with the Shopify POS app. The app has a customizable smart grid interface that lets you configure tiles to display the features you need.
Shopify has an excellent support ecosystem, with guides and tutorials on how to easily use its platform. You can also find free business tools and additional educational materials on YouTube and Shopify Learn. Shopify Experts lets you get quotes from recommended freelancers and agencies, allowing you to hire additional support to get the most out of the platform.
Customer Support
Shopify’s customer support is generally very good, although you can usually find the answers you need without having to wait for a support call. The Help Center is a knowledge base with guides that offer solutions to common issues. The Community Support area is a comprehensive forum that answers almost any question. These answers come from other users who have the same issues as you.
If you don’t find a helpful answer in the Help Center, you’ll receive an email with a form to contact the support team. Shopify’s support team is available 24/7 via email, live chat, and phone.
Pricing (Software and Hardware)
Shopify POS lets you sign up for a free 3-day trial with no credit card required. After that, you can get a three-month Shopify subscription for $1 per month, regardless of the plan you choose. It’s worth noting that you can get the best deal by paying annually, as this guarantees a 25% discount.
Shopify POS hardware is ready to use, with no contracts or credit checks.
If you want to use Shopify for your online sales and Shopify POS system, plans are available for $39, $105, and $399 per month. Each of these plans includes Shopify POS Lite for accepting in-person payments.
You can also choose more industry-specific plans, such as the $5 per month Starter plan if you sell exclusively on social media, or the $89 per month Retail plan if you’re a brick-and-mortar seller and need a simple online presence.
Contract Terms
Shopify’s 3-day trial lets you test out the POS system before you provide all your information and make a payment. Shopify plans are monthly unless you sign up for a long-term contract. After you sign up, you’ll get discounts for one, two, and three years, with lower monthly prices.
If you use Shopify’s online services, you’ll need to use the same payment processor as you use their POS service. If you decide that Shopify POS isn’t the right solution for your business, you can cancel your subscription at any time and keep your online services active.
Bottom Line
In short, Shopify’s POS system integrates seamlessly with its popular e-commerce platform, offering businesses a unified solution for online and in-person sales. It’s designed for small and medium-sized businesses, with features like omnichannel sales, comprehensive inventory management, and excellent customer service. While the price may be a consideration for some, the value it offers, especially for those who already use Shopify to sell online, makes it an attractive option. Shopify is undoubtedly a valuable POS system for businesses looking to grow and operate more efficiently.
About Shopify
Founded in 2006, Shopify is one of the leading online sales platforms. The Canadian company offers a variety of e-commerce services, including payment, shipping, and customer loyalty tools. Since 2013, Shopify has provided POS systems that allow online retailers to use the same platform for in-person sales.
The all-in-one e-commerce platform is used in more than 175 countries. Over 3.7 million websites use Shopify, including big brands like Gymshark, Heinz, Tupperware, and Netflix.