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Shopify is our choice for the best POS system for omnichannel businesses because of its robust feature set, including ordering and pickup options. Shopify helps businesses unify their online and in-person sales and offers affordable pricing.
Businesses that sell via multiple channels — such as online, in person and via social media — need point-of-sale (POS) system features that cater to customers and their preferences. Shopify POS fits the bill perfectly. Shopify is best known for its e-commerce platform, but the company’s POS system is an excellent option for businesses that conduct online and in-person transactions through various sales channels. Although any business can enjoy Shopify’s POS system benefits, e-commerce and retail-focused companies will appreciate the platform’s omnichannel features.
8.6 / 10
Shopify is our choice for the best POS system for omnichannel businesses because it includes features that support multiple sales channels and prioritize customer convenience. Businesses can use Shopify’s POS software to discover new ways to sell online and on various social media platforms — a crucial feature as mobile and social shopping grow in popularity. Additionally, business owners can manage all sales channels on one easy-to-use platform.
Shopify’s POS system also gives customers more options for placing and picking up orders. For example, customers can order online and pick up their items at a local brick-and-mortar store. They can also place an order in the store and have it shipped to their home. If they order an item online and are unhappy with it, they can return it at the nearest store. These convenient options can help you strengthen customer relationships and boost sales.
Shopify POS is ideally suited to omnichannel businesses because it supports multiple sales channels and customer convenience features. Source: Shopify
Shopify POS can benefit any business, but it is best for e-commerce and retail companies. If you need restaurant-specific POS functions, check out our review of TouchBistro.
Shopify’s ease of use is among the best of the POS systems we reviewed. Getting set up and training your employees on Shopify POS should be quick and straightforward. The software is intuitive and comes with numerous integrations, helping businesses create customized solutions.
Shopify also offers a mobile app that works on iOS and Android devices. You can use the mobile app to manage sales, customers and inventory from any location — an excellent perk if you have multiple business locations.
The Shopify POS mobile app for iOS and Android helps you turn your device into a mobile POS system. Source: Shopify
Hardware | Shopify offers the hardware that retail businesses need to manage their online and in-person sales. |
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Software | Shopify’s POS software lets you manage payments, customers and inventory in one location. |
Omnichannel selling | Shopify’s omnichannel retail feature gives you more ways to make sales online and let customers shop more conveniently. |
Payment processing | Shopify offers flat-rate payment processing for online and in-person transactions. |
Inventory management | Shopify’s real-time inventory management system provides insight into your current inventory levels. |
We were pleased to see that Shopify offers an array of POS hardware options to help small businesses accept customer payments and manage in-person and online sales. Businesses can choose from the following hardware options:
Shopify’s Retail Kit helps you accept chip and contactless payments. Source: Shopify
We like that Shopify’s POS software lets you track sales, customers, staff and inventory in one easy-to-access location. You can use the Shopify POS mobile app to make sales from anywhere, and we were impressed to see that you can keep your most frequently used workflows on the home screen to speed up the checkout process.
We like that you can use the software to create curated email lists and send targeted email marketing campaigns. You can also create customer profiles to view each customer’s preferences and lifetime spend.
If you’d like additional customer insights, invest in customer relationship management (CRM) software. Read our reviews of the best CRM software to select a tool to track customer interactions.
Shopify’s POS software helps you track staff, customers and inventory. Source: Shopify
We were impressed by Shopify’s omnichannel retail feature, which gives you more ways to make online sales and provides customers with a more convenient way to shop. This is a unique feature that many competitors don’t offer.
Customers can order online and pick up their items in the store. They can also purchase items in the store and have them shipped to their home, or browse in a store and place an online order.
Shopify’s back office unifies your online and in-person sales, helping you easily manage all transactions. We also appreciate that this feature ensures that you never run out of inventory.
Shopify POS’ omnichannel retail feature lets customers order items online and pick them up in the store. Source: Shopify
Shopify POS lets businesses customize their customer loyalty program. You can select how customers earn and redeem points, set up various rewards, and design custom messaging.
We like that Shopify offers flat-rate payment processing for online and in-person transactions. Every transaction is automatically synced, so you won’t have to worry about adding anything manually.
This information makes it easier to track your cash flow and make financial decisions for your business. You’ll also receive detailed POS sales reports that give you comprehensive data about your business.
Shopify’s payment processing software gives you detailed insight into your business. Source: Shopify
Shopify’s real-time POS inventory management system is on a par with those of other POS systems we reviewed, giving you insight into current inventory levels. You can also automate inventory management by setting up alerts when inventory levels fall below a certain point.
These inventory management features help you improve inventory forecasting and avoid selling items you don’t have on hand. It also helps you minimize errors and reduces the time you spend on reconciling inventory items.
If your business requires more robust and detailed inventory management functions, consider using one of the best inventory management software solutions.
Shopify offers three pricing plans for different business types. We like that businesses have the option to start small and add more features as their revenue grows.
Shopify makes it easy to set up your POS system. We like that, unlike some competitors, Shopify never charges setup fees for any of its plans. If you already have an e-commerce website, you can use the Store Importer to transfer your products, customers and sales history to Shopify. Shopify’s website also offers various onboarding resources, so you should always be able to find answers to your questions.
Shopify’s customer service options are comparable to many competitors’. The company provides 24/7 customer support via phone, chat or email. You can also use Shopify’s help center to access detailed guides on migrating your online store to Shopify, using the POS app, customizing the checkout experience and more.
Shopify’s help center has numerous resources on using Shopify POS and migrating to Shopify. Source: Shopify
While Shopify POS is an excellent option for many businesses, we did identify some drawbacks:
When researching the best POS systems for omnichannel businesses, we looked for features that accommodate customers’ online and in-person buying needs and that unify online and in-person sales. We attended an hour-long demo with the Shopify team, where we found answers to our questions and received a behind-the-scenes look at Shopify’s features and functionality. During our evaluation process, we compared Shopify to over a dozen competing POS providers in terms of features, usability and affordability. Our process helped us determine where Shopify excels and falls short.
Yes. Shopify’s POS system makes it easy to track sales, inventory and customers. It’s an excellent option for businesses that want to unify their online and in-person sales.
The payment processing fee varies depending on your pricing plan. If you sign up for the basic plan, you’ll pay 2.6 percent plus 30 cents for online transactions and 2.5 percent for in-person transactions.
Yes. If you don’t have a card reader, you can still accept payments by entering the credit card information manually.
We recommend Shopify POS for…
We don’t recommend Shopify for…