Category: Reviews

SkyTab is a point-of-sale (POS) system that offers a convenient and perfect all-in-one platform solution for food and beverage (F&B) businesses. It comes with state-of-the-art hardware, easy-to-use software interfaces, and extensive POS and customer management capabilities to help you run your business efficiently and provide customers with a great dining experience. If you need a high-end POS system, check out SkyTab.

Pros

• Solid functionality and easy-to-use interface
• Local personal support
• Extensive mobile point of sale features and integrations

Cons

• Own equipment required
• Some additional fees outside of monthly payments

SkyTab

Why Go with SkyTab

If you’re looking for a POS system with solid functionality, state-of-the-art hardware, and plenty of modern tools, SkyTab can meet and exceed your expectations. SkyTab seamlessly integrates with many third-party apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats, Mailchimp and more to streamline your operations. SkyTab provides reports and analytics to help you make better, timely decisions and gives you an overview of the health of your business. Its features compare well with other providers, but its additional and unique features set it apart, adding efficiency to your operations and enhancing your customers’ dining experience.

In the restaurant business, the security and convenience of payment processing are crucial. SkyTab offers contactless payment options as well as credit card solutions through its parent company Shift4, a global financial technology and payments provider. Customers can order online, reserve seats and split checks when it’s time to pay. As for their staff, a tipping option is available and the table management system with a customized layout ensures that their team serves customers well. Overall, SkyTab makes the experience smoother and easier for both customers and staff.

What’s On Offer

SkyTab offers several features to keep your business operations efficient and the user experience great.

• Enter orders and accept payments at the table or even during deliveries with SkyTab Mobile devices
• Integrated online ordering and secure payment processing
• Online booking and waiting list function
• Customer management tools such as loyalty programs and marketing campaigns.
• Submit customer service inquiries and receive alerts for poor dining ratings.
• Real-time information for reporting and analysis
• Seamlessly integrates with third-party business applications for online ordering and shipping, marketing, inventory, accounting and much more.
• Contactless payments using NFC and QR codes

Ease of Use

Getting started with SkyTab is pretty simple. When using the online form, you need to provide your personal information: name, company, phone, email. zip, city and state. A sales representative will then contact you to guide you on how to set up your account, pay for the service and the application documents you need.

The SkyTab hardware includes a basic POS system workstation, a handheld terminal, a specially designed tablet for tableside ordering, and an intuitive kitchen display system with a 22-inch screen. Each of these devices has a beautiful design and is mobile friendly to operate. In addition, the device interfaces are easy to use and the software is very intuitive.

The SkyTab mobile terminal, SkyTab Mobile, not only processes payments and prints receipts, but also allows customers to rate their dining experience and leave feedback about the service. Managers will receive a real-time notification on their phones if a customer’s rating drops below a pre-set standard, enabling them to quickly address any issues.

What’s Unique About SkyTab ?

SkyTab stands out among other POS systems for several reasons.

• Comfortable mobility

Your staff will be able to accept payments at the restaurant table, on the patio, or even outside, such as on the golf course. The SkyTab Mobile has 4G LTE connectivity, which means you can even receive payments on delivery when there’s no WiFi.

• Split checks and easy-to-use tips

With SkyTab, you can easily split checks across the table if customers choose to pay separately. Additionally, the system offers customers four options for tipping servers: use one of three preset amounts or click the Other button to specify a custom tip.

• Administrative support

The InCharge mobile app has real-time information on total sales, staff performance, open tickets and more, allowing managers to have vital information at their fingertips. Additionally, Lighthouse Business Manager (LBM) offers reporting and assistance with online ordering, email marketing, booking management, and more.

Customer Support

SkyTab offers email and phone options for your customer support. When I tried the online form that leads to the email option, I got a response in about 10 minutes. The customer service agent offered to get my personal information so that a member of the SkyTab team near my location could contact me. Local, personal support is a nice touch. Most other POS providers don’t offer this level of service, so that’s something that sets SkyTab apart from the rest.

The Resource Center is also available on the SkyTab website, which offers educational content for traders in the form of on-demand videos, live webinars and more. SkyTab has a blog but only has seven posts so far.

Pricing (Software and Hardware)

SkyTab is available for $29.99 per workstation per month, plus additional monthly fees for accessories such as SkyTab Mobile or a kitchen display system. Your subscription gives you access to the mobile app for analytics and cloud-based POS management and reporting tools.

Onsite installation and company support will be free to get started. SkyTab charges fees for third-party marketplace integrations, though the company says it has negotiated with its partners to keep them as affordable as possible. Payment processing fees range from 3% to 4%.

SkyTab offers a 30-day risk-free trial. If you are not satisfied with the product and its functionality, you can send everything to SkyTab for free.

Contract Terms

The commitment period of the SkyTab agreement is one year and you are expected to use Shift4 as your sole payment processing provider for the duration of the agreement. Either party may terminate the agreement under various circumstances, such as unauthorized or unlawful use and breach of any obligation.

SkyTab offers a lifetime warranty on its equipment, and the company will repair or replace any malfunctions or damage at no cost to you. Shift4 will provide 24/7 technical support. However, you are expected to take good care of the equipment. You will receive free training on how to use the equipment during installation, and then you will be able to access online courses and webinars for your devices.

About Shift4

Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR) is boldly redefining commerce by simplifying complex payment ecosystems around the world. As a leader in commerce promotion technology, Shift4 processes billions of transactions annually for hundreds of thousands of businesses in nearly every industry.

Vonage is a leading provider of VoIP services, offering solutions for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Its cheapest plan starts at $19.99 per user, although volume discounts are available, and all plans are very scalable. Vonage stands out due to its attractive mobile interface, superior functionality, and integration with third-party CRMs and other platforms. Live support is a bit limited, but the self-help resources are excellent.

PROS

• Highly scalable
• Attractive mobile apps
• Great CRM integrations

CONS

• There is no free trial or test version
• Limited live support

Features Available with Vonage Business VoIP

Vonage lacks some minor features in its cheaper plans, but with the Premium and Advanced subscriptions there are plenty of deals.

Vonage Meetings

All Vonage VoIP plans include access to Vonage Meetings video conferencing software. It is an excellent tool that allows for great meetings between team members. You can send invitations to guests if necessary, and there are tools for screen sharing and recording meetings.

Integrated Admin Tools

There is also an advanced administration portal that is particularly useful for larger companies. It allows you to manage all aspects of your phone system from a central hub, which should streamline overall operations. Additionally, your administration portal allows you to control access permissions while displaying real-time activity associated with your account.

Business Inbox

Vonage Business Inbox is a standalone add-on that will cost you $9.99 per month, but it’s worth considering. It allows you to collect SMS, MMS, and Facebook Messenger conversations into a single inbox so you can manage and respond to them efficiently.

Voicemail to Email

The voicemail to email tool does exactly what its name suggests. it transcribes any voicemail and sends it to the specified email address. An MP3 recording will also be sent as an attachment, allowing you to listen to it and/or save it as needed.

Call Recording

Vonage offers great call recording options. You can set the app to record all calls or you can use on-demand call recording to save the most important ones. You can also log incoming and outgoing corporate calls according to specific rules that you can configure.

Vonage Security and Reliability

Vonage claims to be “implementing a variety of security measures” to protect customer data. Without listing the exact measurements it uses, it does show compliance and certification from several bodies, including HITRUST, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, and SOC. It also complies with GDPR regulations.

Vonage Integrations

Vonage offers 20 integrations with various CRM and business applications. Business apps, including Microsoft Teams and Surfly, are available with all plans. However, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the 2 high-end plans to access CRM integrations, including Bullhorn, G-Suite, Hubspot, Office 365, Salesforce, Sugar CRM, ZenDesk, Zoho, and others.

Some of Vonage’s integrations are free, but many require an additional monthly fee. Connecting your apps to Vonage is a simple process and no specialized technology skills are required. In addition to this, many of the integrations are customizable.

Vonage App

Vonage has a highly functional mobile app for iOS and Android devices. It offers full text, voice, and video calling, along with team messaging, call forwarding, and several other tools. You can also sync accounts across multiple devices.

The mobile interface is attractive and easy to navigate. There are plenty of VoIP tools, but they’re cleverly spread throughout the app so things never seem too cluttered or confusing. Another notable feature is the App Center, which enables you to integrate your mobile VoIP with various business and productivity applications.

Vonage Customer Support

Vonage offers live chat, phone and email support. Email tickets can be viewed through your management portal. Phone support is available Monday through Friday (8 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET) and Saturday through Sunday (9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET). Live chat is only available through the integrated chatbot, and it’s very slow. At one point, we wanted to ask a simple question about Vonage’s call recording features. However, we had to give up after not getting an answer for more than an hour.

On the plus side, there are many self-help resources available through the Business Support Center. Various articles and guides are available, including a comprehensive Getting Started section and a full range of FAQs. A selection of other informational and educational content can be found on the Resources page of the main website.

Pricing & Special Offers

Vonage offers three Unified Communications plans, with prices ranging from $19.99 per month to $39.99 per user. The price per user goes down as you add more users, and all plans with 100+ users are specially priced.

The cheapest mobile plan starts at $19.99 per month with a single user and includes unlimited SMS and calling, as well as access to the Vonage App Center. The Premium plan (starting at $29.99 per month) adds CRM integrations and a multi-level auto attendant, and an Advanced subscription (starting at $39.99 per month) adds call recording and visual voicemail.

Hardware phones and other products are available for purchase through the Vonage website. There are several add-ons available during checkout, including toll-free numbers ($49.99 per month), voicemail transcription ($4.99 per month), and a call queuing tool ($14.99 per month). You can also purchase premium support services if necessary.

Vonage vs RingCentral

RingCentral is another top VoIP service provider and, like Vonage, has options for businesses of all sizes. RingCentral is a little more expensive, but it has hundreds of integrations compared to Vonage’s 20, and its 24/7 support is excellent. RingCentral is also very transparent about its security practices, which are up there with the best we’ve seen.

Vonage vs Ooma Office

Ooma Office is a little more expensive than Vonage, but offers many more advanced features. For one thing, it supports analog phones (with additional hardware) and has an excellent IVR system. Ooma Office also has a 30-day free trial, which Vonage lacks.

Vonage vs Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a very affordable and excellent VoIP service provider for small and medium-sized businesses. It has a handy free trial and an easy-to-use mobile app, but some features are a bit limited. For example, Grasshopper doesn’t offer integrations or video conferencing features, which are two things Vonage excels at.

Bottom Line

Vonage is a highly regarded VoIP service provider and it’s easy to see why. It’s relatively affordable compared to the competition, offers a host of useful features, and is backed by an easy-to-use interface and mobile app. While some aspects of live support are a bit limited, there is a comprehensive help center with helpful guides, tutorials, FAQs, and other resources.

Some of Vonage’s standout features include its Business Inbox, Vonage Meetings video conferencing tool, and its voicemail-to-email tool. While full details of its security practices are not available on its website, Vonage has certifications from several prominent organizations and is GDPR compliant.

The bad thing is that there is no free trial or way to try the platform without a premium subscription. But if you’re looking for a scalable VoIP solution or a decent phone company, Vonage is definitely worth considering.

Flagship is a leading provider of merchant services including credit card processing, mobile payment processing and secure payment gateways. Flagship offers businesses an invaluable service to accept credit cards and process payments themselves. Providing this opportunity without any hassle and at a low cost opens the door for small and medium businesses to finally gain an edge over the competition.

Pros

• There are no setup fees
• Free mobile app and slider

Cons

• No online pricing information (custom quotes only)
• No live chat

What’s on Offer

• Online transaction reports
• Prime rate on major credit cards
• Free trading account and shopping cart setup
• Real-time processing directly on your site
• Mobile payment processing
• QuickBooks integration

Application Process

Flagship’s application process is quick and painless. In fact, it will only take you 10 seconds to fill out the form and submit it. Here’s how to do it.

• Go to the application form
• Fill in your basic information such as business name, phone number, website, account type, and average sales amount.
• Submit it and wait for a representative to contact you to adjust your rates and packages.

The great thing about this app is that you don’t need to provide a huge amount of information about your sales, income or payments. A general idea of your average payment amount will suffice, and there’s no need to upload files or scan documents. Plus, it’s free, and Flagship has one of the highest approval rates in the business services industry. Therefore, even businesses with bad credit or no credit can apply for a credit card processing service and get approved.

What’s Unique About Flagship?

Flagship is one of the most competitively priced credit card processing providers out there. Furthermore, the no commission policy really sets this company apart. Here’s what you get when you sign up for Flagship:

• Merchant account with Flagship Merchant Services and iPayment processing

This is what will allow you to accept credit cards. This comes with a free credit card terminal. This is a nice bonus considering that most companies rent this equipment to you for a fee.

• Authorize.net payment gateway (virtual terminal) script

This script will integrate with your site and allow your customers to shop directly on your site by paying with a credit card (instead of doing it manually).

• Authorize.net virtual terminal

This will allow you to process transactions directly through your computer (manual processing) for customers who for some reason cannot do it themselves.

• Mobile payment processor

The mobile processor is available for iOS and Android devices and features an EMV-compliant card reader. MobilePay, a mobile payment app, has a number of features including inventory management, transaction history, analytics, reporting and more.

• iPad POS system to accept payments via iPad

This is ideal for businesses on the go, as you can run it from your phone or web browser and accept payments wherever you are. It’s not as feature-rich as a dedicated POS, but it’s certainly a nice addition to the entire flagship suite.

The payment gateway acts as a shopping cart, making it a particularly convenient service for small businesses that don’t have their own dedicated shopping cart app. In addition, the partnership with Authorize.net gives Flagship several advantages over the competition. On the one hand, you’re guaranteed secure and reliable credit card payment processing from a big name in the industry. Authorize.net, on the other hand, offers a number of third-party applications and a flexible API to work with to make integration seamless and fast.

Funds are usually transferred to your bank account within 2 business days.

Customer Support

Leading customer support is available 24/7, so you’ll always have someone to contact if any issues arise. Flagship customer service really shines because you have a representative to walk you through every step of the process, from start to finish. They’ll teach you how to use the credit card terminal, how to initiate, authorize and complete a transaction to get your funds, what software and hardware is best for your business, and what to do if there’s a problem.

Pricing

Since each company has its own individual needs, Flagship adapts its rates and services to those needs. After a short phone conversation with a representative, you’ll receive a customized rate that fits your company’s unique setup. As such, there are no overall rates in this review. However, prices start at 0.38% + $0.19 per transaction. Some fees include:

Online Account Fees – No Card Present

This includes gateway setup, website setup, and merchant account setup. Plus, you won’t be charged a cancellation fee, and since there are no long-term contracts, you’ll be able to decide month-to-month whether you want to continue using Flagship or not. The absence of this latter fee is truly unique in the industry. You won’t even have to pay the $49 gateway setup fee that other Authorize.net customers are charged. You’ll also get a free mobile slider and mobile payment processing app. Flagship has identity theft-proof security standards and Authorize.net preferred reseller security, ensuring the safety of all your transactions.

Bottom Line

Flagship offers affordable credit card processing services for small and medium businesses. With no out-of-the-box fees and low monthly fees, it creates an ideal situation for small businesses to offer this important service to their customers. Friendly customer service staff and easy cancellation policy make working with Flagship even better.

RingCentral is one of the most popular VoIP platforms on the market. It offers advanced solutions including text, voice and video communication, and its versatile applications are attractive and easy to use.

Advanced reporting and analytics are available, and there are app integrations with many third-party platforms. Overall, RingCentral is an option worth considering for businesses of all shapes and sizes that need advanced VoIP solutions.

PROS

• Free trial
• Third Party Integration
• Great mobile apps

CONS

• A bit expensive
• Basic plan is limited

Overview

How RingCentral Works

RingCentral Available Features

RingCentral MVP is a popular VoIP system with a wide range of features for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Versatile Communication Solutions

RingCentral MVP has full messaging, audio calling, and video conferencing capabilities. It is available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android devices and supports large teams of 1,000+ users. The apps are attractive and easy to use, featuring modern user interfaces and many tools.

A Choice of Phone Numbers

When you start using RingCentral, you’ll be able to choose from a wide variety of phone numbers. There are over 200 local area codes available, as well as a variety of toll-free and blank numbers. More advanced plans also allow you to add virtual numbers from over 100 different countries.

Administration Tools

There are many management features built into the RingCentral business phone system. These include auto attendant, stored music, greetings, and call monitoring tools. You can grant access permissions to employees, and a variety of data and analytics tools are available to monitor their performance.

Visual Voicemail

RingCentral’s Visual Voicemail tool provides accurate text-to-text voicemail solutions. This is a useful option for those who cannot listen to audio messages all the time, as it allows them to know who tried to call and why.

Security and Reliability

RingCentral is known for its excellent security systems. It uses a variety of security methods, including physical data center security and digital security, so your sensitive data is never compromised.

For example, all transmissions are protected by encryption and Transport Layer Security (TLS), ensuring they cannot be intercepted. It has been announced that zero-knowledge encryption is coming soon, adding another layer of protection for companies handling highly sensitive data.

The entire infrastructure is protected by advanced software and network security measures. These include powerful firewalls, multi-factor authentication for administrative staff, proactive system monitoring, and advanced intrusion detection systems.

To support its built-in security procedures, RingCentral has several security certifications. These include ISO27001, ISO27017 and ISO27018 certifications that address data security. It is also fully compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). However, you must contact RingCentral and request an Affiliate Agreement to use it.

RingCentral Integrations

RingCentral has tons of integrations through its native App Gallery, where you’ll find apps for everything from video conferencing to collaboration and marketing automation.

All apps are clearly categorized and there is a search bar that you can use to find specific options. For example, a quick look at the customer relationship management (CRM) category reveals 94 applications. Here you’ll find integrations with many popular CRMs, including Salesforce, Zendesk, ServiceNow, and Zoho CRM. There are also options for everything from productivity and workflow management to instant messaging and email marketing.

Another thing worth noting here is RingCentral’s developer tools. In the RingCentral Developers Hub, you’ll find the documentation and tools you need to create your own integrations and connect RingCentral with other productivity apps in your business. Of course, you will need a lot of programming knowledge to do this.

There is also a portal that allows you to propose a request for development. If there is an integration with a particularly popular platform that you think could be useful, you can suggest it here.

RingCentral App

The RingCentral mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices. It’s pretty well designed and easy to learn to use, although we found it a little confusing. Supports messaging, audio calling and video conferencing.

There are a number of other tools that make the RingCentral app really stand out. You can schedule meetings, make calls using your carrier’s network, manage your contacts, and perform various actions through integration with third-party applications.

RingCentral Customer Support

RingCentral live customer support is limited to 24/7 online and phone tickets. It may take some time to get a response using the online ticketing method, but support agents are usually friendly and knowledgeable.

There is also a large selection of self-help resources. A bubble that may appear to open a live chat bubble will take you to the integrated chat bot. Chatting with him is a surprisingly effective way to find relevant articles and guides quickly and efficiently.

However, you can also explore the knowledge base yourself. You’ll find everything from video guides and tutorials to quick start guides and integration documentation. There is also a community forum as well as a comprehensive learning center with resources for in-house learning.

RingCentral Pricing

Pricing & Special Offers

RingCentral has 4 MVP plans (Messaging, Video, Phone) designed for business users. Each plan is available from 1 to 999+ users, and the price per user drops as you add additional team members. You’ll also save up to 31% with an annual subscription and a free trial that supports up to 5 users.
The cheapest Essentials plan includes phone and messaging service for up to 20 users, making it a viable option for small businesses. Prices range from $29.99 to $39.99 per user, per month. Monthly costs can be as low as $19.99 for annual billing. You’ll have access to unlimited calling within the US and Canada.

Upgrading to the Standard plan ($32.99 to $49.99 per user, per month) allows you to add an unlimited number of users to your VoIP system. It also includes unlimited Internet faxing, a number of integrations with third-party applications, and video conferencing tools that support up to 100 participants.

Premium ($42.99 to $54.99 per user, per month) and Ultimate ($52.99 to $69.99 per user, per month) plans add more advanced tools. These include additional app integrations, various developer tools, and real-time analytics.

Along with its VoIP solutions, RingCentral has video and contact center products. Signing up for RingCentral Video Pro will allow you to host free meetings with up to 100 participants. A subscription to RingCentral Video Pro+ (starting at $14.99 per month) adds a variety of advanced features.

Contact center solutions vary depending on your requirements. Pricing is developed on a case-by-case basis and you should speak to the RingCentral team for more information.

RingCentral is priced similarly to many of its top competitors. For example, Grasshopper’s Solo plan starts at $29 per month. However, there are some cheaper options, such as Phone by Web.com, which starts at $14.99 per month.

RingCentral vs Vonage

Vonage is another high-end option that ranks alongside RingCentral as one of the best VoIP service providers on the market. RingCentral is a little more expensive, but it also has industry-leading security and integration with hundreds of third-party apps.

RingCentral vs Grasshopper

Grasshopper is a cheaper alternative to RingCentral, but it’s also much more basic. It doesn’t offer the third-party integrations that RingCentral does, and there are no video calling features. However, it’s still a decent option for those who require a basic VoIP voice and text solution.

Ringcentral vs Phone by web.com

Phone by Web.com is a basic VoIP option that is much simpler than RingCentral. The $14.99 subscription fee provides access to 2 issues, making it a good option for small businesses. However, it lacks advanced features such as video calling, third-party app integration, and a support website.

Bottom Line

Overall, RingCentral MVP offers some of the best enterprise VoIP solutions we’ve seen. It’s a bit pricey, but there are options for everyone from sole traders to enterprise-level companies.

Everything RingCentral does, it does professionally. Its security measures leave nothing to chance, it’s available on a selection of mobile and desktop operating systems, and there are integrations with hundreds of third-party platforms.

You will also benefit from attractive user interfaces. Access control is available for those managing large teams, and the 24/7 phone support team is responsive and knowledgeable. There’s even a selection of user guides and videos to help you get started.

Bottom line: RingCentral is a VoIP option worth considering for businesses of all shapes and sizes. We suggest you take advantage of its free trial and give it a try if you need an advanced VoIP software that supports video conferencing.

Square is an industry-leading digital point-of-sale (POS) system with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface that can help business owners achieve new levels of efficiency and customer engagement. POS systems are “smart registers” that use advanced digital features and large amounts of data to help businesses track their bottom line and keep things running smoothly.

Pros

• With no monthly fee, users pay a flat fee for swiped transactions
• High portability, can be connected to the device and taken anywhere

Cons

• Lack of customer service
• Not an ideal system for larger enterprise level companies

With Square, simplicity is key. The POS platform is a simple connected card that can be inserted into the headphone jack of various mobile devices without the need for additional equipment. The mobile connector can be synced with Square checkout and all systems are automatically updated at the same time.

What’s on Offer

• Can work offline if internet service goes down
• Fixed fees based on transactions, no monthly fees
• A very long list of integrations.
• Access from a mobile device is possible from anywhere
• Inventory Tracking
• Payment processing
• A customer database tracks data on a large number of individual customers to help drive sales.
• Email Marketing Service $15/month
• Digital receipts can be sent via email or text message.

Why Go With Square?

Square is built around an easy-to-use interface that any beginner should be able to set up and navigate on their own, and that can be connected to mobile devices and taken anywhere. Square processes large amounts of data and gives you an overview of your business by month, week and hour. The software also gives you access to extensive data on individual employees to help you better identify where their strengths and weaknesses lie.

In addition, it can be integrated with dozens of accounting and e-commerce applications that can help increase company efficiency.

Another big attraction is the price. Square doesn’t charge monthly fees, instead charging you per transaction. If you run a large business with massive monthly sales, this can be a real mouthful, but for a small business, it can be cheaper than paying monthly fees from other POS providers.

Who Uses Square

With its easy-to-use interface and extensive features and integrations, it’s a favorite of those who run fast-paced, high-pressure businesses like restaurants and pubs and who don’t have time to get bogged down. weeds figure out a complicated POS system or an analog cash register that can’t help when needed.

The system is also very popular among independent contractors who do not have an office, such as landscapers and plumbers. Square provides them with an all-in-one portable digital recorder that they can take with them anywhere, ensuring they have a backup wherever their business takes them.

Ease of Use

• Does not require users to purchase or use a tablet
• You can simply plug it into your phone and you’ll be online in minutes
• It does not require the purchase of additional hardware other than the card reader.
• The registry and dashboard are synchronized. changes made in one are automatically updated in the other at the same time
• You will need a tablet if you want to run receipt printing or complete registration
• Can accept Apple Pay and Android Pay
• Ease of use is one of Square’s hallmarks. Users can open an account in minutes without any extensive learning process.

With extensive features and integrations, you can easily load your platform with all the tools you need to make things that much easier.

The setup process is simple. All you need to do is log in and register with your name and email. by email, and add information about your business, including the bank account and routing number that Square will use to send money for transactions. You will receive a free card reader in the mail, and you can also purchase a chip card reader for an additional cost. It may take up to a week for Square to open your bank account.

What’s Unique About Square?

• Easy, no headache. What makes Square special and a big part of the company’s focus is ease of use. Everything is aimed at users who need a simple platform to manage a small or medium-sized business, where speed and simplification are key. The site combines ease of use with an extensive list of features and integrations to suit any industry.
• The Slide-In Headphone Jack. a credit card charger with a bargain headphone jack has become a symbol of the company and how it is known to consumers. It’s just the kind of simple, easily recognizable product feature that’s perfect for the smartphone era, where our mobile devices have become a kind of extension of our apps.
• Pay what you charge. Square has simplified the checkout process with its system of charging users only based on the amount they charge. This eliminates monthly fees and is another way the company keeps things simple and straightforward.

Customer Support

Square has a very extensive and searchable online knowledge base that should be able to answer most questions. You can also use the users-only forum to answer questions.

Pricing (Software and Hardware)

• 2.6% on all swiped card transactions
• 2.6% + $0.10 for manually entered transactions
• Card reader – $29
• There is no monthly registration fee

Square does not charge monthly fees. rather, the company earns 2.6% on any swipe card transaction and 2.6% + 10 cents on any manually entered transaction. There is also a $29 charge for the connected card reader.

This payment system is simplified, but after a certain volume of sales it can start to get expensive. That’s why the company offers customized pricing packages for businesses with more than $250,000 in annual revenue.

Square includes an access card reader for the headset, though a Square reader for contactless and chip cards will set you back $49. If you want Square’s contactless and chip card reader for your tablet, it’ll cost $169. Finally, the Square cash register is an important piece of permanent equipment for your store, but it is expensive. You can buy it outright for $799 or lease it for $39 a month for 24 months.

Contract Terms

You are not permitted to reverse engineer or customize the Square software or hardware beyond what is specified on the company’s website. You agree not to use the system in a way that harms anyone or violates the law.

Regarding security, Square says the company has implemented a number of measures to protect user information from loss or unauthorized access, but Square does not guarantee that security measures will not or cannot be breached.

Bottom Line

Square offers one of the best POS solutions for small and medium businesses looking to improve their operations and drive efficiency, cost management, customer delivery and more. It’s a great way to implement a system that uses customer data and stores business data in ways that would be much more difficult to do on your own.

Elementor is a popular page builder plugin for WordPress. It’s relatively affordable, has a drag-and-drop editor, and comes with a bundle of free templates and widgets. One thing that makes Elementor so popular is its elegant interface, which is much more powerful and easy to navigate than the standard WordPress interface.

PROS

• Very easy to use
• Excellent support
• Competitive price

CONS

• The editor is a bit limited.
• Unable to add custom code

Overview

Elementor is the perfect website building option for website owners and developers who use WordPress.org but want a more powerful editor than WordPress’s native What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) customization.

Why Go With Elementor

Elementor is a very attractive website building option for WordPress users who want more design flexibility than the native editor.

Bottom Line: Choose Elementor if you’re looking for a WordPress page builder plugin that’s competitively priced and easy to use.

How Elementor Works

As one of the top-rated WordPress website builders, Elementor naturally comes with a number of elements that make the page creation process easier.

For beginners, pro user logins will have 300+ layouts containing a library of templates. There are also over 90 widgets that can be used to add functionality to your site, as well as using your own sites that allow you to create your own templates.

There are also several marketing tools, including a landing page builder. Create your own custom forms, use a flexible popup builder, and add actionable links to encourage visitors to do certain things.

The fact that no coding knowledge is required will be welcome for creating websites.

Another thing that advanced users will love is the Developer API.

Other notable features include native WordPress hosting used by Elementor, a marketing funnel builder, and an active community that is especially happy to share ideas and inclusions with many third-party apps.

Customization

Customizing a website with Elementor is a quick and efficient process. you are what you get (WYSIWYG) allowing you to see changes in real time.

Various tools you can use to adjust the layout, color schemes, typography, and more of each page.

Payment Processing

Unfortunately, Elementor does not offer native payment processing or payment gateway integration. Button widget that’s quick and easy to add.

SEO Tools

Similarly, Elementor’s native search engine optimization (SEO) tools are quite limited. Of course, you can perform various optimization actions on the page, such as adding title tags, metadata, and other written information.

But if you want to go deeper and access more advanced tools, you’ll need to use a third-party app. Elementor has optimized integrations with Yoast SEO and Rank Math, two of the most popular SEO plugins in the WordPress app store.

If you decide to use them, you’ll benefit from a selection of advanced SEO tools found within the Elementor editor itself. Or access more using these plugins right from your WordPress admin panel.

Elementor Customer Support

All things considered, Elementor’s customer support services are a bit basic. Free users will have full access to the help center, which contains a large selection of self-help resources. These include great video tutorials, FAQs, and a variety of articles covering a variety of topics. You can also ask questions through the Facebook group to get help from other users.

All paid plans come with premium support, allowing you to ask questions to the Elementor team. However, responses can take up to a day, which can be frustrating. Premium Agency and Studio plans come with VIP support including live chat and 30 minute response time.

Elementor Pricing

Elementor offers a highly functional free plan and five premium subscription options. The free plan provides access to most page building tools, as well as 40+ basic widgets and 30+ templates.

Premium plans range in price from $49 to $999 per year. The main difference between the different premium subscription options is the number of websites that can be created with each, ranging from one website to 1,000 websites. More advanced plans also come with VIP support and the ability to create an Elementor Expert profile to showcase your work.

Each premium plan comes with a set of common features. These include 90+ widgets, 300+ templates, premium support, and a theme builder. There is also a popup builder, a built-in WooCommerce store builder, and several other tools.

Bottom Line

Elementor is one of the most popular WordPress page builder plugins in the world. It offers advanced drag and drop editing backed by a suite of website building tools. There is a fully functional free version, but it is a bit limited. Upgrading to a premium plan will unlock a set of additional tools.

One thing worth noting about Elementor is that it cannot be used as a standalone website builder. It only supports WordPress.org sites, which means you’ll need some type of web hosting, a domain, and an existing WordPress site before you can try it out.

TouchBistro is a fast, reliable and easy-to-use all-in-one POS system built specifically for restaurants. Packed with all the features needed to streamline operations and increase profit margins, it’s changing the way restaurateurs run their business. TouchBistro operates more than 29,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries and is an award-winning retailer that has been named “Best Retailer for Restaurants” four years in a row.

Pros

• All-in-one iPad POS with payment processing
• Includes custom analytics and reports
• An easy and intuitive system that speeds up staff training.

Cons

• Fewer partner integrations compared to other POS systems
• Less cloud-based technology compared to other POS systems

Here’s Why Successful Businesses Choose TouchBistro

“I’ve been in the food service industry since the invention of the POS and this is the best product I’ve ever worked with.”

– John White, Parsons Street

“Our sales have increased approximately 25% since we implemented TouchBistro. Our inventory tracking has improved significantly with 20% fewer cuts and missing items. We also make fewer mistakes. It’s faster and easier to track, allowing us to significantly improve the customer experience, they added

our sales and track our costs and profits.”

– Leta Malcolm, The Duke Live

“Easy to set up and operate. It’s ready to use and up and running in no time. The reports are great and very helpful when making menu changes and pricing decisions. The cloud portal means I can view the information from anywhere.”

– Barry Vaters, Côte de Boeuf

What’s on Offer

TouchBistro is an exclusive POS for restaurants and service industries. It has special features to suit all types of restaurants, including full service restaurants, fine dining restaurants, quick service, fast casual, cafes and bistros, as well as food trucks, stadiums and food chains. For example, splitting bills at the table in cafes and casual dining, or displaying menus in high-end restaurants. You can even send orders directly to the kitchen while you wait for a table. Everything you need for a paperless customer experience can be done on screen, including on-screen sign-in and email receipts. Inventory features are extensive, including the ability to manage your discounts, stock levels and costs with just a touch of the screen.

Additional tools for a seamless restaurant experience include creating your own screen layout and personalized kitchen receipts and customer checks. You can also set up global and local printers so you can print orders and receipts remotely from your iPad using WiFi or Bluetooth.
TouchBistro has a long list of features included, including:

• Follow recipes based on menu items
• Determine the cost of food at the ingredient level.
• Automatically notify staff of inventory levels
• Report inventory levels of all menu items to place purchase orders.
• Inventory reports for diverse and detailed menu items and ingredients.
• Customizable inventory countdown warning prompts and list menu options
• Manage an unlimited number of components, unit measurements, wholesale costs and retail prices.
• Instantly mark any menu item as consumed, disabling it for all servers in real-time
• Simple inventory reports to identify non-residential or low inventory

TouchBistro Reservations

A complete guest and reservation management platform to help you personalize each guest’s experience while managing operations easily and seamlessly.

• Never miss a table
• Offer each guest a personalized experience
• Apply the knowledge to boost your results

More Reasons to Choose TouchBistro

TouchBistro doesn’t offer a wide range of third-party app integrations, but the ones available add an extra touch to the entire POS package. This includes:

• 7 shifts
• fast books
• Xero:
• soon
• Avero
• ItsaCheckmate:
• Wisk.ai:
• market man

Because of this hardware requirement, TouchBistro takes a slightly different approach to setup, including offering customized hardware packages to fit your business. Of course, you don’t have to buy their packages. If you already have an Apple device, you can use it or buy your own.

TouchBistro recently launched three new products, including TouchBistro Online Ordering Integration, TouchBistro Digital Menu Board and TouchBistro Loyalty, all aimed at providing a great customer service experience.

Who Uses TouchBistro

TouchBistro primarily caters to food service businesses and is a master of its craft. With unique features such as table ordering, on-demand reporting, visual menus, layout design, color-coded menu items, and more, TouchBistro can be the perfect choice for any type of food establishment, including full-service restaurants. , elegant restaurants. and family style. , multi-occupancy establishments, quick service, fast casual, coffee shops and bistros, bars and clubs, breweries and food trucks.

Ease of Use

TouchBistro has powerful analytics and reporting to help you manage your business. See your daily sales reports at a glance and monitor sales and staff from your personal cloud. For restaurant operations, an interface that is easy to use is absolutely necessary to be able to change tables quickly. TouchBistro’s iPad interface is just that: a well-crafted, easy-to-navigate menu system that’s attractive and designed with a new color scheme. The simplicity of the design, along with visual menu elements, makes navigation easy, so it can act as both a digital menu and a POS system. Customer feedback shows that there is a huge amount of customization available with TouchBistro, and yet it’s not at all overwhelming to use and takes very little time to master. A 30-day free trial is a great way to determine if TouchBistro is the right choice for your business.

The only downside to a customizable menu like this is that it has to be customized and adjusted manually when you set it up. It is not difficult to do, but it is time consuming. Other cloud-based POS systems allow you to upload a file containing menu items and products, complete with photos. This can be laborious at first, but luckily it’s not something you’ll have to do more than once.

Hybrid Reliability

The benefit of a hybrid POS solution is that it works both online and offline, with the convenience and reliability of the cloud, knowing you’re not tied to an internet connection.

What’s Unique About TouchBistro?

TouchBistro knows that it takes hard work and heart to succeed in the restaurant industry. They understand this and are ready to help. TouchBistro helps thousands of restaurateurs around the world run a better business and makes restaurant management easier.

TouchBistro provides software, hardware, payment processing, training, installation, support and much more. TouchBistro is the ultimate all-in-one POS and payment solution for restaurants of all sizes and types.

Design is a sticking point for many business owners, as customer reviews show that most people rave about how attractive and simple the platform is. It is intuitive, modern and easy to use. You’ll find that even the least tech-savvy employees will be able to navigate the menus without much difficulty. Customers really appreciate TouchBistro’s affordability. Within the POS industry, this platform is quite profitable, despite the need to purchase equipment. Small businesses with a single terminal benefit the most because they don’t necessarily need any kind of server to communicate between multiple stations or tablets.

TouchBistro is fantastic at everything it does. manage customer experience and keep business running 24/7. The biggest complaint is the lack of cloud-based functionality. Maintaining a local server can be a headache, especially if you’re not tech-savvy.

Customer Support

TouchBistro’s customer service is among the best in the industry and won a Silver Stevie Customer Service Award in 2015 and 2016.

TouchBistro has an incredible amount of resources on their website. These include installation guides, step-by-step tutorials, and video tutorials. It also has articles on everything you need to use POS, including reporting, analytics, and hardware. It categorizes its user guides into administrators, managers, and staff to make it easier to find what you’re looking for and train other users.

As for getting in touch, you can email support directly or use the dedicated phone number. Beyond the available resources, TouchBistro provides 24/7 customer support regardless of the level of service you subscribe to (standard or professional subscribers). That service is available through several channels, including phone or email. You can also try contacting the company via social media for general help and feedback on issues.

Pricing (Software and Hardware)

Pricing transparency is always attractive when it comes to business services, and TouchBistro has four distinct pricing plans on its website.

• Offers only 1 license for a monthly fee of $69 ($109/month including hardware);
• Double Deals 2 for $129/month ($229/month including hardware);
• Team offers coverage for 3 to 5 licenses and costs $249/month ($389/month including hardware); and:
• Unlimited, designed for large businesses, offers as many licenses as you want for $399 per month ($579 per month including hardware).

A 30-day free trial is also available.

In terms of payment processing, TouchBistroPayments, powered by Chase, is available for US customers; offering transparent prices. With its payment platform, you get your POS software, hardware and integrated payments from the same provider, which means faster, easier and more secure payments.

TouchBistro also supports all major payment gateways (see below) and is set up for EMV, meaning it can accept chip cards.

There are many input options for payment processing, and you can choose the one that best suits your business. One thing is important to note about the operation of the TouchBistro system. You do not need to have a wireless internet connection to use or operate the POS system. However, a wireless connection is required to connect to your gateway to process payments. If you lose your Internet connection and are unable to restore it or create a temporary hotspot, you will not be able to process customer credit cards.

Contract Terms

TouchBistro offers monthly pricing so you don’t have to worry about being locked into a long-term contract. Some of the payment processors they work with may have their own terms and conditions, so be sure to choose carefully so you don’t pay unwanted extra payment processing fees.

Bottom Line

TouchBistro is an excellent POS and payment solution for restaurants of all sizes and types. It’s beautifully designed, easy to learn, with great customer-facing products (like online ordering, loyalty, kiosk, digital menu boards, and consumer-facing display) as well as great back-end features (like reporting and analytics, accounting). , people management, kitchen demonstrations, etc.) with an award-winning support team based in North America. TouchBistro continues to continuously improve with new features, products and integrations to enhance the core POS product.

HostGator is a fantastic web builder at a competitive price. This website builder offers a flexible drag-and-drop page editor and over 200 templates. If you want to get your website up and running even faster, you can use their AI-enabled website designer. Additionally, email marketing and e-commerce tools are standard with all HostGator websites. Overall, this website builder is a great option for first-time designers and growing online businesses.

PROS

• Very easy to use
• Excellent support
• Competitively priced

CONS

• The editor is a bit limited
• Unable to add custom code

Overview

HostGator is a web hosting company founded in 2002 and based in Houston, Texas. The company has won numerous awards for its web hosting. In 2019, the company launched a website builder to help individuals and small businesses create their own sites.

The HostGator website builder is impressively flexible and easy to use. It’s also one of the most affordable options for small businesses, especially considering the range of marketing and sales tools included. While other website builders may be better for online stores looking to grow, HostGator’s platform is ideal for new online businesses or established businesses looking to get online.

How HostGator Works

We were very impressed with how easy the HostGator website builder is to use. The back-end control panel is carefully designed and makes it easy to transition between designing your site, managing your online store, and launching marketing campaigns. The drag-and-drop site editor is also easy to use and we loved that there’s an AI design option that can help you get online right away.

HostGator Features and Tools

Unlimited Web Hosting

All HostGator website building plans include free hosting with unlimited storage and bandwidth. HostGator is an award-winning web hosting provider, so this service is very high quality. All sites also come with an SSL certificate and a free custom domain for 1 year.

Logo Builder

If your company doesn’t have a logo yet, you can use HostGator’s logo maker to create one. Simply enter your business name and choose from a number of initial designs. You can then customize your logo’s shape, colors, fonts, and more.

How to Create a Website with HostGator

HostGator offers 2 paths to create a website. You can follow a more traditional design process or use an AI design tool to create a custom site for you.

With the AI designer, all you have to do is enter a few details about the site you’re trying to create. Based on that, the designer will suggest some options to get you started and then take you to your new site.

If you choose this route, your options for customizing your site are moderately limited. You can add page sections, including text and images, but you don’t have the option to drag and drop individual elements onto your pages. However, we are quite satisfied with the selection of page sections and believe that this editor will be sufficient for most basic websites.

If you want more control over the design of your site, you can choose the more traditional design process. HostGator offers over 220 templates, all mobile-friendly, to choose from.

The drag and drop page editor allows you to add individual content elements to your site, giving you great freedom when presenting your content. We especially liked that elements are automatically aligned using a series of semi-transparent grid lines. This speeds up the design process and ensures your site design looks professional.

The only problem we found with the HostGator editor is that you cannot change the templates. With so many customization options, we don’t think this is a big deal. But it can be frustrating if you get into the design process and decide you don’t like your template, as you’ll have to restart. It’s also worth noting that you can’t migrate your site to another platform, although that’s often the case among website builders.

Adding Multimedia to Your HostGator Website

HostGator allows you to add images, videos, audio, text files, and even Flash layouts to your website. All your files are stored in a media library, which you can organize into searchable folders.

You can upload multiple files from your computer simultaneously, which we liked, but the library doesn’t let you import images from social networks or cloud storage. HostGator also offers thousands of free stock images from Unsplash.

Overall, we found the process of adding multimedia to be simple and seamless. Integration with cloud storage and social media platforms would also be nice, but not essential.

Marketing Functionality with HostGator Websites

All HostGator websites include a very capable email marketing package. Every time a visitor fills out a form on your website, their information is automatically entered into the contact database. You can segment your contacts or download a database if you want to use a third-party email.

HostGator’s email marketing tool lets you launch campaigns around product announcements, sales, events, and more. You will customize your email. emails using the same section-based page editor you use when building your website with AI Designer, so it’s pretty easy to create professional-looking email campaigns. Just note that the number of email campaigns you can send per month is limited to 3 with the basic subscription and 10 with HostGator’s highest tier plan.

To analyze your marketing performance, HostGator lets you track how many people open your campaigns. However, you may not retarget customers based on this data or create personalized coupon codes.

SEO Functionality and Add-Ons with HostGator Websites

One point that HostGator misses the mark is SEO. You can edit the meta title and description for each of your pages, and it’s easy to create a blog for any HostGator site. However, the platform doesn’t let you add alt text to images, and it doesn’t have any tools to analyze your site’s SEO and suggest improvements.

That said, we were pleased with HostGator’s analytics capabilities. You can enable Google Analytics on any website. Or you can use the platform’s built-in traffic analytics tool, but you’ll need to update your plan to see details like where your visitors are coming from and what pages they’re viewing.

Ecommerce

All HostGator sites support e-commerce, and the platform works well for small or relatively new online businesses. You can sell digital downloads, accept online reservations, and easily post coupons and sales. Additionally, HostGator provides tools for inventory, shipping, and tax management.

However, HostGator lacks some of the more advanced features that growing stores will likely need. For example, you can see abandoned carts, but you can’t create automated emails. You also cannot sell gift cards online or enable in-store pickup as a delivery option.

HostGator Customer Support

HostGator offers 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat. The platform also has a detailed online knowledge base with hundreds of articles. It covers not only how to design your website, but also how to use an email marketing package and online store tools.

HostGator Pricing

Pricing & Special Offers

HostGator offers 3 plans: Starter, Site and Store. All plans include hosting, email marketing, analytics and e-commerce. However, they differ in how many campaigns you can send, what data you can analyze, and how many products you can sell.

HostGator offers introductory pricing for up to 2 years for new customers. After that, you can get a 25% discount for signing up for another 2-year plan.

HostGator vs WordPress.com

WordPress.com is one of the best website builders for bloggers because it allows you to sell ads on your blog posts. However, the WordPress.com site builder is not as easy to use and does not offer as much flexibility as the HostGator builder. For everyone who is not a blogger, we recommend HostGator.

HostGator vs GoDaddy

HostGator and GoDaddy website builders are very comparable in price and features. We think the HostGator website builder offers a little more design flexibility and we like that it has more than twice as many templates available.

HostGator vs HostPapa

HostPapa‘s website builder is relatively basic and is best suited for small websites, such as one-page portfolio sites. The HostGator site builder offers much more in terms of design options and marketing tools, and we would recommend it over HostPapa for most website builders.

Bottom Line

HostGator’s website builder is easy to use, flexible, and very capable. We love that you can choose between a traditional drag-and-drop editor or a simplified AI design process depending on how much time you want to spend creating your site. We were also impressed with the overall ease of customizing a site and the simplicity of the HostGator control panel.

What really makes HostGator stand out is its support for email marketing and e-commerce on all plans. It is one of the most affordable website builders to create a fully functional online store. While HostGator has some shortcomings that can hold back a rapidly growing business, it is ideal for people and businesses connecting to the Internet for the first time.

Lightspeed offers powerful POS systems for the retail and restaurant industries, with a greater focus on retail in the US. Whether you use Lightspeed Delivery for your restaurant or Lightspeed eCom to sell products, you’ll get the same level of detail and functionality. Accounting integration with Quickbooks takes just a few clicks. You can also manage special orders and discounts from your Mac or iPad and include special touches like branded receipts.

Pros

• Original analysis of product, sales and employee management.
• There are no setup fees

Cons

• High monthly costs
• Customer complaints about software failures

Here’s Why Successful Businesses Choose Lightspeed

“We’ve been using Lightspeed since it was first introduced. The company is fantastic to work with small businesses and really care about small businesses. The software continues to evolve and seems to get better and better with each update. I would recommend it to any small business that wants to be as efficient as possible and wants an outlet that can grow with them.”

– Ray’s Bike Shop

“Lightspeed Restaurant is extremely easy to use and offers excellent customer and technical support. “Lightspeed has many POS formatting options, which is a plus for any restaurant.”

– Hive Café Solidarity Cooperative

“Lightspeed is like your most important employee. Manages your entire business for you. Now I can focus on what Exclucity will be like in 5 years, 10 years. I am 1000% confident that we will continue to expand and grow.”

– Exclusivity

Why Go With Lightspeed

Lightspeed is a business management tool for the retail and service industries as well as a powerful POS system. A restaurant POS allows you to create floor plans to match your restaurant’s seating plan, control access to the system among your staff members, and the ability to create and edit your menu online. You can print your orders anywhere and send information seamlessly from your front desk to the kitchen. Special features for different types of businesses are what set Lightspeed apart; for example, the integration of bar accounts for nightclubs or the separation of accounts for cafes and restaurants.

What’s On Offer

While some platforms serve only one industry, Lightspeed has many different functions for different industries. That means the roles available can vary widely, from retail to restaurants, and even within specific verticals within each industry. They include:

LightSpeed Retail.

• Import your shares to the online platform with one click
• Create discount codes
• Use tables to update product data
• HD product display
• Choose from customizable eCommerce templates
• Create points-based reward systems with Lightspeed Loyal
• Allow customers to create wish lists
• Arrange deliveries through eCom back office
• Integrates with shipping apps like EasyPost and Shipstation
• Improve marketing with integrated SEO tools
• Create newsletters and send email alerts
• Websites are available in up to 14 languages
• Track performance with weekly sales reports

Lightspeed Retail is generally best suited for businesses with physical inventory that is sold in whole units. Businesses whose products are priced by weight (such as candy stores, soft drinks, and gas stations) or sold in fractional quantities (such as fabric stores) have proven to be less compatible with Lightspeed, as have resale shops (which product has no skus). ) and service-based companies (those with no physical inventory).

Lightspeed Retail typically works best with the following types of businesses:

• Clothes and clothing stores
• Sellers of sports goods and shoes.
• Gift, toy and hobby shops.
• Vape and smoke shops
• Wine and liquor stores
• electronic stores
• Jewelry stores and jewelry repair companies.
• Pet stores and pet supply stores.
• Home decoration and furniture stores.
• Any other business with physical products sold in firm units.

Lightspeed Restaurant:

• Create custom menus with photos and menu descriptions.
• Adjust floor plans so everyone can see them
• The kitchen screen allows you to create visible kitchen plans
• Create individual staff profiles
• Process pick-up and delivery orders
• Access data, menu and ordering system from mobile devices
• Monitor progress with real-time reports
• Create individual staff reports to track hours and performance.
• Get an overview of sales and cash register activity with end-of-day reports

No matter what you use Lightspeed for, you can expect many more features, including:

• Multiple bidding options
• Inventory management with extensive customization to individual product/part inventory tracking. You can also group products for group product sales and promotions.
• Purchase order management to track suppliers and purchase orders, product management, shipping corrections and warranty/customer return events.
• Employee management with key employee time clocks, employee sales, customizable roles, and more
• CRM functionality to better engage current customers, prevent churn, manage customer data, and more.
• Work order management
• Versatility for location and transport between warehouses, plus mobile POS/kiosk functionality for trade show events.
• There are also various integrations including QuickBooks, Xero, NimbleSchedule, Booxi and MailSync or MailChimp.

Additional Lightspeed POS integrations and add-ons include:

• Accounting program
• Loyalty rewards to integrate with CRM related software to track and reward customer behavior.
• Scheduling online employee time tracking, including vacation time requests and shift changes.
• E-commerce integration so you can use your own web store to sync data between platforms
• Rental management for retailers that rent equipment such as bicycles or tools.
• Email marketing to use platforms like MailChimp to drive customer engagement and drive return purchases.

More Reasons to Choose Lightspeed

Lightspeed is technically a cloud-based POS platform that is hosted on Lightspeed services and automatically syncs with every device you use. If you are using a desktop device, you can also access Lightspeed through the browser interface. This is not necessary if you prefer a mobile or tablet experience. The iOS app can be downloaded to your iPad to use as a POS device.

Either way, you’ll need additional hardware to pay, including a cash register and printer, as well as integration with a retail barcode scanner. Because it can work in both formats, Lightspeed sells all peripherals in bundles if you don’t have one on hand. This includes your choice of iPad POS Kit (drawer, stand, plug-in scanner, receipt printer; iPad not included) or Desktop POS Kit, which includes painting, USB scanner and printer. Like the iPad, you must have your own computer.

Because of the browser interface, you don’t have to use Apple’s desktop products. This gives you more freedom in the environment in which you work.

Ease of Use

Both front-end registration and back-end management tools are very easy to use. Like many iPad solutions, it’s beautifully designed and involves a very small learning curve. You will be guided through the desktop or iPad software to add inventory and manage payments. There are also many customization options for inventory, analysis and design. The iPhone app is also easy to use, although you can’t use it to accept payments.

Whether you’re working tables with guests or serving a long line of customers at a big event, you want your POS to work effortlessly. Lightspeed offers an extremely intuitive design that is easy to operate on both the front and back.

Since it’s primarily browser-based, installation and setup is a simple step-by-step process with a wizard that walks you through the setup from start to finish. Control functions are strategically grouped by category on the back, making all important information easily accessible instead of being buried in multiple menus.

Whether you’re working on the front or the back, the buttons are easy to push with clear, concise instructions on functionality and progress through the sales process. It is almost impossible to get lost in the menus. From product management to employee management, this POS platform is easy to customize and use… and fun to work with. Once you get the hang of it, it feels effortless.

What’s Unique About Lightspeed?

Lightspeed comes with hundreds of pre-made printable reports that you can customize as you like based on date. Reporting is essential to running a business, and Lightspeed definitely delivers. The platform allows you to view total revenue or margin profit, track the effectiveness of promotions, schedule and assign tasks to employees, perform day-ends and much more. Lightspeed’s advanced reporting features include a variety of responsive widgets so you can create a visual dashboard of the elements most important to running your business. In addition, any report can be exported to an Excel spreadsheet.

In addition to advanced reporting, it also offers opportunities to sell services alongside physical products. This extends the use of Lightspeed beyond retail to any service-oriented environment, such as oil change shops or any other business with service and repair orders.

Customer Support

Lightspeed has 24/7 support through its toll-free phone number and contact form, as well as live chat. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, and you’ll get absolutely free installation help, as well as free updates with all the support you need to learn any new features. With secure cloud backup, you’ll never risk losing customer data or important inventory information.

Pricing (Software and Hardware)

*Prices are for annual payments. If you choose to pay monthly, the rates will increase.

All Lightspeed retail plans include a POS system with payment terminals, while benefits begin to accumulate with the starter plan. For example, the Starter, Standard, Advanced, and Professional plans all include e-commerce capabilities. The top 3 tier plans (Standard, Advanced, and Professional) also include accounting tools, while higher tiers also include customer loyalty tools and analytics.
Restaurant POS is offered at a basic price, although users have the option to add upgrades such as customer-facing displays, advanced reporting, and self-ordering table menus. Premium add-ons include accounting, loyalty apps, self-service kiosks and delivery integrations.

Contract Terms

Lightspeed has a free 14-day trial so you can try out the POS before committing, making sure it’s the right solution for you, and then you’ll be offered a long-term contract to get the lowest prices on a monthly basis. The standard term is 14 months. For hardware, Lightspeed offers its own 30-day warranty, which is then rolled over to the manufacturer’s warranty.

Bottom Line

Lightspeed wins with features, with specific systems for retail and restaurants, as well as specialized options for subcategories of the restaurant industry, such as cafes or bars. You can choose your own powerful integrations from over 250 partners and purchase all-in-one hardware solutions directly.

If you need to balance an efficient and intuitive interface with high functionality for front and back of house, Lightspeed is a great choice. If you are a small business or a startup, this is probably not the right option due to the high cost.