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 with Shopify or not, you get access to the same intuitive interface to manage 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 get started and intuitive to use
- Integrates with your online Shopify store
- Comprehensive inventory management tools.
Cons
- High monthly costs if you operate from multiple locations
- I can only accept cash payments without an internet connection.
Ideal For
- Small and medium-sized retailers looking for an easy-to-use POS system
- Existing Shopify customers who want to sell in person and online
- Companies looking to adopt a multi-channel approach to customer service
Why Go With Shopify POS
Shopify’s POS system is designed for different types of businesses, providing a personalized experience, whether you’re running a multi-store, one-stop shop, or selling at events. Shopify POS is built on the Shopify eCommerce platform, which means you get access to an easy-to-use dashboard and all the tools that millions of online stores use. Shopify POS offers a customizable mobile app that’s suitable for a variety of devices, including iPad, iPhone, and Android.
With a variety of pricing tiers available, you can choose a plan that meets your immediate business needs while maintaining the flexibility to upgrade or downgrade as needed. While the main reason to choose Shopify is its integration with its online platform, there is a Lite package available for those just looking for a POS solution. No matter which plan you choose, you will need to purchase point-of-sale equipment. This can be purchased directly from Shopify, meaning it should work perfectly with your tablet and the Shopify POS app.
Shopify’s customer support is excellent. Their tutorials, knowledge base, and community forums make it easy to learn about their platform. So, even if problems arise, you can be sure that you will have the solution at hand.
What’s On Offer
- Omnichannel sales ensure a consistent experience for your online and offline customers.
- The platform provides integrated tools for digital marketing, delivery solutions and more, providing a comprehensive solution for businesses.
- Product and inventory management to stay organized and reduce errors.
- Includes support for offering discounts, returns, refunds and exchanges.
- Reports and analytics so you can make informed business decisions
- Customer profiles to track 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 an optimized multi-store experience, ensuring that businesses can efficiently manage sales across multiple locations.
One of the strongest features of Shopify POS is its ease of use. There’s no complicated application process, meaning you only need an email address to sign up. If you’re familiar with Shopify POS or want to explore its options, you can start setting things up yourself right away. Otherwise, multiple prompts guide you through a series of setup steps.
When going through the setup process or contacting customer service, you must provide your name and phone number.
If you ever get stuck, Shopify has many support options. Its knowledge base and community forum can guide you through most issues, while email and live chat support are available if you run into a more complex problem.
So if you’re getting started with Shopify, you’ll find:
- Simple registration procedure
- 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.
- Clean and intuitive interface
What’s Unique About Shopify POS?
Naturally, Shopify POS features seamless integration with your online retail platform. Millions of businesses use Shopify to power their eCommerce sites. it is an established and reputable option. Shopify has applied the experience gained online to its POS systems. If you’re looking for a one-stop solution for managing your inventory and selling products online and in person, Shopify is worth serious consideration.
Even if you just want to use a point of sale system, you will benefit from the features they have created for online retailers. For example:
- Easy-to-use product and inventory management tools
- Analytics and reports that provide a wealth of data you can use to inform future business decisions.
- Payment options that allow you to set special discounts and automatically calculate taxes based on your store location.
- Customizable mobile app that works on iPad, iPhone and Android devices
For those investing at the highest levels, more advanced features include:
- Omnichannel retailing to deliver a better customer experience. This allows options such as pay in store and ship to customer, buy online and pick up in store, and allow online returns and exchanges for items purchased in person.
- Smart inventory tools to predict demand, alert you to stock shortages, and make recommendations on sale items.
- Staff management works with the ability to assign sales to staff members for commissions.
You can buy point-of-sale equipment like card readers and barcode readers directly through Shopify with free shipping and a 30-day return policy. Buying outright ensures that plug-and-play hardware is compatible with the Shopify POS app. The app has a customizable smart grid interface that lets you configure the tiles to display the features you need.
Shopify has a great support ecosystem with guides and tutorials on how to easily use their platform. You can also find free business tools and additional learning materials through YouTube and Shopify Learn. Shopify Experts allows you to 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 usually very good, although you’ll usually be able to find the answers you need without waiting on support calls. The Help Center is a knowledge base with guides that provide solutions to common problems. The community support area is a comprehensive forum that answers almost any question. These answers come from other users who will have the same problems as you.
If you do not find a helpful answer in the help center, you will receive an email 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 3-day free trial with no credit card required. Then you can get three months of Shopify for $1 per month, no matter which package you choose. It’s worth noting that you can get the best deal by paying annually, as this guarantees a 25% discount.
The 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 to accept payments in person.
You can also choose more industry-specific plans, such as the $5/month Starter plan if you sell strictly on social media or the $89/month Retail plan if you’re a storefront seller who needs a simple online presence. .
Contract Terms
Shopify’s 3-day trial allows you to test the POS system before you provide all your details and commit to payment. Shopify plans are monthly unless you sign up for a long-term deal. Once you sign up, you’ll be offered one-, two-, and three-year discounts at lower monthly rates.
If you use Shopify’s online services, you will need to use the same payment processor when using their POS service. If you decide Shopify POS isn’t the right solution for your business, you can cancel at any time and still keep your online services active.
Bottom Line
Shopify’s POS system integrates seamlessly with its popular e-commerce platform, offering businesses a unified online and in-person sales solution. It targets small and medium-sized retailers with features such as omnichannel sales, comprehensive inventory management and strong customer service. While price may be a consideration for some, the value delivered, especially for those already using Shopify to sell online, makes it a compelling option. Shopify is certainly a valuable POS system for businesses looking for growth and streamlined operations.
About Shopify
Founded in 2006, Shopify is one of the leading online sales platforms. The Canadian company offers a variety of e-commerce services such as payment, shipping and customer engagement tools. Since 2013, Shopify has been providing POS systems, allowing 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.