Shopify POS (Basic + POS Lite) review 2027

What problem does Shopify POS solve for shops that also sell online?

If the same stock sells in a shop and on a website, Shopify removes a whole category of work. That is the core of the pitch, and it is why this system is aimed squarely at retailers selling in store and online. The benefit is a single stock count across store, website and marketplaces, so there is no reconciliation between channels. Staff, customer profiles and loyalty are shared between channels too, which means a customer who buys online is the same customer at the counter. Shopify's online store is the best in the business, and there is no contract. The trade-off is stated just as plainly: the missing offline mode is a real risk on a bad connection.

How did Shopify POS score in our testing?

Shopify POS finished on 8.2 out of 10, fourth of seven systems tested. The score breaks down across five criteria.

• Processing fees & total cost — 23 out of 30. This measures the real cost of taking $25,000 a month in card payments: rate, per-transaction fee, monthly software, hardware and any early-termination clause.
• Hardware & reliability — 16 out of 20. Terminal build, offline mode when the internet drops, receipt printing, cash drawer and scanner support.
• Features for the trade — 18 out of 20. Inventory, menus and modifiers, table service, appointments, staff rotas, loyalty and online ordering.
• Reporting & integrations — 15 out of 15. Sales reports, accounting sync, payroll, ecommerce and the API.
• Support & terms — 10 out of 15. Hours reachable, how fast a dead terminal is replaced, contract length and how funds are held.

The pattern is clear: full marks for reporting and integrations, strong marks for features, and the losses concentrated in cost and support terms.

Where does Shopify POS stand out?

Four strengths came out of testing. The first is the single stock count across store, website and marketplaces, with no reconciliation needed. The second is that staff, customer profiles and loyalty are shared between channels. The third is that Shopify's online store is the best in the business. The fourth is that there is no contract, so a retailer is not locked in.

What hardware and terms does Shopify POS include?

The rate card on the Basic plan is 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person card payments. Software is $39 a month, and there is no free software tier. Hardware starts at $49. Payouts land in 2–3 business days. There is no contract. Offline behaviour is the weak point: offline mode is listed as no, and card payments stop. The system is best for retailers selling in store and online.

How does Shopify POS compare with Square, Helcim and Lightspeed Retail?

Square scored 8.9 and costs 785 USD/mo on $25k/mo in our maths, with free software, hardware from 59 USD, offline mode yes with a per-transaction cap, next-business-day payouts and no contract. Square is ahead on score, on offline mode and on hardware entry price; Shopify is ahead on the shared online store and the single stock count.

Helcim scored 8.9 and costs 658 USD/mo on $25k/mo, with interchange + 0.40% + 8¢ in person, software at 0 USD/mo, hardware from 99 USD, limited offline mode, 2-business-day payouts and no contract. Helcim is ahead on score and on total cost; Shopify is ahead on ecommerce depth and channel-shared customer data.

Lightspeed Retail scored 8 and costs 860 USD/mo on $25k/mo, with 2.6% + 10¢ in person, software at 89 USD/mo, hardware from 399 USD, offline mode yes, next-business-day payouts and annual billing for listed prices. Lightspeed is ahead on offline mode and deep inventory management; Shopify is ahead on score, on cost and on having no contract.

Where does Shopify POS fall short?

The headline loss is no offline card acceptance. In our internet-outage test, card payments stopped entirely. Three further cons came out of testing: using a processor other than Shopify Payments adds a penalty fee per transaction, and POS Pro is $89 per location on top of the plan. Those two cost items sit behind the 23 out of 30 on processing fees and total cost, and the outage result sits behind the 16 out of 20 on hardware and reliability.

What does Shopify POS cost?

The price summary is $39. Software is 39 USD/mo on the Basic plan, and the measured cost on $25,000 a month in card payments is 794 USD/mo in our maths. Hardware starts at 49 USD. There is no free software tier, and POS Pro adds $89 per location on top of the plan. Payouts take 2–3 business days.

Who should buy Shopify POS?

It remains right for omnichannel retailers — shops that sell the same stock in a shop and on a website. For that buyer, the shared stock count, shared staff and customer profiles, and the online store behind it remove work that other systems leave in place. A retailer who depends on card payments continuing through an internet outage should weigh the outage result first.