eHopper At a Glance
Forbes Advisor weighed many factors to bring eHopper’s total score to 4.7 out of 5 stars. Here are some of the specifics:
What Is eHopper?
eHopper is on our list of the best POS systems because of its free plan, affordable pricing, retail and restaurant capabilities, mobile payments, built-in payment processing, software integrations and inventory management. Retailers of all sizes can benefit from one of its two available plans, although businesses that also want to sell online must use the OmniChannel plan.
Pros
eHopper offers free processing, which isn’t unheard of in the POS industry, but it’s uncommon. This includes free software, a free e-commerce website and a free credit card reader terminal. It offers free processing through a cash discount or credit surcharge, which passes the processing fees on to your customers. Its free plan is great for small businesses that also need to process payments online, thanks to its omnichannel solutions.
With its paid plan, you’ll get implementation and training, phone, email and chat support and a barcode manager. Get alerts when you’re low on stock, save orders so customers can pay later, clock in and out and adjust inventory all from your eHopper POS.
eHopper can be used on iOS and Android devices as with most POS systems, and it can also be used on a Windows PC. If you have more than one register, you can update orders from any register in the store with the Multi-Register app integration. Its OmniChannel plan integrates with QuickBooks, too. eHopper also lets you print and email receipts, assign taxes to products, give a cash discount and work with your own hardware (meaning that unlike some platforms, you’re not required to buy expensive hardware that only runs eHopper).
Cons
While eHopper provides significant discounts for signing up for long-term contracts, there is no refund if you decide you don’t want it before your agreement is up. It’s best to try out the system for a while on a month-to-month plan before committing to a long-term contract.
Its free plan limits you to 50 products and 300 transactions per month, so if you’re a larger business, you’ll need its OmniChannel plan. You’ll also need to pay for a plan if you need table management, e-commerce, loyalty, pre-authorization, EBT and customer support.
Featured Partner
1
Clover
$14.95 per month (plus hardware)
90 days
Versatile POS, invoicing, employee management
eHopper Core Features
Free E-Commerce Site
With eHopper, merchants get a free e-commerce site that syncs with its off-line POS. Its features include a free SSL certificate, free content delivery network (CDN), onboarding, SEO optimization, customization, reporting, reviews, a blog, social selling and you can use your own domain.
Credit Card Processing
eHopper supports a number of credit card processors. These are Evo Payments International, GoDaddy Payments, Nuvei, North American Bank, TSYS, First Data, Global and Elavon. It also offers free processing for U.S. customers using a credit surcharge and cash discount program.
All states have access to the cash discount program, however, there are states that don’t allow the credit surcharge. These states are Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts and Oklahoma.
Loyalty Program
Encourage customers to come back with eHopper’s Loyalty program. To access it, you must have its OmniChannel plan, plus pay for the subscription. It costs $19.99 per month for your first 1,000 loyalty visits, and an additional $9.99 per month for each additional 1,000 loyalty visits.
You’ll set up your own rules and rewards, and customers can sign up using physical loyalty cards or with their mobile phone number. Then, segment your list, run reports and see analytics. This is available via iPad, PC, Android tablet, Poynt and All-in-One POS.
eHopper Pricing and Plans
Each plan provides discounts for paying for one year in advance. After trying it out for a while, you can save $10 per month by committing to a one-year contract. Note that if you need help, the Essential package only provides a knowledge base, whereas the OmniChannel package offers email, chat and phone support, training, account and inventory setup.
Plans offered by eHopper include:
Essential
Essential is eHopper’s free plan; it’s limited to one POS, 50 products and 300 transactions per month. U.S. customers enjoy free processing, and all users get inventory, customer, tip and modifier management. It also comes with basic reporting.
OmniChannel
For $39.99 per month, eHopper’s OmniChannel plan comes with features such as two licenses, unlimited products, table management, e-commerce, unlimited transactions, pre-authorization, EBT, menu builder, customer support, integration with QuickBooks, low stock alerts and exchanges. Employees can also clock in and out, and customers can save their order and pay later.
eHopper Ease of Use
eHopper is designed for simplicity. The user interface is straightforward, and the step-by-step onboarding walks you through how to use the software. It’s easy to add and manage products, customers and employees. The software also makes it a snap to run reports, check inventory levels and process payments.
You can use eHopper on any device, including PCs, Macs, iOS and Android devices. There’s no need to download or install anything; just create an account and log in. You can also use compatible hardware, such as POS systems and handheld terminals.
eHopper Security
To prevent employee theft, merchants can limit which salespeople can open and close the register, and enter opening and closing cash amounts. eHopper also uses EMV-compliant technology. Without EMV compliance, merchants are completely liable for fraudulent transactions and can’t do anything about chargebacks, so this is a crucial feature.
eHopper Customer Service and Support
When using eHopper’s Essential plan, you won’t have customer support. However, there are DIY resources. Its OmniChannel plan offers phone, email and chat support. Additionally, it has onboarding and training support.
eHopper Additional Features
Restaurant Table Management
A more organized table placement and ordering system will help you take and process orders easily, saving time and making it simpler to see the status of each order. This, in turn, can lead to increased revenue as operations run smoothly.
Ingredients Management
Manage your restaurant business at a micro-level with ingredients management. Get real-time reports on stock to understand what needs to be ordered, and track consumption to help with recipe costing. You can also receive and transfer ingredients, view reports and assign stock to recipes.
Online Ordering
Integrate your brick-and-mortar store with an e-commerce site. You can sync inventory, customers and orders between the two platforms. Customers can order directly from your website or Facebook page, and you can track sales and inventory in one place. Customize your site with your own branding and logo.
Partial Payments
Allow your customers to have a say in how they would like to pay for their order. They could split the total cost and use different payment methods for each transaction. This provides them with a better customer experience overall and is ideal for large-ticket items.
Surcharge Program
The eHopper POS Surcharge Program passes credit card processing fees along to your customers. Simply name the surcharge and add the rate to credit card orders. This is a great way to offset the high costs of credit card processing and avoid hidden fees.
Cash Discount Program
The eHopper Cash Discount Program encourages customers to pay with cash by giving them a discount on their total order. To do this, add a cash discount to your items and update your pricing. Customers will see the discounted price when they pay with cash.
eHopper Alternatives and How They Compare
eHopper vs. Lightspeed
eHopper doesn’t offer support on its free package, whereas Lightspeed operates 24 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and has reduced weekend hours. Most of the recent eHopper complaints revolve around customer service, giving Lightspeed an edge in the customer service department.
Where Lightspeed lacks is with its pricing. If you pay annually, its cheapest plan is $69 per month. eHopper’s most expensive plan is $39.99 per month, and that’s for two licenses.
eHopper vs. Clover
Clover is a comprehensive POS system that offers features such as a CRM and gift cards. Clover’s CRM is a great way to keep track of your customers and their preferences. eHopper, on the other hand, is geared towards businesses that need an omnichannel solution. It gives a free e-commerce site to businesses, provided you pay for its OmniChannel plan.
eHopper vs. Square
Along with eHopper, Square offers a completely free plan. However, you’ll still pay a processing fee, whereas eHopper offers free processing using credit card surcharging and cash discounts. Both are excellent for businesses on a budget, though eHopper is better for businesses that need omnichannel capabilities. Square is excellent for businesses that need to process payments quickly and easily. With the Square Reader, you can accept payments anywhere and on the go.
Featured Partner
1
Clover
$14.95 per month (plus hardware)
90 days
Versatile POS, invoicing, employee management
Is eHopper Right for You or Your Business?
If you want a well-rounded POS system for a reasonable price, we recommend eHopper. It offers a free plan to test the waters before committing to a bigger plan and contract. Should you decide eHopper isn’t suitable for your business, all you have to do is send an email to support to cancel your plan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do I have to have a POS in my retail store?
No, you don’t have to use a POS in your store. You can use a cash register, but you’ll lose out on the benefits of a POS that make it easier to manage and grow your business, such as inventory management, basic reporting and tip management.
Does eHopper charge anything for POS hardware if I sign up?
eHopper does not include hardware in its plans. You can buy devices elsewhere or just buy what you need directly from eHopper. If you already have the hardware, you may use it with eHopper, but it doesn’t guarantee performance on non-certified devices.
Can I use eHopper when the internet is down?
You can perform all functions with your eHopper POS when the internet is down, except for credit transactions. Once the internet is back up, inventory data and transaction records should sync properly to the cloud.
How does eHopper compare to other popular POS systems?
eHopper is a great option for businesses that need an omnichannel solution. It even gives a free e-commerce site to businesses, provided you pay for its OmniChannel plan. It’s number one on our list of the best POS systems for small business with 4.7 out of 5 stars. The second runner-up is Lightspeed POS with 4.5 stars. See our full list.
How can eHopper offer free processing?
eHopper advertises free processing through a cash discount or credit surcharge program. When you sign up for free processing, you agree to add a surcharge to credit card sales or give a discount for cash sales. The amount of the surcharge or discount is up to you, but it should cover the cost of processing so that you don’t lose money.
