Featured Partner
1
Shopify POS
Pricing starts at
$7 per month for casual sellers $51 per month ($38 per year) for retail sellers
Mobile payments
Yes
Key features
Syncs with Shopify online store, smart inventory management
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Thanks to mobile point-of-sale (POS) systems, small business owners don’t have to be tied to a countertop POS at a physical location or an online store. You can use a POS app on any mobile device, whether it’s a smartphone or tablet, and use it to process sales. This means you can accept payments wherever you are. Along with a mobile POS app and a mobile device, you need a card reader to accept credit cards and mobile payments, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. You’ll also need an internet connection.
Many mobile POS solutions include tools to help you run your business, connect to your physical or online store inventories, and track customer information and other data. In this guide, you’ll find the best mobile POS systems available today. No matter your needs, you’re sure to find a solution that’s right for you.
Featured Partner
1
Shopify POS
On Shopify’s Website
Pricing starts at
$7 per month for casual sellers $51 per month ($38 per year) for retail sellers
Mobile payments
Yes
Key features
Syncs with Shopify online store, smart inventory management
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content and guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
We reviewed 15 providers using a detailed methodology to help you find the seven best mobile POS systems. Our ratings looked at multiple factors, including the cost range of pricing plans, POS system features and a comprehensive review by our team of experts based on customer reviews of the providers around topics that included customer support and ease of use. All ratings are determined solely by our editorial team.
From $0
iOS and Android
Payments, CRM, inventory management
From $0
iOS and Android
Payments, CRM, inventory management
Square is likely the best-known mobile POS system because it was one of the first and most popular. It consistently tops lists for many reasons, including its flat-fee payment processing rates, completely free POS app and its simple interface. The base software has no monthly fee, but you can choose from a handful of add-on features to make the POS system more complete. The à la carte Square apps include team management, email marketing, payroll and loyalty, which range from $4.50 CAD to $140 CAD per month.
Payment processing is built into Square, so you don’t have to shop around for a merchant services provider (MSP). The flat rate makes it easy for you to know how much you’ll have to pay with each transaction, but the fee is likely higher than what you may get from your own merchant account if you already have an established business.
Square makes it easy to get started by sending a free card reader to any new business. You can order other compatible hardware from Square if you need more card readers or countertop solutions.
Who should use it:
Any small business that wants to sell using a mobile POS system would do well with Square because of its robust feature set and easy-to-use system. It’s an excellent choice for new businesses that may not be able to get low processing rates from merchant services.
From $38 CAD to $389 CAD
per month (paid annually)
iOS and Android
Payments, online store, inventory management
From $38 CAD to $389 CAD
per month (paid annually)
iOS and Android
Payments, online store, inventory management
Shopify sets itself apart from other mobile POS systems by focusing on e-commerce business owners. All three of Shopify’s POS plans include a website with a fully functional online store with unlimited products. Plans range from $38 CAD to $389 CAD per month. You can purchase a card reader from Shopify for $69 CAD.
The basic plan is packed with features, including abandoned cart recovery, marketing automation and built-in payment processing. Scaling up to the mid- or high-level tier will get you access to reporting and discounts on shipping and processing. The payment processing rates are the most complicated part of Shopify.
As you can see, you’ll pay less in transaction fees as you scale up (but you’ll pay more per month). It’s also worth noting that you can choose to use your own merchant account, but if you choose Shopify as your POS system, you’ll have to pay a transaction fee if you don’t use Shopify payments (from 0.5% to 2%, depending on the plan you’re on).
Learn more: Read our full Shopify review.
Who should use it:
Sellers that already utilize the Shopify online platform and want to expand to mobile sales.
From $0
iOS and Android
Loyalty program, marketing, reporting
From $0
iOS and Android
Loyalty program, marketing, reporting
Small businesses that want to focus on building relationships with customers should consider Loyverse as a POS solution. The app is free and it works on any mobile device, so you can sell at a store, on the floor, at a pop-up shop or anywhere your customers are. While the POS features for Loyverse are basic, it’s the loyalty program that may make you a fan. You can use the points program to encourage repeat business. And if customers sign up for it, you’ll then have access to customer preferences, which can help inform you of the best products to push. You can even message customers through the program (a great way to tell your customers about an upcoming sale, for example).
To make Loyverse a more complete POS solution, you may need to subscribe to some paid add-on features. For $9 USD ($12.15 CAD) per month, you’ll be able to integrate e-commerce, marketing and accounting apps. Employee management and advanced inventory cost $25 USD ($33.75 CAD) per month each, but you can get a discount if you pay annually.
Loyverse doesn’t offer its own card reader, so you’ll have to get one on your own. It also doesn’t offer built-in payment processing, but it does integrate with multiple processors, including Worldpay, Zettle and CardConnect (in North America).
Who should use it:
Loyverse’s mobile POS app is free, easy to use and it works on both iOS and Android devices—in fact, it’s one of the best Android POS systems around. We like its built-in free loyalty program that can help you retain and communicate with customers.
From $69 USD ($93.16 CAD)
per month
iOS
Floor, table and menu management, tableside ordering, staff management
From $69 USD ($93.16 CAD)
per month
iOS
Floor, table and menu management, tableside ordering, staff management
TouchBistro has all the features you likely need for your restaurant, food truck or cafe. The mobile POS app lets you take orders and payments tableside or at various locations. It includes lots of restaurant-specific features to make this a great all-in-one POS solution for any food service business. For $69 USD ($93.16 CAD) per month, you can set up your floor plans, tables and menus. Staff management comes at no added cost too.
The basic tools from TouchBistro are advanced compared to some of the best POS software. For example, inventory management doesn’t just include accurate counts and low stock alerts; you can track at the ingredient level and log recipes, so you know what you have down to portion levels. The menu management feature includes tools to help your servers upsell appetizers or desserts, for example.
To get the most complete POS system, you may need to opt for pricey add-ons from TouchBistro. You’ll have to pay $25 USD ($33.75 CAD) per month to be able to create and sell gift cards; marketing tools and a loyalty program cost $99 USD ($133.68 CAD) per month each; and online ordering will set you back $50 USD ($67.51 CAD) per month. To set up reservations through TouchBistro, you’ll pay $229 USD ($309.23 CAD) per month.
Who should use it:
Most restaurant POS systems are expensive because the features are niche and necessary. TouchBistro offers an affordable base software that makes it easy for you to take orders and accept payments whether your customers are in your restaurant or out at a festival.
From $89 CAD to $229 CAD-plus
per month, paid annually
iOS
Advanced inventory, payments, loyalty program
From $89 CAD to $229 CAD-plus
per month, paid annually
iOS
Advanced inventory, payments, loyalty program
Lightspeed offers a variety of custom POS solutions based on whether you run a restaurant or retail business. We focused on the retail version of its mobile POS system because it’s one of the best POS systems for retailers. You can use Lightspeed at your countertop or with an iPad or iPhone to make sales. Pricing starts at $89 CAD per month, if paid annually, but that will only give you basic features—to make the most of Lightspeed, you may need to choose the $159 CAD per month or $229 CAD per month (if paid annually) plan.
Every plan includes Lightspeed’s best feature: advanced inventory management. It includes vendor info, purchase orders and low stock alerts. You can also use Lightspeed Payments for sales transactions. The rate is comparable to other POS systems’ built-in payment processing rates. You can get lower rates for processing if you do high-volume sales and sign up for the enterprise-level plan (by quote only).
Aside from the expensive plans and limited functionality for low tiers, Lightspeed only works on iOS devices. It’s also worth noting that you’ll pay more if you don’t opt for Lightspeed payments.
Who should use it:
Lightspeed is one of the best iPad POS systems chiefly because of its robust inventory system. It includes helpful features, such as a loyalty program and e-commerce integration, but you’ll have to upgrade to a pricier plan for them.
Contact Sales
paid annually
iOS
Flat-fee payment processing, ingredient tracking, multi-location support
Contact Sales
paid annually
iOS
Flat-fee payment processing, ingredient tracking, multi-location support
Revel is a flexible mobile POS system for numerous reasons—not just because it lets you manage multiple locations from one system. You can use it on an iPad to take orders tableside, set it up as a kiosk with an iPad stand for customers to place their own orders, or accept online orders. It also works well for several types of businesses, including retail stores and restaurants.
The advanced inventory features by Revel let you manage complex inventories. So, you can manage multiple SKUs, variables, or raw ingredients. Similar to other top-ranked POS systems with inventory management, you’ll get low-stock alerts, so you never oversell. Plus, you can turn your mobile POS system into a handheld barcode scanner—use your phone with the Revel inventory app to scan codes to update inventory quickly.
The price for Revel was not publicly available in Canada so you’ll need to contact the sales department on your own for pricing. To be fair, Revel is a more complicated system, so you’ll likely be grateful for the installation and onboarding help. Revel offers its own payment processing solution, but despite what the company claims on its site, pricing isn’t transparent—no fees are published.
Who should use it:
Revel is a pricey mobile POS system, but it may be worth it if you have multiple stores with multiple inventories to manage. You’ll have to contact them for a quote on pricing for hardware and payment processing.
COMPANY | FORBES ADVISOR RATING | PRICING | COMPATIBILITY | BUILT-IN FEATURES | Learn More CTA text | Learn more CTA below text | LEARN MORE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Square | From $0 | iOS and Android | Payments, CRM, inventory management | View More | |||
Shopify | From $38 CAD to $389 CAD per month (paid annually) | iOS and Android | Payments, online store, inventory management | Learn More | On Shopify’s Website | ||
Loyverse | From $0 | iOS and Android | Loyalty program, marketing, reporting | View More | |||
TouchBistro | From $69 USD ($93.16 CAD) per month | iOS | Floor, table and menu management, tableside ordering, staff | View More | |||
Lightspeed | From $89 CAD to $229 CAD-plus per month, paid annually | iOS | Advanced inventory, payments, loyalty program | View More | |||
Revel | Contact Sales | iOS | Flat-fee payment processing, ingredient tracking, multi-location support | View More |
There are plenty of mobile POS options available and we compared all of the best systems to find the cream of the crop. The best mobile POS systems should be easy to use, affordable and include the features you most need to run your business. We focused on a few key factors, such as pricing, compatibility and built-in features. We drilled down to the tiniest functions to rank each mobile POS to determine the top five.
Here are some of the categories we used to rank the providers that made the top of the list.
Mobile POS options can range from completely free to nearly $400 CAD per month. Although we didn’t deduct points from a POS system for having a fee, we did give more credit to those that offer a complete solution with no monthly cost.
Additionally, small businesses may not have access to low payment processing rates (especially new businesses), so we awarded mobile POS systems that offer integrated payment processing. This accounted for 35% of our weighted scoring.
You need a mobile POS system that lets you do more than only accept payments, so we ranked solutions based on their feature sets. You should expect inventory management, at the very least, but we also considered loyalty program features, menu management and CRM features. At the very least, we wanted to make sure a mobile POS system works for either iOS or Android tablets and phones. The best mobile POS works for both operating systems.
Other features that we considered essential for a mobile POS system is that it should be able to work with both retail and restaurant operations, have built-in payment processing and integration with a multitude of third-party software programs helpful to retailers and restaurateurs.
While our reviews mention a variety of features attractive to small businesses, we maintained consistency in our ratings by looking for these specific features for each provider: self-service employee portal, HR library, new hire reporting, third-party integrations, analytics and ledger reporting. We weighted features at 35% of our total score.
Based on our market research, our panel of experts turned to popular third-party review sites to gauge customer opinion on key metrics, such as popularity, value for the money, ease of use and stand-out or detailed features. These final criteria made up 30% of the total score.
Canadian specific editing and research (including pricing) conducted by Anna Rey.
Featured Partner
1
Shopify POS
On Shopify’s Website
Pricing starts at
$7 per month for casual sellers $51 per month ($38 per year) for retail sellers
Mobile payments
Yes
Key features
Syncs with Shopify online store, smart inventory management
A POS system is a software and hardware system that businesses use to take payments, track sales, manage inventory and connect to other business systems. With its reports and analytics, business owners can also make informed decisions about their business.
The best POS system for your business depends on a variety of factors, including the type of business you have, your budget and the features you need. For many situations, it makes sense to invest in the best system you can afford and, preferably, the system can grow with your business.
A mobile POS system is a combination of your smartphone or tablet, a mobile POS app and an internet connection. It allows you to complete sales transactions away from a physical POS or your online store.
You can use your phone as a POS if you have the right software. Square and Loyverse both offer free POS software for Android and iOS operating systems, so you can try them to see what works best for you.
As it is now, you need a credit card reader to process payments with your mobile POS app, but Apple is changing that soon. Apple announced it will add “tap” functionality to its iPhone, so you can accept payments without the card reader hardware.
Amy Nichol Smith has more than 20 years experience as a journalist and editor, writing on a range of topics, including tech products and services, the gaming industry, and small business. She has been featured in Tom's Guide, L.A. Times, Business.com, Reader's Digest, and Investopedia. Her favorite tech product is a tie between her Roomba and gaming PC.
Cassie is a deputy editor, collaborating with teams around the world while living in the beautiful hills of Kentucky. She is passionate about economic development and is on the board of two non-profit organizations seeking to revitalize her former railroad town. Prior to joining the team at Forbes Advisor, Cassie was a Content Operations Manager and Copywriting Manager at Fit Small Business.