Shopify POS for Retail 2026: Hardware, Fees & Omnichannel

The short version

The in-person selling features included with every paid Shopify plan (still called POS Lite on some Shopify help pages) let you start selling in person with just a $49 Tap & Chip Reader (US only) and your existing iPad.

POS Pro costs $89 per location per month and adds omnichannel fulfillment, advanced inventory, staff management and exchanges, which a permanent retail location needs.

In-person card rates start at 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic and drop to 2.4% + 10¢ on Advanced, and you must use Shopify Payments to get them.

Retailers with 4+ stores should evaluate Shopify Plus, which covers the first 20 POS Pro locations at no additional POS subscription cost.

Updated since publication · 4 changes

October 11, 2026Shopify's printed-receipts help page now puts the visual editor on every POS plan
On August 11, 2026, Shopify announced a new printed-receipt editor, and its printed-receipts help page now says the visual editor is available on all Shopify POS subscription plans; that page used to carry a POS Pro plan requirement. Shopify's POS subscription comparison table still marks custom printed receipts as a POS Pro feature, so its own pages disagree. The Lite vs Pro table on this page now follows the printed-receipts help page: the visual editor on both tiers, with automatic printing and options for how many copies print on POS Pro.
Jump to the updated section
October 11, 2026Running stock counts in the POS app now needs POS Pro
On September 28, 2026, Shopify announced stock counts in the Shopify POS app and said running them requires POS Pro and Shopify POS 11.16 or later; its help page now lists inventory stock counts as a POS Pro feature, while Quick count stays available without Pro. The Unified Inventory card and the Lite vs Pro table on this page now say so.
October 10, 2026POS Pro staff can now create local delivery orders at checkout
On September 28, 2026, Shopify announced that staff on POS Pro can create local delivery orders at checkout in Shopify POS, so a customer who can't take an item home can arrange delivery in the same sale. It needs Shopify POS 11.16 or later and local delivery set up for the location. The omnichannel section now covers this, and its note on POS Pro now separates offering pickup at checkout from handling pickup orders in the POS app.
Jump to the updated section
September 25, 2026A published Plus in-person rate, Stocky's shutdown and new OS requirements
Shopify's pricing page now prints the Plus in-person card rate, 2.3% + 10¢, instead of leaving Plus rates to negotiation. Stocky, the inventory app included with POS Pro that forecast stock needs and suggested purchase orders, is no longer available after August 31, 2026; purchase orders now live in the Shopify admin. Shopify also lists a $0 Agentic plan for selling in AI channels, so the free in-person features come with every paid plan. And from 2027 the POS app needs iOS 18 or Android 13, with older devices to be updated by June 6, 2027.
Jump to the updated section Source: Shopify Pricing

What Is Shopify POS?

Shopify POS (Point of Sale) is Shopify's system for selling in person. It turns your iPad, iPhone or Android device into a retail checkout system that's fully integrated with your Shopify online store, with an optional Shopify POS Terminal as a customer-facing card terminal.

Unlike standalone POS systems, Shopify POS is built on top of the Shopify platform. This means every in-person sale automatically syncs with your online store — inventory, customer data, order history, and analytics all live in one place.

Sell a product at your retail counter, and your website stock updates in real time. For a deeper look at how the Shopify platform is structured, see our complete Shopify architecture guide.

Unified Commerce

One inventory for online & in-store

2.3%–2.6%

In-person card processing rates

$49 Entry

Tap & Chip Reader price (US only)

$89/mo

POS Pro per location (optional)

Source: Shopify POS Pricing (September 2026)

Shopify POS comes in two tiers: the in-person selling features included free with every paid Shopify plan (often called POS Lite) and POS Pro at $89/mo per location. Lite covers basic in-person selling — accept payments, manage products, issue receipts. Pro unlocks advanced retail features like omnichannel fulfillment, staff management, and advanced inventory. Shopify Plus covers the first 20 POS Pro locations at no extra POS subscription cost — not every location, which is how the bundle is usually described.

Shopify POS syncs with Shopify to track your orders and inventory across your retail locations, online store, and other active sales channels. You can view and manage your store's orders from the app.

Shopify Help Center — Point of sale — official documentation · View source (help.shopify.com)

How Shopify POS Works

Shopify POS is cloud-based, not installed locally. Your entire product catalog, pricing, inventory levels, and customer profiles are managed in the Shopify admin and pushed to each POS device over the internet. This architecture provides several key benefits:

Real-time sync — sell a product in-store, and your online store inventory updates instantly. No batch syncing, no end-of-day reconciliation.
Centralized management — add a product in your admin, and it appears on every POS register. Change a price, and it updates everywhere.
Multi-location support — each location has its own inventory levels but shares the same product catalog and customer database.
Cloud backups — your data is stored on Shopify's infrastructure, not on the tablet. If a device breaks, log in on a new one and you're back in business.

Card payments taken on a Shopify card reader are processed through Shopify Payments, and Shopify states that all stores powered by Shopify are PCI compliant by default. If you don't use Shopify Payments, or you're in a region that doesn't support it, cards run on an external terminal from your own payment processor and you mark the order as paid in the Shopify POS app. For a detailed breakdown of Shopify's payment processing fees and options, see our Shopify Payments guide.

Mobile App

The Shopify POS app runs on iPads, iPhones and Android phones or tablets. Staff use it as their checkout register, product lookup, and customer management tool.

POS Terminal

Shopify's countertop payment terminal ($349 in the US) for tap, chip and swipe, with a customer-facing display. It pairs with your iPad or phone running the POS app over Wi-Fi.

Cloud Sync

All data syncs via the internet in real time. Product changes, inventory adjustments, and customer updates propagate to all channels and devices within seconds.

Secure Payments

Card payments taken on a Shopify card reader are processed through Shopify Payments, and Shopify states that all stores powered by Shopify are PCI compliant by default. Staff can also key a card in with Manual card entry, which Shopify bills at a separate in-person manual rate.

Offline card payments are deferred, not real-time

Cash and manual payments work offline for every Shopify POS user once offline checkout is on — the app can switch to it by itself, or staff with the permission turn it on. Card payments work offline only after you turn on Shopify's optional offline payments setting in the admin, on a compatible reader, with the staff permission granted — and the card is captured only when the device reconnects, so you may not learn about a decline until then. You set two ceilings yourself: a per-device daily total and a per-order limit. Swipe, Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android and manual card entry don't work offline, and offline checkout — cash and cards alike — isn't available for retail locations in France. If your location has unreliable internet, a mobile hotspot is still the better backup. Square runs a comparable deferred mode on its own terms: offline card payments upload on reconnect within 24 hours, and no later than 72 — with expired, declined or disputed offline payments landing on the merchant, not on Square.

POS Lite vs POS Pro: Full Comparison

Every merchant on a paid Shopify plan gets the included in-person selling features (POS Lite) automatically. The question is whether your retail operation needs POS Pro. If you are still weighing whether the free tier alone can carry your counter, our POS Lite guide covers what it does and where it stops. Here's the complete feature breakdown:

POS Lite vs POS Pro: Feature Comparison

Feature	POS Lite	POS Pro$89/mo	Plus (first 20 incl.)
Monthly Cost	$0 (included)	$89/mo per location	$0 for the first 20 locations
Staff Roles & Permissions	Staff PINs only	Full roles & permissions	Full roles & permissions
Inventory Management	Stock lookup and Quick count	Adds in-app tracking and adjusting, stock counts, fulfilling and receiving transfers	Same as POS Pro
Omnichannel (BOPIS) order handling in the POS app	No	Yes	Yes
Ship from Store	No	Yes	Yes
Local delivery orders in the POS app	No	Yes	Yes
Exchanges	No	Yes	Yes
Custom Printed Receipts	Visual receipt editor	Visual receipt editor, plus automatic printing and print-count options	Same as POS Pro
Crediting a sale to a chosen staff member	No (the order records the logged-in staff member)	Yes	Yes
Daily Sales Reports	No (admin reports only)	Advanced (by staff, location, product)	Advanced

Shopify's own pages disagree on printed receipts: its printed-receipts help page says the visual editor is available on all Shopify POS subscription plans, while its POS subscription comparison table still marks custom printed receipts as a POS Pro feature. A third Shopify page, on managing receipts, still lists logos, display fields such as SKUs and the barcode type under POS Pro, and a custom header and footer message for other locations. The receipt row above follows the printed-receipts help page.

When to upgrade to POS Pro: If you have a permanent retail location (not just pop-ups), employ staff who need POS roles and permissions, want to manage buy-online-pickup-in-store orders in the POS app, or need real inventory management (stock transfers, in-app tracking and adjusting) — POS Pro pays for itself in operational efficiency. At $89/mo ($2.93/day), or $67/mo per location on a 12-month term, it's a modest cost for a real retail operation. Our POS Pro guide goes through what the upgrade unlocks, feature by feature.

Where the Plus POS Pro bundle stops

If you're on Shopify Plus ($2,300+/mo), the first 20 POS Pro locations are included at no additional POS subscription cost — not every location. Past 20 the fee is waived for your first 200 retail locations only while Shopify Payments is the primary payment provider for those locations; without that condition, each location past the first 20 bills at $89/mo. Five locations with POS Pro would otherwise cost $445/mo, and that sits well inside the included tranche. See our plan selection guide for more.

Every paid plan location comes with casual in-person selling features—upgrade to POS Pro to get a more powerful, enhanced feature set.

Shopify — Plans for selling in person — POS Pricing · View source (shopify.com)

Shopify POS Hardware Guide

Shopify sells its own first-party hardware designed specifically for Shopify POS. You can also use select third-party accessories (receipt printers, barcode scanners, cash drawers) that are certified compatible.

Shopify POS Hardware & Pricing

Device	Price	Best For
Tap & Chip Reader (US only)	$49	Pop-ups, markets, mobile selling
POS Terminal	$349	Countertop checkout, full retail
iPad stand (Bouncepad Eddy)	$149	Retail counter setup
Barcode Scanner	from $209	High-volume inventory
Receipt Printer	from $289	Retail stores with printed receipts
Cash Drawer	$139	Cash-handling businesses

Source: Shopify Hardware Store (September 2026). Prices are USD for the United States and may vary by region.

Recommended Setups by Business Type

Pop-Up / Farmers Market

iPad + Tap & Chip Reader ($49, US only). Lightweight, portable, no counter needed. Total hardware: ~$49 + your existing iPad.

Single Retail Store

iPad + stand + card reader, with a POS Terminal ($349) if you want a customer-facing payment terminal. Add a barcode scanner (from $209) for high SKU counts. Total: $350–$700 plus the iPad.

Multi-Location Retail

POS Terminal at each register + barcode scanners + receipt printers. Budget $600–$1,000 per register, multiply by total registers.

Mobile Sales Team

Tap & Chip Reader ($49, US only) per sales rep + their phone/tablet. Ideal for trade shows, door-to-door, or clienteling outside the store.

**Getting Started with POS Hardware — Shopify Help Center**Official Shopify walkthrough of POS hardware options, setup process, and what each device is best for.

Key Features Deep Dive

Beyond basic checkout, Shopify POS (especially Pro) is built for omnichannel retail — blending online and in-person selling into one seamless experience. For a complete feature list, see Shopify's POS features page. Here are the features that matter most:

Unified Inventory

One inventory across all channels. Sell a product in-store, and your website updates instantly. Track stock by location, change quantities with Quick count in the POS app, and on POS Pro run stock counts that you schedule in the Shopify admin (Shopify POS 11.16 or later).

Buy Online, Pick Up In-Store

Customers buy online and pick up at your store. Orders appear in your POS app for fulfillment. Drives foot traffic and eliminates shipping costs.

Ship from Store

Fulfill online orders from your retail location. Creates shipping labels directly in the POS app. Turns your store into a fulfillment center for faster local delivery.

Staff Management

Individual PINs, role-based permissions (manager, cashier, associate), and, on POS Pro, crediting a sale to a chosen staff member. Every order records the logged-in staff member who processed it, so you can track who sold what and when across shifts.

Smart Grid

Customizable checkout screen with product tiles, shortcuts, and quick actions. Arrange your most-sold items for one-tap checkout. Configurable per location.

Exchanges & Returns

Process exchanges directly in the POS app — swap sizes, colors, or products while adjusting the price difference. Return to original payment method or store credit.

Custom Receipts

Branded printed or digital receipts with your logo, return policy, promo codes, and social links. Email or SMS receipts directly to customers.

Cash Tracking & Tipping

Track cash float and expected vs. actual drawer amounts. Configure tipping presets on the checkout screen.

Omnichannel: The Real Value of Shopify POS

The term "omnichannel" gets overused, but with Shopify POS it means something specific and valuable: your customers can start shopping on one channel and finish on another, with no friction. Here's how it works in practice:

Buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS) — customer buys on your website, picks up at your retail location. The order appears in your POS app for staff to fulfill.
Ship from store — an online order is routed to your nearest retail location for fulfillment. Staff create a shipping label in the POS app and hand off to the carrier.
Local delivery — customers buy online, and your staff delivers from the store. On POS Pro, staff prepare local delivery orders and update their delivery status in the POS app, and with Shopify POS 11.16 or later they can also create a local delivery order at checkout when a customer can't take an item home, using the delivery zones and rates already set up for your online store, once local delivery is set up for that location.
Browse in-store, buy online — if a product is out of stock at the location, staff can place an online order on behalf of the customer and ship it to their address.
Clienteling — view customer purchase history (online + in-store) during a conversation. Recommend products based on what they've bought before across all channels.

Omnichannel order handling requires POS Pro

Handling pickup, ship-from-store and local delivery orders in the POS app is a POS Pro feature. Offering in-store pickup at your online checkout does not itself need POS Pro, but POS Lite gives staff only basic in-person checkout, with no cross-channel fulfillment in the app. If omnichannel selling is your goal, budget for POS Pro at $89/mo per location.

Running a permanent store rather than an occasional register pulls in hardware, staffing, inventory and migration choices — the full brick-and-mortar retail playbook covers those end to end.

Make sales in store and ship directly to customers from anywhere you have inventory. Taxes and shipping rates are automatically calculated at checkout.

Shopify — Point of sale features — Buy in store and ship (Pro) · View source (shopify.com)

Setting Up Shopify POS: Step by Step

Setting up Shopify POS is straightforward if you already have a Shopify account. If not, start with any Shopify plan — even Basic at $39/mo includes POS Lite. Not sure which plan? See our pricing breakdown or plan selection guide. For the app itself — what each screen does and how to set it up on a phone or tablet — see our Shopify POS app guide.

Choose your Shopify plan

Any Shopify plan ($39+/mo) includes POS Lite. If you need advanced retail features, add POS Pro ($89/mo per location). Shopify Plus covers the first 20 POS Pro locations at no extra POS fee, not every location.

Download the Shopify POS app

Install the Shopify POS app on your iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet from the App Store or Google Play. Log in with your Shopify account credentials. The app syncs with your online store automatically.

Add your retail location

Go to Settings → Locations in your Shopify admin. Add your store address, set it as a POS location, and assign inventory. Each location tracks its own stock levels independently.

Connect hardware

Pair your Tap & Chip Reader over Bluetooth or USB, or connect the POS Terminal to your POS device over Wi-Fi. Test a transaction with a real card to verify connectivity. Add each device under Add hardware in the app.

Configure products, staff, and checkout

Set up your smart grid layout for quick product access. Create staff PINs (every plan; POS roles need Pro). Configure tax rates, receipt settings, tipping, and payment methods. Run a few test transactions before going live.

Test before your first real sale

Shopify's setup guide has you run a test transaction with a cash payment, because a Shopify POS card reader can't process card transactions while Shopify Payments is in test mode. Use that cash test to train staff, check your receipts and confirm your smart grid layout works for your product catalog.

**How to Set Up the Shopify Point of Sale (POS) System**Step-by-step tutorial from Shopify showing how to set up Shopify POS, including hardware pairing, product setup, and first transaction.

True Cost Analysis

The true cost of Shopify POS isn't just the POS software — it includes your Shopify plan, card processing fees, and hardware. The prices below reflect monthly billing — annual billing offers lower plan rates (e.g., Basic drops from $39 to $29/mo, Grow from $105 to $79/mo). Here's a transparent breakdown:

Annual Software Cost by Scenario

Scenario	Shopify Plan	POS Software	Annual Total
Pop-up (Basic + Lite)	$39/mo	$0	$468/yr
Single Store (Grow + Pro)	$105/mo	$89/mo	$2,328/yr
3 Locations (Advanced + Pro×3)	$399/mo	$267/mo	$7,992/yr
5 Locations (Plus, Pro included)	from $2300/mo (3-year term)	$0 (included)	from $27,600/yr

Estimates based on Shopify Pricing (September 2026). Does not include card processing fees or hardware. Plus is the starting price on a 3-year term.

Based on Shopify Pricing and POS Pricing (September 2026). Monthly billing rates. Plus is the starting price on a 3-year term.

In-Person Card Processing Rates

On Basic, Grow and Advanced, Shopify's in-person card rates are lower than online rates because card-present transactions carry less fraud risk. In-person rates start at 2.6% + 10¢ on Basic and drop to 2.4% + 10¢ on Advanced. You must use Shopify Payments to get these rates. For a full breakdown of processing fees, see our Shopify Payments guide:

In-Person Card Processing Rates by Plan

Plan	In-Person Rate	Online Rate	Savings per $10K
Basic ($39/mo)	2.6% + 10¢	2.9% + 30¢	~$30
Grow ($105/mo)	2.5% + 10¢	2.7% + 30¢	~$20
Advanced ($399/mo)	2.4% + 10¢	2.5% + 30¢	~$10
Plus ($2300+/mo)	2.3% + 10¢	from 2.25% + 30¢	−$5 (but 20¢ less per sale)

Source: Shopify Pricing (US, September 2026).

At what revenue does POS Pro pay for itself?

At $89/mo, POS Pro needs to save you roughly 3 hours of manual work per month to break even (at $30/hr). If staff currently manage inventory in spreadsheets, manually process exchanges, or lack individual accountability for sales — POS Pro's automation makes financial sense at any retail volume.

Limitations & Trade-offs

Shopify POS is excellent for omnichannel retail, but it's not without trade-offs. Before committing, review Shopify's POS documentation and consider these limitations:

Offline Mode Limitations

Cash works offline through offline checkout on every paid plan, except at retail locations in France. Card payments need Shopify's optional offline payments setting turned on in the admin, a compatible reader and the staff permission — and the card is captured only when the device reconnects, so a decline can surface hours later. Swipe, Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android and manual card entry don't work offline at all. Square runs a comparable deferred mode on its own terms: payments upload within 24 hours and no later than 72, with expired, declined or disputed offline payments landing on the merchant.

iOS or Android Only

Shopify POS runs only on iOS and Android — iPads, iPhone 7 or newer, and Android phones or tablets on Android 10.0 or higher. Shopify's hardware documentation states it is not available for laptop or desktop computers, or Amazon Fire tablets.

Limited POS-Specific Reporting

While Shopify's overall analytics are good, POS-specific reports (daily cash tracking, register reconciliation, till management) are more basic than dedicated retail POS systems like Lightspeed.

Partial Payments Carry an EU Carve-Out

Shopify POS takes partial payments natively — staff collect a first payment, mark the order partially paid, and collect the balance later using any payment method. For some EU retail locations, such as France, Italy and Spain, an order can't be marked partially paid or unpaid at checkout, and gift card purchases must be paid in full.

Hardware Availability

Shopify's first-party POS hardware (Terminal, Tap & Chip Reader) isn't available in all countries. Check Shopify's hardware store for availability in your region before committing.

Staff Roles Locked Behind Pro

Every staff member with POS access has their own PIN on any paid plan, but POS roles and permissions, POS-only staff and crediting a sale to a chosen staff member require POS Pro at $89/mo per location.

You can use Shopify POS to sell your products in person in retail stores, popups, and other locations. Shopify POS is available for only iOS and Android devices.

Shopify Help Center — Point of sale — official documentation · View source (help.shopify.com)

The honest assessment: Shopify POS is best for retailers who sell both online and in-person and want unified commerce. It's not the best standalone POS if you have zero online presence and just need a cash register replacement — Square's free tier does that with less friction. And if you need advanced till management or complex inventory workflows, Lightspeed may be a better fit.

Shopify POS vs Square vs Lightspeed

Feature	Shopify POS	Square POS	Lightspeed POS
Best For	Omnichannel retail	In-person-first sellers	Complex retail / restaurants
Base POS Software	$0 (with Shopify plan)	$0 (free tier)	$89–$289/mo billed annually ($109–$339 monthly)
Advanced POS Tier	$89/mo per location	Plus $49/mo; Premium $149/mo per location	Plus: $289/mo annually ($339 monthly)
Online Store	Full ecommerce (included)	Free (Square Online)	Built-in eCommerce (basic tier on the Basic plan)
In-Person Card Rate	2.6% + 10¢ (Basic plan)	2.6% + 15¢ (Free plan)	2.6% + 10¢
Hardware Entry Point	$49 (Tap & Chip, US only)	$0 (magstripe reader)	$79 (Mobile Tap v2 reader); $449 (Smart Terminal V2)
Inventory Management	Advanced (Pro)	Good	Excellent (built for retail)
Omnichannel (BOPIS)	Yes (handling pickup orders in the POS app needs Pro)	Limited	Yes
Offline Payments	Cash + cards (opt-in, deferred capture)	Cash + cards (limited)	Cash + cards (beta, Smart Terminal only)

Choose Shopify POS if you already sell online through Shopify or plan to. The seamless inventory, customer, and order sync between your online store and physical locations is unmatched.

Choose Square Free if you primarily sell in person, want no monthly software fee, or prefer Square's own offline card mode; Square's Plus and Premium tiers charge per location.

Choose Lightspeed if you run a complex retail operation that needs deep inventory management, vendor catalogs, and purchase order workflows — especially in specialized verticals like restaurants, golf courses, or high-SKU retail. If a chain of stores is down to Lightspeed Retail and Shopify POS Pro, our Shopify POS Pro vs Lightspeed Retail comparison for two to ten stores goes further.

This table judges the register layer only — if the real question is whether Shopify or Square should run your whole business, online store included, our Shopify vs Square guide does that platform-level math with a break-even calculator. Clover isn't in this table either; our Shopify POS vs Clover comparison sets its retail bundles and contract terms against Shopify POS.

Already on Shopify? Don't switch POS systems

If you have a Shopify online store, using Shopify POS is almost always the right call. The integration is native and seamless — no third-party sync, no middleware, no data mismatches. Using a different POS (like Square) alongside a Shopify online store creates operational complexity and inventory sync issues that aren't worth the savings.

The Bottom Line

If you already use Shopify for online selling and want to add in-person sales, Shopify POS is the obvious choice — it's built into your existing platform. If you're purely in-person with no online store, evaluate Square first.

Shopify POS's real value is omnichannel. Unified inventory, shared customer profiles, and online-offline sync are advantages no standalone POS can match.

Your Next Step by Stage

Pop-ups & marketsUse POS Lite (free)Start $1/mo trial →

Permanent retailUpgrade to POS Pro ($89/mo)Shopify POS →

Multi-location (4+)Evaluate Shopify PlusPlan comparison →

Ready to Sell In-Person with Shopify?

Start with Shopify's $1/month trial and explore POS Lite for free. Add POS Pro when you're ready for advanced retail features.

Start $1/Month Trial

Frequently Asked Questions

The in-person selling features (POS Lite) are free with every paid plan ($39–$399/mo). POS Pro costs $89/mo per location. Shopify Plus ($2300+/mo) includes the first 20 POS Pro locations and waives the fee up to 200 only while Shopify Payments is primary. Hardware is extra: Tap & Chip Reader (US only) $49, POS Terminal $349.

POS Lite, the free tier included with every paid plan, covers in-person selling: payments, products, refunds, a PIN for every staff member and stock lookup. POS Pro adds in-app inventory tracking and adjusting, stock counts and transfers, handling pickup, ship-from-store and local delivery orders in the app, exchanges, POS roles and permissions, crediting a sale to a chosen staff member, and staff and location reports.

You can use Shopify POS purely for in-person selling, but you still need a Shopify subscription ($39+/mo), because POS is an add-on to the core platform; the online store comes included even if you don't use it. Existing Starter merchants (the plan is closed to new stores) sell mainly through social and messaging links, and that plan can't add POS Pro.

To start, you need a compatible iPhone, iPad or Android phone or tablet plus either a card reader such as the $49 Tap & Chip Reader (US only) or Tap to Pay on iPhone, which needs no payment hardware in supported countries. A full counter adds a POS Terminal ($349), receipt printer (from $289), barcode scanner (from $209) and cash drawer ($139).

Partially. Cash and manual payments work offline on every paid plan through offline checkout, except at retail locations in France, and sync on reconnect. Cards work offline only with Shopify's optional offline payments setting, a compatible reader and staff permission, and are captured on reconnect, so declines surface late. Tap to Pay, swipe, manual card entry, exchanges, returns and gift cards need a connection.

In-person card rates vary by plan: Basic — 2.6% + 10¢, Grow — 2.5% + 10¢, Advanced — 2.4% + 10¢, Plus — 2.3% + 10¢. On Basic, Grow and Advanced they beat Shopify's online rates; on Plus the percentage is above the online 2.25%, but the fixed fee is 10¢, not 30¢. You need Shopify Payments to get these rates.

It depends on your business model. Shopify POS is better for omnichannel retail — if you sell both online and in-store and want unified inventory, customers, and orders across all channels. Square Free is better for in-person-first businesses that want no monthly software fee; Square Plus and Premium cost $49 and $149 per month per location. Square offers offline card processing on its own terms, while on Shopify POS it is an optional setting you activate in the admin and the card is captured only after the device reconnects. If you already have a Shopify online store, Shopify POS is the natural choice for seamless integration.

Yes. You can add multiple locations in your Shopify admin, each with its own inventory, staff, and settings. Shopify's hardware guide puts no limit on the number of POS stations per location, and POS Pro costs $89/mo per location. For 5 locations with POS Pro, that's $445/mo just for POS software, plus your Shopify subscription.

Yes. Offering in-store pickup at your online checkout needs a location that fulfills online orders and the latest version of checkout, not POS Pro. POS Pro (89/mo per location) is what lets staff handle pickup orders in the Shopify POS app: the order appears there for fulfillment, and staff mark it ready and notify the customer.

Every paid plan can look up stock and change quantities with Quick count in the POS app. POS Pro adds in-app inventory tracking and adjusting, and fulfilling and receiving stock transfers. Purchase orders live in the Shopify admin, and low-stock alerts need Shopify Flow or an inventory alert app. All inventory changes sync in real time across your online store and all POS locations.

Without POS Pro you can process full or partial refunds, to the original payment or, once you turn on the channel setting, to store credit, for returns at the original purchase location. POS Pro adds exchanges, including exchanges paid with store credit, and returns at any location. All returns and exchanges sync with your Shopify admin and update inventory accordingly.

Shopify POS runs on iPad (generation 5+), iPad Air (generation 2+), iPad mini (generation 4+) and all iPad Pro models on iPadOS 15.1+, on iPhone 7 or newer, and on Android 10.0+. From 2027 the floor rises to iOS 18 and Android 13; older devices must be updated by June 6, 2027. Laptops, desktops and Amazon Fire tablets aren't supported.

About This Article

Alexander Matynian

Editorial direction

Shopify Developer & Editorial Director

9+ years with Shopify since 2017

Front-end developer specializing in Shopify since 2017. Experienced in building custom Liquid themes, optimizing storefront performance, and integrating third-party apps. Directs the editorial process behind Ecom Store Pro: sets its topics and the rules every AI-written page must pass before publication.

Editorial Policy

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