- Short answer
- Yes on iPad for every USB receipt printer page we checked. On Android, seven tablets on the POS Tablet Stand connect three models directly, no Hub.
- Android without the Hub
- Seven listed tablets on the POS Tablet Stand (USB-C) connect Epson TM-m30III, Star mC-Print3 or Star TSP143IV-UEWB directly.
- Android via the Hub
- Separate list of 14 tablets, including Galaxy Tab S8/S8+; the Hub doesn't work with the POS Tablet Stand.
- What the Hub costs
- $69.00 in Shopify's US/Canada hardware store, read September 21, 2026; a separate purchase from the printer.
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or LAN
- Pages we read September 21-22, 2026 name no Hub step; over USB, TM-m30III, TSP143IVUE and TSP143IV-UEWB are Hub peripherals.
- POS Go
- Not a POS Hub peripheral: it pairs over your store's network with the tablet running Shopify POS.
Does an iPad need the POS Hub for a USB receipt printer?
Yes, on every USB printer page we checked. The pages for the Epson TM-m30III, Star mC-Print3 and Star TSP143IV-UEWB put USB on iPad through the POS Hub. For the Epson T20 or T88 series, Shopify's page for that series names two connection routes — Ethernet, or USB with the POS Hub — and no third:
The printers work with iPad, iPhone, and Android devices through Ethernet connections, and through USB connections with the POS Hub.
Shopify's pages don't line up here: the POS Hub page's own list of seven receipt printers, including the mC-Print3 and TM-m30III, leaves out the T20 and T88.
A printer connected over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or LAN removes the Hub question. Shopify's supported receipt printers page lists the Star TSP143IIIBI2 (Bluetooth), TSP143IIIW (Wi-Fi), TSP143IIILAN and TSP143IV UE (LAN), TSP143IV-UEWB (Bluetooth, LAN or Wi-Fi, per its setup page) and the Epson TM-m30III (Bluetooth, LAN or USB).
None of the Shopify pages we read on September 21-22, 2026 — the POS Hub page, the T20/T88 page, the printer pages above, shopify.com/pos and the supported-hardware pages for receipt printers, barcode scanners, card readers, cash drawers and device stands — makes the Hub a requirement for these models over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or LAN.
The Shopify POS Hub is a USB hub: it connects multiple USB devices to your POS device by wire instead of Bluetooth. Its Ethernet port provides wired internet to your tablet and "isn't a peripheral port" — an Ethernet printer does not plug into the Hub.
On iPad the Hub requires iPadOS 18 or higher (iPadOS 26 or higher recommended). The POS Hub page lists 18 compatible iPads, including the iPad 8th generation, iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) and iPad Air 13-inch (M3).
For a printer from a previous till, see which of an old till's printers and drawers carry over.
Which Android tablets connect a USB printer without the Hub?
Seven do. Shopify's USB support page for Android sets the condition — "If you have a compatible tablet and are using the POS Tablet Stand (USB-C), then you can use supported USB hardware." — and marks seven tablets as supported: Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2020), Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022), Galaxy Tab S7 FE (2021), Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Galaxy Tab A, Lenovo Tab M10 and Google Pixel Tablet. Since August 27, 2025, that stand is no longer sold in the Shopify Hardware Store, though it is still supported.
The receipt printers on that page's supported USB hardware list are three: the Epson TM-m30III, the Star Micronics mC-Print3 and the Star Micronics TSP143IV-UEWB. The Epson T20/T88 is not among them, so on Android too its listed USB route is the Hub. Shopify's TM-m30II page, outside that list, says you can "connect directly to Android devices", no stand named.
Four tablets on the same page are marked not supported for direct USB: the Samsung S8, Samsung S8+, Galaxy Tab S7+ (2020) and Galaxy Tab A9+ — for those, see the Hub list below.
Which Android tablets use the POS Hub, and what does it cost?
Fourteen Samsung tablets, in the table below, and the Hub itself is a separate purchase: the Shopify POS Hub is $69.00 in Shopify's US/Canada hardware store, read September 21, 2026. Shopify keeps two Android lists, and the POS Hub page says of the direct-USB page above:
That list applies to direct USB connections and doesn't affect which tablets work with the Shopify POS Hub.
Android tablets on Shopify's POS Hub list
| Samsung tablet (as listed) | Direct USB without the Hub (POS Tablet Stand)? |
|---|---|
| Galaxy Tab A8 (2020) | Unclear: page lists Galaxy Tab A |
| Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2020) | Yes |
| Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2022) | Yes |
| Galaxy Tab S7 (2020) | Not listed |
| Galaxy Tab S7+ (2020) | No |
| Galaxy Tab S7 FE (2021) | Yes |
| Galaxy Tab S8 | No |
| Galaxy Tab S8+ | No |
| Galaxy Tab A9+ (2023) | No |
| Galaxy Tab S9 (2023) | Not listed |
| Galaxy Tab S9+ (2023) | Not listed |
| Galaxy Tab S9 FE (2023) | Yes |
| Galaxy Tab S9 FE+ (2023) | Not listed |
| Galaxy A9+ (2023) | Not listed |
Shopify Help Center — Shopify POS Hub and Shopify POS USB support on Android, both read September 21, 2026.
The POS Hub page lists 14 Android tablets, including all four No rows, such as the Galaxy Tab S8 and S8+.
Without a compatible tablet, the direct-USB page allows "a third-party stand and an external USB hub"; with a compatible third-party stand, it also allows the POS Hub. Not listed means that page omits the tablet; Unclear marks the A8, as that page lists a generic Galaxy Tab A. The POS Hub page prints both Galaxy Tab A9+ (2023) and Galaxy A9+ (2023); the table keeps both.
The Hub connects receipt printers, card readers, barcode scanners and USB keyboards directly; a cash drawer plugs into a compatible receipt printer, which then connects to the Hub.
$69.00 is the US/Canada listing; on the product page, the hardware store's home page and the POS Hub help page, read September 21, 2026, we found no price or availability statement for other regions.
One more constraint: the POS Hub "doesn't work with the Shopify POS Tablet Stand". On Android, Shopify allows the Hub with a compatible third-party POS stand instead.
What about POS Go?
POS Go sits outside this question, and Shopify's POS Hub page says so directly:
POS Go isn't a Shopify POS Hub peripheral. POS Go pairs over your store's network with the tablet that's running Shopify POS. It doesn't connect to the Shopify POS Hub for power or data.
So the Hub decision belongs to the tablet POS Go pairs with — an iPad under the first section, an Android tablet under the two above.
This article was written entirely by AI under human editorial direction. The editor sets the topic and structure, runs multi-stage validation on facts, links, and interactive elements, and verifies the output is useful from a business perspective. All claims are checked against official Shopify sources. Details may change — always confirm critical data at shopify.com.
Editorial Policy