Point of Sale software typically costs between $29-100 per month for small businesses with one register, while larger businesses and franchises will likely have to multiply that figure by the number of additional registers needed. Combine this with the initial cost of hardware, and POS systems can easily cost users between $1200 and $6500 for the first year, and $600 to $1200 for each subsequent year.
Granted, this is a broad range. There are loads of quality POS suppliers on the market, some of whom offer free services. Others charge per transaction or may do it on a business-by-business basis, instead. Our experts have spent hundreds of hours researching the POS market to make your choice as easy as possible. We provide all the information you need upfront to help you compare and contrast providers before making your decision.
What's more, you can even use our quick and easy price quote comparison tool which will allow you to collect bespoke prices from all the leading providers on the market.
POS Costs by Provider
To give you an idea of how much POS costs, here's a side by side comparison of some industry-leading Point of Sale system providers. (All prices correct as of March 2023)
Best small business POS for Tech.co's verdict to help you identify the most suitable choice for your small business | Price from The typical lowest starting price. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs. | Additional costs Any additional costs you'll need to pay to get started | User limit | Get started | ||||||
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SPONSORED | BEST OVERALL | |||||||||
Toast | Square POS | Zettle POS | Talech POS | Clover POS | Lightspeed | SpotOn POS | Vend POS | Epos Now | TouchBistro POS | Shopify POS |
Android hardware | Best overall small businesses POS | Great value for money | Best small business growth features | Great customer loyalty app | Best for large businesses | Most customizable POS system | Best for employee tracking | Best for a quick initial set up | Best for hospitality staff | Best for ecommerce |
Free (but transaction fees apply) | Free (but transaction fees apply) | Free (but transaction fees apply) | $29/user/month | $15 per month | ||||||
Hardware costs $899+ | Marketing, customer loyalty, and employee management features all cost extra | First card reader costs $29, and Zettle docking station costs $49 | Two-hour training package costs $199 | Accounting integrations cost $19.95 per month | $29 per additional register per month | $65 per month for loyalty features, $65 per month for website building tools | Extra registers cost $49 per month | Single training costs $175 or $35 per month for unlimited sessions | Reservations cost $229 per month, online ordering costs $50 per month | Shopify POS Pro is available for $89 per location, per month |
Unlimited user limit | Unlimited — but each till requires a new license | Unlimited user limit | Unlimited devices on each plan | Unlimited — but each till requires a new license | User limit depends on plan | Unlimited user limit | 1 (Lean) or Unlimited (Standard/Advanced) | Single user per license across all plans | 1 (Solo), 2 (Dual), 5 (Team) | Single user per license across all plans |
How Much Does a POS System Cost?
POS systems tend to cost anywhere from $29 to $100 per month for one register. However, the price of a POS system depends on a multitude of factors including your business's unique requirements, the industry you operate within, and your chosen POS provider.
The initial cost of hardware can bump up POS prices too, with the average terminal costing anywhere between $120 to $1,000 and accessories like a cash drawer and barcode scanners setting businesses back anywhere between $50 and $300 per item.
For businesses looking to keep overheads as low as possible free versions, like Square and Zettle, are available too. However, businesses on free tiers typically need to pay higher transaction fees on each sale.
Expert Tip
When purchasing a POS system, remember that some providers charge additional fees for access to specific integrations. This could end up making one of the options you're considering significantly more expensive than another, despite similar base-level costs – so it's a good thing to keep in mind!
How Much are POS Credit Card Processing Fees?
Card processing fees cost anywhere between 1.5% to 3.5% per transaction, depending on a number of factors including your payment plan, POS provider, and the credit card used to make the payment.
If you're interested in learning more about how these rates vary, read our credit card processing fees summary to learn more.
Free vs Paid POS Systems
Paid POS systems
Paid POS systems can cost anywhere from $29 to $100+ a month, depending on your software and hardware needs. However, for businesses looking for a more stripped solution, cheaper plans are available for as little as $15 per month. What's more, lots of plans don’t feature user caps, meaning licensed tills can often be used by an unlimited amount of workers.
While paid monthly plans vary from provider to provider, they are often available at escalating price points, from basic through to bespoke. Below is an example of a typical paid POS pricing plan.
Plan | Price | Benefits | |
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Pay-as-you-go Starter | Essentials | Point of Sale | Custom |
$165 per month | $69 per month | Bespoke | |
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You can learn more about Toast’s pricing model here.
Free POS systems
The pricing structure of free POS systems works slightly differently. Free point of sale software is typically free to install, and charges businesses per transaction instead of monthly. To understand how a typical free plan works, let's take a look at Square. Square is an all-around point of service system with an excellent free plan. In fact, our research suggests it's one of the best free software providers on the market.
Users of Square's free plan are subjected to the following transaction fees:
- 2.6% + 10¢ for all card-based transactions
- 3.5% + 15¢ for manual keyed-in sales
For smaller and growing businesses, free plans can be a very cost-effective option. Yet, for businesses that manage a large number of sales, the costs of these transaction fees can accumulate fast.
Also, while POS software can be free, providers often expect businesses to cover the cost of hardware. Depending on your provider and the size of your business, these costs can considerably hike up the overall cost of the POS. Large businesses running over multiple venues may need to pay up to $10,000 upfront for hardware devices, whereas smaller businesses can often set themselves up for under $500.
In Square's case, you can get your first mobile card reader for free, but prices escalate after this, for example an iPad stand (first gen) with card reader is $129, while a full Square register and terminal kit is $1329.
Businesses are also commonly caught out by setup and training fees. These are the costs associated with setting up your POS and training you and your staff, and they vary from provider to provider. Free and paid point-of-service systems are both known to request these fees so it's always advised to read the small print before moving forwards with a solution.
POS System Costs by Industry
As you'd imagine, different industries place different demands on their POS systems. To help you gain a more accurate overview of costs, we're going to break down how much your business should expect to pay for a POS system depending on the industry it's in.
If it's quick, tailored quotes you're after, you can also use our restaurant POS comparison tool or our retail POS comparison tool to narrow down prices in a flash.
Retail POS system costs
Looking for a general estimate of how much a POS system could cost your store? Read our retail POS pricing summary below:
- Small retail stores can expect to pay $15-$100 per month for a system with a single cash register.
- Large retail stores with multiple registers can expect to pay anywhere between $100 and $300 per month.
- Free plans are available from Square and Zettle, although they charge businesses anywhere from 2.6% + 10 ¢ to 2.9% + 9¢ per sale.
- Retail POS hardware can be bought separately, with barcode scanners costing up to $70 and card scanners costing up to $299.
- Businesses can opt for retail-friendly integrations like e-commerce and advanced inventory features, but these can cost up to $249 per month.
Check out our guide to the best retail POS systems to learn more about our top picks for stores and their various price points.
Restaurant POS system costs
If you're after a new POS system for your hospitality or food business, here are some pricing estimates to know:
- Small vendors like food trucks and stalls can expect to pay anywhere from $29 to $100 per month for a single terminal.
- Full-service restaurants with multiple terminals can expect to pay anywhere between $100 to $300 per month.
- As for retail businesses, free plans are available from Square and Zettle, but they charge vendors anywhere from 2.6% + 10 ¢ to 2.9% + 9¢ per sale.
- If food businesses want to purchase extra hardware items like kitchen displays, and self-service kiosks, these can cost up to $100 and $600 respectively.
- Additional integrations like delivery and take-out options are available, but they can cost up to $350 extra per month.
Still undecided on a restaurant POS system? See our full ranking of the best POS systems for restaurants here and our list of the best POS systems for bars here.
POS System Cost Factors
Not all POS systems are equal. Even the best POS systems might not be quite right for your unique needs. Here's a checklist to help you think about which one you'll want.
- Size of your business — This has a major impact on the price of your POS. Each additional register or location will cost extra under most POS software plans. A tiny market stall or mall kiosk with no plans to expand, meanwhile, might not even need to pay at all, thanks to the free options available. Some providers are well-suited to franchise businesses, as well.
- The number of products you sell — Some providers let you sell an unlimited number of products (or have an unlimited turnover) right off the bat. However, some providers will give you a maximum number of products to list and/or sell depending on the pricing plan you choose.
- Amount of features — Perhaps the least surprising cost factor is the sheer amount of features a POS system has to offer. After all, it only makes sense that a more comprehensive, useful system would cost more. If you're unsure which features will be essential to your business, you can read more about the best ones over here.
- Quality of features — While most POS systems offer an analytics feature that displays data, some are more complex than others. A more pricey POS might offer more detailed data-crunching options that can help streamline a large business's operations.
- Type of industry — Restaurants and retail are the biggest industries with their own types of POS systems, but plenty of niche industries have specialized POS systems that address their specific needs, from pizza delivery tracking to table layouts.
- Potential for expansion — What's the five-year plan for your business? If you aim to open a new location, you should take into account how much more your POS vendor of choice might charge you. You can always migrate to a new POS if you need to, but picking one that will best suit your growing company can save you time and effort down the road.
- Hardware — Some POS providers work with all manner of third-party peripherals from receipt printers to iPads. However, other providers' platforms only work with the company's own hardware — make sure you know where your provider stands before committing.
Price range | Essential? | Good to know | |||
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| | | | | |
Terminal | Cash Drawer | Card Reader | Barcode Scanner | Kitchen Display System | Customer-Facing Display |
$120-1,000 | $50-200 | $30-299 | $30-70 | $30-100 | $200-600 |
| | | | | |
Terminals are the hub of your on-site POS system and can become hugely expensive depending on the accessories built-in | Features such as automatic opening and integrated receipt printers can make cash drawers more expensive | Contactless card readers come cheap but if you need to enter prices, PIN numbers, or swipe cards, you'll need to pay more | Essential for retail businesses but can also be handy for some restaurants | They can bring huge efficiencies for restaurants but paper tickets still work well | Can be really helpful for fast-service restaurants and cafes but it's more of a nice-to-have |
You'd be forgiven for thinking that modern businesses don't need to bother with cash drawers — everyone has cards. However, while cash drawers can seem an expensive outlay, you need only make a few transactions before they start to recoup their costs — plus it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Moreover, lots of POS systems also rely on iPads, rather than monitors. These cost between $329 to $599 depending on whether you want a cheaper, smaller iPad Mini or a more expensive iPad Air, or even an iPad Pro. Businesses should also note that not all POS systems require an iPad, some are also compatible with other tablet devices.
Verdict: How Much Does a POS System Cost?
Retail businesses can get started with a new POS system, including software and hardware for as little as $579 — with most of that cost being the one-off hardware expenses.
Restaurant businesses, meanwhile, can get a fully-featured POS system with new hardware from just $559 — again, with most of the cost being hardware.
Of course, both businesses could shrink those costs significantly by eschewing the monthly software fees with Square POS. With its transaction fee-only model, you'll only start paying for the service when you start making money. What's more, Square is perfect for almost all businesses — regardless of whether they're in the retail or hospitality sectors.
However, you could save a not inconsiderable sum of money by getting bespoke quotes from the leading POS providers on the market, regardless of which industry you're in. Our quick and easy quotes comparison tool will provide you with obligation-free quotes from all the providers on this page (and a few more) in just a couple of minutes.
POS System Costs: Frequently Asked Questions
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