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Start comparing Point of Sale (POS) systems and you'll notice that their cost varies dramatically. POS software typically costs between $15 to $100 per month for small businesses with one device, while larger businesses and franchises will likely have to multiply that figure by the number of additional registers needed. Additional POS hardware will bump up this price significantly, with the average price of equipment ranging from $1200 and $6500 for the first year, and $600 to $1200 for each subsequent year.
Pricing structures for the best POS systems vary wildly from provider to provider, too, with some providing free services that only charge fees per transaction, and some offering combined hardware and software monthly subscriptions. To help you understand what you can expect to pay for a system, we've compiled this comprehensive POS pricing guide, using insights gleaned from our diligent team of POS researchers.
Read on to learn more about the price of POS software, hardware, processing fees, and more. Or, 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 July 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 | Transaction fees from The lowest possible fee that will be incurred with each transaction. | User limit | Get started | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SPONSORED  | BEST OVERALL  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Square POS | Zettle POS | Talech POS | Clover POS | Lightspeed | SpotOn POS | ||
| Best for onboarding new staff quickly | Best overall small businesses POS | Great value for money | Best for onboarding | Best small business growth features | Best for customer retention | Best for inventory management | Most customizable POS system |
| Free (but transaction fees apply) | Free (but transaction fees apply) | Free (but transaction fees apply) | $29/user/month | $15 per month | |||
| Additional terminals cost $50 per month | Marketing, customer loyalty, and employee management features all cost extra | First card reader costs $29, and Zettle docking station costs $49 | Hardware costs $899+ | 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 |
| Available on request |
| 2.29% + 9¢ | 2.49% + 15¢ | Available on request | 2.3% | 2.6% + 10¢ | Dependent on third-party payment processor |
| Unlimited user limit | Unlimited — but each till requires a new license | Unlimited user limit | Unlimited user limit | Unlimited devices on each plan | Unlimited — but each till requires a new license | User limit depends on plan | Unlimited user limit |
| Visit Lavu | Visit Square | Compare Prices | Compare Prices | Compare prices | Compare Prices | Visit Lightspeed | Compare Prices |
How Much Does a POS System Cost?
The price of a POS system can be broken down into two main components: POS software and hardware.
- POS software – POS software can range in price from $15 to $100 per month for one register, but the exact cost will depend on a number of factors, including the features you need, the size of your business, and the POS provider you choose.
- POS hardware – Unless you're relying on a simple smartphone or tablet setup, the initial cost of hardware can also add to the overall price of a POS system. The average terminal costs $120 to $1,000, and accessories like cash drawers and barcode scanners can cost $50 to $300 each.
Software and hardware can be bought separately and can also often be sold in bundles – making it easy for sellers to start from scratch. Every POS provider operates slightly differently though, so it's best to do your research before committing.
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!
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.
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.
| Price range | Essential? | Good to know | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |  |  |
| 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, 81% of US customers still carry cash, and you need only make a few transactions before they start to recoup their costs.
Moreover, lots of POS systems also rely on iPads, rather than monitors. These cost between $329 to $799 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.
Read our guide to the best iPad POS apps to find out which options are at the top of their game.
Free vs Paid POS Systems
Not sure whether you should be considering free or paid POS systems? We explore their differences, below.
Paid POS systems
Paid POS systems can cost anywhere from $15 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 Toast's pricing plans side-by-side, to offer an example of a typical paid POS pricing plan.
| Plan | Price | Benefits | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | | | |
| Quick Start Bundle | Growth | Core | Build Your Own |
| $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 $149, while a full Square terminal and Restaurant station costs $1389.
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.
What Determines the Price You'll Pay for a POS?
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 free POS software. 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 capabilities will be essential to your business, you can read about some must-have POS features 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.
Why Trust Tech.co?
If you've not visited Tech.co before, you might be unfamiliar with our content and processes, so let us reassure you that you're in safe hands, with a little more information about our research process and approach to writing business advice guides.
The cost information provided on this page is based on hundreds of hours of research and years of familiarity with Point of Sale systems. POS costs are one factor in our extensive analysis process, which we re-run regularly, to help us determine provider value alongside features and more.
You can find our POS provider scores and ratings on pages such as our guide to the Best POS Systems for Small Business or our industry POS guides, such as on the Best Retail POS Systems or Best Restaurant POS Systems.
How we review and score POS providers
We take our impartial research and analysis seriously, so you can have complete confidence that we're giving you the clearest, most useful recommendations.
After conducting an initial exploration to identify the most relevant, popular, and established Point of Sale (POS) platforms on the market, we put them through their paces with hands-on testing to see their real strengths and weaknesses. In this case, we put 16 POS systems to the test across 61 areas of investigation.
Based on years of market and user needs research, we've established a Point of Sale system testing methodology that scores each product in eight main categories of investigation and 45 subcategories; this covers everything from core till functionality to cost, usability, the help and support on offer, and much more.
Our main testing categories for POS systems are:
Till: the core functionality of the POS system which includes the processing of sales transactions. It involves features such as item scanning, item look-up, and price calculation.
Business Management: the features and tools provided by the POS system to support various aspects of running a business, such as employee management, shift scheduling, and customer management.
Stock Management: the POS system's capabilities to manage inventory and track stock levels including inventory tracking, stock alerts and transfers, and purchase order management.
Business Development: the features and tools provided by the POS system to help businesses grow and improve their operations, e.g. customer relationship management, marketing integrations, and sales forecasting.
Usability: how easily and intuitively the POS system can be used by the staff, including the user interface design, navigation, ease of training, and overall user experience during setup.
Price: the cost associated with acquiring and using the POS system, such as the initial purchase cost, licensing fees, subscription plans, and any additional charges or ongoing costs.
Help and Support: the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using the POS system, including documentation, tutorials, or knowledge bases.
Features: the functionalities and capabilities provided by the POS product. This can include dedicated restaurant and retail functionality including KDS, loyalty management and multi employee login.
When it comes to calculating a product's final score, not all testing areas are weighted evenly, as we know some aspects matter more to our readers than others, which are merely "nice to have." After hundreds of hours, our process is complete, and the results should ensure you can find the best solution for your needs.
At Tech.co, we have a number of full time in-house researchers who re-run this testing process regularly to ensure our results remain reflective of the present day.
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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