Small Business Field

Core operating stack · Point of sale

POS systems for small business: from one card reader to several locations

Researched and written by SmallBusinessField Editorial · T1 · sources checked

Short answer. A single seller at markets or appointments can start with SumUp or Square’s free plan on a phone. A shop or café with a counter and a few staff should compare Square, Clover and, for restaurants, Toast. Once you run several locations or a large catalogue, Lightspeed Retail and Square’s multi-location support are built for it; Shopify POS fits if your online store is the centre of the business.

Pick by the size of your business

Just you

One person taking card payments

SumUp

SumUp’s Standard plan has no monthly fee and works with a small reader.

2–10 people

A shop or café with a counter

Square POS

Square’s free plan includes full POS, inventory and an online store, and Square says Free subscribers can add locations at no extra cost.

2–10 people

A restaurant with table service

Toast

Toast’s Starter Kit is aimed at single-location restaurants with one or two terminals.

11–50 people

Several stores or a large catalogue

Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail handles transfers between stores, purchase orders and reorder thresholds.

The options, and what each one costs you in effort

One person, no monthly fee

SumUp

Light setupFree planJust you · 2–10 people

Standard plan with no monthly fee, a small card reader and the SumUp app; POS Plus adds fuller features.

You give up: Fuller POS features need POS Plus.

When you grow: Standard ($0/month) → POS Plus.

Most small shops and cafés

Square POS

Light setupFree planJust you · 2–10 people · 11–50 people

Free plan with full POS, inventory, an online store in sync and multiple locations; hardware is a one-time purchase.

You give up: Advanced reporting and team management need paid plans.

When you grow: Free → Plus/Premium for advanced reporting and team features, per location.

Online store first, shop second

Shopify POS

Light setupFree trialJust you · 2–10 people · 11–50 people

Base POS comes with any paid Shopify plan and shares inventory with the online store; POS Pro adds staff and inventory tools per location.

You give up: Runs on iOS and Android devices only, and POS Pro is charged per location.

When you grow: Base POS on any paid Shopify plan → POS Pro per location.

Counter service with dedicated hardware

Clover

Some setupNot stated2–10 people · 11–50 people

Software plans for services, retail and restaurants with a range of Clover devices.

You give up: Clover devices cannot be used with other payment processors.

When you grow: Essentials → Register (retail) or Counter/Table Service (restaurants).

Restaurants only

Toast

Some setupNot stated2–10 people · 11–50 people

Starter Kit with free setup support for small restaurants; higher plans add online ordering, payroll and inventory.

You give up: Restaurant-only, and pay-as-you-go processing on the Starter Kit carries a higher rate.

When you grow: Starter Kit → Point of Sale → custom add-ons (online ordering, payroll, inventory).

Multi-store retail

Lightspeed Retail

Plan a projectFree trial2–10 people · 11–50 people · 51–250 people

Built for retailers with real catalogues: transfers, ordering for any location and suggested orders from thresholds.

You give up: More setup, and linked stores keep separate inventory per store.

When you grow: Single store → linked stores with transfers and suggested orders.

Worksheet

ProductSmallest practical teamSetupUsersLocationsTry firstPricing modelData out
SumUp1 person taking card paymentsLight setup: Buy a reader, use the app; fuller POS features on POS Plus.BasicNot statedFree planPer transactionTransaction exports
Square POS1 person with a phone or tabletLight setup: Download the app and start selling; hardware is a one-time purchase.Team management on paid plansYesFree planPer transactionSales and item exports
Shopify POSAn online store adding in-person salesLight setup: Included with paid Shopify plans; POS Pro adds staff and inventory tools per location.Staff roles with POS ProHigher plansFree trialPlan tiersShopify admin exports
CloverA shop with a counterSome setup: Choose a software plan and a hardware bundle; devices are tied to Clover processing.By planYesNot statedHardware + softwareReporting exports
ToastA single-location restaurantSome setup: Starter Kit with free setup and installation support; restaurant-only.By planHigher plansNot statedHardware + softwareReport exports
Lightspeed RetailA store with a real cataloguePlan a project: Catalogue, suppliers and reorder thresholds to configure; linked stores keep separate inventory.By planYesFree trialPlan tiersReport exports

“Not stated” means the vendor pages we checked do not say, not that the feature is missing. Check current prices on each vendor’s pricing page.

Signs you are outgrowing your current setup

  • Stock counts across locations disagree and you reconcile them by hand.
  • You need staff permissions and time tracking at the register.
  • Online and in-store sales are tracked in separate systems.

How size changes the decision

A solo seller needs the lowest fixed cost and fast setup. A shop with staff needs permissions, shift handover and inventory that stays right. Several locations need stock transfers and one view of sales. Restaurants are their own category because of tables, courses and kitchen tickets.

Hardware and processing

Most small-business POS costs come from card processing, not software. Check whether the hardware works only with that vendor’s processing (Clover’s does) and what the rate is for card-not-present payments if you also take orders by phone or online.

Exact prices change often; check each vendor’s pricing page.

Sources

SourceUsed forChecked
SumUpSumUp: plans and readers
SquareSquare POS: free plan, multi-location
SquareSquare POS: plans, locations
ShopifyShopify POS: base POS vs POS Pro
CloverClover: plans, processing, hardware lock-in
ToastToast: plans and Starter Kit
LightspeedLightspeed Retail: product
LightspeedLightspeed Retail: multi-store behaviour

More size guides