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Top 5 POS Systems for Phones: A Comprehensive Review

September 01, 2024
Written and researched by experts at AvadaLearn more about our methodology

By Sam Nguyen

CEO Avada Commerce

In this article, you will discover the top 5 POS systems for mobile phones on the market.

Key Takeaways

Mobile POS systems such as Shopify POS, Square POS, Toast, Vend, and Paypal Zettle provide businesses with the flexibility, convenience, and functionality needed to manage their operations and accept payments on the go. Shopify POS is ideal for businesses of all sizes. It works on Android and iOS devices, offers omnichannel selling features, and includes high-quality hardware.

Top 5 Mobile POS Systems

Here is our detailed evaluation of the 5 best mobile POS systems you should consider.

Shopify POS

Shopify POS stands out as the top choice on this list, offering a mobile-friendly interface for phone-based POS operations.

Pricing

  • Software fees: Start at $0/month
  • Hardware fees: From $39 to $399
  • Processing fees: Start at 2.4% + 0¢

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Free to get started
  • Available for iOS and Android phones
  • Options to purchase or rent first-party hardware
  • In-house payment gateway with no transaction fees
  • Ability to customize
  • Need a Shopify plan
  • Limited offline functionality
  • No free hardware

Why we choose Shopify POS as one of the best mobile POS

Seamless Online Store Integration

The Shopify POS app offers seamless integration between your brick-and-mortar and online stores. The synchronization allows you to manage every aspect of your stores from your mobile device no matter where you are. Additionally, you can customize the POS interface on your phone according to your preferences, ensuring a speedy payment processing experience.

High-quality hardware

You can find all the necessary hardware to run the mobile POS effectively on the Shopify Hardware Store. All products are fully compatible with Shopify POS, and you can purchase them outright or rent them at a low price. Moreover, Shopify POS also provides a handheld device called Shopify POS Go, which has a built-in card reader and barcode scanner, making checking out, accepting payments, and managing your store more accessible than ever before.

Shopify POS works best for

  • Start-ups who start selling in-person
  • Small businesses that frequently participate in fairs and events.

Square POS

Square is another reputable option widely trusted by retailers for its excellent mobile POS capabilities.

Pricing

  • Software fees: Start at $60/month
  • Hardware fees: From $39 to $299
  • Processing fees: Start at 2.5% + 0¢

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Ability to take payment offline
  • Tap to pay available for both iPhone and Android phones
  • Free first-party hardware
  • Specific POS systems and apps for restaurant, retail, and service-based businesses
  • Square for Restaurant’s mobile POS not available on free plan
  • Loyalty program and marketing tools are add-ons with extra fees

Why we choose Square POS as one of the best mobile POS

Free to get started

Square offers a free plan that includes a magstripe reader upon signing up. In addition, Square provides its handheld device called Square Terminal, which is suitable for all types of businesses, particularly restaurants. The Square mobile POS and card reader continue to function even without an internet connection, allowing you to take orders and payments anywhere, anytime.

Tap to pay on iPhone and Android phones

Square enables you to accept contactless payments using your own devices, whether it’s an iPhone or an Android phone. As long as you have an internet or cellular connection and an NFC-enabled phone, you’re in business.

Square POS works best for

  • Businesses of all sizes, particularly those with busy operations
  • Start-ups with limited budgets

Toast

Toast is widely recognized among merchants in the restaurant industry. Its handheld kit offers an excellent mobile POS solution tailored to the specific needs of food and beverage businesses.

Pricing

  • Software fees: Start at $0/month
  • Hardware fees: From $0 to $627
  • Processing fees: Start at 2.49% + 15¢

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Restaurant-industry quality hardware
  • Free software and hardware
  • Contactless ordering and payments
  • Features cater to restaurants
  • Long-term contract
  • Limited availability: On its Android device only

Why we choose Toast as one of the best mobile POS

First-party hardware

Toast provides a unique handheld point-of-sale device, “Toast Go,” enhancing service mobility. With this specially designed device, servers can efficiently process orders and payments right at the table.

Toast Go is resilient to spills, drops, and dust, ensuring durability. It features an integrated card reader and a long-lasting battery that powers the device for 24 hours. Additionally, it accepts various payment methods, such as swipe, dip, and tap.

Free to get started

Toast offers a Pay-as-you-go plan, enabling you to kickstart your restaurant operations with zero initial costs. The payment processing fee covers all hardware costs, excluding shipping and taxes.

Toast works best for

  • Busy restaurants
  • Bars & pubs with a limited budget

Paypal Zettle

PayPal Zettle has recently introduced its all-in-one handheld mobile POS named Zettle Terminal, enabling merchants to accept payments and manage their business conveniently from anywhere.

Pricing

  • Software fees: Free
  • Hardware fees: From $29 to $199
  • Processing fees: Start at 2.29% + 9¢

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Free POS
  • First-party hardware
  • International payment processing
  • Ecommerce and accounting integrations
  • >
  • The POS app is available for both iOS and Android devices
  • Funds are initially transferred to your PayPal account
  • No offline mode
  • Must use PayPal as your payment gateway

Why we choose Paypal Zettle as one of the best mobile POS

First-party hardware

Zettle offers both ready-made store kits and standalone components. You can purchase their card reader, Zettle Reader 2, which can be used with your phone. Alternatively, you can acquire their dedicated handheld Zettle Terminal with a built-in Paypal POS app, a barcode scanner, and a card reader to accept payments anywhere.

Integration options

PayPal’s point-of-sale systems and payment gateway can be seamlessly integrated with various e-commerce platforms, enabling you to synchronize operations efficiently across multiple sales channels.

Paypal Zettle works best for

  • Merchants who use Paypal as their payment gateways
  • Retailers with multiple international stores

Vend (Lightspeed X Series)

Vend is well-known for its versatility, making it an excellent option for merchants looking to quickly set up and run their POS directly on their mobile devices.

Pricing

  • Software fees: Start at $69/month/1 location + 1 register
  • Hardware fees: From $99 to $399
  • Processing fees: Start at 2.6% + 10¢

Pros and cons

Pros Cons
  • Accessible on all devices
  • The Lightspeed X Series POS app available for iPad
  • Built-in payment gateway
  • Simplified inventory management
  • No free plan
  • Many features locked behind higher-priced tiers

Why we choose Vend ( Lightspeed X-Series) as one of the best mobile POS

It’s a web-based POS

As a browser-based point-of-sale system, Vend offers the flexibility to access it from any device with an internet connection, including iPhones, iPads, Android tablets, and smartphones. Retailers can efficiently manage their business operations and process sales through Vend’s user-friendly interface, regardless of their operating system. Moreover, Vend provides a dedicated POS app specifically designed for iPads, delivering a seamless and optimized experience for users who prefer the convenience and mobility of a tablet device.

Advanced inventory management

Vend includes their top feature, advanced inventory management, in every plan. This feature provides vendor information, purchase orders, and low-stock alerts. Additionally, you can utilize Lightspeed Payments for processing sales transactions.

Vend works best for

  • Businesses with a large inventory
  • Merchants that see a high volume of foot traffic in their physical stores.

Our Methodology

To identify the top mobile POS systems available, we conducted thorough research and considered several crucial factors, including pricing, the operating system on which the POS software runs, built-in features, and the hardware options provided. Additionally, we thoroughly examined current user reviews written by unbiased customers on popular review platforms such as G2, Capterra, and Software Advice.

Mobile POS Systems: FAQs

By using a phone-based point-of-sale (POS) system, you gain the flexibility to process transactions and manage your store from anywhere. Whether at your physical store, attending a pop-up event, or on the move, a phone-based POS allows you to stay connected and serve customers efficiently. The setup process is typically quick and hassle-free. All you need to do is download a compatible app and connect a card reader, enabling you to maximize sales opportunities with ease.

One of the significant advantages of using your phone as a POS is its cost-effectiveness. Instead of investing in traditional hardware systems, you can use the device you already own. This eliminates the need for substantial upfront costs and reduces ongoing maintenance expenses, which is helpful for small businesses or start-ups.

Yes, it is possible to use a mobile POS system to accept payments even without a physical card reader. All the POS systems mentioned above provide the functionality to accept contactless payments through Tap to Pay technology. If you don’t have a card reader, you can still receive payments by accepting digital wallet payments. Alternatively, you can opt for a mobile device with a built-in card reader, such as Shopify POS Go, Square Terminal, or Toast handheld kit. This eliminates the need to purchase a separate card reader.

Firstly, mobile POS systems utilize smartphones or tablets as the primary device for processing transactions, whereas traditional POS systems rely on dedicated hardware terminals. This distinction offers greater mobility and flexibility with mobile POS, allowing businesses to accept payments anywhere.

Secondly, mobile POS often leverages cloud-based technology, enabling real-time data syncing and remote management capabilities. Traditional POS systems typically operate on local servers and require physical on-site maintenance.

Lastly, mobile POS systems often come at a lower cost, as they eliminate the need for expensive hardware investments and offer more affordable software options.

Overall, mobile POS provides a more agile, cost-effective, and versatile solution for modern businesses.

Bottom Line

You don’t have to be restricted to the counter anymore. With these 5 mobile POS systems, you can efficiently manage your business directly from your phone, no matter where you are.


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Sam Nguyen is the CEO and founder of Avada Commerce, an e-commerce solution provider headquartered in Singapore. He is an expert on the Shopify e-commerce platform for online stores and retail point-of-sale systems. Sam loves talking about e-commerce and he aims to help over a million online businesses grow and thrive.