Top Six Retail POS Systems Reviewed

By Stephanie Foster 31/08/2026 2 min read 20 views

Small retail stores need a point of sale system that handles high sales volumes and keeps costs low without sacrificing daily efficiency. The six best retail POS systems for small businesses vary in pricing and features, making one ideal for a clothing shop and another suited for a grocery store. These platforms range from tablet-based solutions to touch screen hardware, offering inventory management and sales tracking to help store owners focus on core business operations.

Hardware and pricing options

Square offers a free version that charges 1.75% for chip and pin or contactless payments and 2.5% for virtual terminals. The Plus plan costs £49 per month per location and reduces the transaction fee to 1.6%. Founded in 2009 by Jack Dorsey, Square provides granular, minute-by-minute sales reports and integrates payments from cards, Apple Pay, and gift cards. Its inventory tools include barcode scanning, item search, and stock forecasting alerts, while the company sells affordable hardware like terminals and iPod stands.

Revolut POS comes free with a Revolut Business plan, which requires a business bank account starting at £10 per month. The app runs on iPhones, iPads, and Macs but only works with Revolut payment hardware. It charges 0.8% plus £0.02 for domestic Visa and Mastercard payments, plus an extra £0.08 for Tap to Pay on iPhone. Features include bill splitting, loyalty points, and analytics on store and product performance.

Transparent flat rates

Flatpay offers transparent processing fees of 1.75% for chip and pin or contactless and 2.5% for virtual terminals and invoices.

Lightspeed offers deep inventory management with reorder points and low stock alerts. The system tracks unit costs and margins across multiple locations and provides retail analytics on staff performance and customer spend. Lightspeed integrates with accounting, ecommerce, and marketing apps and offers 24/7 chat support. Customisable features include custom receipts, quick keys, and built-in inventory counting tools.

Specialized business tools

Revolut POS is a free app included as part of the Revolut Business plan that helps merchants efficiently manage their in-person sales and operations. With its built-in analytics, you can monitor and optimise your business’s performance with detailed reports on store performance, product performance and staff reports. The Revolut POS app is compatible with iPhones (running IOS 15.0 or later), iPads (running iPadOS 15.0 or newer) and Macs (running macOS 12.0 or later with an Apple M1 chip). However, it is

Choosing a retail POS system requires balancing hardware needs with monthly costs and transaction fees. A system with strong inventory management can reduce the risk of stockouts, while transparent pricing prevents unexpected monthly bills. Some providers offer on-site training, which can be valuable for new businesses learning the software. Ultimately, the right choice depends on the specific size and type of the retail operation.