Best iPad POS System
The last thing you want to do is invest time and money into a POS solution that causes headaches instead of streamlining your day-to-day business operations as you expected it to.
Not to worry, we're here to help!
We're about to review the 4 top iPad POS systems, bringing you insights into each of their unique features, functions, pricing, and more.
Continue reading to find the right iPad point of sale system that will mesh perfectly with your specific needs.
Best iPad POS Systems
Square POS System
- Best for ease of use and a great all-around POS system
- Complete POS solutions with attractive POS hardware such as the Square Stand
- Free POS software with no commitment
Shopify POS System
- Best for retail businesses, particularly those with online or pop-up stores
- Full range POS hardware offered as well as hardware rental ideal for events
- POS software starts at $29 per month
Lightspeed POS System
- Most versatile POS system
- Complete POS hardware kits for the restaurant industry, retail stores, & golf clubs
- POS software starts at $39 per month
TouchBistro POS System
- Best for restaurants
- Complete restaurant POS hardware available including a kitchen display system
- POS software starts from $69 per month
The 4 Best POS Systems for iPad
Let's jump right in and take a look at the very best iPad POS systems. We'll break it down into all the need-to-know details, ensuring you find exactly what you're looking for.
Square POS System
Square offers a great all-around, easy-to-use and setup POS system suitable for iPads, as well as android devices. Multiple business types can benefit from using square, including retail stores, restaurants, mobile businesses, and online retail businesses.
POS Software
The basic POS software is free with no commitment, simply download the iPad app, and add your inventory in a few clicks.
The free POS software has a great range of features, perfect for many small businesses and online stores. Accept payments by card with the Square POS virtual terminal or online checkout, send digital receipts and invoices, manage your team, and create a customer directory.
The Plus Plan starts at $29 per month and you can upgrade or cancel it at any time. This Square POS software package has advanced functions, designed for specific types of businesses including appointment-based setups, retailers, and restaurants.
The Premium Plan lets you completely customize your point-of-sale software and is priced by quotation. All three plans include debit and credit card processing fees. Head over to Square POS system cost to learn more about pricing.
Top features of the Square POS system and iPad POS app include an inventory management tool, customer relationship management features such as the ability to run a loyalty program, reporting features that allow you to track sales, payroll and employee management functions, and marketing and social media tools.
POS Hardware
Square offers a complete POS solution. They give you a free magstripe reader so you can take card payments, so all you then need is your iPad and you are ready to process payments.
Square POS hardware is stylish and they have various setups available. There the Square Register offers an all-in-one POS system. The Square Stand offers built-in payment processing and a convenient iPad stand.
The Square Terminal lets you take card payments and is an ideal mobile POS system for the restaurant industry allowing table-side payment processing, or for mobile businesses such as food trucks.
Square offers various POS hardware kits such as the Square Stand Kit that includes a cash drawer and card reader, Square Stand restaurant station POS system, and Square Stand restaurant station with the Square Terminal.
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Shopify is one of the best POS systems for retail stores, providing a great POS solution particularly for those with a focus on online sales and/or pop-up events.
POS Software
The Shopify POS software has three main plans, Basic, Shopify, and Advanced.
All the point-of-sale system plans offer an online store with Shopify's excellent e-Commerce platform, an unlimited number of products on your inventory, 24/7 email, chat, and phone support, multiple sales channel promotion, gift card and discount options, and automated marketing features.
At $29 per month, the Basic pack allows two user accounts, basic reporting tools, and inventory management features, which is suitable for some small businesses.
The more expensive Shopify pack offers five user accounts and inventory locations as well as professional reporting POS features. The Advanced pack is suitable for retail businesses that manage multiple locations and includes fifteen user accounts.
Shopify also has alternative point-of-sale packages including a Shopify POS Starter pack for a mere $5 a month that lets you sell via messaging and social apps.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there is the expensive, $2,000 or more per month, Shopify Plus POS software pack for businesses with very high numbers of sales that offers all the top POS features.
POS Hardware
The Shopify POS system has a great selection of hardware at a variety of price points so even a small business can get kitted out easily. Get an iPad stand, card reader, and label printer for as little as a couple of hundred dollars.
If you run pop-up events or markets and don't want to fork out for the whole POS hardware setup, Shopify has the option of renting POS hardware. They offer a plethora of hardware kits including a cash register, printer, iPad stand, plus various add-ons, by quotation.
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The Lightspeed POS system offers a versatile iPad point-of-sale solution.
As one of the best mobile POS systems, it can be utilized for a variety of businesses, including golf clubs and resorts, and a huge number of different types of retail stores and eateries.
POS Software
Lightspeed Restaurant POS systems come with loads of top features perfect for all types of eateries.
Top restaurant POS features include flexible table management, contactless payment processing such as payments using QR codes, real-time sales data and reporting, and inventory tracking features.
It also has online ordering features and takes third-party integrations such as UberEats.
Lightspeed Retail POS software comes with comprehensive inventory management features, sophisticated reporting tools, customer relationship management functions, and integration with e-Commerce, accounting, and marketing iPad POS apps.
Lightspeed's golf POS systems include tee-sheet and customer management features which can be easily managed from any location on this cloud-based iPad POS system.
POS Hardware
Lightspeed Restaurant POS systems have the option of the iPad hardware kit that includes an iPad stand, cash drawer, receipt, and kitchen printer.
You can also get a plethora of individual pieces of hardware to customize your POS system such as mobile payment processing terminals, a kitchen display system, barcode scanners, iPad mobile cases, and a local server in case of internet connection failure.
Lightspeed Retail POS systems have a comparable list of POS hardware with retail-specific pieces. They offer desktop and iPad POS hardware kits that include barcode scanners, a cash drawer, and receipt printers, as well as the option to buy separate hardware add-ons like a mobile tap payment processing device.
Lightspeed Golf has four different hardware bundles available with features such as an iPad stand, label printers, cash drawer, and LCD monitor.
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- Lightspeed Restaurant POS system (one cash register included in each package)
- Lightspeed Retail POS system (one cash register included in each package)
- Lightspeed Golf POS system by quotation
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One of the best iPad POS systems for the restaurant industry, TouchBistro offers an all-in-one fully customizable iPad POS system for all types of eateries including quick-service restaurants and full-service restaurants.
POS Software
TouchBistro's basic package includes plenty of top POS features. Menu, table and floor plan management, employee management, reports and analytics, and tableside order processing are all included.
Plus, you will also get various third-party integrations such as for online ordering e.g. Ordermark, accounting e.g. QuickBooks, and payroll functions e.g. 7Shifts.
This may be enough for small businesses but for those with more complex needs, a TouchBistro iPad POS system can be fully customized with various add ones.
Opt for marketing and customer loyalty features that help bring in return customers, online ordering, and gift card functions. Their reservations feature allows you to manage bookings and capacity with ease, ideal for full-service restaurants.
POS Hardware
TouchBistro offers all the restaurant POS hardware you might need. It's one of the best iPad POS systems you can choose, which pieces of hardware that allow for a fully customized setup.
The iPad POS hardware includes items such as printers, cash registers, monitors, most up-to-date iPad models, routers, and servers.
The kitchen display system can improve order accuracy and speed up service. Minimize order errors and boost sales with customer-facing displays.
It is also possible to request a free demonstration of this iPad POS system to find out if it is something you could work with.
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The Bottom Line
Whether you're looking for customer management, built-in payment processing, customer loyalty programs, a free online store, or being able to accept payments by multiple methods, these iPad POS systems offer it all, and are the best on the market.
We recommend Square as the best option for small business owners, as they offer a free version, and your iPad can easily be set up in minutes.
Shopify has great retail POS features, while TouchBistro is ideal for restaurants.
Lightspeed is a versatile option with specialist features for a variety of businesses including retail stores, eateries, and golf clubs.
Getting POS pricing quotes can be a time-consuming process, but don't worry, we'll do the work for you! Simply fill out the questionnaire below to let us know your POS preferences and get FREE quotes based on your ideal setup.
Tim Postlethwaite
Contributing Author