Cannabis POS Systems
If you want to avoid fines and headaches, having a high-quality cannabis POS system is crucial.
Without a proper POS system to act as the heart of your operations, managing your inventory, employees, and orders, running your Cannabis retail shop will be more difficult to run that it needs to be.
Especially if you are not using a cannabis specific POS system.
That is why I tested and put together the 5 best POS systems built directly for the cannabis industry.
Continue reading below as we dig into which of these 5 will be best for your business.
Product Comparison Table
Header | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Price | $249 per month starting | Based on personal quotes | $399 per month starting | $449 per month starting | Based on personal quotes |
Best Features | Sync for multiple locations, METRC reporting | Integrated loyalty program, Integrated reporting, Order management | METRC Reporting, Closed-based functionality, quality inventory management | Customer relationship management, Inventory tracking | Customizable platform, Cumulative price points, online ordering features |
Compatibility | Mac & Windows, Mobile & Desktop | Mac & Windows, Mobile & Desktop | Desktop and Mobile (excluding Android); Mac & Windows | Desktop, Android, and tablets | Mobile and Desktop; Mac, Window, and Linux OS |
Support | 24/7 customer support (email, phone, live chat) | Phone and email support | Phone and email support (8 am to 8 pm) | 24/7 customer support (email, phone, live chat) | Phone and email support |
The Top Five Cannabis POS Systems
Quick Answer:
IndicaOnline - Best Dispensary POS Overall
Green Bits - Best For Cannabis Retail
Flowhub - Best For Mobile ID Verification
Cova - Best For Features
MJ Freeway - Best For Helping Businesses Stay Compliant
Our top pick for our dispensary POS solutions list is IndicaOnline.
This dispensary point of sale system is easily the most reliable point of sale system around and was built specifically for cannabis dispensaries using many years of research.
Growing cannabis is complex enough. Growing your business shouldn't be.
IndicaOnline minimizes human error with its seed-to-sale point of sale software.
Your budtenders don't have to focus so hard on manual transactions, allowing them to focus on things that truly matter, such as clients.
One thing we truly love about this dispensary POS system is that it integrates with all of the top cannabis delivery services on the market, including Potify, Leafly, and Weedmaps.
When you purchase a POS system from IndicaOnline, you get a basic hardware set, which includes a barcode scanner, a magnetic strip reader, a cash drawer, and a customer-facing display, which you can flip for customers to sign.
You can connect additional peripherals, including handheld scanners, EMV readers, and weighing scales, thanks to the expansion ports and Bluetooth capability.
As of now, the Basic plan starts out at $249 per month for those who sign an annual contract. Otherwise, you end up paying $299 per month. With the Basic plan, you get ten employee accounts and two POS system licenses.
Another cool thing about IndicaOnline is that you can integrate directly with Potify, meaning you can create a custom page for your Cannabis retail store. When syncing up with Weedmaps, you have the ability to add custom pricing and automatically sync your inventory.
For a more in-depth look at your business, you can integrate with Franwell's METRC Reporting Software to get insight into your sales and analytics.
There is no doubt that this is the best dispensary POS system out there today with quality reporting features, digital signage, and retail management.
Pro's
Con's
From compliance features like age verification to back-end features like employee management, Green Bits is our favorite cannabis retail POS.
With reliability, power, and accuracy, this cannabis retail POS can act as the heart of any cannabis retail store.
All transactions are tracked using Green Bits POS software.
Beyond that, this cannabis POS software comes with a wide variety of notable capabilities.
For starters, this point of sale system has one of the fastest-working transaction tools out there.
Being able to process transactions with speed is important as your business grows.
Processing fast transactions means you'll be able to serve more customers and your customers will leave having had a more positive experience.
The online menu capabilities are top-notch as well, as the POS software allows you to publish directly to sites like Leafly and Weedmaps, always making sure that your menus are updated. Your customers will always know what you have in stock.
The inventory management and reporting tools are of exceptional quality, perfect for maintaining compliance at all times. You'll be able to track your inventory at all times and be as flexible as possible. To view your data as precisely as possible, you can personalize how Green Bits displays all of your data.
Lastly, it is important to note that Green Bits utilizes seed-to-sale tracking to avoid reporting and inventory errors that are easy to overlook from a manual standpoint. With this point of sale software, you can always ensure that every sale sits within the boundaries of state regulation, verifying customers and validating their information along the way.
Pro's
Con's
Flowhub is a cannabis dispensary POS if we've ever seen one, focusing directly on the industry and nothing else.
Getting the kush to the customers is easier than ever with its intuitive interface, the plethora of features, and integration capabilities.
The check-in hardware is the thing that stands out to us the most about this cannabis POS system. With this mobile device in hand, you can scan customer IDs as they walk in the door.
The built-in app can then tell you whether or not the person that has just walked in is a new or existing customer.
If they are new, you know to create a customer profile for them right away.
There is a handy security flag feature on the mobile ID reader as well, allowing you to flag any customers that have been problematic in the past.
If problematic customers ever try to enter your cannabis retail store in the future, the system will flag them and let you know.
Another thing we thoroughly enjoy about this particular dispensary POS software is the app marketplace, which you can add to its long list of POS features. There are some neat functions that you don't get at the base price, so having the ability to purchase or download it separately on the marketplace is very helpful.
Even with that in mind, this cannabis retail POS system comes packed with a pretty solid list of features, so the need to download anything else might never even come up. If you're looking for a powerful solution for your cannabis business, we can't recommend anything else quite like Flowhub.
Pro's
Con's
Elevating the customer and operational experiences is the name of the game with Cova software.
This one-of-a-kind point of sale solution is the perfect option for those who need to run a modern cannabis business.
Tasks that used to be complex otherwise are now incredibly simple with the use of Cova.
Sales can be made at the store or behind the counter thanks to the fact that it is easy to access Cova on mobile phones.
With the easy-to-use POS system interface, accessing pricing information, promotional deals, inventory, and product descriptions, is simple than ever.
We love the fact that Cova POS comes with an offline feature, which allows you to access your POS system no matter if your Internet is running at full speed or isn't running at all.
There are plenty of handy inventory management tools available with Cova as well, allowing shop owners to track product sales, identify which items are selling best, and consolidate stock information from multiple channels. You can easily store all of your customer information using the searchable database within this CovaPOS software. Creating loyalty programs is easy too, thanks to the onboard programming.
With open APIs, you can easily integrate third-party software as well. Age verification is built-in so that consumers can scan their IDs to prove how old they are, effectively saving your business from getting in trouble. You can also track the quantity of what you're selling to make sure you stay within the limit of state guidelines.
As for pricing, you pay based on your store volume and the number of sales you make. We love the Cova cannabis retail POS system, especially for those who are just starting out and want to get their dispensary off the ground.
Pro's
Con's
When it comes to compliance with cannabis regulations, MJ Freeway is an industry leader.
There are thousands of dispensary locations using MJ Freeway software.
With a wonderful customer loyalty program layout to the easy-to-use inventory management system to help you track inventory, this dispensary management software has it all.
There are plenty of helpful tools that you can implement with MJ Freeway, including customer loyalty, bud-tender performance, accounting, payroll, and more.
If you have multiple locations, you'll be happy to know that the data adjusts itself if you make changes at one business location.
You'll never have to worry about performing more data entry than necessary ever again, as this point of sale system was designed specifically to keep things consolidated.
The MJ Freeway POS software has the ability to grow and adapt to your business. You can provide this cannabis retail POS software with data for your various locations and MJ will consolidate it. The POS software can even track locations in various states, helping you to stay compliant no matter how large or complex your business is.
We love the fact that MJ Freeway is designed to monitor regulations, as it helps optimize day-to-day operations. You can report early and directly with this high-quality POS software, making compliance easier than it ever has been. With more than seven years of cannabis analytics under its belt, as well as more than $10 billion in verified sales, this cannabis retail POS is a notable leader in the POS software game.
Pro's
Con's
What To Look For In Cannabis POS Systems
There is no doubt that the cannabis game is growing. As of today, there are 30 states that allow cannabis businesses to sell marijuana for medical purposes. Ten states currently allow for recreational use. Those numbers will only continue to grow over the next ten years, meaning finding the right POS solution before things explode is a good idea.
Here are some things to consider when looking at various cannabis POS systems.
Performance
Great POS systems are made to improve performance for employees. In this case, letting a budtender know what items are in stock at all times, as well as providing them with information about that stock, can be extremely helpful. Budtenders should have quick access to this kind of information, including prices, stock levels, bud conditions, descriptions, and more, in just seconds.
Compliance Features
Manufacturers of cannabis POS systems know how important staying compliant is, as cannabis dispensaries are constantly dealing with the burden of the administration every day.
Licenses are so easily revoked in the cannabis industry, which scares many people from opening up a dispensary in the first place.
A dispensary that wants to ensure compliance at all times would be smart to invest in quality point of sale software that comes with compliance reporting. Certain features, such as purchase limits or ID verification, can be extremely helpful for cannabis retailers who don't want to stress about getting in trouble.
Cloud-Based
When looking at various options for your cannabis retail business, you will have the option of working with an on-site server or a cloud-based server. Those who want to host locally will have to set up a server and run it from their business site. This usually entails purchasing hardware (which can be expensive) and hiring an IT worker. Depending on how the building of your business is set up, you might not even have room for this kind of thing.
Cloud-based servers are great for dispensaries as they work remotely. Dispensaries don't have to worry about these servers, as they are operated through third-party servers. It is much cheaper for dispensaries and cannabis retailers to operate this way.
Third-Party Integration
Just because you have quality seed-to-sale software and a tight business management solution does not mean that you're set. More often than not, a medical marijuana or legal cannabis business will need multiple hardware and software solutions.
It is critical to see how different dispensary POS systems interact with other types of services or pieces of technology.
Inventory Management
Inventory management can be incredibly difficult. Whether you've worked in cannabis sales or clothing retail, trying to keep track of inventory can be wildly stressful.
Unfortunately for the cannabis industry, the ability to keep track of the sales in your dispensary in real-time is a necessity. To maintain compliance, you need to be accurate. Going with a system that has strong inventory management features is crucial.
With this kind of information at your fingertip all the time, your dispensary can easily look at different products, weights, and strains. Knowing what you have in stock at all times and what you might need to get rid of or order more of, can boost your cannabis sales.
Final Thoughts - Finding The Right POS System For Your Cannabis Business
There are so many great cannabis-based point of sale solutions out there that finding the right one can feel like a challenge. Beyond those that we mentioned above, some other excellent POS systems for cannabis businesses include Flourish, Trellis, and Greenline POS.
However, with this guide about, you should be able to find the right dispensary software to help you with managing inventory, online ordering, and real-time data and analytics reporting. These are some of the best POS systems in the cannabis industry, used by both recreational and medical marijuana dispensaries that are looking to enhance the customer experience and optimize business operations.
As cannabis technology continues to evolve, so should your cannabis retail POS.
Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author