POS System No Monthly Fee
Getting your hands on a POS system without monthly fees is the perfect way to introduce your business to the efficiency and productivity of point-of-sale software.
But it is crucial to select a brand that has all the industry-specific features that you need.
We're here to provide insight into our 5 favorite free POS systems, enabling you to spend less time reading reviews and more time focusing on your operation.
Let's dive in.
POS Systems No Monthly Fees
Square
- Best overall
- Comes with a free online store
- Flat-rate payment processing fees
Imonggo
- Best for small retailers
- Intuitive iPad platform
- Quality inventory management system
Stripe
- Most flexible
- Transparent payment processing fees
- Tons of business development tools
eHopper
- Best for free payment processing
- Comes with a free terminal
- Top-notch restaurant POS software
Loyverse
- Best for businesses with multiple locations
- Integrated loyalty program option
- Free kitchen and customer displays
Square is by far one of the most popular free POS system solutions, as it delivers a wide range of incredible features without costing a dime. Some of the top features found in Square POS include team management, inventory management, multi-location management, gift cards, online ordering, third-party delivery, and reporting/analytics.
If you have an appointment-based business, you can even use Square Appointments to keep your schedule on track.
When you begin a Square POS plan, the company sends you a free mobile card reader. Then you'll have the option of upgrading with their numerous pieces of hardware, which include contactless readers, terminals, and registers. These cost from $49 to $799, and hardware can be bundled for a discount.
Square Payments is the company's payment processor. When you sign up with Square, you must use their payment processing plan. The beauty of the company's processing is that it uses a flat-rate fee of 2.6% + $0.10. There are no commitments to the plan either, as Square will not ask you sign any contracts.
One of the reasons Square has become such a popular choice for all business types is thanks to the fact that it offers all of the features you could want without any need for upgrading. All of the tools required to run an online store and make in-person transactions don't cost a dime!
The software works swimmingly for both eCommerce and brick-and-mortar businesses, and there is no big upfront investment. If you eventually need to expand your POS functionality, this free POS software is scalable. There are numerous paid plans and third-party integrations which can elevate your software to the next level.
Even with their paid plans, the pricing is competitive.
Overall, we believe Square is the best POS system for iPad with no monthly fee.
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Imonggo is cloud-based and one of the best free POS systems recommended for small retailers.
As with Square, there is no monthly fee attached, perfect for those who need basic POS features.
Some of the best features found within this software include employee management, inventory management, order management, supplier management, loyalty programs, inventory reporting, and management for multiple locations.
The software is web-based, and all that is needed to run it is a device with an internet connection.
The company also recently released apps for mobile devices and iPads.
You won't find proprietary hardware the way you will with Square, though Imonggo's software was made with compatibility in mind. It works with a wide range of barcode scanners, receipt printers, and card readers.
The one major downside to Imonggo POS is that integrated payment processing doesn't come with the free plan. Accessing it involves upgrading to the $30 per month Premium plan. However, if you already have a payment processor in place, this might not be a big disadvantage. Just note that the software won't automatically sync with your new payment processor if you're using the free plan.
Similar to Square, Imonggo POS will have zero contracts for you to sign or minimum lengths of commitment. If you upgrade to the Premium plan, however, you'll need to integrate with Authorize.net and Worldplay and sign contracts through their platforms.
We know plenty of small businesses that use Imonggo successfully, which is why we often recommend it for small business owners in retail. Thanks to its compatibility, it is simple to tailor its web-based software with your chosen hardware, no matter what budget you're on.
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Stripe has been a favored choice for eCommerce businesses for quite some time. Now, with the Stripe Terminal, small business owners can accept credit card payments in-person.
It's not as easy to set up as some of the other choices on this list, though you'll find plenty of top-notch features that make it a smart choice for all business spheres.
The most useful features include reporting, remote access, multi-channel sales tracking, advanced development tools, and custom messaging.
The Stripe Terminal starts out at $59 per month and it is compatible with multiple card readers.
It utilizes Stripe's payment processing, which has a flat-rate fee of 2.7% + $0.05 per in-person transaction. For online transactions, you'll pay 2.9% + $0.30.
One of the major advantages to using Stripe is that you won't have to worry about any long-term contracts, meaning no fees for early termination. Of course, we highly advise reading through the Stripe terms of service to get a better idea of the company you're partnering with.
It's important to note that Stripe can terminate your account or put your funds on hold for any reason it deems necessary, as with other third-party payment processors.
While there is a lot to love about Stripe, their development tools are one of their best assets. It was only recently that the company added the ability to accept in-person payments, making it even more versatile than ever. If you have a bit of experience with coding, you can use the customizable features inside Stripe to make it work for your specific operation.
And if you don't have coding experience, no problem. You'll still be able to make use of third-party integrations. For those with a low-volume business or that like the idea of starting with a fresh canvas to build your custom POS system on, we can't recommend a better free POS system than Stripe.
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eHopper is one of the best free cloud-based POS systems thanks to its versatility. It works with everything from iPads to Android tablets to PCs and beyond.
When you sign up for the free Essentials plan, you'll get a single license for one POS system.
Some of the standout features found within eHopper's free POS software include customer management, tip management, inventory management, basic reporting, and online order tracking.
If your business needs something a bit more robust than a mobile device to run your point-of-sale software on, then it would be best to sign up for eHopper's free Pax S3000.
This payment terminal is completely free to use, and can be integrated with eHopper's additional hardware, including thermal printers, tablets, and additional terminals.
eHopper's $899 hardware bundle comes with everything you need to get started.
eHopper's payment processing is done in-house. The nice thing about this is that you don't have to pay processing fees or pass them through to your customers. Plus, when you sign up for the company's payment processing, they give you a free eCommerce site to help you expand your online business.
If you already have a payment processor that you would like to continue working with, you may be able to integrate it into your eHopper system. Some of the additional payment processor options include Fiserv, TSYS, Worldpay, and PayPal. Note that the compatible options will depend on the country you live in and the terminal you choose to purchase.
One wonderful thing about eHopper is that you don't have to commit to long-term contracts when you sign up for the free Essentials plan. However, if you sign up with eHopper and include a third-party payment processor, a contract may be required. It's important to understand the options available and evaluate whether or not the contractual obligation is worth it for your business.
On the other hand, if you like what eHopper is doing for your business and you decide to upgrade to one of the company's paid plans, you can sign a three-year contract which will enable you to enjoy lower credit card processing fees.
Free credit card processing is one of the places where eHopper truly shines. Of course, we can't knock the free terminal that you receive with your free POS software either.
The biggest drawback for the eHopper free plan is that a limited number of products can be input and a limited number of transactions can be made. If it comes time to remove these limitations due to business growth, or if you need to take advantage of some of the more advanced features like eCommerce and customer loyalty programs, upgrading to one of their paid plans is always an option.
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Loyverse offers free easy to use POS software, allowing business owners to turn their iPads and tablets into fully functional POS systems without paying a cent.
The beauty of this free POs software is that it comes with tons of high-quality features that aren't often found in other free POS system solutions.
Some of our favorite features found in Loyverse's free POS software include order management, loyalty program creation, inventory management, multi-store management, and sales analytics.
They even include a customer display system and kitchen display system for free, which is an absolute steal!
If you need additional hardware for your business, you can expand your current hardware with Loyverse's terminals, printers, and barcode scanner options. All of the hardware options can be found on the Loyverse website. You can save money and purchase the tablet stand for $19.99 or get a full-fledged system with an integrated cash drawer and printer for $439.
As for payment processing options, Loyverse works with CardConncet, Worldpay, SumUp, and PayPal Zettle, allowing you to find your preferred payment processor. You don't have to sign up for any contracts when using Loyverse either, though you may have contractual obligations through your preferred payment processor.
We love the fact that Loyverse has an array of excellent features in its free plan that you typically wouldn't find in free POS software. The built-in loyalty program, multi-location support, and included kitchen display system are a few of the most notable.
If you need basic free POS software with the ability to add a few affordable add-ons, we highly recommend checking out what Loyverse has to offer.
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The Bottom Line
If you're just getting started with your business, there is zero risk involved in selecting one of our top 5 POS systems with no monthly fees. And as time goes on and you find yourself needing to upgrade to more advanced features, you will always have the option to do so.
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Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author