Never before has it been more crucial to provide a dependable “wait-less” checkout experience.
This is the reason why Shopify mobile POS comes here, bringing all-day on-the-floor checkout to businesses’ physical stores.
And it can do more than that.
This article will show you how Shopify mobile POS works and optimizes the workflow from the back office to the hands of a customer. You will find everything you need to know about Shopify mPOS here – key features, benefits, pricing, and guidelines.
Are you ready? Let’s discover with us!
Contents
1. Shopify POS: At a Glance
1.1. What is Shopify POS?
While online shopping has become the norm, 80% of global retail sales still happen in store. This is the reason why you will need a Point of Sale system, which can help you close sales quickly, manage inventory smartly, unite all your stores and channels to provide seamless experiences, get real-time insights into your sales, product, and team performance with customizable reports, and much more.
As one of the best POS systems for small businesses, Shopify POS is born to do all of these tasks – make the hard parts simple, so you can focus on the parts you love.
💡 Explore in detail how Shopify POS makes it easier to run your business in this 360-degree Shopify POS review!
1.2. What are the key features of Shopify POS?
Easy to use for all kinds of business, Shopify POS can be set up to do just what your business needs:
- Omnichannel selling: One back office keeps your online and in-store data connected, so every operation is streamlined and in sync, letting you sell in person, online, over the phone, and on the go.
- Inventory system: Improve the accuracy of your forecasting to avoid deadstock, costly stockouts, and selling inventory you don’t have by providing real-time visibility into stock levels across channels, warehouses, and retail locations.
- Payment processing: Process popular payments from credit and debit cards, as well as contactless digital wallets for faster checkout experiences with a fully synced setup for quick payments, seamless returns and exchanges, and integrated gift cards.
- Shopify mobile POS: It offers flexibility and convenience for businesses by accepting payments and managing your store operation on the go (that will be discussed further in the following section).
❗Small note: If you are still wondering, you can sign up for a free trial and enjoy 3 months of Shopify for $1/month to experience it beforehand. Shopify POS Lite is included in all Shopify plans so feel free to give it a try!
2. Mobile POS overview
2.1. Definition
Mobile POS (Point of Sale) is a system that allows you to sell products in person using mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets.
A powerful mobile POS, as a true one-stop-shop device, will help you manage inventory, process payments, and complete orders directly from your iOS or Android device. It meets the needs of any retail space – from mass merchant chains and home improvement stores to clothing retailers, grocery stores, amusement parks, and even car rental agencies.
2.2. How does it work?
Regardless of what you are selling or the size of your store, when you partner with a mobile-friendly POS, it’s easy to plan, implement, and deploy virtually any modality to allow your shoppers to checkout when, where, and how they want. And here is a breakdown of how a mobile POS works:
- Software application: Businesses install an mPOS app, provided by the mPOS service provider, onto their mobile or tablet.
- Payment processing: An mPOS may be paired with a card reader (magstripe, chip, or contactless) for card payments. For contactless payments, it can accept digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay via NFC technology.
- Connectivity: The system can use Wi-Fi (including Wi-Fi 6 and 6E), cellular (including 5G), Bluetooth, and private networks to connect with the payment gateway for transaction processing.
- Cloud integration: All data like transactions, inventory, discounts, etc. is often synced to the cloud for real-time reporting and management tools.
✅ When compared with traditional POS systems, a mobile POS is different in some key areas including:
- Highly portable; used anywhere.
- Does not require dedicated hardware, and can operate on smartphones or tablets.
- Lower; minimal investment needed.
- Easy to scale with additional devices.
Currently, to enhance the shopping convenience of businesses, there is a wide range of mPOS providers in the market. Shopify mobile POS stands out among the top-tier mobile payment solutions for ease of use, affordable prices, and powerful features.
In the next sections, let’s explore Shopify’s mobile POS system with us!
3. Shopify Mobile POS System
3.1. Overview
3.1.1. Definition
Shopify POS mobile is Shopify’s first fully integrated mobile point-of-sale system. It unifies the POS software and hardware you need to scan products, take payments anywhere, fulfill in-store pickup and delivery orders, track inventory, and manage customers.
All in one Shopify POS mobile app and all in the palm of your hand.
3.1.2. Key features
Shopify mPOS offers some essential features for your business, including:
- Sell in person
By allowing you to sell products in physical locations, Shopify mobile POS transforms any compatible mobile device into a fully functional point-of-sale system. Therefore, you can provide a faster checkout process easily anywhere within your store to maximize user convenience.
- Inventory management
Built from the ground up by Shopify, Shopify mobile POS can sync seamlessly with your Shopify admin to track orders and inventory across all sales channels. In other words, with just a mobile, you can maintain accurate stock levels to prevent overselling and stockouts anywhere and anytime.
- Payment processing
Shopify mPOS offers your customers their preferred payment methods and processes payments quickly and efficiently directly from your mobile device.
- Customer management
Shopify POS mobile allows you to add and edit customer profiles that track contact information, preferences, lifetime value, and more. With an ultra-flexible mobile payment solution, your staff can easily access and understand all necessary customer information to provide an excellent shopping experience. By managing customer interaction, you can create timely and relevant marketing campaigns to turn one-time shoppers into life-long fans.
- Discounts and promotions
With Shopify mobile POS, you can apply discount codes and manage manual discounts at checkout that are automatically applied to qualifying orders. If you simply need to adjust pricing on the fly, Shopify mPOS ensures seamless operation and peace of mind for you.
- Staff management
You can assign custom roles to store staff ensuring they have the correct permissions. In addition, it is available to attribute sales to staff members for commissions or kudos with Shopify mobile POS. It allows you to manage your staff effectively, even when you’re not at your main store location.
- Analytics and reporting
With detailed insights into sales, products, and staff performance compiled in a daily report generated from your Shopify mobile POS, you can get an overview of your entire business online and in-store at a glance. These actionable reports play an essential role in helping you make informed business decisions.
3.1.3. Hardware requirement
To use Shopify Mobile POS, what you need are:
- Device compatibility: The Shopify POS app is available for iOS and Android devices only (not available for laptops, desktop computers, or Amazon Fire tablets).
- iOS devices: You need an iPad or iPhone running iOS 15 or higher.
- Android devices: You need a compatible Android phone or tablet running version 10 or higher.
- Card reader: To process payments, you can use a Shopify Tap & Chip card reader, POS Terminal, or external card readers (depending on your location).
- Receipt printer: Compatible receipt printers include the Star Micronics TSP143III or other supported models.
- Barcode scanner: If you want to scan products quickly, you can use compatible barcode scanners such as the Socket Mobile S700 or Zebra DS2208.
In addition, there are some additional requirements you should take into account:
- Screen: A 10-inch screen.
- Storage: A minimum of 64GB of storage capacity.
- Battery: A long battery life or fast charging capabilities.
3.1.4. Who should use it
Shopify mobile POS is a perfect choice for:
- Brick-and-mortar stores
- Market vendors/Pop-up shops
- Event sellers
- Multi-location businesses
3.2. Pricing
3.2.1. Software
There are two Shopify POS plans: Shopify POS Lite & POS Pro.
Shopify POS Lite is included in all Shopify subscription plans. In other words, you have to subscribe to at least one Shopify plan to use Shopify POS Lite. The most popular Shopify plans include:
- Shopify Basic: $39/month
- Shopify: $105/month
- Advanced Shopify: $399/month
💡 You can take a look at this detailed Shopify pricing plan review for more information.
In addition, if you are looking for more advanced features, you can sign up for Shopify POS Pro at $89/month/location.
3.2.2. Hardware
Here is a breakdown of Shopify mobile POS hardware pricing:
- Mobile devices: Cost varies
- Shopify Tap & Chip card reader: $49
- Shopify barcode scanners: $229 to $329
- Shopify receipt printers: $299 to $369
You can use external devices based on your budget and location, however, make sure that you check with the Shopify team before purchasing to ensure compatibility.
❗ Note:
The Shopify hardware store is only available in these countries:
- Australia
- Belgium
- Canada
- Denmark
- Finland
- Germany
- Ireland
- Italy
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Singapore
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- United States
If you’re not located in one of these countries, you can refer to the supported hardware page for model numbers and purchase hardware from a verified third-party retailer of your choice.
3. How to set up Shopify Mobile POS
Step 1: Sign up for Shopify POS
You need to fill in your email address, set up a password, and send your store’s name to the system to sign up for Shopify POS.
Step 2: Download the Shopify POS app and log in to the account
Shopify POS app is available on both the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. You can download it onto your smartphone or tablet and then log in to your Shopify POS account.
Step 3: Connect hardware
Now, you need to connect any necessary hardware (like card readers, receipt printers, or barcode scanners). You can follow the detailed instructions included in the app.
Step 4: Set up and start taking payments
All done, you are ready to accept transactions now!
Within a few minutes, you can set up a mobile POS for true anywhere and anytime payment, which will enable line-busting to prevent long lines and abandoned sales.
4. Closing thoughts: Is it worth it?
We hope that this Shopify POS Go review brings you a full picture of Shopify mobile POS. If you are looking for a powerful and flexible tool for store optimization, it should be a smart investment.
Last but not least, let’s subscribe to eComStart and explore the eCommerce world with us!
5. FAQs
