[ This article revisits and updates our previous overview of Shopify POS, published in May 2024 and still available here. ]
The Shopify platform is now a recognized leader in the eCommerce world. In 2026, it seems quite impossible to start an online store replatforming project without looking at what Shopify is offering...
But Shopify also offers a wealth of other tools to boost commerce, and notably Shopify POS, Shopify's physical store management solution. Despite (thanks to?) its extremely simple and accessible design, which might initially suggest a lack of functionality depth, Shopify POS is now winning, slowly but surely, in the retail industry.
Compared to the old softwares that have been used for decades by many brands, with their complex and counter-intuitive screens, Shopify POS is clearly on another planet!
In this article, let's have a look at Shopify POS and its main features. Knowing that everything goes always very fast at Shopify, and that almost every month brings a batch of new features to Shopify POS...
More than ten years in the making!
Shopify has officially launched Shopify POS on August 12, 2013. So yes, it's barely known, but Shopify has already more than 13 years of experience in powering physical stores!
Aimed at small merchants selling online and operating one physical store, Shopify POS was introduced at no additional cost. Shopify offered merchants who were selling online and in stores, an "omnichannel by design” software, using a unique customer database, a unique order database and a unique product catalog. Thanks to Shopify POS, merchants spared time and money!
After several years of growth, Shopify has introduced a major evolution of Shopify POS in Spring 2020, both in terms of design and functionalities. From that date, Shopify POS has now been available in two versions: POS Lite, which remains free, and POS Pro, introduced at a price of 89 dollars (79 euros) per month and per physical store.
An iOS and Android App
One of the major differences between Shopify POS and most of the traditional Retail softwares is that Shopify POS cannot be installed on a PC or a Mac. The solution can only be used with a tablet or a smartphone powered by iOS or Android operating systems.
And you know what? No more complicated maintenance of computers (Windows in particular) in stores, requiring support teams all across the country! And no more computer glitches which were regularly disrupting the stores business!
The same version of Shopify POS is available on iOS and Android, although there may be some slight differences from time to time (the iOS version is sometimes updated before the Android version).
How to enable Shopify POS
In the Shopify admin, the Online Store sales channel is always enabled. To use the Shopify POS App, merchants simply have to add the Point of Sale channel, then confirm a few settings.
At the same time, in the admin Settings menu, a location has to be created for each physical store that will use Shopify POS. Please note that, since January 2024, the Basic, Shopify and Advanced plans do not allow more than 10 locations. For a network with more physical stores, the Shopify Plus plan allows up to 200 locations.
Then, the only remaining thing to do is to download the Shopify POS App onto a smartphone or a tablet, and log in with the same credentials (email and password) as for the Shopify admin.
POS Lite vs POS Pro
The free version of Shopify POS, POS lite, allows merchants to manage a small store or a pop-up store. This version offers the basic functionalities of a cash register.
The paid version of Shopify POS, POS Pro, has a maximum functional depth. POS Pro allows merchants to:
- Individually manage each staff permissions on Shopify POS and attribute their sales,
- Take advantage of all the omnichannel features, such as managing returns and exchanges, shipping orders to the client, sending the basket by email for a remote payment,
- Allow to start a basket from one device and retrieve it from another device from the same store,
- Benefit from automatic reductions already set up for online sales,
- Customize printed receipts given to customers,
- Manage inventory (transfers, receipts, stocktakes),
- Look at detailed statistics on sales.
Merchants can mix the use of the two versions of Shopify POS, the selection being made location per location.
Shopify updates the paid version of Shopify POS very regularly, thus offering an ever increasing functional depth.
Amazingly easy to use
One of the greatest strengths of Shopify POS is its extremely intuitive design.
The Shopify teams have worked on a UX design that is really simple to use. The way various information are displayed is specifically designed to minimize the number of actions for the sales staffs.
That's why training sales teams to Shopify POS is always super fast. As soon as staffs start practicing with Shopify POS, they immediately feel at ease. So training can actually focus on changes in processes (and some habits...).
"Omnichannel by design"
Another great strength of Shopify POS is being a native omnichannel solution. Shopify POS is using the same databases (products, customers, orders) than the online store, there is no (complex and expensive) connector to build between web and Retail (given that the data are the same!), so the entire platform is immediately ready to operate.
Thanks to this data centralization, all omnichannel functionalities (display store inventory on the website, offer click and collect, send products to the home of a customer who has come to pay in store,...) can be activated in just a few clicks.
But it also becomes possible to sell gift cards that are valid both online and in store, or to offer omnichannel promo codes.
And as it is the same Shopify admin that manages online and physical stores sales, Shopify APIs also make it possible to manipulate data coming from both online sales and physical stores.
Shopify hardware
Shopify is selling its own hardware to Shopify POS merchants, including a card reader, as well as a selection of hardware offered by partners.
Early in 2026, Shopify has introduced the POS Hub, a device that allows for wired connections of various hardware, as an alternative to bluetooth or wifi connections.
And just recently, Shopify unveiled the Victa from Verifone, a new device combining Shopify POS with a card reader, which will allow retailers to offer an "Apple Store-like" experience to their customers:
To discover the hardware sold by Shopify in each country, you can visit the dedicated online store.
Apps for Shopify POS
Some of the Public Apps available in the App Store are compatible with Shopify POS. This is the case, for example, with Apps for managing loyalty programs, Apps for creating invoices, or Apps managing order fulfillment.
There are also Apps that are specifically designed for Shopify POS. And these Apps can, since Summer 2023, be integrated directly into Shopify POS screens. These Apps allow merchants to, for instance, add fields to Shopify POS, drive sales team schedules, or even display sales targets.
The App Store has a category displaying all the Apps that work with Shopify POS.
Just like for Shopify eCommerce, it's also possible to create custom Apps for Shopify POS, to meet retailers specific needs.
Compatibility with Markets functionality in Shopify
Since 2025, Shopify POS is compatible with Markets in Shopify. This is a major development that now allows a retailer to manage an heterogeneous network of physical stores from a single back office.
Specifically, thanks to the Markets feature and its various available settings, it's now possible to combine:
- High price stores and discount stores (outlets),
- Owned stores and franchise stores,
- In multiple countries.
To learn more about Markets, read our recent overview, which provides a comprehensive look at this feature.
With the integration of Shopify POS into Markets, a decisive step has been taken. And we are now seeing a growing wave of migrations from legacy retail systems to Shopify POS.
In which countries is Shopify POS available?
Shopify POS is available in all countries where the App can be downloaded from the Apple Store or from Google Play.
In France, Shopify POS is compatible with the NF525 standard since Spring 2026.
The card reader synchronization with Shopify POS (which also requires using the Shopify Payments payment platform) is currently only available in 18 countries: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States.
In other countries, Shopify POS can be used with an independent card reader, requiring a manual entry of the amount of each transaction.
Shopify POS cost
The Lite version of Shopify POS is included in all Shopify plans.
The Pro version of Shopify POS cost is $89 (79 euros) regardless of the Shopify plan.
Specifically for the Shopify Plus plan: the first 20 POS Pro installed are free (and even the first 200 if the merchant uses Shopify Payments), but Shopify applies a variable commission of 0.25% on the revenue generated by physical stores.
Good to know: the cost of Shopify POS is per store, not per smartphone or tablet. Merchants can therefore use as many devices as they want in each store, which can be very practical during busy periods!
And for the record, from September 2023 to March 2026, Shopify had also marketed a Retail plan at $89 (79 euros), which included the Shopify admin with a basic online store (no theme customization) and the possibility to use POS Pro in a physical store.
Shopify POS features roadmap
Shopify POS is constantly improving, and as with eCommerce, there's no advance notice prior to each update. New features are announced at the same time the App is available for update on iOS and Android.
It's therefore important to keep an eye on Shopify's changelog, as well as at future Shopify Editions, with a new website being released every 6 months and presenting all the new features of the platform, including on Shopify POS.
Since early 2026, Shopify has also been showcasing new features of Shopify POS on its Retail Roundup blog.
To discuss Shopify POS features and their use cases, feel free to contact us.
