8 Best Liquor Store POS Systems

Many of Lightspeed’s best features, such as Lightspeed Subscriptions and appointment booking, cost an extra monthly fee. Additionally, third-party software integrations cost extra. The pricing above also includes a single register — adding additional registers will incur extra fees.

Lightspeed Retail offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.

Lightspeed Retail’s excellent bottle inventory management features include the ability to:

• Quickly add and edit item catalogs from vendors
• Create master purchase orders to mass-order from different brands all at once
• Set automated reordering points, using inventory reports to create a par level and designate ideal reordering quantities
• Allow customers to backorder items and get alerts when favorited items are back in stock
• Integrate your Lightspeed Retail bottle inventory with a bottle deposit integration to get refunds on empty bottles

Additional features include:

• Special ordering, perfect for high-end stores that sell limited edition bottles, offer catering services, or sell to B2B customers
• Create B2B catalogs
• Special bulk pricing
• Generate quotes and easily convert to invoices
• Appointment booking for private tastings or catering consultations
• Build custom bottle club subscriptions
• Buy online, pick up in store
• Custom shipping options
• Integrate with Drizly, one of the best third-party delivery services, to get more online exposure in your local area

Lightspeed’s equipment ranges from $199 – $329. Available options include:

• WisePOS eCard readers
• iPads & stands
• Cash drawers
• Barcode scanners
• Label printers
• Receipt printers

If you want to save money on your hardware, contact a Lightspeed representative and ask about a discount on a retail POS hardware bundle.

All new and existing merchant have to use Lightspeed’s built-in payment processor, Lightspeed Payments, which charges a flat rate of 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions and 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions.

Lightspeed offers month-to-month contracts and annual contracts.

We always recommend starting with monthly plans until you decide you’re completely satisfied with your purchase since many POS providers (including Lightspeed) charge an early termination fee if you cancel your plan early. Lightspeed’s early termination fees can get pretty substantial depending on the length of your subscription.

Like many other software providers, Lightspeed will automatically charge you for another subscription term unless you inform a Lightspeed representative within 90 days (for those with a longer contract) or 30 days (for those who signed up for a monthly plan) of your renewal date.

To qualify for Lightspeed’s 30-day hardware warranty (14 days for Apple products), you must verify that you have received your Lightspeed hardware purchase within five business days of receiving it.

Square’s free plan is only available (and only advisable) for retailers with one location. You may use an unlimited number of POS devices in any one location.

Most of the features that high-stock liquor stores need, such as bulk importing items and vendor management, are only available on the Square for Retail Plus plan. On the Plus plan, you get one register per location — additional registers are available for an extra fee.

Square also offers paid add-ons.

Square for Retail is free to sign up for. There is a free 30-day trial available on Square for Retail Plus plans.

Square For Retail’s most unique feature is its completely free online ordering site builder, which allows you to:

• Create your own branded website using an intuitive website builder
• Set up an age verification popup on your website
• Offer online ordering for pickup, local delivery, and shipping
• Place request forms to take catering orders, get details about special events, or order specialty liquor
• Offer wine club memberships with varying tiers and payment terms
• Create events and sell tickets online

If you don’t have the staffing to deliver alcohol, Square integrates with DoorDash, so you can always offer delivery on demand.

Prospective customers will be able to find your products when they search for local liquor store listings with the Google Local Product Listings integration, which will drive more traffic to your store without you having to spend any money on advertising.

Square hardware pricing ranges from $0+ and includes:

• Square contactless card reader
• Square Register
• Square Stand
• Peripheral equipment including barcode scanners and cash drawers
• Hardware kits

You cannot use an outside payment processor with Square for Retail.

On the free version of Square for Retail, Square Payments charges a flat rate of 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions. On the paid version, Square charges 2.5% + $0.10.

Square charges a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $0.30 for online orders, no matter which subscription plan you enroll in.

Square for Retail contracts are month-to-month, and you can cancel at any time without consequences. The company also has a great hardware warranty.

The only caveat is that since Square is a payment service provider (PSP) rather than a dedicated merchant account provider, the security algorithm is more sensitive; large or suspicious purchases can sometimes trigger a flag on your account (warranted or not). However, most merchants do not experience this problem with Square.

You will have to contact Revel directly for custom pricing. The best pricing is also only available for business owners who agree to Revel’s standard three-year contract and use of Revel’s in-house payment processor.

However, many of Revel’s best features, including its online ordering features and delivery management, require an extra monthly subscription.

There’s also a mandatory one-time implementation fee, which covers your Revel software setup and personalized training.

Revel does not offer a free trial, but you can sign up for a free guided demo.

Revel has a retail and a restaurant POS system rolled into one software package, so you can sell anything from fresh snacks to entire made-to-order meals along with alcohol. Other features include:

• Built-in online ordering & delivery system
• Catering management
• Strong offline mode
• Stock transfers between locations
• Price adjustments based on location
• Low-stock alerts for multiple locations
• Establishment hierarchy tree for franchise owners to manage locations, accept royalty payments, and restrict franchise manager setting
• Blind stock takes & till counts
• Employee permission settings
• Security camera integrations

All prospective Revel users must get a hardware quote from a Revel representative. You may then purchase hardware directly from Revel or get permission from Revel in writing to purchase specific hardware on your own.

All Revel software, including POS systems, self-serve kiosks, and kitchen display systems, run on iPads or proprietary hardware from providers like Epson.

Revel offers its own in-house payment processor, Revel Advantage. Revel will ask for information related to your time in business, average transaction size, and sales volumes and then give you a custom quote on payment processing rates.

You may also work with a third-party payment processor, such as Tyro, Moneris, or Adyen, although Revel may charge an added monthly fee if you do.

An added recurring fee may be worth it if a third-party payment processor can offer a much lower rate than Revel (and Revel doesn’t agree to match a better offer).

Revel’s standard contract length is three years, but we always recommend negotiating a month-to-month contract to start with whenever possible.

This is especially true when it comes to Revel Systems, which has an early termination fee of twice the monthly amount you would have paid over the rest of your contract term, or $15,000, whichever is greater.

Contracts are automatically renewed yearly after your initial contract, but you can cancel it by giving a Revel representative at least a 30-day notice.

Revel is a great POS system, but you should be really sure about this software before committing to it long-term.

KORONA offers two monthly plans as well as well as several POS system add-ons. You can save money by paying for a year upfront.

KORONA offers an unlimited free trial for you to explore everything it has to offer at your own pace before committing to a paid subscription.

KORONA is a versatile POS system with excellent retail features. It’s best for businesses that may experience an excess of theft and businesses that are interested in franchising since KORONA has franchising capabilities on its higher-tier plans.

Features include:

• ID scanner prompts
• Integrated ID scenners
• Transaction monitoring
• Detailed cashier reports
• Integrations with liquor-store-specific loyalty programs
• Forced drawer closing
• Price change restrictions
• Blind till counts
• Manager override requirements
• Inventory audits
• Smartphone-based inventory scanner app for physical inventory counts
• Overstock, low-stock, and slow-moving alerts
• Set stock levels for automated reordering
• Monitor shipments
• eCommerce store builder with online age verification, preordering, custom shipping settings, and multistore support

KORONA doesn’t list hardware pricing on its website but mentions that its software works on most desktops and tablets.

You can integrate your POS with card readers from Verifone, PAX, Genius, and Econduit. Epson and ESC/POS are common receipt printers that integrate with KORONA. You can add just about any cash drawer or barcode scanner to your setup.

KORONA states that it offers hardware leases and financing, but you can choose your own setup if it costs less.

KORONA doesn’t include in-house processing, but it integrates with several processors, including Merchant Warehouse and Merchant Payment Systems, as well as various others using Genius and PAX payment terminals.

KORONA contracts are month-to-month, with the option to pay for a year in advance for a discount. However, if you agree to a hardware lease through KORONA, make sure you read the fine print, since leases can cost you a lot of money over the years (and we generally don’t recommend equipment leases.)

For more retail features, such as store pickup and unlimited staff accounts, you’ll need the Shopify Pro subscription, which you can add to an eCommerce plan.

Alternatively, Shopify now offers its POS Lite app and POS Pro apps as separate products. This means that you don’t need a Shopify eCommerce subscription to sell in person and with a simple online store (not a full custom Shopify online store).

Your payment processing rate decreases on higher-level plans. Businesses with larger transaction volumes should strongly consider upgrading to save money in the long run.

Additionally, while there are many free Shopify apps on the company’s app market, some require you to sign up for a paid subscription.

Shopify offers a free three-day trial, no credit card required.

Businesses that are interested in starting a nationwide wine and spirits club, selling specialty items around the country, distributing alcohol online to restaurants and bars, or performing any other online sales (where legal) can benefit from Shopify’s multichannel selling features, which include:

• An easy-to-use website builder with themes for catalogs and wholesale
• Online age verification
• Promotions
• Customer accounts
• Shipping tools, including shipping discounts
• Automatic syncing of inventory

In-person sales features include:

• ID verification scanner apps
• Employee permissions
• Smartphone-enabled POS app
• Custom inventory management flows
• Buy online, pick up in store
• Delivery options

Many important inventory management features for liquor store owners are not built into the Shopify platform. However, you can get almost any specific feature you need in the form of an app from the Shopify app store.

The Shopify app itself runs on most phones and tablets.

The Shopify Chip & Swipe Reader is the bare minimum requirement for taking card and mobile phone payments. You can also splurge on the Shopify Star® mPOP™ With Scanner, an all-in-one customizable retail hardware package that’s recommended for liquor stores.

Not sure what equipment your retail POS system needs? Read our post on Shopify hardware choices, which includes pricing and where to source your hardware.

Shopify payment processing rates are 2.4 – 2.9% and vary by monthly plan.

You can also integrate an outside payment processor, though Shopify will charge a transaction fee ranging from 0.5% to 2%. That extra transaction fee may be worth it if you can get a good payment processing rate with a merchant services provider.

Shopify plans are month-to-month, with no hidden fees or obligations. However, Shopify does offer a 25% discount on annual plans.

One thing to be aware of is that, like Square, Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe) is a payment service provider, not a merchant services provider, so you won’t get a dedicated merchant account. This type of payment processing model can lead to account stability problems for some merchants.

IT Retail has a “build and price” page that allows you to get a free quote on a hardware/software plan (for one market) based on the number of lanes you want to put in your store and the kind of hardware you want to add onto your basic IT Retail proprietary hardware setup.

You don’t have to contact anyone for a quote — quotes are automatically generated and emailed to you.

IT Retail also has three pre-built packages that range in price from $49 to $149 per month per terminal.

IT Retail does not offer a free trial, but a free demo is available.

IT Retail is one of the best grocery store POS systems that has also been adapted for general retail and foodservice establishments. Highlights include:

• Sell EBT/WIC-eligible items, weighted items, and made-to-order meals
• ID verification
• Case breakdowns
• Automated purchase orders
• Expected versus received stock
• Blink stock counts
• Preplanned pricing changes
• Pricing adjustments by vendor
• Shrinkage management features
• Scans for suspicious activity
• Electronic diary of all customer transactions
• Integration with Remote Eyes security system

You may pay for your hardware on a monthly basis or all at once. You can use IT Retail’s build and price tool to get a fast, no-contact quote on how much you can expect to pay for your exact system setup.

IT Retail’s base hardware offering includes a touch PC, barcode scanner, receipt printer, cash drawer, pin pad, and customer display. You may add additional barcode scanners or register scales to your hardware package.

IT Retail offers its own in-house payment processor with flat-rate and interchange-plus pricing. You must get a quote from IT Retail for your specific payment processing rate.

IT Retail is a highly customizable system, so you must read your contract thoroughly to make sure you’re getting the best terms.

There are no returns on hardware, so make sure IT Retail is the right POS for you before buying your hardware upfront.

IT Retail advertises that it provides the lowest payment processing rates, so shop around with other payment processors for a lower rate, then approach IT Retail and ask them to match the lowest rate.

POS Nation has a “build and price” page that you can use to get an idea of how much you may pay per month for POS hardware and software.

POS Nation also offers three pre-built plans that range from $49 to $149/month per terminal.

POS Nation does not offer a free trial. You may sign up for a free demo.

Like IT Retail, POS Nation is a POS system meant for businesses selling various everyday items. However, POS Nation puts a strong focus on lottery, cigarette/cigar, and vape sales in addition to retail food and drink sales.

Some of the standout features of POS Nation that convenience stores will appreciate include:

• Age verification prompts
• Integrated ID scanners
• Case breaking for liquor & tobacco products
• State-specific sales reporting to comply with liquor/tobacco laws
• Cash discount program to avoid processing fees
• Automated purchase ordering
• Group related items in an inventory matrix for easy reordering & price adjustments
• Set up mix-and-match sales, specials, and discounts
• Employee permissions
• Blind & forced till counts
• Integrated in-store security footage
• eCommerce sales
• Local pickup & delivery options

Your entire hardware package, including an ID scanner, will come with custom pricing. You’ll have to contact POS Nation to get detailed hardware pricing.

POS Nation has partnered with merchant service providers, such as Worldpay, Heartland, and North American Bancard, to offer payment processing services. POS Nation advertises that it will provide a payment processing rate comparison among its processor partners and help you fill out your own merchant account application.

However, do your own independent research (i.e., get quotes from merchant services providers) to ensure you get the best payment processing rates possible for your business.

You can’t return your upfront hardware purchases, so make sure POS Nation is right for you before sinking money into proprietary hardware investments.

You can cancel a monthly plan with no early termination fees, so consider signing up for a plan that allows you to pay for the hardware and software on a monthly basis before committing to a long-term subscription.

mPower Beverage requires a $1,000 upfront investment in a single register and costs $120/month. Each additional register has an upfront fee of $250 and an added $120/month.

mPower’s best POS features for liquor distributors are 1) the ability to pull up customer orders and payment information at the POS so that established customers can pick up their orders and you can offer layaway at the register, and 2) the ability to apply promotions to different customer groups.

The best back office features include:

• Detailed Store Reports: You can generate 70+ reports on anything from customer activity to employee sales to product movement for any custom date range you choose. This will inform your future business decisions such as targeted promotions for your most valued customers.
• Security Features: Business owners can choose who gets to see reports, order merchandise, set par levels, and authorize sales. While mPower Beverage is a locally-installed system, you can also set up remote admin management with the same security feature settings.
• Purchase Ordering/Receiving: It’s easy to set minimum/maximum item levels, get low-stock notifications at any location, and get suggestions on purchase order/inventory transfer actions. You can easily create a list of need-to-order items by vendor and the software will automatically generate purchase orders for you, automatically populating vendor information. Then you send orders off via email, fax, or print and receive full/partial orders as they come.
• Inventory Entry/Monitoring: mPower Beverage provides several inventory entry detail options such as age, country of origin, supplier information, and even options such as organic and kosher. You can choose whether items can be used to build kits, whether they may be transferred to another location, and vary prices by location/customer type. You can monitor any inventory movement of any product, as the software automatically records any action a user performs related to that product (e.g. a sale, transfer between locations, stock update, advance orders, etc.)

mPower Beverage works with Windows devices, and the company will remotely install the software on Windows 10 or 11 devices. You must pay per POS software license, but you may install mPower Back Office on any number of devices.

The company states that you may purchase hardware such as cash registers, ID scanners, receipt printers, and barcode scanners from a third-party source or from mPower Beverage.

mPower Beverage offers in-house payment processing and states that the software integrates with third-party payment processing, but does not share any information on integration partners with merchant services providers.

mPower Beverage provides custom contracts for users. Be on the lookout for any early termination fees.