7 Best POS Systems In Canada For 2024

Monthly Software Plans:

• Square For Retail: $0-$79+/month/location
• Square For Restaurants: $0-$60+/month
• Square Appointments: $0-$85/month/location

In-person payment processing rates are 2.6%-2.65% for major credit card transactions and 0.75% + $0.07 for Interac debit transactions. Online and invoice payment processing costs 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction.

Square hardware costs range from $69 (the Square card reader) to $899 (the Square Register).

Learn More: Read our complete Square POS hardware guide for more information on what Square offers.

Square offers three distinct software plans for retail, restaurant, and service-based businesses. All Square users get these free features:

• Accept any payment type at the register, on a mobile device, and online
• Free website builder for retail sales, food ordering, and/or appointment scheduling
• Sell on social media and marketplaces like Etsy
• Pickup, local delivery, and shipping management
• Mobile POS app to accept payments on the go
• Discounts and coupons
• Employee management (up to five team members)
• Connect to your Google Business Profile to get found in location-based search results
• Integrate Square with a weight scale to sell food, bulk supplies, etc.
• Manage multiple locations
• Accept exchanges and returns

Paid plans include industry-specific features such as advanced inventory management for retailers, order course management for restaurants, and cancellation fee charging for service-based businesses.

Related: Read our Square For Restaurants review.

Five Canadian POS software plans are available: Payments Plus, Register Lite, Register, Counter Service, and Table Service Restaurant. Pricing is not listed on the Canadian version of Clover’s website.

Clover POS software, hardware, and payment processing costs vary widely among Clover providers. Some Clover providers lease hardware, while others allow you to purchase your hardware upfront.

Some providers include extra fees in the fine print of contracts, which is something to watch out for.

Expert Tip: We recommend getting quotes from several of these best Clover merchant service providers and learning how to negotiate a merchant agreement to get the best pricing and avoid Clover POS scams.

Clover features include:

• Accept debit, credit, gift card, and digital wallet payments
• Handheld, small countertop, and full-sized countertop register hardware options
• Retail, restaurant, and service-based business software plans
• Large app market for add-on apps
• Choose a third-party payment processor for no added fee
• Free online ordering page for restaurants
• Connect Clover to your Google Business Profile
• Accept exchanges and returns
• Weight scale integration
• Reporting dashboard

Related: Clover and Square offer some similar features. Read our Clover vs Square comparison to help you decide.

Monthly Software Plans:

• Basic: $51/month ($38/month with annual billing)
• Shopify: $132/month ($99/month with annual billing)
• Advanced: $517/month ($389/month with annual billing)
• Plus: US$2,300/month
• POS Pro: $119/month/location (optional add-on)

Payment processing rates range from 2.4%-2.7% for in-person and 2.4%-2.9% for online transactions. Interac debits cost $0.10.

Note: The above payment processing rates are only for businesses that sign up for Shopify Payments. If you do not qualify for Shopify Payments or find a better rate with a third-party payment processor, there’s a 0.2%-2% transaction fee.

Shopify POS hardware costs range from $69 (the WisePad 3 card reader) to the POS countertop kit ($599) to the full countertop bundle ($1,299).

Shopify is primarily a retail POS system and offers:

• Accept major debit and credit cards, digital wallets, PayPal, and Venmo
• Mobile POS app on iOS and Android devices
• Professional online store builder
• Social media and online marketplace sales
• Buy online for in-store pickup, local delivery, and shipping
• Start exchanges and returns online
• Automated inventory sync for all sales channels
• Shipping tracking for businesses and customers
• Discounts for DHL Express, USPS, and UPS shipping
• Automated local currency and language conversion for online stores selling in multiple countries
• 8,000+ add-on apps on Shopify App Market

Monthly Software Plans:

• Solo: US$69/month (one register)
• Dual: US$129/month (two registers)
• Team: US$249/month (five registers)
• Unlimited: US$399/month (unlimited registers)

Important add-ons to consider include:

• Online Ordering: US$50/month
• Loyalty: US$99/month
• Gift Cards: US$25/month
• Reservations & Waitlists: US$229/month
• Profit Management: US$330/month

TouchBistro works with Chase Merchant Services, Moneris, and Square for payment processing. Get a custom quote from one or more Canadian merchant service providers.

You may purchase your own iPads and card readers to use with TouchBistro.

Note: TouchBistro software plans are billed annually.

TouchBistro’s best restaurant features include:

• Accept all payment types with a mobile card reader
• Offline mode to accept payments on-location
• Seat, table, and tip management
• Server upsell prompts
• Build catering menus, time-based menus, etc.
• Kitchen display screen add-on
• Web-based online ordering app add-on
• Accept orders for curbside pickup and delivery
• Deliver through your own fleet or DoorDash drive
• Create added fees for farther delivery locations
• Schedule and require deposits for catering and events
• Waitlist and reservation management add-on
• Advanced inventory and profit management add-on

Helcim POS, virtual terminal, invoicing, payment page builders, online store builder, and subscription management software cost $0.

Helcim is one of our best credit card processors for small businesses. Payment processing rates are as follows (for the average company):

• In-Person: 1.82% + $0.08; $0.09 for Interac debit
• Online & Keyed-In: 2.48% + $0.25
• ACH/eCheck Payments: 0.25% + $0.05 (fee capped at $6 per transaction)
• Fee Saver: 0% (all fees passed onto customers)
• Level 2/3 Interchange Optimization: Save up to 1%+ on interchange fees on qualifying Level 2/3 payments from B2B and B2G customers

Expert Tip: The company offers a transparent payment processing rate calculator on its website. Enter your business’s industry, average monthly sales volumes, average transaction size, and percentage of in-person and online sales, and you’ll get an idea of your expected payment processing rate.

Helcim’s best features include:

• Free POS software works on any device
• Accept debit, credit, and ACH/eCheck payments
• No international currency conversion transaction fees
• Secure over-the-phone, fax, and keyed-in payments with virtual terminal
• One-time and recurring payments with card-on-file
• Custom invoice builder with repayment terms
• Automated upcoming payment/past due reminders
• Lower B2B and B2G payment processing rates with Helcim’s AI-powered card data optimization tool that captures Level 2/3 card data
• Cash discount program
• Subscription builder
• Inventory and customer management
• Integrate Helcim as a payment method on an existing website, app, or form builder

Learn More: Read our guide to B2B payment processing.

Monthly Software Plans:

• Lean: $89/month/location ($119/month/location with annual billing)
• Standard: $199/month/location ($159/month/location with annual billing)
• Advanced: $319/month/location ($229/month/location with annual billing)

Note: You get one register per location. Additional registers cost $69/register/month.

Payment processing fees are 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person and 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions.

Lightspeed POS hardware costs range from $99 (WisePad 3 card reader) to $599 (Lightspeed-compatible iPad).

Lightspeed’s best features include:

• Accept all payment types, including gift cards and store credit
• Layaway purchases
• B2C and B2B online accounts with custom price-lists
• Create bulk and bundle discounts
• Start returns and exchanges online, then ship or bring items back into the store
• Inventory matrixing to sell in one or multiple departments
• Low-stock alerts and set minimum inventory levels
• Automated purchase orders via email or supplier website
• Inquiry forms for custom quotes that can be converted into orders
• Rental POS system app to manage rental windows, fees, etc.
• Loyalty program
• Extensive customer and inventory reporting

Multi-location businesses will especially appreciate these special Lightspeed features:

• Stock transfers across locations
• Pricing modifications that are dependent on location
• Master inventory, purchase order, and item performance dashboard
• Lightspeed Loyalty program cross-location sync so customers can earn points no matter their location
• Buy online, pick up in any store

Related: Read our Lightspeed eCom review.

Revel requires restaurant owners to get a custom software pricing quote. Revel is for midsize and larger businesses that should expect to pay more than the other POS options on this list. Some of Revel’s biggest clients include Lazeez Shawarma (225 locations) and Chatime (97 locations in Canada alone).

Payment processing and POS hardware also require a custom quote.

Note: Revel’s standard three-year contract has a substantial termination fee, so be sure Revel is the right option for you before committing.

Revel’s best features include:

• Drive-thru headset, order confirmation display, and digital signage integration
• Kitchen display and expo screens to manage all order types, including drive-thru orders
• Order status display screens to update the status of takeout and delivery orders
• Third-party delivery service integrations
• Customizable self-ordering kiosk screens
• Royalty payment management
• Centralized and franchise location-specific reporting
• Smart reporting tools to figure out which menu items perform the best, what’s draining money, and forecast your business’s performance

Related: Read our post on the best drive-thru POS systems.