💳 Save money on credit card processing with one of our top 5 picks for 2025
Mobile point of sale systems allow your small business to accept payments on the go. Use this guide to choose the best mobile POS option for you.
WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY
Expert Contributor
Last updated onUpdated
REVIEWED BY
Expert Contributor
The best mobile POS systems could work as a countertop system or a handheld POS system for events and still have plenty of robust, back-end solutions to add mobility to your brick-and-mortar retail or restaurant business.
While the best POS systems are multi-functional, mobile point of sale systems are unique in that they also empower line-busting, floor-selling, tableside payments, and more.
Keep reading to find out our top picks for mobile POS systems.
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Summary | Next StepsSummary |
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Square POS
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Show Deal |
Clover POS
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Lightspeed Retail
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Toast POS
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Shopify POS
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| Show More Options | ||
Revel POS
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| Show Fewer Options |
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
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Table of Contents
We’ve researched the most popular mobile POS systems, and through our extensive process, here’s the top of the list:
| Pricing | Payment Processing | Hardware Costs | Free Trial | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square POS | $0/month | 2.6% + $0.10 | $49-$799 | |
| Clover POS | $0 - $84.95/month | 2.3% - 2.6% + $0.10% per transaction | $199 - $1,799 | |
| Lightspeed Retail | $109 - $339/month ($89 - $289/month billed annually) | 2.6% + $0.10 | A la carte hardware available | |
| Toast POS | $0/mo - $69/mo; with custom plans available | 2.49% + $0.15 | Quote-based | |
| Shopify POS | $29 - $299/month | 2.4 - 2.9% | $0-$459+ | |
| Revel POS | Quote-based | Quote-based | A la carte hardware available |
Pricing Range
$0/monthContract Length
NoneEquipment Cost
$49-$799Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.
Pros
Cons
With a suite of features that work just as well for retailers as they do for quick-serve restaurants and cafes, it's no surprise that Square makes our list. Square has a major presence with quick-serve businesses and cafes; it's also common among retailers and mobile service businesses, thanks to its versatility. Plus, a free online store and shopping cart integrations open the possibility of selling online.
Square is about as simple of a mobile POS system as you'll find. Its prices are competitive and upfront, and while it might not be quite as robust in some areas as a few of its competitors, Square is well-rounded and one of the most intuitive all-in-one point of sale systems around.
For small businesses needing payment processing and simple eCommerce, Square is an ideal fit.
All you need to start processing with Square is a phone (Android or iPhone), tablet, or laptop, and a Square credit card reader.
While Square’s free magstripe card reader is an option, I would recommend purchasing Square’s EMV/NFC reader, which gives you the ability to accept chip cards and contactless payments. If you need something sturdier than the mobile credit card processing app and reader, you might consider using Square’s proprietary hardware: the Square Terminal or the Square Register.
Pricing Range
$0 - $84.95/monthContract Length
3 yearsEquipment Cost
$199 - $1,799Pros
Cons
Clover is another all-in-one mobile POS system known for its simple interface and rich feature set. It has a wide array of hardware options to help small to mid-sized businesses and convenient ways to grow your business, whether you need help with your website or expanding your online ordering options.
Clover's versatile hardware and affordable processing rates make it a vendor to strongly consider if you're in the market for a mobile POS system. Its interface is easy to use, and its various products pair seamlessly together. The app marketplace also provides multiple ways to boost your point of sale system into a selling powerhouse.
Pricing Range
$109 - $339/month ($89 - $289/month billed annually)Contract Length
Monthly, annual, and customEquipment Cost
$199 - $329Pros
Cons
Lightspeed has become a massive player in the POS world in the past few years, and the results have only made the product better. Lightspeed offers both a Retail and Restaurant version of its excellent mobile POS system. Lightspeed's products are highly customizable, providing services for small to larger franchise businesses. With built-in payment processing and eCommerce, you won't need to look elsewhere to enhance your mobile POS system.
Lightspeed has one of the deepest feature sets available, and even smaller businesses can still gain access to them at a fairly affordable price. Both the Retail and Restaurant versions of the product have very few gaps, and if you need to scale up to a more advanced tier of services, Lightspeed makes that easy.
Get Started With Lightspeed Retail
Pricing Range
$0/mo - $69/mo; with custom plans availableOnline Ordering
YesEquipment Cost
$0+ if you agree to a higher processing ratePros
Cons
Toast is an Android-based, mobile, all-in-one POS app custom-built for restaurants and bars. Toast's restaurant POS software includes cloud-based reporting, menu management, and a kitchen display system. You can even purchase Toast's digital ordering suite without needing to buy any hardware or the POS system.
Toast is tailor-made for restaurants and has always been ahead of the game when it comes to mobile ordering. Its hardware is intuitive and perfect for contactless options, and its integrations for delivery and online ordering are excellent. It also still has very highly rated customer service despite its issues with long-term contracts.
Pricing Range
$29 - $299/monthContract Length
Month-to-monthEquipment Cost
$0-$459+Pros
Cons
Shopify started as an eCommerce software provider, but it's moved into the realm of an all-in-one provider thanks to its integrated payments service and a surprisingly robust POS. One big draw with Shopify POS is how easily you can upgrade and scale as your business grows. Shopify is also versatile in that you can use it on any mobile device or laptop. Plus, it has various pricing plans to choose from.
Shopify started out as simply an eCommerce platform, and that's still where it's at its best. If you're using Shopify for your online selling needs, Shopify's mobile POS system might be a simple and convenient fit. Even its basic plan has a solid offering of features good enough for virtually any small business; with Shopify's eCommerce platform built in, selling online is a snap.
Pricing Range
Quote-basedOnline Ordering
YesEquipment Cost
Call for quotePros
Cons
Revel is an exceptionally robust POS system that is more than capable of handling mid-sized to larger retail and restaurant establishments. While its monthly fee and setup costs aren't exactly cheap, if you want a mobile point of sale system without any gaps, Revel is certainly worth considering. It also has access to scores of integrations to enhance its offerings further, making it an extremely powerful tool for your business.
Revel has virtually any feature you could dream up in your search for a mobile POS. It has incredibly deep reporting for business owners who are into analytics. If you already have some experience with point of sale systems, you might be able to bypass Revel's learning curve as well. Overall, it's an extremely solid system that is worth the price if you're planning on utilizing all it has to offer.
Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.
When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.
We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.
80+
Vendors evaluated
65+
Attributes assessed per vendor
20+
Features weighed
30+
Combined years of experience
These vendors didn’t quite make our cut, but they may work for certain types of businesses.
With PayPal Zettle (formerly PayPal Here), you’ll pay 2.29% + $0.09 per in-person transaction, which you’ll process with the $29 chip and tap reader. With no monthly fee and flat-rate pricing, it’s suitable for low-volume businesses and cheaper than Square, but it doesn’t provide the POS features Square or Shopify offer, such as a virtual terminal.
If you want a more fully-featured POS that uses PayPal payment processing, Lightspeed is an option for retail, while PayPal integrates with TouchBistro, Lavu, and talech for restaurants. PayPal Zettle can complement any of those systems for occasional mobile sales, but it is not a suitable standalone POS.
eHopper is a basic, free POS system that may appeal to certain business types, such as convenience stores and small grocery stores. You can use eHopper on an iPad, Windows tablet, Android tablet, PC, or Poynt Smart Terminal to accept cash, credit, debit cards, and EBT.
In addition to its free monthly cost, an eHopper account also includes a free terminal. eHopper also offers credit surcharge no-fee credit card processing, which allows you to pass on your credit card fees to your customers (if that practice is legal in your state). With its free plan, free Pax S300 terminal (for new customers), and even free credit card processing, eHopper is worth checking out if you want a free POS.
However, it is not the only free POS system. For example, Square is free, and although you will pay for credit card processing, Square has more features and doesn’t require you to pass your processing costs to your customers.
Mobile POS setups offer a plethora of advantages for small businesses, especially businesses that are very wary of the cost of POS systems. Even if your business has a traditional brick-and-mortar storefront, you can leverage mPOS to your advantage. Here are some innovative ways to use mobile point of sale systems to take your business to the next level.
Mobile POS is remarkably easy to use, allowing businesses to quickly and easily set up their system and train new employees on it in hours or even minutes. Mobile point of sale is intuitive for anyone familiar with smartphones and tablets, and many iPad-based systems do not even require professional installation. In most cases, getting started with a new mobile POS is just a matter of setting up your account, installing the app, and going through a self-guided tutorial. The best restaurant POS systems often feature mobile options that are easy for waitstaff to learn and use.
Mobile POS systems generally allow you to take payments on a mobile device and accept payments from customers’ smartphones and smartwatches. Contactless payments (also called NFC payments, mobile payments, or mobile wallets) include options such as Apple Pay, Google Pay (formerly Android Pay), and PayPal.
Some POS systems also accept contactless QR code payments wherein customers scan a code with their phone’s camera and pay from their device. Giving your customers contactless options to pay makes it much quicker and easier for them to buy from you. Especially during COVID-19, many customers prefer safer contactless payments, and most of the best point of sale systems for retail offer this feature.
Mobile devices can be used in tandem with traditional registers, or you can eliminate the registers if you have that kind of trendy biz! You can use mobile checkouts to reduce lines — for example, a cafe server can work their way down the line at the counter with a handheld device on a busy morning. Or you can offer multiple low-key places to check out in a store. Many people prefer self-checkout POS systems whenever possible, which is another option you have with mobile hardware. With mPOS, it’s all about options!
Sephora is an example of a company that uses mobile checkout options on an as-needed basis. The company gives its staff mobile devices, so the floor sales agents can check people out if there’s a very long line.
Many retail businesses can benefit from non-traditional sales opportunities at special events, such as craft fairs, festivals, or pop-up shops. Retail businesses increasingly take advantage of these events to make direct sales, spread the word about their products, and generate social media buzz. Mobile POS lets you travel to other cities, bring inventory to conventions or tradeshows, or join the local sidewalk sale.
With mobile POS, if you can get an internet signal via your cell or mobile hotspot, it is often a lot cheaper than buying it for a wired terminal at a convention center. Some mobile POS systems even have an offline mode, letting you take credit card payments even when you don’t have an internet or data signal.
Mobile POS lets you take your restaurant on the road! Food truck events are super popular, and you don’t want your restaurant to miss out on the chance to impress new customers with your cuisine. Our list of best food trucks POS systems should get you started there.
Even if your restaurant uses a full POS, you can use a mobile system in conjunction with your POS for events. You can also use mPOS to take payments on the go when you are catering events.
Mobile POS systems offer features such as digital receipts and have a much smaller footprint than traditional POS registers, so they are ideal in cramped quarters. Free restaurant POS systems do exist, and many offer great mobile options for smaller businesses.
There are a couple of different ways in which mobile POS lets restaurants leverage tableside ordering.
One way is self-checkout tablets at tables that allow customers to order and make payments right from the table.
Another is with mobile devices that your employees can carry, enabling the servers to digitally send orders to the kitchen and process customers’ payments from the floor. Tableside ordering technology saves time and reduces mistakes in orders because the POS prompts for details, such as dressings, toppings, sides, etc. Many mobile solutions make any gift card systems you already have work easily and well.
Whether you’re in plumbing, pest control, lawn care, contracting, or another type of mobile business — e.g., a business that visits clients at home or primarily interacts with them on a worksite — mobile POS lets you take payments wherever your clients are. Instead of waiting on invoices, you can accept payment right on the spot. That makes things easier for your customers, as it’s typically much more convenient to hand someone your credit card than to hunt down your checkbook or enter your credit card number in an online payment portal. Onsite payments also reduce the number of late payments you’ll have to chase down later on.
Mobile POS is the future of point of sale technology, not just due to its portability or small footprint but also its advanced web-based features, scalability, and ease of use. Even if you don’t absolutely need one of the best mobile point of sale systems right now, it’s important to think of the future and the flexibility of a tablet-based POS system.
If you’re brand-new to mobile POS and mobility is the most important quality you’re looking for — particularly if you want to take payments on your smartphone — I’d recommend starting with Square. It’s free to use, and since there’s no commitment required, you can always move on to more advanced POS mobile systems later on if you find you need a Square alternative.
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The vendors that appear on this list were chosen by subject matter experts on the basis of product quality, wide usage and availability, and positive reputation.
Merchant Maverick’s ratings are editorial in nature, and are not aggregated from user reviews. Each staff reviewer at Merchant Maverick is a subject matter expert with experience researching, testing, and evaluating small business software and services. The rating of this company or service is based on the author’s expert opinion and analysis of the product, and assessed and seconded by another subject matter expert on staff before publication. Merchant Maverick’s ratings are not influenced by affiliate partnerships.
Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity. The editorial content on this page is not provided by any of the companies mentioned and has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Opinions expressed here are author’s alone.
Square POS is an intuitive and simple point of sale platform. It offers customizable tools and a variety of add-ons to fit your business needs and reach your goals.
Get Started
