5 Best Pharmacy POS Systems In 2022

Get Started with Lightspeed Retail POS

Pros

Integrates with TSYS (formerly Cayan) for FSA/HSA acceptance
Third-party delivery app integrations for local Rx delivery
Advanced inventory tracking and reporting
Vendor and supply chain management tools

Cons

It can get expensive if you want all the options
No out-of-the-box pharmacy software integrations

Monthly Fees

Pricing ranges from $69 to $199/month for one register (billed annually). Lightspeed also has quote-based enterprise pricing for large businesses.

Hardware Cost

Lightspeed’s POS hardware is iPad-based, and you’ll have to contact the company for a personalized quote. You can also source your hardware yourself.

Payment Processing

Lightspeed provides flat-rate payment processing via Lightspeed Payments at a rate of 2.6% + $0.10. Lightspeed also integrates with several other payment processing solutions, including TSYS, Vantiv, and 2Accept for cannabis pharmacies. You can also use Lightspeed without a payment processor and handle your payments separately through another system.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

To get the best pricing for Lightspeed, you’ll need to prepay for one year and sign a payment processing contract with Lightspeed Payments. Though it is possible to purchase Lightspeed on a monthly basis and/or to use a different integrated payment processor, you will pay a premium to do so.

Where Lightspeed Really Shines

Lightspeed is a premium iPad POS for any type of retail business, including pharmacies. This pharmacy POS harnesses the power of the cloud to provide advanced retail features, including inventory management, vendor management, customer management, loyalty, accounting, and eCommerce. Lightspeed is as flexible as it is powerful; its open API allows you to build your own third-party pharmacy software integrations to customize your perfect pharmacy POS.

2. Shopify: Best For In-Person + Online Orders

Shopify POS

Get Started with Shopify POS

Pros

It makes it easy to add an online store to your brick-and-mortar pharmacy
FSA/HSA payment acceptance through Shopify Payments and other integrated processors
Multichannel inventory syncing
Used by several online pharmacy brands

Cons

Limited offline mode
No dedicated merchant account with Shopify Payments

Monthly Fees

Pricing for a basic Shopify POS + Shopify website ranges from $29 to $299/month (billed monthly) with unlimited devices on all plans. To add the full suite of POS features, including advanced inventory, you’ll need to add Shopify Pro, which is an additional $89/month. Shopify also offers a Shopify Lite plan ($9/month) for mobile processing only and Shopify Plus plans for enterprise-level businesses.

Hardware Cost

Shopify sells hardware bundles and individual hardware components; you can also source your iPad or Android POS hardware yourself. Shopify’s most affordable bundle, which includes a stand for a 9.7″ iPad and a card reader, is priced at $219.

Payment Processing

Shopify has an in-house payment processing service called Shopify Payments, which is powered by Stripe. Rates range from 2.3% to 2.7%, depending on which Shopify plan you’re on. You can also integrate a payment processor of your choice for an additional transaction fee.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

All Shopify plans are month-to-month with no long-term commitment required. Note that Shopify Payments is a payment service provider similar to Square or PayPal, which means you will not have your own dedicated merchant account.

Where Shopify Really Shines

Shopify is a complete commerce solution for both online and brick-and-mortar businesses. However, Shopify especially shines in terms of its eCommerce features. If you work with a developer, there’s nothing you can’t do with a Shopify website. Notably, Shopify Plus powers multiple enterprise-level online pharmacies, including Meagher’s Pharmacy and Lloyd’s Pharmacy. Even for a smaller pharmacy, Shopify has numerous eComm integrations that can be useful for pharmacies that want to sell in-person and online, including SnapRx, Retail Management Solutions, and various age verification apps.

3. Square: Best Free Pharmacy POS

Square POS

Get Started with Square POS

Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Pros

Accepts FSA/HSA cards
Integrates with EHR and medical billing software
Free POS app
Free business website

Cons

Must use Square for payment processing

Monthly Fees

Square POS has no monthly fee. Square also offers two versions of Square for Retail if you want advanced inventory features, including a free and paid ($60/month) version.

Hardware Cost

Square sells POS hardware for iPad as well as its proprietary Square Register ($799) and Square Terminal ($299); you can also source your POS hardware yourself. Square accounts come with a free card swiper, though most pharmacies will want a more secure $49 chip and tap reader, which you can use with an iPad or Android tablet.

Payment Processing

Square charges a flat rate of 2.6% + $0.10 for all in-person transactions. Square also offers custom pricing for enterprise businesses that process over $250K/month. You do not have the option to use a different payment processor with Square.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

All Square plans are month-to-month with no long-term commitment required. Square is a third-party payment processor/payment service provider rather than a merchant account provider, which can result in account stability problems for certain businesses.

Where Square Really Shines

For a free POS app, Square offers a ton of functionality. Not only is Square perfect for basic, easy-to-use payment processing, but this free POS also has a ton of extensions and app integrations that extend its functionality for any business type, including healthcare businesses such as pharmacies. Some examples include DrChrono EHR & RCM, Remedly, IntakeQ, and Reference Health Payments. Square also includes FSA and HSA payment acceptance out-of-the-box as long as you have an eligible MCC (merchant category code). Even enterprise-level companies such as QuigMeds have integrated Square technology into their pharmacy POS systems.

4. Cashier Live: Best For Pharmacy Software Integrations

Cashier Live

Pros

Dedicated plan for pharmacies
SIGIS-certified system to accept FSA cards
Integrates with pharmacy management systems
Prescription wholesaler purchase ordering

Cons

Limited offline mode
Expensive hardware

Monthly Fees

Cashier Live’s pharmacy plan pricing is quote-based. However, the company says its software provides the best value in the industry, with no hidden fees. Though Cashier Live doesn’t list its pharmacy plan pricing, the company’s standard retail package is $75/month, which is quite reasonable.

Hardware Cost

Cashier Live can run on iOS, Android, or a computer, which gives you the option to source hardware components yourself. However, the company’s hardware bundles are on the expensive side. For example, Cashier Live PayPoint POS hardware for pharmacies goes for $2,599.

Payment Processing

Cashier Live offers a flat rate of 2.7% on each transaction. The POS company does not integrate with other processors.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Cashier Live contracts are billed month-to-month with no long-term contract required. However, you can receive a discount if you commit to a year or more.

Where Cashier Live Really Shines

The main benefit of using Cashier Live is that it has pharmacy POS features out of the box, including built-in integrations with other pharmacy software systems. In fact, Cashier Live was the first web-based SIGIS (Special Interest Group for IIAS Standards)-compliant POS system built for pharmacy needs. Other pharmacy-specific POS systems tend to be locally-installed and exorbitantly expensive, so Cashier Live is a great cloud-based alternative. Some industry-specific integrations included with Cashier Live are SpeedScript, HBS, Carepoint, RNA, and MethCheck (for pseudoephedrine sales).

5. Clover: Best For Ease Of Use

Clover POS

Get Started with Clover POS

Pros

Plug-and-play POS system
Can accept FSA/HSA cards through Clover payments
It also integrates with healthcare-friendly payment processors, such as Dharma

Cons

Proprietary hardware can’t be used with other systems
Sold by some low-quality MSPs

Monthly Fees

Clover’s Register Plan (for any business type) is $39.95/month for one terminal and $9.95/month for additional devices. Clover also has a No Hardware plan, which just includes a virtual terminal to key in credit card payments online, for $10/month. Additionally, Clover offers a $0/month Clover Payments plan that only includes payment processing without POS features.

Hardware Cost

Clover’s flagship Clover Station POS is $1,349. If you want a customer-facing screen, you can upgrade to the $1,649 Clover Station Duo. Other hardware options include the $749 Clover Mini and the mobile $499 Clover Flex.

Payment Processing

If you purchase your system directly from Clover, payment processing fees range from 2.3% to 2.6%+ $0.10, depending on your monthly software plan. Various other entities also sell Clover with different (and often more expensive) payment processing structures.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Hundreds of different merchant service providers sell Clover, and not all of them are top-notch. While accounts purchased from Clover directly are all month-to-month with the ability to cancel at any time, other providers may sell Clover with sneaky long-term contracts and hidden fees.

Where Clover Really Shines

Clover is an incredibly easy-to-use system that’s a breeze to set up and train your employees on. Pretty much as soon as you receive your POS hardware, you can plug it in, activate it, and start taking payments. It’s a good system for basic payment acceptance if you don’t need a lot of pharmacy-specific features — although its REST API means you can integrate other REST-ful applications. Clover is not IIAS-compliant (which is required to accept HSA/FSA payments as a non-medical retailer), but as long as you have an eligible MCC code (MCC 5912 or 5122 for pharmacies), you can accept HSA and FSA cards with Clover.