6 Best POS Systems In Australia

Square’s flagship Square POS app is completely free. Square also has free and paid versions of Square For Restaurants, Square For Retail, and Square Appointments.

The paid versions of each Square plan are as follows:

• Square For Restaurants: 129 AUD/month (Plus plan)
• Square For Retail: 109 AUD/month/location (Plus plan)
• Square Appointments: 40 AUD/month/location (Plus plan); 90 AUD/month/location (Premium plan)

Square also offers several paid add-ons, including:

• Square Online (Paid Version): 36 AUD/month (Plus plan); 99 AUD/month (Premium plan)
• Square KDS (Kitchen Display System): 25 AUD/month/device on Square For Restaurants free plan; unlimited devices for no additional cost on paid plan
• Square Loyalty: Starts at 49 AUD/month/location (price dependent on number of loyalty visits)

Square provides a robust set of free tools for Australian business owners, making it one of the most versatile POS systems available.

Free features include:

• Free online store for retail or takeaway/delivery orders
• Free checkout links for service-based or B2B invoice payments
• Free appointment scheduling page for bookings, events, or private shopping
• Unlimited POS devices across phones, tablets, computers, and Square hardware

Retail features:

• Sell unlimited products in person, online, and on social media
• List products on Google and add buy buttons to blogs or marketing emails
• Sync inventory automatically across all sales channels
• Paid plans add automated purchase ordering, vendor management, and bulk stock editing

Restaurant features:

• Free plan includes an order manager, floor planner, and optional kitchen display system
• Paid plan adds order coursing, individual seat management, and unlimited kitchen displays with order routing
• Integrates with delivery platforms like Doshii, Deliverect, DoorDash, and Uber Eats

Service-based business features:

• Create estimates, send contracts and invoices, and collect digital signatures
• Send deposit reminders and accept prepayments
• Manage appointments, track inventory and resources, and enable tipping suggestions
• Ideal for salons, spas, and independent service professionals

You’ll need at least the Square contactless card reader to take payments. The Square Stand is an iPad stand with a built-in card reader.

The Square Terminal is a handheld POS system. The Square Register, a full register with a customer-facing display, is a great POS setup for servers to take orders at a counter.

Payment processing rates per transaction for Australian POS systems are as follows:

• In-Person Payments: 1.6% on tapped/inserted cards for users who signed up after May 30, 2024; 1.9% for users of Square Reader or Square Stand who signed up before this date
• Online Payments: 2.2% on website, apps, invoices, and payment links
• Manually Entered Payments: 2.2% on keyed-in card payments on virtual terminal payments and manually entered card numbers on in-person payments

Square has monthly software plans with no early termination fees, as well as great POS hardware warranties.

Note: You’ll get lower payment processing rates if you purchase a Square Terminal or Register. The initial investment is slightly higher, but worth it in the long run.

Shopify offers free POS software with every eCommerce package, which comes at the following monthly prices:

• Basic: 39 USD/month (roughly 61 AUD/month)
• Grow: 105 USD/month (roughly 165 AUD/month)
• Advanced: 399 USD/month (roughly 628 AUD/month)
• Plus: 2,300 USD/month (roughly 3,624 AUD/month)

Note: Shopify offers a 25% discount on plans if you pay for a year upfront.

Shopify also offers an advanced POS package as a paid add-on for 89 USD/month (roughly 140 AUD/month), or 79 USD/month (roughly 124 AUD/month) if you pay for a year upfront.

Shopify’s free POS Lite app comes with all plans except Shopify Starter, but most advanced in-person and inventory features are part of the Shopify POS Pro add-on.

POS Lite features include:

• Customizable POS interface
• Ability to use an iOS device as a barcode scanner
• Product bundling and discounting during checkout

POS Pro features include:

• Create and manage purchase orders
• Perform item receiving counts
• Require manager approvals for certain POS actions
• Process exchanges
• Add unlimited staff accounts

eCommerce and omnichannel features:

• Customizable online store builder with hundreds of templates
• In-store pickup, local delivery, shipping, and layaway options
• Social media sales through Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
• Built-in shipping suite with accurate tracking and rate tools
• Abandoned cart recovery emails
• Subscription, event ticket, and digital download sales
• International sales management tools

App marketplace and integrations:
Shopify has the largest third-party app marketplace of any POS provider, letting you add specialized tools for your business.

• Contractors can generate invoices using the Simple Invoice app
• Gyms and studios can schedule sessions and classes using the Sesami booking app

Shopify’s flexibility, extensive eCommerce tools, and app ecosystem make it one of the best POS systems in Australia for omnichannel and niche retail businesses.

You’ll need at least the WisePad 3 card reader, which you can pair with any smartphone, to take payments in person.

Additional hardware, including tablet stands, receipt printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners, is available to purchase.

Shopify breaks down payment processing costs by software plan, payment processing rates, and whether you use Shopify Payments or a third-party payment processor.

If you use Shopify Payments as your payment processor, you’ll pay the following rates:

• Credit Card Payments: 1.75% – 1.95% per in-person transaction; 1.4% – 1.95% (plus a $0.30 flat fee) per online transaction
• Debit Card Payments: 0.55% – 1% per in-person transaction

If you do not use Shopify Payments, you’ll pay a transaction fee between 0.5% and 2% per order.

Shopify contracts are all month-to-month with no hidden fees; however, Shopify offers a 25% discount on annual eCommerce plans and a 10% discount on annual POS Pro plans.

You will pay an extra transaction fee if you opt out of Shopify Payments, but the extra fee may be worth it if you can save substantially on your payment processing fees by going with a different merchant services provider.

If you don’t use any integrations or add-ons, TouchBistro is 69 USD/month for one register, billed annually.

Optional add-ons include:

• Online Ordering: 50 USD/month
• Reservations: 229 USD/month
• Gift Cards: 25 USD/month
• Loyalty Program: 99 USD/month
• Marketing: 99 USD/month

The reservations app can be used to accept catering orders and book events.

The company also charges a nonrefundable setup fee that includes your hardware setup plus a software walkthrough.

TouchBistro offers robust tools for full-service restaurants, bars, and catering operations, combining table management, reservations, and off-site functionality.

Restaurant features:

• Built-in reservations: Accept bookings through your online ordering site, Google Business Profile, or by phone. Send automated reminders, charge large-party fees, and assign servers to reserved sections.
• Waitlist management: Let guests join waitlists online, receive SMS updates, and track estimated wait times with automatic cutoff options for closing hours.
• Table management: Monitor seating times, courses, and table turnarounds. Adjust floor plans easily and sync kitchen displays to individual seats for precise meal pacing.
• Liquid inventory tracking: Integrate with Bevchek or Freepour to monitor drink sales, stock, and waste in real time.
• Customer preferences: Record allergies, dining notes, and VIP preferences to deliver personalized experiences.

Loyalty and marketing:

• Offer points- or item-based rewards, send marketing emails, and let customers sign up directly through your online ordering page.

Catering and mobile operations:

• House accounts: Bill recurring clients, preload credits, and manage account balances for offices, schools, or organizations.
• Catering orders: Create quotes, require deposits, and schedule orders with defined event times and kitchen display categories.
• Delivery parameters: Customize delivery zones, minimums, and service fees, with automated messages for out-of-zone orders.
• Offline sales: Use hybrid mode to take payments off-site for food trucks, events, or future catering jobs.

TouchBistro is an iPad-based system, and you may use several models as POS registers, customer-facing displays, and kitchen display systems.

You can purchase iPad cases from TouchBistro or use your own.

When using TouchBistro, Square is supported for payments in Australia.

TouchBistro offers monthly and annual contracts, with the best per-month pricing on annual contracts.

TouchBistro will charge an early termination fee for canceled accounts, though, so consider a short-term contract before committing to anything in the long run.

The following plans are for business owners who use Lightspeed Payments, Lightspeed’s in-house payment processor (only one register included):

• Basic Plan: 159 AUD/month; 129 AUD/month billed annually
• Core Plan: 279 AUD/month; 229 AUD/month billed annually
• Plus Plan: 389 AUD/month; 329 AUD/month

If you don’t use Lightspeed Payments, an extra monthly charge applies. Additional registers can be added for an extra monthly fee.

Lightspeed Retail offers powerful tools for managing sales, inventory, and customer relationships across multiple business types.

Retail features:

• B2B sales: Create customer accounts with bulk pricing hidden behind login access. Build online catalogs, accept deposits, and set account limits for each customer.
• Inventory management: Auto-populate purchase orders based on minimum stock levels or backorders. Manage vendors, update pricing by item or category, and receive full or partial purchase orders.
• Subscription sales: Offer one-time or recurring subscriptions with saved cards on file. Create plan tiers or sell non-physical items like memberships.
• Multi-store management: Add permanent or temporary locations, transfer inventory, set custom reorder levels, and generate consolidated sales reports.
• eCommerce: Use Lightspeed’s built-in platform or connect with Booxi to sell appointments, rentals, and retail items online.

Rental features:

• Integrate with rental software for online or in-store rentals, repairs, and customer management.
• Generate quotes and convert them to invoices, hold items for future reservations, and set layaway terms.

Hospitality and lodging:

• Integrate with booking or property management tools for room and venue rentals.
• For hotels offering food and beverage service, Lightspeed Restaurant with property management integration is a better fit.

Repair features:

• Let customers book repairs online, receive estimates, and communicate with technicians.
• Employees can generate and manage digital job cards.

Loyalty program:

• Reward customers with points per purchase, item-based bonuses, and time-limited promotions.
• Use loyalty data to run targeted marketing campaigns and boost repeat business.

You may purchase iPads for use with Lightspeed POS software from the company or a compatible one from elsewhere.

To use Lightspeed Payments, you’ll need to buy your card reader from Lightspeed. The company uses the WisePOS E terminal for tap and chip card payments, as well as mobile wallet payments.

If you choose to integrate your POS with Tyro for payments, you can rent countertop EFTPOS terminals and/or wireless mobile EFTPOS terminals.

Lightspeed offers its own payment processing program, Lightspeed Payments, that charges 1.5% per transaction for in-person payments.

Note: Lightspeed Payments does not work with Lightspeed’s eCommerce product, Lightspeed eCom, but you can integrate your eCommerce site with hundreds of online payment processors, including Stripe, Square, and PayPal.

You may also integrate your POS system with Tyro, an Australian-based merchant services provider.

We recommend that you try to estimate your monthly payment processing costs for both Lightspeed Payments and Tyro by estimating the number of Tyro card terminals you would need and a rough estimate of your monthly sales volumes before committing to either payment processor.

Lightspeed charges an early termination fee and requires all business owners to get a custom quote, which will detail your exact contract length and account cancellation process/fees.

The company typically has strict hardware warranty requirements as well.

You will need to contact Revel for a quote. Generally, the lowest pricing requires a two-terminal minimum, three-year contract, and you must agree to use Revel Advantage International (powered by Adyen), Revel’s in-house payment processing solution.

Delivery software, online ordering platform, highly customizable loyalty program, and multi-location management functions will add to monthly costs.

The company also charges a one-time implementation fee, which includes a personalized hardware and software setup.

Revel offers one of the most comprehensive feature sets of any POS system on this list, combining retail, restaurant, and service management tools in a single platform.

Core business features:

• Loyalty program: Create custom rewards, issue gift options, and send automated marketing to inactive customers.
• Online ordering: Manage local delivery with real-time driver tracking, third-party delivery integrations, and automatic shipping rate calculations.
• Purchase orders: Generate POs with par level settings, vendor management, and partial or full order receiving.
• Employee management: Schedule shifts, track time, define roles, and run payroll directly from the dashboard.
• Multi-establishment management: Build parent/child hierarchies, manage brands, apply royalties, and push updates across locations.
• Inventory tools: Use matrixing, stock conversions, waste and loss tracking, and automated perishable inventory monitoring.

Restaurant features:

• Kitchen display system: Route orders and modifiers to digital screens to reduce prep time and eliminate paper tickets. Accept orders from dine-in, delivery, catering, or third-party apps.
• Full-service tools: Transfer orders between sections, move guests between seats, split checks, and track table turnaround. Add catering, service fees by party size, and waitlist/reservation management.
• Quick-service tools: Use kiosks, customer display screens, and digital menus to speed up orders. Manage omnichannel and drive-through sales from one system.

Service and specialty features:

• Appointment booking: Schedule services, rentals, or repairs and apply predefined service charges.
• Open-ended items: Charge flexible rates based on time spent, rental duration, or other custom variables.

Revel offers POS hardware and accessories for Revel users. A custom quote is required.

Alternatively, with Revel’s written permission, you may purchase Revel-compatible hardware on your own.

Revel Advantage International users can purchase the Verifone v400m or P400 Plus payment terminals.

Revel users can get a custom payment processing rate for Revel Advantage International, the company’s international built-in payment processing solution.

Alternatively, business owners can integrate their POS system with Windcave or Tyro for an added monthly fee.

Revel advertises that it will give the lowest rates and discounts on POS hardware if you opt into Revel Advantage, but we recommend getting additional quotes and bringing them to Revel to negotiate the best rates.

Revel’s standard contract is three years, with a substantial early termination fee depending on how far you’re into your contract before canceling.

Revel typically offers a discount for users who bundle their software, hardware, and payment processing into one bill. We recommend that you get an estimate on hardware and payment processing rates from outside companies and bring that estimate to Revel to see if they’ll match it.

Pricing for Lightspeed Restaurant is as follows:

• Basic: 40 AUD/month
• Plus: 120 AUD/month
• Growth: 220 AUD/month
• Pro: 340 AUD/month

Additional registers incur an additional $40 monthly fee per register.

Any third-party integrations you add will come at an additional fee from those software providers, not Lightspeed.

Lightspeed’s best features for quick-service and fast-casual restaurants include:

• Order types: Accept orders via QR code, web app, self-service kiosk, or integrations like Doshii and DoorDash. Servers can also take orders directly at registers.
• Display screens: Add order pickup screens that show customers real-time order status and reduce front-of-house strain. Include customer-facing displays so guests can confirm their orders before sending them to the kitchen.
• Kitchen display management: Use bump screens to organize tickets by item, station, or employee for faster prep and smoother workflows.
• Inventory and wastage tracking: Track product usage, record waste, and manage purchasing, production, and stock counts within the POS.
• Loyalty integration: Connect a customer loyalty program to capture buyer data and run targeted marketing campaigns.

Lightspeed integrates with property management systems like Oracle, Preno, and Protel. On higher-tier plans, you can also connect an existing PMS to manage reservations, charge meals to rooms, split group bills, and offer room service.

Business owners in Australia may purchase iPads for use as POS registers, self-serve kiosks, kitchen displays, order pickup screens, and more.

Lightspeed uses Verifone products for payment processing. You must purchase your credit card terminals from Lightspeed.

Unlike Lightspeed Retail, you are required to use Lightspeed Payments on a restaurant plan. You’ll get a custom payment processing rate based on your restaurant size, time in business, and card mix.

Lightspeed requires every business owner to get a custom quote, which will detail the length of your contract, terms of payment, and conditions for hardware warranties. It also includes an early termination fee.