Can I Buy A Used Clover POS? How To Avoid Scams In 2023

It is not difficult to find a Clover machine for sale on eBay. Some used Clover POS systems on eBay are sold “untested” or “as-is,” which usually means the system is unusable and can only be junked “for parts.” New Clover systems are also sold on eBay with a merchant services account.

The main issue with Clover POS systems sold on eBay is that a merchant services contract is not something you should enter into lightly and certainly not something you should enter into on eBay. Most merchant service providers who sell Clover on eBay are not providing a fair deal, as they can easily sneak hidden fees and long-term commitments into their contracts.

Like eBay, Amazon’s marketplace allows merchant service providers to sell Clover POS hardware with merchant service contracts. The concern with buying a Clover POS on Amazon is that you can’t trust a random Amazon seller to provide a good merchant services contract.

Most merchant service providers selling Clover hardware on Amazon are fly-by-night companies you’ve never heard of. Even though a company may be selling for less than normal and advertise low processing rates, you have no idea what level of customer service they offer, their hardware warranty policy, or what added fees they may charge.

Clover Flex handheld POS terminal.

The Clover Flex handheld POS system is one of the best handheld POS systems, especially for service-based businesses such as contracting companies and salons. That’s because this handheld POS allows business owners to accept chip-and-tap card payments, as well as digital wallet payments, on the go. You can also accept invoice payments and send invoice payment receipts by email so customers can monitor their payments.

Clover Mini 3rd generation countertop POS system.

The Clover Mini is a small countertop POS system that’s a good middle ground between the handheld POS terminal and the full Clover Station register. The register has a built-in card reader, digital wallet reader, and receipt printer. You can mount your mini register to a countertop or a swivel that allows you to swivel the screen towards customers.

We placed the Clover Mini on our list of the best coffee shop POS systems and the best food truck POS systems. This is because it is a compact system that doesn’t take up a lot of counter space. It also allows you to turn the screen towards customers so they can choose tipping amounts, enter loyalty member information, and choose whether they’d like a receipt printed, emailed, or don’t want a receipt at all.

The Clover Mini attaches to accessories like cash drawers and barcode scanners, which also makes the Clover Mini a good option for retail-focused businesses.

We also like that the Clover Mini has a big enough screen that you can take full advantage of the Clover App market. For example, we consider the Clover Mini one of the best salon POS systems because of its appointment scheduling and loyalty program apps available.

Clover Station Solo screen, cash drawer, and receipt printer.

The Clover Station Solo is a complete countertop POS solution that includes a 14″ high-definition display, built-in camera/barcode scanner, thumbprint log-on reader for added security, swipe/tap/digital wallet card reader, receipt printer, and a cash drawer.

We believe Clover is one of the best POS systems for bars because you can use the camera to scan IDs if you pair the Station Solo with an ID scanner app. We also believe that Clover is one of the best convenience store POS systems because the thumbprint log-on reader provides extra security features.

Clover Station Duo register with Clover Mini customer-facing display, cash drawer, and receipt printer.

The Clover Station Duo is similar to the Station Solo, except that you get a Clover Mini touch screen for guests to pay via chip, tap, or digital wallet payment.

It’s a strong upgrade from the Station Solo because you can’t take chip payments with the Solo, plus employees can continue entering information on their screen while customers enter things like loyalty information on a secondary screen.

Square Terminal handheld POS system, Square Register, and Square iPad stand.

Why We Recommend Square

Square is a free POS app with no long-term contract that can be used on just about any iPad as well as some tablets and smartphones when you pair the Square POS app with a Square card reader. We believe Square is one of the best free POS systems because you can use it for just about any type of small business and all you have to do is pay a flat-rate payment processing fee.

You do have proprietary Square hardware options, but you can purchase Square hardware from places like Amazon and easily reprogram devices to add your own Square account. As a bonus, Square will even honor hardware warranties for hardware you’ve purchased somewhere other than Square.com.

You can use Square with an iPad and the $149 Square Stand, which includes a built-in card reader and swiveling iPad stand. If you like the Clover Mini, this could be a good alternative.

There’s also the $299 handheld Square Terminal, which is relatively close in design and function to the Clover Flex, and the $799 Square Register, which is similar to the Clover Station Solo register screen.

You can purchase Square hardware kits that are similar to the full Clover Station Solo and Duo setups.

Toast online ordering on a smartphone, Toast admin dashboard on PC, Toast KDS, Toast Go 2 handheld POS, Toast countertop POS.

Why We Recommend Toast

Unlike Clover, Toast POS is specifically designed for restaurants. As one of the best restaurant POS systems, the software offers numerous restaurant-specific features with built-in payment processing. Toast’s Android-based hardware is designed specifically to withstand heat and spills.

Toast currently offers the $627 Toast Go 2, one of the best handheld restaurant POS systems, which is close to (or better than) the Clover Flex when the Flex is used with restaurant-specific software plans. The $875 countertop POS mirrors the Clover Station Solo register screen, while the $629 kitchen display system is similar to (or better than) Clover’s newly released kitchen display screens.

Toast recommends purchasing your proprietary POS equipment from the company directly, though it is possible to buy used Toast equipment online and use it with your Toast subscription. Just make sure you confirm with Toast that said equipment will work with your system, as they have phased out support for some older tablets.

One of the only downsides of Toast is that the provider requires a two-year contract with an early termination fee. Before committing to Toast, make sure this is a POS system that will work for your restaurant business long-term.

Lightspeed Retail card reader, iPad POS device in case, eCommerce site on PC and smartphone device.

Why We Recommend Lightspeed

Lightspeed is an iPad-based POS that offers industry-specific software packages, including Lightspeed Retail, Lightspeed Restaurant, and Lightspeed Golf, one of our best POS systems for golf. It is also one of our best POS systems for inventory management.

Lightspeed prefers you source your equipment from them to ensure it’s compatible, but you have the option to use just about any new or used iPad POS equipment with your Lightspeed account, plus any of the compatible hardware accessories listed on Lightspeed’s help articles. The only requirement is that you buy the $299 WisePOS E-card reader from Lightspeed.

The company offers accessories such as an iPad stand for $199, a cash drawer for $129, a barcode scanner for $199, a label printer for $124, and a receipt printer for $399. In addition to registers, you can use your iPads as self-serve kiosks and kitchen display systems if you purchase Lightspeed’s self-serve and kitchen display software packages.

Helcim POS app installed on smartphones, tablets, and desktops, plus Helcim card reader.

Why We Recommend Helcim

The Helcim POS system works on any device you own, including iPads, Android tablets, smartphones, and desktop computers. You can install the completely free POS app on an unlimited number of devices that you already own or that you purchase secondhand. Just download the app, enter your login credentials, purchase the $109 Helcim card reader, and you’re ready to go.

The only fees you need to pay are Helcim payment processing fees. Helcim offers transparent merchant accounts and interchange-plus pricing for all users, which is a rare feature of easy-to-use POS software.

Since our last update, Helcim now offers a completely wireless handheld POS system, the Helcim Smart Terminal, for $349. It is similar in design to the Clover Flex and includes a one-year hardware warranty.

We believe that Helcim is one of the best retail POS systems, especially for companies that have a B2B sales component, offer memberships or subscription boxes, and/or accept custom orders.

You can buy a used Clover POS system, but they are not reprogrammable, which means you cannot use a used Clover POS to sell at your business. Some people on eBay sell used Clover equipment “for parts.”

The best place to find a Clover machine for sale is through a highly-rated Clover merchant services provider, such as National Processing or Dharma Merchant Services.

No, you cannot reprogram a Clover POS. A Clover POS will only work with the original merchant account that activated it for use.

The main Clover scam to look for is low-quality merchant services providers selling Clover on eBay and Amazon. These resellers may offer good prices on equipment, but they will often include a lot of hidden fees and unfair terms in the merchant services agreement they sell with the Clover POS.

You can’t use Clover without a merchant account, and unlike other POS system providers, you have to sign up for a merchant account with whatever company you purchase your Clover hardware from.

This means that you have to be very careful about where you purchase your Clover machine from. Read any merchant agreements and hardware warranty information before signing up with any Clover hardware/merchant services provider.