5 Best Garden Center POS Systems In 2022
These excellent garden center POS systems offer software for nursery management with robust inventory tools and a variety of integrations for eCommerce and accounting.
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Aside from having a naturally green thumb, getting a well-designed garden center POS system can be one of the most advantageous things you could do for your nursery or flower business. Operating a garden center can be a difficult task as you have to deal with dramatic sales swings throughout the year and keep an eye on your inventory to make sure you always have your best-selling items in stock.
A strong garden center point of sale system can help with all of the necessary back-end tasks, including detailed inventory management. Read on to learn about some of our top-rated nursery software POS systems.
Learn More About Our Top Picks
| Company | Best For | Next StepsBest For |
|---|---|---|
Lightspeed Retail POS  | Best for advanced inventory management. | Best for advanced inventory management.
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Revel POS Systems  | Best for high volume businesses. | Best for high volume businesses.
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Square POS  | Best POS with free app option. | Best POS with free app option.
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Clover POS  | Best for customer management. | Best for customer management.
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Shopify POS  | Best for online selling. | Best for online selling.
|
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Table of Contents
Best Garden Center Point Of Sale Systems
Software for your garden store business should include a user-friendly interface, advanced inventory tracking, and a variety of integrations to help improve your efficiency. These are our top choices for garden center POS systems.
1. Lightspeed Retail: Best For Inventory
Lightspeed Retail POS
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Pros
- Strong inventory management
- eCommerce integration
- Constant updates
Cons
- Pricy for smaller businesses
- Occasional glitches
Lightspeed Retail Features
Lightspeed has one of the more in-depth features offerings around. It’s an all-in-one system loaded with integrations and outstanding inventory management. Here are some of its key features:
- Gift cards
- Holds & layaways
- Customizable templates
- Wish lists
- Multi-store management
- Purchase order management
- Advanced reporting
Lightspeed Retail Pricing
Lightspeed has three plans ranging from $69/month to $199/month depending on the size of your business and your specific needs.
Hardware Cost
Lightspeed offers tablet and desktop bundles and also sells individual equipment like printers and scales on its site but you will need to call for a quote.
Payment Processing
Lightspeed offers its own payment processing service, Lightspeed Payments. It has upfront fees of 2.6% + $0.10 per card-present transactions and 2.6% + $0.30 for manual entries. You also have a few third-party processing options if you prefer.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
You can sign up for Lightspeed Retail on a month-to-month basis with no long-term commitments. To receive the lowest monthly rates, however, you will need to use Lightspeed Payments.
Where Lightspeed Retail Really Shines
In a nutshell, Lightspeed does it all. It offers an easy-to-use POS system with everything you need to run your small or large garden business. We also recommend Lightspeed’s advanced features for other niche industries, too, such as a golf pos system.
The inventory management features are outstanding and it also features stellar customer service. While very small businesses may find the price point a bit high, its rates are competitive for most industries.
Get Started with Lightspeed Retail POS
2. Revel: Best For High Volume
Revel POS Systems
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Pros
- Advanced reporting
- Multistore functionality
- Multiple integrations
Cons
- Pricy entry point
- Not as simple to use
Revel Features
Revel is ideal for larger businesses or businesses that need an advanced feature set. Here are a few of Revel’s best features:
- Real-time inventory
- Purchase order management
- Intelligent reporting
- Till management
- Advanced marketing tools
- Permissions
- Kiosk mode
Revel Pricing
Revel starts at $99/month with a two-user minimum, but also offers custom rates tailored to your specific business. You are advised to call a sales rep before purchasing.
Hardware Cost
Revel offers bundles through its website that comes with everything you need to get set up. It also offers individual items for purchase but you will need to call for a quote.
Payment Processing
Revel also has its own payment processing service. Its rates are upfront and will set you back 2.49% + $0.15 for standard transactions. It also integrates with a handful of third-party processors if you want to search for a rate that might better suit your business.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
You can sign up on a month-to-month basis but, in order to receive Revel’s best pricing, you’ll need to sign a three-year contract.
Where Revel Really Shines
Revel is a powerhouse of a POS system. If you have complicated inventory or reporting needs, chances are very good that Revel has you completely covered. It’s also an ideal system if you’re managing inventory across multiple stores, despite the somewhat hefty price tag.
Get Started with Revel POS Systems
3. Square: Best Free App
Square POS
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Pros
- Ease of use
- App marketplace
- All-in-one system
Cons
- Occasional fund holds
- Features not overly advanced
Square Features
Square is a highly scalable product, but its free app offers a generous feature set in its own right. Here are some of its top features:
- Multistore support
- Multichannel selling
- Marketing tools
- Employee management
- Multiple payment options
- Text messaging
- Multiple reports
Square Pricing
Square starts at $0/month for its free app and has more advanced products like Square for Retail that range from $0 to $60/month.
Hardware Cost
Square offers multiple unique hardware options. Your first magstripe card reader is free and its contactless chip reader is $49. It also features a handheld processor called Square Terminal for $299 and its full-fledged system, Square Register for $799.
Payment Processing
Square is known for its simple and upfront processing services. Its rates are 2.6% + $0.10 for card-present transactions and 3.5% + $0.15 for card on file payments.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Square requires no long-term contracts, allowing you to pay on a monthly basis and cancel at any time.
Where Square Really Shines
The beauty of Square is in its simplicity. The most novice business owner can be up and ready to sell in minutes with virtually no learning curve. The product is that easy to use. It’s also great for businesses that are looking to expand as it features multiple options to unlock more advanced features.
4. Clover: Best For Loyalty
Clover POS
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Pros
- Simple set-up
- App marketplace
- Appealing interface
Cons
- Processing customer service
- High upfront cost
Clover Features
Clover has a robust feature set and is also exceptionally easy to set up and operate. Here are some of Clover’s key offerings:
- Virtual terminal
- Detailed customer management
- Discounts
- Item exchanges
- App marketplace
- Sales reports
- Advanced inventory
Clover Pricing
Clover has a limited free plan and its paid plans run from $9.95/month to $39.95/month for its retail services.
Hardware Cost
Like Square, Clover has a wide variety of hardware options that might be useful to your garden center. The Clover Go card processor costs $49, while the Clover Flex handheld POS system runs for $499. And for more traditional systems, the Clover Mini runs for $749 and Clover Station starts at $1349 through Clover’s website.
Payment Processing
With Clover, you are locked into Fiserv for your processing needs, which has been a longstanding issue with the company given Fiserv’s reputation. However, the rates are competitive, ranging from 2.3% – 2.6% + $0.10 for standard transactions depending on your plan.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
With Clover, you are allowed to use their service on a month-to-month basis. Just make sure that you’ve done your research on Fiserv to make sure their processing is right for you.
Where Clover Really Shines
Clover offers the type of system that you can set up and not have to think about. It has an incredibly simple and visually-appealing interface and an excellent array of features and plans to choose from to make sure that you’re not overpaying for unnecessary services. It also has outstanding customer management and loyalty capabilities.
5. Shopify: Best for eCommerce
Shopify POS
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Pros
- eCommerce integration
- Multiple payment options
- Mobile options
Cons
- Weak offline mode
Shopify Features
Shopify is constantly updating its POS product and adding new features to improve. Here are some of Shopify’s best features:
- Contactless payments
- Multi-channel selling
- Advanced reporting
- Marketing tools
- Custom payment options
- Portable registers
- Accounting and eCommerce integrations
- Customer profiles
Shopify Pricing
Shopify has a variety of pricing tiers starting at $9/month and ranging up to $299/month for advanced features. It also has plans for larger businesses at custom rates.
Hardware Cost
Shopify has hardware bundles that you can purchase through its website. Call a sales rep for a quote on hardware or to purchase individual items as well.
Payment Processing
Like many other POS companies, Shopify has gotten into the processing game as well with its own built-in payments option. Its rates range from 2.4% and 2.7% depending on your plan. If you subscribe to the Basic plan, you can also choose between a variety of third-party options.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Shopify makes it easy, allowing you to purchase its product month-to-month with no early termination fees.
Where Shopify Really Shines
Not surprisingly, Shopify is a great POS option if eCommerce is a big part of your business plan. Its eCommerce platform is second to none and it integrates seamlessly with Shopify point of sale. If you’re already using Shopify for online selling, Shopify POS is definitely a product to try and keep on your shortlist.
Which Garden Center Point Of Sale System Is Right For You?
Having a point of sale system that specifically fits the needs of your business can be a huge time and money saver. A garden center POS with advanced inventory management and a customer database to track consumer spending, among other integrations, is practically a must in this competitive industry.
So which of the above options is best? Well, it still depends on your individual business. If you are looking for a cost-effective product, Square and Clover have you covered. If you’re wanting in-depth features, Revel and Lightspeed are good options. And if you’re looking for seamless eCommerce functionality, definitely check out Shopify. Just make sure you prioritize what’s most important to your business and make the most informed decision from there!
FAQs: Garden Center POS Systems
In Summary: Best Garden Center Point Of Sale Systems
- Lightspeed Retail POS: Best for advanced inventory management.
- Revel POS Systems: Best for high volume businesses.
- Square POS: Best POS with free app option.
- Clover POS: Best for customer management.
- Shopify POS: Best for online selling.
Matt Sherman
Expert Analyst & Reviewer at Merchant Maverick
A former sports editor and journalist, Matt Sherman has been writing about and researching small business software since 2015, with a special emphasis on retail and restaurant sales. Matt's expert opinions are cited in various industry publications, including Fox Business. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon.
View Matt Sherman's professional experience on LinkedIn.
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