Best eCommerce-Friendly POS Systems For Online Sellers

Online sellers need a robust POS system to help make online shopping easy and efficient for all parties. Discover our top options.

Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.

• WRITTEN & RESEARCHED BY

  Matt Sherman Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.

  Lead Staff Writer

  Last updated onUpdated January 23, 2025



Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.

REVIEWED BY

Shannon Vissers Shannon has been writing for Merchant Maverick about small business software and financing since 2015. She started writing professionally about business topics in 2005. Shannon has been featured in the Washington Post, Reader's Digest, US News, MSN, Yahoo Finance, Business Insider, and other publications. She has a bachelor's degree in English from San Diego State University and currently resides in San Diego, California.

Lead Staff Writer

For retail and restaurant businesses, the ability to sell online is more crucial than ever. Fortunately, software has adapted to business owners’ needs, and POS eCommerce systems are more functional and powerful than ever.

An effective point of sale eCommerce system can improve your business’s visibility, increase your branding, and dramatically increase sales. The best POS systems will also be affordable, easy to use by everyone, and have integrated payment processing.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

The Best eCommerce POS Systems

Here are some excellent POS systems with strong eCommerce platforms that include reliability, affordability, integrated payment processing, and a depth of features. These are also all cloud-based POS systems with monthly pricing options, so you do not have to sign a long-term contract.

• Lightspeed Retail: Best For Selling On Social Media
• Square POS: Best Free POS System
• Revel POS: Best For Large Inventories
• Shopify POS: Best For Fully Integrated eCommerce

The Top eCommerce POS Systems Compared

Lightspeed Retail: Best For Selling On Social Media

Get Started With Lightspeed Retail

Read our in-depth review

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Square POS: Best Free POS System

Get Started With Square POS

Read our in-depth review

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Revel POS: Best For Large Inventories

Get Started With Revel POS

Read our in-depth review

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Shopify POS: Best For Fully Integrated eCommerce

Get Started With Shopify POS

Read our in-depth review

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Retail POS Review Methodology

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.

How To Integrate eCommerce With Your POS

If you’re looking for how to integrate your POS with a website for online selling, it could be in your best interest to sync up your point of sale system with an eCommerce platform. This can be an easier process than you might think, and many of these companies integrate with each other. We’ll briefly give you a few pointers on how to combine these two platforms.

You Have A POS, But Not A Website

If you already have a modern point of sale system, you very likely already have the ability to set up a website for your company either through your POS’s platform itself or third-party integrations, such as Shopify or Wix. The first thing you’ll need to do is see which of these is available.

If your POS has its own eCommerce platform, you may simply need to activate that service. Sometimes access to retail POS integrations is an add-on or only available with a higher tier, so you may need to contact your provider.

From there, the eCommerce software is generally quite user-friendly, but there are a few steps and things to keep in mind to help ensure your success.

• Choose Your Theme: You can create your own theme, but many platforms come with pre-loaded themes for your convenience. You will want to make sure you choose one that matches your business’s aesthetic.
• Sync Your Payment Gateway: If you have a POS system, you should already have a payment gateway and processor. You will just need to make sure that it syncs up for online selling as well. Keep in mind that online purchases come with higher processing fees than card-present transactions.
• Import Inventory & Customer Data: This may seem like a huge chore, but a POS system that integrates directly with a website should allow you to import your inventory through a simple process. The same goes for any customer data you want to transfer to your online site, such as loyalty points.
• Set Up Shipping: You’ll have to figure out what kind of shipping rates you’ll be implementing and what provider you’ll use to get your products to customers; your software can assist with the set-up.

You Have A Website, But Not A POS

If you are already operating online but are venturing into the brick-and-mortar world, integrating your software is similarly easy. You’ll want to make sure that whatever POS service you purchase is compatible with your eCommerce platform; this can actually be a helpful way to narrow down your options from a huge number of products.

Once you’re up and running, the process is similar as shown above in terms of syncing your website to your POS and importing your inventory and other data. But here are a few other things you’ll want to assess when setting up a POS system.

• Make Sure Your POS Integrates With Your Current Processor: If you’re selling online, you’ll also need to make sure that your payment processor works with your POS, as many now have their own processing service that you are locked into using. It’s always possible to switch to a new processor, but that may be an additional step you want to avoid.
• Check For Add-Ons & Integrations: A good point of sale system should come with a number of features that can help you, such as advanced inventory tracking and reports. It may also integrate with companies that offer niche products that could help you as well or even a full app store with software to choose from.

You Have Neither A Website Nor A POS

If your business is brand new or a very small venture that is looking to expand, you can knock off multiple items on your checklist in one swoop. You’ll want to do a fair bit of research on eCommerce platforms and POS systems, but you will have plenty of options to choose from that integrate one with the other seamlessly, and you can directly import your inventory. If you plan to do a high percentage of your selling online, having a point of sale system with a strong eCommerce platform or partners with one affordably will be crucial.

The Bottom Line: Your POS Is The Bridge Between Physical & Online Stores

Having two separate platforms for brick-and-mortar and online sales is redundant and completely unnecessary these days. But before you plunge in and buy the first eCommerce-compatible POS system you come across, it’s important to evaluate your options and make sure you choose a reliable, well-regarded system that can meet all of your needs.

At Merchant Maverick, we love scaleable, cloud-based solutions that work for online retailers, small and large — bonus points if they are affordable and easy to use. The above POS systems meet all of those criteria and then some. These systems are each a little different, though, so we recommend testing them out before settling on a POS. Take advantage of their free trials before you make a long-term commitment.

Also, take a look at some other iPad POS software if you want to see what else is out there — just make sure the system offers some kind of eCommerce capabilities before falling in love.

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