Clover Flex Review

Pros

• Works for countertop and mobile POS setups
• Supports multiple payment types
• Built-in receipt printer on Clover Flex
• Runs full Clover POS

Cons

• Bulkier than some handheld POS devices
• Pricing and contract terms vary by provider
• Inconsistent customer support

What Is Clover Flex?

Clover Flex is a handheld point of sale device that can be used at the counter, tableside, or on the go. It runs Clover POS software and must be activated with a compatible Clover merchant account through Fiserv or an authorized Clover provider. Businesses can use it to accept card and mobile wallet payments, manage orders and inventory, scan barcodes, and print receipts.

In 2024, Clover also released a sleeker, lighter version of the Clover Flex called the Flex Pocket.

Businesses That Would Benefit From Clover Flex

Clover Flex is suitable for small businesses that want a mobile smart terminal with built-in POS features and are comfortable using Clover’s payment processing ecosystem. Restaurants or retailers that use a Clover Station as their main register may also want to add a Clover Flex for mobile payments at the table or on the floor.

Pricing

Clover Flex is competitively priced hardware and offers flat-rate processing options. However, pricing and contract terms vary depending on whether you buy directly from Clover or through another provider, and Clover’s monthly hardware subscriptions require a multiyear commitment.

You may be able to find more flexible pricing or merchant account terms through a reputable Clover reseller, but you should compare the full processing agreement, software fees, hardware costs, and cancellation terms before signing up.

Clover Flex hardware pricing depends on whether you choose the standard Flex or the lighter, printerless Flex Pocket. Pricing may also vary by provider and depending on whether you purchase the device outright or use a monthly hardware subscription.

Clover Direct offers published flat-rate processing, but the applicable service, hardware subscription, and cancellation terms depend on the package you select. Businesses should review the full agreement before signing up.

Note that you can purchase the hardware outright or pay one monthly fee for your hardware and software.

Clover Flex can be paired with several software plans, with available features and processing rates varying by plan and business type. More advanced plans add features such as item management, inventory tracking, returns, appointment tools, and online sales integrations.

Extra Clover Flex Costs & Fees

Businesses with an existing Clover setup can add a Flex as an additional device, although hardware and monthly software costs vary by plan and provider.

For example, some restaurants that use a Clover Station or Clover Mini as their main register might like to add a Clover Flex for tableside ordering.

Learn more about Clover POS costs.

Overall Design

Unlike the Clover Station and Clover Mini, which are designed to sit on countertops, the Clover Flex is a handheld device meant to be mobile.

The Clover Flex includes a starter kit with a charging cradle, quick-start guide, power brick and cord, optional PIN-entry aid, protective sleeve, and a roll of receipt paper.

The Flex combines its card readers, power controls, speakers, barcode scanner and camera, and USB-C connectivity in one handheld device. Placement of these features is pretty standard if you’re familiar with a smartphone — just on a larger scale. The Clover Flex manual and online help materials include a neat little graphic that shows what everything is.

The Clover Flex includes a charging cradle that allows the device to remain powered and accessible when used at a counter.

The Clover Flex is bulkier than many handheld card readers, largely because it includes a nearly 6-inch screen, barcode scanner, and built-in receipt printer. Some users may find it less comfortable to carry for extended periods than a smaller printerless terminal.

The Clover Flex Pocket is 25% lighter than the standard Flex and provides many of the same payment and POS capabilities, but it does not include a receipt printer.

You can find the device specs for Clover Flex 4 and Clover Pocket below.

Ease Of Use

The Clover Flex is generally simple to activate and set up, and its touchscreen interface should feel familiar to most smartphone and tablet users.

Some settings are managed within individual Clover apps rather than through one central settings menu, which can make configuration less intuitive at first.

Getting Started With Clover Flex

Setup starts with powering up the device and choosing your default language. After that, the real setup process begins, starting with your data connection settings. Clover Flex supports Wi-Fi and optional LTE connectivity. Businesses that activate cellular service will pay an additional monthly fee.You can complete setup using an available Wi-Fi or cellular connection.

Once you’re connected and Flex has downloaded any software updates, Clover will ask you to enter your activation code. Clover will send you the code via email when your device ships, but you can also access it in your online portal at Clover.com.

After you enter the activation code, Clover will download your apps for you. Then, you’ll need to set up the receipt printer, which really is as simple as popping the roll of paper in and closing the Flex up. You can print a test receipt to make sure the printer is working as it should.

During activation, you will confirm your software and connectivity options based on the package selected when you opened your Clover account. You can also activate optional LTE service to provide a cellular connection when Wi-Fi is unavailable.

Without LTE service, the device can still use Clover’s offline-payment functionality during a temporary connection loss, but offline transactions are stored and submitted after connectivity returns and carry additional approval risk.

Finally, you’ll be asked to enable a couple of settings before your Flex is fully set up. For starters, you can require users to enter a passcode to unlock the device. You can also specify whether you want to accept tips and collect signatures on printed receipts or the Clover Flex screen.

Basic device activation and setup can be completed relatively quickly, although inventory entry, employee setup, app installation, and other configuration may take longer.

Features

Clover refers to its features (inventory tools, customer database, reporting tools, etc.)  as “apps.” Clover organizes many of its POS and business-management functions into separate applications accessible from the device’s home screen.

The Clover Flex runs the full Clover POS and is compatible with the Clover Station and Clover Mini. If you need a full-fledged register/countertop POS system, you can get that and use the Flex devices as a supplement. That means orders created on one device can be completed on the other, which is very important if you’re dealing with mobile hardware and mobile staff.

Customer Service & Support

Clover’s customer service has mixed reviews. Overall, though, Clover Flex still earns a strong score in this area thanks to offering 24/7 support and lots of helpful self-support resources.

To some extent, your customer support options will depend on which processor you choose to sign up with. Your merchant account provider will often be your front line for all account-related questions. However, for technical support, Clover is the go-to source. (If you sign up with Clover directly, it will be your point of contact for account-specific issues, too.)

Clover offers 24/7 phone support, which is always nice to see. However, customer feedback about Clover support is mixed, with some users reporting long waits, inconsistent answers, or difficulty resolving account and technical issues.

You can also access customer support resources such as a knowledgebase and tutorials from your Clover dashboard and download PDF guides/support videos on your Clover device directly.

User Reviews

Clover Flex receives mixed user feedback, although it can be difficult to separate reviews of the device itself from complaints about Clover payment processing, individual resellers, hardware subscriptions, and merchant account contracts.

Negative Reviews & Complaints

Common complaints from users include:

• Incorrect information given by sales reps
• Occasional bugs & restarts
• Connection issues
• Battery life weakens over time

Positive Reviews & Testimonials

Users most liked:

• Processing speed
• Ease of use
• Intuitive design

How Clover Flex Compares To Other Handheld POS

Some other mobile smart terminals in the same class as Clover Flex include Square Terminal and Poynt Smart Terminal.

Square Terminal costs less than Clover Flex or Clover Flex Pocket and has a fully featured free plan; however, Flex offers more features and potentially cheaper processing.

Poynt has similar pricing to Clover Flex, but doesn’t come pre-loaded with POS features.

Final Verdict Of Clover Flex

Overall, the Clover Flex earns a strong overall rating for its functionality and — pun fully intended here, folks — flexibility. The Clover Flex makes the most sense if you already have a Clover setup and want to take it mobile. Clover’s software is versatile and flexible as well, with uses for multiple industries, and accordingly, we recommend Clover POS as one of the best POS systems for small businesses.

One of the biggest considerations when choosing Clover is the provider you purchase it from, since hardware pricing, processing rates, support, contract length, and cancellation terms can vary. Clover Direct publishes simplified flat-rate processing options, but merchants should still carefully review the software, hardware subscription, renewal, and cancellation terms.

Clover is also available through banks, merchant service providers, and authorized resellers. Compare each provider’s current hardware pricing, processing model, support, contract length, and termination terms before choosing one.

Clover Flex FAQs