Lightspeed Retail POS Review (2024)
Lightspeed Retail POS is designed for multiple types of retailers and boasts a rich feature set, built-in processing, and eCommerce.
Lightspeed Retail
Total Rating | 4.1 |
---|---|
Pricing3.7 | |
Ease Of Use4.4 | |
Features4.3 | |
Customer Service4.1 | |
User Reviews4.0 |
Pricing
$89-$269/month ($69-$199/month billed annually)Contract
Monthly, annual, and customEquipment Cost
$199-$329Lightspeed Retail At A Glance
- iPad and desktop retail POS for single and multi-location businesses
- Excellent retail item inventory management
- Several popular and niche third-party software integrations
Pros
- Strong retail inventory management for one or more locations
- B2B and B2C customer management
- Customizable loyalty program
- Several software integrations and open API
- Affordable POS hardware
Cons
- Expensive for smaller businesses
- Occasional software glitches
- Recent reviews note poor customer service
Lightspeed Retail POS Overview
Lightspeed Retail is a point of sale system built for retail, rental, and service-based businesses. The cloud-based POS offers strong inventory and multi-location management, a good loyalty program builder, and lots of software integrations to create a system that works for your specific business.
Table of Contents
- Lightspeed Retail POS Pricing
- Lightspeed Retail Is Best Suited For
- Lightspeed Retail Features
- Ease Of Use
- What’s New With Lightspeed Retail?
- Customer Service & Support
- Payment Processing With Lightspeed Retail
- Lightspeed Retail Contract & Commitment
- Lightspeed Retail POS Reviews
- Getting Started With Lightspeed Retail
- Alternatives To Lightspeed Retail
- Final Verdict Of Lightspeed Retail
- Lightspeed Retail POS FAQs
Lightspeed Retail POS Pricing
Pricing3.7 |
---|
Software Plans 3.4 |
Hardware Options 4.2 |
Payment Processing Fees 3.8 |
Lightspeed Retail scores above average when it comes to pricing. We awarded the most points for offering a free trial, monthly pricing plans, an affordable POS card reader and iPad, and competitive payment processing rates.
The product loses points because there is an early termination fee and some undisclosed fees, and you can’t choose your own payment processor. Being stuck in a flat-rate payment processing structure is not cost-effective for slightly larger businesses processing thousands of dollars per month.
Lightspeed offers the following pricing plans.
Lightspeed Retail Plans | Price | When To Use |
---|---|---|
Lean Plan | $89/month ($69/month billed annually) | For single/multi-location retail business looking for strong inventory management and a customizable POS interface |
Standard Plan | $149/month ($119/month billed annually) | For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for eCommerce and accounting features |
Advanced Plan | $269/month ($199/month billed annually) | For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for a strong loyalty program and advanced business reporting |
Here’s a breakdown of Lightspeed Retail POS costs and packages:
- Lean Plan: Includes POS interface, inventory manager, gift card sales, service sales, order quotes, layby sales, store credit, customer accounts, and customer group management (for discounts, price book building, etc.)
- Essential Plan: Includes everything in the Lean plan plus an eCommerce store builder, social media and online marketplace sales capabilities, and integrations for accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage)
- Advanced Plan: Includes everything in the Lean plan plus a customizable loyalty program builder and advanced reporting features such as purchase ordering based on past item performance and demand forecasting
You can also sign up for a lower-level plan and get add-ons like Lightspeed Loyalty, one of the best POS rewards programs, as a separate add-on.
On all plans, you can integrate Lightspeed with compatible software. It’s important to note that there are two versions of Lightspeed Retail: Lightspeed R-Series and Lightspeed X-Series. The integrations available will depend on your version of the software. If you have a specific integration you want to use, make sure you get the right version. Integrations such as the ID verification app make Lightspeed one of the best POS software systems for wineries.
X-Series users get access to a free barcode scanner app that syncs to your Lightspeed inventory manager and works on iOS and Android devices.
Lightspeed Retail Extra Costs & Fees
Lightspeed Retail Extra Costs | Price |
---|---|
Additional Registers | $59/register/month |
Additional Locations | $89-$269/location/month ($69-$199/location/month with annual billing) |
Third-Party Software Integrations | Dependent on integration partner |
Card Reader | $299 |
Note: With each new location, you get another register. For example, if you have two locations, you’ll get two registers, one in each location, but will only pay the added location fee. If you purchase a third register license, you’ll pay the added location fee and an additional $59/month.
Lightspeed offers several proprietary add-ons such as Lightspeed Subscriptions and Lightspeed Workflows. The company also offers third-party integrations like Booxi appointment scheduling software and Hubtiger rental software.
You must purchase the $299 Lightspeed Payments-compatible WisePOS E-card reader from the company to use Lightspeed Payments, the company’s in-house payment processor. All US and Canadian merchants must use Lightspeed Payments with Lightspeed Retail software.
While not required, Lightspeed offers an iPad for $329 and 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.
Lightspeed Retail Is Best Suited For
Lightspeed Retail is one of the best POS systems for retail businesses with one or multiple locations that want strong inventory management, specialized third-party software integrations, eCommerce compatibility, and marketing features such as loyalty programs and gift card sales.
Lightspeed also works well for blended B2B/B2C businesses, service-based businesses, rental item businesses, and subscription sales. The software offers several add-on products to meet the needs of these more niche business types.
Note: Lightspeed Retail POS offers a 14-day free trial with no credit card required. Try the system risk-free to help you decide whether this POS works for your business.
Lightspeed Retail Features
Features4.3 |
---|
Register Features 5.0 |
Multichannel Sales 2.8 |
Store Management 4.8 |
Niche Features 4.6 |
Lightspeed Retail scores very highly in the features area because of its excellent register customization features, strong inventory management capabilities, and numerous niche features available such as B2B customer management and third-party integration options.
The system loses points in the omnichannel sales category because you can’t sync your sales with online sales channels such as TikTok, Instagram, Amazon, or Etsy. If you don’t plan to sell on these places, you’ll find that Lightspeed may have just enough online sales features for your business.
To test out Lightspeed Retail’s extensive feature set, I created a test bridal boutique store. I added dress inventory, created a gown consultation service scheduler, generated order quotes, created bridal customers, built a loyalty program, and built an online store.
Lightspeed Retail Features | Availability |
---|---|
Multi-Store Support | |
Contactless Payments | |
Multi-Channel Selling | Standard plan and up |
Gift Cards | |
Customer Loyalty | Advanced plan |
Marketing Tools | Standard plan and up |
Online Ordering | Standard plan and up |
Inventory Management | |
Reporting | |
Menu Management | |
Delivery Management | |
EBT Acceptance | |
Employee Management | |
Text Messaging |
These are Lightspeed Retail’s best features based on my firsthand experience with the software and research from other use cases.
Ease Of Use
Ease Of Use4.4 |
---|
Initial Setup 4.5 |
Customization 4.3 |
Everyday Use 4.4 |
I scored Lightspeed Retail highly in ease of use mostly because while it was slightly tedious to set up, Lightspeed Retail POS software is simple to use, requires no representative to get started or change the software, and makes updating inventory very fast. The product lost points due to reports of software outages while in use.
To test out how easy the software is to use, I set up an account for a bridal shop and ran several test transactions.
To get started, all I had to do was set up my locations and store registers, add employee information/permissions, and then input items of inventory. I had the choice to customize my receipts, but the default was fine. Finally, I was able to start making test sales using the POS training screen.
If you’re currently using a POS provider like Square or Shopify, or have your product information on a Google Sheet, Lightspeed Retail gives you the option to import all your existing inventory information into your Lightspeed account.
I didn’t have an existing inventory list, so I used the “quick add product” tool. You can get as detailed as you need to when entering inventory. I liked that I could add new vendors, brands, tags, and product categories while entering the products themselves, so I didn’t have to switch between different product and vendor information pages the whole time. The item matrix function made creating different product variants such as bridesmaid dresses in different colors faster and easier.
The POS interface itself was easy to customize by adding hotkeys, and I practiced taking orders, generating quotes, and creating layby sales in training mode.
The only hardware you need to start taking card payments is the Lightspeed WisePOS E-card reader. When you receive your card reader, all you have to do is stick the battery in, pair the reader to your desktop or iPad via WiFi, and enter an activation code.
The Lightspeed eCom E-Series that comes with Lightspeed’s POS felt tedious to set up, but not very difficult. You had to create another account for Lightspeed eCom, which was slightly confusing, but you get the hang of it relatively quickly if you just trust the process. If you want to strongly focus on eCommerce sales or create a more elegant-looking website, you might want to spring for the Lightspeed eCom C-Series or integrate Lightspeed with a nicer eCommerce store builder.
What’s New With Lightspeed Retail?
In October 2023, Lightspeed implemented a changelog feature for price rule modifications, which will automatically document price rule changes over time. The company also updated its eCom package to include gift card customization options such as personalized messages and gift card style options.
In September 2023, Lightspeed Retail updated its pricing structure to become more transparent, providing detailed information on charges for additional registers and locations. The company has also made setting up Lightspeed Payments card readers and paying for your Lightspeed Retail software subscription easier.
Customer Service & Support
Customer Service4.1 |
---|
Personal Support 3.2 |
Self-Service 5.0 |
Lightspeed Retail scores well when it comes to customer support, but this is mainly because the company offers so many different ways to help, including intuitive self-service articles and video walkthroughs. The company loses points because real, recent customers have stated that they have not had a good experience with Lightspeed customer support.
Lightspeed Retail Support | Availability |
---|---|
Phone Support | |
Email Support | |
Support Tickets | |
Live Chat | |
Dedicated Support Representative | |
Knowledge Base or Help Center | |
Videos & Tutorials | |
Company Blog | |
Social Media |
Lightspeed states that all Lightspeed Retail users, regardless of plan level, get access to 24/7 phone support, live chat, and a dedicated support representative. However, we do have to note that more recent, organic user reviews state that phone support is slow and the live chatbot is not very helpful.
When setting up my test account, I found that the company’s support articles and videos were thorough enough that I could set up my system with no assistance. I did not have very extensive or complicated needs, though.
If you’re not very good with technology at all and will need lots of ongoing support, consider these recent customer reviews. You may want to choose a POS system with higher customer support ratings.
Payment Processing With Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Payments, the company’s in-house payment processor, is available in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
All US and Canadian merchants must use Lightspeed Payments, which offers upfront and competitive rates of 2.6% + $0.10 per tapped, inserted, or swiped payment and 2.6% + $0.30 per manual entry. With Lightspeed’s eCommerce integration, you’ll pay 2.9% + $0.30 per online transaction.
Note: We place Lightspeed Retail on our list of the best Australian POS systems and the best UK POS systems.
Lightspeed Retail Contract & Commitment
Lightspeed Retail is relatively transparent about its contract and commitment. The new pricing structure gives business owners more insight into what they could end up paying for several POS registers and locations. However, we don’t like that some Lightspeed add-ons are not explicitly priced upfront and that you do have to watch out for a few things in your contract.
What To Watch Out For
Lightspeed Retail POS Reviews
User Reviews4.0 |
---|
Customer Feedback 4.0 |
Review Site Aggregate 4.0 |
Lightspeed Retail received a solid score in user reviews because there are a substantial number of positive recent, unincentivized user reviews from the following popular software review sites:
- Software Advice: 4/5 stars based on 938 reviews
- G2: 4/5 stars based on 286 reviews
- GetApp: 4.1/5 stars based on 937 reviews
These are the most common complaints and praise about Lightspeed Retail.
Negative Lightspeed Retail Reviews & Complaints
- Ignored Customer Requests: Customers report slow response times from Lightspeed representatives in crucial times such as when there are system outages or unexpected charges on bills.
- Glitches: Some users report system outages at times and that the company does not solve outage problems fast enough.
- Learning Curve: Lightspeed Retail is very feature-rich, especially when it comes to entering and moving inventory, but this makes the POS difficult for some users to manage.
Positive Lightspeed Retail Reviews & Testimonials
- Strong Feature Set: Many appreciate that Lightspeed Retail has a large and diverse set of features, especially in the areas of inventory management and POS interface customization.
- Fast Setup: Reviewers appreciated the personalized setup process and found it easy to train employees even on some of the more complicated aspects of the product.
- Integrations: Customers loved the variety of integrations available to them.
Getting Started With Lightspeed Retail
To get started, you can sign up for a 14-day free trial with just your business name and contact information. From there, you’ll be taken to your web-based admin dashboard where you’ll input information such as your locations and employees, add inventory, build item catalogs, and more.
Once you’re set up in the back office, you can order your card reader and install the Lightspeed Retail POS app on an Apple device.
Alternatives To Lightspeed Retail
The top Lightspeed alternatives are Square, Helcim, Shopify, and Clover. Each POS system offers retail and service-based business management features at varying prices.
Final Verdict Of Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Retail Review Summary | |
---|---|
Pricing | $89-$269/month ($69-$199/month billed annually) |
Choose If You Need |
|
Lightspeed Retail is a strong choice for midsize retailers, service providers, and subscription/membership sales-focused businesses, plus niche businesses like hotels, dropshippers, golf courses, and jewelers. The system’s retail inventory and customer management features make Lightspeed a great option for blended B2B and B2C businesses. The extensive integration capabilities can help business owners do things like reduce theft, request product reviews, sell tickets, appraise items, and provide live chat assistance.
However, Lightspeed Retail can easily get expensive, and recent reviews have many complaints about customer service.
If you’re still on the fence, Lightspeed Retail offers a free trial, and no credit card or business information is required. You can also check out some of the other best retail POS systems on our list if Lightspeed isn’t the right fit for you.
Lightspeed Retail POS FAQs
Retail POS Review Methodology
We evaluate and test each software system that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on certain key software characteristics in order to generate our granular product ratings.
For retail POS software in particular, we have a 62-point rubric we use to evaluate the system in terms of its pricing, ease of use, features, and user reviews. These points are based on attributes relevant to the retail POS niche—such as the availability of features like purchase ordering, customer-facing displays, BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), and others.
Our rating system also takes into account attributes that are desirable for POS systems and cloud-based software in general, such as the availability of monthly pricing plans, free trials, and transparent software contracts.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Lightspeed Retail |
---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Lightspeed Retail for yourself.
The Merchant Maverick Seal of Approval 🏆
Lightspeed Retail |
---|
After hours of in-depth research and evaluation, we can confidently recommend this brand to our readers. Get started today and see Lightspeed Retail for yourself.