6 Best POS Systems For Rental Businesses In 2022
The best POS systems for rental business have features like rental inventory management, rental tickets and quotes, and online rental bookings.

A POS system for rental business helps with moving inventory, fluctuating reservation dates, and building a customer base. Whether you’re just dreaming up a wedding venue rental startup or you’re ready to move your rental tool inventory away from pencil and paper ledgers, a point of sale system for your rental business might be the organizational tool you are missing.
But which point of sale system is the right fit? Read on for the best POS systems for rental businesses of all types, sizes, and budgets.
Learn More About Our Top Picks
Other Featured Options:
- Paradise POS: Best for smaller businesses that don't want to rely on WiFi to operate.
Read more below to learn why we chose these options.
Table of Contents
Top POS For Rental Business Software
The best rental business software depends on your business size and needs, but in general, these following pos systems are the top options we researched.
1. Lightspeed Retail: Best Scalable Option
Lightspeed Retail POS |
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Pros
- Rental Shop Manager software integration
- Excellent eCommerce features
- Built for growth
Cons
- Expensive for smaller businesses
- Must use Lightspeed terminal to use Lightspeed payment processor
Lightspeed Retail Features
While Lightspeed Retail has a number of retail-focused features, these are the most noteworthy for rental businesses:
- Integration with Rental Shop Manager, a software program that handles all aspects of running a rental business
- Rental quotes
- Item holds and layaways
- Work and purchase order management
- Multilocation management
- Employee management
- Online reservations for items, venues, etc.
- Gift cards, discounts, and loyalty program setup
Lightspeed Retail Pricing
- Lean Plan: $79/month, or $69/month if billed annually
- Standard Plan: $139/month, or $119/month if billed annually
- Advanced Plan: $239/month, or $199/month if billed annually
These plans are for one register. Each additional register costs $29/month.
Hardware Cost
Lightspeed Retail works on iPads and computers, although iPads are ideal for moving around a store, events, or outdoor locations. Hardware such as printers and barcode scanners are quote-based.
Payment Processing
Lightspeed offers its own payment processing at a rate of 2.6% plus $0.10 per tap, swipe, or chip payment, and 2.6% plus $0.30 per manual card entry. You must purchase a terminal from Lightspeed to use the company’s payment processing.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
You can sign up for a monthly plan (which is recommended unless and until you are certain you have found the right POS software) and cancel with no penalties.
However, you do have to contact Lightspeed’s billing department at least 30 days before your next payment cycle to avoid being charged for an additional payment term.
Where Lightspeed Retail Really Shines
Lightspeed Retail has many features that can be specifically tailored toward several types of rental businesses. In most cases, rental business owners can get away with running an entire rental business without paying for any additional software.
Since the POS software is so easy to use, more employees can get trained without any hassle, customers can rent items faster, and moving inventory is easier to track.
Get Started with Lightspeed Retail POS
2. Clover: Easiest Setup
Clover POS |
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Pros
- Streamlined setup
- Highly intuitive
- Excellent app store
- Discounted device add-on
Cons
- High upfront cost
- Complicated pricing
- Some features require paid add-on
Clover Features
Clover on its own may not seem worth the research and hardware purchasing upfront, its app marketplace is where you’ll find the true value of this POS provider. Some of the best rental-focused features include:
- Rental timer for charging minute, hourly, or daily rental rates
- Employee clock in and out
- Pre-authorization
- Online ordering and payments
- Item returns and history
- Customer loyalty program setup
- Digital and physical gift cards
- Rental agreement form builders and digital form signatures
- Integrations with software such as Gusto Payroll and BigCommerce website builder
- Access to 450+ Clover apps (limited access on Essentials plan; full access on Register plan)
Clover Pricing
Clover has several plans ranging from $0/month to $69.95/month. However, rental business owners will benefit the most from the Clover Essentials plan ($9.95/month per device) or the Clover Register plan ($39.95/month for the first device; $9.95/month for each additional device.)
Hardware Cost
You can buy Clover hardware from the POS provider itself ($49 to $1649, depending on the device) or from any one of the thousands of Clover resellers. Hardware and payment processing costs vary depending on where you purchase from.
You also cannot mix and match hardware from other POS companies if you use Clover, so do your research before buying. Read this full breakdown of Clover POS pricing so you can make an informed POS purchase.
Payment Processing
If you buy hardware from Clover, you must also use Clover’s merchant service provider, Fiserv. You can expect to pay a transaction fee of 2.3% or 2.6%, plus a $0.10 flat fee, per in-person transaction.
However, Fiserv has a poor reputation as a merchant service provider and it may be best to purchase a Clover system from one of these best Clover resellers.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Your contract requirements will vary depending on where you get your Clover hardware and corresponding merchant account. If you purchase hardware from Clover.com, you can return it within 60 days of purchase.
On the Clover software side, plans are month-to-month and you can cancel at any time with no termination fees.
Where Clover Really Shines
Since Clover hardware is always sold along with a merchant service provider, getting your POS set up becomes as simple as making a purchase and putting the hardware together. The system is so intuitive that it should only take you (and any employees) less than an hour to start taking orders.
Clover was also designed as a customizable POS with an app store that acts almost like the Google Play store. Rental business owners can easily search for and install well-tested apps that fit their business needs.
3. Square For Retail: Best All-In-One Solution
Square For Retail |
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Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.
Pros
- Very low barrier to entry
- Highly intuitive
- Scaleable, convenient hardware
- Online and offline selling options
Cons
- Fund holds
Square For Retail Features
Square has taken the small business world by storm, and for good reasons. Rental business owners will appreciate these features:
- Rental-specific POS app
- Free online appointment booking and reservations
- Team management, including time clock and payroll reporting
- Pre-authorization
- Free Square online checkout links
- Free or low-cost Square-hosted website
- Multilocation inventory management (starting at Plus plan)
- Automated purchase orders and vendor tracking (starting at Plus plan)
- Rental contract builder and digital signature capture
Square For Retail Pricing
- Free: $0/month
- Plus: $60/month per location (not per register)
- Premium: Custom pricing
You can use one Square account on several devices in one location. However, if you are taking orders on devices in two different shops, then you need to pay for two locations.
Hardware Cost
Rental business owners, if they choose to purchase Square hardware, will pay between $0 (Square magstripe reader) and $1,329 (Square Register kit.) If you have a very low budget, consider a free Square reader or $49 Square Contactless + Chip Reader.
Read our full guide to Square hardware to figure out what your rental business needs.
Payment Processing
Square charges a payment processing fee of 2.6% plus $0.10 per card-present transaction on the Free plan. The fee reduces to 2.5% plus $0.10 on the Plus plan.
Regardless of your plan, you are charged a 3.5% plus $0.15 fee for card-not-present transactions. Also, the fee for online transactions and invoices is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Square charges merchants on a month-to-month basis (if they’re on a paid plan). It’s free and easy to cancel if you decide that Square isn’t the right POS for you.
Square also has a limited-time hardware warranty. If you damage your Square hardware within that time period, you can submit a warranty claim and Square will send you new equipment, even if you didn’t purchase directly from Square. You must send the old pieces back to Square within 14 days of receiving your new hardware, or your account will be charged.
Where Square For Retail Really Shines
Square has broken many of the sales barriers for small business owners. This POS provider has made it fast, simple, and affordable for anyone to start taking payments online and in person.
Square’s hardware is inexpensive compared to competitors and monthly subscription fees are reasonably priced (there’s even a free plan). Square is also special in that you can use multiple devices as registers without having to pay for each device, which is not common among POS solutions.
Get Started with Square For Retail
4. Shopify: Best Onmichannel Selling Option
Shopify POS |
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Pros
- eCommerce integration
- Huge app store
- Gift card functionality
Cons
- No offline mode functionality
- Confusing pricing
Shopify Features
While Shopify plans on their own do a lot of the heavy lifting, Shopify’s app store (filled with free and paid add-ons) is an excellent way to add on rental-specific features.
Here are some of the best features from both Shopify and the Shopify app store:
- Selling on your own Shopify-managed website (starting at Basic plan)
- Social media advertising and in-app selling
- Buy online, pick up in-store
- Real-time inventory management across rental locations
- Rental returns at any of your locations
- ID verification (add-on app)
- Appointment booking (add-on app)
- Product reservations and calendar syncing (add-on app)
- Discounts, gift cards, returns, and store credit
- Product booking forms and custom booking rules (add-on app)
- Automated return reminders (add-on app)
- Employee roles and user permissions (POS Pro subscription plan only)
- In-store QR codes that can link to product descriptions
Shopify Pricing
- Shopify Lite: $9/month
- Basic: $29/month
- Shopify: $79/month
- Advanced: $299/month
- Shopify Plus: $2000+/month
Shopify offers a 10% discount on annual plans and a 20% discount on biannual plans when you pay upfront.
Note: Shopify offers a POS Pro subscription that costs an additional $89/month/location. This plan offers an unlimited number of employees and staff roles, local delivery and pickup, and other advanced POS features.
Hardware Cost
Shopify hardware ranges from $29 (Shopify Chip & Swipe Reader) to $569 (Star® mPOP™ With Scanner, Shopify’s all-in-one customizable retail hardware package.)
Read our guide on Shopify Hardware options and pricing to get a sense of what Shopify can offer your rental business.
Payment Processing
Shopify offers its own payment processor, Shopify Payments, to qualifying business owners. With it, business owners do not have to pay Shopify’s transaction fees.
In-person payment processing fees range from 2.4% to 2.7% per in-person transaction. Online payment processing fees range from 2.4% to 2.9% plus a $0.30 flat fee per purchase.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
You must buy a card reader from Shopify if you want to use Shopify’s payment processor. If you want to use the Shopify Lite plan, you can only use Shopify Payments. If you use a Shopify-supported third-party payment processor, you must use a card reader from that processor.
There are no early termination fees.
Where Shopify Really Shines
Shopify was first built for business owners looking to take their sales online with completely Shopify-managed websites (starting at the Basic plan) or by simply adding online selling capabilities anywhere online or in-person (Shopify Lite plan).
The Shopify app store will also let you add just about any rental-specific functionality you’re looking for. If you’re looking to take any aspect of your business online, Shopify is a strong choice.
5. EZRentOut: Best For B2B Rental Businesses
EZRentOut |
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Pros
- Excellent B2B customer management
- Highly customizable rental options
- Flexible POS hardware and payment processing options
- Mobile app available
Cons
- POS functions are not available on lowest-tier plan
- Moderate learning curve
EZRentOut Features
EZRentOut is designed for midsize B2B rental businesses, which is why the software includes the following features:
- Customizable orders and invoicing
- B2B customer management system
- Rental pricing rules such as seasonal pricing and customer category price adjustments
- Electronic signatures (on-site and online)
- Bookings, reservations, and availability calendar
- Recurring orders (starting at Plus plan)
- Sub rental management (starting at Plus plan)
- Late return fees (starting at Plus plan)
- Bundles and promotions
- Item services and maintenance management
- Depreciation of equipment
- Purchase orders (starting at Plus plan)
- Work orders (starting at Premium plan)
- Customer portal (starting at Plus plan)
- Online rental store (starting at Premium plan)
- Integration with web builders such as WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace (starting at Premium plan)
- QuickBooks integration (starting at Plus plan)
- Online and offline payments (starting at Plus plan)
- Location tracking
- QR codes and barcode labels, scannable with the EZRentOut mobile app
- Handheld scanner integration (starting at Plus plan)
EZRentOut Pricing
- Standard: $49.98/month for up to two users
- Plus: $134.97/month for up to three users
- Premium: $224.95/month for up to five users
EZRentOut offers a 10% discount when you purchase a yearly plan and pay upfront.
You must pay an additional $20/month/user if you choose to add additional users to your account.
Hardware Cost
EZRentOut does not offer its own hardware. Instead, the company has partnered with Stripe to offer users a secure swipe, chip, and tap card reader, which costs $249. You can also use a basic magnetic card reader, but those readers don’t have the same level of security standards.
EZRentOut lists hardware recommendations for barcode and QR code printers, scanners, and electronic signature pads. In general, the company allows you to be flexible in terms of hardware, so you can find the best deals out there.
Payment Processing
EZRentOutdoes not offer its own payment processing but works with several popular payment processors, including Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, and Braintree.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
There is no early termination fee for canceling your account.
There are also no refunds if you cancel your account before your subscription is up. Use EZRentOut’s 15-day trial (no credit card required) before subscribing to a paid plan. If you’re still not totally sold, subscribe on a month-to-month basis.
Where EZRentOut Really Shines
EZRentOut is not first and foremost a POS provider, but a large-scale rental management software. Any business that rents their products out to other businesses, such as realty agencies, party planning companies, universities, medical equipment lenders, or construction companies, will find the customer and vendor management functionalities they need with EZRentOut.
EZRentOut does make POS hardware connection and payment processing extremely flexible, so don’t think you’ll miss out on any in-person transactions with this highly tailored rental solution.
6. Paradise POS: Best For Remote Rental Locations
Paradise POS |
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Pros
- Offline mode
- Specific rental features
- Simple interface
- Customizable
Cons
- Lack of pricing transparency
- Other features not overly deep
Paradise POS Features
Paradise POS is designed for rental business owners who may not always have a steady WiFi connection. All the following features are included in every Paradise POS plan without the need for any add-ons, free or otherwise:
- Offline payment processing
- Employee scheduling and time tracking
- Customizable gift cards
- Hourly, daily, and by-the-minute rental timeframes
- Rental deposits
- Customer account management
- ID scanning and age verification
- Rental pickup and dropoff at any of your locations
- Product costing and vendor management
- Intuitive upselling
Paradise POS Pricing
Paradise POS pricing is quote-based, but you can expect to pay roughly $50/month to use this rental-focused software.
Hardware Cost
While Paradise POS does not explicitly state hardware costs on their website, you may pay around a one-time $1,300 fee for an iPad, iPad stand, printer, cash drawer, credit card terminal, router, and ethernet cords.
All of this allows you to set up a local connection between your different POS systems so you can take offline payments and manage your rental business without relying on an internet connection.
Payment Processing
Paradise POS does not offer its own payment processing but works with several popular payment processors.
Contract Requirements/Warnings
Since Paradise POS is quote-based and varies depending on individual circumstances, be sure to discuss your options with a Paradise POS representative and carefully read over your contract before making any commitments.
Where Paradise POS Really Shines
All Paradise POS features are designed specifically for rental businesses, so there’s no need to “find the perfect integration” to make a POS for your rental business perfect. It’s also designed to work as a smartphone does, so it’s easy for everyone, including customers, to use.
Equally, or even more importantly, Paradise POS systems continue to process payments even if your internet connection is down or out of range. For businesses in locations with spotty WiFi (like remote Alaskan boat rental places), this feature will save hundreds of dollars that would otherwise be lost to a bad internet connection.
11 Features To Look For In A POS System For Rental Companies
Rental companies have a very unique set of needs. For example, since inventory is moving back and forth more often than inventory in traditional retail stores, you need much more flexible inventory management features.
Here are the most important features your POS system should have.
1. Strong Inventory Management
Any solid point of sale system is going to have at least functional inventory management, but you may want to look for a POS that either has built-in advanced inventory or an upgrade that’s not overly expensive. The ability to track a wide variety of products and keep tabs on what’s in stock in real-time is crucial in most rental establishments.
2. Scheduling Functionalities
Rental agreements are, by nature, time-sensitive. It’s a little tedious for a potential renter to have to call you, then you look in your rental bookings, call them back, and try to work out a rental time, all the while trying to track what will be available and when.
Instead, find a POS that shows you (as well as customers) when a certain piece of equipment or a location is available. Include a calendar online so that customers already have an idea of when they can rent.
Since your POS should also have real-time inventory/scheduling updates, your booking availability should update as soon as your inventory levels or expected location occupancy changes.
3. Reservation Time Tracking
If you rent out a boat for six hours and don’t track whether six hours have passed, then you won’t know if you’re supposed to collect overdue fines. Also, if you don’t enforce your rental periods, customers could take advantage of you.
A POS system that tracks rental time from the minute a customer checks out takes out the extra step it takes to write down (or worse, try to remember) when a piece of equipment leaves your facility and when it comes back.
4. ID Verification
If you rent out equipment that requires some level of skill, such as tools, or if a customer has to be a certain age to rent something out, which is the case for many car rental places, you’ll need to check and store your customer’s ID beforehand.
Even if you don’t have those specific kinds of rental businesses, you should know exactly who you’re renting out to. It’s also important that the person who signs the rental agreement is the same person who returns your rental products.
Many POS systems allow you to scan an individual’s ID, driver’s license, or passport.
5. Pre-Authorizations
You wouldn’t want to loan something out to someone without knowing if they can pay for it. If you have a POS system that pre-authorizes a buyer’s payment method, then you won’t have to worry about collecting your dues later on.
6. Rental Deposits
Many rental businesses charge a downpayment or a deposit on high-ticket rentals. Your POS system should allow you to charge either a refundable deposit or a deposit that can be used as partial payment later on.
7. Card-On-File
If a piece of lighting equipment is broken or someone shatters a window in your rental property, you are within your rights to charge the renter (as long as you included it in a signed rental agreement, of course.)
Storing a customer’s card information guarantees you will be able to collect payment for damages, even if a renter will not acknowledge their mistake.
8. Website Integration
People want to trust the business they’re renting from. The easiest way to build that trust is to build a reputable website. Ideally, people should also be able to complete bookings and checkout online with an added eCommerce functionality.
Some POS systems, including Square For Retail and Shopify, come with eCommerce functionalities, depending on your payment plan. Other systems, such as Lightspeed Retail and Clover, integrate with most eCommerce website builders.
9. Loyalty Programs
Loyalty programs are an excellent way to retain your customer base, especially if they are likely to use your rental services often.
10. Automated Billing
If a renter takes something out for an unspecified amount of time, or they decide to add on an extra day, hour, etc., to their rental period, an automated billing system will allow you to automatically bill for that extra time.
11. Mobility
Most POS systems can run on an iPad or tablet these days. Some providers have even built smartphone apps to increase mobile transaction capabilities.
Rental business owners will find this very useful, as they can take payment on-location, at events, or just around their store.
Top Features For Car Rental Business Software
Car rental business software will have the following features to help your business succeed:
- Location mapping
- Online bookings and cancellations
- Reservation management
- ID scanner
- Deposit/partial payment
- Digital form signage and storage
- Card-on-file
- Split payments
- Multicurrency support (for international travelers booking online)
- Maintenance schedule tracking
- Vehicle inventory management
- Return reminders
- Special discounts and loyalty programs
- Anti-theft alerts
Top Features For Party Rental Software For A Small Business
Party rental software should have these features:
- Online ordering forms
- Customizable pricing
- Vendor management
- Item rental deposits
- Special occasion/clearance offers
- Card-on-file
- Item damage billing
- Automated late fee billing
- Bulk or bundled discounts
- Location tracking
- Customer management system
- Related item recommendations
- Product catalogue/categorizations
- Barcode management
- Multilocation management
Which POS With Rental Software Features Is Best For You?
A POS for your rental business has to be flexible, intuitive, and in the right price range. It also has to be prepared for growth, if you’re going to scale up your company.
If you’re looking for a low-cost, high-quality POS system for rental businesses, consider Square For Retail. Shopify is another relatively inexpensive option, and if online marketing and sales are a high priority, then it’s the right POS for you.
For a scalable solution, Lightspeed might be the POS system for you, especially if you’re looking for car rental business software. This POS has excellent multilocation and work-order management capabilities.
If you’re looking for ease of use, Clover is a flexible but straightforward option.
If you’re looking for software that focuses only on rentals, you’ve got options. Consider Paradise POS if you own a physical establishment or make sales in places without constant WiFi connectivity. EZRentOut has excellent customer and vendor management capabilities, so use EZRentOut if you focus on B2B rentals.
FAQs: POS System For Rental Company
In Summary: Top POS For Rental Business Software
- Lightspeed Retail POS: Best for small to midsize businesses looking to expand.
- Clover POS: Best for small to mid-sized businesses that could use intuitive hardware and a variety of apps.
- Square For Retail: Best for businesses looking for an extremely affordable all-in-one POS solution.
- Shopify POS: Best for small to mid-sized businesses looking to build a strong online and offline presence.
- EZRentOut: Best for rental companies with a B2B business model.
- Paradise POS: Best for smaller businesses that don't want to rely on WiFi to operate.
Hello,
I own a mid-sized retail and tuxedo rental business with large inventory. Is there a pos system you can reccommend for this type of business. we need to maintain customers measurements and reserve rentals for future dates.
thanks in advance,
Bob
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Bob,
Square would be a good option to look at because they have strong inventory and a tuxedo rental business might benefit from Square appointments too but any of the vendors mentioned in this article would be able to help out as well!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Urgent needs free square pos system,shopify pos,clover pos station,paradise pos n light speed pos anything all could goswift mobile or payware mobile
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Abubakar,
I’m not totally certain I understand your question. Are you asking for a recommendation of a free pos system for a rental business? If that’s the case, I’d suggest referring back to the post and checking out our reference to the free Square app. If you click the link, it should take you to our in-depth review so you can see if it checks all of your boxes. And if I misunderstood your request, please feel free to reply with more info. I hope that helps!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
I am truly glad to read this blog posts which includes plenty of useful data, thanks for providing these statistics.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi, is there any POS solution that can blend sales and rentals?
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi Rich,
You should definitely check out the POS Systems that we recommend in this post. Feel free to skip ahead to the recap!
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
HI there,
I managed a bike shop for a long time and the best bike rental system that we found was one called Rent it Biz. We installed it in 2008 and have had it in place through multiple system upgrades til now. Our shop, Young’s Bicycle Shop, has about 1500 rental bikes in the fleet and Rent it Biz allowed us to rent bikes super fast and efficiently. It also made the check in process super fast. One part that it allowed us to do was to also recover late fees super efficiently too. This was critical to helping our seasonal staff help our customers enjoy their vacation on Nantucket.
You should consider reviewing their system because we found that it increased our revenue and our customer satisfaction greatly.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi I run a small.tv rental business do you have a package for this type of business
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.
Hi John,
I would recommend iConnect and Lightspeed Retail. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please let me know.
This comment refers to an earlier version of this post and may be outdated.