6 Best POS Systems For Rental Businesses In 2023

We believe that Lightspeed Retail is one of the best POS systems for retail businesses because of its excellent inventory management features and numerous third-party software integrations, which include integrations for rental shop management. Although Lightspeed Retail software has built-in rental inventory item, quote, invoice, and deposit functions, a dedicated rental shop software in addition to your rental POS may make your life easier and your shop run smoother.

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.

You’ll pay an extra $59/month for each additional device you install Lightspeed Retail on (each plan starts with one POS software license).

Note: Rental management software integrations will cost extra.

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 item quotes, which can be converted into bills and include refundable deposits
• Item holds and layaways for customers who book items online
• Work and purchase order management for when rental items need to be repaired
• Multilocation management (both permanent and temporary locations)
• Online reservations for items, venues, etc.
• Gift cards, discounts, and loyalty program setup

Lightspeed Retail works on iPads and computers, although iPads are ideal for moving around stores, events, or outdoor locations. Hardware such as printers and barcode scanners are quote-based.

You can purchase a Lightspeed Payments-compatible WisePOS E card reader for $299 and an iPad for $329.

Lightspeed offers 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.

Contact a Lightspeed representative and ask about a discount on a retail POS hardware bundle.

Lightspeed offers its own payment processing, which all US and Canadian merchants are required to use. You must purchase a card terminal from Lightspeed to use the company’s payment processing.

You will pay a processing fee of 2.6% plus a $0.10 flat fee per card-present transaction. That flat fee increases to 2.9% plus a $0.30 flat fee per card-not-present transaction.

You can sign up for a monthly plan (which is recommended until you are certain you have found the right POS software) or a yearly plan. There is an early termination fee if you cancel your plan early.

You 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.

If you purchase POS hardware from Lightspeed, you must confirm that you have received your purchase within five business days of receiving it. If you don’t, the hardware will not qualify for Lightspeed’s 30-day hardware warranty (14 days for Apple products).

Like Lightspeed, we appreciate that Clover offers dedicated rental item management apps that allow rental business owners to rent out items and charge customers by the day, hour, or minute. You can use these apps to track items, accept deposits and waivers, and more. Clover’s rental apps are more affordable than Lightspeed’s and work well for businesses that rent out items on location.

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. Plus, you get custom payment processing rates with a merchant account, which often reduces fees for midsize businesses.

If you buy from Clover directly, you can purchase a Clover retail software plan for between $14.95/month and $54.90/month if you purchase your Clover hardware upfront.

If you decide to enroll in Clover’s “pay monthly” plan so that you can pay for your hardware over time, you’ll pay one monthly fee for both your hardware and software. That fee will range from $60/month to $175/month, depending on your hardware package.

Additional devices are $9.95/month/register if you have all your registers in one location. If, for example, you have two Clover Minis in two different stores, you’ll have to pay the full Register subscription cost for both Minis.

Read our Clover POS pricing guide for more on how much you could be paying for your Clover software/hardware package.

Note: Some Clover apps cost extra. For example, the Rent Item app costs $1.99/month and the Rental Timer app costs $19.99/month.

Clover’s basic subscription is decent for retail businesses, but rental businesses will find the true value of Clover in the Clover App Market, which contains 450+ apps, including rental item apps such as Rent Item and Rental Timer.

Both apps allow you to track the amount of time someone has rented an item, and charge by the day, hour, or minute. You can also accept waivers, track deposits, and add fees (such as late or damage fees) while completing an item return.

While Clover’s rental integrations aren’t as powerful as the ones offered by Lightspeed, they are much less expensive. Given the price differences, Clover users will have a more affordable way to rent out items at shops. Unfortunately, customers can’t reserve items online with Clover’s integrations.

There are a number of other affordable Clover apps you can also install, including several loyalty program builders, website builders, and payroll software such as Gusto.

Clover countertop POS system, handheld POS system, barcode scanner, cash drawer, and card reader.

You may purchase your Clover system from Clover or one of several Clover resellers. If you purchase hardware from Clover, you’ll pay between $49 (Clover Go contactless card reader) and $1,799 (Clover Station Duo). 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.

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.

Your contract requirements will vary depending on where you get your Clover hardware and corresponding merchant account. If you purchase your Clover hardware, software, and merchant account from Clover.com, you will be subject to a 36-month or 48-month contract with steep early cancellation fees.

Since you can’t use Clover hardware with any other type of POS software, make sure you are willing to commit to Clover software before purchasing any big-ticket proprietary software.

We believe that Square is one of the best free POS systems on the market, and can work for smaller, straightforward rental businesses. You can use Square to accept deposits, send waivers, charge for items, charge late fees, book appointments (great for event rental businesses), and more for no monthly fee.

If you want a more comprehensive and streamlined rental business software, Square integrates with several rental item apps for an affordable price. It’s especially cost efficient given that Square’s base POS subscription is free.

We also like that Square offers a free online website builder, invoicing software, social media sales/marketing integrations, and low-cost POS hardware. Plus, you can use multiple smartphones or tablets as registers without having to pay for each device, which is uncommon among POS solutions.

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.

Note: Square integrations with software such as Checkfront, Rentrax, and EventOffice may cost extra.

If you decide to use Square without a rental integration, there are several free features such as:

• Square-hosted website you can use to sell items and appointment reservations
• Online booking calendar to manage rental appointments
• Rental contract builder and digital signature capture
• Accept deposits and charge late fees with card on file
• Social media and Google Business Profile integrations to advertise and sell on other platforms

Paid Square features include more advanced inventory management, multilocation management, and more booking/reservation features.

Rental-specific apps such as Checkfront allow you to:

• Confirm rentals through email or text (great for venue/lodging rental businesses)
• Manage resources in real-time to avoid double booking
• Give customers the option to check themselves in
• Promote your rental business on platforms like GetYourGuide
• Create dynamic pricing rules based on group size, season, holiday specials, and rental length

Square POS on iPad, Square Register, and Square contactless card reader.

Square software works on phones and tablets. You get a free magstripe card reader to start, but you should purchase at least the $49 Square Contactless + Chip Reader so you can take chip cards and NFC-based payments such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. A full Square Register bundle, suited for countertop businesses that accept cash, is $1,329.

Read our guide to Square POS hardware to make an informed POS hardware purchasing decision.

Other hardware, such as receipt printers, does not need to be purchased from Square. Just make sure that the hardware you buy is compatible with Square software.

Square charges a payment processing fee of 2.6% plus $0.10 per card-present transaction on the Free plan. The fee drops 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. The fee for online transactions and invoices is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction.

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.

We believe that Shopify is one of the best online store builders that comes with added in-person sales functionalities. Shopify’s excellent online rental reservation, rental item shipping/return suite, and online form acceptance make this a great option for places like formalwear rental businesses that rent out items in person and ship items online.

We also like that Shopify is highly customizable, with over 8,000 apps available in the app market that are compatible with Shopify POS. Like Square, Shopify works on smartphones and tablets and offers low-cost POS hardware options.

All Shopify eCommerce plans come with the free Shopify POS Lite app.

Shopify also 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, in-store exchanges and returns on rental items, and other advanced POS features.

Many Shopify apps cost an added monthly fee or per-rental fee.

Shopify’s base POS subscription allows you to take partial payments for items, track inventory in real time, and put items on hold or layaway. Shopify POS Pro allows customers to rent items online for in-store pickup, accept exchanges and returns on online rental purchases, transfer inventory across multiple locations, do manual inventory counts, and create more employee roles/permissions.

Shopify’s eCommerce features include a great shipping suite for online rental orders, integrations with social media platforms to meet your customer where they are, and the ability to convert your store into multiple languages and currencies if you plan on taking your rental business across your country’s borders.

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. For example, you can add ID verification software, automated return reminders, and appointment booking.

IzyRent, one of Shopify’s highest-rated rental business apps, allows you to:

• List products for rent and for sale (great for apparel or furniture businesses that receive regular and rental orders)
• Show open availability for items on item pages
• Allow customers to search for items based on their availability on a given day/rental period
• Create dynamic pricing rules based on season, rental length, etc.
• Show delivery dates in real-time when customers order online
• Rent items out by the hour or day

Shopify POS register stand with card reader.

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.

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.

You must buy a card reader from Shopify if you want to use Shopify’s payment processor and avoid transaction fees. 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.

EZRentOut is not just a POS provider, but a large-scale rental management software. Any business that rents its products out to other businesses, such as real estate 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.

• Essential: $89/month for up to two users ($79/month with annual billing)
• Growth: $179/month for up to four users ($149/month with annual billing)
• Premium: $349/month for up to six users ($299/month with annual billing)

Note: You must pay an additional $20/month/user if you have more users than the number allotted by your subscription plan.

EZRentOut is designed for midsize rental businesses, which is why it offers these highly unique features in addition to your standard rental POS system features:

• B2B Customer Management System: Add all information related to a business’s location, contact info, billing information, payment terms, documents such as order agreements, and customer group pricing rules.
• Location-Based Settings: Rent out items based on a customer’s location, monitor routes for efficient deliveries, and set delivery restrictions so that no customer that is too far away will request items from you.
• Leasing & Sub-Rentals: Create recurring invoices for customers leasing an item such as an RV. Set up sub-rental rules to manage items your midsize business borrows from partners to sub-rent to your customers.
• Inventory Management: Manage items as single items or as a single group of individual items. Depreciate equipment, order services to internal inventory and external rental items, take stock, and receive low-stock alerts.
• Webstore: Allow certain customers to view an up-to-date catalog of your available items. Allow them to purchase rental items, digitally sign forms, get invoices with line items, and monitor their own orders with their own customer account that they can log into from the webstore.

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.

EZRentOutdoes not offer its own payment processing but works with several popular payment processors, including Stripe, PayPal, Square, Authorize.net, and Braintree.

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.

We like that all Paradise POS features are designed specifically for rental businesses, so there’s no need to find integrations to make the perfect POS for your rental business. 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, this feature will save hundreds of dollars that would otherwise be lost to a bad internet connection.

Paradise POS pricing is quote-based, but you can expect to pay roughly $50/month to use this rental-focused software.

Paradise POS is designed for rental business owners who may not always have a steady WiFi connection. The following features are included in every Paradise POS plan:

• 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 iPad, cash drawer, and scanner.

While Paradise POS does not explicitly state hardware costs on its 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.

Paradise POS does not offer its own payment processing but works with several popular payment processors.

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.