Running an online store and a physical location used to mean managing two completely separate systems — different stock levels, different customer records, different reports. Shopify POS changes that.

Here's what Shopify Point of Sale is, how it works, and whether it makes sense for your business.

What is Shopify POS?

Shopify POS (Point of Sale) is Shopify's in-store selling solution. It connects your physical retail operations — a flagship store, a pop-up, a market stall, or a chain of locations — directly to your Shopify online store.

Everything shares the same back end: one product catalogue, one inventory count, one customer database, one reporting dashboard. A sale in-store instantly updates your online stock. A customer who bought from you online shows up with their full purchase history when they walk into your store.

POS Lite vs POS Pro

Shopify POS comes in two tiers:

POS Lite is included with all Shopify plans. It covers the essentials: process sales, manage products, accept payments, print receipts. Suitable for merchants who sell in person occasionally — at markets or pop-ups — and don't need advanced retail reporting.

POS Pro is available as a monthly add-on, or included with Shopify Plus. It unlocks unlimited staff PINs, detailed retail reports, smart inventory management across multiple locations, omnichannel returns, and more. Essential for merchants with permanent retail locations.

Hardware

Shopify offers its own purpose-built hardware that works natively with the POS app:

Shopify POS Go — a handheld all-in-one device with a built-in barcode scanner and payment terminal. Ideal for mobile selling: pop-ups, busy retail floors, events.
Shopify card readers — for iPad or iPhone setups paired with an external reader.
Shopify Retail Stand — a mounted iPad stand with integrated card reader for a traditional counter checkout experience.

No third-party integrations to maintain — everything is designed to work together out of the box.

What Shopify POS can do

Beyond basic payment processing, Shopify POS handles:

Unified inventory — stock levels sync automatically across your online store and all physical locations
Customer profiles — access full purchase history, contact details, and loyalty data right at the counter
Flexible payments — accept cards, contactless, Shopify Payments, split payments, and custom payment types
Returns and exchanges — process returns on purchases made online or at another location
Staff management — assign roles, track sales per staff member, and set PIN-based access levels

Who Shopify POS is for

Shopify POS works well if you:

Already sell (or plan to sell) on Shopify online and want to add a physical channel
Operate a retail store, pop-up shop, or market stall
Need unified inventory so you're not reconciling stock manually at the end of the day
Want a single platform for reporting across online and offline channels

It's less suited to merchants who need highly specialized retail software — complex warehouse management, franchise systems, or loyalty programs — that falls outside what the Shopify ecosystem covers.

Setting up Shopify POS

Getting Shopify POS up and running involves more than installing an app. You need to select the right hardware, configure your payment provider, test inventory sync across locations, train your staff, and connect any existing tools you rely on — all before you go live.

We help merchants set up Shopify POS from scratch, or migrate away from a legacy POS system to Shopify. That includes hardware setup, full system configuration, and a smooth handover to your team so nothing gets missed.

More on our Shopify POS service page, or get in touch to talk through what your retail setup needs.