Start here
Square is a practical fast-start benchmark. Shopify POS becomes stronger when the Shopify catalog and online store are central. Lightspeed Retail deserves a demo when purchasing, variants, transfers, and multi-location inventory drive the work. Clover should be compared using the exact reseller, processor, hardware, and contract terms—not the device name alone.
Define the inventory job
- Simple products with one barcode
- Size, color, flavor, or package variants
- Bundles and gift baskets
- Purchase orders and vendor receiving
- Low-stock alerts and cycle counts
- Transfers between stockrooms or locations
- Consignment or regulated inventory
Test the return and gift workflow
- Receipt and no-receipt return
- Exchange for a different variant
- Store credit and gift card liability
- Partial refund and split tender
- Discount permissions by employee role
- Pickup order staged and collected at the counter
Decide whether ecommerce is a feature or the center
If online selling is occasional, paying for a large omnichannel stack may not be justified. If online orders, local pickup, shipping, and in-store inventory must remain synchronized, platform continuity can matter more than the lowest register fee.
Require a clean exit
Ask for a sample export before signing. Product names alone are not enough. Verify variants, barcodes, on-hand quantities, customer records, gift cards, sales history, taxes, and order status.
Sources to confirm before buying
Features, terms, support, and compatibility can change. These links are starting points; the written quote and agreement control the actual purchase.