Shopify POS Review - Teens Mean Business

Shopify POS has come to the fore of small business with its user friendly design, reasonable pricing structure, and effective customer support system. The system is easy to navigate and set up as well. Shopify is constantly updating its system and addressed many of its flaws recently, in particular supporting multi-location management.

Pros

Excellent customer service
Reasonably priced
Robust reporting and CRM features
Syncs instantly with Shopify ecommerce

Cons

Weak offline mode
Not suitable for big companies

We recommend this system if ecommerce is going to be the main part of your business. It is designed to sync with its ecommerce platform and holds its own with some of the top software even as a standalone product. You can get the system up and running in a few minutes.

Table of Contents

Cloud-Based
Hardware & Operating System Requirements
Specific Business Size
Fast Customization
Payment Features
Price

Cloud-Based

Shopify is cloud-based and its servers host online stores and inventory. Most of your data is downloaded and stored on the iPad itself when you log in to the POS app. This way, you don’t need internet access to process cash transactions. You can’t process card transactions or access your customer database. You’ll need to create an entirely new profile.

You will lose all of the transaction/customer data you collected during the outage if you log out of the app before the connection is restored and the app has a chance to sync back up to the cloud. There is no offline functionality on Android devices.

Hardware & Operating System Requirements

All you need is an iPad if you are using the POS system only for your brick and mortar store. Technically, it’s possible to set up your online store with an iPad as well so long as you have a web browser and an internet connection. Still, you can’t export reports or import inventory to your online store without a computer. Thus, you can’t rely solely on an iPad.

Shopify provides one free card reader. If you need more, you need to buy them. The Shopify Card Reader can accept chip, contactless, and swipe payments. The company offers a bundle if you need other hardware, such as printers, cash drawers, and barcode scanners.

Shopify is pretty good at being able to adapt to existing hardware. The app was created specifically for the retail industry. Food service establishments cannot use it.

Specific Business Size

Shopify is best for small to medium-sized retail business. Its Shopify Plus option is expanding to cover the enterprise market. The system is affordable and easy to set up an ecommerce operation. Shopify POS has outdone itself in terms of intuitivism. It’s hard to imagine spots that could trip anyone up when navigating the system. Front- and back-end features are a piece of cake.

The system’s hallmark is usability. It’s appealing to all merchants who don’t have the time or the skills to undergo training. You can start accepting all forms of payment in a matter of minutes. Adding customers and importing inventory are a breeze from there.

Fast Customization

Customization is speedy and you can have a POS tailor-made to your needs within a day. Shopify POS is designed to work together with its ecommerce platform. Sync your inventory with Shopify POS automatically if you already have a Shopify store. You can then decide whether you want to separate your products into store-only or online-only purchases or be able to sell all your products the same way.

If you don’t have a Shopify store, you will need to add your inventory to the back end via CSV import or item by item. The second option is not recommended unless you only have a few products. You can choose to add photos and categorize your products by factors such as size, color, material, or style.

It’s possible to include a variety of details, including tags for internet Shopify reviews and searches. You set tax rates based on location. Adding new products is a breeze.

Payment Features

The POS system features gift cards, custom payment, multiple payment options and more. You can create gift cards that can be redeemed in-store or online. You can email gift cards out to requesting customers or print them out. Shopify POS allows you to split orders and accept multiple payments in a single transaction. This is a fairly good feature, created especially for those customers who want to pay for part of their purchase with cash or divide the purchase among two credit cards.

The POS can generate custom payment options such as gold coins, personal checks, and IOUs. Customers have the option to make a partial payment on their purchases and/or allow for layaway or deposits.

Shopify enables multiple sales channels. In other words, you can sell from your site or online through the POS. Embed a link with the “Buy Button” feature to allow customers to buy your products through your Tumblr or WordPress site quickly and easily. You can also sell via Twitter, Facebook, and other social media.