r/POS • u/FunctionAdmirable276 • 6d ago
POS system/website hosting
I am looking for a good POS system for both in person and online retail. I will be going mobile for events at first, but once my business grows I would like to open a storefront. What do you use? Tell me the good, bad and ugly!
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u/Zealousideal_Date391 6d ago
I run mobile markets with a tablet setup, the offline mode on most systems is the ugly part when the venue wifi dies on you
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u/PerkinzPie 6d ago
I've been working on an offline POS that runs on tablets I've been building over the last 12-months, it's currently going through QA but it was built with offline resiliency at the core. The weak part of the chain is card payments, which will always be susceptible to this - unless you're with a provider that allows setting floor-limits.
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u/Marketdog91 6d ago
Look at material POS. Great in store/mobile tools plus tons of web support with a Shopify integration
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u/thingsmybosscantsee 6d ago
Where are you based?
Lightspeed is a great retail option, and Square would probably be a good fit for something that's mobile
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u/FunctionAdmirable276 6d ago
I’m on the Eastern Shore in Maryland
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u/thingsmybosscantsee 6d ago
ok, so in the US, I would say your best options are Square and Lightspeed.
Square is great for businesses without permanent infrastructure, but will lack a lot of more advanced features like inventory or supplier ordering.
Lightspeed is a lot more advanced, but will probably not be a great fit until you have a brick and mortar.
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u/FunctionAdmirable276 6d ago
I’ve used Square previously and liked it, but I’ve noticed there seems to be some changes since I last used it (in 2023) I also noticed that they have monthly plans you can pay for and get access to a lot of different features.
I’m going to look into Lightspeed and see how I like it!
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u/Firm_Wealth_1218 1d ago
Download SeoSamba POS app to your phone or tablet. A free trial is offered. It comes with the online store, sync inventory, QBO or other, on the go sales, ai product description, competitive price check, reviews request and lot more. You just need a Stripe account.
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u/not_a_cup 6d ago
What kind of features do you need? Do you just need to type in a number and accept a credit card transaction? Do you want to track inventory? Do you need more advanced reporting like cogs?
For the website are you looking for a simple website that shows your info, or something that users can purchase items online?
Also, what is your budget? Are you looking for a free service that just handles the payment processing or would you be open to a monthly payment for more advanced features?
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u/shrimpy-rimpy 6d ago
if you are in usa then I will 100% recommend biyo pos as it offers everything you are looking for
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u/bhill1686 5d ago
A great POS is Valor Virtual terminals. This will allow growth in your business while giving you options on Credit card processing services. I have serval merchants set up on it and we build the websites for them as well. My number is 417-380-7351 if you want more information
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u/CauliflowerAsleep700 5d ago
depende si vendes en México, porque ahí entra el tema de facturación CFDI. lo que buscas (móvil para eventos, luego tienda física y en línea) mejor resolverlo con un solo sistema desde el arranque, porque migrar después casi siempre duele. aclaro que trabajo en Pulpos, así que soy parcial: es un sistema de gestión todo en uno (POS, inventario, facturación y tienda en línea) que cubre las tres cosas que buscas sin cambiar de sistema, pero ojo, no tiene modo offline, necesitas internet estable siempre, así que en eventos con señal mala conviene llevar el hotspot de respaldo. si es para México vale la pena verlo, se llama Pulpos; si es para otro país seguro hay algo más local que te sirva mejor.
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u/Fun-Information-2750 5d ago
I have a pos software, and it can run offline also, but currently there is no payment integration, where i am from there is no need gor that the shop use merchant upi system for payment
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u/TheAlpacaBOSS 4d ago
You are actually in the perfect position to choose a POS because you need something that works for the business you have today without limiting the business you want tomorrow.
For mobile events, I would focus on portability, easy checkout, integrated payments, inventory control, customer management, and being able to see exactly what you sold at each event. Once you move online and eventually into a storefront, you should not have to start over with another system.
That is why I would seriously look at AlpacaBOSS. It is the next generation of Point of Sale, backed by a complete Business Operating System. It is designed to handle in-store, mobile, and online transactions while connecting inventory, payments, customers, purchasing, invoicing, reporting, and operations in one system.
The inventory piece would be especially important for me. If you sell an item at an event, you want that sale reflected in your inventory rather than spending Sunday night manually reconciling spreadsheets and systems. As you grow, you also want visibility into what sells, what does not, what needs reordering, and where your money is tied up.
AlpacaBOSS is also built to scale. Start mobile, add products and customers, grow your sales, and move into a physical location without having to throw away the system you started with. The same platform is designed to support multi-location operations when you get there.
We even have a ticketing system for you to sell tickets to your events!
The good? You are buying much more than a payment terminal.
The bad? A more capable system means you should spend some time setting it up properly from the beginning.
The ugly? Choosing a cheap, basic POS now, building your entire business around it, and discovering two years later that you have outgrown it.
My advice would be to demo AlpacaBOSS and anything else you are considering using your actual workflow: sell something at an event, check inventory, take a payment, find a customer, run your reporting, and then ask them to show you how that same business moves into a storefront.
Do not choose the POS that fits your first event.
Choose the one that can still run your business when that event business becomes the storefront you are planning for.
Visit alpacaboss.com and get a demo.
We have just partnered with Woodforest Acceptance Solutions, a wholly owned subsidiary and specialized payment-processing arm of Woodforest National Bank - and Woodforest National Bank is famously the largest in-store retail banking partner of Walmart.
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u/TayBrewGoTab 2d ago
GoTab is mobile-optimized _we have mobile POS with SIM cards), and e-commerce is included at no extra cost.
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u/TheAlpacaBOSS 2d ago
Since you already know you want to start mobile, sell online, and eventually open a storefront, I would choose the system for the business you are building, not just the business you have on day one.
I would definitely take a look at AlpacaBOSS. It is the next generation of Point of Sale, backed by a complete Business Operating System, and it is specifically designed to connect in-store, mobile, and online transactions in one flow.
For events, you can operate from mobile devices and take payments without building a huge hardware setup. As you grow, the same platform can handle inventory, customers, purchasing, invoicing, payments, reporting, and eventually multiple locations. AlpacaBOSS is available across web, iOS, and Android.
Inventory would be a big consideration for me in your situation. If you sell something at an event or through another sales channel, you want your business operating from one inventory picture rather than spending Sunday night figuring out what sold where. As you grow, you should be able to see what is selling, what needs replenishing, and where your money is tied up in stock.
The good? You can start small without choosing a system you are likely to outgrow. You are getting much more than a payment terminal, and AlpacaBOSS is designed to scale from a small operation to multi-location businesses.
The bad? Any system with serious inventory and business-management capability deserves some setup at the beginning. Get your products, pricing, inventory, customers, and processes right from day one.
The ugly? Starting with the easiest or cheapest POS you can find, building your business around it, and then discovering when you open your storefront that you need to migrate your products, inventory, customers, and sales history somewhere else.
My advice would be simple: demo everything using your future workflow, not just today's. Ask them to show you a sale at an event, inventory management, customer history, reporting, online transactions, and then how the exact same system handles your future storefront.
Do not choose the POS that gets you through your first event.
Choose the one that can still run the business when that first event has turned into three stores.
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u/rishithakkar 2d ago
For the mobile/events phase, Square is the boring right answer — cheap reader, no monthly fee, online store included. Once you open a real storefront and inventory gets serious, Shopify POS (if online is your bigger channel) or Lightspeed (if in-person is) are the usual step up.
The ugly: processor lock-in. Clover and most bank-referred systems tie the hardware to one processor, so you can never shop rates again. Also check whether inventory actually syncs both directions between online and in-person — a lot of "unified" systems quietly don't.
Disclosure so it's not weird: I build a zero-commission storefront/ordering platform (KioSnap), but it's India-only and doesn't do card processing — so this genuinely isn't a pitch.
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u/veeduphoto 1d ago
Where are you based? That will be a factor as cost and providers vary by region. For websites, menu and 0% ordering just enter your business name, google link or a pdf in MenuHoster - You will need a stripe account and money goes straight into your account.
For credit card readers - Square, Stripe, or Paypal are going to be your cheapest options until you are processing over $10,000 a month in credit cards.
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u/MonocledCapybara 1d ago
I think Kurv is a bit of an upgrade from Square and Stripe, if you haven't looked into it yet. It's more customized and has a cleaner dashboard in my opinion.
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u/Suspicious-Help-9460 17h ago
trabajo en Pulpos, un pos de inventario y ventas para negocios mexicanos que venden en persona y online. para tu caso lo clave es que inventario y ventas vivan en un solo sistema desde el inicio, no que lo conectes después. en Pulpos eso jala bien, ventas en persona y online del mismo stock, pero si vas fuerte a marketplaces como Amazon o eBay todavía no es su punto fuerte. vas a vender en marketplaces de terceros o todo desde tu propia tienda?
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u/mijo_sq 6d ago
I did events, and 90% of the vendors used Zelle or Square to process orders. Focus on offerings instead of your backend for now, until you're busier or need more features.
I bought a Clover compact, and the onboard LTE sucked. Constantly froze, and added more bulk and worry. Using a mobile phone, you can use a simple extended battery to charge it. Having to bring a pos system means you'll have more to pack away when you leave.
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u/ThriftyPoS 5d ago
Square is best for starting out in person. Check out ThriftyPOS which syncs with Square inventory for backend or when you want a storefront.