Finding the right point of sale system that fits your needs as a bookstore owner will be an investment that pays off. A reliable POS system will end up saving and making you money in the long run. Meaning, you need to choose the best POS system for your needs, so that your sales will not just go smoothly, but go up. Below is a comprehensive list of the top 8 Bookstore POS Systems on the market today.

Top 8 Best Bookstore POS Systems:

  1. Lightspeed – Best Bookstore POS System for Large Inventory
  2. Shopify – Best Bookstore POS System for eCommerce Sales
  3. KORONA POS – Best Bookstore POS System for Scalability 
  4. Square – Best Bookstore POS System for Price
  5. Vend – Best Bookstore POS System for Single Locations
  6. Clover – Best Bookstore POS System for Small Businesses
  7. Payment Depot – Best Bookstore POS System for Processing Fees
  8. Revel – Best Bookstore POS System for Multi-Locations

1. Lightspeed – Best Bookstore POS System for Large Inventory

PRICING: $99/month

Lightspeed is an advanced iPad and desktop POS system that is designed for businesses with an extensive inventory. Lightspeed empowers bookstore owners to easily return books, create special orders for hard-to-come-by books, and smoothly transfer books between locations. Specifically, Lightspeed is best if you’re expanding and growing your inventory, because it is geared towards bookstores with a higher volume of merchandise since it has the power to support it.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Multi-Store inventory
  • Email marketing
  • Built-in accounting

REASONS TO BUY:

  • 24/7 Customer Support
  • Offers special book orders
  • Easily transfers books between locations

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Basic, non-detailed reports

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2. Shopify – Best Bookstore POS System for eCommerce Sales

PRICING: $29/month

If your bookstore is located online, then Shopify is going to be your best friend. While Shopify offers an iPad POS system for brick-and-mortar stores, its features really shine in its online aspect. It’ll give you access to social media sales channels, extensive customer history profiles, and an unlimited number of products for your store. Not only are its online features extensive, but it’s very intuitive– all easily managed on a single dashboard.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Unlimited products
  • Up to 4 store locations
  • Up to 45% shipping discount

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Language translation
  • Gift card and in store credit features
  • Customer Support 24/7

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Limited offline modules

» MORE: Top Point of Sale Systems for Businesses

3. KORONA POS – Best Bookstore POS System for Scalability

PRICING: $49/month (1st month free if billed annually)

KORONA POS is a system that offers a strong set of features that will empower any bookstore to grow. KORONA POS starts at $49 per month, and with your subscription you’ll have access to advanced features like inventory search, customer loyalty programs, and eCommerce integration. Also, KORONA POS automatically send you detailed reports on which books are best-selling, so you can easily track your inventory.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Unlimited users and sales
  • 0% transaction fee
  • Loyalty customer program

REASONS TO BUY:

  • No contract
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Free trial

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Must upgrade for multi-store locations

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4. Square – Best Bookstore POS System for Price

PRICING: Software $0/month & Square contactless chip reader $49

If you’re just getting started and looking for a free option for your POS, look no further because SquareUp has you covered! SquareUp’s free plan is perfect for bookstore owners that are just looking for the basics when it comes to a point-of-sale system, offering unlimited items, basic inventory tools like low stock alerts, along with an online store. However, if you’re looking for a highly comprehensive system, the free plan is limited, but there is custom pricing depending on how much your business brings in.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Unlimited items
  • Low stock alerts
  • Online store

REASONS TO BUY:

  • No contract
  • Accepts offline payments
  • Easily integrates with phone or tablet

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Must pay for 24/7 customer support

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5. Vend – Best Bookstore POS System for Single Locations

PRICING: $99/month (billed annually) & Starter iOS hardware $600

Vend is a POS system that runs on an iPad or desktop, making it easily accessible for all bookstore owners. Included in Vend’s subscription, you’ll have access to important reports and metrics that will help you make better business decisions, customers can make online and offline transactions, and you can manage a large inventory without much work. Vend is best for bookstores that only have one location, since you get a lot of features, however if you have multiple locations, you’ll have to upgrade your plan and end up paying for more advanced features you don’t need.

KEY FEATURES:

  • 1 register included
  • Integrated payments
  • API access

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Online and offline functionality 
  • Customer management and loyalty program
  • Add-ons available for specific needs

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Expensive for multi-locations

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6. Clover – Best Bookstore POS System for Small Businesses

PRICING:

Software $14.95-94.85/month

Hardware: Card reader: $49, Small touch screen: $499-749, Desktop Station: $1649

Clover POS system thrives in helping businesses make their purchasing process a breeze. Unlike other POS systems on the market, Clover offers rapid deposit, so you can access your money within minutes after a sale. Clover is especially good for bookstores because of its inventory management features, enabling you to keep all of your items in stock and organized. While Clover has its strengths, it does not offer a free plan for businesses wanting to give it a go, and while many of its apps are free, if you’re looking for more robust payment options, you’ll most likely have to pay for more advanced software.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Rapid Deposit – access to fund within minutes for 1% fee
  • Fingerprint security
  • Offline payments available 

REASONS TO BUY:

  • User-friendly system
  • Customer loyalty program
  • Inventory management

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Expensive add-on apps

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7. Payment Depot – Best Bookstore POS System for Processing Fees

PRICING:

Software: $59-99/month

Hardware: Varies. Can use any type of hardware on the market.

Payment Depot is unique to other POS systems because their plans vary based on the amount of money you plan on processing that year, and then just pay monthly moving forward. So, for bookstores that project to have a high volume of sales that year, Payment Deport will be more customizable for your needs since it does not charge a fixed fee for each transaction like other POS systems do. However, if you are a business owner who wants a lot of help and access to customer support, Payment Depot does not offer 24/7 customer support or a support library to direct you if you experience technical issues. Payment Depot is so confident that you’ll love their POS system that there are no long-term contracts or early termination fees, meaning you can use it for as long or as short as you’d like without feeling you need to stick around.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Compatible with third-party apps
  • Free virtual terminal included
  • Next day processing

REASONS TO BUY:

  • No contract
  • Free trial
  • No set-up fees

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Does not accept high-risk merchants

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8. Revel – Best Bookstore POS System for Multi-Locations

PRICING:

  • Software: $99/month (per terminal)
  • Hardware: $499-$1500 (plus $674 onboarding fee)

Revel’s POS System is compatible with bookstores that have several locations, so if that’s you, this might be just what you’ve been searching for. Revel is an advanced POS System with many features to not only make the purchase easy, but to provide merchants detailed data and reports to constantly be improving. However, its main drawback is its cost and lengthy contract lengths, in order to qualify for its lowest plan, you need to commit to a 3-year contract and if broken pay a hefty termination fee.

KEY FEATURES:

  • Advanced reporting and analytics
  • Inventory Management
  • Customer Loyalty 

REASONS TO BUY:

  • Multi-store support
  • 24/7 customer support
  • Integrates with third-party systems

REASONS TO AVOID:

  • Lengthy contract and early termination fees

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Resources

  • https://www.lightspeedhq.com/pos/retail/payments/
  • https://www.shopify.ca/pricing
  • https://koronapos.com/pricing/
  • https://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/retail
  • https://www.vendhq.com/pricing
  • https://revelsystems.com/pricing/