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Lightspeed is usually talked about when enterprise homeowners seek for a point of sale (POS) system. . It’s probably the most extensively used POS programs, processing over $90 billion of transactions yearly. It gives native {hardware} and software program for companies to course of in-person funds and an e-commerce platform that’s immediately built-in with its POS system.
I made a decision to check Lightspeed to see if it lives as much as the hype. I extensively examined its options that will help you decide if it’s the best choice for what you are promoting. Learn to find out about its options and different very important elements, together with pricing, user-friendliness, and the way it fares in opposition to rivals.
Lightspeed POS: Plans and pricing
I like that Lightspeed has a easy pricing system. It gives three plans for retailers – Primary, Core, and Plus – that each one embrace entry to the point-of-sale system and 1 register. The superior plans, Core and Plus, unlock further options that customers don’t get on the Primary plan.
The Primary plan prices $89 per thirty days for every POS location. It gives easy fee processing options however not a lot else.
The Core plan prices $149 per thirty days. Together with the fundamental fee processing options, it unlocks superior gross sales and stock stories, third-party integrations, and compatibility with the cellular Lightspeed POS app.
The Plus plan prices $289 per thirty days. It contains all options of the Core plan plus forecasting, API entry, and customized person roles.
Like most POS programs, Lightspeed gives a reduction on the month-to-month value when you pay yearly in a single go.
With the above costs, Lightspeed isn’t essentially the most inexpensive POS answer. It’s costlier than many programs I’ve examined, though it has extra superior options than these point-of-sale programs.
Lightspeed additionally sells {hardware} to retailers who wish to undertake its system. But, it’s suitable with {hardware} from different producers, which I appreciated about this POS system. Some POS distributors attempt to lock customers into proprietary {hardware}, however Lightspeed doesn’t do this.
Lightspeed’s transportable card reader prices $79, and an optionally available dock prices $49. Clients can swipe or faucet their playing cards on this dock to pay for items.
The Lightspeed Stand prices $199. This stand features a safe mount for the cellular faucet reader and works with the iPad tenth Technology as its display. You should purchase the iPad for $349 from Lightspeed or use an current one.
Lightspeed POS: Options
Lightspeed gives a sophisticated fee processing system for bodily retailers. It offers a dependable system to obtain funds by way of prospects swiping, tapping, or inserting their playing cards into your reader. Likewise, you may manually enter prospects’ credit score/debit card particulars to course of a fee, though this has the next transaction charge.
Along with your month-to-month charges, Lightspeed prices 2.6% + $0.10 for each card-present transaction. For those who manually enter the shopper’s card particulars, the charge will increase to 2.9% + $0.30.
Lightspeed’s charges are consistent with most POS programs I’ve examined. For instance, Shopify prices 2.4% to 2.7% on every transaction. Square prices 2.6% + $0.15 for card-present transactions and three.5% + $0.15 for handbook transactions.
I loved utilizing Lightspeed’s stock administration instruments, though I grumbled about them not being accessible within the Primary plan. You may create and intently monitor your stock with the Lightspeed cellular app (accessible on iOS and Android).
Suppose you run a clothes retailer. You may add all the garments to your Lightspeed stock and specify their amount. When a buyer chooses a clothes merchandise, you may merely choose it from the catalog, retrieve the small print, and settle for a fee from the shopper.
When a selected merchandise runs low, Lightspeed alerts you about it; you may select the precise quantity when the app ought to ship this alert. As an example, I specified Lightspeed to ship a low-stock alert when an merchandise’s amount drops under 5, and it didn’t disappoint.
For the file, I didn’t arrange an entire retailer for this overview. Slightly, I simulated buyer transactions on the system in order that my stock would drop under the low stock-alert degree.
I preferred that Lightspeed’s POS system is built-in with its NuOrder B2B commerce platform (Lightspeed acquired NuOrder in 2021). On NuOrder, many companies join with suppliers and order gadgets immediately.
You may add merchandise immediately from NuOrder into your POS system, together with key particulars like their title, description, picture, value, and UPC for barcode scanning. This course of is extra handy than inputting particulars from scratch after ordering and receiving these merchandise.
It’s also possible to set computerized reorder requests in your POS system; when an merchandise’s amount falls under a selected quantity, a brand new order shall be instantly positioned with the provider. This function ensures your items are all the time stocked, even with out energetic enter.
I preferred that I may monitor stock from a number of places in a centralized dashboard, making it straightforward to handle a number of stores. In case your retailer has a number of places, you may monitor the mixed gross sales, stock, and different essential information from a unified dashboard. From this unified dashboard, you may change costs and different information that’ll instantly replicate throughout all shops.
Customizability is one other attribute I recognize about Lightspeed. Customers on the Plus plan can entry the Lightspeed API to create custom-made checkout processes and combine Lightspeed with different apps.
For instance, you may combine Lightspeed with a barcode scanning app. The app will generate a singular barcode for all merchandise, which you’ll print and place on them. When a buyer selects an merchandise, you may scan it and instantly retrieve the small print within the Lightspeed app.
Lightspeed has a set of native integrations which you could rapidly arrange. These integrations vary from accounting instruments to stock administration, electronic mail advertising, analytics, and low cost packages. If you wish to combine a instrument that’s not natively accessible, comparable to a barcode scanning app, entry to the Lightspeed API makes this attainable.
This function appears trivial, however I preferred that Lightspeed let me customise my POS display. I added a customized background image and set my enterprise brand to all the time present when the app enters idle mode. This function makes what you are promoting look extra skilled and interesting to prospects.
Lightspeed POS: Interface and use
The final time I used Lightspeed, I had complaints about its person interface (UI) being clunky. I used to be comfortable to find its person interface has been considerably improved since then. It now appears easier and simpler to navigate.
The reporting dashboard now appears a lot better than once I beforehand examined Lightspeed. I may simply change between stories and monitor key statistics about my POS programs.
The stock administration’s UI has additionally noticeably improved. It was straightforward so as to add merchandise to my catalog or edit current merchandise. Importing merchandise from NuOrder was additionally a breeze.
You may obtain the app Lightspeed from the Google Play Store (Android) or Apple App Retailer (iOS). The app will all the time keep open on the iPad your retailer makes use of to course of funds. It’s also possible to obtain it on different smartphones or tablets to observe your retailer’s gross sales metrics.
Nevertheless, I believe Lightspeed has a noticeable studying curve. You’ll doubtless want time to get used to the interface and navigate its quite a few options seamlessly.
Lightspeed POS: The competitors
After testing many point-of-sale programs, I’d like to spotlight Shopify as the principle Lightspeed competitor. Each corporations provide superior point-of-sale programs for retailers with comparable options. They’re additionally each e-commerce software program distributors whose instruments are extensively built-in with their POS programs.
Shopify is usually extra inexpensive than Lightspeed. Its Primary e-commerce plan prices $32 month-to-month, and this plan contains the fundamental POS options, not like Lightspeed, whose plans begin from $89 month-to-month.
Nevertheless, there’s a catch. Shopify’s $32 month-to-month plan unlocks entry to POS Lite, which helps solely easy fee processing. For those who want superior options like stock administration and reporting, you need to pay $89 per thirty days for the POS Professional plan.
In abstract, Shopify is extra inexpensive than Lightspeed if you would like fundamental POS options. Nevertheless, for the superior options, Shopify’s pricing is on par with Lightspeed.
Characteristic-wise, Shopify and Lightspeed are very comparable. They provide in depth stock administration and analytics options. In addition they have a broad community of third-party integrations. Nevertheless, Shopify outshines Lightspeed by way of user-friendliness and buyer help.
Lightspeed POS: Ultimate verdict
Lightspeed is a dependable point-of-sale system for medium and huge companies. It’s additionally a very good choice for small enterprise homeowners who intend to develop quickly. It’s not essentially the most inexpensive choice nevertheless it offers glorious worth relative to its options.
Lightspeed has an honest person interface and could be very customizable, which is invaluable for companies that wish to ship personalised buyer experiences. General, it’s among the finest point-of-sale programs I’ve reviewed, and the options are continuously bettering.
Additional studying
You might also like our articles on the best POS systems for restaurants and best POS for food trucks, or 9 inspiring concepts on how you can use POS system customer data.