A point of sale, or POS, is a system used to process transactions and accept payments in person.

With Shopify POS, retail businesses get all the tools they need to manage daily operations, accept payments anywhere, and build relationships to create customer loyalty. But the benefits of Shopify go beyond your retail store. With a powerful ecommerce solution also included, Shopify unifies in-store and online sales to bridge the gaps between your website, social media, and POS system. This allows you to sync inventory everywhere you sell and offer seamless shopping options for customers like local delivery, ship to customer, in-store pickup, and email carts.

There are different types of POS systems—the one that’s right for you will depend on your business needs. You can build any type of POS system with Shopify POS.

Countertop POS systems are best for permanent brick-and-mortar stores. A countertop system includes the software to check out customers and the hardware to take payments, and it can typically be found on sales counters. This enables retailers to create a smooth checkout experience where all the accessories for bagging products are easily accessible.

Mobile POS systems are better for businesses selling at events like pop-ups, markets, and trade shows. A mobile POS system allows retailers to process transactions wherever their customer is. These systems typically combine POS software and hardware into a single handheld device. Many brick-and-mortar businesses, however, are also starting to use mobile checkouts in their stores as a way to better serve their customers.

Multichannel POS systems allow retailers to sell in store and online and take advantage of omnichannel selling to convert more shoppers. For example, with a multichannel POS system, customers can buy online and pick up their purchase in your store—or they can buy in store and have the purchase shipped to their home. Today’s shoppers expect omnichannel shopping so multichannel POS systems are powerful tools.

Examples of POS systems can be found in almost every retail store. They are typically made up of a tablet or computer to run POS software, a payment terminal to take credit and debit payments, and a cash drawer to accept cash payments and make change. They may also include accessories such as receipt printers and barcode scanners.

Shopify’s point of sale is flexible enough to support a variety of businesses at any stage of growth. The retailers that find the most value from Shopify POS are those that sell products both in person and online. Connecting in-store and online sales helps you keep inventory, payments, and customers in sync so you can simplify everyday tasks and offer better shopping experiences.

Shopify is a complete platform for running a business. No matter where you sell, in person or online, Shopify is your command center for managing products and orders, accepting payments, and building relationships with customers. Having a unified back office gives you the ability to sell from a retail store, a pop-up, a website, on social media channels, or online marketplaces, while keeping everything connected. This means you can offer flexible shopping options like buy online, pickup in store, or buy in store, ship to customer.

Shopify POS connects to that powerful back office for in-person sales, ensuring that inventory, payments, and customer data are fully synced as you make sales from your retail store. Linking in-store and online sales with Shopify helps you simplify inventory tasks, have more control over cash flow, and re-engage in-store visitors with online marketing. The intuitive and mobile POS app also makes it easy to fly through checkout and assist customers anywhere, on the sales floor or on the go.

You can use Shopify POS in nearly every country in the world. However, to get the full benefits of Shopify POS we recommend using Shopify Payments and integrated Shopify POS hardware, both of which are available only in select regions. To learn if Shopify Payments and Shopify POS hardware is available where you are.