The best POS for most Australian retailers is Square, with free software, a 1.6% rate and fast setup. Lightspeed Retail is the strongest for serious inventory and multi-store, Zeller offers the lowest flat rate, Shopify suits omnichannel sellers, and Tower Systems specialises in newsagents, pet, bike and jewellery shops.
Independent guide by MerchantCompare. Prices last checked . How we compare
Square is the best all-round retail POS for small and mid-size shops. The software is free, the 1.6% rate is competitive, hardware is inexpensive, and it covers inventory, staff and reporting well enough for most stores.
Watch out: Inventory depth tops out for very large catalogues or complex multi-store needs.
Lightspeed Retail is built for retailers who live by their stock: deep inventory, purchase ordering, supplier management and multi-store control. The right call when your catalogue runs to hundreds or thousands of SKUs.
Watch out: Software runs $129 to $329 a month, so it earns its keep only at scale.
Zeller has the lowest flat rate here at 1.4% and bundles a free Australian business account, which suits retailers who want the cheapest processing and a single local provider for banking and payments.
Watch out: Lighter inventory tooling than the dedicated retail platforms.
Shopify POS is the pick for retailers who sell online and in-store, keeping inventory and orders in sync across both. If your shop is part of a wider e-commerce business, Shopify ties it together.
Watch out: Software runs $56 to $575 a month depending on plan, plus processing.
Tower Systems specialises in specific retail niches, newsagents, pet shops, bike stores and jewellers, with features built for those trades. A strong fit if you run one of the verticals it targets.
Watch out: Software is $233 to $320 a month and uses third-party card processing.
Enter your business details to see what each option would cost you. Prices are live from our database and shown in Australian dollars.
| 5 Providers | Square | Lightspeed Retail | Zeller | Shopify | Tower Systems |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Est. Cost /mo (AUD) | $320/mo | $429/mo | $280/moCheapest | $406/mo | $233/mo+ processing |
| Software & Pricing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software monthly fee | $0/mo | $129-329/mo | $0/mo (POS Lite) | $56-575/mo | $233-320/mo inc GST |
| Payment processing rate | 1.6% | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.75% | BestThird-party |
| Per-transaction fee | None | None | None | None | None |
| Hardware cost | From $65 | iPad-based or retail terminal | Terminal $199 | Card reader from $49 | BYO or quote |
| Setup fee | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free (subscription) |
| Contract length | Month-to-month (no lock-in) | Month-to-month or annual | Month-to-month (no lock-in) | Month-to-month or annual | No lock-in (no minimum term) |
| Free trial | Not needed (free to start) | Yes (14 days) | Not needed (free to use) | Yes (3 days, then $1/mo for 3 months) | No |
| Additional register cost | Included (free per device) | Quote | Included | POS Pro +$129/location/mo | Quote |
| Core Features | |||||
| Payment processing integrated | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Inventory management | ✓ | ✓ | Limited (basic items) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Staff management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Reporting / analytics | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline mode | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Limited | ✓ |
| Multi-location support | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Industry & Integrations | |||||
| Table management | Yes (Square for Restaurants) | No | No | No | No |
| Loyalty program | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Platform integrations | 300+ (Xero, MYOB, WooCommerce) | 250+ (Xero, MYOB, Shopify, WooCommerce) | Xero, MYOB | 8,000+ apps | Tyro, Linkly, Xero, MYOB |
| Industry focus | Both | Retail | Both | Retail (omnichannel) | Retail (specialty) |
| Customer support | Business hours (AU) | 24/7 | 24/7 | 24/7 | Business hours (AU) |
A retail POS has a different job from a hospitality one: less about tables and tickets, more about stock control, fast checkout and keeping inventory accurate across what can be thousands of products and several locations. The right system depends on how much inventory complexity you have and whether you also sell online. Below are our ranked picks, then a live calculator to cost each at your card volume.
Retailers weigh POS on inventory capability and total cost. We ranked on how well the system manages stock (from a small shop to a multi-store catalogue), the processing rate and any software fee, whether it syncs online and in-store for omnichannel sellers, and fit for specialty trades. Pricing is live from our database in Australian dollars.
This is the key decision. A small shop with a modest range is well served by Square or Zeller: free software, low rates, and enough inventory tooling to cope. A retailer with hundreds or thousands of SKUs, variants, supplier orders and multiple stores needs a dedicated platform, where Lightspeed Retail's depth pays off despite its monthly fee. And if you sell online as well as in-store, omnichannel sync (Shopify) matters more than raw inventory depth.
As with hospitality, free software at a slightly higher rate can beat a paid platform with a lower rate, until volume or inventory complexity tips the balance. Work out software plus processing together at your real takings, which the calculator above does. For a small shop, free software usually wins; for a high-volume or inventory-heavy retailer, the capability of a paid platform earns its fee.
For most Australian retailers, Square is the best all-rounder: free software, a competitive rate and fast setup. Choose Lightspeed Retail if you need serious inventory and multi-store control, Zeller if you want the lowest 1.4% rate and a bundled business account, Shopify if you sell online and in-store, and Tower Systems if you run a specialty shop in one of its trades. Use the calculator above to cost each at your volume.
For most retailers, Square is the best overall: free software, a 1.6% rate and quick setup. For serious inventory and multi-store, Lightspeed Retail is stronger, Zeller offers the lowest 1.4% rate, and Shopify is best if you also sell online.
Square and Zeller both have free POS software with no monthly fee, so you only pay card processing (Square 1.6%, Zeller 1.4%). That makes them the cheapest entry points for small retailers, versus inventory platforms like Lightspeed Retail that charge a monthly software fee.
Lightspeed Retail is the strongest for inventory, with purchase ordering, supplier management and multi-store stock control for large catalogues. Square handles inventory well for small and mid-size shops, and Tower Systems suits specialty retailers in specific trades.
Shopify POS is the pick for omnichannel retail, keeping inventory and orders synced across your online store and physical shop. Square also offers an online store, so it can work for simpler omnichannel setups at a lower entry cost.
We are independent and not owned by any provider. Our picks weigh price, features and Australian fit for retail, using live pricing from our database, last checked 31 May 2026. The comparison table lets you estimate each option at your own numbers. See How we compare for our full method.