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The Best Point of Sale Apps

Until Apple Pay is widely available, most businesses that use iOS devices will still need one of these point of sale apps to accept credit card transactions on the go. Some of these apps use special accessories to make transactions faster and easier, while others still require you to manually enter credit card information. There seem to be endless options in this category of apps. We check out the best apps and services in this AppGuide.

Square Point of Sale (POS)
PayPal Here - Point of Sale
BizPayNow
Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

An app to turn your iPad into a complete point of sale system

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

Lightspeed Retail POS (S)

For shops, restaurants, and bars that want a great POS system

ShopKeep makes it easy to get started, and even easier to keep going. The app and service was designed by an experienced small business owner, so it's intended to provide you with all of the data you need at your fingertips to make smarter business decisions. Inventory management tools, analytics, and, most importantly, the ability to complete a sale and get paid. It supports barcode scanners, helps you manage your cash drawer, and supports Apple Pay. You can also swipe credit cards, split the check, or accept gift cards.

Why we love it

ShopKeep is an all-in-one labor tracker, inventory management system, and point-of-sale system. You can run your small business smarter, have all of the information you need, and easily track sales. It integrates with QuickBooks for accounting and MailChimp for newsletters, along with other services.

TouchBistro Point of Sale

The iOS point-of-sale system for restaurants and more

TouchBistro Point of Sale

TouchBistro Point of Sale

For restaurant owners who want to use their iPads to take payments

TouchBistro is the real deal for restaurant owners. You can manage tables, customize your floor layout, and even set up a vibrant menu display. The app also supports managing reservations, tracking inventory, and scanning barcodes. TouchBistro allows your servers to take orders, split the bill by seat, and quickly accept payments using major credit cards. At the end of the day, more than 30 detailed reports make it easy to see how your business is doing.

Why we love it

TouchBistro is a point-of-sale system and full restaurant reporting solution in one app. It supports the most popular payment gateways, integrates with Xero and QuickBooks, and even supports shift scheduling.

PayPal Here : Point of Sale

The PayPal app that turns your iPad into a mobile point-of-sale system

PayPal Here : Point of Sale

For PayPal businesses that want to take physical payments

PayPal is a terrific way to get paid online, but what about in person? With PayPal here, you can do that, transforming your iPad into a great point-of-sale system. The app is free, and so is the magstripe card reader. If you want to accept chip cards with full security and fraud protection, a small up-front fee gets you a Bluetooth reader that works perfectly for your business. Accept payments, manage your online and mobile transactions, and get help straight from the app. You get your money fast, especially if you have the PayPal Debit card.

Why we love it

PayPal is a great option for collecting credit card and other payments. The PayPal Debit Card makes it easy to use your funds right away, and offers what might be the only cash back incentive program for small businesses that don't use a major credit card.

Square Point of Sale (POS)

The app for Square users

Square Point of Sale (POS)

For people who love to use Square as their credit card processing service

This app gives you everything you need to run and grow your business. You can accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express cards with the free swipe reader, or upgrade to the chip-card reader for even more secure card support. Customers can pay, tip, and sign right on your device, and you can even record gift cards and other forms of tender. Send and track invoices, track your products, and access real-time sales data. It truly is an all-in-one point-of-sale system.

Why we love it

Square revolutionized credit card processing for small businesses, and the company continues to set the bar higher and higher. With support for chip cards and more, Square Point of Sale is an all-in-one system for running your business with ease.

PayPal Here - Point of Sale

The Point-of-Sale system for PayPal businesses

PayPal Here - Point of Sale

PayPal Here - Point of Sale

For PayPal businesses that want to get paid anywhere

With PayPal Here and a card reader, you can fully support point-of-sale transactions. You can allow your customers to pay how they want, whether it's directly from their PayPal account or using a physical way to pay. PayPal Here supports credit and debit cards and even checks. With the optional PayPal Chip Card Reader, you can accept NFC payments like Apple Pay, magnetic swipe cards, and even chip cards. Payments are processed and transferred to your account within minutes, and the PayPal Debit Card gives you immediate access to the funds most of the time, plus cash back.

Why we love it

PayPal makes it easy to get paid, and their chip reader is state-of-the-art. Pairing your PayPal account with the company's debit card makes it easy to get access to your funds right away, or you can transfer the money to your bank account.

BizPayNow

Take credit cards with or without a card reader

BizPayNow

BizPayNow

For businesses who want to take credit cards easily, even without hardware

BizPayNow is all you need to take credit card payments quickly on the go. It doesn't require a card reader, allowing you to key in the transactions without any additional hardware. If you do have a card reader, it works with that. BizPayNow integrates with Authorize.Net for processing payments, and it works very well with that platform. You can collect customer contact information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses, for your records. Transaction details include invoice numbers and descriptions, and the screen is optimized for entering the most important fields.

Why we love it

BizPayNow is great for processing credit card payments without a card reader. It keeps complete details of your sales, and allows you to collect important customer information for managing repeat business.

QuickBooks GoPayment POS

The QuickBooks solution for point-of-sale businesses

QuickBooks GoPayment POS

For businesses that want easy recording of their sales into their accounting software

With QuickBooks GoPayment, you can have a point-of-sale system that's fully integrated with your accounting software. You get a free credit card reader, or can upgrade to a chip card reader for a low upfront cost. For larger businesses, you can add up to 50 users to accept payments for your business, which is great for companies with more than one employee. Pricing is competitive, with plans that have no monthly fees as well as plans that offer a less expensive transaction fee for $20 per month. You can accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

Why we love it

QuickBooks GoPayment is great for keeping better track of your sales, since it transfers the data straight to your accounting package. The transaction fees are lower than most, and the ability to add additional users makes it ideal for businesses with multiple employees.

Payanywhere: Point of Sale POS

A complete point-of-sale system for your iPhone and Apple Watch

Payanywhere: Point of Sale POS

For businesses that want to accept credit card and Apple Pay payments

With PayAnywhere, your small business can easily accept magstripe cards, chip cards, and even NFC payments like Apple Pay. You can track cash and check payments within the app, and the chip card reader is one of the most inexpensive we've seen. For small businesses with a storefront, the free tablet and stand with built-in card reader is an excellent option, offering 1.69% transaction fees for just $12.95 per month.

Why we love it

PayAnywhere gives you lots of options for running your business. You can set up on the go with a free card reader, or pay a bit of money for a fully-functional chip card and NFC reader. For businesses with a storefront, you can get a tablet-based POS system for free and better transaction fees.

Ecwid Ecommerce

The one and only app for premium Ecwid merchants

Ecwid Ecommerce

Ecwid Ecommerce

For Ecwid merchants who want to sell their products on the go

With Ecwid, you can sell online anywhere - on your existing website, on Facebook, or even on the go. The app allows you to manage your catalog items and update them easily. Keep track of stock and availability, and have all of the details you need to process a sale right on your iPhone or iPad. The app even works when you're offline without an Internet connection. Create orders straight from your iOS device, and charge them with PayPal Here or Square.

Why we love it

Ecwid makes running a small sales-oriented business easy, since you can keep track of everything you need to know about your inventory, catalog, and sales. It's easy to add new products or modify existing ones, and selling on the go couldn't be easier.

Payment for Stripe

A POS system for businesses that use Stripe

Payment for Stripe

For Stripe account-holders who want to accept payments in person

Payment: Stripe credit card payments makes it easy to charge someone in person using your Stripe credit card processing account. The app integrates with your existing eCommerce platform, supports charging in many different currencies, and allows you to send receipts to your customers. You can use a card reader, type in the card number, or scan the card with your iPhone's camera. Accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, JCB, and Diner's Club. This app will charge you a fee of 1% on top of your regular Stripe processing fees.

Why we love it

If most of your business is online and you use Stripe, this app is terrific for those rare occasions when you need to take a payment in person. Unfortunately, Stripe does charge extra for these payments. However, this is one of the few options for small businesses that supports JCB and Diner's Club, so that might make the extra fee worth it.