Posted on

7 Best WooCommerce Point of Sale Plugins (Easy POS Setup)

Are you looking for a point-of-sale plugin for WooCommerce?

WooCommerce isn’t just useful for online stores. By adding a point of sale (POS) plugin to your website, you can also sell your products in a physical store and make more profits.

In this article, we will share the best WooCommerce POS plugins for easy point-of-sale setup.

Best WooCommerce Point of Sale Plugins (Easy POS Setup)

Why Do You Need a Point of Sale System?

You can think of a point of sale (POS) system as a modern cash register that runs on software. It allows you to take payments from customers in person, like in a physical store, a mobile food truck, or when selling merchandise at an event.

Like a cash register, you and your staff can use a POS system to ring up products, display the total cost to the customer, allow them to pay, and make a receipt or invoice.

But most POS systems don’t stop there. You can choose a system that offers the features you need, such as automatically adjusting your stock levels as products are purchased, keeping sales statistics so that you know what is selling and what isn’t, or working offline.

You might be thinking about purchasing one or more dedicated POS terminals for your business. However, these are expensive, and most require paying for an ongoing subscription for the software you need to run the terminal.

A better choice is to use WooCommerce, the world’s most popular eCommerce platform. It is super-flexible, cost-effective, and easy to manage, even for beginners. It allows you to sell products online from your WordPress website and in-person using a POS plugin.

The best part is that by installing a WooCommerce POS plugin, you have an inexpensive point-of-sale system that can be used at physical stores on any computer or tablet that runs a modern web browser.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the best POS plugins for WooCommerce.

1. YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS)

YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS)

YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS) is a premium plugin that turns your WooCommerce website into a powerful and easy-to-use cash register.

Your cashiers can easily search for products or scan barcodes when checking out customers. They can even add new products when needed.

If you run both an online and physical store, then the product listings, orders, and customers from both stores will be kept in sync. And if you have many stores or a franchise, then there is no limit to the number of stores and registers the plugin can handle.

YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS) Preview

YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce comes with layouts for both desktop and mobile devices. Like most POS plugins, the mobile layout is suitable for iPads and Android tablets but not smartphones.

The plugin’s dashboard lets you keep track of useful analytics such as sales trends, the revenue collected by each terminal, the payment methods used, and even the cashier with the highest number of sales.

Pros

  • Unlimited stores and registers
  • Layouts for desktop and mobile devices
  • Useful sales statistics

Cons

  • Free version is limited to cash payments
  • Does not work offline

Why we recommend YITH POS: YITH makes powerful plugins that are affordable and easy to use. Their POS plugin includes the features most stores need and supports multiple stores.

Pricing: YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS) starts at $147.99/year for a single site. There is also a free version of the plugin, but it is limited to cash payments.

2. Oliver POS

Oliver POS

Oliver POS is one of the best WooCommerce POS plugins. It is designed to allow physical shops to easily sell products from their online inventory from a single system.

This makes it perfect for people who want to combine eCommerce shops with physical stores. You can easily sync inventory between your online store, retail store, and warehouse.

Oliver POS runs on any internet-enabled computer or device, and apps are available for iPads and Android tablets. You can also purchase hardware POS devices from the official website, including registers, tablet stands, barcode scanners, cash drawers, and printers.

You can quickly look up your customers to see whether they have made a purchase online or in-store. You can track their total spending, order history, store credit, and more.

You can also keep on top of in-store and online transactions. The plugin can generate reports for payments, sales, inventory, and more.

Pros

  • Easy to set up and use
  • Can run online and physical stores together
  • Free version

Cons

  • Limited customization options
  • Does not work offline

Why we recommend Oliver POS: With 4.8 stars, Oliver POS is the highest-rated WooCommerce POS plugin in the WordPress Plugin Directory. It’s easy to install and use.

Pricing: A limited free plan is available with enough features to get you started. Paid plans start from $24.99/month per register.

3. Square for WooCommerce

Square for WooCommerce

Square for WooCommerce is a free WooCommerce extension that lets you accept payments using Square, a popular payment gateway that makes credit card payments easy.

The Square extension allows your customers to pay using all major credit and debit card types. It also supports digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

These payments can be taken from customers both online and in person. However, credit card payments are only available in the USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France, and Spain.

Square charges a fixed transaction rate, and this varies for each country.

Setup is easy. Your products and payments will be automatically kept in sync between your Square account and your online store. That means that when you add products to your Square account, they will be automatically added to your WooCommerce store as well.

Square also helps protect your business. They provide a dedicated dispute management team as well as fraud protection that uses machine learning to detect fraud before it happens.

Pros

  • Easy setup
  • Low cost of entry
  • Multiple payment options
  • Free

Cons

  • Does not work offline
  • Accepts credit card payments in only certain countries

Why we recommend Square for WooCommerce: Square for WooCommerce lets you easily set up a point-of-sale system without any up-front fees. For that reason, it’s one of the best free WooCommerce POS plugins.

Pricing: The Square for WooCommerce extension is free from the WooCommerce store. However, like most payment platforms, Square charges a fee for each transaction you make.

4. wePOS

wePOS

wePOS is an affordable and attractive POS solution for WooCommerce that is fast and easy to set up and use. However, it lacks some features that other POS systems offer.

For example, wePOS doesn’t directly integrate with retail hardware such as cash drawers. However, it does support barcode readers and printers.

Also, wePOS accepts only two payment methods: cash and credit card. When paying by credit card, the order number and receipt number will need to be inserted into wePOS manually to keep track of the sale.

Currently, you can’t produce daily sales reports for cashiers, generate bar codes, offer gift cards, or customize the user interface.

And like many of the other POS plugins for WooCommerce, wePOS does not work without an internet connection.

Pros

  • Fast and easy to use
  • Affordable

Cons

  • Does not work offline
  • Only two payment methods: cash and credit card
  • Limited hardware support
  • Limited customization
  • The free version is limited to cash payments

Why we recommend wePOS: wePOS is a popular point of sale for WooCommerce. It will suit users who are after a fast and reliable system rather than lots of features.

Pricing: wePOS offers a free plan with limited features, such as support only for cash payments. Premium plans start at $99/year.

5. Hike POS

Hike POS

Hike POS is a full-featured, standalone retail POS cloud service that works on PCs, Macs, iPads, and Android tablets. It also offers plug-and-play compatibility with most retail hardware, including scanners and receipt printers.

It offers lay-by sales, returns and refunds, gift cards, quotes, and credit notes. You can also see detailed sales analytics and use the software in multiple stores.

Besides its standalone apps, the service also integrates well with WooCommerce. Your Hike and WooCommerce inventory, orders, and customer profiles are automatically kept in sync.

Even though it’s a cloud service, it does work offline, making it more reliable than many of the other plugins in this list. Once you are connected again to the internet, all data is synced back to the cloud.

Hike POS supports multiple payment options, letting your customers choose their preferred method. Options include PayPal, Square, Afterpay, Tyro, and many more.

Hike POS also offers integrations with other cloud services, like Xero, MYOB, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and Amazon.

Pros

  • Works offline
  • Integrates with many third-party cloud services
  • Works with or without WooCommerce
  • Supports multiple stores
  • 14-day trial

Cons

  • No free version

Why we recommend Hike POS: Hike POS is a versatile solution that offers a point-of-sale system using WooCommerce or one of their native apps. It’s a great option if you need to work away from an internet connection.

Pricing: A Hike POS subscription starts at $59/month when billed annually. There is a 14-day free trial and no extra charge for WooCommerce integration.

6. Vitepos

Vitepos

Vitepos lets you quickly set up a point of sale system for your local store or sell from your existing online store in your physical store.

You can choose one of three different settings for the POS mode: grocery/retail, restaurant (pay first), and restaurant (traditional). Simply pick the option that best matches your store.

Vitepos can handle your inventory and stock management. You can add new products from vendors, transfer stock between your stores, and update prices.

There are also helpful features to help your cashiers, including holding stock, adding discounts or fees, and taking split payments. Your team can add products by scanning their barcodes or by searching for them.

Finally, Vitepos can run without an internet connection. Like Hike POS, once you are online again, your data will be uploaded automatically.

Pros

  • Works offline
  • Can run an online store and a local store simultaneously
  • Free version

Cons

  • Lacks third-party integrations

Why we recommend Vitepos: Vitepos is an affordable and user-friendly POS plugin for WooCommerce. It gives users a lot of control over their system and works offline.

Pricing: The Pro version starts at $79/year or $299 lifetime for a single site. Vitepos Lite is a limited free version available from the WordPress Plugin Directory.

7. ConnectPOS

ConnectPOS

ConnectPOS is a point-of-sale system that works on multiple platforms, not just WooCommerce. These include Magento, Shopify, BigCommerce, and more.

It is an award-winning POS system and has been used successfully by reputable brands like ASUS, Trinny London, Eyewa, and Lapaire.

The company can build custom POS solutions that don’t rely on any eCommerce platform. Also, they can create custom solutions that integrate your POS with your other business systems like ERP, CRM, and accounting.

Data is automatically updated in real time between your WooCommerce database and the POS system. This includes orders, inventory, customers, and products.

Plus, the software is able to work offline. Data will be saved locally and updated once your internet connection is restored.

The ConnectPOS website maintains a list of compatible hardware, including receipt printers, label printers, barcode scanners, payment terminals, card swipers, and more.

Pros

  • Works offline
  • Can meet the needs of large companies and enterprises
  • Offers a free WooCommerce plugin

Cons

  • Pricing is not listed

Why we reommend ConnectPOS: ConnectPOS is a highly rated, award-winning POS solution that suits large companies and enterprises.

Pricing: Payment is by subscription. However, pricing information has not been made available. You can request a quote for the Professional and Enterprise versions from the ConnectPOS website.

What Is the Best WooCommerce POS Plugin?

After reviewing all of the popular point-of-sale systems for WooCommerce, we believe that YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS) is the best POS plugin for most local stores.

However, this choice depends on your needs and budget, so we have a few additional recommendations.

Our top recommendation doesn’t work offline. If you need to take payments at times when there may not be an internet connection, such as on a food truck, then your best options are Hike POS, Vitepos, and ConnectPOS.

Some users prefer to get started with a free solution that’s easy to set up, and in that case, we recommend Square for WooCommerce. But be aware that with fees for each transaction, you may pay more in the long term.

If you have a franchise or chain of stores, then you will need YITH Point of Sale for WooCommerce (POS) or Hike POS. And if you have very specific needs and a budget for complex customizations, then it’s worth considering ConnectPOS.

FAQs About Point of Sale Systems

Our readers often ask us about point-of-sale systems and the best WordPress POS plugins. Here are our answers to some of the most common questions.

Does every WooCommerce store need a POS system?

No, if you are only making sales online, then you don’t need a POS system. They are only needed when your customers make payments in person.

What makes WooCommerce a good eCommerce platform?

WooCommerce is the most flexible eCommerce solution for an online store that sells physical goods. With the right plugin, it is also an excellent point-of-sale system for physical stores.

However, if you are selling digital goods like eBooks, software, or music, then Easy Digital Downloads is a better WordPress eCommerce plugin. And BigCommerce could be the best option if you don’t want to manage all the technical stuff of building an online store.

You can learn more in our detailed comparison of the best WordPress eCommerce plugins.

What other plugins are needed for WooCommerce?

Besides a POS plugin, there are plenty of other plugins you can use to add features to your WooCommerce store. Here are a few we recommend:

You can discover more in our guide on the best WooCommerce plugins for your store.

Best WordPress Guides for WooCommerce

If you liked this article, then please subscribe to our YouTube Channel for WordPress video tutorials. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

The post 7 Best WooCommerce Point of Sale Plugins (Easy POS Setup) first appeared on WPBeginner.

Posted on

10 Best Point-of-Sale Tools and Plugins for Your WordPress Business

If your commerce platform is online and in-person, you need flexibility regarding payments. This article covers agile point-of-sale tools and plugins that can power your business on WordPress.

We will showcase some plugins and other options that allow you to have the flexibility of selling face-to-face with a customer or online, setting up your business for omnichannel success!

As you’ll see, many options are free and can be upgraded accordingly. They all have a good track record and are established point-of-sale (POS) systems that perform as a modern-day cash register (and are much less clunky, too).

We’ll take a look at the following:

Hopefully, after reading this post, you’ll have a good idea of what type of POS tool works best for your business and can set it up accordingly.

But first…

Why Should You Use a Good POS system?

It may seem obvious. It’s because you need to sell in-person and online, right? However, there’s a bit more to it than that. A good POS system goes beyond just ringing up a customer.

Systems today can integrate with other systems, keep track of sales, manage merchandise – and offer some tech that can enhance your services to the next level.

Some benefits include:

— Sales can be streamlined from multiple locations.

— Your functionality increases.

— Ability to keep track of real-time data.

— Having a better grasp on managing employees.

— Automatically get your taxes managed.

And more…

It’s vital to be up-to-date on what you can do when selling in-person and online with your WordPress website.

So, are you ready to cash in? Let’s go!

Point of Sale Systems

Here are a handful of modern, efficient, and well-known POS systems to help your WordPress site. They’re in no particular order. (And please note: We are not affiliated with ANY of these. We just find them to be top-notch choices.)

FooSales

FooSales header
FooSales syncs your WooCommerce inventory with a point of sale.

If you’re using WooCommerce, the FooSales plugin is a POS system that will make any computer, iPad, or Android tablet into a physical retail space.

This plugin helps allow you to run your business from anywhere in the world and sell your WooCommerce items quickly and easily. It automatically syncs your WooCommerce product inventory, orders, and customer data.

The sales screen and search tools can promptly locate products with images and descriptions so that you can focus on the clients when they’re checking out. It adds items, shows the amounts of products, and offers a quick one-click checkout.

FooSales checkout process.
All the items are displayed – making it easy to locate and check out customers.

Payments can be made with Square and Stripe. It leverages the strengths of both platforms and allows you to enter credit card information or purchase add-on terminals for a monthly fee.

There is also a monthly fee associated with using this plugin. They vary depending on the number of websites and add-ons.

Hike

Hike header.
Hike is another plugin option for WooCommerce POS.

For another WooCommerce option, Hike offers a POS solution in-store and online. It integrates with WooCommerce, allowing access to your customers, product catalog, inventory, and other necessary information.

With Hike, you can control and manage your entire business from a retail POS system. It works with iPads, PCs, and Mac products. It’s fully interactive with card payment systems like PayPal Here, Tyro, and iZettle.

There are many POS options, including offering discounts to sales, parking orders, enabling a custom sale, and adding order notes.

Plus, you can use your existing card terminal – so you don’t need to purchase one directly from them. That said, they offer hardware bundles for complete POS systems (cash register, receipt printer, etc).

Prices vary depending on the outlet, registers, and other factors.

Square

Square header.
Square is no stranger to modern POS systems.

A very popular POS is Square. Millions of brands use their software to accept payments in-store and online.

You can incorporate Square into your business quickly and easily – whether that be a WordPress developer’s website, restaurant, or street vendor – you name it!

They have great solutions for getting paid with their flexible omnichannel commerce tools. They offer registers, terminals, stands, readers, and more for in-person sales. For online, there’s an app-like shopping experience, customization, the ability to highlight products, and more.

Their plans vary – but you can start for free. The free plan does take transaction fees, but otherwise, there are no costs. You can upgrade to include more features.

wePOS

wePOS header.
wePOS is a WooCommerce-focused plugin.

wePOS is another plugin that offers a fast and responsive WooCommerce POS option. You can easily take orders and track your inventory in your WooCommerce store.

Plus, you can physically count WooCommerce products by scanning bar codes and adding them directly to a customer’s cart to process the order.

It features a sleek UI that’s simple to navigate. From this, you can manage your inventory and orders.

wePOS example.
You can see the organized items, total costs, tax, and more.

There is a free version and upgrades available. They also have 24/7 support.

Oliver

Oliver header.
Oliver is here for your WooCommerce store needs.

With a 5-star rating, the Oliver  plugin for WooCommerce might be a great option for a POS system for your business.

They state: “It’s simple, smart, and easy to use.” Made specifically for WooCommerce, it allows for a consistent combination of eCommerce and physical brick-and-mortar stores. Everything is in one place, and there’s no need for multiple integrations.

It’s designed to work with numerous devices, including iPad, Mac, or PC. The system supports using a mouse, touchpad, and keyboard entry.

They also have POS hardware, like a terminal, printer or all-in-one solutions.

Oliver is free to use, but upgrades are available. Plus, they include support.

Toast

Toast header.
Toast can be the toast of your POS solution.

Toast is named this for a reason – it specializes in restaurants. So, if your restaurant runs on WordPress or another platform, you may consider this system.

You’re able to manage all in-person and online sales in one place. They note that their restaurant-grade hardware is 3x faster than competitors, and you can integrate your FOH (front of house) and BOH (back of house) to reduce ticket times by up to 40%.

The Toast platform even includes payroll and team management – so it goes beyond just a POS option.

Their hardware includes handheld devices for ordering, kitchen display systems, self-ordering kiosks, and much more.

It’s free to use. Like many of our other systems, upgrades are available depending on your needs.

Shopify

Shopify header.
Shop it to me: Shopify might be the POS solution you’re looking for.

Another well-known platform (millions of merchants and 10% of US eCommerce) is Shopify. Shopify allows customers to order online or in-person. It features one-click checkout that lets shoppers pay how they want – through digital wallets or multi-currency.

It includes a ton of insights into customer data. Everything from their behavior, total sessions, order numbers, and more.

Additionally, they incorporate your social media with tools for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other channels.

There’s a whole range of what Shopify offers, hence why it’s so popular. Be sure to visit their website for more information.

And when it comes to pricing, there’s a free trial – otherwise, it does cost.

There are various levels that you can purchase, depending on what your needs are for your store.

Stripe

Stripe header.
Stripe is no secret to POS.

Stripe is a very well-known POS company that offers solutions to millions of companies worldwide. It works with some of the biggest brands (Amazon, Instacart, Zoom, Lyft, etc).

For us, Stripe is incorporated into our Client & Billing in The Hub and Forminator plugin for accepting payments.

They feature everything that brings websites and apps together for payment. With support for 135+ currencies, it’s available for use with credit, and debit cards, virtual wallets, and more. Additionally, they have items, such as terminals, for in-person sales.

Plus, they are big on security, with a team of world-class security experts at their helm. They’ve also received regulatory licenses around the world.

Stripe is free to use but takes a percentage of the costs.

PayPal

PayPal header.
PayPal is another POS giant in the industry.

Like Stripe, PayPal is another payment solution we use for our products. PayPal’s popular with millions of other companies, too.

It’s known chiefly online; however, they offer POS software so you can run your business online and off.

Their POS offers streamlined checkout, business metrics, and an app. You can easily manage products with prices, stock levels, and more – all in one place.

The portable terminal PayPal uses is entirely portable. It accepts most forms of payment (credit, debit, Google Pay, etc), and works with chip and contactless payments.

There is currently a 2.29% transaction fee and costs for the terminal. However, the PayPal Zettle app is completely free to use.

Stay On Top of Your Shop

Out of all of these 10 options we just covered, surely you can stay on top of your WordPress website’s sales – in-person and online. Whether it be a plugin or a separate system, modernizing your selling platform is quick and easy.

And with all of the latest advancements in selling (real-time analytics, instant checkout, inventory control, etc), there’s no reason to be stuck with anything but the most efficient method for your business.

For more information on online sales, check out our article on eCommerce gateways.

Once you have systems implemented, there is no stopping customers from shopping!

Posted on

Compare the Best POS Systems for Food Trucks

Our recommendation for most people is Toast because it offers the best value of all the POS systems for food trucks. For a single-location restaurant, you can immediately get their starter kit for $0 per month.

The Quick Sprout research team used all available resources to collect data, spent days analyzing data, crunched numbers, tested functionality, and conducted in-depth research to factor in all considerations. That’s how the Quick Sprout research team determined the best POS system for food trucks available in the market today. 

From the original pool of 20 potential top brands, we shortlisted 10. However, only five made the final cut and made it to the top list. Therefore, we can say that our top list is the product of intense analysis and data-driven decisions.

The Top 5 Best POS Systems for Food Trucks

Each brand on our list delivers valuable services to its consumers, and you can take a look at our analysis of each to decide which brand will work best for you. For most of our readers, the best POS system for food trucks is Toast, thanks to its versatile range of features, ease of use, and excellent customer support. Get a cloud-based point of sale from Toast for free right now.

  • Toast – Best for streamlined operations at any size  
  • Clover – Best for quick and easy setup
  • TouchBistro – Best for iPad users
  • Revel – Best for customizable menus
  • Lightspeed – Best for inventory management 
Company logos for our best POS systems for food trucks reviews.

Match Your Scenario to the Right POS System Solution

Here we break down what you should consider when selecting a POS system for your food truck. The section is structured to offer the best possible recommendations based on your intended use of a POS system. This could include the following:

You Need to Operate Multiple Food Trucks

Best option: Toast

Toast is an excellent mobile POS system. It can be used to manage multiple food trucks from one place. Some hardware is provided free of cost by Toast. However, additional equipment may be provided at a cost. Toast is the best POS system for most food trucks because it is easy to use and affordable for most business owners.

Another great choice: Revel

Revel can easily be installed on an iPad. One iPad can be used to manage multiple food trucks in different locations by creating a multi-device link. You can easily save data from trucks in various locations on a single iPad. In the same vein, data can be shared among different devices operating at different locations through Wi-Fi. 

If operating multiple food trucks applies to you, pay attention to the following:

  • Cost: If you need a POS system for multiple food trucks, it must be reasonably priced and should be affordable.
  • Location: It is crucial to be able to manage a POS system from multiple locations, especially if you are investing in one to manage multiple food trucks.
  • Payment method: A business in multiple locations must accept various forms of payment to scale organically. Therefore, investing in a POS system that accepts multiple payment methods is imperative.

You Need a POS System Immediately

Best option: Clover

Clover is an easy-to-use and set-up POS system. If a food truck urgently needs a point-of-sales system, Clover is an excellent choice. Beginners can easily understand and use it. Moreover, it also provides customer engagement tools that notify the customers about the truck’s location. It also provides several space-saving hardware options.

Another great choice: TouchBistro

Since TouchBistro is an iPad-based POS system, it doesn’t require any additional hardware to be used as a functional point-of-sale system. You can easily set the software up on your iPad. Therefore, TouchBistro is also appropriate for quickly setting up a POS system. 

If you need to set up a POS system immediately, pay attention to:

  • Ease of use: An easy-to-understand (and use) POS system can be set up immediately. Therefore, go for an easy-to-use point-of-sales system like Clover to avoid extra hassle.
  • Customer support: As a new business, you may need excellent customer service support 24/7 to stand out from the competition. So, companies with exceptional customer support service must be considered.
  • Simple hardware: If you want to set up a POS system as soon as possible, a company providing less complicated hardware should be considered. 

You Need a POS System Compatible With an iPad

Best option: TouchBistro

TouchBistro provides an iPad-based POS system that is easy to use for businesses of various sizes. Moreover, it offers a customer-facing display that can help reduce errors. Customer relationship management integrations are also easily available.  

Another great choice: Revel

Revel is another iPad-based POS system. However, more hardware options are also available for further expansion. It works well in offline mode as well and provides maximum functionality even on simple hardware.

If you need a POS system compatible with an iPad, consider the following:

  • Customer-facing display: A customer-facing display can take the burden off of the employees and involve customers in the process, lessening the chances of errors. 
  • Easy integration: POS systems that work well on iOS must be considered.
  • Hardware expansion: It is best to invest in a POS system that works with additional hardware in case your iPad faces any technical problems.

You Need 24/7 Customer Support

Best option: Revel

Revel is an excellent iPad-based POS system. It has many features that make it ideal for food trucks. However, its distinguishing feature is 24/7 web and phone support and training options for employees. 

Another great choice: Lightspeed

Lightspeed is another POS system known for its exceptional customer service. It ensures that the clients have the best customer experience at every step of the way and are dedicated to building a loyal community of satisfied customers. 

If you need customer support 24/7, consider these points:

  • Customer service: POS systems with exceptional customer service should be considered to receive uninterrupted customer support. 
  • Phone and web accessibility: Companies that are easily accessible through the web or phone can efficiently provide customer support throughout the day.

You Need an Easy-to-Use Inventory Management System 

Best option: Lightspeed

Lightspeed provides an easy-to-use inventory management system. The best thing about Lightspeed is that it enables you to manage and maintain your inventory from anywhere and at any time, even without an internet connection. 

Another great choice: Toast

Toast also offers excellent inventory management services. This system helps you gain financial clarity in your inventory and control the rising costs or wasted material. Moreover, it provides value-based insights that help derive profitability.

If you need an excellent inventory management system, consider these aspects:

  • Inventory management options: Consider a POS system with an advanced inventory management system or integration with an excellent inventory management system.
  • Location: A POS system with good inventory management should be accessible from anywhere in the world.
  • Internet connection: Internet connection should not be a requirement for managing inventory. However, real-time inventory management can only be done through a system connected to a stable internet connection.

POS Systems for Food Trucks Company Reviews

When our team reviewed the best POS systems for food trucks, we learned that the best options are the ones that offer the most value to the customer. However, there are a few more obligations that every POS system has to handle. Our recommendations meet those requirements and much more. 

Find out why these are truly the best POS systems for your food trucks, how our team analyzed the options available, and how you can choose the right POS system for your food truck based on your situation and budget.   

Toast – Best for Streamlined Operations at Any Size 

Toast, one of the best POS systems for food trucks.

Toast was created to streamline and easily manage the day-to-day processes for owners of food-related businesses. It is an excellent POS system for food-related businesses and comes with everything they need, from payment acceptance to inventory tracking, staff management, and more. Toast provides the perfect balance of value, features, and usability.

It is our top pick in the point-of-sale systems space because it adapts so well to the modern daily duties associated with food truck management. Some of its best features include:

  • Online order and delivery
  • Detailed reports
  • Menu updates
  • Tableside orders and checkouts

What Makes Toast Great

Toast is far more flexible than its competitors. Therefore, no matter how big or small your business, Toast is an excellent option. Moreover, with changing trends and more and more customers relying on delivery, Toast is excellent for adaptation and scalability.

Screenshot of Toast POS for food trucks webpage
Toast adapts and scales with your food truck business.

Food truck owners planning to streamline their day-to-day operations should consider Toast as a POS system. You can access basic hardware and a cloud-based point of sale for your food truck right now for free. 

Clover – Best for Quick and Easy Setup

Clover, one of the best POS systems for food trucks.

Clover is another user-friendly POS system suitable for small and mid-sized businesses. It offers a wide range of software and hardware options to suit the needs of a small business. It has somewhat higher prices when compared to other POS systems. However, Clover is the perfect option for beginners because it is easy to use and set up. Some distinguishing features of Clover include:

  • Easy integration with apps like Yelp, Timeclock, and more
  • Reporting tools that allow managing inventory, tracking sales, and filtering data
  • Collaborated with Fiserv to provide financial solutions to business owners 

What Makes Clover Great

Screenshot of Clover hardware options
Clover offers excellent hardware options for your food truck.

Clover is the only intuitive POS system with excellent hardware options. Two additional unique features of Clover are Clover capital and rapid deposits. Clover capital is a repayment system in which a business with a minimum monthly transaction of $1000 can apply for Clover’s merchant cash advance program Clover capital. On the other hand, rapid deposits allow you to transfer sales transactions credited directly to your account at a processing fee of only 1%.

You can take advantage of its various solutions to check which is ideal for your team and business.

TouchBistro – Best for iPad Users

TouchBistro, one of the best POS systems for food trucks.

TouchBistro provides food trucks with several essential solutions on one powerful platform. It empowers businesses and allows them to connect with their customers and scale the business. Additionally, TouchBistro is easy-to-use, fast, and reliable. It is fully compatible with an iPad and doesn’t require any additional equipment or hardware. 

TouchBistro helps businesses increase sales, saving time and money, and delivers wonderful customer experiences. It has powered more than 29,000 restaurants in over 100 countries around the world.  

What Makes TouchBistro Great

Screenshot of TouchBistro webpage with headline that says, Save Time and Money
TouchBistro empowers businesses with its speed, reliability, and ease of use.

TouchBistro can easily be used on an iPad and eliminates the need for any additional tools. You can even integrate it on multiple iPads. It is compatible with most iPad models. However, there are a few old models it doesn’t work well on. You can get a price quote through its website and use it with ease.

Revel – Best for Customizable Menus

Revel, one of the best POS systems for food trucks.

Revel was the first POS system to utilize an iPad as its primary hardware. It is regularly used by thousands of vendors across the world. Revel also makes regular improvements to its cloud-native POS system. This POS system has 24/7 live support, a sleek design, and secure cloud-based backup. Other excellent features offered by Revel include customer experience software, staff and stock management, and financial management.

What Makes Revel Great

Screenshot of Apple iPads that can be used with Revel POS
Revel utilizes an iPad as its primary hardware option.

Revel offers robust software. Additionally, it provides you with the option to get professionals to set up the POS at your establishments. Therefore, Revel can be an ideal POS system for large enterprises with multiple locations or food trucks in multiple spots. Moreover, Revel offers plenty of excellent features in an affordable package. It charges zero processing fee. You can get a quote today through its website. 

Lightspeed – Best for Inventory Management 

Lightspeed, one of the best POS systems for food trucks.

Lightspeed has been a leading POS system for more than ten years. It has several popular clients like Goodwill, Five Guys, and KemperSports. It offers both cloud-based and browser-based systems and an app for iOS devices. 

Its defining features include 24/7 customer support and excellent inventory management. However, some of its features may be too advanced for a new entrepreneur. For beginners, much better POS systems are available at a lesser price. Therefore, only well-established food trucks should consider investing in Lightspeed. 

What Makes Lightspeed Great

Screenshot of Lightspeed webpage with headline that says, The quick service point of sale that runs all your locations
Lightspeed is a solid option for established businesses.

Lightspeed is ideal for established businesses because it offers several advanced features, albeit charging a hefty price for them. It has ecommerce and accounting capabilities that make it perfect for national retail chains because it helps them process a large number of orders every day. Moreover, It is best for managing inventory and helps seamlessly manage stock for the products. You can access a free trial through its website immediately.

Quick Sprout POS Systems for Food Trucks Related Content

Here we break down what you should consider when selecting a POS system for your food truck. We’ve structured our guidance in this section to offer the best possible recommendations based on what you need a POS system to do:  

POS Systems for Food Trucks Comparisons

POS Systems for Food Trucks Related Top Lists

The Top POS Systems for Food Trucks in Summary

What’s the best POS system for food trucks?

Toast is our top overall recommendation. It has all the features required to accommodate the widest range of possible use cases at an affordable price. Moreover, it is easily understandable, and most people can use it with little to no assistance.

But with that said, there are plenty of other great options to consider. Use the recommendations and methodology described in this guide to find the best POS system for your food truck.

Posted on

How to Accept Credit Card Payments

Cash is slowly becoming obsolete. The cashless trend is forcing more and more businesses to start accepting credit credits.

A recent survey found that just 16% of Americans say they always carry cash. 58% of respondents plan to stop using cash altogether in the near future.

Whether you’re launching a startup or you’ve been in business for decades, accepting credit card payments has become crucial in today’s day and age. For online businesses and ecommerce stores, credit cards are the only reasonable way to get paid.

Ready to get started? I’ll teach you how to start accepting credit card payments for your business in just a few simple steps.

What to Expect When Accepting Credit Card Payments

Accepting credit cards is easy. The bulk of the effort will be spent choosing a processor and setting up your equipment.

  1. Find a payment processor
  2. Negotiate your terms
  3. Get your equipment
  4. Accept payments

The Good

The best part about accepting credit cards is convenience. As previously mentioned, consumers are carrying less cash (if any). By taking credit cards, you’ll appeal to far more customers.

Credit cards improve efficiency as well, especially for in-person payments. They can help eliminate long lines and reduce the time each customer spends at the register. A quick swipe, dip, or tap is much easier than counting cash and making change.

It also helps minimize human error, such as incorrect change counted. Card payments help prevent cash theft by employees as well.

Recent world events have also increased the demand for touchless payments. Consumers often use smartphones, wearables, digital wallets, and tap-to-pay credit cards to purchase goods and services. This helps prevent the spread of germs during checkout.

Modern credit card processing systems make life easier from a bookkeeping standpoint as well. The majority of these solutions sync with accounting software to minimize manual journal entries. These systems can even integrate with software for things like inventory tracking and more.

The Bad

The most frustrating part about accepting credit cards is the fees. Between the card network, processor, issuing bank (cardholder’s bank), and acquiring bank (your bank), there are many players associated with each credit card transaction.

Each party charges a small fee for their role in the process, which is ultimately paid by the merchant.

Depending on your contract’s pricing structure, you could be paying different fees for each transaction, which makes it tough to predict your total processing costs. For example, an ecommerce purchase paid with an American Express card could be more expensive than an in-person payment with a Visa—even if the two customers had the exact same transaction total.

Corporate credit cards, consumer cards, and debit cards could all have different fees.

Credit card processing requires updated and stable hardware and software. If you have problems with a terminal or your internet connection is unstable, you might be unable to process certain transactions. Setting up specific hardware can be a time-consuming task as well.

Chargebacks are another paint point associated with accepting credit cards. A chargeback occurs when a cardholder disputes a charge directly with their card network or bank. Credit card companies and banks are more likely to side with a cardholder during a dispute, which can be expensive and frustrating for businesses.

Certain types of businesses might have trouble getting approved to accept credit cards. This is known as “high-risk credit card processing.” High-risk industries include tobacco, gambling, drug paraphernalia, vitamins and supplements, weapons, multi-level marketing, life coaching, adult services, marijuana dispensaries, and more. Even business owners with poor credit could be considered a higher risk.

If approved, merchants that fall into those categories are typically imposed with higher credit card processing fees.

Step 1 – Find a Payment Processor

There are many ways to start accepting credit cards. Each method has its fair share of pros and cons. To get started, you need to find a payment processor that accommodates your needs.

Payment processors facilitate credit card transactions. They act as a mediator between the business and other financial institutions involved with a transaction. Here’s a brief overview explaining the different roles associated with credit card processing.

Processors authorize transactions and facilitate the transfer of funds from the issuing bank to the merchant.

But payment processors come in different shapes and sizes. Let’s take a closer look at the types of payment processing companies you can choose from.

Payment Service Providers (PSPs)

Using a PSP is the easiest way for your business to start accepting credit cards. These are typically considered “all-in-one” solutions, as they offer everything you need to get started.

Companies like Square and PayPal all fall into the payment service provider category.

PSPs have revolutionized the credit card processing industry in recent years. They allow businesses to accept credit cards without setting up a merchant account. They typically offer month-to-month contracts and flat-rate pricing.

Flat-rate processing is easy to comprehend, but it’s not always the cheapest option. Rates typically cost around 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. There’s not a ton of room for negotiation here unless you’re a high-volume merchant.

But PSPs are really easy to set up and have become increasingly popular for startups and businesses new to accepting credit cards.

Merchant Account Providers

Merchant account providers are ideal for businesses that want to get the best possible processing rates. Payment Depot and Fattmerchant are two popular solutions in this category.

Both of these companies offer membership-style pricing. For a monthly fee, transaction fee, and interchange, businesses have access to “wholesale” credit card processing rates. Here’s an example from Payment Depot’s pricing page so you can see what I mean:

An interchange is the cost imposed by the card networks. So you could pay as little as $0.05 + interchange per transaction with a merchant account provider, compared to nearly 3% per transaction with a PSP.

Ecommerce Platforms

Businesses with an online store should consider using an ecommerce platform for credit card processing. Like PSPs, this type of processor can become a one-stop-shop or an all-in-one solution for your processing needs.

Shopify is an industry leader in this space. In recent years they’ve essentially become the gold standard for managing an ecommerce website.

I like Shopify because they offer integrated payment processing with every plan. So, you won’t have to worry about using third-party shopping cart software to accept payments on your ecommerce site. Shopify even has POS (point-of-sale) solutions for ecommerce sites that also have a physical retail presence.

This ecommerce platform integrates with 100+ additional payment providers as well. So, if you find another processor in the future, you could always switch without having to change your online store.

Step 2 – Negotiate Your Terms

Once you’ve narrowed down the type of processor you want to use, shop around for the best rate. Believe it or not, credit card processing fees can actually be negotiated. This is especially true if you’re getting competitive quotes from multiple processors. You can use those quotes as leverage to get the best possible deal.

To negotiate successfully, you need to understand where credit card processing fees come from. Generally speaking, there are three main components to credit card processing rates:

  • Interchange – Imposed by the credit card network and issuing bank.
  • Assessment – Smaller fee paid directly to the card network.
  • Markup – Charged by the processor.

Interchange and assessments are non-negotiable. But processors might be willing to negotiate their markup. Interchange fees vary by card network and transaction. For example, here’s a snippet of Visa’s interchange rates:

The type of card that a customer uses will impact the fees. Keep this in mind as we discuss the types of credit card processing structures shortly.

In addition to the direct costs of credit card processing, you should also consider factors like:

  • Contract length
  • Setup fees
  • Early termination fees
  • PCI compliance fees
  • Statement fees
  • Terminal fees
  • Gateway fees

The list goes on and on. Some processors will try to sneak these extra costs into your contract. Review everything in detail before you commit. That’s why negotiating your terms is so important.

Now let’s take a closer look at the different contract structures in the world of credit card processing:

Flat Rate Pricing

Flat-rate credit card processing is the easiest to understand. This is the most common pricing model offered by PSPs.

With this structure, the interchange rates imposed by the card network are irrelevant. You’ll pay the same cost per transaction, regardless of the interchange category being used. The only factor that would impact the rate here would be how the card is processed (online vs. in-person).

Interchange Plus Pricing

Interchange plus processing is typically more cost-effective than flat-rate pricing. As the name implies, this contract structure involves paying the interchange rates plus the processor markup.

As previously mentioned, processors might be willing to negotiate their rates, which potentially gives you access to lower credit card processing fees.

Subscription or Membership Pricing

Subscription pricing can best be described as a hybrid between flat-rate and interchange pricing. Businesses pay a monthly fee to merchant account providers for access to lower flat-rates.

For example, a $99 monthly subscription fee could give you access to a $0.07 plus interchange fee per transaction. The processor charges a lower markup but still collects a monthly membership fee.

Tiered Pricing

Tiered pricing is the worst. Stay away from this at all costs.

With this pricing structure, the processor charges three different rates—qualified, mid-qualified, and non-qualified. Each category has a different processing rate (qualified being the cheapest, and non-qualified being the most expensive).

However, the processor determines which category each transaction falls under, based on relatively unknown criteria. So businesses typically end up paying mid-qualified and non-qualified transactions more often than they initially thought.

Step 3 – Get Your Equipment

If you’re processing transactions in-person, you’ll need to get the appropriate equipment. Lots of processors out there advertise free equipment, but these are rarely actually free.

Don’t rent equipment. It might seem like a cost-effective solution in the short-term, but it’s always more expensive for the lifetime of your equipment.

It’s worth noting that some equipment is proprietary to specific processors. For example, let’s say you’re using Square as your processor. If you decide to switch processors in a year or two, you’ll no longer be able to use any Square equipment.

Here are the different types of equipment you might need to accept credit card payments.

Credit Card Terminals

This is a traditional countertop piece of hardware used for accepting credit cards. They are standalone pieces of equipment, separate from registers or POS stations.

Credit card terminals typically look like this:

Make sure you choose a terminal that’s modern and compatible with multiple payment options. For example, legacy terminals and outdated hardware won’t accept chip payments, tap-to-pay, or mobile wallets.

Integrated POS Terminals

POS systems with built-in credit card terminals are becoming increasingly popular. Clover has some of the best POS equipment on the market today.

These are useful in quick-serve restaurants and retail shops. Integrated POS terminals are a bit more expensive than a traditional standalone terminal, but they are user-friendly and offer more functionality.

Mobile Card Readers

For businesses that operate on-the-go, a mobile carder is an absolute must-have. They’re really useful for food trucks or field-service jobs where technicians can accept payments directly at a customer’s home or job site.

Square offers free mobile card readers that can turn any smartphone or tablet into a POS station.

Mobile readers can even be used within retail stores so customers can pay without having to visit a checkout counter.

Software

In addition to the hardware requirements of accepting credit cards, you’ll likely need to get the appropriate software as well. For example, to use the Square mobile reader (mentioned above), you’d need to download the Square POS app.

Online credit card processing requires shopping cart software. But if you’re using an all-in-one ecommerce platform like Shopify, this will come included with your plan.

Virtual terminals are software designed to turn computers into payment processors. This software is perfect for processing credit card information over the phone.

Step 4 – Accept Payments

Now that you’ve chosen a processor, agreed to terms, and have your equipment set up, it’s time to start accepting credit card payments.

Depending on the solution you chose, customers should be able to swipe, dip, tap, use mobile wallets, pay online, or pay over the phone for your goods and services.

But you don’t technically receive payment at the time of the sale. There’s an extra step in this process.

Settle Your Transactions

“Settling” or “batching” is the final stage of accepting credit card payments. The initial swipe, chip, or keyed entry is known as the authorization stage. This is only to approve or deny a transaction.

But the sale isn’t fully processed until the settlement.

Once per day (typically at the end of the business day), those authorizations must be sent to your processor. The exact steps to complete this process will vary based on the equipment you’re using and the processor.

If you don’t settle transactions within 24 hours of a sale, the transaction could be subject to higher interchange rates.

Monitor Your Bank Account and Statements

Finally, you want to verify that you’ve been paid. Funds typically appear in your bank anywhere from 24 to 72+ hours after the settlement.

Always make sure that your statements match the deposit amount in your account.

As previously mentioned, some credit card processors are notorious for imposing extra and unnecessary fees. So, make a habit of reviewing your statements each month for any irregularities. If you’re unsure about a charge, call the processor and find out what it’s for.

This will help keep your credit card processing costs as low as possible.

Posted on

Square Announces Terminal API Beta

Square has announced the beta release of its new Square Terminal API. Through the API, developers can integrate the Square Terminal with their own POS systems. That includes mobile platforms, web, desktop, anything. All payment types are supported, including touchless, NFC technology.

Posted on

Best Employee Scheduling Software

Managing your staff’s hours and shifts are both crucial to the success of your organization. The costs associated with scheduling issues can add up quickly.

Without the right tools, you could have too many workers on the clock at once or worse—not enough to meet demands.

Employee scheduling software makes everyone’s lives easier. It goes beyond just managing the daily and weekly schedules. There are options for your employees to request time off or shift changes that can be approved or denied in real-time.

Some software even has chat and employee messaging built-in.

Whether you have a startup, small business, or enterprise-level chain, the right scheduling software can streamline your HR efficiencies. I created this guide to help you find the best one for your organization.

The 9 Best Employee Scheduling Software of 2020

What’s the best employee scheduling software? After extensive research, I’ve narrowed down the list to nine options for you to consider.

  • Homebase — Best overall employee scheduling software.
  • Humanity — Best for shift trading and filling openings in real-time.
  • TSheets — Best for time-tracking and accounting integration.
  • 7shifts — Best employee scheduling software for restaurants.
  • Paycor Scheduling — Customized solutions for employee scheduling software.
  • When I Work — Best free employee scheduling software.
  • Deputy — Best for scheduling employees working at multiple locations.
  • Shiftboard — Custom solution for managing hourly workers.
  • CakeHR — Full-service HR software with employee scheduling.

Check out the in-depth reviews for each of these below. I’ll cover the features, benefits, costs, and any other considerations as we continue.

Employee Scheduling Software Reviews

Homebase

Homebase

More than 100,000 businesses trust Homebase for employee scheduling needs. For those of you with one location, you can even use Homebase for free.

The scheduling features in this software are simple and easy for anyone to use. You can build an employee schedule in just a few clicks with the drag-and-drop dashboard. The software will even help you track labor costs.

Set up alerts for when workers miss a clock-in or are close to hitting overtime. Your staff will get updates as well when schedules are released. They’ll also be alerted with reminders for their shifts.

In addition to the scheduling features, Homebase has a time clock feature and timesheets for payroll. Let your staff clock-in from any device, including your POS (point of sale) system.

Here’s a brief overview of the plans and pricing for Homebase employee scheduling:

Basic — Free

  • Unlimited employees
  • Online scheduling
  • Time clocks, breaks, and overtime
  • Prepare timesheets for payroll
  • Employee availability preferences and time-off requests
  • Team communication messenger

Essentials — $16 per month per location

  • Advanced scheduling
  • Auto scheduling
  • Late employee alerts
  • Availability approvals
  • Personal notes with shifts
  • Automated reminders to employees
  • Employee performance tracking

Plus — $40 per month per location

  • Sales forecasts and labor targets
  • Overtime alerts
  • GPS and photos
  • Prevent early clock-ins
  • Custom break and overtime settings
  • Time-off restrictions
  • PTO policies

All of the monthly rates are under the assumption that you sign up for an annual contract. Homebase does offer month-to-month plans for 20% more.

The Homebase mobile app is another reason why this scheduling software ranks so high on our list. It’s free to use for you and your staff. So everyone can view and manage their schedules on the go.

Humanity

Humanity

Humanity is one of the most popular employee scheduling platforms on the market today. It’s used by big companies like Microsoft, Kaiser Permanente, Nike, Yelp, Safeway, and Squarespace.

I’d recommend Humanity to businesses operating in industries with tight margins. This software gives you the capability to optimize your schedules in the most cost-effective way.

Use Humanity to ensure local, state, and Federal compliance in terms of labor laws for things like break frequency, hours worked, and time between shifts.

Humanity has an auto-scheduling feature that will optimize shifts by applying variables related to seniority and employee preferences.

One standout feature of Humanity is the ability for employees to trade shifts. Assuming the trade falls within your predefined rules, these requests can be automatically approved with limited supervisor involvement.

The Humanity mobile app makes it easy for you and your staff to manage shift needs in real-time. Managers can post open shifts for pickup and quickly find replacements for any absences.

Humanity integrates with top HCM software like Namely, BambooHR, ADP, and Workday.

Pricing for Humanity is very straightforward. There are two plans at the following annual rates:

  • Starter — $3 per month per user ($80 minimum)
  • Classic — $4 per month per user ($80 minimum)

You can also sign up for Humanity on a month-to-month basis. Those rates are $3.50 and $5 per user, respectively. But the short-term plans are subject to a $100 monthly minimum.

The Starter package comes with everything you need to manage employee scheduling. But for an extra $1 per month, the Classic plan comes with advanced features like:

  • Auto scheduling
  • Real-time labor and budgeting
  • Compliance
  • Reporting and analytics
  • Time and attendance
  • Geolocation clock-ins and clock-outs
  • Secure messaging

Overall, Humanity has everything you could need or ask for in an employee scheduling tool.

TSheets

TSheets

TSheets is run by QuickBooks, which ranks first on our list of the best small business accounting software. Just like QuickBooks, TSheets is a high-quality choice for employee scheduling from a reputable brand.

As the name employees, TSheets was made for employee time-tracking.

It’s a mobile timesheet where employees can clock-in and clock-out from anywhere. The app uses real-time GPS capabilities to hold your staff accountable for the hours they’re working. This is perfect for those of you who have a mobile workforce.

Employers only have access to GPS data when staff is on the clock, so it gives your workers the privacy and respect that they deserve.

In addition to the time-tracking features, TSheets also has exceptional tools for employee scheduling. It’s easy to create and assign shifts from your computer or smartphone with the drag-and-drop scheduler. You can also repeat schedules with one click.

TSheets allows you to schedule workers by the job as well. Create a new job by adding information for the day, time, and client. Then simply assign as many workers as you need to that job.

Employees will receive alerts for shift changes and job assignments. Everyone will have access to information from the intuitive TSheets mobile app.

Here’s a brief overview of the plans and pricing for TSheets:

Premium

  • $8 per user per month
  • $20 base fee per month
  • Free mobile app with GPS
  • Real-time reports
  • Alerts and notifications
  • Photo attachments
  • Time clock with facial recognition

Elite

  • $10 per month per user
  • $40 base fee
  • Project estimates vs. actuals reporting
  • Activity feed and messaging
  • Timesheet signatures
  • Geofencing

Both of these plans are available free with a 14-day trial.

TSheets integrates with other platforms like QuickBooks, Expensify, Gusto, Xero, Sage, Square, and more. This will help simplify your accounting process as well.

7shifts

7shifts

7shifts is an industry-specific solution. It’s an employee scheduling software designed for restaurants. More than 250,000 restaurants across the world use 7shifts.

With this software, you’ll be able to save time and reduce costs. Both of these are crucial to operating a restaurant at profitable margins.

Like most employee scheduling software we’ve seen, 7shifts has a drag-and-drop builder that makes creating schedules a breeze. The tool helps you factor in overtime, employee availability, and regional labor laws.

Your staff can access schedules via email or mobile app.

7shifts has built-in employee communication tools. There are group chats, direct messaging, announcements, and shift feedback features.

You’ll also have access to a weekly labor and budget tool, detailed reports, intuitive dashboard, and POS integration. All of this helps you manage your payroll system and bookkeeping as well.

7shifts is ideal for restaurants, both large and small. With multi-location support, you can manage employee scheduling at each place.

Let’s take a quick look at the plans and prices for 7shifts.

Appetizer — $19.99 per month per location ($215.88 billed annually)

  • Unlimited scheduling
  • Time clocking
  • Notifications
  • Time off requests and availability
  • Free mobile app

Entree — $43.99 per month per location ($479.88 billed annually)

  • Scheduling templates
  • Labor budget tool
  • Robust reporting

The Works — $76.99 per month per location ($839.88 billed annually)

  • Local labor compliance
  • Manager log book
  • Optimal labor tool (to predict staffing needs)
  • Shift feedback

Gourmet — $150 per month per location ($1,620 billed annually)

  • Enterprise-grade operational performance view
  • Auto scheduling
  • Integrated task management
  • Support and integration for POS

7shifts also offers a handful of optional add-ons:

  • Location overview — $5 per month per location
  • Task management — $12.99 per month per location
  • Sales data import — $100 one-time fee
  • Account setup — $150 one-time fee

Smaller restaurants can benefit from 7shifts’ free forever plan. You can have all of the basic scheduling features for one location and up to ten employees.

Paycor Scheduling

Paycor Scheduling

Formally Ximble, Paycor Scheduling is the perfect solution for optimizing the efficiency of your schedule. Managers can quickly go through the scheduling process while making optimal decisions for the business.

All of your staff will have clear visibility of their schedules in advance, so everyone stays well informed.

Paycor lets you create templates for faster scheduling. Just drag and drop employees to assign shifts in a few clicks. You can even automate how and when your staff goes on break to ensure that you’re fully covered at all times.

Your employees can proactively set day and time availability in advance. So you’ll be able to schedule around their needs and preferences.

Paycor Scheduling also has detailed reporting and analysis. This will provide you with details associated with the costs of overstaffing or understaffing.

Industries that can benefit from Paycor Scheduling include:

  • Education
  • Healthcare
  • Nonprofit
  • Manufacturing
  • Professional services
  • Retail

Paycor also provides additional products for recruiting, employee onboarding, HR, time and attendance, payroll, taxes, and learning management.

The company offers two different employee scheduling products; Paycor Scheduling and Paycor Scheduling Pro.

No prices for either are listed online. You’ll have to fill out a form answering some questions about your business to get a custom quote from a representative. This adds an extra step to the process, but it’s worth it for those of you who want a custom solution.

When I Work

When I work

More than 100,000 businesses across 50+ countries use When I Work for employee scheduling. This translates to over one million employees being scheduled on this software.

From small brands to large organizations like Dunkin Donuts, Ben & Jerry’s, Cold Stone Creamery, Jamba Juice, Massage Envy, and Verizon, When I Work is a top choice to consider.

Top features of When I Work include:

  • One-click scheduling
  • Shift coverage confirmation and notification
  • Schedule sharing
  • Labor forecasting
  • Overtime control
  • Schedule enforcement
  • Labor reports
  • Payroll integration

Compared to some of the other employee scheduling software we’ve covered, When I Work has one unique standout—its price.

When I Work has an exceptional free plan, and even the paid software is inexpensive.

Free — $0

  • One location and up to 75 users
  • Team scheduling
  • Team availability
  • Team messaging
  • Shift trading
  • Time off requests

Basic — $2 per user per month

  • Schedule templates
  • Multi-location support
  • Job sites
  • Overtime visibility

Pro — $2.50 per user per month

  • Auto scheduling
  • Labor forecasting
  • Shift and team tasks
  • Shift bidding

You can add-on time clocking and attendance to any plan for $2 per month per user.

Deputy

Deputy

Deputy is another well-known and trusted employee scheduling solution. It’s used in 200,000+ workplaces worldwide, including places like Amazon, Nike, NASA, Peleton, and Ace Hardware.

Let’s take a look at some of the top features of Deputy:

  • Auto scheduling
  • Break planning
  • Free mobile app
  • Schedule by skillset and qualifications
  • Cover leaves and unavailability
  • Manage overtime and fatigue
  • Monitor attendance
  • Legal compliance
  • Shift swapping

I’d recommend Deputy to larger businesses with multiple locations. It’s a top solution for managing employees that work across multiple job sites as well.

Some industries that Deputy commonly works with include healthcare, hotels, hospitality, entertainment, logistics, manufacturing, and retail.

Despite Deputy’s robust features and popularity, the software is surprisingly affordable.

Employee scheduling software starts at just $2.50 per month per employee. This is billed on a month-to-month basis. If you want to combine employee scheduling with timesheets and attendance, it’s $4.50 per month per user. Save up to 11% with an annual contract for the combo package. Deputy offers special prices for charities, nonprofits, and community organizations that meet special criteria.

You can try Deputy today by signing up for a free trial. No credit card required.

Shiftboard

Shiftboard

Shiftboard software has tons of features designed for optimizing your employee scheduling process. It has everything you need to keep managers running smoothly while providing your staff with the right information to do their jobs well.

With Shiftboard, you can easily assign the best and most qualified workers to specific shifts.

Improve your schedule communication and make last-minute changes when certain situations arise.

Shiftboard helps you enhance efficiencies by reducing overtime costs, forecasting demands, and automatically assigning workers to specific shifts. You’ll also have the ability to post open shifts for pickup and send group notifications to your team.

Another benefit of Shiftboard is the compliance rules. This will help you eliminate errors for things like labor contracts, seniority rules, mandatory rest periods, and employee credentials.

For example, an employee with expired credentials would automatically be blocked from the schedule.

The Shiftboard mobile app is easy for anyone to use. You and your managerial staff can manage everything on the backend while your employees can benefit from scheduling and alerts in real-time. Set up open shift trading or require approval from supervisors for trade requests.

Shiftboard plans start at $3 per month per user. There are three options for you to choose from:

  • Basic
  • Professional
  • Enterprise

Unfortunately, the pricing details for each plan are not specified online. You’ll need to request a  demo based on the needs of your organization to get an accurate quote.

CakeHR

CakeHR

CakeHR is a bit unique compared to the other options on our list. That’s because it’s a full-service HR software.

In addition to employee scheduling, CakeHR has solutions for:

  • Timesheets
  • Performance
  • Leave management
  • Expenses
  • Recruitment

Onboarding your employees and automating the HR process is simple. CakeHR provides tons of employee self-service tools and solutions.

Some of the top employee scheduling features include:

  • Interactive shift planning
  • Single site and multi-location support
  • Dedicated shift managers
  • Employee availability management
  • Mobile app access
  • Pre-defined shift templates
  • Daily, weekly, and monthly reports

Pricing for CakeHR is a bit different as well. Simply select the services you want, enter the number of active employees you have, and choose between monthly or yearly billing.

Your custom rate based on these features will automatically appear on the screen. So you don’t need to wait for a CakeHR sales rep to get back to you with a quote.

To give you some perspective on the price point, shift scheduling for 20 employees would cost $50 per month with an annual contract. Adding timesheets would bring that rate to $80.

How to Choose the Best Employee Scheduling Software For Your Business

With such an extensive list of options to choose from, finding the best employee scheduling software for your business can seem like a tall task. Fortunately, we have a methodology that you can use to narrow your search.

Business Size

The number of employees you have and the number of locations will have a strong impact on your decision. A company with ten employees at one store will have different needs than a business with 100 employees across six locations.

Industry

There are industry-specific solutions in the employee scheduling software market.

For example, if you own a restaurant business, 7shifts will be the best choice for you. Restaurant managers and owners have different scheduling needs than office jobs in the corporate world.

Mobile Access

The best employee scheduling solutions should come with a free mobile app.

You want to make sure the app has admin features for managing schedules, as well as employee features for viewing schedules and making requests. The best apps include alerts for both staff and managers.

For example, an employee could be notified about a shift change or shift opening. But a manager would get notified if someone is approaching overtime or didn’t clock-in for their shift.

Time Tracking

Most employee scheduling solutions include time-tracking tools as well. Since the two go hand-in-hand, it makes sense to get both from the same provider.

Some software has all-inclusive features for both scheduling and time clocks, whereas others offer time tracking as an add-on.

Price

Obviously, employee scheduling software is supposed to make your life easier. It’s supposed to improve operational efficiencies and reduce labor costs. But make sure you find a solution that fits within your budget.

Each software has a different pricing structure. There are lots of options that charge a monthly rate based on how many employees you have. Some of those are subject to monthly minimums.

Some solutions offer tiered pricing, while others have unlimited employees for each plan.

If you’re a smaller organization with basic scheduling needs, you can even benefit from free employee scheduling software.

Conclusion

Here’s a quick recap of the best employee scheduling software on our list:

  • Homebase — Best overall employee scheduling software.
  • Humanity — Best for shift trading and filling openings in real-time.
  • TSheets — Best for time-tracking and accounting integration.
  • 7shifts — Best employee scheduling software for restaurants.
  • Paycor Scheduling — Customized solutions for employee scheduling software.
  • When I Work — Best free employee scheduling software.
  • Deputy — Best for scheduling employees working at multiple locations.
  • Shiftboard — Custom solution for managing hourly workers.
  • CakeHR — Full-service HR software with employee scheduling.

Based on this guide, I’m confident that you can find what you’re looking for. No matter what type of business you have or what industry you’re in, there’s an option for you above.

Posted on

10 Top Restaurants APIs

Developers looking to create applications that provide data about, or for, restaurants have plenty of sources to choose from. There are Application Programming Interfaces, or APIs, available for restaurant menus, location finders, nutritional information, staff hiring, staff scheduling, reviews, reservations, POS and other operational software, and more.

Posted on

FreshLime Announces Customer Connection API

FreshLime, a customer connection platform, has announced an API for access to its platform. Through the API, users can integrate FreshLime directly into third party systems of all types: CRM, POS, Field Management, etc. Directly through these connected systems, users will be alerted when and how to connect with customers using FreshLime's cutting edge customer connection technology.

Posted on

Square Announces Orders API

Today, Square announced its new Orders API. With the API, developers can build solutions that allow buyers to place orders online, in-person and in-app. Orders can be sent to Square sellers using a Square POS product or to a custom central POS point.

Posted on

Shopify Review

Are you about to build an ecommerce website?

Build it on Shopify.

I kind of wish the answer had more nuance to it, so I could write a more engaging review. But it really is that simple.

Ecommerce site = Shopify. End of story.

Out of all the decisions you need to make building your online store, the decision of which ecommerce tool to use is not a hard one.

If you want, you can stop reading this review and go sign up. You won’t miss out on much.

In-Depth Shopify Review and Methodology

To show you that I do know what I’m talking about, I have broken down all the core ecommerce site features and rated Shopify by each.

I’ve used a simple 5-point scoring system on each ecommerce feature below: 5 for “amazing,” 1 for “it sucks.”

I’m not a complete Shopify fanboy. There are a few areas where Shopify could do better. And one category Shopify completely fails. But these aren’t a big deal. The gaps are either minor or can be completely covered by other tools.

If you’re building an enterprise ecommerce site and evaluating new tools, it’s worth having the Magento and Shopify Plus (Shopify’s enterprise version) teams do a bake-off for your business. Otherwise, go sign up for Shopify and build your site there.

Big Brands Choose Shopify

Before jumping into the Shopify review and feature-by-feature ratings, who else uses Shopify?

Here are a few Shopify customers you might recognize:

You’re in good company — world-class brands and massive ecommerce sites have been built on Shopify.

Ease of Use: 5/5

Ridiculously easy.

Shopify is not only considered the easiest of the ecommerce tools, it’s also considered one of the easiest tools across all business apps. It’s true — lots of other business tools use Shopify as inspiration for how to build their apps.

If you’re looking for an ecommerce tool to get all those annoying tasks out of your way, Shopify is your best option.

Site Customization: 5/5

Shopify managed to do something that’s exceptionally rare in software: build a tool that’s both extremely easy to use and has all the flexibility that you’d ever need.

Most tools only achieve one of these. They’re either easy to use and limited, or they’re flexible and complicated.

As you grow your business, you’ll have the ability to evolve your store however you like. While you’ll most likely start with one of the pre-built themes, you can build a theme from scratch. At some point, you’ll need a theme that embodies your brand and has a unique feel. When you’re ready, find a ecommerce site design agency that has experience with Shopify. They’ll be able to build the entire thing for you.

When you’re ready for the big leagues and need a tool that has complete flexibility, Shopify has an enterprise version called Shopify Plus. So it’ll scale with you no matter how big you get.

Pricing: 4/5

Shopify charges you in four ways:

  • A monthly fee that starts at $29/month and goes to $299/month. The more expensive plans have extra features along with larger shipping discounts.
  • If you use Shopify as your online payment provider, you’ll be charged 2.9% + 30¢ to process the transaction. The fee comes down slightly each time you upgrade: it’s 2.4% + 30¢ on the advanced Shopify plan. There’s a similar fee for in-person payments that’s slightly lower.
  • If you use another payment provider, Shopify charges a percentage on top of the payment provider fee. Shopify’s fee starts at 2% and decreases to 0.5% on the advanced plan.
  • If you choose to use Shopify’s POS hardware, there’s a one-time fee of $656 for the entire package which includes an iPad stand, receipt printer, cash drawer, and card reader. Each of these can also be purchased individually. If you only want a basic card reader, you can get one for free with your Shopify account.

All of these prices are in sync with the rest of the industry. They’re exactly what you’d expect.

Some ecommerce site builders advertise the fact that they charge 0% transaction fees. This isn’t entirely true. Yes, they don’t charge anything. But you also have to set up your own payment provider and that payment provider will charge you a payment fee.

In other words, Shopify is your site builder and your payment provider. All payment providers charge a standard fee, including Shopify. That’s why Shopify charges you a monthly subscription and a payment processing fee.

The one fee that’s a little annoying is the fee to use other payment processes. This is the fee that starts at 2.0% on the lowest plan and comes down to 0.5% on the advanced plan. This fee applies to payments accepted through Paypal and Amazon Payments, among others.

I totally understand why Shopify charges a processing fee when they’re handling the payments. That’s completely normal for the industry. But the fee on top of other processing fees is a bit of an overreach in my opinion.

The vast majority of your payments will come in through Shopify Payments anyway so it’s a minor annoyance. This mainly impacts transactions that will come in through Paypal. You’ll have the Paypal processing fees and Shopify’s fees on each transaction.

That said, the extra cost is still worth all the extra value that you get from Shopify.

Shipping: 5/5

Shopify has removed all the friction from shipping. It’s as easy as it gets.

Shopify Review Shipping

Core integrations with all major shipping companies are built right into your store. You get discounted rates and you have multiple options for how to handle shipping during the checkout (flat rate shipping vs individual quotes).

Simply print shipping labels at your home or office for each order. That’s it.

Shopify Themes: 5/5

Shopify has dozens of themes to choose from. Some of them are paid, ranging from $140–180.

But there are a lot of amazing free themes, too. Even the free Shopify themes look like they were built by top-tier website designers.

When you build your site on Shopify, you’ll look through the theme store to find one you like. If you choose a paid theme, you get a professional-looking site for a nominal fee that will easily support your business until you’re large enough to have the budget for a customer-built theme that conveys your brand perfectly.

With the Shopify theme store and how easy it is to set up a site on Shopify, you can build your entire site on your own without needing a site designer and developer. Cutting those costs goes a long way for a new ecommerce site.

App Store: 5/5

The Shopify App Store is amazing.

Shopify App Store

You’ll find an app for just about every extra feature you could ever want for your store: email abandonment, Facebook Messenger, recurring billing — it’s all there.

This is what really sets Shopify apart from other ecommerce tools.

I know several CEOs of Shopify app businesses that are doing extremely well. They’ve built businesses with hundreds of employees.

What this means is that with a few clicks in the App Store, you can add an extremely advanced app on top of your Shopify store. It’s like buying an entirely new tool for your business that’s integrated perfectly with Shopify.

No other ecommerce tool has an app store with as many apps or as high quality as Shopify.

Expert Directory: 5/5

Sooner or later, you’re going to want some help with your site.

Maybe you want to tweak the layout of your product pages. Or maybe it’s time to do a complete brand revamp and you want your Shopify theme built from scratch.

Whatever it is, you’re covered.

Shopify has been the top ecommerce tool for long enough that there’s now an extensive network of professionals to help you with your site. Any ecommerce agency will have deep experience with Shopify at this point.

Shopify also has an entire directory of experts for you to search. Designers, developers, photographers, marketers, all categorized by city. It’s super easy to find the help that you need.

Marketplace Integrations: 5/5

There are a few ways to build an online store.

Quite a few ecommerce companies choose to focus exclusively on Amazon for example; they don’t have their own website at all.

But what if you want both?

Shopify has made this much easier than it used to be. Instead of having to build out all your product listings by hand multiple times — on your own website, Amazon, and eBay — Shopify will handle it for you. Build your products in Shopify first, then add integrations for Amazon and eBay:

Shopify Amazon Integration

Once you’ve connected Shopify to your Amazon and eBay accounts, Shopify will automatically add your products to those platforms.

It saves a ton of time.

Product SEO: 5/5

Out of the box, Shopify has great SEO for your product pages.

Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still have to do a bunch of work to get your product pages to rank for any keyword that’s even somewhat competitive. But Shopify gives you everything that you could possibly expect from an ecommerce tool.

You’ll be able to optimize your product pages, photos, and descriptions for keywords just like you’d expect. All the standard “on-page SEO” items are right where you’d expect them to be. In other words, Shopify’s on-page and technical SEO won’t slow you down at all. It’s everything that you need to rank.

That doesn’t mean you’ll automatically rank for the keywords you want. You’ll still need to create a ton of great content to increase your site’s authority and do a bunch of link building. In my opinion, that’s outside the scope of an ecommerce tool.

Content and Blog SEO: 1/5

This is the one category where Shopify completely fails.

Yes, Shopify technically has a blog feature. They built it out just enough so they can say that they have it. In reality, there’s no real reason that you’d ever want to use Shopify for your blog. Shopify lacks the management features and SEO that you’ll need.

If I’m using a blog to grow my business and traffic, I get the blog on WordPress. End of story.

If you’re going to get serious about blogging, you need to use WordPress. It is possible to have Shopify and WordPress on the same domain. So you’ll use Shopify for your online store and WordPress for your blog.

I break all of this down in my guide on WordPress ecommerce.

Point of Sale (POS): 3/5

I don’t know anyone who uses Shopify as their POS system. Nor have I ever seen one in the wild as a customer.

I consider that a… bad sign.

Shopify POS

Nearly every POS I run into is Square, tailed by Clover and Revel. I’ve even seen Shopkeep a few times.

But I’ve never seen Shopify, not once.

Following my rule of using business tools for the one thing that they’re best at, if I needed a POS, I’d go get the best POS tool. For a small business, the most popular choice is Square. I’d only use the Shopify POS if the majority of my business was an online store, I occasionally did some in-person retail like at a farmer’s market, and I wanted to keep everything as simple as possible by using a single tool.

But if I had a brick-and-mortar location, I’d look into one of the dedicated POS tools instead of using the Shopify POS.

I give Shopify a rating of 3/5 since I consider their POS to be a neutral benefit. It’s a nice to have but not a huge benefit.

The Final Choice: Shopify vs BigCommerce vs Magento

For small and medium-size ecommerce business, the choice really comes down to options: Shopify or BigCommerce.

Shopify gives you the better tool and ecosystem. The tool itself is better, the apps are better, the agencies are better — all of it.

What this costs you is an extra fee on payment providers on top of what the payment providers charge. Now if you use Shopify payments, you skip all that entirely. The extra fee also comes down from 2% to 0.5% as you upgrade plans. So as soon as you start to feel the impact of the extra fee, you’ll upgrade and the fee will be lowered.

The extra payment fee is kind of annoying for folks who want to use another payment provider and give their customers as many options to pay as possible. But it’s a cost that’s worth enduring to get on the best ecommerce tool.

At the end of the day, this is an extremely easy choice for me. For any ecommerce store, I automatically pick Shopify to build my site and don’t think twice about it.

We put together an entire guide on how to create your store once you’re ready to build with Shopify.

Our recommendation only changes for true enterprise ecommerce businesses. If that’s you, check out Shopify Enterprise and Magento. Contact both companies and have them fight for your business.