Summarize with AI
Shopify POS is the point-of-sale app that sells in person from the same admin as your online store. This guide covers where it works, POS Lite vs POS Pro, hardware, setup, omnichannel, staff and offline features as of November 2026, plus what we learned from Shoepassion, GANT and L'Occitane.
Shopify POS is Shopify's point-of-sale app for selling in person. It runs on iPhones, iPads and Android devices and uses the same admin as your online store: one product catalog, inventory per location, one customer list and one order list. This guide covers where Shopify POS works, what POS Lite and POS Pro include, the hardware you need, how to set it up in the current admin, and the omnichannel, staff and offline features retailers ask us about. We checked every feature, price and link below against Shopify's own pages on November 6, 2026.
What is Shopify POS?
Shopify POS is the Point of Sale sales channel of your Shopify store, used through a mobile app at the counter, at a pop-up or on the shop floor. Every in-store sale changes the same inventory your online store shows, and in-store customers end up in the same customer list as online buyers.
In practice, that means:
- one product catalog for online and in-store sales
- inventory tracked per location, so each store and warehouse has its own stock
- one customer profile, whether someone buys online, in store or both
- in-store orders in the same admin and reports as online orders
The app handles card payments, cash, gift cards, split payments, discounts, barcode scanning, receipts and returns (Shopify App Store).
Where does Shopify POS work?
Shopify POS works in countries where Shopify has supported credit card payment providers; Shopify lists China as unavailable (Shopify POS FAQ). Availability of the app is only the first check. Two more decide whether POS makes sense in your country.
Payments and hardware. Shopify's own card readers work with Shopify Payments, and both Shopify Payments for in-person sales and the Shopify Hardware Store are available only in some countries.
Local tax and receipt rules. A point of sale is also a fiscal device. Shopify keeps a list of country-specific retail requirements, for example:
- France: NF525 certification through Shopify's free Comply app
- Germany: TSE compliance under the KassenSichV regulation
- Italy: fiscalization through an RT printer
- Spain: fiscalization through the Comply app (Veri*Factu), required from January 1, 2026
- Sweden: receipt and returns rules under the Tax Procedures Act
Shopify POS is not available to merchants in Poland. Shopify Payments has worked in Poland since 2025, but the Help Center says it's for online sales only, and Poland isn't on the country lists for Shopify's card readers. Polish brands with physical stores connect Shopify to the system that already runs their tills, usually an ERP (examples below).
Shopify POS Lite vs POS Pro
POS Lite is included with every Shopify plan; POS Pro is a paid upgrade charged per store location. The App Store lists POS Pro at $89 per month per location, billed in USD (Shopify App Store). Shopify Plus includes POS Pro for 20 locations, and up to 200 with Shopify Payments (POS pricing).
Shopify's pricing page shows prices in your local currency, and its FAQ says POS Pro is billed yearly, so the amount you see may differ from the App Store price. The pricing page also no longer uses the name "POS Lite": it describes in-person selling on every plan and POS Pro as the add-on.
| Feature | Every plan (POS Lite) | POS Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Included in your Shopify plan | $89/month per location (App Store); Plus: included for 20 locations, up to 200 with Shopify Payments |
| Best for | Pop-ups, markets and fairs | Brick-and-mortar stores |
| Staff access | Limited staff on Basic; unlimited POS logins on Grow, Advanced and Plus | Unlimited staff access, staff roles and permissions |
| Customers | Simple customer profiles | Rich customer profiles and loyalty insights |
| Returns | At the location where the item was bought | Returns and exchanges at any location |
| Inventory | Inventory per location | In-store inventory management |
| Reports | Basic sales reports | Professional retail reports |
| Omnichannel | Online and in-store sales in one admin | Omnichannel selling, including ship to customer, buy online pick up in store and endless aisle |
Sources: Shopify POS pricing, Shopify App Store (both checked November 6, 2026). Shopify lets you try Pro features for free before you pay, but the trial length differs between its pages, so check it in your admin.
Which one do you need? If you sell in person a few times a year, POS Lite is enough. If you run a store with several staff, take returns from online orders, or want to sell items the store doesn't stock, you'll need POS Pro for that location.
What hardware do you need for Shopify POS?
You need a supported phone or tablet; a card reader, receipt printer and barcode scanner are optional, depending on how you sell.
- Phone or tablet: iPhone 7 or later and iPad 5th generation or later on iOS/iPadOS 15.1 or later, or an Android device on Android 10.0 or later with Google services. The app doesn't run on desktop computers. In 2027 Shopify will require Android 13 and iOS 18 or later (Shopify POS FAQ).
- Card reader: Shopify's card readers include the Chipper 2X BT, WisePad 3, Tap & Chip (US), Verifone Victa Mobile and POS Terminal. Which one you can buy depends on your country.
- Receipt printer: optional, because you can also send receipts by email or text message.
- Barcode scanner: a 1D or 2D scanner; in a small store, the device camera can scan barcodes too.
- Cash drawer: for stores that take cash.
How to set up Shopify POS
Setting up Shopify POS takes nine steps, from installing the app to a test sale. The admin paths below match the Shopify admin on November 6, 2026.
- Install the app. Add Point of Sale to your store and install the Shopify POS app on your iOS or Android device.
- Set up locations. Every store is a separate location with its own inventory. POS needs multi-location turned on in your store settings.
- Add staff. Give staff access to POS and to the locations where they work, and set a PIN for each person (staff management).
- Choose which products sell in store. Make products available on the Point of Sale sales channel. You don't have to sell your whole catalog in store.
- Add barcodes. With variants, each variant needs its own barcode so the scanner picks the right size or color.
- Set up payment methods. Choose the payment methods available at checkout, including cash and custom ones.
- Connect hardware. Pair the card reader, printer and scanner, and check the store's network setup.
- Decide on offline payments. Turn offline card payments on or leave them off (see below).
- Run a test sale. Follow Shopify's quick reference for processing a sale and refund it before the first real customer arrives.
Omnichannel features in Shopify POS
Omnichannel selling means a customer can start a purchase in one channel and finish it in another; Shopify lists omnichannel selling as a POS Pro feature. Shopify names these features on its POS and pricing pages:
- Buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS): the customer orders online and collects the order at a store location.
- Ship to customer: staff sell an item the store doesn't have and ship it from a warehouse or another store. Shopify says this works only for locations on POS Pro (ship to customer).
- Endless aisle: the store sells the whole catalog, not just what's on the shelf. Shopify's example is Allbirds, which uses ship to customer for this.
- Email carts: staff build a cart in store and send it to the customer to finish the purchase online.
- Local delivery: in-store orders delivered to the customer's address.
- Returns and exchanges at any location: a customer can return an online order in store, or a store purchase in another store (POS Pro).
Staff management in Shopify POS
Each staff member logs in to POS with a PIN, and POS Pro adds roles and permissions that control what each person can do. For example, you can decide who can ship orders to customers or accept offline card payments. The App Store also lists sales commissions per staff member. On the Basic plan, Shopify limits how many staff can access POS; Grow, Advanced and Plus allow unlimited POS logins.
Can Shopify POS work offline?
Yes: Shopify POS takes cash and custom payments offline, and it can take card payments offline if you turn that on. Offline card payments need a supported reader (Verifone Victa, POS Go, POS Terminal, Tap & Chip, Chipper 2X BT or WisePad 3), POS app version 9.14.0 or later, and a staff permission (offline payments).
To turn it on, go to Sales channels > Point of Sale in the admin, edit the POS app settings, open Checkout and switch on Allow offline payments. Then set two limits: a daily limit per device and a limit per transaction.
The risk is yours. Offline card payments reach the payment processor only after the device reconnects, so a declined card shows up later, and Shopify recommends reconnecting within 24 hours. Swipe, Tap to Pay and manual card entry don't work offline, and offline card payments aren't available for stores in France.
AI in Shopify POS: what Sidekick can do
Sidekick, Shopify's AI assistant, works in the Shopify admin on desktop and in the Shopify app, not inside the POS app. The Help Center describes it as an assistant that answers questions, completes tasks in everyday language and can write and run code to forecast, compare or summarize store data. It presents changes for your review before applying them (Sidekick).
For a retailer, that means asking about sales by location or preparing product changes in the admin, then approving them. We didn't find a Sidekick feature inside the POS app in Shopify's documentation on November 6, 2026.
We use AI the same way in our own work. When we build POS and ERP integrations, AI agents help write and test the code inside our process and guardrails, and a developer reviews and signs off every change.
Shopify POS in our projects
Not every retailer should use Shopify POS for its stores; sometimes the better choice is to connect Shopify to the system that already runs them. Here's what that looked like in our projects:
- Shoepassion (Germany): besides the Shopify Plus store, we built a custom app that checks inventory in each Shoepassion store in Germany. It's integrated with Shopify POS, so the data stays up to date, and customers can use it to order shoe repair and care services.
- GANT (Poland): Shopify POS isn't available in Poland, so the GANT store syncs its catalog and inventory across four locations (three stores and a central warehouse) with Comarch ERP. The ERP also decides which location fulfills each online order, and we integrated Shopify with it two ways.
- L'Occitane (Poland): the brand's physical stores run on a POS delivered with Cegid ERP, not Shopify POS. One of the main challenges in the L'Occitane project was connecting online and offline sales, for example click and collect, and we started development with a custom app for data exchange between Cegid ERP, an enterprise service bus and Shopify Plus.
The Odder Side, a Polish fashion brand with stores in Poland and in Amsterdam, already offers order online, pick up in store. In our podcast episode with Pola Kudryk (November 2025), she said: "But for us to really talk about omnichannel, we're waiting for Shopify POS." The brand was testing POS in its Amsterdam store so it could roll it out quickly once POS comes to Poland.
Do you need help with Shopify POS?
If you're planning to connect your physical stores with Shopify, decide first which system runs the till, and then how it shares inventory, customers and orders with your online store. In a country where Shopify POS works, that's often Shopify POS Pro. Where it doesn't, or where an ERP already runs the stores, it's an integration or a custom Shopify app.
We're a Shopify Premier Partner and have built both. Get in touch to talk about your stores.
FAQ
Is Shopify POS free?
POS Lite is included with every Shopify plan. POS Pro costs extra per location: $89 per month in the App Store, and it's included for up to 20 locations on Shopify Plus (up to 200 with Shopify Payments). You also pay for hardware and payment processing.
What is the difference between Shopify POS Lite and Pro?
POS Lite covers casual in-person selling. POS Pro adds staff roles and permissions, returns and exchanges at any location, in-store inventory management, retail reports and omnichannel features such as ship to customer.
Can I use Shopify POS on a computer?
No. The Shopify POS app runs only on iOS and Android phones and tablets.
Does Shopify POS work without the internet?
Yes, for cash and custom payments. Card payments work offline only on supported readers, after you turn on offline payments and set limits.
Is Shopify POS available in every country?
No. It works where Shopify has supported card payment providers. It isn't available in China or to merchants in Poland, and some countries require fiscal compliance steps before you can sell.
