POS Hardware

To get started with Shopify, all you need is a Shopify card reader to accept payments and a tablet or smartphone to run the Shopify POS app. From there, you can build out your POS to meet your store’s needs by connecting compatible hardware accessories like barcode scanners, printers, and cash drawers.

Yes, you can use your own tablet, smartphone, and existing hardware with Shopify POS.

However, for a fully integrated experience, we recommend using Shopify hardware and software together. Using Shopify’s first-party payment hardware allows you to accept tap and chip payments with quick payouts and consistent rates from Shopify Payments.

For hardware accessories like barcode scanners or receipt printers, you can check to see if your existing hardware is compatible with POS.

POS hardware is the device or devices used in the processing of in-person customer payments. It includes POS terminals, card readers, cash drawers, barcode scanners, receipt printers, and more. These devices come together to create the system used in store to process transactions. Not every retailer will need every piece of hardware and how they combine the hardware devices will vary based on their needs.

When choosing which POS hardware is right for your business, consider what types of payments you want to accept, how you want to design the checkout experience, and what POS software you’re using in store.

A POS system is a combination of hardware and software. POS hardware allows you to process in-person transactions while POS software helps you to track inventory, customers, sales, and more.

POS hardware is the physical device or devices that processes in-person payments. Typically, retailers use a combination of card readers, cash drawers, barcode scanners, and receipt printers.

POS software on the other hand helps retailers manage their business. Retailers use POS software to manage inventory, create customer profiles, and check customers out in store. POS software typically runs on smartphones, tablets, or desktop computers.

There are many pieces of hardware in a POS system, and what each retailer needs will vary.

The POS terminal is the device that runs your POS software. In the past, retailers often had to run their POS software on a bulky computer. Today retailers have much more flexibility. Most modern POS software is available to download onto any smartphone or tablet.

Tablet stands are useful for mounting the tablet running your POS software at your sales counter. Unlike big desktop computers, they keep your counter tidy and free of clutter. Some tablet stands are fixed while others allow sales associates to swivel the stand to face customers.

Card readers are the payment terminals that process cashless transactions from credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, and smart watches. Card readers typically allow you to accept swipe, tap, and chip payments.

Cash drawers are secure storage devices for cash and change. When a customer pays with cash, the cash drawer opens to allow the sales associate to deposit the payment and make change.

Barcode scanners are portable handheld devices used to scan barcode labels. They have many uses in retail environments such as scanning products during checkout, inventory counts, and purchase order receiving.

Receipt printers print paper receipts at the end of a transaction and include important information such as the items purchased, the sales total, and the date the transaction took place.

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