Best POS systems for retail in Australia (2026)

Key takeaways

• The best retail POS depends on facts such as store count and channels – Square may suit small single stores, Lightspeed can suit inventory-heavy stores, and Shopify POS may suit online-first retailers.

• The card surcharge ban has been in effect since 1 October 2026; consider the extra fees you’re now absorbing, and compare the POS system’s 12-month total cost, not just the plan price.

• Airwallex lets retailers accept online payments through 160+ payment methods today, with POS Payments for in-person sales coming soon. If you sell to tourists or overseas online customers, like-for-like settlement in 20+ currencies helps you avoid unnecessary conversion costs.

The best POS system for retail in Australia depends on how you sell. A system that works for a multi-chain retailer may not be the same as what works for an online retailer that wants to send payment links to their customers.

Now is a good time to review what you pay. Since 1 October 2026, under the RBA's no-surcharge rules, you can no longer pass eftpos, Mastercard or Visa fees on to customers. 

This guide compares plan prices, card rates, hardware costs and support side by side, then shows what each option costs over 12 months. If you're still getting across the basics, start with what a POS system is, then come back to compare providers.

What are the best POS systems for retail in Australia?

Some of the best POS systems for retail in Australia include Square for Retail, Lightspeed Retail, Shopify POS, Hike and Retail Express. Here's how their entry pricing and in-person card rates compare.

Best retail POS systems compared

Each of these five providers sells a cloud POS built for product retailers in Australia, but they differ on price, card rates and how far they scale. Here's what you get, what you pay, and where each one fits.

1. Square for Retail

Start with Square for Retail Free at A$0/month, which includes an online store and standard inventory tools. Retail Plus costs A$109/month per location and adds advanced inventory features, including purchase orders, barcode labels and COGS reports. Hardware includes a Square Reader from A$65, as well as terminals, registers and handheld devices.

Pricing

• Plans: A$0/month (Free); A$109/month (Plus); Custom price (Premium)

• Card rate: 1.6% per tap or insert in person; 2.2% online

• Hardware: from A$65 (Square Reader) to A$1,099 (Square Register)

Pros

• Free plan includes an online store with automatic inventory sync

• One flat in-person rate across Visa, Mastercard, eftpos, JCB and American Express

• Next-day transfers, including weekends

Cons

• Purchase orders, barcode label printing and COGS reports need the Plus plan

• One on one onboarding only available with the Premium plan

2. Lightspeed Retail

Manage deep catalogues, suppliers and stock across channels from one platform, with built-in eCommerce on every plan. Lightspeed’s platform may be an option for inventory-heavy retailers who want more control than entry-level systems offer.

Pricing

• Plans: A$129/month (Basic); A$229/month (Core); A$329/month (Plus)

• One register included on every plan – extra registers and locations cost more

• Card rate: 1.5% card-present via Lightspeed Payments

• Hardware: iPad and desktop kits available on quote

Pros

• Advanced inventory, purchase orders and access to supplier catalogues on every plan

• Built-in Lightspeed eCommerce and in-store and online loyalty

• 24/7 chat and phone support

Cons

• Higher entry price than the other plans compared here

• Additional cost for extra registers; AI Doc Import is an add-on on Basic and Core

3. Shopify POS

Sync inventory, orders and customers between your online store and your shop counter on one platform. Shopify’s platform also offers customer profiles, staff roles and permissions (on the Pro Plan), and a range of POS hardware. It may suit retailers who sell online and want their physical store to run on the same system.

Pricing

• Plans: A$56/month (Basic), A$149/month (Grow), A$575/month (Advanced), From A$3,700/month (Plus, three-year term)

• POS Pro: A$129/month per location for advanced retail features

• Card rate: 1.85% + A$0 in person on Basic, 1.75% on Grow, 1.65% on Advanced

• Hardware: Sold separately on every plan

Pros

• Omnichannel inventory and order sync between online and in-store

• Built-in fraud analysis

• Unlimited POS logins (Grow plan and above) and customer profiles

• Thousands of app integrations and tools to sell globally

Cons

• Extra fee if you use a third-party payment provider: 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, 0.6% on Advanced

• Hardware is an added cost across all plans

• Platform is more suited to online plus in-store sellers than store-only retailers

4. Hike

Run a user-friendly POS with unlimited users and turnover, offline mode and accounting sync on every plan. It may suit small to mid-size retailers who want omnichannel features at a moderate monthly cost.

Pricing

• Plans: A$89/month (Essential); A$129/month (Plus); Quote pricing (Enterprise)

• Hike does not add its own POS transaction fee; payment-processing fees still apply through HikePay or another payment provider.

• Card rate: 1.5% per in-person transaction with HikePay

• Hardware: from A$114 (HikePay Reader) to A$1,508 (Hike Register)

Pros

• Xero and QuickBooks accounting sync

• Omnichannel selling and offline mode

• Unlimited users, products and turnover on all plans

Cons

• Smaller integration library and simpler feature set than larger platforms

• Essential covers one outlet; Plus supports multiple outlets. 

5. Retail Express

Run single or multi-store operations on an Australian-built cloud POS with offline selling, multi-store inventory and loyalty included. It's designed for established product retailers that need visibility across several locations.

Pricing

• Plans: A$199/month per location (Essential); A$249/month per location (Professional); A$299/month per location (Enterprise)

• Each plan includes one POS register per location; extra registers are A$19/month each

Pros

• Integrations with Xero, MYOB, Shopify, Afterpay and Zip

• Offline POS and multi-store inventory included on every plan

• 24/7 customer support

Cons

• Highest starting price per location of the systems compared

• Card processing is set up separately through an integrated payment provider

What is the best tablet POS system for retail?

A tablet POS keeps your counter compact and lets staff serve customers on the shop floor, look up stock or process a sale away from the register. It can also cut set-up costs if you already own a compatible tablet. Device support varies, though, so check which devices each system runs on before you buy hardware.

Here is how some of the best systems for retail compare for tablet POS.

Before you commit, check:

• Card reader compatibility: confirm the reader works with your tablet model and connects by Bluetooth or USB-C.

• Offline mode: make sure you can keep selling, and sync later, if your internet drops.

• Stand and printer support: check your stand fits your tablet size and your receipt printer and scanner are supported.

How much does a retail POS system cost in Australia?

A retail POS system in Australia costs from A$0 to about A$500+ a month per location in software, plus card fees of 1.5%–1.85% on in-person sales. For most retailers, card fees are the bigger cost.

Illustrative example based on published pricing at 4 November 2026, excluding hardware. Assumes A$20,000/month in in-person card sales.

The lowest plan price isn't always the lowest total cost. Card fees make up two-thirds or more of the total in every setup above, and each 0.1% difference in card rate is worth A$240 a year at this volume. That's why Provider 3 costs the same as Provider 2 despite a higher subscription, and why Provider 4 beats both. The higher your card volume, the more a lower rate matters.

With surcharging off the table, you can't recover those fees at the counter. Run your own monthly card volume through each provider's rates, then add hardware and any extra registers or locations, before you decide. Check whether published prices include GST, and whether a quoted monthly fee assumes annual billing.

What is the best POS system for a small retail store?

The best POS system for a small retail store keeps monthly cost and card processing fees low, includes the hardware you need, and skips features you won't use.

Also check for accounting integrations, offline mode and a platform you can scale on later. For the full process, see how to choose a POS system.

Do you need a POS that connects to your online store?

If you sell online as well as in store, you need a POS that connects to your online store. Otherwise you'll reconcile stock and sales by hand and risk selling items you no longer have.

Many retail POS systems connect to an eCommerce platform or offer their own online-selling tools. Square and Lightspeed offer built-in online selling; Hike offers eCommerce as an add-on for Plus users, and Retail Express provides a Shopify connector. What happens at the online checkout depends on the payment gateway providers you choose. Look for:

• Stock sync: inventory updates in real time across your shop and website.

• Unified reporting: one view of sales, refunds and customers across channels.

• International cards and wallets: accept overseas cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and local payment methods your international customers prefer.

How Airwallex helps retailers accept payments

Airwallex helps retailers take online payments alongside their in-store POS today, with in-person payments on the way. Your POS handles the counter. Airwallex handles the rest of your checkout: accept more ways to pay online, and keep international revenue in the currency your customers pay in instead of converting every sale back to AUD.

• Accept 160+ payment methods online with Airwallex Payments. Domestic cards are 1.65% + A$0.30 and international cards are 3.45% + A$0.30.

• Settle like-for-like in 20+ currencies to avoid forced conversion when tourists or overseas shoppers pay in their own currency.

• Connect your store in minutes with no-code eCommerce plugins for Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce and Adobe Commerce (Magento), and sync transactions to Xero.

• Coming soon: POS Payments – the M90 terminal and SoftPOS (Tap to Pay on compatible devices) will bring online and in-person payments onto one platform.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best retail POS system in Australia?

The best retail POS system in Australia depends on your store size and sales channels. Square for Retail may suit small single stores, Lightspeed Retail suits inventory-heavy shops, and Shopify POS suits online-first retailers. Hike and Retail Express are worth comparing if you're growing or run several locations. Shortlist two or three and trial them with your own products.

How to find a low-cost POS system for retail?

To find a low-cost POS system for retail, start with free plans such as Square for Retail Free at A$0/month plus 1.6% per tap or insert. Tap to Pay on a compatible phone can cut hardware costs. Then compare 12-month total cost, including card fees, rather than plan price alone.

How do you choose a POS system for a small retail store?

To choose a POS system for a small retail store, follow three steps. List the features you need now, such as inventory, online sync and accounting. Compare 12-month total cost, including card fees and hardware. Then trial two or three systems. Our guide on how to choose a POS system covers all seven steps.

Are eftpos and POS the same?

No, eftpos and POS aren’t the same. An EFTPOS terminal accepts card payments, while a POS system is the wider setup that records sales, tracks inventory and manages customers. In Australia, eftpos (lowercase) is also the name of the domestic debit card network. Many POS setups can be paired with a terminal that accepts eftpos, Visa and Mastercard; confirm supported networks with your payment provider.

What are the three types of POS?

The three types of POS are countertop (traditional) systems, mobile or tablet POS, and self-service kiosks. Many guides also add SoftPOS, which turns a compatible phone or tablet into a payment terminal using Tap to Pay, and cloud-based POS as further types. Most retailers use a mix, such as a countertop register plus a tablet on the floor.

Sources

• https://squareup.com/au/en/point-of-sale/retail/pricing

• https://squareup.com/au/en/hardware/compare

• https://www.lightspeedhq.com/au/pos/retail/pricing/

• https://www.lightspeedhq.com/au/pos/retail/hardware/

• https://www.shopify.com/au/pos/pricing

• https://hikeup.com/au/pricing/

• https://hikeup.com/au/android-pos/

• https://retailexpress.com.au/pricing

• https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/merchant-card-payment-costs-and-surcharging/