Square for Retail is the default pick for most single convenience stores because it starts at $0 per location per month and adds purchase orders on Plus at $49 per location per month. Card processing matters more than the monthly plan, because in-person rates here run from 2.3% plus 10 cents to 2.6% plus 15 cents. KORONA POS is the best pick for a store that wants to keep its own payment processor, at $59 per terminal per month on Core, with no percentage of sales taken by KORONA POS.
A convenience store needs a fast counter, scan-based selling, age checks at the till, and stock counts that keep up with small, frequent deliveries. Some systems charge per location, some per terminal, and some per store, so compare the billing unit first. Prices were checked on official vendor pricing pages on 12 November 2026.
On this page
Best convenience store software in: comparison table
Swipe the table sideways on a phone to see every column.
| # | Name | Best for | Starting price | Free plan / trial | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Square for Retail | Single stores that want to start at $0 | $0 per location/month | Yes | Visit |
| 2 | Lightspeed Retail | Multi-register stores with deep inventory | $89 per month | Free trial (14 days) | Visit |
| 3 | Clover | Stores that want a countertop hardware bundle | $0 per month | Yes | Visit |
| 4 | KORONA POS | Stores that want to choose their own processor | $59 per terminal/month | Free trial | Visit |
| 5 | Epos Now | Stores that want one flat software fee | $39 per month | Free trial (30 days) | Visit |
| 6 | Shopify POS | Stores that also sell online through Shopify | $29 per month | Free trial (3 days) | Visit |
| 7 | Erply | Small chains and franchises on a low entry price | $59 per store/month | Yes | Visit |
| 8 | PDI Technologies | Fuel and convenience chains that need back-office tools | quote only | No | Visit |
The 8 best best convenience store software ins, in detail
Square for Retail
Best for: Single stores that want to start at $0
Square for Retail is the retail mode inside the main Square point of sale app, and it now comes with every Square plan. The Free plan at $0 per location per month covers items, stock tracking, low-stock alerts, discounts and an online store. The in-person card rate on Free is 2.6% plus 15 cents, while online sales cost 3.3% plus 30 cents.
- Plus at $49 per location per month adds purchase orders, vendor records, cost of goods reports and label printing, and it lowers the in-person rate to
- Premium at $149 per location per month adds transfer orders, cross-location returns and 24/7 phone support, with a rate of 2.4% plus 15 cents.
- Choose Square for a low start and a simple counter.
Pros
- Free plan with no monthly fee
- Plus adds purchase orders at $49 per location per month
Cons
- Processing is locked to Square
- Premium at $149 per location per month is needed for transfers
Lightspeed Retail
Best for: Multi-register stores with deep inventory
Lightspeed Retail is the inventory-first system in this set. Basic starts at $89 per month when billed annually, or $109 per month when billed monthly, and it includes 1 register, integrated payments, inventory management, basic eCommerce and NuORDER catalog access. The card-present rate is 2.6% plus 10 cents on every plan.
- Core at $149 per month when billed annually adds loyalty, advanced sales, staff and inventory reports, accounting integrations, a mobile scanner app a
- Plus at $289 per month when billed annually adds custom reporting, forecasting, API access, workflows, custom user roles and single sign-on.
- Choose Lightspeed for several registers or supplier catalogs.
Pros
- Basic includes 1 register and inventory management
- Core adds loyalty at $149 per month
Cons
- No free plan
- each plan includes only 1 register
Clover
Best for: Stores that want a countertop hardware bundle
Clover is sold by Fiserv, and it prices by business type. The Starter software plan costs $0 per month, with an in-person card rate of 2.6% plus 10 cents. Essentials costs $29.95 per month and lowers the rate to 2.5% plus 10 cents.
- Retail Growth costs $84.95 per month and lowers the rate to 2.3% plus 10 cents.
- Keyed-in cards cost 3.5% plus 10 cents on every plan.
- Retail Growth is the full retail plan.
- It adds inventory management, itemized returns, detailed reports, shift management, loyalty, gift cards and online store integration.
Pros
- Starter at $0 per month covers payments and basic reports
- Retail Growth at $84.95 per month adds inventory
Cons
- Prices on clover.com apply only to orders placed there
- full retail software needs Retail Growth
KORONA POS
Best for: Stores that want to choose their own processor
KORONA POS is a cloud point of sale system for retail, quick service and ticketing businesses, and it lists convenience stores among the shops it serves. Core costs $59 per terminal per month and covers checkout, a product database, sales reports, discounts, gift cards and open API access. Retail costs $79 per terminal per month and adds inventory counts, real-time stock tracking, scan automations, shelf labels, supplier ordering and customer management.
- Plus costs $99 per terminal per month and adds ABC analysis, top and slow seller reports, multi-location inventory tools, order-level optimization, pe
- Every plan includes onboarding, training and in-house support, with no setup fees and no forced contracts.
- KORONA POS never takes a percentage of sales, so the card rate is set by the processor you choose.
Pros
- Core at $59 per terminal per month includes checkout and gift cards
- Retail at $79 adds real-time stock tracking
Cons
- Per-terminal pricing adds up with several registers
- add-on modules cost $10 to $50 per month
Epos Now
Best for: Stores that want one flat software fee
Epos Now sells a till, back-office software and its own card processing as one package for retail and hospitality. The software-only plan costs $39 per month, and processing runs at 2.6% plus 10 cents in person. The Complete System bundle is listed at $349 upfront plus $79 per month in some current offers, and at $399 one-time plus $84 per month in other current offers, so get the current offer in writing.
- The software covers inventory management, real-time reporting and staff management.
- Epos Now commonly sells terms of 1 to 5 years, and early cancellation can leave you liable for the remaining monthly software fees.
- Enterprise, with the full feature set plus onsite support and account management, is priced by quote.
- A 30-day free trial lets you test the software.
Pros
- Software-only plan at $39 per month runs on iPad, Android tablet or PC
- Complete System bundle ships terminal, printer and drawer
Cons
- Discounted bundles commonly need a support package and a multi-year term
- Enterprise is quote only
Shopify POS
Best for: Stores that also sell online through Shopify
Shopify POS runs on a Shopify plan, and the in-person selling features in every plan are called POS Lite. Basic costs $29 per month when billed annually. Grow costs $89 per month when billed annually.
- Advanced costs $359 per month when billed annually.
- The in-person card rate with Shopify Payments is 2.6% plus 10 cents on Basic, 2.5% plus 10 cents on Grow, and 2.4% plus 10 cents on Advanced.
- POS Pro costs $89 per location per month, and it is billed yearly.
- It adds unlimited staff accounts with custom roles, advanced inventory with stock transfers, purchase orders, returns at any location and professional
Pros
- Basic at $29 per month (billed annually) includes POS Lite
- POS Pro at $89 per location per month adds staff roles
Cons
- POS Pro adds $89 per location per month on top of the plan
- another payment provider adds a 2% fee per sale on Basic
Erply
Best for: Small chains and franchises on a low entry price
Erply is a cloud retail point of sale and inventory platform for retailers running several locations and both in-store and online sales. One account covers point of sale with offline mode, inventory and warehouse management, purchase orders, eCommerce order sync, retail CRM with loyalty and reporting. The Giftshop and Grocery Chain plan costs $59 per store per month, with 1 user account and 1 terminal included, for turnover up to $25,000 per month.
- Multichannel Chains costs $199 per store per month, with 2 user accounts.
- POS for NetSuite starts at $1,800 per month, and Franchise and Chain starts at $3,500 per month for 50 or more store chains, both adjusted by quote.
- Erply also lists a free account to explore the platform, and a point of sale plan without inventory at $0 per month.
- That $0 plan has no inventory tools, so a store that needs stock control must move to a higher plan.
Pros
- Giftshop and Grocery Chain at $59 per store per month includes 1 user account and 1 terminal
- Multichannel Chains at $199 adds a second account
Cons
- Giftshop and Grocery Chain is limited to 1 user account, 1 terminal and turnover up to $25,000 per month
- Franchise and Chain starts at $3,500 per month
PDI Technologies
Best for: Fuel and convenience chains that need back-office tools
PDI Technologies is the enterprise system in this set, built for fuel and convenience retail at scale. PDI Enterprise handles back-office operations, pricebook management, inventory control, scan data analysis and reporting. The wider suite covers ERP, fuel pricing, loyalty, payments and logistics.
- PDI says quotes are scoped to site count and modules licensed, such as ERP, loyalty and payments.
- PDI acquired Skupos, so scan data and retail analytics sit inside the same company.
- PDI does not publish a price, and a small independent store will find the evaluation runs through a demo request and a custom quote, not a signup page
- There is no free plan and no free trial is offered.
Pros
- PDI Enterprise covers back-office operations, pricebook management and scan data analysis
- the suite also covers fuel pricing, loyalty and payments
Cons
- No published price, so every quote is scoped to site count and modules
- no free plan or free trial is offered
How we chose
We chose systems that sell to convenience stores and small retail shops, publish a real point of sale and inventory feature set, and have a live official homepage. We did not test any tool hands-on. Prices and plan limits come from official vendor pricing pages opened on 12 November 2026. Where a vendor hid the price, we wrote quote only.
Which system fits your store size and budget
| Store size | Pick | Monthly software cost before card fees | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| One small store, low volume | Square for Retail | $0 per location/month on Free | In-person card rate is 2.6% plus 15 cents on Free |
| One store, growing stock | Square for Retail Plus | $49 per location/month | Purchase orders only on Plus |
| One store, own processor | KORONA POS Core | $59 per terminal/month | Each extra terminal adds $59 per month |
| One store, flat fee | Epos Now software only | $39 per month | Bundle terms run 1 to 5 years |
| Several registers, deep stock | Lightspeed Retail Basic | $89 per month (billed annually) | Only 1 register included |
| Shop plus online store | Shopify POS Basic plus POS Pro | $118 per month for 1 Pro location | POS Pro adds $89 per location |
| Small chain, low entry price | Erply Giftshop and Grocery Chain | $59 per store/month | Only 1 user account and 1 terminal |
| Fuel and convenience chain | PDI Technologies | quote only | No published price and no free trial |
Frequently asked questions
How much does convenience store software cost?
A single store can start at $0 per location per month on Square Free or Clover Starter, or at $39 per month on Epos Now software only, or at $59 per terminal per month on KORONA POS Core. Square Plus pays $49 per location per month, Lightspeed Basic costs $89 per month when billed annually, and a Shopify store with one POS Pro location on Basic pays $118 per month before card fees.
Which is best for a single convenience store?
Square for Retail is the best pick for most single stores because it starts at $0 per location per month, includes stock tracking and an online store, and adds purchase orders on Plus at $49 per location per month. KORONA POS is the best pick to keep your own payment processor, at $59 per terminal per month.
Which is best for a small chain?
Lightspeed Retail is a strong pick for a small chain with deep stock, because Core at $149 per month when billed annually adds loyalty, advanced reports and a mobile scanner app, and Plus at $289 per month adds forecasting and API access. Erply is the low-cost chain pick, at $59 per store per month, with 1 user account and 1 terminal.
Do I need POS Pro to run Shopify POS in a shop?
No, POS Lite is included with every Shopify plan and covers in-person payments, simple customer profiles and returns at the original purchase location. POS Pro at $89 per location per month adds staff roles, stock transfers, returns at any location, purchase orders and professional reports. A shop with staff shifts will need Pro, while a solo seller can run on Lite.
Can I keep my own payment processor?
Yes, with KORONA POS, because it is processing agnostic and takes no percentage of sales itself, so the card rate is set by the processor you choose. Erply also works with a range of processors, and Lightspeed can work with an outside processor, though an extra monthly fee can apply. Square and Shopify Payments lock you to their own processing.
What should I check about age checks and restricted items?
Ask each vendor how age checks, restricted item flags and manager approval work at the till, and test them with the items you sell most. The right setup depends on your local rules and the items on your shelves. Get the age check workflow in writing before you sign, and confirm which plan includes it.
Sources
- https://squareup.com/
- https://squareup.com/us/en/point-of-sale/retail/pricing
- https://www.lightspeedhq.com/
- https://www.lightspeedhq.com/pos/retail/pricing/
- https://www.clover.com/
- https://www.clover.com/pricing
- https://koronapos.com/
- https://koronapos.com/pricing/
- https://www.eposnow.com/
- https://www.shopify.com/pos
- https://www.shopify.com/pos/pricing
- https://erply.com/
- https://pditechnologies.com/
Prices and features were read on each company’s own website in November 2026. They change often, so confirm the current offer on the official site before you sign up or buy.