Long checkout lines are a surefire way to deter customers from buying. Portable point of sale (POS) systems offer a solution—a way to retrieve POS data, ring up orders, and process payments from anywhere with an internet connection.

Unlike fixed terminals that are hardwired and fixed to a checkout desk, portable POS systems are flexible. They’re handheld devices that can be moved around anywhere in the store, giving you extra freedom and convenience to serve shoppers wherever they are.

Keen to implement this technology in your store? This guide shares four of the best portable POS systems with a checklist of features to evaluate each vendor. 

Types of portable POS solutions

All-in-one terminals

All-in-one POS terminals allow retailers to complete the same tasks they’d do on a fixed countertop terminal, but from anywhere in the store. This includes receipt printing, barcode scanning, and payment processing. All-in-one POS terminals tend to be larger, specialized devices sold by the vendor. 

Smartphone/tablet-based systems

Smartphone POS systems allow you to bypass the need for additional hardware. Tap to Pay on Shopify POS, for example, turns your smartphone into a credit card reader. You can ring up orders and accept contactless payments from a device you already own.

Compact card readers with apps

Not all POS vendors can turn your smartphone into a credit card reader. Some require additional hardware, such as a portable card reader, to process payments. 

Mobile card readers connect with your smartphone via Bluetooth so that when you ring up an order in the POS app, the device prompts the customer to complete their payment. Shoppers can either tap, swipe, or insert their card into the machine, depending on the card reader’s capabilities. 

Key features of portable POS system

Payment processing options

Evaluate data from your current POS, combined with customer feedback, to shortlist popular payment methods used by retail customers. 

For example, you might find that 80% of shoppers pay for orders using contactless payments, such as mobile wallets (i.e., Google Pay or Apple Pay) or NFC-enabled credit cards. In this case, you might not need an all-in-one terminal. Tap to Pay lets you accept both of these contactless payment options from your smartphone. 

Ideally, your POS system should offer built-in payment processing. Finding a third-party processor can inflate implementation costs and increase technical complexity. Shopify bypasses these issues with native payment processing through Shopify Payments, where fees start at just 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person transaction (no additional integration or setup costs required).

Inventory management

POS systems give retailers the flexibility to reference inventory data on the go. If you’re talking with a customer and they ask whether a pair of shoes is available in a size 10, for example, you can use the portal POS solution to find out—instead of leaving the shopper to check availability in the stockroom or a fixed countertop terminal. 

Portable POS systems also let store associates conduct stock checks. Barcode scanners attached to an all-in-one terminal will automatically update quantities inside your inventory management system. This improves inventory accuracy, which can prevent stockouts and identify shrinkage concerns. 

💡Tip: Stocky is a free inventory management system integrating with Shopify POS. Use Shopify’s portable hardware—or your smartphone—to record inventory quantities on the go. Any data syncs seamlessly with Stocky to get a full picture view of your stock. 

Customer relationship management

Today’s customers expect a shopping experience that’s tailored to them. A portable POS system is the gateway to meet these expectations.

Unified customer profiles within Shopify’s portable POS system let you reference customer data from anywhere in-store. From previous purchases to loyalty points they’ve earned (both online and offline), sales associates can reference this information to personalize the shopping experience. 

Analytics and reporting

Successful retail businesses are built on a combination of strategic decisions driven by data. A portable POS system should be capable of delivering these insights on the go. 

💡Tip: All Shopify POS plans get access to Shopify Analytics. It offers prebuilt reporting dashboards and the option to create your data explorations. Plus, with Sidekick, you can speed up the entire process. Ask Sidekick for a specific insight—like “What were my bestselling products in our Chicago store last quarter?”—and get the answer within seconds.

Cloud synchronization

Modern POS systems give you complete visibility into your business from anywhere with an internet connection. When your POS is built on the same platform as your other sales channels, you automatically have access to accurate inventory, transaction, and customer data wherever you sell.

This means store staff can check product availability across locations, managers can monitor performance in real-time, and you can make faster decisions based on complete information. Cashiers at other retail locations can check how many units of a particular SKU in stock at nearby stores, for example, and management teams can monitor store performance remotely. 

Security features

POS systems store a wealth of data about your retail business: transaction history, payment card details, supplier contact details, and more. You have an obligation to protect this data—a task that becomes more difficult when your POS system is portable. Anyone can pick up the device if it’s left unattended.

Offer comprehensive POS training to maintain security. Also, check that your POS vendor offers advanced security features to protect your data, such as:

• User access roles with PIN entry protection and two-factor authentication 
• Screenshot prevention
• Manager approval for specific tasks (e.g,. applying discounts)
• PCI DSS compliance for payment processing 
• Data encryption and tokenization

Top portable POS systems

1. Shopify Tap to Pay

Shopify Tap to Pay turns your Android device or iPhone into a mobile POS system. Store associates can download the Shopify POS app to retrieve inventory data, ring up orders, and process contactless payments from their existing device.

This solution eliminates additional hardware costs and offers speedy implementation. It’s built into existing Shopify plans with a simple activation process. Import data from other sales channels to start selling within the hour. 

Best features include:

• Unifies POS data in one centralized commerce operating system
• Accept payments from your smartphone 
• Secure payment processing through Shopify Payments
• Advanced inventory management tools 
• Intuitive checkout with clear on-screen directions
• Retail analytics and reporting dashboards 
• Unified customer profiles to personalize the shopping experience 

Daniel Vu relies on this portable POS solution to process payments at craft fairs and events. The product catalog from his online store carried over to the POS app to enable Daniel to start selling within minutes. Now, 70% of Daniel Vu Ceramics’ total revenue comes from these in-person events.

“I love the convenience of having everything I need to sell in-person on my iPhone,” Daniel says. “I don’t have to stress about card readers disconnecting and can just focus on the person in front of me.”

Hardware: No additional costs.

Monthly subscription: Starts at $29 per month. There is a free trial available. 

Payment processing fees: Starting at 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person payments. 

Eligibility: Retailers in Australia, Canada, Italy, Netherlands, UK, US.

2. Oracle

Oracle’s portable POS system is specifically built for restaurants. The handheld POS tablet is lightweight, durable, and designed to withstand heat, spills, and drops. However, this does mean an additional hardware fee that inflates the platform’s total cost. 

Best features include:

• Restaurant-grade durability 
• 8-hour battery life with a swappable battery
• Offline mode to process payments without internet connection
• Kitchen display system integration
• Support for online ordering and buy online, pickup in-store

Hardware costs: First device starts from $1.

Monthly subscription: Plans for Simphony, Oracle’s POS software, start at $55 per month.

Payment processing fees: Not shared publicly. 

3. PayPal

PayPal’s portable POS system gives retailers two options to sell on the go. Take contactless payments on your phone with the Zettle by PayPal app, or opt for an additional mobile credit card reader. These options allow retailers to start selling in-person and have revenue deposited into their PayPal business account within a few minutes.

Best features include:

• Compatible with iPhone and Android
• Accepts popular payment methods
• Portable card reader has up to 8-hour battery life
• Option to add a barcode scanner
• Quick access to funds through a PayPal business account

Hardware costs: No additional cost for Tap to Pay. The portable card reader costs $29, or $79 for any additional devices.

Monthly subscription: Not required. 

Payment processing fees: 1.75% per transaction. 

4. Toast

Toast is a POS vendor that offers a portable solution that allows food service businesses to process mobile payments. Its flagship device, the Toast Go 2, offers 24-hour battery life. It’s comfortable enough to tuck into a waiter’s pocket.

Best features include: 

• 24 hour battery life
• Restaurant-grade quality
• Native payment processing
• Mobile order and pay 
• Built-in marketing suite 

Hardware costs: None on the free plan.

Monthly subscription: Free plan available, which includes one handheld POS device for one location. Premium features—such as mobile ordering, the Toast marketing suite, and team management tools—come at an extra cost. 

Payment processing fees: 2.49% + 15¢ per transaction if you pay for hardware upfront. 

Cost considerations of portable POS solutions

Exactly how much you’ll pay for a portable system depends on a few factors: your store size, monthly transaction volume, and how many devices you’ll need, to name a few.

Before committing to a vendor, ask for a full estimate of POS system costs, including:

• Hardware costs
• Software and subscription fees
• Implementation costs 
• Payment processing fees 

Hardware-free solutions like Shopify Tap to Pay help to cut costs. It turns your mobile device into a sophisticated POS system to accept credit card payments on the go, without the additional expense of hardware purchases or rental. 

These options improve the return on investment and time to value. Plus, you can get up and running almost instantly—you’re not hanging around waiting for the POS hardware delivery. You can start selling within minutes.

And because Shopify is the only platform to natively unify POS and ecommerce in a central commerce operating system, you can import sales, inventory, and customer data from other sales channels. It’s no surprise that Shopify POS delivers up to 37% better total cost of ownership than competitors surveyed. Retailers using POS also report:

• 16% lower ongoing costs
• 27% lower middleware costs
• 89% lower annual third-party costs

Sell anywhere with Shopify

Long gone are the days of expensive hardware that takes days to ship and configure. With Tap to Pay on Shopify, you can get up and running quickly. Simply download the mobile app and pull data from your existing Shopify admin to start selling within minutes.