The short answer
- Our pick for a shop, cafe, restaurant or market stall: Square. The Free plan is $0 a month and cards cost a flat 2.5% in person: about $250 a month on $10,000 in card sales, the lowest of every POS that publishes its full price.
- Selling online and in a store? Price Shopify. It runs both from one system. The Basic plan is $49 a month and in-person cards cost 2.6%, more than our pick at the counter, so it pays off when one inventory for both matters to you.
- Busy restaurant or a store with a big inventory? Lightspeed has deeper tools. Restaurant plans start at $89 a month and retail plans at $139. Retail card payments cost 2.6% + 10¢ in person. The restaurant page doesn’t list a rate, so we can’t add it up.
- Full-service restaurant that wants restaurant-only software? Get quotes from TouchBistro and Clover. Neither publishes its card rates, so compare the quote to our pick’s number first.
Get told when these prices change
Providers change fees with little notice. We email you what changed when a price here does, and nothing else.
Our pick, by business type
-
For a retail shop at $5,000 to $25,000 a month · must have Inventory tracking
Our pick
Square $250 a month
Lowest cost, and it has inventory tracking.
Just starting? Square $600 in the first year, hardware included (also must have no monthly fee, no contract, publishes when you get paid).
Why not the others?
Left out: Stripe, Clearly Payments, Merchant-Accounts.ca (card processing only, no POS software of its own); TouchBistro (a restaurant-only POS).
Can't confirm here (a must-have or the full price isn't published): Moneris, Helcim, Clover, Global Payments, Chase.
Just starting (first year):
Left out: Stripe, Clearly Payments, Merchant-Accounts.ca (card processing only, no POS software of its own); TouchBistro (a restaurant-only POS).
Missing a must-have: Moneris (misses: no monthly fee and no contract); Lightspeed, Shopify POS (misses: no monthly fee).
Can't confirm here: Helcim, Clover, Global Payments, Chase.
-
For a restaurant at $5,000 to $25,000 a month · must have Restaurant features (menus, tables or kitchen tickets)
Our pick
Square $250 a month
Lowest cost, and it has restaurant features.
Just starting? Square $600 in the first year, hardware included (also must have no monthly fee, no contract, publishes when you get paid).
Why not the others?
Left out: Stripe, Clearly Payments, Merchant-Accounts.ca (card processing only, no POS software of its own).
Can't confirm here (a must-have or the full price isn't published): Moneris, Helcim, Clover, Lightspeed, Shopify POS, TouchBistro, Global Payments, Chase.
Just starting (first year):
Left out: Stripe, Clearly Payments, Merchant-Accounts.ca (card processing only, no POS software of its own).
Missing a must-have: Moneris (misses: no monthly fee and no contract); Lightspeed, Shopify POS (misses: no monthly fee).
Can't confirm here: Helcim, Clover, TouchBistro, Global Payments, Chase.
-
For a mobile business at $5,000 to $25,000 a month · must have Portable reader or Tap to Pay on a phone
Our pick
Square $250 a month
Lowest cost, and it has a portable reader.
Just starting? Square $600 in the first year, hardware included (also must have no monthly fee, no contract, publishes when you get paid).
Why not the others?
Left out: TouchBistro (a restaurant-only POS).
Can't confirm here (a must-have or the full price isn't published): Helcim, Clover, Lightspeed, Clearly Payments, Global Payments, Chase, Merchant-Accounts.ca.
Just starting (first year):
Left out: TouchBistro (a restaurant-only POS).
Missing a must-have: Moneris (misses: no monthly fee and no contract); Lightspeed, Shopify POS (misses: no monthly fee).
Can't confirm here: Helcim, Clover, Clearly Payments, Global Payments, Chase, Merchant-Accounts.ca.
How we picked
A month of card fees plus the monthly fee at $10,000 in 200 card payments, all in person, from each provider's published rates. "Just starting?" lines: first-year cost: the cheapest way each provider sells to take a card (Tap to Pay on your phone, counting any per-tap fee for the year, or its lowest-priced card reader) plus 12 months of card fees and the monthly fee at $2,000 in 100 card payments a month, all in person, from each provider's published prices. Providers whose price depends on interchange, a hardware bundle or a quote have no full price here. Our pick is the lowest cost option that has every must-have; within 10% of it, no contract, faster payouts and longer support hours win. Payment from a provider never changes it. How we pick
Not sure which of these fits you? Answer three questions.
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Card rates on each POS
We may earn a fee if you sign up with some providers in this table. It never changes the prices we show or what we recommend.
- SquareVisit Square
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.5%
- Online
- 2.8% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $0 · Free plan
- Contract
- Month to month
- Shopify POSVisit Shopify POS
Flat, by plan
- In person
- 2.6%
- Online
- 2.8% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $49 · Basic plan
- Contract
- Monthly or yearly billing
- MonerisVisit Moneris
Flat or custom
- In person
- 2.65% + 10¢
- Online
- 2.85% + 30¢
- Monthly
- $39.95 · Terminal rental + software fee
- Contract
- 3 years, then 6-month renewals (45 days notice)
- CloverVisit Clover
Quote
- In person
- By quote
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- By quote
- Contract
- Set by the reseller; termination fees vary
- HelcimVisit Helcim
Interchange-plus
- In person
- Interchange + 0.4% + 8¢
- Online
- Interchange + 0.5% + 25¢
- Monthly
- Not published
- Contract
- Month to month, no cancellation fee
- LightspeedVisit Lightspeed
Flat rate
- In person
- 2.6% + 10¢
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- $139 · Retail Basic plan
- Contract
- Fixed term; early exit fee covers the rest of the term
- TouchBistroVisit TouchBistro
Quote
- In person
- By quote
- Online
- By quote
- Monthly
- From $89 · POS plan
- Contract
- Fixed term, renews unless 30 days notice; no early exit
Prices checked Oct 22 to Oct 26, 2026 on each provider's own pricing page (how we check). "Interchange +" means the provider publishes only its markup. You also pay the card networks' interchange fee on top.Order: providers we can price in full come first, lowest first-year cost for a business taking $10,000 a month across 400 in-person payments; the rest follow alphabetically. Payout never affects the order.
We may earn a fee if you sign up with some providers in this table. It never changes the prices we show or what we recommend.
What the software costs each month
| POS | Monthly software price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Square | Free plan $0. Plus from $35. Premium is custom. | Square pricing |
| Shopify | Basic $49 ($37 or $44 a month paid yearly, depending on the price Shopify shows you), includes POS Lite. POS Pro adds $119 per location, billed yearly. | Shopify pricing |
| Lightspeed Retail | Basic $139, Core $239, Plus $399 (less if paid yearly) | Lightspeed retail pricing |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | Starter $89, Essential $239, Premium $499 | Lightspeed restaurant pricing |
| Moneris Go Retail POS | From $10, plus $34.95 per terminal rental | Moneris order page |
| Helcim | $0. POS, virtual terminal and invoicing included. | Helcim pricing |
| TouchBistro | “Starting at $89 /month”. Canadian visitors see CAD (confirmed by TouchBistro). | TouchBistro pricing |
| Clover | Starter, Standard and Advanced plans. Prices by quote only. | Clover pricing |
Who each one is for, and who should skip it
Square. Good for new and smaller businesses, because the Free plan costs nothing until you sell. Square says its Plus plan is “designed specifically for restaurants, retailers or appointment-based businesses.” Skip it if most customers pay by debit on bigger tickets: Square charges 0.75% + 7¢ per debit payment, so a $200 debit sale costs $1.57, where most others charge a flat 9¢ to 15¢.
Shopify. Good if you sell online and in person and want one product list and one inventory count. Skip it if you have no online store, since you’d pay for features you won’t use. Using a processor other than Shopify Payments adds 2% per sale on Basic.
Lightspeed. Good for established stores and restaurants that need deeper tools. Lightspeed describes Retail Basic as “designed for essential day-to-day needs for independent retailers.” Skip it if you’re small: Retail Basic is $1,668 a year before a single card fee.
Moneris. Good if you want a flat rate from a big Canadian name, with next-day deposits to BMO and RBC accounts. Skip it if you hate rental fees or long commitments: you rent the terminal, and the merchant agreement runs 3 years.
Helcim. Good if you mainly need to take cards and want simple POS tools at no monthly cost. Your rate is interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ in person, so the total moves with the cards your customers use. Skip it if you need table service or deep inventory features.
TouchBistro and Clover. Both are quote only. TouchBistro is built only for restaurants. Clover sells its plans through banks and partners, and says its devices “cannot be used with other payment processors.” Get every number in writing.
How debit changes which POS costs least
Each POS prices Interac debit differently, and that can change which one is cheapest. Here’s a month of software plus in-person card fees, with half the sales (by dollars and by count) paid by debit.
These are our estimates, using each provider’s published rates and its cheapest listed plan, billed monthly. They assume Canadian cards, one terminal, and no hardware, online sales or chargebacks.
| Monthly sales | Square Free | Shopify Basic | Moneris Go Retail POS | Lightspeed Retail Basic | Helcim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $3,000 (120 sales) | $52.95 | $97 | $102.90 | $184 plus Interac | $10.80 markup, $5.40 to $7.20 debit, plus interchange |
| $10,000 (400 sales) | $176.50 | $209 | $226.45 | $289 plus Interac | $36 markup, $18 to $24 debit, plus interchange |
| $40,000 (800 sales) | $678 | $629 | $667.95 | $699 plus Interac | $112 markup, $36 to $48 debit, plus interchange |
How the $40,000 row works:
- Square: credit 2.5% × $20,000 = $500. Debit 0.75% × $20,000 = $150, plus 400 × 7¢ = $28.
- Shopify: credit 2.6% × $20,000 = $520. Debit 400 × 15¢ = $60. Plan $49.
- Moneris: credit 2.65% × $20,000 = $530, plus 400 × 10¢ = $40. Debit 400 × 12¢ = $48. Software $10, terminal $34.95 and the $5 Moneris Go fee.
- Lightspeed: credit 2.6% × $20,000 = $520, plus 400 × 10¢ = $40. Plan $139. Lightspeed doesn’t publish its Interac price, so debit is extra.
- Helcim: $0 software. The credit markup is $80 plus 400 × 8¢ = $32. Debit is 9¢ (12¢ for tap). Interchange on the credit half comes on top, so we can’t show a total.
The pattern: Square is cheapest when you’re small, because it has no monthly fee. But at a $50 average sale with lots of debit, Shopify’s flat 15¢ and Moneris’s flat 12¢ catch up, even after their monthly fees. For a first-year view with hardware, see what a POS system costs.
By type of business
- Restaurant and cafe POS systems: table, menu and kitchen needs, plus why small cafe tickets change the maths.
- Retail POS systems: inventory, online selling and what each retail plan really costs.
Buy or rent the card machine?
Most POS companies sell their hardware. Moneris rents it, and Clover prices it by quote. From each Canadian site:
| POS | Card reader | Countertop or all-in-one |
|---|---|---|
| Square | Reader $69. Tap to Pay on iPhone $0 | Terminal $399. Register $999 |
| Shopify | WisePad 3 $69. Tap to Pay on iPhone included | POS Terminal $459 |
| Helcim | Card Reader $239 CAD | Smart Terminal $429 CAD |
| Moneris | Tap to Pay on the free Moneris Go app | Moneris Go terminal, rented from $34.95 a month |
| Clover | Prices by quote | Prices by quote |
| Lightspeed | Sold separately, prices not on its pricing page | Sold separately |
Square and Shopify show their prices with a ”$” sign only, on their Canadian stores. Renting a Moneris terminal for a year comes to 12 × $34.95 = $419.40, by our math. More on readers: our card terminals page.
When the internet goes down
From each provider’s own help pages:
| POS | Offline card payments |
|---|---|
| Square | Yes. Payments must upload within 72 hours (Square recommends 24) |
| Shopify | Yes, once you turn it on. No Interac offline in Canada. Reconnect ideally within 24 hours |
| Lightspeed Retail | Payment only, on the Lightspeed terminal. No Interac offline in Canada |
| Moneris Go | Yes, once Moneris turns it on. $250 default limit per sale |
| Helcim | Not on the Card Reader |
| Clover | Clover’s own pages disagree on whether it works in Canada |
| TouchBistro | Yes, but its page doesn’t say whether that applies in Canada |
A payment taken offline isn’t approved until you reconnect. Square and Lightspeed both say a declined offline payment is your loss, and Shopify says you only learn about a decline once you reconnect. And since Interac can’t be taken offline on Shopify or Lightspeed, offline mode helps less than it sounds if most customers pay by debit.
Getting out later
A POS is harder to leave than a card processor, because your menu, inventory and hardware are tied to it:
| POS | Leaving | Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Square | Close your account anytime | No lock-in stated |
| Shopify | Close Shopify Payments anytime. Fees already paid aren’t refunded | Its own readers need Shopify Payments, but outside readers can be used |
| Lightspeed | Leaving early costs the fees left in your term. Give 90 days’ notice to stop renewal on terms over 90 days | You can’t use terminals you already own |
| Moneris | 3-year term, then 6-month renewals unless you give 45 days’ notice | Your own equipment must meet Moneris’s specs |
| Helcim | No cancellation fee. Close by calling support during business hours | POS app works only with an iPhone and Helcim’s reader and terminal |
| TouchBistro | Can’t end early. Renews for the same length unless you give 30 days’ written notice | May not support you on unapproved hardware |
| Clover | 30 days’ notice. Termination fees depend on who sold it to you | Devices can’t be used with other processors |
Sources: Lightspeed service agreement, TouchBistro terms, Moneris merchant agreement, Shopify Payments terms, Clover terms, Helcim terms.
Support hours matter too, if you’re open late or on weekends. Moneris, Lightspeed, Shopify, TouchBistro and Clover each say they offer 24/7 support. Square lists phone support Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM EST, with 24/7 phone support on some paid plans and devices. Helcim lists Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 5 PM Mountain time, and Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM.
Before you sign anything
- Ask what it costs to leave, and get it in writing (see the table above).
- Ask whether you can use your own card processor, and what it costs if you do.
- Price the hardware, not just the plan.
- Ask whether offline mode works for Interac in your setup, and who turns it on.
More on how fees work: credit card processing fees explained. Full provider breakdowns: Square, Shopify, Lightspeed, Moneris, TouchBistro, Clover.
Common questions
What is the best POS system for a small business in Canada?
There isn't one winner. For a small shop, cafe or market stall, Square's free plan costs $0 a month with a flat 2.5% card rate. If you also sell online, Shopify keeps both in one system from $49 a month. Lightspeed offers deeper restaurant and retail plans, from $89 and $139 a month.
How much does a POS system cost per month in Canada?
From $0 to several hundred dollars, before card fees. Square has a free plan. Shopify Basic is $49 a month. Lightspeed Retail starts at $139 a month and Lightspeed Restaurant at $89. Moneris Go Retail POS starts at $10 a month plus $34.95 to rent each terminal. Clover and TouchBistro quote by business.
Is a free POS system really free?
The software can be. Square's Free plan and Helcim's POS tools have no monthly fee. You still pay card fees on every sale, and you buy the hardware. Square's contactless reader is $69 on its Canadian site. So free means no subscription, not no cost.
Can I use any card processor with my POS?
Not always. Clover says its devices cannot be used with other payment processors, so leaving Clover means new hardware. Shopify charges an extra 2% per sale on the Basic plan if you use a processor other than Shopify Payments. Ask any POS company what it costs to bring your own processor before you sign.
What is the cheapest POS system for a small business in Canada?
On published prices, Square's Free plan and Helcim's POS tools both cost $0 a month. Square adds a flat 2.5% per in-person credit sale, and its reader is $69. Helcim charges interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢, and its Card Reader is $239 CAD. If many customers pay big bills by debit, Helcim's 9¢ Interac price can matter more.
Can a POS take card payments when the internet is down?
Some can, with limits. Square says offline payments must upload within 72 hours. Shopify and Lightspeed offer offline card payments but say Interac can't be taken offline in Canada. Moneris must turn offline mode on for you. Helcim's Card Reader doesn't work offline. Square and Lightspeed say a declined offline payment is your loss.