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The best POS system for your small business in Canada

Which point of sale fits depends on what you sell and how much. Here's each option's real monthly price and card rate, from the providers' own websites.

Prices checked October 19, 2026 From providers' own sites How we make money

The short answer

  • Small shop, cafe, market stall or trades? Start with Square. The Free plan is $0 a month and cards cost a flat 2.5% in person. Nothing to pay in a slow month.
  • Selling online and in a store? Shopify runs both from one system. The Basic plan is $49 a month and in-person cards cost 2.6%.
  • Busy restaurant or a store with a big inventory? Look at Lightspeed. Restaurant plans start at $89 a month and retail plans at $139, plus 2.6% + 10¢ per card payment.
  • Full-service restaurant that wants restaurant-only software? Get quotes from TouchBistro and Clover. Neither publishes its card rates, so compare the quote to your real rate first.

Not sure which camp you’re in? Answer three questions.

Find your best fit

3 questions

1What kind of business?
2Card sales per month?
3Do you need POS software (menus, inventory, staff)?

Card rates on each POS

Card rates from each provider's own pricing page. The Monthly column lists payment fees only, not POS software plans (those are in the next table). Helcim's rate is its markup on top of interchange.
  • Square

    Flat rate

    Visit Square
    In person
    2.5%
    Online
    2.8% + 30¢
    Monthly
    $0 · Free plan
    Contract
    Month to month
  • Shopify POS

    Flat, by plan

    Visit Shopify POS
    In person
    2.6%
    Online
    2.8% + 30¢
    Monthly
    $49 · Basic plan
    Contract
    Monthly or yearly billing
  • Lightspeed

    Flat rate

    Visit Lightspeed
    In person
    2.6% + 10¢
    Online
    By quote
    Monthly
    $139 · Retail Basic plan
    Contract
    Not published
  • Moneris

    Flat or custom

    Visit Moneris
    In person
    2.65% + 10¢
    Online
    2.85% + 30¢
    Monthly
    $39.95 · Terminal rental + software fee
    Contract
    Not published
  • Helcim

    Interchange-plus

    Visit Helcim
    In person
    Interchange + 0.4% + 8¢
    Online
    Interchange + 0.5% + 25¢
    Monthly
    $0 · No monthly fee
    Contract
    Month to month, no cancellation fee
  • TouchBistro

    Quote

    Visit TouchBistro
    In person
    By quote
    Online
    By quote
    Monthly
    By quote
    Contract
    Not published
  • Clover

    Quote

    Visit Clover
    In person
    By quote
    Online
    By quote
    Monthly
    By quote
    Contract
    Set by the reseller; termination fees vary

Prices checked Oct 19, 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.

What the software costs each month

Card fees are only half the bill. Here’s what each POS charges for the software itself.

POSMonthly software priceSource
SquareFree plan $0. Plus from $35. Premium is custom.Square pricing
ShopifyBasic $49 ($37 paid yearly), includes POS Lite. POS Pro adds $119 per location, billed yearly.Shopify pricing
Lightspeed RetailBasic $139, Core $239, Plus $399 (less if paid yearly)Lightspeed retail pricing
Lightspeed RestaurantStarter $89, Essential $239, Premium $499Lightspeed restaurant pricing
Moneris Go Retail POSFrom $10, plus $34.95 per terminal rentalMoneris order page
Helcim$0. POS, virtual terminal and invoicing included.Helcim pricing
TouchBistro“Starting at $89 /month”. The page doesn’t say which currency.TouchBistro pricing
CloverStarter, 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 of your customers pay by debit on bigger tickets. Square charges 0.75% + 7¢ per debit payment, so a $200 debit sale costs $1.57. 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 $49 a month 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. At $139 a month, 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. Moneris lists 2.65% + 10¢ in person and 12¢ per Interac payment, with next-day deposits to BMO and RBC accounts. Skip it if you hate rental fees. The terminal is $34.95 a month and Moneris doesn’t publish its contract terms.

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 Starter, Standard and Advanced plans through banks and partners, and says its devices “cannot be used with other payment processors.” Get every number in writing.

By type of business

Before you sign anything

  • Ask what it costs to leave. Square and Helcim are month to month. Clover says termination fees vary by the company that sells it to you.
  • Ask whether you can use your own card processor, and what it costs if you do.
  • Price the hardware. Square lists its Register at $999 and its reader at $69. Shopify doesn’t publish hardware prices on its Canadian page.

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.