The 5 best POS solutions for retail businesses (2026)

Whether you run a fashion boutique, kiosk or grocery shop, a POS system is a central part of day-to-day retail operations. In addition to taking payments, it helps you keep track of stock, analyse revenue, connect different sales channels and comply with legal requirements. Which functions matter most depends on the type and size of your business. The good news: almost all modern POS systems are now cloud-based, meaning you can access important data such as revenue, stock levels and statistics from anywhere, without having to maintain your own servers.

This comparison introduces five established, cloud-based POS solutions for retail and helps you find the right solution for your business requirements:

• Tillhub by Unzer
• ready2order
• Lightspeed Retail
• SumUp
• ETRON

What matters in a POS system for retail

You should consider the following criteria when comparing a POS system for retail:

• Inventory and stock management: Does the system automatically update stock levels with every sale, including reorder and stock alerts?
• POS system with barcode scanner: Can a scanner be connected to record items quickly and make stocktaking easier?
• Mobile retail POS system: Can you take payments anywhere in the shop or on the move, for example at a market stall?
• Multi-branch management: Can several locations be managed centrally via one dashboard?
• Customer loyalty: Can discounts, vouchers or customer cards be managed to retain regular customers?
• Payment methods and fees: Which payment methods are supported, and how transparent is the pricing structure?
• Legal compliance: Does the system meet TSE requirements, GoBD compliance and the reporting obligation to the tax authorities that has applied since 2025?
• User-friendliness and support: How quickly can employees get to grips with the system, and how accessible is support in day-to-day operations?

The 5 leading POS providers for retail in detail

1. Tillhub by Unzer

With Tillhub, Unzer offers an all-in-one POS system for retail that combines functions for inventory management, branch management and legally compliant checkout processes. The solution can be flexibly adapted to different requirements and retail segments.

Features:

• Inventory management with item numbers, product groups and centralised management of several tills and branches, including stock overview and stock balancing between locations
• Favourite tile sets for fast checkout of frequently sold items
• Individual customer profiles with purchase history, discounts and vouchers for customer retention
• Real-time dashboard with more than 60 statistics on sales performance and stock
• DATEV export and automatic updates for legal compliance
• Offline-capable: checkout remains possible during short-term internet outages
• With POS Go, also available as a mobile 4-in-1 POS device: till, scanner, printer and card terminal for use away from the counter
• GoBD and KassenSichV compliant, with officially tested cloud TSE from fiskaly
• Individual pricing structure tailored to functionality and number of branches
• Payment processing directly integrated, with terms agreed individually by contract
• Support seven days a week: Monday to Friday, 8 am–8 pm; Saturday/Sunday, 9 am–6 pm; available by phone and email

Suitable for: Retailers looking for inventory management, payment processing and branch management from a single source – from small kiosks and boutiques to supermarkets with several locations.

2. ready2order

ready2order is modular POS software with a clear focus on value for money for smaller retail businesses.

Features:

• Inventory management, stock levels, employee, supplier and customer management already included in the standard subscription
• Native scale connection for selling fresh goods by weight
• Favourites function to make frequently sold items quickly accessible
• Offline mode in the event of internet failure; legally compliant and intended for temporary outages
• Available as a mobile all-in-one solution with readyGo 2
• Software from EUR 35.90 per month on an annual subscription, or EUR 46.90 on a flexible monthly subscription, plus TSE package from EUR 15.90 per month
• Card payments via readyPay at 1.23% per transaction
• Free telephone support daily from 8 am to 10 pm in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

Suitable for: Price-conscious retailers with one or two tills. For three or more branches with complex warehouse logistics and stock transfers between locations, the system reaches its limits.

3. Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed Retail is a POS platform for bricks-and-mortar retail with an omnichannel focus and direct online shop integration.

Features:

• Flexible item management with custom tags and categories for brand, colour and size, making even large product ranges quickly searchable
• Central purchasing with reorder points across several branches, including product transfers between locations
• Integrated reports for multiple branches
• Gift cards that can be redeemed online and in-store, with no additional costs or third-party provider
• Customer segmentation with special discounts by customer type, as well as insight into purchase history
• Tap to Pay on iPhone technically possible, but currently not available in the DACH region
• Individual pricing, tiered by number of locations and licences
• Card payments integrated via Lightspeed Payments, with terms agreed individually by contract
• Chat support available continuously on weekdays; telephone support more limited

Suitable for: Clothing shops and boutiques with large product ranges and many variants, as well as growing multi-branch businesses with an omnichannel focus that value centralised stock management across several locations.

4. SumUp

SumUp offers a straightforward entry point into digital checkout, having originally started as a mobile card reader for card payments.

Features:

• Three levels: free app with 1.39% transaction fee and no monthly fee; Lite, with EUR 349 one-off hardware cost, no monthly fee and 1.39% fee; and Pro, with EUR 999 hardware plus EUR 45 per month and only 0.80% fee
• Only SumUp Pro is KassenSichV-ready; the Lite version is not
• Discounts, QR code vouchers and customer cards for customer loyalty
• Own free online shop plus plugins for WooCommerce, Wix and PrestaShop
• Tap to Pay: the smartphone itself becomes the card terminal, with no additional device
• iPad-based Pro hardware with inventory management, stock management and reporting functions
• Telephone support daily from 9 am to 6 pm

Suitable for: Small retail shops, kiosks and mobile sales formats looking for a low-cost entry-level solution. Anyone needing KassenSichV compliance and deeper inventory management should go straight for the Pro plan.

5. ETRON

ETRON offers modular POS systems for retail and services, which can be flexibly expanded with inventory management and an online shop.

Features:

• Inventory management, CRM and online shop available as additional modules
• Specifically for food retailers: scale connection with PLU codes, deposit management, counter receipts for serviced counters and automated monitoring of best-before dates
• Own online shop and website builder with voucher solution
• Offline emergency mode in the event of internet failure
• Mobile use via tablet possible
• Price tiers: Kasse Start from EUR 19.80 for Android or EUR 29 for Windows; Kasse Pro EUR 54; POS & inventory management EUR 109; all-in-one including online shop EUR 169 per month; TSE certificate separate at EUR 124 annually, plus a one-off EUR 99 on setup
• Card payments via ETRON Pay at 0.99% plus EUR 0.09 per transaction
• Telephone support Monday to Friday from 8 am to 5 pm; paid emergency service available outside business hours

Suitable for: Small and medium-sized food retailers, as well as retailers that need individually bookable modules.

Features at a glance

Retail POS obligations: TSE, reporting obligation and the planned mandatory cash register requirement from 2027

The technical security device (TSE) for electronic POS systems has already been mandatory since 2020: under the German Cash Register Security Ordinance (KassenSichV), all checkout transactions must be recorded completely and in a tamper-proof manner. In addition, the standardised DSFinV-K interface requires complete POS data to be available in a format that tax authorities can check directly by machine.

New since 1 January 2025: reporting obligation to the tax authorities. Electronic POS systems with TSE must be reported digitally via the ELSTER portal – within one month for new purchases, and likewise when systems are taken out of service. Anyone who fails to comply with this reporting obligation risks a fine of up to EUR 25,000.

Two further changes are emerging, but have not yet been finally adopted: according to the coalition agreement, a mandatory cash register requirement is to be introduced from 2027 for businesses with annual revenue of EUR 100,000 or more, meaning open cash registers would no longer be permitted for this group. It remains unclear whether the threshold will be based on cash revenue or total revenue. At the same time, the Tax Development Act could abolish the receipt issuance obligation for small amounts under EUR 30, while in return increasing penalties for cash register manipulation to up to five years’ imprisonment (as at June 2026).

All six providers presented in this article generally meet the requirements of the KassenSichV and the GoBD – although for SumUp this only applies to the Pro plan, not to the free basic version. A paper-based cash book is therefore no longer sufficient for electronic POS systems, regardless of whether it is a stationary touchscreen till or a mobile tablet solution.

Which POS system suits which use case?

Not every system is equally suitable for every use case or retail segment. Three examples show what matters:

Specialist shops, e.g. fashion, optics, jewellery

In specialist shops with a large product range or higher-value products – such as fashion boutiques, opticians or jewellery shops – clear management of product variants and flexible payment options are particularly important. Tillhub by Unzer supports item variants and split payments, and offers individual customer profiles where, for example, purchase history, customer preferences or notes can be stored. Stock balancing across branches is also possible. ready2order also supports item variants for size and colour, as well as split payments. SumUp and ETRON each offer a variant function. Lightspeed Retail works with custom tags and categories for brand, colour and size to make even large product ranges searchable.

Floristry

Perishable goods with a tight time window and changing prices depending on season, variety or quality shape this segment. Tillhub by Unzer offers splash-proof hardware and price books, which can be used to define discounts as well as different prices for specific branches or periods. Fleurop is also one of its major customers. ready2order also supports variable prices and sales by item or by bunch.

Mobile sales

For use away from a fixed checkout point – for example at a market stall, at events or as an additional till during peak times – compact, battery-powered hardware is particularly important. Tillhub by Unzer (POS Go) and ready2order (readyGo 2) each offer their own mobile all-in-one device combining till, scanner, printer and card terminal. SumUp can also be used on the move through iPad-based hardware and Tap to Pay, although it does not offer its own compact device. ETRON and Lightspeed Retail enable mobile use via tablet, but do not offer their own compact device.

Suitability for different use cases at a glance

Conclusion: which POS system is right for your shop?

Choosing the right POS system depends heavily on how your business is currently set up – and how you want to grow in future. A fashion boutique has different requirements from a florist or a multi-branch business with several locations.

Systems that combine inventory management, payment processing and branch management in one platform – such as Tillhub by Unzer – reduce complexity and lower the effort required for additional interfaces with external providers. For highly specific requirements, however, a more specialised provider may be the better choice. In addition to the range of functions, you should also consider transparent pricing, good scalability for a growing product range and the quality of support. Especially in the stressful day-to-day running of a shop, a reliable point of contact can make all the difference.

FAQ on POS systems for retail

How much does a POS system cost in retail?

Depending on the provider and range of functions, monthly costs are usually between around EUR 20 and EUR 170, plus a TSE fee if this is not already included. Some providers also charge transaction fees per card payment as well as one-off setup or hardware costs, which should be included in the overall calculation.

Which retail POS system with inventory management is recommended?

Tillhub by Unzer, ready2order, Lightspeed Retail and ETRON all offer integrated inventory management with automatic stock updates after every sale. In the free basic version, SumUp only covers basic stock functions; more comprehensive inventory management is only available in the Pro plan. For multi-branch businesses, it is also worth looking at the cross-branch stock overview.

Are iPad/tablet POS systems suitable for retail?

Yes, tablet POS systems or iPad POS systems are suitable for retail wherever complex hardware installation is to be avoided – from small boutiques to market stalls. Tillhub by Unzer and SumUp both run on iPad, while ready2order offers readyTab, its own tablet till with integrated printer and scanner. All three systems can be expanded with receipt printers, cash drawers or barcode scanners if required, without the need for a fixed checkout point.

Which mobile POS system is suitable for retail?

For mobile checkout, for example on the sales floor, at a market stall or at events, Tillhub by Unzer (POS Go) and ready2order (readyGo 2) each offer their own mobile all-in-one device combining till, scanner, printer and card terminal. SumUp can also be used on the move via iPad hardware and Tap to Pay. All synchronise sales automatically with inventory management as soon as an internet connection is available again.

What legal requirements must a retail POS system meet?

Since 2020, electronic POS systems have required a certified TSE under KassenSichV and must store data in a GoBD-compliant manner. Since 2025, there has also been a reporting obligation to the tax authorities via ELSTER. From 2027, a mandatory cash register requirement for businesses with annual revenue of more than EUR 100,000 is also under discussion, but the law has not yet been finally adopted.

Buying or renting a POS system – which is more worthwhile for retail?

Most of the systems presented are offered on a subscription model rather than as a fixed purchase. This has the advantage that TSE updates, maintenance and new functions are automatically included. A one-off purchase with your own hardware is usually only worthwhile if your requirements are very stable, long-term and unlikely to change, with no planned growth.

Which POS system is suitable for a fashion shop with inventory management?

For fashion shops with many size and colour variants, Tillhub by Unzer, ready2order, SumUp and ETRON each offer functions for managing item variants. Lightspeed Retail works with custom tags for brand, colour and size to make large product ranges searchable. Tillhub by Unzer also offers stock balancing across branches, for example to move goods between locations depending on demand.