For merchants running both an online store and a physical store, syncing inventory management and sales data is a major challenge. Managing the two on separate systems makes issues like stockouts, overstocking, and duplicate data management much more likely to occur.
Shopify POS, a point-of-sale system built into Shopify, solves this challenge. With Shopify POS, you can manage your online store's and physical store's inventory, sales, and customer data all in a single system.
This article explains everything from Shopify POS's basic features to its pricing plans, setup process, and things to watch out for. If you're a merchant considering physical retail sales, be sure to take a look.
※ All information in this article is current as of June 2026.
Image source: Shopify official site
What Is Shopify POS?
Shopify POS is a sales management system for physical stores, provided by Shopify. POS (Point of Sale) refers to a mechanism for recording and managing sales, inventory, and customer data at the moment a product is sold, and when you introduce Shopify POS, your physical store's data syncs with your Shopify online store in real time.
Its main features are as follows.
- Product management: A shared product database with your online store
- Inventory management: Real-time sync of in-store and online inventory
- Customer management: Unified purchase history management across store and online channels
- Sales analytics: Sales reports by store and by channel
The POS app can be installed for free, and "Shopify POS Lite" comes standard with every Shopify plan. If you need more advanced features, you can upgrade to the paid "Shopify POS Pro."
Benefits of Introducing Shopify POS
For merchants running both an online store and a physical store, Shopify POS offers benefits in both operational efficiency and customer experience.
Here are three key benefits of introducing Shopify POS.
Image source: Shopify official site
You Can Manage Online and Physical Store Inventory in One Place
The biggest benefit of Shopify POS is that it centralizes inventory management across your online store and physical store.
When you manage your online store and physical store on separate systems, sync errors between the data can easily lead to stockouts or overstocking. Inventory management mistakes can also lead to lost sales opportunities and customer complaints.
With Shopify POS, sales activity between your online store and physical store is synced and reflected in real time, so the moment a product sells in your physical store, the online store's inventory count is automatically reduced by one as well. This eliminates manual inventory adjustment work and improves operational efficiency while maintaining data accuracy.
You Can Offer a Shopping Experience That Spans Both Online and Physical Stores
Introducing Shopify POS lets you offer a shopping experience that spans your online and physical stores.
Specifically, it enables initiatives such as:
- Letting customers pick up online purchases at a physical store (BOPIS: Buy Online, Pickup In Store)
- Shipping products that are out of stock in-store via the online channel (Ship from Store)
- Managing a shared customer profile and purchase history across physical and online stores
※ Advanced omnichannel features like BOPIS and Ship from Store are mainly available on POS Pro. However, availability may vary depending on your store settings, region, and shipping/inventory configuration. On the Lite plan, the focus is mainly on syncing customer information and purchase history.
You Can Cut Operating Costs Through Greater Operational Efficiency
Streamlining sales management can reduce the workload on your staff. For example, the following tasks — which were previously done manually — become automated.
- Updating inventory counts
- Tallying online and in-store sales
- Managing and consolidating customer information
- Creating sales reports
Reducing manual work not only prevents human error but also shortens staff working hours. Since the same number of staff can handle more work, this can be expected to help reduce overall store operating costs.
Shopify POS's interface is designed intuitively, and it also tends to be relatively quick for even first-time staff to learn — another benefit worth noting.
Things to Check Before Introducing Shopify POS
Shopify POS is a convenient tool, but there are a few prerequisites and constraints worth checking before you introduce it. There are also some constraints specific to using it in Japan, so it's worth understanding how you'll operate it in advance.
A Shopify Subscription Is Required
Shopify POS is offered as a feature of Shopify. Because of this, you need to be subscribed to a monthly Shopify plan in order to use it.
A merchant running only a physical store cannot use Shopify POS on its own. On the other hand, if you're already running an online store on Shopify, you can take advantage of the POS features without introducing any additional system.
The POS app itself is free, and "Shopify POS Lite" comes standard with every Shopify plan.
Some POS Hardware Is Not Yet Available in Japan
Some of the official Shopify payment terminals (card readers) are not yet available in Japan. Compatible models for peripherals like receipt printers and barcode scanners are listed on the official Japanese help center. Please check the official help center for the latest availability. ※ Information as of June 2026
Understand the Difference Between POS Lite and POS Pro
Shopify POS has two plans: Lite (included with every Shopify plan) and Pro (13,000 yen/month). Most of the features needed for full-fledged store operations — BOPIS, Ship from Store, staff permission management, and advanced inventory management — are Pro-only.
If you're planning to run a physical store in earnest, it's practical to start with Lite to get a feel for how it operates, and then consider switching to Pro.
How to Choose a Shopify POS Plan
Shopify POS has two plans, Lite and Pro. The best plan for you depends on your store size, staff count, and operating style.
Differences Between Shopify POS Lite and Pro
| Plan | Shopify POS Lite | Shopify POS Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (included with every plan) | 13,000 yen/month (per location) |
| Suited for | Pop-ups, single stores | Permanent stores, multi-store operations |
| Inventory management | Inventory sync between online and physical stores | Inventory transfers between multiple locations, demand forecasting, purchase order creation |
| Staff management | Staff registration only | Per-staff PIN and permission management, sales tracking |
| BOPIS (in-store pickup) | × | ◯ |
| Ship from Store (store-based shipping) | × | ◯ |
| Cross-channel returns | Selling location only | Returns/exchanges possible at any location |
| Detailed reporting | Basic only | Analysis by location and by staff member |
Cases Where Shopify POS Lite Is a Good Fit
It's well-suited to pop-ups, markets, and independent or small-scale single-store operations. It comes with everything needed for in-person sales — basic payment processing, real-time inventory sync, and customer information management — and can be introduced at no cost.
Paired with a wireless payment terminal, it can also handle traveling sales and event pop-up shops.
Cases Where Shopify POS Pro Is a Good Fit
It's well-suited to merchants running a permanent store in earnest, operating multiple locations, or needing staff permission management. It also supports omnichannel initiatives like in-store pickup and store-based shipping.
While it comes with a cost of 13,000 yen/month, for multi-store operations or omnichannel initiatives, features like staff management and BOPIS can help reduce operational workload.
Note that if you're on a Shopify Plus plan, POS Pro is available at no extra charge for your first 20 stores. In addition, using Shopify Payments makes it effectively free for your 21st store onward, which helps keep costs down when running multiple stores in earnest.
For more on the Shopify Plus plan, see the article below.
Getting Started With Shopify POS
To start using Shopify POS, you need to complete four steps: installing the app, setting up your sales channel, preparing your products and inventory, and preparing your payment terminal.
Step 1: Download and Install the Shopify POS App
Image source: Google Play
The Shopify POS app is available for both iOS and Android. You can download it for free from the App Store or Google Play, and get started by logging in with your Shopify account.
Note that there are restrictions on which OS versions are supported, so check the official Shopify help center for the latest compatibility information.
Step 2: Add POS as a Sales Channel
Add "Point of Sale" from the list of sales channels in your Shopify admin. Adding it as a sales channel automatically syncs your physical store's sales data with your Shopify online store.
Step 3: Configure Product and Inventory Management Settings
For each product, set which sales channel (online store, POS, etc.) it should be sold through. You can separate out products you want to sell only in-store, only online, or through both channels, on a per-product basis.
After configuring this, be sure to check that inventory counts are correctly reflected at each location (online, physical store).
Step 4: Prepare Your Payment Terminal and Peripherals
Prepare hardware such as a card reader and receipt printer. Shopify POS supports multiple payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, and mobile payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
However, since some official Shopify card readers are not yet available in Japan, you'll need to integrate with a third-party payment service available in Japan, such as Stripe Terminal or Square. Since the available payment methods, deposit timing, and transaction fees vary by payment service, choose the one that best fits your operations.
For peripherals such as receipt printers and barcode scanners, check the Shopify official help center for the latest information.
Things to Watch Out for When Introducing Shopify POS
Checking the following points before introducing Shopify POS can help reduce trouble after you go live.
Staff Training and Establishing an Operational Workflow
Beyond just how to operate the POS, it's worth organizing how POS fits into your overall store operations — returns processing, inventory checks, customer service, and so on. Testing common payment patterns (card, cash, gift cards, combinations of multiple payment methods, etc.) before going live can help prevent issues on the day.
Confirm Support Contacts for When Trouble Occurs
Issues like hardware connection failures or inventory data sync errors are bound to happen occasionally during operation. Make sure your team internally shares the contact information for Shopify Support, your payment service, and your hardware vendor, so you can respond quickly when trouble arises.
Regular Updates and Functionality Checks
The Shopify POS app is continuously updated with new features and improvements. Regularly updating the app and your peripherals' software to the latest versions, and performing functionality checks on a regular basis (e.g., monthly), can help prevent issues before they occur.
Unify Your Physical and Online Sales With Shopify POS
With Shopify POS, you can manage your physical store's and online store's inventory, sales, and customer data in one place. Its pricing structure is also a highlight, letting you choose based on your store size — Lite for temporary sales like pop-ups and markets, or Pro for running a permanent store in earnest.
It's practical to start with Lite to get a feel for your operations, and then consider switching to Pro or introducing additional hardware as needed. Use Shopify to grow your sales both online and in person.
