For retail shops
Point of sale systems for retail that know what's on the shelf
A free point of sale system for retail can run a small shop well: scan barcodes, sell sizes and colors as variations, keep a simple stock count that drops with every sale, and get a heads up before you run out.
Boutiques, gift shops, bike shops, bookstores, the corner hardware store. If you sell things off a shelf, this is the page. Liquor stores and convenience stores have their own pages: liquor store POS and grocery and convenience POS.
Three jobs
What your POS should handle so you don't have to
01
Ring it up fast
Point the scanner at the barcode that's already on the box and it's in the cart. No barcode? Search by name or tap it on the grid. Adding new stock works the same way: scan a product and the item can fill itself in.
- Scan to sell, search to sell, or tap to sell
- Discounts and returns at the register
02
Keep count while you sell
Turn on stock tracking for an item and every sale takes one off the count. Set a low-stock level and you get a nudge before the popular size is gone, instead of finding out when a customer asks. More on counts, variants and purchase orders on our POS inventory software page.
- One item with sizes and colors, each with its own count
- Low-stock alerts per variation
- Sales by item, so reordering is a decision, not a guess
03
Sell online without double counting
Your online store should pull from the same item list as the register. Sell the last medium online at 9 pm and it's gone from the shop count too, so you're not apologizing to a customer the next morning.
- One catalog for the shop and the website
- Pickup, local delivery or shipping
- Online orders update stock the same as in-store sales
On Square Free
What a shop can run on Free
- 1
Items with variations
Sizes, colors and styles under one item, each with its own SKU, price and stock count.
- 2
Barcode scanning
Scan to ring up a sale. Scan a product's barcode while adding items and Square can create the item and SKU for you.
- 3
Simple stock counts and low-stock alerts
Turn on stock tracking for an item, enter how many you have, and the count drops as you sell. Set a low-stock level and Square emails you when something dips under it.
- 4
An online store on the same catalog
Sell online with pickup, local delivery or shipping, from the same item list, and print shipping labels.
- 5
Checkout basics
Discounts, refunds and age verification prompts at the register.
- 6
Customers and coupons
A customer directory, coupons and a Google reviews monitor.
- 7
Reports
Sales, item and category reports, plus a daily summary email.
When you'd want to upgrade
When the back room gets serious
Simple stock counts are free. Square's plan table puts full inventory tracking on Plus: the stock overview, history, counts and costs you lean on once you're ordering from vendors every week.
Plan prices and card rates change, so we keep them in one place instead of on every page. See current pricing or Square rates and hardware.
- Square PlusFull inventory trackingStock overview, receiving and adjusting stock with reasons, inventory history, full and cycle counts, unit costs, vendors and purchase orders, and reports like cost of goods sold.
- Square PlusExchanges at the registerSwap a size in one transaction instead of a refund plus a new sale.
- Square PlusBarcode label printingPrint your own labels for products that don't come with a barcode.
- Square PlusBundlesSell a gift set made from items you already stock.
- Square PlusLoyalty and marketingPoints, email and text campaigns.
- Square PlusCustom domain and abandoned cart emailsFor the online store.
- Square PremiumTransfers and returns across locationsMove stock between stores, import purchase orders, and take a return at any location.
Getting started
Your first week
You don't have to do it all on day one. This order works.
Day 1
Sign up and add your best sellers
Start with the twenty things you sell most. You can take payments the same day.
Day 2 and 3
Import the rest and count it
Upload the full list from a spreadsheet, then enter counts as you walk the shelves.
Day 4
Set low-stock levels
Only for the items you can't afford to run out of. Too many alerts and you'll ignore them all.
Day 5 and on
Turn on the online store
Same items, same counts. Start with pickup and add shipping when you're ready.
Questions
Shop owners ask us
Should sizes and colors be separate items?
No. Make one item, like "Crew tee", and add the sizes and colors as variations. Each variation keeps its own SKU and stock count, your item list stays short, and the sales report tells you which size actually sells.
Do I need a barcode scanner on day one?
Not if you carry a few dozen products. Tapping items on the screen or searching by name works fine. Once you're past a couple hundred SKUs, or most of what you sell already has a barcode on it, a scanner pays for itself in saved time at the counter.
Does Square Free track inventory?
The simple part, yes. On Square Free you can turn on stock tracking for an item, enter a count, and it goes down as you sell in the store and online. Low-stock alerts are free too. Square's own plan table lists full inventory tracking under Square Plus: the stock overview, inventory history, counting tools, unit costs and cost of goods reports, vendors and purchase orders. Transfers between locations are on Premium. Square updates these lists now and then, so check our pricing page before you count on a feature.
Can I print my own barcode labels?
Label printing is a Square Plus feature. On Free you can scan the barcodes that already come on your products, or type in your own SKUs and search by name.
Still deciding? See which POS hardware fits your business and whether a free POS is enough, or browse all our free POS guides. Current rates are on our pricing page, and every reader and terminal is on the Square rates and hardware page. More answers on the FAQ page, or call (888) 243-3831.
Put your shelf in your pocket. Start free.
Square Free has no monthly software fee and no long-term contract. You pay a processing fee when a customer pays by card, and nothing on cash. Current numbers are on our pricing page.
No monthly fee on the free plan. No long-term contract. Cancel anytime. See current pricing.
Free POS System is operated by POSUSA, an authorized Square reseller. POSUSA may earn compensation when you sign up through our link. It doesn't cost you a cent more. Read our disclosure.