24/7 expert support
Pros
- Comprehensive solution
- Excellent customer support
- Robust analytics and insight features
- Options for customization
Cons
- Lack of variety in pricing
- Extra cost for certain analytics tools
About Lightspeed POS
Lightspeed stands out as a cloud-based POS solution tailored for retailers in numerous industries, including apparel, footwear, bike, jewelry, pet, sporting goods, and home decor. Its seamless integration empowers users to smoothly manage both in-store and online inventory. The system provides a cohesive view of customers and enables detailed analysis of multi-channel sales data.
What is Lightspeed?
Lightspeed offers all-in-one solutions with rich features for small businesses in the retail and restaurant sectors. With Lightspeed, business owners can manage staff, inventory, customer data, payments, and other transactions. While Lightspeed’s diversity of applications is not its main selling point, what truly seals the deal for most of their users is the company’s dedicated focus on assisting entrepreneurs from all over the world.
Lightspeed offers a versatile POS system that can be used in different industries such as restaurants, retail, hotels, and quick service establishments. However, Lightspeed is unable to support businesses in industries such as catering, food trucks, and pizzeria.
Lightspeed Features
We’ve mentioned that Lightspeed is a feature-rich solution for businesses. Here are some of the notable features of this POS system.
Inventory Management
There are a couple of handy tools Lightspeed provides to manage business inventory. You can transfer simple data from different platforms via CSV files or Excel. You can also add descriptions to customize products including the size and color of the item. Getting your stocks from multiple vendors simultaneously is made easier to save you time and money by directly ordering from the POS.
Integrated Payment
Lightspeed accepts any type of payment from cash, to card, to mobile. It is PCI compliant which means credit card information is securely processed and transmitted. It is also EMV compatible.
Customer Management
You can manage loyalty programs, special discounts, and customer discounts in one place. You can control the flow of your sales by making decisions based on data showing you which products are more relevant to your customers.
Analytics and Reporting
The POS features built-in reporting allowing you to benefit from the features of a complete CRM system. You can discover who are your recurring customers and your best-selling products. It also makes performance monitoring easier.
Third-Party Integration
Lightspeed POS boasts an extensive compatibility with nearly 100 applications, including 1-Click website, Ask Emma, Agendrix, Cloudbeds, Clock, and many more. With just a few simple taps, ypu can effortlessly integrate payment processing, inventory management, employee management, marketing, ERP, analytics, and customer loyalty solutions into your system.
Plans and Pricing
Lightspeed provides different pricing levels for businesses at different stages. Plans can be billed monthly or annually. All Lightspeed plans allow owners to accept credit card payments. The card-present rate is 2.6% plus 10 cents while card-not-present is 2.6% plus 30 cents.
Users can take advantage of the 2-week free trial to try out Lightspeed’s functionalities. You can test out the features of the platform without having to spend a cent.
Lean
Lean provides the essentials for running a business. For $119 per month billed annually or $139 per month billed monthly, you get a access to a platform with integrated payments.
Standard
The Standard plan is best for omnichannel businesses. The plan adds features such as accounting and e-commerce integration. You can automate your bookkeeping and sell online seamlessly. Standard is priced at $169 per month billed annually or $199 per month billed monthly.
Advanced
Advanced costs $249 per month billed annually or $319 per month billed monthly. This plan gives more tools to businesses who are aiming for do more. You can reward loyal customers through omnichannel loyalty plans. This plan also gives you access to data and insights that can help you make better decisions for your business.
Enterprise
An Enterprise account is best for large businesses and high volume sellers. You get everything in the advanced plan plus unlimited launch services and personalized onboarding. There is dedicated premium support and personalized consultation for account owners. You do need to reach out to Lightspeed to get a price quote for this plan.
All Lightspeed plans get a dedicated account manager, 24/7 customer support, and access to free training resources. Lightspeed also offers hardware kits that can be purchased in bundles or separately as you need them. Although all you really need for the POS system to work is an iPad or computer. You can also customize the design of your hardware to match the aesthetics of your establishment.
• Desktop Kit: Includes USB scanner, receipt printer, and cash drawer
• iPad Kit: Includes cash drawer, Bluetooth scanner, LAN receipt printer, and iPad stand. This kit was created for the best wireless experience. You can take the iPad to your customers instead of having them queue up.
Customer Support
Lightspeed’s customer support team covers almost every facet of client interactions. They can help you with setting up your system or with maintenance inquiries. Each plan with a free onboarding session. Aside from this, you get 24/7 support for issues your experience with your system.
Lightspeed has phone lines, email, and live chat available for customers. There are also video tutorials where you can learn more about the features they offer. The Community Forum gives you access to concerns and discussion previously experienced by other users.
Conclusion
Lightspeed is an intuitive but easy solution specifically made for retail and restaurant businesses. It offers all the necessary functionalities conveniently concentrated in one, easily manageable platform, and surprises users with some handy features they may not have even realized they needed. All in all, Lightspeed serves as an incredible improvement for retailers and restaurant owners, streamlining their operations and enhancing their overall business experience.
