Founded in 2005, Lightspeed software is available in over 110 countries.
Initially focusing on just providing software for retail businesses, Lightspeed has consistently grown over the years, expanding its product range to include e-commerce, golf and hospitality businesses. It bough out software company Vend in 2021.
It now offers one of the most feature-rich, sophisticated ePOS systems in the world.
In this review, I will look in-depth at the Lightspeed ePOS system for retail and restaurant businesses to see if it is the right solution for your business.
Lightspeed Review: My Verdict
Lightspeed ePOS is a a very sophisticated POS option for established businesses, especially those with multiple locations. If you’re operating in retail, hospitality or golf, this capable and reliable system should be on your shortlist. You’ll need to be an established business taking perhaps a minimum of £10k per month to consider Lightspeed as an option: it’s not for newbies.
Lightspeed is a software tool primarily, running only on Ipads. Its user-friendly interface and versatile features integrate brilliantly with software and tools such as Shopify, Xero, OpenTable, and Quickbooks, helping you scale your business and improve efficiency.
While it does offer e-commerce, my suggestion would be to integrate it with an existing ecommerce platform rather than use their own version.
NB, you must use their own payment processor. And it’s IOS only, which might be a problem if you’re used to Android.
Overall, Lightspeed is one of the top POS in the world for a reason. It’s suitability is limited to specific business types., however. The extensive features may overwhelm small businesses. It is not the cheapest but they also claim they are price competitive 86% of the time.
Pros and Cons of Lightspeed
Why You Should Go For Lightspeed
- Runs off an Ipad: Despite it’s complexity, the whole thing runs off IOS, even if you’re a multi chain store. Or it can integrate with sophisticated POS hardware if you’d rather.
- Versatility: Whether you have 1 location or 100, your Lightspeed ePOS can be tailored to suit your needs.
- Helpful Features: Depending on your plan, you can use features such as inventory management, advanced marketing tools and the online ordering platform, Order Anywhere.
- Integration Capabilities: Connect other business tools and apps, such as Shopify, Xero, OpenTable and Quickbooks, to streamline processes and improve overall efficiency.
- Analytics: Lightspeed Analytics is arguably the best on the market, really allowing businesses owners to learn about user behaviour and take meaningful action to drive revenue accordingly. In my tests, I found it to be more than impressive.
- Offline Mode: Continue processing sales during internet outages. Once the connection is restored, the system syncs the data automatically.
- Security Features: PCI DSS validated Level 1 Service compliance and end-to-end encryption for in-store and online transactions.
- Customer Support: All plans have 24/7 support and free training resources.
What You Should be Aware Of
- Limited Business Types: Lightspeed can only be used for specific retail, e-commerce, restaurant and golf businesses.
- Cost: It can be significantly more expensive for smaller businesses than other ePOS providers.
- Internet Dependency: Even with offline mode, some features may be limited without a stable internet connection.
- Hardware: Compatible hardware is not included in any plan.
- Transaction Fees: Lightspeed Payment charges a flat processing fee between 2.6% to 2.9% plus 10¢ (approximately £0.08) for successful transactions.
- Learning Curve: Users not experienced with advanced ePOS or tech-savvy may find Lightspeed challenging.
- Feature Overwhelm: Smaller businesses may underutilise the wide range of included features.
- Mobile App Functionality: The mobile app doesn’t have the same comprehensive functionality as the desktop version.
Lightspeed Features
Lightspeed offers specific versions for e-commerce, golf, retail and restaurant businesses.
This review will focus on the retail and restaurant ePOS packages.
Lightspeed Retail
The typical Lightspeed retail customer would be either a small but high-end boutique with a reasonable turnover, or a multi-chain offering. You can run the whole system off an IPad, while using all of the complex tools in their retail management system.
You can process sales via barcodes, process refunds, exchanges, or issue store credit, sell and easily track service based sales like work orders, repairs, alterations, and more. Manage inventory, staff, customer payments, and get clear reporting via their industry-leading analytics.
Lightspeed offers 4 different retail POS plans to suit the needs of your business.
The lean package includes the basics, giving you access to Lightspeed’s cloud-based platform, Retail POS. You’ll receive 1 register and can process payments within the platform.
By downloading the Lightspeed Scanner app, your iOS or Android device can be transformed into a barcode scanner, and you’ll have access to inventory management and a B2B catalogue to automate your purchases.
To help you get the most out of your plan, Lightspeed offers free training resources and 24/7 assistance through the customer support team.
In addition to everything included in the lean package, standard plan customers can integrate their Lightspeed Retail POS with popular accounting software to streamline bookkeeping. You’ll also be able to use an advanced integrated eCommerce platform to diversify your offerings and take your business online on marketplaces such as Amazon, eBay, Google Shopping, and social media platforms.
The advanced plan customers will benefit from creating omnichannel loyalty schemes for their customers and analysing business data through advanced reporting features.
For larger or high-volume retail businesses, the Lightspeed retail enterprise plan gives more comprehensive support, including a dedicated customer support manager, unlimited personalised onboarding services and API support. You’ll also get the best Lightspeed Payments processing rates to minimise costs.
Hardware is not included in any of the Lightspeed Retail POS plans, but you can contact their customer support team to receive a quote for compatible equipment.
Lightspeed Restaurant EPOS
Lightspeed restaurant ePOS is used in over 160 Michelin-starred restaurants and approximately 168,000 locations worldwide.
There are 4 Lightspeed ePOS packages available for restaurants to choose from.
The starter plan is designed for restaurants with either 1 or 2 locations and includes all the necessities to grow your business. You can streamline your customer service through integrated payments and creating loyalty schemes. You will also be able to grow your business through advanced analytics and a certified marketplace of business partners. If you want to upgrade your plan, you can access online ordering and inventory management for an extra fee.
In addition to everything in the starter package, the essential plan includes access to the online ordering platform, Order Anywhere, and inventory management. Designed for restaurants with between 1 and 15 locations, you’ll also see real-time performance reports through the Lightspeed Live mobile app.
For restaurants looking for a more comprehensive ePOS package, the premium plan includes everything you need to make your business successful. Ideal for restaurants with more than 16 locations, you’ll gain basic API access and integrate your PMS for a bespoke and convenient ePOS experience.
The enterprise plan allows you to tailor your ePOS package to your restaurant’s needs. You’ll be given a dedicated customer success manager and have access to the dedicated enterprise plan support team. You will also have unlimited launch and consultation services to ensure you get the most out of your plan.
All restaurant packages require an annual commitment and are billed monthly.
Similar to the retail ePOS plans, hardware is not included in the restaurant plans, but you can contact the Lightspeed customer support team to receive a quote for suitable equipment.
Lightspeed Pricing and Costs
The cost of Lightspeed depends on the nature of your business and the plan you choose.
The table below shows the cost of the Lightspeed retail and restaurant packages. What transaction fees you pay per sale will depend highly on the volume of transactions you do, and what industry you’re in etc. Lightspeed claim they are price competitive and will match or exceed the best rates for the right client.
Lightspeed are essentially a software company so you’ll pay a fee for the monthly subscription to their APP. The fees to watch out for, however, are the per transaction fees: Lightspeed insist you use their payment processing functionality and they take a per sale percentage, typically from 0.4% up to about 2% per sale. This is the figure that’s going to make the biggest different to your businesse’s bottom line.
| Plan | Cost | Additional License | Online Ordering | Inventory Management |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Lean | £59 – £69 per month | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Retail Standard | £79 – £89 per month | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Retail Advanced | £119 – £139 per month | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Restaurant Starter | £59 per month | £33 | £50 | £100 |
| Restaurant Essential | £109 per month | £33 | Included | Included |
| Restaurant Premium | £339 per month | £33 | Included | Included |
Large or high-volume businesses wishing to use the enterprise package should contact Lightspeed directly for a bespoke quote.
If you use Lightspeed Payments, you will be charged a separate, flat processing fee for each transaction:
- 2.6% plus 10¢ (approximately £0.08) for card-present (CP) transactions
- 2.9% plus 10¢ for card-not-present (CNP) transactions
You will also have to pay £15 every time you have a chargeback.
Hardware is not provided with any package, so it may be an additional cost if you don’t already have compatible hardware.
Lightspeed offers a hardware package for a separate fee. You can obtain a quote by contacting the customer service team.
Lightspeed User Interface and Experience
The Lightspeed ePOS is cloud-based, allowing you to access the system wherever and whenever needed. I found it beautifully designed and simple to use, with some of the best UX in the industry.
The interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive, providing businesses with comprehensive features for effective point-of-sale management.
The dashboard, accessed through the desktop platform or the Lightspeed mobile app, gives a quick overview of essential business metrics, such as sales performance, top-selling products, and recent transactions.
Whilst the desktop platform requires extensive configuration, the app is designed for a quick and easy setup, allowing businesses to use mobile functionality quickly.
In the event of an internet outage, Lightspeed ePOS has an offline mode, allowing businesses to continue processing sales. Once the connection is restored, the system automatically syncs data.
Lightspeed Hardware
Lightspeed essentially runs off an IOS device, although it can integrate with POS Hardware too.
Hardware isn’t included in any Lightspeed ePOS plan, so you must use existing equipment or buy it separately.
You cannot use existing payment terminals as they do not have the required certified firmware.
Lightspeed offers a hardware package, conveniently bundling together multiple pieces of compatible equipment. You can get a quote for hardware by contacting the customer service team.
Compatible hardware varies depending on your business’s needs and plan you choose, but could include:
| Hardware Component | Retail Hardware | Restaurant Hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | – iPadOS 15.5 or higher- Mac OSX Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, or Ventura- Windows 7 or higher | – iPadOS 15.5 or higher- Mac OSX Mojave, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey, or Ventura- Windows 7 or higher |
| POS Devices | – iPad- Laptop- Mac | – iPad- Laptop- Mac |
| Additional Hardware | – iPad stand- Receipt printer- Label printer- Cash drawer- Barcode scanner- Customer-facing display- Payment terminal- Lightspeed Hub | – iPad stand- Printer- Cash drawer- Barcode or socket scanner- Payment terminal- Lightspeed Kitchen Display System- Lightspeed Order Display Screen- Fiscal Data Modules (FDM)- Network Module- LiteServer |
Some ePOS systems only operate on iOS devices, so it’s important to check which devices are compatible with your plan.
Lightspeed Integration Capabilities
Lightspeed allows you to seamlessly integrate leading third-party software to manage your business conveniently from one platform.
Integrations vary depending on the ePOS plan you choose, including:
Accounting software such as Quickbooks, Xero and POS Accounting
Customer service software such as Ikeono, Kangaroo Rewards and Como
eCommerce software such as BigCommerce, Shopify and WooCommerce
Employee management software such as Deputy, Planday and Homebase
Inventory management software such as Local Inventory on Google, NearSt, and Growzer
Marketing software such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo and Marsello
Payment providers such as Zettle, Sunday and SumUp
Restaurant management software such as OpenTable, Tablebooker and Resngo
Lightspeed Customer Support
Lightspeed has excellent customer support, offering a variety of ways to get help whenever you needed it including
- Web chats or calls with the support team 24/7 in English, between 7 am to 11 pm in German, 8 am to 12 am in French or 9 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday in Dutch.
- Submitting a support request through email
- Sharing your screen with the support team over Zoom
There’s also a comprehensive education and training program to help you maximise your ePOS. Depending on the package you choose, this may include:
- Dedicated account manager
- Free training resources
- API support
- Customer success manager
- Onboarding and launch support
- One-to-one onboarding
Is Lightspeed Safe?
Lightspeed has several measures to protect your business and customers’ data, including
- PCI DSS-validated Level 1 Service-compliant software and hardware.
- Filling annual reports on compliance (ROCs) and attestations of compliance (AOCS)
- End-to-end encryption for in-store and online transactions
- An in-house security team monitoring the server 24/7 for suspicious activity.
- Quarterly scans by an approved scanning vendor (ASV) for network vulnerabilities.
Lightspeed Reviews
Lightspeed ePOS has received positive feedback, earning a TrustScore of 4 out of 5 from over 1,400 reviews. The 74% of users give it a 5-star rating, emphasising its user-friendly interface and strong customer support.
Users express satisfaction with the team’s commitment to assisting with various aspects, from initial setup to ongoing support. The “friendly” support team’s dedication to resolving issues promptly and effectively is highlighted as a key positive aspect.
The system’s stability and ease of integration into business operations are consistently praised. Users find the transition between different systems and the setup of new features to be straightforward, with the Lightspeed team providing valuable assistance.
Several instances of “responsive” and “knowledgeable” support are mentioned, including resolving long-standing issues and quick assistance during peak periods.
The overall sentiment suggests that Lightspeed ePOS is well-received for its user-friendly system and responsive support, making it a favourable choice for businesses.
However, some users have had a negative experience, highlighting problems with billing practices, customer service, and dissatisfaction with the perceived pressure to use Lightspeed’s payment processing services.
Users have reported feeling compelled to adopt Lightspeed’s payment system or face additional fees, leading to negative feedback on their overall experience with the platform. They describe their experience as “expensive”, “untrustworthy” and “forceful”.
Lightspeed Mobile App Reviews
The various Lightspeed restaurant ePOS apps’ average score is 3.18 out of 5 on the Apple App Store, presenting a mixed perspective.
Positive feedback focuses on the app’s potential and feature-rich performance, describing it as “highly customisable” and “easy to configure”. However, many users comment on “poorly written” software, sign-up errors, and problematic updates affecting functionality.
For the retail ePOS app, Lightspeed has an average score of 3.3 out of 5 on the Apple App Store.
Some users praise Lightspeed for its “great” interface, continuous improvement, and adaptability to changing business needs. Users appreciate features such as inventory management, “effective” communication with customers, and “seamless” operation across various platforms.
However, other users express disappointment with the transition from Shopkeep, citing difficulties in setup, system crashes during busy times, and overall dissatisfaction with the increased cost. They describe the Lightspeed app as “less intuitive”, “slower”, and aesthetically and functionally “over-designed” compared to its predecessor.
Lightspeed Alternatives
| Features | Hardware | Contract | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed | Inventory management, e-commerce, offline mode, customer management, reporting | Requires an iPad | 12 months |
| Takepayments | Inventory management, e-commerce, customer management, staff management, cash management, reporting, offline mode | Included counter-top system and portable card machine | Minimum of 12 months |
| ePOS Now | Inventory management, e-commerce staff management, customer management, marketing and reporting | By outright or rent monthly starting at £19 | Bespoke |
Lightspeed FAQs
Is there a free trial available for Lightspeed?
Retail and eCommerce businesses can have a free 14-day Lightspeed ePOS trial. You can access every feature from the paid plans without providing your credit card details.
There’s no free trial for restaurant or golf businesses, but you can watch a demo to see if the ePOS meets your needs.
How long are Lightspeed ePOS contracts?
It depends on which plan you take. Lightspeed restaurant plans require an annual commitment and are billed monthly, but the retail ePOS plans have no long-term commitment and are billed monthly.
