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Running a successful pet store can feel a lot like juggling one too many plates. You’re managing inventory, customer relationships, and sales — all while keeping furry friends happy.
If you don’t have the right point of sale (POS) system for your business, this juggling routine can quickly turn into a mess of unhappy customers, expired products on your shelves, and long, slow lines at the checkout counter.
That's why choosing the right POS for pet stores is crucial for independent pet retailers. In this post, we’ll help you find the perfect system that keeps the focus on pets, not paperwork. We'll compare nine top providers to show which features deliver real results.
Let’s get started.
What Makes a Great Pet Store POS System?
Before we begin listing out the top POS systems for pet stores, let’s answer a foundational question: What separates the great pet store POS systems from the less-than-great?
To operate a successful pet store, you need more than basic transaction processing — you need a system that understands the unique challenges of pet retail. Generic POS systems might handle sales, but they fall short when building customer relationships and managing specialized pet store inventory, which helps independent pet stores thrive.
When considering point of sale options, look for these key features:
- In-depth customer profiles for pets AND owners: Track comprehensive information about your human customers and their beloved pets, including breed details, preferences, purchase history, and special needs.
- Intelligent inventory management with perishables tracking: Monitor stock levels while managing food, treats, and supplements expiration dates. Advanced systems track sales trends to help you make better ordering decisions.
- E-commerce integrations: Maintain perfect inventory accuracy between your online store and physical location, allowing customers to shop however they prefer while preventing overselling and stock discrepancies.
- Pet grooming and service scheduling: Manage appointments for grooming, training, and other services directly within your POS system.
- Automated marketing tools: Promote your store through automated social media posting, email campaigns, and review management.
- Easy-to-use interface that's easy to learn: Master your POS system quickly — without weeks of training.
Related Read: Pet Store Customer Loyalty 101: The What, Why, and How
Top 9 Pet Store POS Systems Compared
Now that you understand what separates the top pet shop POS systems from basic retail solutions, let's examine the top providers in the market.
1. eTailPet
Best for: Independent pet stores
eTailPet is the top-rated POS solution designed by pet store owners who understand precisely what you need to succeed. Our all-in-one system combines user-friendly design with powerful features that keep you focused on your customers and their pets.
Key features:
- Astro Loyalty Program integration for seamless customer rewards and retention
- In-depth customer profiles with comprehensive pet information tracking
- Smart ordering system based on top-selling products and sales trends
- Integrated grooming service scheduling directly within your POS
- Automated pet store marketing tools to boost your store's visibility
eTailPet offers an easy-to-use solution trusted by thousands of pet retailers. Our all-in-one tool includes everything from loyalty programs to automated marketing, ensuring you have all the tools you need to grow your business. While smaller operations might not use every advanced feature, the investment pays for itself through improved efficiency and increased sales.
Pricing: Get a custom quote using our transparent pricing tool.
"eTailPet has revolutionized our business... Their support is always there, making them indispensable to us." — Janet, Pet Pros
2. Square POS
Best for: Small pet stores with basic transaction needs
Square POS offers a straightforward approach that gets you up and running fast. While this system handles basic transactions well enough, you'll quickly discover it's missing the pet-specific tools independent retailers need to build lasting customer relationships and streamline operations.
Key features:
- Basic inventory tracking with simple product management
- Integrated payment processing with standard rates
- Digital receipt system for paperless transactions
- Offline functionality during internet outages
- Mobile-friendly design for tablets and smartphones
Square's main advantage is its simplicity and no-cost entry point, making it very easy to learn for new users who need basic transaction processing without monthly fees. However, Square falls short for serious pet retailers because it lacks essential features like detailed customer pet profiles, loyalty program integration, and specialized inventory management for perishables.
Pricing: Square offers a free basic plan with per-transaction fees, while more advanced features require paid subscriptions starting around $60 per month.
3. Lightspeed Retail
Best for: Enterprise pet stores with multiple locations
Lightspeed Retail provides enterprise-level functionality for larger pet store operations that need sophisticated management across multiple locations. This system offers a scalable solution with advanced reporting features that growing chains need. Though it provides a generic solution for all retailers, it does target pet stores as one of its key industries.
Key features:
- Advanced inventory management with automated reordering capabilities
- Multilocation support with centralized management dashboard
- Comprehensive e-commerce integration for multichannel sales
- Detailed reporting and analytics
- Team management tools with customizable permissions
Lightspeed offers 24/7 support and powerful reporting tools that help smooth out large-scale operations. The system is also great for scaling to multiple locations, making it a solid choice for pet store chains. Unfortunately, some of the pet-store-specific features found in solutions like eTailPet are missing. It also has a more complex interface and may take longer to train staff to use appropriately.
Pricing: Lightspeed Retail plans begin at $89 per month per location, with additional costs for advanced features and third-party integrations.
4. KORONA POS
Best for: Pet stores wanting detailed analytics and performance insights
KORONA POS focuses heavily on analytics and reporting. Their system offers advanced reporting and data analytics for pet store owners who want to understand every aspect of their business performance. Like Lightspeed, KORONA offers a generic retail solution, but pet stores are one of their focus industries, meaning they have many features pet stores need.
Key features:
- Detailed reporting with customizable dashboard views
- Advanced inventory analysis with performance tracking
- Built-in loyalty program management system
- Comprehensive employee management and scheduling
- Promotional campaign management with results tracking
KORONA's strength lies in its fast-growing feature set and strong analytical tools, backed by 24/7 customer support. However, KORONA’s more advanced tools have a downside — some of these reports come with a steep learning curve that requires additional staff training time.
Pricing: KORONA POS subscriptions start at $59 per month per terminal, with enterprise options available for larger operations requiring additional features.
5. Cumulus Retail
Best for: Pet stores with multiple locations requiring maximum reliability
Cumulus Retail focuses on reliability. Its cloud architecture helps minimize downtime and keep your pet store operations running smoothly, even during an internet outage. The system offers e-commerce integrations, consistent uptime, and multilocation capabilities.
Key features:
- "Always on" cloud system for maximum operational uptime
- Integrated e-commerce platform with real-time inventory sync
- Advanced product management with detailed categorization options
- Comprehensive CRM system for customer relationship tracking
- Real-time data access across all locations and sales channels
Related Read: How To Increase Pet Store Sales: 20 Top Tips & Tools
Cumulus offers e-commerce integrations to keep your inventory synchronized across channels. The downsides include higher monthly costs than more focused solutions, a lack of pet-specific tools like grooming appointment scheduling and detailed pet customer profiles, and a more complex setup process that typically requires professional implementation assistance.
Pricing: Cumulus Retail plans start at $125 per month per location, with additional setup fees and costs for advanced integrations and customizations.
6. RetailEdge
Best for: Budget-conscious pet stores preferring one-time software purchases
RetailEdge appeals to cost-conscious pet store owners who prefer traditional software ownership over ongoing subscription models. While this system eliminates monthly fees through its one-time purchase structure, it lacks the modern cloud features and pet-specific tools many pet stores need.
Key features:
- One-time software purchase, eliminating monthly subscription fees
- Mobile POS capability for flexible customer service
- Integrated credit card processing with competitive rates
- Local data storage, which can offer security and speed
RetailEdge's primary advantage is its ownership model. The system is traditional, on-site software, meaning you can use it without recurring subscription costs. However, the interface feels outdated compared to modern solutions. The system lacks advanced cloud features that today's retailers expect, and there are no pet-specific tools like customer pet profiles or grooming scheduling.
Pricing: RetailEdge requires a single payment of $495, which includes the software license, basic training, and initial setup support with no ongoing fees.
7. Clover POS
Best for: Pet stores prioritizing flexible hardware options
Clover POS is an all-in-one point of sale system with flexible hardware options, allowing you to choose from various terminal options that fit your specific counter space and operational needs. The system also provides reliable payment processing and the reliability of being one of the most established brands in independent retail.
Key features:
- Cloud-based system with dependable performance
- Multiple hardware options from countertop to mobile devices
- Seamless QuickBooks integration for simplified accounting
- Mobile POS capabilities for floor sales and special events
- Comprehensive payment processing with competitive transaction rates
Clover's strength lies in its hardware flexibility and established payment processing reputation, offering reliable, secure transactions. The system integrates well with popular accounting software and offers multiple hardware options to match your store layout. Unfortunately, Clover lacks the pet-specific features many pet stores need to succeed. Also, costs can escalate quickly when adding additional features and hardware.
Pricing: Clover POS pricing varies significantly based on hardware selection and software features, typically ranging from $14 to $165 per month, plus equipment costs and transaction fees.
Related Read: 10 Pet Spending Statistics You Need To Know
8. Shopify POS
Best for: Pet stores with strong e-commerce focus
Shopify POS is a top choice for pet stores prioritizing online sales or building a strong omnichannel presence. Known as an e-commerce-first point of sale provider, they offer strong integration between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar sales and inventory.
Key features:
- Seamless online and offline integration with unified inventory management
- Comprehensive inventory tracking across all sales channels
- Advanced customer management with detailed purchase history
- Mobile POS functionality for flexible in-store service
- Extensive app ecosystem for customization and business expansion
Related Read: 4 Omnichannel Retail Trends for Pet Stores To Try
Shopify's greatest strength is its powerful e-commerce platform integration. The system also offers a large ecosystem of apps and integrations for customization, making it a solid choice for pet stores focused on building a strong online presence alongside their physical location. However, the system is optimized for general retail rather than pet-specific operations.
Pricing: Shopify POS plans start at $50 per month, with additional transaction fees and costs for premium features, apps, and advanced integrations.
9. Pawfinity
Best for: Pet service providers with retail components
Pawfinity targets pet businesses that blend retail sales with dog grooming, boarding, or training services. They offer specialized appointment management tools alongside basic POS functionality, making managing the services side of your pet store easier and more streamlined.
Key features:
- Comprehensive pet service scheduling with appointment management
- Detailed client and pet profile management system
- Automated SMS and email notification system for appointments
- Integrated point of sale for retail transactions
- Service-specific reporting and analytics tools
Pawfinity is a great fit for pet businesses that combine retail with services, providing specialized scheduling tools and automated customer communication features. However, the system prioritizes services over retail operations, which may limit its effectiveness for stores focused primarily on product sales.
Pricing: Pawfinity subscription plans start at $72 per month, with pricing tiers based on user count and advanced features required for your business needs.
The Best POS System for Pet Stores: Get the Most From Your Tools
The nine point of sale solutions in this post offer strong features and functionality for independent pet stores looking to improve their operations — but no single tool is right for every business.
As you decide, remember that the right POS system should make your life easier, not harder. You shouldn't spend weeks training staff on complex interfaces or struggle with systems that don't understand your business. The best pet store POS solutions are easy to use and give you the scheduling, customer loyalty, and inventory management tools you need to succeed.
If you run an independent pet store, eTailPet offers the perfect combination of user-friendly design and pet-focused functionality. Trusted by thousands of successful pet retailers, this revolutionary system provides everything from Astro Loyalty integration to automated marketing tools designed specifically by pet store owners who understand the industry.
Ready to see how the right POS system can transform your pet store operations? Schedule a demo with eTailPet today.
