Square makes it easy to accept payments and manage basic inventory. That simple setup works well for many small retailers.
But pet stores often need more from their POS. Square offers no built-in pet catalog, so staff have to maintain product records themselves. It also keeps Astro Loyalty outside checkout. Grooming businesses may need another system to connect appointments with pet records.
These workarounds can raise costs and add steps to everyday tasks.
Below, we compare five Square alternatives for pet stores and explain where each platform fits.
Five platforms come up most often when independent pet stores search for a Square alternative — and each solves a different gap. Pricing ranges from $39 per month to a custom quote.
Starting price rarely settles the decision. A cheaper plan needing a separate loyalty subscription and a booking app often costs more than a pet-specific platform. The sections below break down what each one includes.
Square handles standard retail inventory well on its paid plans — bulk imports, barcode scanning to create items or receive stock, purchase orders, and vendor records. General merchandise isn’t the problem. Four pet-specific gaps are what send stores looking:
Astro Loyalty adds another step to every qualifying sale. Staff ring up the purchase in Square, then record the reward activity separately. Miss that second step, and a customer loses credit they earned.
Related Read: How To Choose a Pet Store POS System
Below is what each platform includes, what it costs, and where it falls short for pet retail. Match the list to what your store does beyond ringing up sales.
eTailPet is the only Square POS alternative on this list built exclusively for independent pet stores. The platform includes point of sale (POS), inventory management, e-commerce, and customer tracking. Grooming and loyalty unlock as you move up plans.
Two features carry most of the weight. The built-in catalog holds more than 160,000 pet-specific items, with descriptions, images, and UPCs attached. Opening inventory arrives built rather than typed. The Astro Loyalty integration puts frequent buyer credits on the same screen as the sale. The second window disappears.
Lightspeed serves specialty retail broadly, including pet stores and veterinary practices. Inventory depth and reporting are the main draws.
Shopify suits stores where online sales already carry real weight. In-store and web inventory stay on one record.
Clover offers flexible hardware and a wide app marketplace, serving retail and service businesses on the same system.
PetStack comes from FieldStack, which builds unified commerce software for larger specialty chains. The product targets independent pet retailers specifically.
Related Read: 5 Best Pet Store Rewards Programs 2026
Most stores delay a POS change because the migration sounds worse than the problem. Three things decide how difficult it becomes.
Product data comes first. Moving a hand-built Square catalog means exporting it and mapping fields to the new system. Platforms with a pet catalog shortcut this process. Matching a UPC pulls in the full product record instead of requiring you to import your own version.
Hardware comes second. Card readers bought through Square are locked into Square processing and stay behind. Scanners, printers, and cash drawers on USB usually carry over.
Timing comes third. Most stores schedule the switch outside their busiest season and train staff before the first live sale. Ask any vendor how long onboarding runs and who handles the catalog build.
Switching a point of sale system raises the same questions for most pet retailers. Here are the ones that come up before a demo call.
Is Square good for pet stores?
Square handles payments and general retail inventory well, which suits newer pet stores and single locations with straightforward stock. Pet-specific work is where it stops. A prebuilt pet catalog, native Astro Loyalty, and scheduling built around animal records all require workarounds or separate subscriptions.
Is Square the cheapest option for a pet store?
Once you total everything, Square isn’t much cheaper than other POS platforms. Square Free costs nothing monthly but charges 2.6% plus 15 cents on in-person sales. Square Plus runs $49 per location, while Premium costs $149. Add an Astro Loyalty subscription and a scheduling app on top, and the gap between Square and a pet-specific platform narrows fast.
Do alternatives to Square support grooming and scheduling?
Several Square alternatives support grooming and scheduling, though the depth varies. eTailPet includes grooming booking on its Core plan and ties appointments to the same customer record as purchases. Lightspeed, Shopify POS, and Clover all handle booking through third-party apps.
Can I keep my Square hardware if I switch?
You can usually keep some of it. Card readers and terminals bought through Square are locked into Square processing and won’t transfer. Barcode scanners, receipt printers, and cash drawers connected by USB often work with a new system. Confirm compatibility before buying anything new.
Does Square work with Astro Loyalty?
Not natively. Astro Loyalty runs alongside Square as a separate subscription, so staff manage rewards outside the register and reconcile afterward. Pet-specific platforms including eTailPet connect to Astro Loyalty directly. Frequent buyer credits and free goods stay on the same screen as the sale.
How long does a pet store POS migration take?
A pet store POS migration usually takes a few weeks, though the timeline depends heavily on data migration. Moving inventory, customer records, pricing, and loyalty history takes longer. A new system that matches your data to an existing product catalog shortens it.
Every workaround has a cost. A separate loyalty login, a scheduling app that doesn’t know your customers, a catalog you build by hand — each one adds a step, and the steps add up across a busy day.
eTailPet closes those gaps by building the pet-specific work into the POS itself, not around it — one platform, one login, one record per customer and pet. It’s why independent pet stores nationwide run their business on it.
Use the Build and Price tool to choose the features your store needs and create your eTailPet package.