Retail Systems Research (RSR) found that many retailers still use outdated checkout technology. According to its 2025 survey, 27% of retailers had point of sale (POS) systems that were at least five years old. That’s about when POS hardware is due for an upgrade, since newer software starts to outgrow it.
For pet stores, an aging or general-purpose POS creates daily, time-consuming workarounds. Grooming appointments end up in a separate app, and online orders don’t always match what’s on the shelf. One double-booked groom results in an apologetic call to a customer who booked a week ago — so that customer may not book again. Meanwhile, shoppers wait at the register, and on a busy Saturday, some leave without buying.
This blog compares six of the best pet store POS systems, with current pricing and feedback from real customers. You’ll also learn what to test before you commit to one.
The best pet store POS system is one built specifically for pet retail. It handles food inventory, vendor ordering, service bookings, and online sales in one place — without costly third-party add-ons. A POS platform like eTailPet is designed for independent pet stores, while a system like Square suits very small shops that don’t offer services.
A pet-specific system covers daily tasks that general POS software can’t handle on its own. Here’s what that looks like on the sales floor:
General systems often need extra tools to handle this kind of work. This table compares six popular systems on the features pet stores use most.
The breakdowns below cover each system’s pricing and what their customers say.
Related Read: The Benefits of Having an All-In-One POS System for Your Pet Store
eTailPet leads this list, followed by one other pet-specific system and four general POS options. Each entry covers who the system suits and how it handles pet-specific work.
Best for: Independent pet stores that offer services or sell online
Starting price: $99/month, billed annually
eTailPet is a cloud-based POS designed only for pet retail. Its vendor product catalog comes with over 160,000 pet items to choose from, so new stores skip most manual data entry. Checkout, service scheduling, and online orders all live in one system.
Here’s what eTailPet includes for pet stores:
Wags! Dog Emporium switched to eTailPet from another POS and now manages store and web orders together. The owner, Jody Maddox, talks about how intuitive and useful the system is. She says, “I was using their e-commerce — it could do so many things that our current point of sale couldn’t do, especially the fact that it integrated with our online sales.”
Related Read: Customer Loyalty for Pet Stores: How To Build a Program That Works
Best for: Pet stores that want catalog support through IndiePet
Starting price: Custom quote based on registers and locations
PetStack is a pet store POS from FieldStack, a retail software company based in Maine. Its Lite plan suits single stores, while Plus adds tools for growing stores and small chains.
PetStack’s main features for pet stores include:
FieldStack’s platform also supports Hollywood Feed, a pet store chain with more than 170 stores. CEO Shawn McGhee calls FieldStack “a large part of our growth story.” PetStack is the closest alternative to eTailPet, and our PetStack vs. eTailPet comparison covers the differences feature by feature.
Best for: New or very small shops that don’t offer services
Starting price: Free, with paid plans from $49/month/location
Square is a general POS designed for many kinds of small businesses. Pet-specific work takes extra effort, though. Grooming bookings require Square Appointments, a separate product, and you’ll need to enter or import pet products yourself.
Here’s where Square stands out for a new pet store:
Angel Pets, a pet care business in Houston, relies on Square’s reports. Owner Tiffany Cady says, “It’s nice to see what categories are doing well or doing poor month-to-month.”
Best for: Pet stores that want strong online sales tools
Starting price: $39/month for monthly billing, plus $89/month/location for POS Pro
Shopify started as an e-commerce platform, so its online store tools are among the strongest on this list. Pet product catalogs and appointment scheduling depend on third-party apps, though, which can add monthly costs.
Shopify’s most useful tools for pet stores include:
Tomlinson’s is a pet supply chain with 18 stores in central Texas, and it uses an app with Shopify POS to apply its Pet Club discount automatically. “Our discounts populate automatically, which saves our team a lot of time and energy,” says owner and operator Kate Knecht.
Best for: Multilocation stores with large catalogs
Starting price: $89/month, billed annually
Lightspeed suits stores with deep inventories, like a shop stocking hundreds of aquarium and reptile supplies. For bookings, though, you’ll need an integration such as Booxi, one of several differences highlighted in our Lightspeed vs. eTailPet comparison.
Multilocation stores get the most out of these Lightspeed features:
Jungle Bob’s Reptile World in New York uses Lightspeed to manage its stores and loyalty program. Susi Resner, its director of education and special projects, calls the system “a critical piece to help the growth.”
Best for: Stores that want portable checkout hardware
Starting price: $16/month for 36 months on the Basic plan, which includes a compact countertop terminal
Clover pairs POS software with its own hardware. Many hardware deals require a three-year processing agreement and a minimum yearly card volume, so read the terms before you sign.
Here’s what Clover brings to a pet store:
Enchanted Lake Pet in Kailua, Hawaii, takes orders on the sales floor with Clover’s handheld device. Owner Garrick Higuchi says that with it, “we can walk out, scan it, save it as an order, and use that.”
Related Read: How To Manage Grooming Appointments: 7 Pet Store Tips
Switching POS systems takes time, so the best choice is one you won’t outgrow. A shop that adds grooming or a second location next year shouldn’t need a new system to support it.
Paw of the Family in Anna, Texas handles retail, grooming, and self-serve dog washes all on eTailPet. Owner Ryan Meeks says, “You can actually have your booking, in-store shopping, and online all in the same system.”
eTailPet’s plans start at $99 a month, and each tier adds tools for your store’s next stage. Higher-tier plans add service booking, Astro Loyalty, and memberships and subscriptions for regular food orders.
Schedule a demo to find out how eTailPet supports a new grooming room or second location — without another POS switch.