PosBridgeCheapest POS systems in Australia: an honest cost comparison
Monthly fees, card rates and hardware for the low-cost POS options Australian small businesses use, taken from each provider's own pricing page on 29 October 2026. We do not sell any of them.
Checked 29 Oct 2026 · prices change, check the provider
Compare the optionsWhat a POS system really costs
Searching "cheapest POS system for small business" or "free POS system Australia" usually means comparing monthly fees. That is only one of three costs. The others are the card fee on every card sale, which is often the biggest cost for a busy shop, and the hardware: card readers, terminals, stands, printers and scanners.
Small differences in card rates add up. On A$20,000 a month of card sales, every 0.1% difference is A$20 a month, or A$240 a year. So a system with a monthly fee and a lower card rate can cost less overall than a "free" one, and the reverse is true for a quiet shop. Work it out with your own monthly card sales.
The fourth cost nobody advertises is getting your products in: clean names, valid barcodes, correct prices and categories. That is the same whichever POS you pick, and it is the part we do.
Low-cost POS options in Australia compared
As of 29 October 2026. Prices change, so check current pricing on each provider's page before you sign up. Standard published rates from each provider's Australian pricing page; check whether a fee includes GST. Busy businesses can often negotiate lower rates. No affiliate links.
On a phone, swipe the table sideways to see every column.
| Option | Monthly fee | In-person card rate | Hardware from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | A$0 (Free plan); Plus from A$40/mo | 1.6% (online 2.2%) | Tap to Pay on your phone free; Reader A$65; Terminal A$329 |
| Shopify POS | Basic A$56/mo; POS Pro +A$129/mo per location | 1.85% on Basic (online 1.7% + 30¢) | POS Terminal A$419 |
| Lightspeed Retail | Basic from A$129/mo | 1.5% with Lightspeed Payments | See vendor |
| Loyverse | A$0 core POS; add-ons US$7–25/mo per store | Set by your payment provider (Tyro integration in AU) | Your own phone or tablet |
| Zeller | A$0, no terminal rental | 1.4%, or 1.2% with Zeller POS | Zeller Terminal A$199 (A$99 on sale when checked) |
| Tyro (eftpos only) | A$19–29/mo terminal rental; BYO phone app A$0 | 1.3% | Rented terminal |
Best fit and the catch, for each
Square
Best fit: Shops, cafés and salons starting out who want POS, online store, invoices and bookings in one free account.
The catch: The 1.6% in-person rate applies to sellers who signed up from 30 May 2024; Square says older accounts pay 1.9% on some hardware. Extras such as Loyalty (from A$49/mo) cost more.
Shopify POS
Best fit: Shops that already sell online with Shopify and want one product list and stock count for both.
The catch: No free plan, and staff permissions, stock counts and purchase orders need POS Pro at A$129/mo per location (billed yearly).
Lightspeed Retail
Best fit: Larger retail ranges with lots of variants, suppliers and reporting, or more than one store.
The catch: The highest monthly fee in this list. Lightspeed notes prices can vary and extra service fees may apply by business type.
Loyverse
Best fit: Very small cafés and shops that want a free POS on a phone or tablet they already own.
The catch: Card payments run through a separate provider with its own fees (in Australia, Loyverse integrates with Tyro on iOS). Free sales history covers 31 days, and add-ons are billed in US dollars, excluding tax.
Zeller
Best fit: Counter and mobile businesses that mainly need low-fee eftpos, with a simple POS built into the terminal.
The catch: It is a payments terminal first. Check the built-in POS covers your stock and reporting needs before relying on it as your only system.
Tyro
Best fit: Businesses that already have a POS and want integrated eftpos (Tyro lists 580+ POS integrations).
The catch: Not a POS on its own, and terminals are rented monthly. A 1% intro offer with free rental runs to 31 March 2027 (Tyro's terms apply).
How to work out the cheapest POS for you
- Add up a year: monthly fee × 12, plus hardware, plus your monthly card sales × the card rate × 12
- Check what the free plan leaves out: staff logins, stock counts, purchase orders, longer sales history
- Make sure you can export your products and sales at any time
- If you sell online, check whether stock is shared with your online store natively
- Read the terms: lock-in, break fees, and whether hardware is bought or rented
Once you have chosen: getting your products in
- 1Pick your POSUse the comparison above. Ask us if you are unsure; we have nothing to sell you on the POS side.
- 2Send us your product listYour old POS export or supplier price lists, in any format.
- 3Import, ready to sellCleaned and checked, a 10-item test import, then the rest. You pay once it is done.
How long it takes
A stock list clean-up has a working first version in 24–48 hours once we have your export and your new POS's import template. Over 1,000 products, we take a quick look and quote first. Bigger or more complex setups take longer, with the timeline in writing first.
Our price for the setup work
Stock list clean-up and import
A$429 one-off, inc GST
Up to 1,000 products tidied: names, barcodes, prices, categories.
StartWe do not sell POS systems, hardware or card processing, and we take no commission from any provider. The stock list clean-up and import is a fixed price for up to 1,000 products, paid once it is done. For the full setup service, see POS system setup help.
What you can do yourself, free
Already chosen? See POS system setup help.
Where we work
We are a Western Sydney business helping shops and cafés in Blacktown, Seven Hills, Parramatta, Penrith, Castle Hill and Rouse Hill get set up on a new POS. Stock list work is done online, so we help businesses anywhere in Australia.
Quick answers
On monthly fees, Square's Free plan, Loyverse's free POS and Zeller all start at A$0 a month (checked 29 Oct 2026). The cheapest overall depends on card fees and hardware at your sales volume: Zeller's published in-person rate (1.4%, or 1.2% with Zeller POS) is lower than Square's 1.6%, while Square includes more software on its free plan, such as an online store, invoices and bookings.
Yes. Square has a Free plan with no monthly fee, and Loyverse's core POS is free with optional paid add-ons. You still pay card fees on each card sale, and for any hardware you need.
From A$0 on free plans to A$129 or more for Lightspeed Retail Basic (29 Oct 2026), plus card fees and hardware.
Both have no monthly fee. Zeller's published in-person rate is 1.4% (1.2% with Zeller POS) against Square's 1.6%. Square has a broader software suite on its free plan; Zeller is mainly a payments terminal with a simple built-in POS.
Square's Free plan has no monthly fee and a 1.6% in-person rate. Shopify POS starts at A$56 a month on Basic, with a 1.85% in-person rate. Shopify makes sense when your online store already runs on Shopify; otherwise Square usually costs less to start.
They do different jobs. Square is a POS and payments in one. Tyro is eftpos only, at 1.3% plus A$19–29 a month terminal rental (or A$0 with its phone app), and connects to 580+ POS systems. Many businesses pair Tyro with a separate POS.
The provider charges for software, hardware and card fees. The setup work is mostly your product list: our stock list clean-up and import is A$429 inc GST for up to 1,000 products, paid once it is done.
Questions first? Talk to our AI.
Noah, our AI assistant, answers questions about prices and how it works. Uses your browser and microphone, up to 5 minutes.
Talk to our AI