Best Cash Registers for Small Businesses of September 2024

An electronic cash register or POS system can ring up customers. The best choice depends on your business.

Dalia Ramirez writes about home services and estate planning for NerdWallet. She has a B.A. in science and technology studies from Wesleyan University.

Assistant Assigning Editor | Taxes, retirement, small business, Social Security, estate planning, home services

Content Management Specialist

Karrin Sehmbi is a content management specialist on the small-business team. She has more than a decade of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor. Karrin is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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The best cash registers are simple to set up, reasonably priced and offer the features your business needs. Cash registers for small businesses typically fall into two categories: those offered by your point-of-sale (POS) system, and standalone electronic cash registers.

POS systems with cash register functionality are ideal for businesses that could benefit from additional management capabilities, require industry-specific features or need to sync in-store sales with online ones. Simple electronic cash registers often work fine for brick-and-mortar businesses that need to take payments only. Here are some of the best cash registers for small businesses.

20% off hardware

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Best Cash Registers for Small Businesses

Calculate your monthly cost estimate

on Square Register's secure website

Best for Overall POS-based cash register

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

on Square Register's secure website

Lightspeed Hardware Kit

Best for Businesses with multiple locations

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.

Clover Station Duo

on Clover Station Duo's secure website

Best for Interface and hardware quality

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

on Clover Station Duo's secure website

Smart money moves for your small business Grow your small business with tailored insights and recommendations.

Overall POS-based cash register

Square Register

on Square Register's secure website

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

Square’s POS system stands out with its transparent pricing, live support, absence of monthly fees (unless you have add-ons) and many valuable features. Because Square works on iPhones, Androids and iPads, you can ring up sales on a cash register and mobile devices, which might be handy if you do pop-ups at farmers markets, trade shows or music festivals. The Square Register comes with a second screen that lets customers pay and add tips to their totals. Compatible receipt printers and cash drawers are sold separately.

• Has two screens.
• Can be mounted to a countertop.
• Has advanced apps and software options.

• Must be plugged in at all times.

Businesses with multiple locations

Lightspeed Hardware Kit

for Basic plan, $179 for Core plan, $289 for Plus plan.

Lightspeed offers iPad-based POS systems for restaurants and iPad- and desktop-based systems for retail stores. The company recommends setting up a call if you run multiple locations, and software prices vary depending on your business’s number of locations and registers. Businesses scaling up its number of locations can use the same workflows and settings across all stores and integrate with popular e-commerce platforms. All plans come with free live training and opportunities to ask specialists questions.

• 24/7 support.
• Robust inventory management.
• Integrations for accounting, marketing, payroll and more.
• Free PCI compliance and fraud prevention.

• IPad or desktop not included.
• Higher cost for software, and no transparency on hardware cost.
• Annual contracts required for lower pricing.
• More expensive plans if you don’t use Lightspeed Payments.

Interface and hardware quality

Clover Station Duo

on Clover Station Duo's secure website

Clover's POS system stands out with its durable and versatile hardware, making it easy to accept orders at the counter and on the go. You also can pair the hardware and software with a different merchant account from Wells Fargo, SunTrust, PNC, BBVA or Citi. Payment processing is built in, and the software can be customized for restaurants, service or retail businesses. The Standard plan — which pairs with the Station Duo register — has features including inventory management, discounts and coupons, sales tracking and refund processing.

• Has fingerprint login.
• Has fast processing speeds.
• Has robust POS software options.
• Has two screens.

• Doesn't have a free monthly plan option.

Types of cash registers

POS-based cash registers. These devices function as accessories or components of a larger, more sophisticated POS hardware kit with built-in software.

You can purchase a basic electronic cash register online or at an office supply store for a few hundred bucks, but a POS-based cash register with all the features and accessories can cost thousands of dollars. What you pay depends on what you need; for example, with both types of cash registers, you might want to buy bar-code scanners and separate credit card readers in addition to a base setup.

Best POS-based cash registers

POS-based cash registers may be a better choice for businesses with multiple locations or that also sell online or on the go. These systems can match all the features of an ECR but also often offer more add-ons and have credit card processing built in. (Payment processing fees apply.) This type of cash register can be a more sophisticated, flexible way to process payments.

Square Register: Best overall

Why we like it : The Square Register includes a built-in touch screen for you and a smaller, customer-facing touch screen. Purchase of this terminal comes with Square’s free software, which includes payment processing, as well as an array of features like sales tracking, tips, gift cards and online store capabilities.

Square’s POS plans for retail and restaurants — with both free and pay-per-month tiers — come with industry-specific features, including bar-code printing, table tracking and product modifiers. Any of these plans can be used as the software with a Square Register.

You can purchase separately and connect all the accessories you need to the Square Register, including a contactless and chip card reader, dock, cash drawer, receipt printer, kitchen printer and paper.

$0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).

$149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).

Card reader: Magnetic strip, chip card and contactless payments reader. Square also offers Tap to Pay on iPhone, which lets merchants accept card payments using only a regular iPhone with the Square POS app. Customers hold their cards or their own iPhone wallets near the merchant's phone to pay.

Lightspeed Hardware Kit: Best for businesses with multiple locations

Lightspeed offers an iPad or desktop hardware kit for both retail and restaurants. iPads and desktops must be purchased separately. You can purchase add-ons such as a label printer and card reader as well.

The company offers paid software plans for download on your device, which integrate with Lightspeed Payments for credit card processing. Features include advanced inventory, customer and employee management, e-commerce options and a variety of third-party integrations. The software is ideal for managing inventory across multiple locations; additional registers cost extra per month.

Pricing for Lightspeed's iPad and desktop hardware kits is quote-based. Individual hardware products are listed in Lightspeed's online store:

Toast Flex: Best for restaurants

Why we like it : Toast’s POS countertop starter kit comes with the Toast Flex POS terminal, a tap-to-pay device and router, plus built-in software. You can add on additional hardware including a cash drawer, kitchen display screen and order printer. Though the Toast Flex doesn’t come with a second screen, the main screen can be flipped so it faces the customer. Payment processing rates and monthly software costs differ depending on whether you pay for the hardware upfront. Delivery services can be added to any plan.

Receipt printer: Available separately, starting at $296. It is also compatible with some third-party printers.

Clover Station Duo: Best for interface and hardware quality

Why we like it : The Station Duo is Clover’s most powerful register. It can process payments, scan barcodes and print receipts like Clover’s Mini — but it also includes a second, customer-facing touch-screen display as well as a cash drawer and receipt printer. The terminal can be paid for monthly or bought outright plus a monthly software subscription.

$14.95 for Clover Go Essentials, Professional Services Starter and Standard and Home & Field Services plans.

$49.95 for Retail Standard, Personal Services Standard and Advanced and Professional Services Advanced plans.

2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions for most plans, though rates may also vary by hardware type.

2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter and Professional Services Standard plans, as well as Home & Field Services Standard and Advanced plans.

Best simple electronic cash registers (ECRs)

A traditional cash register may be a good choice if you don’t need many features or don’t want or aren’t comfortable with a tech-forward checkout system. Many are easy to use and have simple, essential features for ringing up sales.

The best options may let you calculate sales tax, tips and discounts; process returns and exchanges; print daily sales totals; connect with external bar-code scanners (purchased separately); and/or track employee use. Here are some ECRs to consider:

SAM4S ER-900 Series: Best overall

Why we like it : The ER-900 series, made by South Korean firm SAM4S, is a reasonably beefy cash register with a large cash drawer and an attached card reader. It can handle sales tax and up to 20,000 PLUs (those five-digit numbers often spotted on produce stickers). You can track up to 99 different clerks. Also, you can add scanners, remote printers, scales, coin dispensers and other peripherals. Again, factor in the cost of a separate merchant account for credit card processing.

Includes a swipe-only card reader, but additional hardware is required to process contactless payments and mobile payments.

SAM4S ER-230EJ: Best for mobile businesses

Why we like it : If you’re running a food truck, selling at fairs or operating some other pop-up-type business, this portable, battery-powered cash register could come in handy. But if you want to take credit cards, debit cards or mobile wallets, you’ll need to get additional hardware and use the device’s ethernet and USB ports to devise a workaround, which could be a headache.

Royal POS 1500: Best for restaurants

Why we like it : The Royal POS 1500’s touch-screen design gives it a streamlined look and allows users to customize their checkout processes more easily. It also works in 17 languages and can be programmed for use by specific staff members. In addition, you can customize how receipts look. But, at 22 pounds, it’s hefty.

SAM4S ER-180U: Best for low-cost portable register

Why we like it : This small, lightweight register is a good option for businesses on the go — though it’s still bulkier than a mobile POS app or card reader. The device has 16 keyboard designations for specific departments and up to 500 price look-ups, with sales tracking for up to 10 employees. It has a small built-in cash drawer and can print receipts.

However, the device doesn't have an integrated card reader, so you’ll need to purchase and use an external reader to accept credit and debit cards. And like any other traditional cash register, you’ll need a separate merchant account to process credit card payments.

Meet the editorial team

Writer | Estate planning, home security

Dalia Ramirez writes about home services and estate planning for NerdWallet. She has a Bachelor of Arts in science and technology studies and critical theory from Wesleyan University. Her work has appeared in publications including The Washington Post, Bloomberg and The Associated Press. She is based in New York City.

Assistant Assigning Editor | Taxes, small business, Social Security and estate planning, home services

Tina Orem is an editor at NerdWallet. Prior to becoming an editor, she covered small business and taxes at NerdWallet. She has been a financial writer and editor for over 15 years, and she has a degree in finance, as well as a master's degree in journalism and a Master of Business Administration. Previously, she was a financial analyst and director of finance for several public and private companies. Tina's work has appeared in a variety of local and national media outlets.

Education: B.S.B.A. in finance, marketing and economics from University of Denver Daniels College of Business, M.A. in journalism from University of Oregon, MBA from University of Oregon Lundquist College of Business

Previous experience: Managing editor at American City Business Journals, Senior staff writer at Investing Answers, Senior editor at Outside Media Group LLC, Director of finance at Noodles & Co., Manager of financial planning and analysis at Rock Bottom Restaurants Inc.

Lead Content Management Specialist | Small business

Karrin Sehmbi is a lead content management specialist on the small-business team. She has more than a decade of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and tutor. Karrin is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Previous experience: Copy and production editor, AuntMinnie.com, Assistant managing editor, Weber Shandwick, Development editor, Bedford/St. Martin's

Assistant Assigning Editor | Small-business finance, personal finance

Christine Aebischer is an former assistant assigning editor on the small-business team at NerdWallet who has covered business and personal finance for nearly a decade. Previously, she was an editor at Fundera, where she developed service-driven content on topics such as business lending, software and insurance. She has also held editing roles at LearnVest, a personal finance startup, and its parent company, Northwestern Mutual. She is based in Santa Monica, California.

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