Lightspeed POS to Shopify POS: the complete migration guide for retailers

Working with Lightspeed as your POS system and wondering if Shopify POS is a better choice? You're not alone. More and more retailers are making the move to a unified commerce approach, where online and offline sales come together seamlessly. In this article we dive deep into the differences between Lightspeed POS and Shopify POS, the prices, features and what a smooth migration looks like.

Why retailers are moving from Lightspeed to Shopify POS

Lightspeed is an established name in the retail POS market with more than 144,000 locations worldwide. But the retail world is changing fast. Customers expect a seamless experience, whether they're in the store or shopping online. Enter unified commerce — and that's exactly where Shopify POS shines.

The most important reasons retailers make the switch:

• Unified inventory — one stock system for all sales channels
• Better integration — online and offline sales in one dashboard
• Flexible hardware — from mobile card readers to complete POS setups
• Scalable platform — from one location to hundreds of stores

Lightspeed POS vs Shopify POS: pricing comparison

Let's be honest: price plays a big role in your choice of POS system. Here's an overview of what both platforms cost:

Platform	Plan	Price per month	Transaction fees (in-person)
Lightspeed	Basic	$89 USD	2.6% + 10¢
Lightspeed	Core	$149 USD	2.6% + 10¢
Lightspeed	Plus	$289 USD	2.6% + 10¢
Shopify	Retail (incl. POS Pro)	$89 USD	2.6% + 10¢
Shopify	POS Pro add-on	$89 USD per location	2.4% - 2.6% + 10¢

Important: Shopify's transaction fees drop as you go up to a higher plan. On the Advanced plan you only pay 2.4% + 10¢ for in-person transactions.

Shopify POS Lite vs POS Pro: what's the difference?

Shopify offers two POS variants. Which one fits your store?

POS Lite (free with every Shopify subscription)

• Accept payments by card and cash
• Basic customer profiles
• Returns and exchanges
• Gift cards (physical and digital)
• Unified inventory with online channels

Ideal for: pop-up shops, markets, fairs

POS Pro ($89/month per location)

Everything from POS Lite, plus:

• Unlimited staff accounts with detailed permissions
• Advanced inventory management — transfers, purchase orders, low-stock alerts
• Customer profiles with lifetime value — insight into buying behaviour
• Retail analytics — real-time monitoring of all locations
• Omnichannel selling — BOPIS (buy online, pick up in store), ship-from-store
• Clienteling tools — personalised shopping experience

Ideal for: physical retail stores with a lot of traffic, multiple staff or an extensive product catalog

Hardware: what do you need?

A POS system is nothing without the right hardware. Here are the options:

Shopify POS hardware

Product	Price (indicative)	Function
Shopify POS Terminal	€319	Countertop payment terminal with customer screen
Tap to Pay	Free	Contactless payments via iPhone/Android
iPad Stand + Terminal Kit	€319	Complete countertop setup
Barcode scanner	From €50	Fast product recognition

Tip: you can often keep using existing hardware. Check the Shopify supported hardware list to see if your gear is compatible.

What can you migrate from Lightspeed to Shopify?

The good news: practically all your data can be moved over. Here's what can be migrated:

Product data

• Product names and descriptions
• SKUs and barcodes
• Prices and compare-at prices
• Stock counts per location
• Product variants (size, colour, etc.)
• Categories and tags

Customer data

• Names and contact details
• Email addresses
• Purchase history
• Loyalty points (via external apps)

Order history

• Historical transactions
• Payment information
• Order status

How Syncer handles your POS migration

A migration from Lightspeed to Shopify POS may sound complex, but it doesn't have to be. At Syncer we take the entire migration process off your hands.

No hassle with CSVs or manual exports

Forget exporting, mapping and importing data yourself. Our Live Sync® technology pulls all data directly from your Lightspeed system via the API. No manual work, no errors, no stress.

What we handle for you:

• Complete data transfer — products, customers, order history, stock
• Real-time synchronisation — your Lightspeed keeps running while we set up Shopify
• Hardware configuration — we help you choose and set up the right POS hardware
• Staff training — your team learns to work with Shopify POS
• Zero downtime — on go-live day we switch over seamlessly

The process in brief:

Phase	What we do	Your role
1. Analysis	Inventory of your data and wishes	Provide access to Lightspeed
2. Sync	Live Sync® moves all data over to Shopify	Just keep working
3. Setup	POS configuration, hardware, integrations	Give feedback
4. Go-live	Seamless switch at the agreed moment	Open the store on Shopify POS

The result? You keep selling, we handle the tech.

Unified commerce: the real reason to switch

The biggest advantage of Shopify POS isn't the price or the features — it's unified commerce. That means:

• One inventory — sell a product online? It's updated immediately in your physical store.
• One customer profile — someone buys in store? You see the same customer in your online dashboard.
• One platform — no integrations between separate systems that can fail.

This is where Lightspeed as a standalone POS falls short. Yes, they offer e-commerce integrations, but it isn't natively built in like with Shopify.

Who is Shopify POS suitable for?

Shopify POS is ideal for:

• Retailers selling online and offline
• Stores with multiple locations needing central management
• Entrepreneurs wanting to scale without changing platforms
• Retailers wanting omnichannel (click & collect, ship-from-store)

Ready to make the switch?

Curious what a Lightspeed-to-Shopify-POS migration means for your store? We're happy to make a no-obligation analysis of your situation.

Request a free migration scan →

Sources

• Shopify POS Pricing
• Lightspeed Retail Pricing
• Shopify Supported Hardware