Shopify POS is the in-person side of Shopify: an app for a phone, tablet, or Shopify's own terminal that sells from the same product catalogue, inventory, and customer list as your Shopify online store. For a Canadian shop that already sells online, or plans to, it is one of the strongest options on published prices: in-person card rates from 2.6% with no per-transaction fee, a flat 15¢ Interac fee, and hardware priced in CAD.
If you only sell in person, budget for the full plan: you pay for a Shopify plan (from CAD $49/month) whether or not you use the online store, and a busy permanent location will likely need POS Pro at $119/month on top. This review covers what Shopify POS costs in Canada, what the free tier and POS Pro each include, the hardware, how Canadian sales tax and Interac work at the register, and when Square, Moneris, Helcim, or Lightspeed is the closer fit.
How we evaluated
This is a research-based review. We did not use Shopify POS hands-on, and nothing below describes first-hand experience. We read Shopify's Canadian pricing and POS pricing pages, its Canadian hardware store, and Shopify Help Center articles on offline payments, POS subscriptions, staff, taxes, receipts, gift cards, Interac refunds, Tap to Pay on iPhone, languages, and Shopify Payments payouts in Canada. All prices are in Canadian dollars and were checked in September 2026. Promotions are labelled as promotions.
We judged Shopify POS on the same criteria as our best POS systems in Canada review:
- Total monthly cost: plan, POS Pro, and processing
- In-person credit and Interac rates, since many Canadian customers pay by debit
- Hardware prices in CAD, and whether hardware is bought or rented
- Staff, inventory, and multi-location tools
- Offline mode, especially for Interac
- Canadian specifics: GST/HST/PST/QST at the register, receipts, French, CAD billing and payouts
That review ranks Shopify POS 4.5 out of 5 as the best choice for selling online and in store, and we reach the same rating here for the same kind of business.
Shopify POS pricing in Canada
Shopify POS has no separate price tag. Your cost is your Shopify plan, plus POS Pro for any location that needs it, plus Shopify Payments processing. Shopify bills Canadian merchants in CAD.
| Feature | Basic | Grow | Advanced | Plus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plan, billed monthly | $49/mo | $132/mo | $517/mo | From $3,400/mo |
| Plan, billed yearly | $37/mo | $99/mo | $389/mo | 1- or 3-year term |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.4% (pricing page) |
| In-person Interac rate | 15¢ | 15¢ | 15¢ | 10¢ |
| Online card rate | 2.8% + 30¢ | 2.6% + 30¢ | 2.4% + 30¢ | 2.15% + 30¢ |
| Third-party payment provider fee | 2% | 1% | 0.6% | 0.2% |
| POS Pro | +$119/mo per location | +$119/mo per location | +$119/mo per location | 20 locations included |
| Inventory locations | 10 | 10 | 10 | 200 |
A few points from Shopify's pricing pages and help centre:
- No per-transaction fee in person. In-person card rates are a straight percentage ("2.6% + 0¢" on Basic), so a $10 card sale costs 26¢ on Basic.
- Interac is flat. Every in-person Interac payment costs 15¢ on Basic, Grow, and Advanced, whether the sale is $5 or $2,000.
- POS Pro is billed per location. Shopify's POS pricing FAQ gives $119/month billed yearly for each location, which is $1,428 a year per store. The help centre says merchants on Basic, Grow, or Advanced can choose monthly or yearly POS Pro billing and that all POS Pro locations must use the same schedule, but the Canadian pricing page shows only the yearly-billed price, so confirm the monthly figure in your admin.
- POS Pro trials revert automatically. When a POS Pro trial ends, locations go back to the free in-person features unless you select POS Pro yourself.
- Third-party processors carry a transaction fee. If you process payments through a provider other than Shopify Payments, Shopify's plan table lists a third-party transaction fee of 2% on Basic, 1% on Grow, and 0.6% on Advanced.
Shopify was advertising 3 days free, then 3 months at $1/month on Basic, Grow, and Advanced, and its POS pricing page advertised free hardware and other extras with one year of POS Pro, described as an offer worth $3,300. Both are promotions, not the regular price, so read the terms before you rely on them.
Is a higher Shopify plan worth it for the lower in-person rate?
Only at high in-person volume. Grow costs $83 more a month than Basic on monthly billing and lowers the in-person card rate by 0.1 percentage points, so the rate alone pays for Grow once you process about $83,000 a month in in-person card sales. Advanced costs $468 more than Basic for a 0.2-point saving, which breaks even at about $234,000 a month. For most small shops, choose a plan for its staff accounts, reporting, and online features, not the in-person rate.
How much does Shopify POS charge on Interac?
Shopify charges a flat 15¢ per in-person Interac payment, so its debit fee does not grow with the size of the sale. That puts it close to Moneris (12¢ on its Flat Rate plan) and Helcim (12.5¢ for a tap on its first volume tier) and well below Square's percentage-based 0.75% + 7¢ on any sale above about $11.
| Feature | Shopify POS (15¢) | Square (0.75% + 7¢) | Moneris Flat Rate (12¢) | Helcim tap (12.5¢) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $20 sale | $0.15 | $0.22 | $0.12 | $0.125 |
| $100 sale | $0.15 | $0.82 | $0.12 | $0.125 |
| $500 sale | $0.15 | $3.82 | $0.12 | $0.125 |
| $1,500 sale | $0.15 | $11.32 | $0.12 | $0.125 |
Worked example: a gift shop with an online store. Say one location processes $6,000 a month in in-person credit cards and 200 Interac payments averaging $40 ($8,000), on Basic with monthly billing and no POS Pro.
- Plan: $49.00
- In-person credit: 2.6% × $6,000 = $156.00
- Interac: 200 × 15¢ = $30.00
- Total: $235.00 a month, which also covers the online store
The same in-person sales on Square's Free plan would cost $150.00 for credit (2.5%) and $74.00 for Interac ($60.00 at 0.75% plus $14.00 at 7¢ each), or $224.00 with no plan fee. Shopify's in-person processing is $38 lower, but the $49 plan makes it about $11 more overall. If the shop needs POS Pro, add $119, for $354.00 a month. The comparison changes with your mix: the larger your average debit sale, the more the flat 15¢ saves compared with Square.
What is included free, and what POS Pro adds
Every paid Shopify plan comes with what Shopify calls casual in-person selling features (often referred to as POS Lite). POS Pro is the paid upgrade for permanent retail locations. Shopify recommends it for stores with a lot of foot traffic, several levels of staff, or a large catalogue.
| Feature | Included in every paid plan | POS Pro (+$119/mo per location) |
|---|---|---|
| Staff access to POS | Limited on Basic; Shopify lists unlimited POS logins on Grow and Advanced | Unlimited staff, plus POS-only staff with a PIN |
| Staff roles and permissions | ||
| Customer profiles | Simple | Rich profiles, lifetime value, loyalty insights |
| Returns | At the original purchase location | Returns and exchanges at any location |
| Inventory counts, purchase orders, low-stock alerts | ||
| Custom printed receipts | ||
| Ship to customer, in-store pickup, local delivery from POS | ||
| Retail reports and analytics | Standard Shopify reports | Professional retail reports |
| Shopify hardware warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
Staff and roles
Staff unlock Shopify POS with their own PIN. On Basic, Shopify's pricing page lists "limited staff can access POS", and Basic includes no additional staff accounts beyond the owner; Grow includes up to 5 and Advanced up to 15. POS Pro adds unlimited staff access, roles and permissions that control what each person can do in the app, and POS-app-only users, who need no email address and sign in with a PIN. If you have part-time cashiers, that POS-only user type is the main reason to consider POS Pro even at a single location.
Inventory across locations
Basic, Grow, and Advanced each support up to 10 inventory locations, and stock is shared between your online store and your POS locations in one catalogue. POS Pro adds the in-store tools: inventory counts, purchase orders, low-stock alerts, faster stock transfers, and more detailed inventory reporting. It also enables omnichannel features such as in-store pickup of online orders and selling items from another location's stock. Shopify Plus includes the first 20 POS Pro locations.
Gift cards and receipts
Gift cards are available on all Shopify plans. You can issue digital gift cards, which can be printed or emailed, and physical cards from the Shopify Hardware Store or a third-party printer, as long as each card carries a unique code. Customers can redeem them in your online store and in Shopify POS. Receipts can be emailed, texted, or printed; custom printed receipts are a POS Pro feature.
Shopify POS hardware prices in Canada
You buy Shopify hardware outright from the Canadian Shopify Hardware Store; there is no rental. You can also start with no reader at all: Shopify supports Tap to Pay on iPhone in Canada (iPhone XS or newer), including Interac, at the standard in-person card rate.
| Feature | Price (CAD) |
|---|---|
| WisePad 3 card reader (Bluetooth, tap and chip with PIN pad) | $69 |
| Shopify POS Terminal (countertop, with customer display) | $459 |
| Shopify POS Terminal Dock | $119 |
| Verifone Victa Mobile (handheld, takes payments and scans barcodes) | $499 |
| Shopify POS Hub | $95 |
| Bouncepad Eddy tablet stand | $195 |
| Epson OmniLink receipt printer | $379 |
| HP Engage 2D barcode scanner | $289 |
Two things to know before you shop. First, Shopify's Tap & Chip Card Reader is listed as US only, and the Canadian store listed no POS Go device in September 2026, so the WisePad 3 is the entry reader in Canada. Second, the Canadian store did not list a priced countertop bundle, so a full counter (iPad, stand, terminal, printer, cash drawer, and scanner) is assembled item by item. Using the prices above plus your own iPad, a POS Terminal, stand, printer, and scanner come to $1,322 before tax.
Shopify's POS pricing FAQ says the minimum to start is a smartphone or tablet and a Shopify card reader. Supported devices are an iPad (5th generation or later) or iPhone 7 or later on iPadOS or iOS 15.1 or later, or an Android device on Android 10 or later. Shopify's FAQ notes that from January 2027, the app will require Android 13 or iOS 18 or later, so check older devices before you rely on them.
Offline mode and Interac
Shopify POS can accept card payments without internet on compatible readers, including the WisePad 3 and POS Terminal. You turn it on in the POS app settings and set two limits: a daily total per device and a maximum per transaction. Offline payments show as pending and process automatically when the device reconnects. Shopify recommends reconnecting as soon as possible, "ideally within 24 hours", to reduce the risk of declined payments.
Interac in Canada: Shopify's help centre states that "Canadian businesses can't accept Interac card payments when offline." During an outage, a customer who only carries a debit card would need another way to pay. Square and Lightspeed work the same way, as our best POS systems review notes, so if you sell at markets or in places with weak signal, plan a backup connection such as a phone hotspot.
Canadian specifics: tax, Interac, French, and payouts
GST, HST, PST, and QST at the register
Shopify POS applies sales tax based on the store location assigned to the POS device, and that location must be included in your shipping zones for tax to calculate correctly. Staff can adjust the tax on an individual order or item in the POS cart, and any tax overrides or exemptions you set for a shipping zone also apply to POS locations in that zone.
Receipts are built for Canadian rules. Shopify's help centre says printed receipts for Canadian stores show a separate line for each tax that applies, such as GST, HST, PST, Manitoba's RST, and QST, and they include your GST/HST registration number, plus your QST number for Quebec locations. Shopify also notes that a business customer buying $150 or more may need their name and address on the receipt to claim an input tax credit.
Two points to be aware of:
- Shopify does not file or remit your taxes. Its Canadian tax documentation says it is your responsibility to charge the correct rates and to file and remit. See our GST/HST/PST rates by province and how to register for GST/HST.
- Quebec restaurants and bars. Shopify states its POS "isn't certified for this purpose and doesn't support Revenu Québec's mandatory billing rules" for the restaurant sector. A Quebec restaurant needs a certified system instead.
Tax rules vary by province and by what you sell, so ask an accountant to confirm your setup.
Interac and card brands
With Shopify Payments in Canada, Shopify POS accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover (accepting Amex also enables JCB, and Discover enables UnionPay), plus Interac debit by tap or chip and PIN on compatible readers, and Apple Pay and Google Pay. One Interac rule affects your returns policy: Shopify says Interac debit payments can only be refunded in person through Shopify POS with the card present, and cannot be refunded from the Shopify admin. For an exchange that leaves a balance owing to the customer, any Interac card can receive the refund.
French
French is one of 20 languages the Shopify POS app supports. You change the app's language through the device's language settings. The language assigned to a POS location controls how products display in the app and the language of email, SMS, and printed receipts, with one language per location. A store serving customers in both official languages would need to plan around that one-language-per-location rule, and any French product names and descriptions have to be translated in your Shopify admin.
CAD billing and payouts
Shopify's Canadian plans, POS Pro, and hardware are all priced in CAD. Shopify Payments pays out in CAD to a Canadian bank account with no payout fee. Shopify's help centre gives a minimum settlement time of 3 business days in Canada; new merchants start with a longer settlement time, which can shorten as you reliably fulfil orders. You can choose daily, weekly, or monthly payouts, and banks can take a further 24 to 72 hours to deposit the funds. For comparison, Square's free standard transfers usually arrive in 1 to 2 business days, and Moneris offers next-day deposits for RBC and BMO customers.
What we like and what to know
Shopify POS's strengths are one catalogue across online and in-person sales, a flat Interac fee, no per-transaction fee on in-person cards, and CAD pricing for everything. Keep in mind the plan fee, which applies even if you only sell in person, the per-location cost of POS Pro, settlement from 3 business days, and that Interac needs an internet connection.
Shopify POS
Strengths
- Online store and POS share one catalogue, inventory, and customer list
- Flat 15¢ Interac on Basic, Grow, and Advanced
- In-person card rates of 2.4% to 2.6% with no per-transaction fee
- Plans, POS Pro, and hardware priced in CAD
- Receipts show GST/HST/PST/QST lines and registration numbers
- Tap to Pay on iPhone in Canada, including Interac
- POS app available in French
Good to know
- Runs on a paid Shopify plan from $49/month, which includes the online store whether or not you use it
- POS Pro is $119/month per location, billed yearly
- Staff roles, inventory counts, and returns at any location are included with POS Pro
- Interac payments need an internet connection in Canada
- Settlement from 3 business days, with a longer period for new merchants
- Not certified for Quebec restaurant billing rules, so Quebec restaurants use a certified system
Who Shopify POS is for (and when another option fits better)
Shopify POS fits businesses whose online store is central and whose counter, pop-up, or market table is a second channel.
Shopify POS is a good fit if you:
- Already sell on Shopify, or plan to, and want one inventory and customer list across channels
- Run a boutique, gift shop, or specialty retailer with a mix of online and in-store sales
- Sell at pop-ups, markets, or trade shows alongside an online store and want a $69 reader or Tap to Pay on iPhone
- Take a lot of Interac on mid-size or larger sales, where a flat 15¢ beats a percentage
Another option may fit better if you:
- Only sell in person and have no online store plans; Square's Free plan has no monthly fee
- Run a restaurant, café with table service, or bar, especially in Quebec
- Need next-day deposits into an RBC or BMO account
- Want the lowest card cost on steady volume, where an interchange-plus processor such as Helcim can cost less
Alternatives
The main alternatives depend on why you are looking:
- Square is the cheapest way to start selling in person: a $0/month Free plan, a $69 reader, and 2.5% on in-person credit, with Interac at 0.75% + 7¢. See our Square review.
- Moneris charges 12¢ on in-person Interac on its Flat Rate plan and offers next-day deposits for RBC and BMO customers; its terminal is rented and its standard agreement has a three-year term. See our Moneris review.
- Helcim uses interchange-plus pricing (interchange plus 0.40% + 8¢ in person on its first tier) with Interac at 9¢ chip or 12.5¢ tap and a free POS app; its card reader is $239. See our Helcim review.
- Lightspeed, a Montreal company, suits established retailers with large catalogues and several locations; its Canadian Retail plans run from CAD $119 to $329 a month on annual billing, with Lightspeed Payments at 2.6% + 10¢ card present. It is covered in our best POS systems in Canada review.
For the online side of Shopify, including plans, Shopify Tax, and online card rates, see our Shopify review, Shopify vs WooCommerce in Canada, and our guide to starting an online store in Canada. If you only need card processing rather than a full POS, our Square vs Moneris vs Helcim comparison compares rates in depth.
Our verdict
4.5Shopify POS is the best-documented choice for a Canadian shop that sells online and in person: one catalogue across channels, in-person card rates from 2.6% down to 2.4% with no per-transaction fee, a flat 15¢ Interac fee, a $69 WisePad 3 reader, and receipts that show GST, HST, PST, and QST separately. It earns 4.5 for that business, matching our best POS systems ranking. An in-person-only business should budget at least $49/month for a plan and likely $119/month per location for POS Pro, and Shopify POS shares the Canadian offline rule that Interac needs an internet connection. If you have no online store, compare Square first.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Shopify POS cost in Canada?
Basic in-person selling is included in every paid Shopify plan: Basic is CAD $49/month billed monthly or $37/month billed yearly. POS Pro, for permanent retail locations, adds CAD $119/month per location, billed yearly. Processing is 2.6% on in-person cards and 15¢ per Interac payment on Basic.
What is the difference between POS Lite and POS Pro?
Shopify now calls the free tier its in-person selling features: limited staff access, simple customer profiles, and returns only at the original location. POS Pro adds unlimited staff access, roles and permissions, rich customer profiles, returns and exchanges at any location, inventory counts and purchase orders, and retail reports.
Does Shopify POS accept Interac debit in Canada?
Yes. Shopify Payments accepts Interac tap and chip-and-PIN payments on compatible readers, and Tap to Pay on iPhone supports Interac in Canada. The fee is a flat 15¢ per in-person Interac payment on Basic, Grow, and Advanced, and 10¢ on Plus. Interac cannot be accepted offline.
Can I use Shopify POS without an online store?
You need a paid Shopify plan, and every plan on Shopify's Canadian pricing page includes an online store whether you use it or not. Shopify's Retail plan, which paired POS Pro with a limited online store, is not available to new stores, and the Canadian pricing page lists no cheaper POS-only plan.
Does Shopify POS work in French?
Yes. French is one of 20 languages the Shopify POS app supports. The language assigned to each POS location controls how products display and the language of email, SMS, and printed receipts, and each location can have one language.
How fast does Shopify pay out in Canada?
Shopify's help centre says the minimum settlement time in Canada is 3 business days, and new merchants start with a longer settlement time that can shorten over time. CAD payouts to a Canadian bank account have no payout fee, and you can choose daily, weekly, or monthly payouts.
Sources
- Shopify Canada: plan pricing (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Canada: POS pricing (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Hardware Store Canada: all hardware (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Hardware Store Canada: card readers (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Managing your POS app subscription (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Accepting card payments offline (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Understanding Shopify POS staff management (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Retail plan (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Shopify POS FAQ (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Changing the Shopify POS app settings (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Country-specific retail requirements (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Setting up tax rates for Shopify POS (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Manage your Canadian taxes (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Gift cards on Shopify POS overview (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Refund Interac debit payments on Shopify POS (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Tap to Pay on iPhone with Shopify POS (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Customer payment methods with Shopify Payments in Canada (checked September 2026)
- Shopify Help Center: Payouts and settlement times with Shopify Payments in Canada (checked September 2026)
- Square Canada: pricing (checked September 2026)
- Moneris: pricing (checked September 2026)
- Helcim: Canadian fee disclosures (checked September 2026)
- Lightspeed Retail: pricing (Canada, French) (checked September 2026)