Lightspeed Reviews & Pricing

Key Features

• E-Commerce: Set up an online store with customizable, mobile-friendly templates and built-in SEO tools. Sync inventories across all physical locations, purchase stock from the Lightspeed Supplier Market and sell units from a unified dashboard. Manage in-store appointments and Google local inventory ads from the POS system. 
• Payment Processing: Complete sales with simple pricing, no hidden fees, a fast and secure checkout experience, and built-in PCI compliance and fraud detection. Process transactions with EMV-compatible terminals and accept all payment methods. Receive a dedicated expert’s assistance on dispute management and chargeback issues. Available only in the U.S; external integrations are required for payment processing in Canada, Australia and the U.K. 
• Loyalty: Offer a point-based loyalty program with flexible reward tiers to incentivize customer loyalty and boost retention. Manage both in-store and online promotions and coupons while providing one-time special offers on birthdays or to VIP shoppers. Boost custom marketing campaigns with seasonal promotions and auto-segment customers based on their purchasing habits. 
• Analytics: Drill down on critical areas with customizable reports and monitor sales, inventory and employee performance to make growth-oriented decisions. With Analytics Core, pay only for the expert-crafted reports required for business instead of the whole suite of report templates. 
• Lightspeed Accounting: This integration creates a link between a store’s POS and accounting systems. Record business finances with automatic bookkeeping and receive daily sales receipts, profit and loss statements and more. 
• Hardware: Choose from various hardware bundles for businesses or acquire single items, including zebra label printers, USB or Bluetooth bar scanners, Verifone P400 PIN pads, TM-m30 receipt printers and more. Design branded gift cards for the store and ship them to customers’ doorsteps. 
• Restaurant Point of Sale: Offers industry-specific POS system for restaurants. 
  • Delivery: Syncs menu with major delivery apps like UberEats, SkipTheDishes or DoorDash to scale business and reach more customers. Receive delivery orders, promote high-margin dishes, create delivery-only menus and more. 
  • Order Ahead: Provide customers with the flexibility to order ahead for takeout, curbside pickup and appointments. They can add custom notes, table and room number requested, whether utensils are required and more details. Keep customers in the loop with real-time SMS notifications. 
  • Self Order Menus: Let customers send their orders via an interactive digital menu directly to the kitchen, bypassing the need for waiters and servers. Realign employees to focus on faster cooking, increasing order accuracy and improving customer service. 
  • Kitchen Display System: Displays a detailed view of every order, including turnaround time and images, color codes orders according to assigned chefs, and sends alerts for pending orders. Have online orders directly go to the display board after submission for faster preparation. 
  • Customer Facing Display: Exhibit the total breakdown of customers’ orders, subtotal cost, tax percentage, tips paid and total price on a display screen. Customize the screen with business logo and brand colors while advertising high-margin dishes or the item-of-the-day. 
  • Enterprise: Run multiple restaurants located in different places with a cloud-based POS system. Monitor each location’s sales, employee and promotional data while centralizing customer data from numerous areas. Customize and scale as needed with an open API interface. 
• Golf Course Management: Caters to businesses that operate golf courses. 
  • Tee Sheets: Personalize tee sheets according to the facility’s structure. Manage golf courses from nine to 54 holes. Accommodate any play type, including shotguns, crossovers, front or back nines and more. 
  • Booking Management: Players can register for tournaments and pick their tee times. Organize monthly or yearly leagues, track attendees and review metrics from the dashboard. 
  • Membership Management: Create unlimited types of memberships, customize booking restrictions and pricing structures per type, and automate the billing process. 
  • Professional Website: Increase online presence, showcase facilities, attract more golfers and provide flexible payment options through a personalized website and mobile application. Design websites with preset templates or customize them with source coding. The vendor takes charge of website maintenance. 
• Integrations: Leverage various integrations for assistance in accounting, analytics, CRM, marketing, payment processing (In the U.K, Canada and Australia), ERP, invoicing and more. 

Approach to Common Challenges

• Inventory Management: Lightspeed offers real-time inventory tracking across multiple locations, low-stock alerts, purchase order management, and integrations with popular accounting software to streamline inventory processes and reduce stockouts.
• Sales Reporting: Robust reporting features provide insights into sales trends, customer behavior, employee performance, and profitability, enabling data-driven decision-making and revenue optimization.
• Omnichannel Sales: Integrates online and in-store sales channels, allowing customers to shop however they prefer, manage inventory and orders centrally, and provide a seamless customer experience across channels.
• Customer Engagement: Built-in customer relationship management (CRM) features track customer purchase history, preferences, and contact information, enabling personalized marketing campaigns, loyalty programs, and enhanced customer service.
• Employee Management: Features for time tracking, scheduling, and performance monitoring streamline employee management, ensure compliance, and create a more efficient workforce.
• Security: Cloud-based infrastructure and compliance with industry standards protect sensitive customer and business data, ensuring secure transactions and peace of mind.

Cost Of Ownership

• Q: What is the starting price, and what's included?
  A: Lightspeed offers tiered pricing plans starting at $69/month (billed annually), which includes the basic POS system and one register. The Standard plan, suitable for most businesses, costs $119/month and adds features like inventory management, customer profiles, and reporting. Remember, per-transaction fees and hardware costs are extra.
• Q: How do transaction fees work, and are they negotiable?
  A: Lightspeed charges per-transaction fees on top of the monthly subscription. These vary depending on your plan and payment processor (starting at 2.6% + 10¢ with Lightspeed Payments). While not directly negotiable, choosing a higher-tier plan with bundled processing can sometimes reduce effective fees.
• Q: Are there additional costs to consider besides the monthly fee?
  A: Yes, factor in potential hardware costs (registers, tablets), additional register fees, app integrations, and optional add-on features. Carefully evaluate your needs to avoid unnecessary expenses. Consider annual billing for discounted rates and seeking quotes for enterprise plans with custom pricing.

Limitations

•  Accounting integrations cost extra. 
•  Doesn’t offer report customizations. 

Suite Support

FAQ

• Q: Does Lightspeed work offline?
  A: Unfortunately, Lightspeed primarily operates online and requires an internet connection. While some limited offline functionality exists in specific regions, relying solely on offline features isn't recommended for mission-critical operations.
• Q: How easy is Lightspeed to learn and use?
  A: Users generally find Lightspeed's interface intuitive and user-friendly, with ample training resources and guides available. However, its vast feature set can have a steeper learning curve for complex needs compared to simpler POS systems.
• Q: Does Lightspeed integrate with other software I use?
  A: Yes, Lightspeed offers a wide range of integrations with popular accounting, marketing, and other business tools. This connectivity allows seamless data flow and simplifies managing various aspects of your business.
• Q: How secure is Lightspeed for storing customer data?
  A: Lightspeed takes data security seriously, employing industry-standard security measures and complying with relevant data privacy regulations. Regularly updated software and secure cloud infrastructure contribute to data protection.
• Q: Can I customize Lightspeed to fit my specific business needs?
  A: Lightspeed offers some customization options through settings and app integrations. However, extensive customization might require workarounds or third-party solutions, as its core functionality caters to broader industry needs.
• Q: How does Lightspeed's customer support compare to competitors?
  A: Lightspeed provides various support options, including phone, email, and online resources. User reviews generally rate the support as helpful and knowledgeable, but wait times can sometimes be an issue.