Vend POS Review: Pricing, Features, Alternatives
With strong stock administration options, multi-store performance and thorough reporting, Vend is likely one of the for rising brick-and-mortar companies. Vend POS contains limitless merchandise and customers, is appropriate with quite a lot of {hardware} choices and gives 24/7 buyer help.
Nonetheless, in contrast to some opponents, Vend doesn’t supply its personal cost processing service and its pricing could also be inaccessible for smaller companies. Vend is designed to accommodate retailers, so eating places and service-based companies will doubtless need to think about options.
Vend is a cloud-based POS system that lets you promote your merchandise, take orders from prospects, combine {hardware} gadgets, settle for funds and sync information throughout a number of places and registers. To get began with Vend POS, you possibly can e book a customized session with a gross sales consultant or join a 14-day free trial.
In the event you join a free trial, you’ll have the ability to create a Vend account — no bank card required — and both view a demo retailer or begin constructing your individual retailer. Vend will ask some questions on your online business to assist information you thru your startup course of.
When creating your Vend account, you’ll have the ability to:
When you’ve accomplished these duties, you’ll be prepared to begin promoting and taking buyer orders. Nonetheless, when you create your Vend POS account utilizing the 14-day free trial, you’ll first must activate your account.
You’ll be able to activate your account at any time by way of your dashboard by selecting a subscription plan and most popular billing frequency (month-to-month or yearly) and submitting your cost info.
Vend gives three variations of its POS software program: Lite, Professional and Enterprise. The chart under breaks down the options included with the completely different choices.
The entire price of the Vend POS system will likely be based mostly on the software program plan, {hardware} choices and third-party cost processor you select. Right here’s what it’s essential to learn about Vend’s pricing:
Vend’s subscription plans are priced on a month-to-month or annual foundation; when you go for an annual plan, you obtain a reduced fee.
All plans begin with one location and one register. If you wish to add one other location or one other register, you’ll must pay an extra month-to-month (or annual) payment. In the event you pay for the price of an extra location, nevertheless, you all the time obtain one corresponding register inside that value.
The chart under outlines the prices related to every plan.
It’s essential to notice that the Lite plan has a month-to-month turnover, or gross sales, restrict of $20,000. In the event you exceed this restrict thrice inside a 12-month interval, Vend would require you to improve to the Professional plan. The Professional and Enterprise plans do not need any turnover limits.
Vend doesn’t supply its personal cost processing service. You’ll want to seek out and select a appropriate cost supplier, otherwise you could possibly use your present supplier (if in case you have one). Subsequently, your cost processing prices will rely fully on the cost supplier you’re employed with.
Vend works with suppliers reminiscent of Sq., PayPal, Worldpay and TSYS. Based on Vend’s web site, a few of its cost companions supply unique processing charges to point-of-sale prospects.
Whatever the third-party processor you select, Vend won’t cost transaction charges on high of the charges that you simply pay your supplier.
You should use Vend POS with an iPad, Home windows pc or Mac pc you already personal. You can even run Vend POS on Microsoft tablets, smartphones or utilizing any web browser. Nonetheless, Vend gives a cell app solely particularly for iPad gadgets.
Vend gives some {hardware} for buy by way of its partnership with POS Portal, though you should buy appropriate gadgets from third-party sellers as nicely. Listed below are the costs of some {hardware} bundles and equipment:
You’ll obtain your bank card processing {hardware} — , Bluetooth readers, hand-held terminals or different gadgets — instantly from the cost supplier you’re employed with.
Vend POS features a robust suite of retail options that permit enterprise homeowners to promote their merchandise, serve their prospects and handle their day-to-day operations. With Vend, you possibly can create and customise your product catalog — including a limiteless variety of merchandise with all plans — and sync information by way of the cloud throughout places and gross sales channels.
Vend gives automated instruments for stock administration, permitting you to trace your inventory, modify ranges and fill orders. The Vend scanner cell app additionally provides you the power to conduct stock counts and product lookups rapidly and simply, no matter your location.
Furthermore, Vend POS contains thorough reporting, instruments for buyer relationship administration and a customizable checkout — with the choice to make use of the Vend Show app to show your iPad right into a customer-facing show.
You’ll be able to add a limiteless variety of customers to your Vend POS account. And when you improve to the Professional plan, you possibly can entry instruments for e-commerce, loyalty applications, reward playing cards and multi-store administration.
Vend is appropriate with all kinds of {hardware} options, together with Home windows computer systems, Mac computer systems, iPads and Microsoft Floor Professionals — making it straightforward to run this POS system on a tool you might already personal. And though Vend doesn’t supply a cell POS app for smartphones, you should use it by way of Google Chrome, Safari or Firefox in your machine.
You should purchase {hardware} equipment to make use of with Vend from third-party sources or by way of Vend’s companion, POS Portal. Vend conveniently supplies an inventory of really helpful appropriate gadgets on its web site based mostly on whether or not you’re utilizing a Home windows pc, Mac or iPad.
In the event you use Vend on an iPad, you possibly can run the devoted Vend POS iPad app and benefit from the cell stock scanner and buyer show apps.
All the Vend POS plans embody 24/7 buyer help by way of telephone, stay chat and electronic mail. With the Enterprise plan, you additionally obtain personalized onboarding and a devoted account supervisor to supply ongoing help and coaching for you and your crew.
Along with its customary buyer help, Vend gives skilled companies that help you work with a Vend knowledgeable for personalised onboarding, coaching and different help (for related prices). Vend additionally supplies thorough help sources on-line, together with its assist heart, on-demand programs, coaching webinars, e-books and experiences.
Vend gives a 14-day free trial of its POS software program, in addition to a free on-line demo. You can even e book a customized session with a Vend consultant to study extra in regards to the system earlier than signing up.
Vend POS begins at $119 monthly, or $99 monthly if billed yearly. If you wish to add one other register, you’ll must pay an additional $59 monthly — or $49 monthly, if billed yearly. With this plan, you have got a $20,000 turnover restrict monthly and also you do not need entry to promotions and reward playing cards, e-commerce channels, third-party apps, multi-store administration or APIs.
In contrast with POS options, Vend has a excessive beginning price, particularly contemplating a few of the limitations of the entry-level plan. Some retailers, smaller companies and people simply beginning out particularly, might not have the ability to afford this value level — and would possibly as a substitute think about a competitor with a free software program possibility, like Sq..
Vend doesn’t supply its personal cost processing service, so that you’ll must discover a third-party supplier to just accept buyer bank card funds. Though this can be helpful for companies that have already got a relationship with a cost supplier, those who don’t should undergo the method of discovering a appropriate supplier, getting bank card terminals and integrating with the Vend system.
As a part of this course of, you’ll even have to match processing charges and decide which supplier . Based on the Vend web site, its system is appropriate with a spread of suppliers, however you’ll want to succeed in out to its gross sales crew to obtain the total listing based mostly in your area.
If you wish to get your POS system arrange as rapidly as doable, you would possibly think about an possibility with its personal cost processing as a substitute — like Sq. or Shopify — that gives flat-rate, clear pricing.
Sq. is a flexible POS system that may be an important possibility for retailers, eating places and service-based companies. Sq. gives a free POS software program, built-in cost processing and a user-friendly cell app, which lets you arrange your account and begin promoting rapidly and simply.
Sq. has robust stock administration instruments, a extremely customizable checkout and a spread of reporting choices. You can even combine Sq. POS with quite a lot of third-party apps or add on different services Sq. gives, reminiscent of a web based retailer, payroll software program and a loyalty program.
Though Sq. can meet the wants of all kinds of companies at a low value level, there are extra specialised POS techniques obtainable for retail companies and eating places.
Sq. additionally requires that you simply pay further charges for add-ons like loyalty and advertising, that are included throughout the software program prices of different techniques, reminiscent of and Vend POS Professional. Furthermore, whereas Sq. is nice for iOS and Android gadgets, it’s not appropriate with Home windows desktops and tablets.
Lightspeed Retail is the proprietary POS system offered by Vend’s mother or father firm, Lightspeed. Lightspeed Retail POS gives robust stock administration options, 24/7 buyer help and a spread of third-party integration choices. In contrast to Vend, Lightspeed contains built-in cost processing, providing clear flat-rate pricing by way of Lightspeed Funds with all plans.
Lightspeed additionally begins at a cheaper price level — $69 monthly, billed yearly — and contains one-on-one onboarding, a devoted account supervisor and extra free coaching inside that value. Plus, when you improve to a higher-tier plan, you possibly can obtain entry to accounting integrations, e-commerce options and omnichannel loyalty applications.
Like Vend, Lightspeed POS nonetheless could also be costly for smaller companies or these simply beginning out — particularly contemplating options like and Sq. supply free POS software program options.
Equally, in order for you entry to accounting integrations or e-commerce instruments, you’ll must go for the Customary plan ($119 monthly, billed yearly). You’ll want to decide on the Superior plan ($199 monthly, billed yearly) for entry to loyalty applications and the analytics core platform.
Furthermore, Lightspeed doesn’t present details about its {hardware} pricing upfront. It’s important to contact a gross sales consultant for a quote, making it troublesome to match the associated fee with opponents.
