You wouldn’t invest in completely restoring a car only to skip over the engine, right?
So don’t launch your small business without investing in the right liquor retail POS software!
In this blog, we’ll explore how your liquor retail POS software plays a major role in your business’ success, the factors that determine how much you’ll need to spend on this tool, and three liquor retail POS software solutions at different price points.
What Is Liquor Retail POS Software?
Before we dive into the costs, let’s cover the basics of liquor retail POS software.
Think of this powerful tool as your partner in running your small business. It streamlines every aspect of your operations, including facilitating sales transactions, keeping accurate records of your inventory, generating repeat business, and monitoring your store’s financial health.
Here are some of the main features of a liquor retail POS software solution:
- Built-in age verification to protect your liquor license
- Real-time inventory monitoring to keep your shelves perfectly stocked
- A loyalty program to help you build a relationship with your customers
- Flexible promotions to give your sales a boost
- Advanced reporting and analytics to reveal your store’s growth, customers’ preferences, and more
From navigating the legal intricacies of selling spirits to juggling hundreds of bottles in inventory, liquor stores have unique needs, so it’s important to choose a POS solution built specifically with the liquor industry in mind.
Breaking Down the Cost of Liquor Retail POS Software
The most accurate answer to the question of how much liquor retail POS software will cost you is that it depends. Costs can vary wildly depending on the features you’re looking for, your store’s size, and your needs.
To help you get an idea of how much you need to budget for this tool, let’s look at the factors determining the cost of liquor retail POS software.
1. Software Licensing
Software licensing is the price you pay for access to your liquor retail POS software. These fees can range from free for a basic version to hundreds of dollars a month for a premium solution.
Most providers charge a monthly fee for your software subscription, while others may offer a discounted rate if you sign up for a yearly subscription and pay annually.
A few providers will allow you to pay a one-time price for indefinite access to their liquor retail POS software, but keep in mind that this option doesn’t usually include regular software updates and customer support.
2. Hardware Requirements
Now that you’ve secured your liquor retail POS software, you need hardware to run it on.
When it comes to hardware, you’ve got two main options. Some providers offer software that’s compatible with multiple types of hardware, allowing you to use your own, while others require that you use their proprietary hardware.
No matter which route you decide to go, you’ll likely need the following hardware components:
- A touchscreen PC to facilitate customer transactions
- A barcode scanner to scan customers’ items and accurately ring them up
- An age verification scanner to scan customers’ IDs during the checkout process
- A card reader to process transactions made with credit or debit cards
- A receipt printer to provide purchase records for you and your customers
- A customer display screen to show shoppers their purchase total
If you need to acquire new hardware, many providers allow you to either purchase or rent a device bundle that is compatible with their software.
3. Payment Processing
Another liquor retail POS software cost to budget for is payment processing. This service allows you to accept credit and debit card payments from your customers, and you’ll pay a percentage-based or flat fee for each transaction.
We recommend securing payment processing through your POS provider. Choosing integrated payment processing allows for a seamless transaction process, limits the number of providers you need to keep track of, and often allows you to get the most affordable rates.
4. Training and Support
When searching for the right liquor retail POS software, make sure to choose a provider that gives you 24/7 access to a team of experts.
During the onboarding process and beyond, you want to be able to get quick, convenient help when you have a question or problem, so take care to find a provider that’s invested in your liquor store’s success and provides 24/7 customer support at no cost.
5. Additional Integrations
As your liquor store grows, you might need to budget for additional services that integrate with your liquor retail POS software.
For example, if you’re hoping to sell liquor, wine, and beer online, you need to find an e-commerce solution that connects seamlessly with your POS software.
Other popular integrations include marketing tools that allow you to send email newsletters and text updates to your customers when new spirits arrive at your store or when you’re running a promotion. 
Top Liquor Retail POS Software Providers
Now that we’ve covered the factors that go into POS software costs, let’s look at some concrete examples. Here are three of the top liquor retail POS software providers — plus their standard pricing options.
1. eHopper: The Free Option
If you’re on a limited budget, a free POS solution might be the best option for your small liquor store.
Some POS providers offer a basic version of their software for free, allowing you to make transactions and carry out the basic tasks of running a business at no cost, with the option of upgrading later.
eHopper is one of these POS providers. With their free software, you’ll be able to process transactions and access simplified inventory management and reporting tools.
Keep in mind, however, that most free POS providers don’t offer the same level of dedicated customer support that you’d get with a paid solution.
2. Lightspeed: The à la Carte Solution
Other providers charge a wide range of prices for their liquor retail POS software.
Instead of paying one price for access to all of the software’s features, you can instead select which features you’re most interested in and build a solution that fits your needs.
Lightspeed is a POS provider that provides three separate pricing tiers, allowing you to choose what you pay and which features you’d like to put to work in your liquor store.
Their most basic tier enables you to process transactions, their standard tier allows you to access their reporting and e-commerce capabilities, and their advanced tier comes with access to their sales-boosting customer loyalty features.
If you’re looking for a POS solution to grow with your business, Lightspeed might be the right choice for you.
3. Bottle POS: The Best Choice
For the best chances of liquor store success, we recommend relying on a powerful, industry-specific POS solution from the very beginning of your small business journey.
As your business grows, you want your liquor retail POS software to help you maintain perfectly stocked shelves, access insightful sales reports, and generate repeat business through a customer loyalty program, so make sure to choose a solution that provides this full suite of features at no additional cost.
Bottle POS is a POS solution designed specifically for liquor stores. With a set of comprehensive features, Bottle POS has everything you need to grow your business.
Use Bottle POS’ build and price tool to generate an instant quote for your liquor store’s POS solution.
Invest in the Best Liquor Retail POS Software
Finding the right liquor retail POS software for your business can be tough, but we’re here to help you make the right decision.
If you’re searching for the liquor retail POS software solution that stands above the rest, then look no further than Bottle POS. See Bottle POS in action by scheduling your live, personalized demo today.
