Apple's base iPad is the right pick for POS. Plenty of power for Square / Shopify / Toast. 10.9" display fits POS interfaces well. Lower cost = if a customer drops it, you can afford to replace.
If you run more complex POS (Toast for restaurants with menu modifiers, inventory-heavy retail), iPad Air M3 handles it smoothly. Stage Manager + multi-app helpful for back-office.
Best for small retail, coffee shops, food trucks, service businesses. Free software. Pay-per-transaction. Includes inventory, employee management, customer database. Most popular iPad POS.
Best for retail with online store. Syncs in-person + online sales/inventory. Slightly more complex setup. Free with Shopify subscription.
Restaurant-specific. Built for tableside ordering, modifiers, kitchen display, splitting checks. Industry standard for restaurants now.
Bank-tied option (bundled with merchant accounts). Less flexible than Square/Shopify but integrates with traditional banks.
Enterprise-grade retail. Pricier. Multi-location chains. Restaurant variant available.
Square Terminal handles chip/contactless/Apple Pay/Google Pay. Standalone (built-in display) OR pair with iPad for combined setup. Best for businesses already on Square.
Cheaper than Terminal. Bluetooth to iPad. Takes Apple Pay + chip + magstripe. Best for food trucks, mobile services, low-volume use.
Shopify's card reader integrates with their POS app. Cheaper transaction fees than Square for Shopify subscribers.
Industry-standard thermal receipt printer. Bluetooth to iPad. Works with Square, Shopify, Toast, most POS apps. Fast print speed. Durable construction for heavy daily use.
Standard 3 1/8" x 230' thermal paper. Buy 50-roll cases on Amazon. Lasts a busy shop 1-3 months.
Industry-standard cash drawer. Connects to receipt printer via RJ-11 cable. Opens automatically when sale completes. Heavy steel construction. Lockable.
Heckler WindFall is the gold-standard iPad POS stand. Rotates for customer signature/tip selection. Locked to counter. Cable management built-in. Most professional Square/Shopify setups use this.
Lamicall / Tailgater iPad counter stands work for low-budget setups. Tilt + rotate. Less premium than Heckler but functional.
Shop Counter Stands →Socket Mobile S700 is the standard Bluetooth barcode scanner for iPad POS. Pairs once, works with Square / Shopify / Lightspeed. Fast scan rate. Ergonomic. Required for any retail business with SKU inventory.
Second iPad (cheap iPad 11th gen) on customer-facing side. Customer signs / tips on their own screen. More professional than handing your POS iPad over the counter.
UPS keeps POS running through brief power outages. Lets you complete in-progress sales + safely shut down if outage is sustained. Critical for restaurants / shops that can't lose mid-transaction.
Killer iPad POS perk: real-time sales reporting on iPhone + Apple Watch. Check sales totals from anywhere. Square / Shopify push notifications on big sales. Run multiple locations from one Apple Watch.
Open for business in an afternoon for under what a single legacy POS terminal costs.
Setting up iPad + Square/Shopify + card reader + printer + cash drawer + barcode scanner — mail-in or in-shop setup available.