Are you tired of struggling with outdated, clunky point of sale (POS) systems at your tobacco store? Or, worse, are you still manually handling transactions with an old-fashioned cash register?
Tobacco shops can be highly profitable, but we’re sure we don’t have to tell you about the challenges of operating in such a highly regulated and competitive industry. One simple step that can significantly impact your success is implementing a reliable and efficient POS solution that meets your specific needs and preferences.
However, finding the best tobacco store POS solutions can be overwhelming, confusing, and time-consuming, especially if you're unfamiliar with the latest technologies, features, and vendors.
We’ve scoured the market to identify the most reliable, user-friendly, and affordable options that can suit different types and sizes of businesses. Once you’ve read this post, you’ll have all the information you need to make a measured decision for your smoke shop.
What To Look For in a Tobacco Store POS
There’s no shortage of POS systems available on the market, but how can you tell which solution will meet the unique needs of your business? Can you find a solution that will help with compliance, tobacco store promotion, and everything in between?
Let’s look at a few key features you should consider when choosing a point of sale solution for your store.
First, you want to ensure your POS system has age verification capabilities. Age verification is a vital part of any tobacco store operation, as it ensures you're only selling tobacco products to those legally allowed to purchase them.
Tobacco shops should look for POS solutions with built-in age verification features that check the customer's ID before completing the sale. This feature can help you avoid costly fines and protect your business from legal trouble.
Related Read: How to Open a Tobacco Shop in 7 Steps
Inventory management is another important aspect of a tobacco store POS system. Many tobacco products like cigars or cigarettes come in boxes or cases, and keeping track of individual units can be challenging.
A good POS system should be able to handle case breaks, making it easy to manage your inventory and keep track of individual units.
Regardless of the features you need, you should ensure you have a proper POS solution in place for your store. Without a POS system, you may struggle to manage systems and processes effectively. You will also miss out on important insights and opportunities you can get from your POS system data.
POS Nation
POS Nation offers point of sale software solutions for various businesses, including retail, hardware stores, and grocery stores. The software is designed to manage inventory, track sales, and streamline operations.
Key Features:
- Carton-pack inventory tracking
- Sales reporting and analysis features
- Scan data reporting
- Age verification
- Tools to combat shrinkage
POS Nation's tobacco store solution offers features that are specifically designed to meet the needs of tobacco retailers, including age verification, age-restricted sales, and compliance with FDA regulations.
Pricing: POS Nation's pricing varies depending on the features and the number of users. You can build a custom solution using their pricing tool.
KORONA POS
KORONA POS is a cloud-based point of sale software designed to provide businesses with a personalized experience to streamline their operations. A variety of industries can use this solution, including retail, quick service, and liquor stores.
Key Features:
- Loss prevention
- Customer loyalty features
- Self-checkout
- Different cashier permissions
KORONA POS offers features that can help tobacco shops comply with FDA regulations and verify customer ages. They also offer robust inventory management features that can help tobacco stores better manage their product catalog.
Pricing: KORONA POS offers different pricing plans based on the number of locations and the features required, with prices starting from $59/month.
Cigars POS
Cigars POS is a point of sale software designed specifically for tobacco stores, cigar shops, and smoke shops. Every aspect of our solution has been crafted specifically with tobacco shops in mind, so we offer all the features and functionality you need for your store.
Key Features:
- Robust inventory management
- Scan data reporting
- Custom label printing
- Advanced reporting
- Customer loyalty features
- Age verification
Cigars POS is an ideal solution for tobacco retailers because it’s the only software on the market that was designed specifically for you! The solution is tailored to meet your business’ unique needs, such as tracking tobacco, cigar, and vape inventory, managing loyalty programs, and managing age-restricted sales.
Pricing: Cigars POS’ solutions are custom-built for you. You can get an idea of your pricing using the simple and transparent build and price tool. 
Brilliant POS
Brilliant POS offers point of sale software designed for retail businesses, salons, quick service restaurants, and more. You can use Brilliant POS to streamline your business operations and access data that enables better decision making.
Key Features:
- Payment processing
- Age verification
- Integration with external tools like QuickBooks
Brilliant POS isn’t designed specifically for tobacco shops, but they still offer many of the features smoke shops need, including advanced inventory tracking, loyalty programs, and age-restricted sales.
Pricing: Brilliant POS offers different pricing plans based on the required features. Their full register system starts at $49.95 per month.
eHopper
eHopper is an all-in-one POS platform designed for restaurants and retail shops. They offer a wide range of features and functionality that may serve a broad range of industries and help with store operations.
Key Features:
- Self-service checkout
- E-commerce features
- Customer loyalty gestures
- Advanced inventory management
eHopper does not provide all the bells and whistles a tobacco store might need, but they offer a strong solution at a low price point, which may be the right choice for some businesses, depending on your specific needs.
Pricing: eHopper’s OmniChannel software plan for retail, restaurants, and professional services starts at $29.99 per month.
Choosing the Best Tobacco Store POS For Your Store
If you’re tired of wasting time on manual processes and cobbled-together solutions, it’s time to implement a tobacco store POS system that can truly save you time and headaches.
Any solutions listed in this post will provide you with some of the top features and functionality every tobacco shop needs to succeed.
However, if you want a point of sale solution designed specifically for tobacco stores like yours, there’s only one choice: Cigars POS.
Our feature-rich POS solution offers all the functionality you need for your store, from scan data reporting to robust inventory management and more. To see if Cigars POS is the right solution for your store, schedule a free software demo today!
