As a vape shop owner, you know how hard it is to stay competitive, choose the right products, and keep customers coming back for more. The good news? Investing in a robust point of sale (POS) system can help.
More than a simple cash register, modern vape shop POS systems include a range of features specifically tailored to the tobacco industry to ensure your vape store runs smoothly and efficiently — but choosing the right system for your business can be easier said than done.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about vape shop POS systems, including:
- The key features of a vape shop POS
- Top five vape shop systems
- Helpful tips for evaluating POS systems
Vape Shop POS Systems: 8 Must-Have Features
Many point of sale systems on the market look (at least on paper) very similar. However, to stay compliant with tobacco rules and regulations and get the most out of your POS system, you should keep an eye out for these features:
- Robust inventory management: Track inventory levels in real time, set automated reorder points, manage a wide number of SKUs, and spot sources of shrinkage.
- Streamlined age verification: Use a system that integrates directly with ID scanners and other modern age verification tools to keep your shop compliant without slowing down checkout.
- Customer loyalty and CRM: Entice customers to come back with customizable customer loyalty programs and track customer purchase history to send out personalized offers and deals.
- Reporting and analytics: Get a holistic view of your business’ financial performance, understand customer preferences, and make better decisions.
- Built-in vendor management: Store all supplier information in one place so you can quickly create purchase orders and calculate your profits.
- Payment processing: Work with a vendor that offers high-risk payment processing to facilitate credit card and contactless payments. This gives customers more ways to pay.
- Dual pricing: Find a system that supports dual pricing to provide a convenient (and legally compliant) discount for customers paying in cash.
- E-commerce support: Connect your in-store and online inventory. This is essential if you plan to sell your products online.
While this is not a comprehensive list of features, it should give you a good idea of what to expect from a modern vape shop POS system.
Related Read: A Quick Guide to Smoke Shop Profit Margins
Top 5 Vape Shop POS Software Providers
If you’re unsure of where to start in your search for vape shop systems, fear not. Here are our top five picks.
1. KORONA POS
KORONA POS is a cloud-based, multi-location point of sale solution that caters to many types of retail businesses, including vape shops. Their software helps streamline inventory management, sales, and customer relations, making it a popular choice among vape shop owners.
Key features:
- Cloud-based platform: Access your vape shop’s data from any device with an internet connection to enable real-time information sharing and remote management.
- Customizable interface: Design the most efficient workflow for your employees with a highly customizable interface.
- Inventory management: Take advantage of built-in support for batch inventory tracking and alerts to ensure your vape shop is always stocked with the right products.
- Customer management: Track important customer information, including purchase history and preferences, to create targeted marketing initiatives and personalized experiences.
Pricing
Choose from several different plans, with their retail plan starting at $69/month.
2. Lightspeed
Lightspeed is a powerful and user-friendly POS solution specifically tailored to the needs of vape shops. Its feature-rich platform simplifies business operations, allowing you to focus on what matters most — delivering excellent customer experiences.
Key features:
- Integrated e-commerce: Leverage online sales with an integrated e-commerce platform to facilitate seamless inventory management between online and offline channels.
- Multi-location support: Monitor and manage inventory levels across multiple locations in real time.
- Custom pricing: Offer customer loyalty pricing, employee discounts, and other promotions with flexible pricing options.
- Detailed reporting: Access vital business insights, including sales, inventory, and employee performance analytics, to allow for informed decision-making and continuous improvement.
Pricing
Lightspeed’s Basic plan starts at $89/month.
3. Square
Not everyone needs a powerful, industry-specific solution, which is what makes Square an appealing choice for new business owners. One important note is that Square does not support tobacco sales on its e-commerce platform, making it a bad choice if you want to sell your products online.
Key features:
- Flexible integrations: Square’s App Marketplace allows you to integrate with other platforms like Wix, QuickBooks, and more.
- Low stock alerts: Get notified when you run low on certain products, so you can reorder at the right time.
- Flexible hardware options: Square offers many hardware configurations, from beginner-friendly options like mobile card readers to fully-featured registers.
Pricing
Square has free plans with limited features for new businesses and a Plus plan for expanding businesses at $89/month.
4. FTx POS
FTx POS caters to high-risk businesses like liquor stores, bars and clubs, and tobacco shops, making it a reliable option for vape shops.
Key features:
- Automated scan data reporting: Take advantage of tobacco scan data incentives with streamlined scan data reporting.
- Flexible hardware: FTx has all-in-one hardware to scan barcodes, IDs, and payment methods.
- Low stock alerts: Set low stock alerts to avoid stockouts and optimize reorder points.
- Customer loyalty: FTx includes Loyal-n-Save app integration to build a rewards program.
Pricing
At the time of writing, FTx does not include specific pricing but offers several pricing tiers.
5. Cigars POS
Cigars POS is our highly specialized POS solution designed specifically for tobacco and vape stores. With its comprehensive features and intuitive interface, our software provides everything you need to streamline your vape shop's day-to-day operations.
Key features:
- Product and inventory management: Maintain and organize thousands of items, including e-liquids, devices, and accessories, with an extensive product database.
- Age verification: Ensure compliance with age restriction laws using the built-in age verification feature to minimize the risk of selling to underage customers.
- Loyalty program: Reward your best customers with a fully-integrated loyalty program to encourage repeat business and build long-lasting relationships.
- Multi-location support: Track and manage inventory across multiple locations to streamline operations and grow your vape business.
- Auto ranking: Cigars POS can quickly identify your bestsellers and most neglected products using sales history and machine learning.
Pricing
At Cigars POS, we specialize in working with small and independent businesses, offering flexible pricing tiers based on your unique needs. Use our build and price tool to create your custom quote.
Tips for Choosing the Right POS System for Your Vape Shop
While we’d love to say that Cigars POS is a great fit for everyone, that wouldn’t be true. Even systems that seem similar on paper will have different strengths and weaknesses.
Here are a few tips to ensure you pick the right vape shop POS system for your business.
- Consider your budget: Consider how much you can afford to put aside for hardware and software costs.
- Understand your support: Know what level of support you have available during onboarding and who you can call if something goes wrong.
- Remember your goals: Make sure the features of a POS system meet your long and short-term goals.
- Have questions ready: Come up with a list of specific questions about different features and capabilities before you contact a POS provider.
- Schedule demos: Narrow down your picks and schedule demos to see the POS in action. Sometimes, seeing is believing.
Take your time. You’ll be using your POS system every day, and its features will largely determine the customer experience you can provide.
So, don’t rush it.
Get Started With a Vape Shop POS Made for Your Business
Choosing the right vape shop POS system depends on your specific needs, budget, and overall business goals.
Cigars POS is trusted by cigar lounges, vape shops, and tobacco shops around the country to simplify their daily tasks, make better decisions, and improve the customer experience.
Schedule a custom demo today to see how Cigars POS can help you smoke the competition.
