December 28, 2019

Clover POS System Review

By Kim P, personal finance expert at CreditDonkey

Clover POS can handle the business needs of many industries. Does it suit your business? Read this review for the pros and cons.

What Is Clover POS?

Clover is one of the most customizable cloud-based POS systems available today. But since it runs only on Clover equipment, you can't get the POS software using your existing setup.

Clover POS has two components:

Hardware: The tablet or register used to process your payments and run your back-office
Software: The actual POS operating system

You purchase a Clover POS in conjunction with your credit card processing services. You can buy your Clover system directly or via one of its partners, such as:

Bank of America
Associated Bank
Bank OZK
Capital Bank
Chemical Bank
First Interstate Bank
First Tennessee Bank
Huntington
PNC
Wells Fargo

No matter where you purchase, you'll need a merchant account to process and accept credit card payments. If you shop directly through Clover, your merchant account will be with First Data.

Pros

Suitable for All Business Types
Clover POS works well with retail establishments, restaurants (quick service and full-service), and service businesses, such as salons.

Works With More Than 300 Apps
If you need more than basic features, Clover integrates well with apps, including Mailchimp, Xero, Woo Commerce, Shopify, and DocuSign.

Accept Offline Payments
Once you have an internet connection, you can process your offline sales.

24/7 Customer Support
You can get customer support in the U.S. around the clock by phone or email. For common questions, simply access the Help Center for tutorials and articles.

Chip and Contactless Payments
All POS hardware options available through Clover enable you to accept swipe, EMV-chip, Apple Pay, and Google Pay payments.

Cons

Requires Clover Hardware
You must pay for the hardware in order to use the POS system and related apps.

Monthly Service Fee
Even if you don't process any payments that month, you still pay a monthly fee, as well as payment processing fees and the monthly register fee.

No Customer Service on Third-Party Apps
Clover provides access to hundreds of apps that it doesn't manage. If you have issues or questions, you must go through the app creator for customer service.

Hardware Features

All Clover POS systems offer:

Registration to process payments
Promos to keep customers coming back
Feedback to hear from customers
Loyalty rewards
Customer lists
Clover Dining to manage restaurant floor plans
Employee management with Shifts

Read on to learn about the levels Clover offers.

Clover Go

Cost: $69

All Clover Go transactions sync with your online Clover dashboard, which you can access from any device. Just attach the reader to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth to accept swiped, chip, and contactless payments.

Clover Flex

Cost: $499

The Clover Flex's all-in-one system can replace the standard register. Here's what it lets you do:

Take orders
Accept swipe, chip, and contactless payments
Manage inventory
Manage customer data
Create and manage loyalty programs
Run sales reports

Clover Mini

Cost: $749

Minimize the use of counter space without sacrificing functions with the Clover Mini. It allows you to:

Accept swipe, chip, and contactless payments
Set up tipping options for customers
Set up with barcode scanners and scales
Manage inventory
Run sales reports
Manage customer data
Access reporting from anywhere

Clover Station POS

Cost: $1,349

The Clover Station POS is the fastest POS and has the highest level of security. It includes a cash drawer and receipt printer as well as a large 14" display.

With Clover Station POS, you can:

Accept swipe, chip, and contactless payments
Manage inventory
Manage employees
Run reports
Create custom orders
Set up tipping options
Set up with barcode scanners and scales

Can you buy a used Clover POS?
It's not a good idea to buy a used Clover POS. You may get a merchant contract that could put you on the hook for thousands of dollars. It might cost more to buy your Clover POS directly through your merchant account provider or Clover. But you can avoid succumbing to a scam.

Software Features

Clover offers two software plans. Read on for the details.

Register Lite

Cost: $14 per month

Payment Processing:

In-person transactions: 2.7% plus $0.10 per transaction
Keyed-in transactions: 3.5% plus $0.10 per transaction

Features:

Process orders with tax and discounts
Accept all forms of payments, including debit cards, credit cards, cash, and checks
Take offline payment
Instantly send receipts via text or email
Run sales reports
Set up customized taxes
Run refunds
Set up employee authorizations and manage hours
Up to $100,000 in data breach protection
Around-the-clock customer support

Does Clover POS have a virtual terminal?
Yes, you can accept credit card payments from any internet-enabled device via the Clover virtual terminal, which is included with each plan. After logging into your dashboard, you can collect payments, collect customer information, and send receipts, all without your Clover hardware on hand. But watch the fees, as keyed-in transactions have higher processing fees than swipe, chip, or contactless payments.

Register

Cost: $29 per month

Payment Processing:

In-person transactions: 2.3% plus $0.10 per transaction
Keyed-in transactions: 3.5% plus $0.10 per transaction

Features
Register includes everything from Register Lite plus:

Inventory management
Customer loyalty program management
Customized tips
Customer feedback and replies
Marketing
Process exchanges
Open tabs
Manage tables

How It Compares

Square
Square offers a powerful POS with no monthly fee. The easy setup makes it a great choice for new businesses. You can get a free credit card reader or pay for the Square hardware.

The tools aren't as robust in the free version. But they do offer expansive options for a monthly fee, including:

Employee management
Loyalty programs
Marketing

With Square, you won't get a choice of payment processors. You must process your payments directly through the company.

Lightspeed
Lightspeed, like Clover, offers a powerful POS system and payment solutions. It also has monthly fees and charges interchange-plus pricing.

Lightspeed caters to restaurants and retail operations. It simplifies running the day-to-day business and can help you manage:

Inventory
Employees
Data
Sales

Use Lightspeed's ecommerce platform to set up an online store.

TouchBistro
TouchBistro is an iPad POS for restaurants. It offers a mobile POS system to make servers more accessible to customers and features:

Restaurant table management
Tableside ordering
Restaurant CRM
Menu management
Inventory management
Reporting features

TouchBistro also offers programs for quick service, full service, and bar type restaurants. All plans have a monthly fee.

Bottom Line

The Clover POS is a popular option among many merchant account providers. If you are an established business looking for your own merchant account, chances are that you'll come across the Clover POS.

Be sure to read the fine print carefully and compare the costs to make sure you are getting a good deal.

More from CreditDonkey:

POS System for Retail

Revel Review

QuickBooks POS Review

Merchant


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