About Lightspeed Retail
Lightspeed Retail is a cloud-based POS solution that helps retailers manage inventory, customers and sales across multiple channels. It offers features such as inventory management, retail store management, cash drawer control, payment processing, purchase order management, customer profile access, accounting software integration, and more.
The retail POS system offers multi-store capabilities such as inventory sync across all locations. At the same time, mobile extensions mean that associates can check on inventory and conduct sales from anywhere in the store via iPad. The retail POS solution offers inventory management tools that enable users to create, track and assign serial numbers to products and create product variations such as size, color, and material using a matrix system.
Lightspeed Retail also offers customer service features such as profiles, sales history logs, and customer insights. Lightspeed software is available on a monthly subscription and offers free, personalized onboarding and 24/7 support. The Lightspeed Retail POS iPad app enables businesses to create an iPad POS system within their retail store to process payments, perform returns, accept gift card payments, apply discounts, and more. It can also be used offline, which is a great feature.
Company Details
Tuesday: 9AM-9PM
Wednesday: 9AM-9PM
Thursday: 9AM-9PM
Friday: 9AM-9PM
Saturday: 10AM-4PM
Sunday: 10AM-4PM
Contact Information
Montréal, Québec, H2Y 1A6
Canada
Lightspeed Retail Specialties
Lightspeed Retail Reviews
Submitted by John Passini on 10/01/2022
John Passini 4 stars rating.
Got Comics, Inc. is a comic book retailer in Glendale Heights, Illinois. We've been using various iterations of Lightspeed as our point-of-sale software since we opened our store in 2010. We're currently using the Lightspeed Retail version of the software.
Lightspeed retail offers a number of features that make it flexible and easy to use.
Customer service is usually quite responsive, though it is not always easy to contact a support person on the phone. The software includes a 'CHAT' feature that is always available for questions and support issues, but try as they might, resolving issues in a text mode is seldom as effective as doing so with a phone call.
The software has the ability to show if any of the Lightspeed products are experiencing any software issues that are affecting its performance. In those cases we receive email updates as those software issues are resolved.
We would recommend Lightspeed Retail to other retail businesses.
Submitted by Bruce Wesley on 09/17/2022
Bruce Wesley 1 stars rating.
Buying a computer POS system from Lightspeed is like buying furniture from IKEA. Lightspeed supplies you with all the components however, you need to do the programming yourself.
Don't be fooled by the commercials that show a seamless and easy to install system. If you have line items and your inventory does not have variation this system may be for you. However, in the shoe industry with inventory composing of widths, sizes, colors, etc. this system has no formula for that.
Lastly, we got caught up in the hype and committed to purchasing the system. After day one we knew it wasn't for us. The next day we called and canceled our contract. We returned all the hardware and we paid a penalty and early termination fee that was agreed upon by both parties. Almost a year later, Lightspeed claimed that there was some small print at the bottom of the contract that allowed them to charge our account additional fees. Lightspeed charged our account without authority and did not honor our agreed upon termination contract.
Wesley's Shoes has been in business for over 5 decades. We are a small, independent minority business. We run our business very frugal and we don't like when companies take advantage of us and don't honor their end of the deal. Lightspeed is a perfect example of that.
Submitted by AlexandAlyssa Batista on 09/13/2022
AlexandAlyssa Batista 1 stars rating.
It's great when it works, unfortunately no back ups or offline mode when it goes down. Extremely unreliable and after 5 years of using them with no solution in sight I think it's time I cut my losses.
Submitted by Quin Webster on 08/15/2022
Quin Webster 4 stars rating.
This POS system is really simple to use, and very effective. I like the program interface, it works very well with the iPad we use it with. The best part is the customer service, they are readily available, and very knowledgeable. I would recommend this software for small businesses.
Submitted by James Connelly on 08/12/2022
James Connelly 1 stars rating.
Awful. We have 7 venues using their POS system. I could write a book about how bad this system is and the complete lack of support to insure our businesses run smoothly. We have lost THOUSANDS if dollars in revenue, due to this company. Stay away!
Submitted by French Van on 07/20/2022
French Van 1 stars rating.
During our renewal negotiation period with them, they charged us a full month service fee despite cutting off our services multiple times. Our entire organization is fed up dealing with them.
Please be wary of the good reviews and look at all the negative experiences that have been shared on here. It should also be noted that when someone from their Customer Success Team reaches out, they bribe or try to exchange services to request the deletion of poor reviews. It happened with one of the members on our organization.
Their team of account managers have slow response times and will often go on vacation or be away from their desks for extended periods of time without any notice whatsoever.
Submitted by Phuong Nguyen on 07/20/2022
Phuong Nguyen 1 stars rating.
For a canadian company, it is such a shame that they could not provide a better experience for the small businesses here. You can tell from the negative reviews that once you sign their contract, they no longer care for your repeat business with their horrible customer service. They need better training if they want customer retention.
Submitted by Will Doan Nguyen on 07/18/2022
Will Doan Nguyen 1 stars rating.
Update: They fraudulently charged my credit card almost a month after we had terminated our services with them. Completely unprofessional. This is a warning to business owners to avoid this company at all costs!
I recently made a call to the billing department, as our services were abruptly cut off while I was waiting to hear back from my account manager regarding our renewal options, and the rep was extremely rude and disrespectful. We were told that it didn't seem like we were interested in renewing our account since this was the 3rd extension for our account (P.S. we had only called in ONCE prior to extend and like I said earlier, I had not heard back from my account manager regarding my renewal options yet so how was I supposed to renew?).
We were initially set on renewing since it would reduce the need for re-training staff and acclimating to a new system but it wouldn't make sense to pay for a service to only be met by unhinged service reps making unprofessional accusations, especially in a climate that is so saturated with POS system providers. Also ironic because I usually receive an email to rate their support following a service call, but for this particular instance, I did not.
I have also had problems in the past with NUMEROUS account managers being completely MIA and not responding to a number of inquiries to place orders for new receipt printer paper. It wasn't until I had escalated the issue to a Customer Success Manager that this was resolved and I was asked to delete my review.
Not sure what the company culture here promotes but I haven't had enough pleasant experiences to outweigh the negatives. Will be taking my business elsewhere and I advise others to avoid as well.
Submitted by Lyanna Labelle-Rocha on 06/27/2022
Lyanna Labelle-Rocha 1 stars rating.
I have tried to give this POS a chance with 2 different businesses and it has failed me twice.
AVOID : for cafes, not at all compatible, for a cafe/retail hybride avoid as well, don't be sold by their sales pitch
I've worked in the restaurant and cafe businesses for 10+ years, with several POS systems and LS continues to be the worst. LS was recommended to my employers, I would never advise it.
WHY:
Both of my employers were recommended it: one for a cafe, the other à café/boutique.
For the LS restaurant recommended for the cafe: DO NOT USE LIGHT SPEED FOR YOUR CAFÉ. LS: face it, your POS is not made for cafes, a high traffic, quick volume business. The system continuously disconnects the payment and paper system. LS has found no solution and costumer service was slow and unreliable: took us 3 days to speak to a representative which halted our opening by a week. Maybe it works for restaurants, which have a relaxed payment process, but stop pushing it on café owners your product doesn't work and isn't made for it.
For LS retail recommended for retail and cafe hybride: avoid at all costs! The LS team sold the idea that we could use the retail system for our boutique and cafe with tips but it was a total nightmare. Tips didn't work, so I couldn't tip my staff (a VERY BIG RED FLAG). Payment with card was slow, with each client commenting on the slowness, the printer and scanner often disconnected, and the interface is overall too complicated for both the cafe and retail.
We were given no instruction on how to open the cash and close it for our deposits. Such a lack of support
I am so disappointed that my employers were sold a faulty product when better ones exist: MYR/Koomi for cafes, Shopify for retinal.
Submitted by Roland Ratliff on 06/25/2022
Roland Ratliff 5 stars rating.
We use Lightspeed at two businesses, Maime's Gifts and The Main Cup, and when our third comes online shortly, we will be using it there as well. Lightspeed really does speed up our process and ensures that our accounting is immediately up to date. The real time processing of inventory available in the Vend product really helps our retail location sell online while having an accurate representation of what we have available in store. The restaurant app with direct Lightspeed payment integration creates an easy workflow for our employees and our customers. Lightspeed is a must.
Submitted by Stephanie Forgione on 06/24/2022
Stephanie Forgione 1 stars rating.
Absolute worst so called 24/7 tech support for live issues. Multiple times I have not received a call back for tech support issues, or expect to wait hours on hold. A good example of a company that’s grown fast and can’t live up to what they sell customers on. Square POS and processing far surpasses lightspeed and is more affordable. Don’t waste your money on lightspeed!
Submitted by Ricardo Velez on 05/31/2022
ricardo velez 5 stars rating.
Lightspeed has provide to Lumbra Inc., and effective and professional way to manage our inventory all the way. From making purchase orders to receive the merchandise. We still learning because there are other aspects of Lightspeed that we are not using yet like reorder point, that will help us even more. Professionally because quotes and receipts are very well presented. The system is a cloud so I can connect from everywhere and whenever I want. The reports are really helpful and the accessories we can attach to the system (printer receipt, scanner, label printer and even regular printers) help us to manage Lumbra extremely well. Lumbra Inc., recommends the use of Lightspeed.
Submitted by Mark Robinette on 05/31/2022
Mark Robinette 5 stars rating.
We started using lightspeed late last year and it has been a big upgrade over our previous POS. The integrated ecommerce has be great and easy to use. There are a few features that have taken a little to get used to how the function differently but overall very easy to use. The amount of information you can input for each item has been great. The only thing I would prefer is if some of the ecommerce functions did not require an additional charge.
Submitted by Walter Ducharme on 05/25/2022
Walter Ducharme 5 stars rating.
Support 2 nd to none! We have been a client for several years and have always been able to get fast help and problems solved to continue to provide a top notch customer experience for our customers!
Lightspeed has been an excellent choice for our business as it has helped us to grow our business and revenue both in our brick and mortar and online sales all while using the latest tech hardware and adapting the software for our brand! Easy to use intuitive program with many intergrated partner options to make your point of sale work for you with seemless integrations. We have all the tools to continue our success year over year. We have the latest intergrated hardware to process our payments putting our small business ahead of many of the big box retailers making our customers experience fast, easy and enjoyable! Thank you Lightspeed for being our partner!
Walter Ducharme
Jungle Junction
Submitted by David Sperstad on 05/23/2022
David Sperstad 5 stars rating.
Lightspeed is a GREAT POS system for us to use. We are a bicycle shop and they integrate well with all my suppliers which makes tracking inventory effortless.
Lightspeed is always there to assist if and when I need it. The support they provide is excellent and most always friendly and patient.
Submitted by Mark Heise on 05/17/2022
Mark Heise 5 stars rating.
Lightspeed as completely revolutionized how we do business. The POS system we were using was built primarily for the food service industry. It was difficult to try and track inventory by size in our retail shop. Lightspeed solved all of that at a more affordable price point!
Submitted by Jessica Harmon on 05/15/2022
Jessica Harmon 5 stars rating.
I run a company called ATTU in Laguna Beach, CA. We use Lightspeed at our store, and I love it. It's easy to use. My inventory syncs with my website, and I'm able to easily transfer merchandise from one location to another. The reports are great when it comes time to pay my sales tax. All the information is right there and easy to look up. I highly recommend!
Submitted by Joe Crosby on 04/20/2022
Joe Crosby 4 stars rating.
For my small Bike Shop, Lightspeed is great. I have found some limitations with the website when it comes to editing and ease of use, hence the 4 stars. My business does not rely on e-commerce, so I simply chose to use a different website provider that was more user friendly. I wish they were more open to integrations (apps), because I want to start diving further into this. Everything else is great!
Submitted by Erik Faria on 04/18/2022
Erik Faria 5 stars rating.
We love our new Lightspeed POS system! We just transferred to Lightspeed Retail from Profit-Plus Edge here at our retail bike sales and repair shop, and it has made a world of difference for us. Every action is intuitive and the wealth of data and ease of access is just beyond our expectations! The friendly, speedy chat support has been invaluable as we set the system up and learned its in and outs. We are also excited to check out the eComm add-ons when our website is up-to-date. We highly recommend the Lightspeed Retail Point of Sale system to any retail business!
Submitted by DL Bergmeier on 04/16/2022
DL Bergmeier 5 stars rating.
Highly recommend. We switched from Quickbooks a few years ago. Online store syncs with real time inventory on the retail POS end. Easy to use. Quick, responsive customer service. Couldn't be happier.
- General Manager, Downtown Wine + Spirits
Submitted by Susan Weyrauch on 04/11/2022
Susan Weyrauch 5 stars rating.
I have used Lightspeed Retail ever since I opened my retail business (Total Dog Company, New Hope, MN USA). It's intuitive and easy to learn for my staff. The Inventory features make it a breeze to do weekly orders and if you keep inventory records accurate, year-end inventory reporting is practically one-touch. I added Lightspeed Payments recently; in addition to saving me money on merchant fees, its incorporation in the Reporting functions makes it super easy if we need to check on a card transaction. I definitely recommend it!
Submitted by Lee-anne Millaire Lafleur on 02/17/2022
lee-anne millaire lafleur 5 stars rating.
We use the Lightspeed POS for restaurant Palme and love it. They have great customer service as well they are compatible with many other programs and services we use. Happy with our choice.
Submitted by Info Info on 09/21/2021
info info 5 stars rating.
We love Lightspeed!
Staff training is easy. The cloud makes adjustments super easy on the fly. It’s fully integrated with Moneris and we haven’t had any hiccup on accounting or anything else in 2+ years. We’re very very happy!
Submitted by Ron Keller on 08/12/2020
Ron Keller 5 stars rating.
I have been using Lightspeed POS and eCommerce for about 6 years. It is a very cost effective system and extremely easy to learn. The inventory control and reporting sold me on the system and the technical support is superior. We do events and it is super easy to access everything & make sales on the iPad & phone.
Submitted by Veronika Cook (FIG Studio Kitchen) on 04/22/2020
Veronika Cook (FIG Studio Kitchen) 4 stars rating.
After using Lightspeed POS system for 2 years at our restaurant we absolutely love it. Customer service is great and they are always available to fix any issues or problems that may occur. The system itself is fairly easy to navigate and change. It has a great backend with regards to scheduling, menu categories/options to create, accounting and tracking movement of items. They are available for one on one tutorials to help you understand any issue a bit better. We would highly recommend this POS to any restauranteur out there.
