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Migrate your retail store

This guide outlines how to migrate your retail store to Shopify. The guide doesn't cover every step in the process of setting up a Shopify store, such as setting up your online store. Learn more about migrating your online store to Shopify with Migrating to Shopify.

You can use this retail migration guide as a starting point and as a reference resource to make sure that you don't forget any key setup tasks.

On this page

Before you get started

Review your eligibility

Only countries where Shopify Payments supports both online and in-person payment processing are eligible to use Shopify hardware. Use the following list to find out if Shopify Payments is available to use with the Shopify POS app and Shopify hardware in the country where your business operates:

When you process a POS transaction in person using Shopify Payments and a Shopify card reader, you must follow the payment rules for the country you're processing the transaction in. Learn more about country and currency compliance for selling in person.

Additional setup

This guide is primarily focused on tasks to get your retail store set up. You might want to complete some additional setup tasks to migrate your information to your new Shopify online store.

You can complete the following tasks before starting the guide:

You can also complete the following tasks to get your payments and taxes set up:

Step 1: Install the POS sales channel in your Shopify admin

All new stores have the POS sales channel pre-installed. If you removed the POS sales channel or have reopened an old online store, then you need to install the POS sales channel.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Apps and sales channels.
  2. Click Shopify App store.
  3. Search in the Shopify app store for "Point of Sale".
  4. Click Point of Sale.
  5. Click Install.
  6. In your Shopify admin, to accept the data access, click Install.

Step 2: Choose your POS subscription

You can choose a POS app subscription for each location depending on your needs.

Compare the features for POS Lite and POS Pro

For businesses that mainly sell at markets, fairs, or pop-ups, POS Lite is recommended. For businesses with retail locations or who sell more often in person, POS Pro is recommended.

Shopify offers two POS app subscriptions to fit your retail needs. For more information on pricing, refer to POS pricing. For more information on features, refer to POS features. To compare the features offered between Shopify POS Lite and Shopify POS Pro, refer to the following table:

Shopify POS features and subscriptions.
FeatureShopify POS LiteShopify POS Pro
Integrated payment hardware with Shopify Payments (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States only)✓✓
Non-payment retail hardware integrations✓✓
Customizable smart grid✓✓
Add/edit customer profiles✓✓
Customer View app✓✓
Multi-location inventory, orders, and customer management✓✓
Email/SMS receipts ✓✓
Custom printed receipts ✓
Discount codes and manual discounts ($, %)✓✓
Automatic discounts ✓
Sell and redeem gift cards✓✓
Shopify Tax calculations (United States only)✓✓
Camera barcode scanning✓✓
Custom sales✓✓
Offline cash payments✓✓
Staff PINs (based on Shopify plan)✓✓
Retail staff permissions and management ✓
Unlimited POS-only staff ✓
Sales attribution ✓
Refunds✓✓
Exchanges ✓
Cash tracking✓✓
Save/retrieve cart ✓
Email carts ✓
Ship to home ✓
Local pickup fulfillment ✓
Local delivery fulfillment ✓
Advanced inventory management with Stocky ✓
Daily sales reports ✓
In-app retail store analytics ✓
Required checkout information ✓

Manage your POS subscription for each location

You can select your POS subscriptions by location to ensure that your stores have the subscription that best suits their needs.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Apps and sales channels.
  2. Click Open sales channel.
  3. Click Locations.
  4. Click Manage subscriptions.
  5. Select a subscription for each location.
  6. Click Save.
  7. Click Approve subscription.

Step 3: Log in to the Shopify POS app

Download the Shopify POS app to your phone or tablet

To download the Shopify POS app, use your device to scan the QR code for either Android or iOS for Shopify POS app from the install page, and tap Install.

The Shopify POS app works with devices which meet the following requirements:

Devices that work with the Shopify POS app
DeviceDescription
iPhoneiPhone 7 or higher running iOS 15 or higher
iPad Air Generation 2 or higher running iPadOS 15 or higher
iPadGeneration 5 or higher running iPadOS 15 or higher
iPad miniGeneration 4 or higher running iPadOS 15 or higher
iPad ProAll iPad Pro models running iPadOS 15 or higher
AndroidPhone or tablet running official Android version 10.0 or higher

The Shopify POS app is available for only iOS and Android devices. It's not available for desktop computers.

iOS 14 permission requirements

If you have updated your device to iOS 14 or higher and use third-party Shopify apps, then you might need to activate Cross-Website tracking in your iOS settings. Cross-Website tracking lets third-party Shopify apps that you have installed in your Shopify admin stay connected in Shopify Inbox, Shopify Point of Sale, and the Shopify app.

To activate Cross-Website tracking, complete the following steps:

  1. Open the Settings app on your device.
  2. Tap Shopify, Shopify POS, or Shopify Inbox.
  3. Activate Allow Cross-Website Tracking.

Log in with email

If you're a staff member with an admin username and required credentials, then you can use them to log into the Shopify POS app when you have the Access Point of Sale permissions. The store owner has all permissions by default.

Steps:

  1. On the Shopify POS app login screen, tap Log in.
  2. On the Shopify page, type in your admin username and password and then tap Log in.
  3. If you have two-factor authentication activated for your store, then enter your authentication code.
  4. Tap Log in.
  5. Select the correct store and location to complete login.

You can customize the Shopify POS app settings. Learn more about Changing the Shopify POS app settings.

Step 4: Process a POS test transaction

Now that you have set up your hardware, payment methods, and you have added products, you can process a test transaction to ensure you're ready to accept payments from your customers.

Steps:

  1. Add a product to the cart. To add a product to the cart, tap ≡ > Products and select a product from the list. If your product has variants, then select a variant. If you use barcodes in your store, then you can also scan the product's barcode.
  2. To add a customer to the order, tap the Add customer smart grid tile and select your test customer.
  3. Tap Checkout > Cash > Exact change.
  4. Tap Email receipt, Text receipt, or Print receipt.
  5. Tap Order note and enter Test transaction into the field for your personal records.
  6. Tap Done.

You can view the test order on the order page by tapping ≡, Orders, and then selecting the order. You can process additional test transactions if you want to test any other settings.

When you are finished processing test transactions, you can close the tracking session.

Step 5: Order POS Hardware

Review the following table to learn more about what retail hardware you might need depending on your business type:

Recommendations for Shopify POS hardware based on your business
If you run...Then you might need...
A pop-up shop, events, casual part-time sales A supported device + card reader
A permanent retail location A supported device + card reader + receipt printer
Multiple stores or a warehouse A supported device + card reader + receipt printer + barcode scanner + cash drawer

You can choose a variety of components for your Shopify POS system, depending on the payment methods you accept, and your business needs.

Any of the options listed allow for more than one register at a single location. There is no limit to the number of POS stations you can have at a given location.

Where to buy hardware

If you're located in the United States and have Shopify Payments activated, then you can choose hardware from Point of Sale channel > Hardware store in your Shopify admin and then checkout using the Shopify Hardware store based on your location.

You can purchase hardware from the Shopify Hardware Stores:

Supported hardware

The availability for supported hardware from the Shopify hardware store varies by country. Shopify hardware provides the most optimal integration with the Shopify POS.

If you aren't located in a country with a Shopify hardware store, then refer to the supported hardware page or any of the individual hardware pages for supported model numbers and purchase hardware from a verified third-party retailer of your choice.

Step 6: Set up payment methods

Activate Shopify Payments in the POS app

You need to set up Shopify Payments for your store in your Shopify admin in order to accept credit card payments in person. After you set up Shopify Payments in your Shopify admin, you need to activate it in the Shopify POS app.

Steps:

  1. From Shopify POS, tap ≡ > Settings > Payment types.
  2. In the Default payment types section, verify that the Credit/Debit option displays Accepted.

(Optional) Deactivate cash payments for the Shopify POS app

By default, cash transactions are activated. If you no longer want to accept cash, then you can deactivate cash transactions. There are no additional fees or charges to the customer or to the store for cash payments.

Steps:

  1. From Shopify POS, tap ≡ > Settings > Payment settings.
  2. Under Other payment types, tap Cash to deactivate it.

Step 7: Set up Tap to Pay on iPhone

To use Tap to Pay on iPhone, you need to meet the following requirements:

  • your store is based in the United States
  • your store's currency is set to USD
  • you have Shopify Payments activated as your store's payment provider
  • you have the Point of Sale channel installed in your Shopify admin
  • you use the Shopify POS app installed on your iPhone
  • you use an iPhone XS or newer running iOS 16 or higher

You must have the Manage payment settings permission to activate Tap to Pay on iPhone for your store.

To set up Tap to Pay on iPhone for the first time, you need to accept Apple's terms of service with your Apple ID. The Apple ID should belong to you or your business. The Apple ID can be changed later.

After you have completed this first activation, Tap to Pay on iPhone will be available to pair on any iPhone logged into Shopify POS under your store's account, at any of your locations.

Steps:

  1. In Shopify POS, tap ≡ > Settings > Set up hardware.
  2. Select Tap to Pay on iPhone and tap Next.
  3. Verify the Apple ID and tap Continue with This Apple ID to use the Apple ID or Use a Different Apple ID to select a different Apple ID. After you have entered your Apple ID, accept the terms of service.
  4. Tap Done. Tap to Pay on iPhone is activated for your store and your iPhone is ready to accept payments.

Learn more about how to Accept payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone.

Step 8: Connect POS Hardware

Before you connect your hardware, you need to set up Shopify Payments in your admin and set up Shopify Payments in your POS app.

After you receive your hardware, you can connect it to your Shopify POS app.

Steps:

  1. From Shopify POS, tap ☰ > Connectivity.
  2. Tap Set up hardware.
  3. On the Set up hardware page, tap the type of hardware that you are adding. For example, if you're adding a card reader, then tap Card reader.
  4. Follow the prompts to connect your hardware.

Step 9: Customize receipts

If you have a POS Pro subscription, then you can customize the template for your printed receipts and choose how many receipts you want to print by default. You can't edit the transaction information on printed receipts.

Customize your receipts

You can add a logo, customize the header and footer, and add custom information to your receipts. You can customize receipts from the Point of sale channel in your admin in Settings > Receipt customization.

  1. From the Receipt customization page in your POS channel, choose the POS location from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click Logo Upload, and then click Add image. The image must be 400 px by 200 px.
  3. Optional: Choose a logo width from the drop-down menu.
  4. Click Save.
  1. From the Receipt customization page in your POS channel, choose the POS location from the drop-down menu.
  2. Complete either of the following steps:
    • Click Header to add a custom header to your receipts.
    • Click Footer to add a custom footer to your receipts.
  3. Click Save.

Add custom information

  1. From the Receipt customization page in your POS channel, choose the POS location from the drop-down menu.
  2. Click the checkbox next to any of the following details to display on your receipts:
    • Show a different logo per location
    • Show location address
    • Show location phone number
    • Show total sales box
    • Show SKU
    • Show compare at price
    • Show discount code
    • Show staff attributed to sale
    • Show staff at register
    • Show order note
    • Show customer information
    • Show 1D or 2D barcode
    • Show custom QR code
  3. Click Save.

Set a default number of receipt copies to print after a transaction

You can choose to have a default number of receipts printed following each successful transaction.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Point of Sale.
  2. Click Settings > Receipt customization.
  3. Click Number of receipts printed.
  4. Enter your custom whole number, and then click Save.

Step 10: Add POS staff

You can add staff to your store depending on your Shopify subscription plan:

To access Shopify POS using a Shopify account or login credentials, staff members need the following permissions:

Staff permissions required for POS
Permission categoryPermission
Point of Sale access Access Point of Sale
Sub-permission:
  • Set up new or updated POS devices

Staff with limited admin permissions and POS app only staff can't access Shopify POS unless the store owner or a staff member with the Set up new or updated POS devices logs in to the Shopify POS first.

Add access to POS for staff with admin permissions

You can grant access to the POS app for a staff member that has admin permissions. If the staff member doesn't have the required permissions to use the POS, then you're prompted to grant those permissions so that the staff member can log in to POS devices.

Steps:

  1. Navigate to your user settings:
    • For stores not a Plus plan, from your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Users and permissions.
    • For stores on a Plus plan, go to Settings. In the Organization section, click Users.
  2. In the Staff section, click the name of the staff member that you want to give POS access to. For Plus organizations, filter for type Staff, and then click the staff profile. In the Store permissions section, click Edit for the store with the staff permissions you want to adjust.
  3. In the Point of Sale access section, select Access Point of Sale.
  4. Optional: Select Set up new or updated POS devices to grant permission for the staff member to log into POS devices.
  5. Optional: If you want to create a different PIN than the default PIN, then do one of the following in the PIN section:
    1. Click Generate random PIN.
    2. Delete the default . . . . and enter a PIN manually. Staff use this PIN to access Shopify POS. Make sure that your staff knows what their PIN is.
  6. Click Save.

Add a POS app only staff

You can add POS app only staff from two locations:

Add POS app only staff from Shopify POS

If you're the store owner or have the Manage Point of Sale staff permission, then you can add POS app only staff directly within the Shopify POS app.

Steps:

  1. From Shopify POS, tap ☰, and then tap Staff.
  2. Tap Add new staff.
  3. In the Staff Information section, enter the required details.
  4. In the POS App Access section, tap Edit.
  5. Optional: To access the list of permissions within each role, select the role and then tap View permissions.
  6. Select a role, and then tap Save.
  7. Optional: If you want to create a different PIN than the default PIN, then do the following:
    1. In the Security section, tap Edit.
    2. Tap Generate random PIN or use the keypad to enter a PIN. Staff use this PIN to access Shopify POS. Make sure that your staff knows what their PIN is.
  8. Tap Save.

Add a POS app only staff from the Point of Sale channel

If you're the store owner or have a staff with the Manage Point of Sale staff permission, then you can add POS app only staff from the Point of Sale channel in the Shopify admin. You control your staff's permissions for the Shopify POS by assigning them a predefined POS role.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, click Settings > Apps and sales channels.

  2. From the Apps and sales channels page, click Point of sale.

  3. Click Open sales channel.

  4. Click Staff.

  5. Click Add staff.

  6. Enter the required information.

  7. Select a POS role.

  8. If you want to create a different PIN than the default PIN, then in the PIN section, click Generate random PIN or enter a PIN. Staff use this PIN to access Shopify POS. Make sure that your staff know what their PIN is.

  9. Click Save.

Step 11: Inventory management with Stocky

Stocky by Shopify is an inventory management app that's included with Shopify POS Pro subscriptions. Stocky helps you manage your inventory with the following features:

Step 12: Setup Local Pickup

You can set up the option for customers to pick up their online orders at your retail store, curbside, or any location that you choose.

To do this, activate the local pickup option for each location where customers can go to get their orders.

The shipping rate for local pickup is set to Free and can't be changed.

Before setting up local pickup

You need to complete the following before you can offer local pickup:

Set up the local pickup option

You need to set up the local pickup option for each location where customers can go to get their orders.

Setup includes enabling local pickup, choosing the expected pickup time that customers see when they check out, and specifying any pickup instructions in the Order ready for pickup notification.

Display pickup availability to your customers

Some themes let you display local pickup availability on product pages. On each product page, a pickup availability section displays whether the product is available, and the estimated time frame for pickup.

After local pickup is activated, the product page displays whether the product is available for pickup at one or more of your local pickup locations. This information displays only for products that are stocked at least one pickup location and have the This is a physical product option selected in the Shipping section of a product variant's details.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.
  2. Select a product.
  3. In the Variants section, select a variant.
  4. In the Shipping section, select This is a physical product.
  5. Click Save.

If you have local pickup activated for only one location, then the location and pickup availability is displayed for that location. Customers can click View store information to learn more about the pickup location.

If you have local pickup activated for more than one location, then the pickup availability section displays the location and pickup availability for one of your stores. Customers can click Check availability at other stores to check the product's availability at all of your locations that have pickup activated.

Add the Home screen tile for local pickup

If you add the tile for local pickup to your Home screen, then you can quickly find all orders that need to be prepared for pickup or marked as picked up.

After you add the tile, it will display the number of orders that need to be prepared for pickup. You can tap the Local Pickup tile to view the orders that need your attention.

Steps:

  1. On the Home screen of the Shopify POS app, tap Add tile.
  2. Go to Fullfillment > View pickup orders.
  3. Tap Add.
  4. On the Home screen, tap Done.

Learn more about Local pickup for online orders.

Step 13: Shipping for in-store customers

If you have product overselling protection activated, then you can add only in-stock inventory to the ship to customer order. If the inventory for any of the products added to your cart is out-of-stock, then an error message displays mentioning that the out-of-stock items can't be shipped. This prevents you from placing orders that can't be fulfilled due to out-of-stock inventory.

The displayed rates are the applicable weight-based, price-based, or carrier calculated rates that you have set up in the Shopify admin. Only shipping rates applicable to the current cart (based on the shipping rate rules configured) will be displayed. If there aren't any available rates displayed, then there are no applicable rates available. You can add new rates from the Shipping and delivery settings page of your Shopify admin.

Steps:

  1. Add all items to the cart.
  2. Optional: To add your customer to the cart, complete the following steps:
    1. Tap Customers.
    2. Select your customer from the customers list.
    3. Tap Add to cart from the customer details screen.
  3. On the Shopify POS app, tap More Actions and then tap Ship to customer. Alternatively, if you've added a smart grid tile for this action, then tap Ship to customer on your home screen.
  4. Enter the customer's email address and phone number, and then tap Next.
  5. On the Add shipping details screen, do either of the following:
    • Enter the customer's shipping details.
    • Tap a previously provided address.
  6. On the Select shipping method screen, do one of the following:
    • To choose from the calculated shipping rates, tap the preferred shipping method from the available list.
    • To enter a custom shipping rate, tap Custom shipping rate, enter the shipping amount, and tap Done.
  7. Tap Checkout, select the payment method, and process the payment.
  8. Choose a method of providing the order receipt to the customer and tap Done.

The order is initially marked as unfulfilled and can't be fulfilled from the POS app. You need to fulfill the order in your Shopify admin when you're ready to ship the order items to the customer.

Step 14: (Optional) Set up your online store

You can continue setting up your online store with the following actions:

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