2025 Small-Business Point-of-Sale System Scorecard

Effective Small-Business Point-of-Sale Systems

The small-business POS market is more competitive than ever as banks and payment processors launch their own POS software to rival independent providers. With 95% of small businesses processing under $1 million annually, merchants need affordable, flexible, and secure POS systems to accept payments, track sales, manage payroll, and monitor inventory. Unlike large enterprises with custom-built solutions, small businesses rely on off-the-shelf POS platforms that offer integrated payment processing and essential business functions.

Javelin’s 2025 Small-Business Point-of-Sale System Scorecard evaluates POS systems tailored for businesses generating under $1 million in revenue. This analysis excludes enterprise-level POS solutions like Oracle and focuses on payment platforms that cater to retail, restaurant, and service-based businesses. To ensure broad applicability, providers serving only one sector were not included.

With seamless payment acceptance being a top priority, small businesses need POS systems that support contactless payments, mobile transactions, EMV chip processing, and PCI compliance. This report highlights the best small-business POS solutions that balance affordability, payment security, and efficiency to help merchants stay competitive. 

What You’ll Learn About Small-Business Point-of-Sale Systems

• The leading providers of POS platforms designed for small businesses and how they compare.
• How banks position themselves to compete with software companies in the small-business POS market.
• The best strategies for banks and financial services companies to enhance their service stacks by integrating POS software.
• Key factors for banks and non-tech companies to evaluate the competitiveness of their POS offerings before entering the market.

Preview Of Key Findings

The Expanding Role of Payment Processing 
Payment processing is now a core component of POS platforms, offering recurring revenue streams from both transaction fees and SaaS-based POS subscriptions. Companies leading this space—whether payment providers acquiring POS platforms or POS software companies integrating payment solutions—are maximizing per-merchant revenue by embedding value-added services. Features like payroll, loyalty programs, and installment lending create additional revenue streams, while SumUp has gone further by offering merchants business checking accounts through a partnership with Piermont Bank. 

Companies Mentioned

Block Inc., Clover, Elavon, Epos Now, Exatouch, Fiserv, iZettle, Lightspeed, McDonald’s, National Retail Solutions, PayPal, Shopify, Shopkeep, Snowdevil, Square, SumUp, Talech, US Bank, Vend