SpotOn POS Review: The Pros, Cons and Features

In this SpotOn POS review, I’m sharing my behind-the-scenes experience with the SpotOn POS solution, discussing it’s strengths, weaknesses, pricing, and core features.

Here, you’ll learn about the versatility of the POS platform, the wide range of hardware options available, and the unique selection of specialist tools available to niche business leaders.

The Bottom Line Upfront

SpotOn is a versatile POS solution for companies in search of a fully customizable point of sale system. The solution adapts to match your processes, works with a broad selection of hardware options, and features powerful inventory management tools.

However, it’s expensive and complex pricing could drive some smaller companies to a competitor.

SpotOn POS Pros & Cons

SpotOn POS Features

SpotOn POS is a point of sale solution built to adapt to a range of business needs. Restaurants and hospitality companies can access specialist modules and tools, while retailers will gain access to all the resources they need to manage their business, boost revenue, and monitor analytics.

Payment Processing and Revenue Optimization

SpotOn POS features its own payment processing technology, allowing companies to accept a range of payment methods, from Apple Pay and Google Pay, to PayPal and Venmo.

You can also leverage a range of “add-ons” to help boost revenue, such as customizable reservation and waiting lists, online ordering, and delivery features.

The virtual terminal functionality offered by SpotOn also allows companies to take mobile and online payments, set up recurring billing plans, and send branded invoices to customers.

SpotOn’s card processing fees start at 1.99% plus 20 cents for standard debit and credit cards, although custom processing rates are available to high volume sellers.

Inventory and Product Management

SpotOn’s inventory and stock management tools are excellent, allowing companies to manage and track stock from anywhere with real-time updates, and alerts.

The features are very similar to what you’d expect from competing POS providers like Shopify, and LightSpeed, and integrations are available for more advanced business needs.

There’s a built-in barcode scanner feature available too, which makes it easy to quickly look up products in your collection, and complete checkout processes.

Marketing and Customer Experience Management

SpotOn’s marketing and customer management tools are some of the most impressive I’ve seen in the POS landscape.

With the software, companies can rapidly collect guest data at checkout, and use it to create segments, so they can send branded emails and targeted discounts from their POS dashboard.

The software also offers built-in review management, allowing you to collect testimonials from multiple platforms at once.

Plus, you can boost your chances of long-term conversions with branded gift cards, branded receipts, and bespoke customer loyalty programs. However, the “SpotOn Loyalty” kit is an “add-on”, which means it comes with an extra monthly cost.

Employee Management

Compared to some of the other POS solutions I’ve reviewed, SpotOn has a very impressive set of employee management features.

It offers access to labor and scheduling tools, to ensure you can optimize resource management in one or multiple locations. There’s also the option to add-on payroll management and tip management for restaurants.

Plus, SpotOn offers access to a huge range of training resources that allow new members of staff to carry out duties in “protected mode”, to help them get used to things like creating orders, adding discounts, printing receipts, and using item modifiers.

Reporting and Analytics

SpotOn allows companies to monitor performance through a range of customizable dashboards and reports.

You can track product and cashflow trends over time, monitor the success of integrated marketing campaigns, follow the ROI on reward redemptions and more. The software also gives you a unified dashboard where you can see crucial metrics at a glance.

Notably, however, the software is lacking sales forecasting tools, which could make it less appealing to companies looking for opportunities to scale.

POS Hardware

Like many top POS vendors, SpotOn has its own suite of proprietary hardware solutions. There are options like the SpotOn Terminal (similar to the Square Terminal), which give you an all-in-one smart device that allows you to accept multiple forms of payment.

You can also combine a compact card reader with a smartphone or tablet, and SpotOn’s virtual terminal, which is ideal if you want to keep hardware costs low.

Plus, SpotOn has a dedicated register designed for larger retailers. Many of the options available include large screen sizes, multi-angle view options, and built-in cameras and tools for receipt printing.

One thing I do like is that if you’re low on cash, you can purchase POS equipment from SpotOn on “finance”, which means you pay a monthly fee to use the devices, rather than buying them upfront.

SpotOn POS Pricing

Compared to other POS vendors, SpotOn’s pricing is pretty complicated. There are no “long-term contracts”, but you do have to pay a one-time setup fee of $25 to get started.

If you’re looking for a simple solution, you can start using the software for free, but the cost of your software and hardware will be added to your payment processing fees (2.89% plus 25 cents per transaction).

The price of other packages depend on the features and add-ons you want, as well as the hardware you want to purchase alongside your subscription.

Restaurants can access counter-service packages starting at $99 per month, and Full-service packages starting at $135 per month.

There’s also the “customize your own” option, which allows you to choose the exact range of features and hardware options you need, in exchange for a custom price.

SpotOn Customer Support

If you encounter issues with SpotOn, the best place to find solutions is within the company’s comprehensive knowledgebase. It’s packed full of articles, guides, tutorials, and FAQs concerning all aspects of the POS software, and SpotOn’s hardware.

If you do want to talk to an expert, you can reach out to the team via the email, or telephone 24 hours a day.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any live chat options, and automatic backups for your data aren’t available, which could be an issue for some retailers.

Where SpotOn Stands Out and Where it Falls Short

SpotOn is a highly flexible POS solution with a lot of great features. However, there are some downsides too. Here’s what I noticed when reviewing the platform:

Where SpotOn Stands Out

• Customization: SpotOn gives you a lot of freedom to customize every aspect of your point of sale experience. You can add dedicated modules for loyalty programs, marketing, employee payroll, and more, and design your own website and gift cards.
• Excellent employee management: A lot of POS providers fall short when it comes to employee management. SpotOn gives you all the tools you need to onboard, pay, train, and schedule your employees in one convenient environment.
• Marketing tools: SpotOn’s range of marketing tools is fantastic. You can collect customer data at the checkout, and create custom marketing campaigns for email and social media within your dashboard. Plus you can track campaign results too.

Where SpotOn Falls Short

• Confusing pricing structure: SpotOn’s pricing structure is difficult to understand. It varies depending on your business size, the modules you need, and how you want to purchase your hardware, which can be complex for smaller businesses.
• Lots of extra fees: To access all of the features of SpotOn, you’ll need to pay for add-ons, like the SpotOn Loyalty app. The costs of all these “extras” can quickly add up, making SpotOn a pretty expensive POS solution.

Check out our guide to the best small business POS systems and see how SpotOn's features stack up against the competition.

Alternatives to SpotOn POS

SpotOn may be a good option for a range of hospitality businesses looking for flexibility and simplicity, but it’s not the only POS solution out there. Here are some of my favorite alternatives.

1. Shopify

Shopify is my number one choice for any retailer investing in omnichannel sales. It has its own payment processing system, integrates natively with the Shopify ecommerce platform, and is packed with tons of tools for inventory management, reporting, marketing, and more. Plus, you can get started for free if you already have a Shopify subscription.

2. Square

Square is one of the easiest POS platforms to use, and it offers options for both retailers and restaurant businesses. Square benefits from an extremely versatile and user-friendly interface, free software access, and a wide range of hardware options. It also allows you to build a basic website for free.

3. Clover

Clover is another highly customizable POS solution that supports a range of businesses from different industries. It has some great tools for restaurants, such as menu management, and has an extensive app market. However, the software can be expensive, particularly for beginners.

SpotOn POS Review: The Verdict

SpotOn is a decent point of sale system, ideal for companies in the hospitality sector searching for an excellent combination of marketing and sales tools.

Its reporting features are a little limited, and the pricing can be confusing, but it benefits from great inventory, customer, and employee management tools, and a range of flexible customization options.