5 Best POS Systems For Your Nail Salon

Key Takeaways

• Shopify POS, Clover POS, Square, Vend, and Mangomint are the 5 best point-of-sale systems for nail salons, as they all offer a range of features and functionalities tailored to meet the specific needs of the salon industry.
• Shopify POS emerges as a comprehensive solution for nail salons of all sizes, from small start-ups to larger establishments with multiple locations.

The 5 Best POS Systems For Nail Salons

There are several top contenders in the market regarding salon POS systems. Here are a few worth considering for your salon business:

Shopify POS: Best For Business Of All Sizes

Key features

• Omnichannel selling
• Multi-location inventory management.
• Integrates with scheduling apps like Appointo
• Customer relationship management
• Staff management (with Shopify POS Pro)
• Detailed reports
• 24/7 Customer support
• Multi payment method
• Mobile POS
• Custom gift cards and loyalty program

Pricing

• $0 for Shopify POS Lite (comes with every Shopify plan); $89/month/location for Shopify POS Pro.
• Processing fees: Start at 2.4%

This POS is best for

• Independent nail salon owners who just start-up their businesses
• Nail salons with limited counter space
• Businesses with large inventory who focus on selling nail products
• Nail salons with multiple staff and locations

Why we like it

Shopify POS is an all-in-one solution for nail salons of all sizes.

With Shopify POS, nail salon owners can easily manage all aspects of their salon across multiple locations and sales channels in one unified platform with data updates in real time.

Advanced multi-locations inventory management and analytics

For nail salons with multiple locations and a wide range of nail products, Shopify POS allows salon owners to keep track of their nail polishes, UV lights, accessories, etc. The detailed data across all locations allows salon owners to analyze important information, such as what and when to restock, the number of appointments each stylist has in a month, the volume of walk-in customers, and the popularity of specific services.

Mobility

Shopify POS can turn any mobile device (tablets, smartphones) into a point-of-sale, allowing salon owners to manage appointments, inventory, staff, and process payment right from their mobile devices. It is a perfect choice for smaller salons with limited space.

What is missing

Shopify POS does not have its own appointment management features. To add this function to your POS, you will need to integrate it with third-party apps. Additionally, to access advanced employee management capabilities, you would need to upgrade to Shopify POS Pro, which may involve additional costs.

Mangomint: Best For Busy Nail Salons

Key features

• Calendar & Scheduling
• Flexible payment
• Online booking
• Staff management
• Mobile POS
• Membership program
• Multi-location management
• Built-in integrations

Pricing

• $165/month for Essentials plan; $245/month for Standard plan; $375/month for Unlimited plan
• Processing fees: start from 2.4% + 15¢

This POS is best for

• Medium-and-large-sized nail salons that see a lot of walk-ins
• Nail salons with multiple locations

Why we like it

Mangomint is a specialized POS system catering to the beauty and wellness industries.

It offers speedy and intuitive workflows, eliminating unnecessary clutter and allowing you to access all your features and data from any device. With Mangomint, you have the freedom to run your nail salon business from anywhere.

Integrated membership programs

One standout feature is Mangomint’s membership functionality, which is at the forefront of the industry. It provides powerful tools to help you grow with features like automatic billing and flexible customization options. It also lets you streamline your membership programs and ensure efficient management of your salon’s recurring revenue streams.

What is missing

Mangomint’s level of customization may be limited compared to other POS systems. This can result in a longer learning curve for you and your staff to become familiar with the POS interface.

Square Appointments: Best For Start-up Nail Salons

Key features

• Simple set-up
• Smart schedule with 24/7 online booking and automated reminders
• Flexible payments
• Website integration
• Staff management and Square Payroll Integration
• Tip splitting
• Customer profiles and notes
• Mobile POS
• Multiple payment options
• Integrations

Pricing

• $0 with a single location for the Free plan; $29/month/location for the Plus; $69/month/location for the Premium plan
• Processing fees: start from 2.5% + 10¢

This POS is best for

• Start-up nail salons starting to switch from cash registers to POS
• Growing businesses running loyalty programs

Why we like it

There’s no aspect of your business that Square Appointments can’t help with.

Square Appointments POS supports a wide range of payment methods, including contactless payments. Additionally, it allows salon owners to create and manage customer profiles to foster strong relationships and engage customers through targeted marketing campaigns. The inventory tracking feature enables you to monitor stock levels across different locations in real-time right from the POS, providing insights into inventory movement and financial performance. The system also provides a user-friendly website, allowing customers to discover and book their services online 24/7.

Free plan for start-ups

The free plan offered by Square Appointments POS is an excellent choice for start-ups looking to establish their own nail salon business without any initial cost.

What is missing

The free plan of Square Appointments has limited scalability, meaning it may not be suitable for expanding to multiple locations. To accommodate more locations, you will need to upgrade to higher-priced plans.

Clover POS Personal Services: Best For Small Nail Service Salons

Key features

• Customer database
• Bookkeeping integrations (Quickbooks, Xero)
• Inventory management
• Employee management
• Mobile POS
• Multi payment method
• Custom gift cards and loyalty program
• Marketing tools

Pricing

• $599 + $14.95/month if you pay in full with hardware included or $50/month for Starter plan
• $799 + $49.95/month if you pay in full or $95/month for Standard plan
• $1,799 + $49.95/month if you pay in full or $135/month for Advanced plan
• Processing fees: Start at 2.3% + 10¢

This POS is best for

• Start-up and small nail salons
• Nail salons that mainly offer nail services including manicures, pedicures

Why we like it

Hardware included

We like Clover POS because it provides its own hardware, which is great for nail salons who want to start using a point-of-sale system. This saves time and effort during the setup process. Depending on the subscription plan you choose, you can get either a handheld device or a full kit of hardware. If you choose to purchase the hardware upfront, you may also receive a discount on your monthly subscription fees.

Advanced reports and integrated marketing tools

With real-time reporting, Clover POS allows you to track every sale, expense, and paycheck, providing up-to-date insights into your salon’s financial performance. Moreover, you can launch and manage a loyalty program that incentivizes repeat business, helping you build customer loyalty and encourage return visits.

What is missing

One thing that is missing from Clover POS is a free plan. The initial cost of Clover POS hardware can be high, which may pose a challenge for small businesses with limited budgets.

Vend (Lightspeed X-Series): Best For Selling Nail Products

Key features

• Mobile POS
• Customer relationship management
• Integrated payments
• Ecommerce integrations
• Apps integrations to enhance POS features
• Activate tipping, sales targets
• Real-time inventory management
• Customized reports
• Offline mode

Pricing

• $69/month for Lean plan; $119/month for Standard plan; $199/month for Advanced plan
• Processing fees: start at 2.6%+ 10¢

This POS is best for

• Nail salons focusing on selling nail products
• Pop-up nail salons

Why we like it

Accessibility

Lightspeed X Series is a great cloud and web-based POS system for nail salons, as you can access your data from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. It also works well even in offline mode or in situations where the internet connection is weak.

Detailed reports and analytics

Lightspeed X Series seamlessly integrates with popular software applications like Xero, TapMango, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and Marsello, allowing you to manage your salon from a centralized location efficiently. You can also monitor your stock levels in real-time across all your online and physical stores. Additionally, Lightspeed X Series enables you to generate customized inventory reports, providing insights into products, brands, and suppliers, ensuring that your shelves are always stocked with the right products to meet customer demands.

What is missing

Lightspeed X Series is possible to scale up, however, it can be costly to do so. Additionally, the customer support provided by Lightspeed may have a slower response time, which could be a drawback for users seeking timely assistance.

Our Approach

When selecting the ideal POS system for your nail salon, we took several factors into consideration, including price, features, ease of use, and customer reviews. We specifically focused on systems that offer essential features such as appointment scheduling, employee management, and inventory tracking.

By comparing these features side-by-side, we determined which salon POS system offers the most comprehensive and well-rounded solution for your salon business needs. Additionally, we paid close attention to customer reviews to gauge whether these systems met the expectations of their users, providing valuable insights to guide our decision-making process.

5 Features To Look For In A Point-of-Sale System For Nail Salon

When selecting the ideal nail salon point of sale (POS) system for your business, be sure to consider the following key features:

Appointment Scheduling

You and your staff should be able to plan and organize appointments without any problems quickly. A good nail salon point-of-sale should enable you to offer online booking options for your guests with their favorite service or style and provide a smart calendar that prevents double bookings. This way, you can anticipate the number of clients you’ll have in the upcoming weeks, efficiently manage your bookings and plan your schedule accordingly to avoid any empty spots.

A salon POS system should sync and digitize processes across your business and reduce or eliminate the need for paper calendars and personal calls to confirm appointments. For example, the software can send automated reminders, SMS confirmations, and push notifications to remind guests a few days before the appointments. This helps in keeping guests engaged and reduces the chances of no-shows.

Staff Management

It’s important that your nail salon’s point of sale system assists you in managing your employees. It should provide you with feedback on various aspects such as their availability, assigned tasks, clients they have served, hours they have worked, and the commission they have earned from product sales.

Taking care of your staff and keeping them motivated is not only beneficial for the success of your business but also helps maintain a positive atmosphere and reduces employee turnover. Using an easy-to-use salon point-of-sale system, you can support your staff effectively, boost morale, and ensure that your guests consistently have a wonderful experience during every visit.

Client Relationship Management

Keeping a record of client information such as previous spending, preferred nail stylish, or allergies will make the appointment process much smoother and increase customer experience.

Moreover, your salon’s point of sale software needs to have email marketing features that make it easy to send personalized messages to offer discounts or promote special deals, send welcoming messages to new customers, and provide newsletter subscriptions to connect with your customers effectively.

A good point-of-sale system should allow you to create and distribute digital gift cards and establish a customized loyalty program. These efforts will help expand your customer base, enhance their experience, and turn first-time customers into loyal ones.

Flexible Payment Processing

With the increasing popularity of digital payments, your salon’s point-of-sale software should be able to accept various payment methods. This includes cash, credit cards, contactless payments, memberships, packages, loyalty points, and gift cards.

It’s even better if your point of sale software provides features like automated payment alerts, third-party billing, how much they want to tip their nail stylish, and the option to customize receipts for specific occasions or to provide customers with the information they may need.

Inventory Management And Detailed Reports

It is crucial to have the ability to keep track of your inventory, quickly identify which products need to be reordered, set prices, and monitor the sales performance of both fast-selling and slow-moving items. This information will be valuable when compiling sales reports in the future.

The top-notch point-of-sale systems not only gather data from your sales transactions but also integrate information from your marketing efforts and overall business operations. They can generate detailed reports and, even better, make accurate forecasts. These reports can provide insights into important aspects such as your most profitable services, top-selling products, employee performance, and areas where customer satisfaction may need improvement.

How To Choose The Best POS For Your Nail Salon

When selecting a nail salon POS system, there are a few important points to keep in mind:

• Your business size and budget: Determine how much you are willing to invest in a POS system. Prices can vary greatly, so staying within your financial means is essential. If you’re a star-ups, POS with a free plan and options to upgrade later is the most suitable choice.
• Your business needs: Different POS systems offer various features, each with strengths and weaknesses. Choosing a system that aligns with your salon’s requirements is crucial.
• Customer reviews and expert advice: Customer reviews can provide valuable insights into the potential pros and cons of a particular salon POS system. If you need help deciding which system to choose, we recommend reaching out to a professional or a consultant before making a decision.
• Take advantage of free trial: Many salon POS systems offer free trials. It allows you to test the system firsthand and determine if it meets your expectations and fits seamlessly into your nail salon’s workflow.

POS Systems For Nail Salons: FAQs

Bottom Line

The salon POS system that is perfect for your business is the one that has the features you require and fits within your budget. After considering everything, we have found that Shopify POS is the top choice for a salon POS system.