Lightspeed Retail Reviews

“Works well for cafes and boutiques

Pros

I really like how easy it is to track inventory and categorize products. Also it gives me a much clearer view and better analysis of my sales reports.

Cons

The download button only gives one option which I feel is a major limitation. Also it would be great if they added a PDF option as well.

“Great all-in-one POS package

Pros

Setting up promotions for specific products is so simple. And it is great that the platform also helps us with inventory management and lets us set restock levels. Plus it syncs well with Shopify.

Cons

I feel like the Mobile app for reporting could use some improvements. It even tends to glitch and is slow when updating.

“Decent features, but support sucks

Pros

The pre-built reports are great and I find them quite easy to use.

Cons

The customer service is not the best. They are not willing to meet my specific needs and come off as dismissive.

“Feels like they are robbing us

Pros

It is functional but sometimes they make changes that do not consider how it will impact our operation, leaving our register and receiving department in chaos at the worst times.

Cons

This feels like extortion. They suddenly changed their policy and are now charging us an extra $400 per month on top of our regular subscription unless we switch to their merchant card service. Ever wonder why it is hard to leave a review for Lightspeed? I had an issue with their POS service and it took 3 months just to get a response. So do yourself a favor and use ANY other POS service.

“Huge shoutout to the great team they have

Pros

One thing I have noticed is that LightSpeed offers some of the best retail software out there.

Cons

I really wish we had chosen it sooner and saved money by avoiding all the other options we tried.

“Covers everything I need

Pros

The main reason I chose LightSpeed Retail was to make sure my e-commerce website's stock stayed synced with my in-store inventory.

Cons

Overall it is a big service with lots of configurations to set up. So I had to get a third party plugin to make sure my POS and website sync properly.

“Onboarding was easy

Pros

Setting it up was simple and the integrated credit payment system means I do not have to deal with third party systems.

Cons

The downtime when their service fails is really frustrating. Also we have had transactions disappear after the customer left which caused us to lose a decent amount of money.

“I like it!

Pros

I love the POS and inventory management tools LightSpeed offers.

Cons

Only one thing wish we had started using it earlier.

“User-friendly but a little slow

Pros

It is very user-friendly and makes managing inventory, processing sales and checking stock quick and easy. Also it really helps us speed up transactions and reduces mistakes. Plus the system supports multiple payment methods which is a huge plus for us.

Cons

The system can get slow especially during busy periods and that can be frustrating for customers. Plus I have noticed a bit of a learning curve with the more advanced features.

“Has way too many issues

Pros

The thing I like about it is that it does the basics really well like processing payments for orders.

Cons

There are integration problems, added costs are involved in order to have a lot of extra apps and payment delays over the weekend. Plus the invoices from Lightspeed do not match up with our bank account deposits because of when the EFTPOS fees are applied. It is a lot of extra work when we try to reconcile everything.

“Decent option

Pros

I love how easy it is to pull data from the LightSpeed back office and how smoothly it communicates with your POS device.

Cons

The connection to the card reader drops in and out all the time, and Lightspeed only works with certain processing companies.

“Support in SA is terrible

Pros

There is nothing I like about it!

Cons

They sold me the wrong plan and when I found out there was a better one that suited my needs, they told me I had to pay extra for add ons which made it more expensive. Plus they would not let me switch to the right plan. It feels like they are lying thieves and they are useless. And this is in South Africa so I wouldn't recommend it to any South Africans.

“Met my basic expectations

Pros

The few things I like are how easy it is to add and change products.

Cons

Setting up events in the system is way too difficult than I expected.

“Easy to use with helpful support

Pros

I enjoy using LightSpeed. The features are simple to navigate, easy to learn and great for training. Also they have a newsletter that keeps us updated on new features. We got a great startup discount for the first year and the terminal was free. Once we set it all up everything has gone smoothly. Whenever I had a question, online customer service was there to help and they have always resolved any issues. It even offers capital advances after a certain time based on sales which could help with extra expenses.

Cons

Honestly I really do not like the monthly fees now as our discounted yearly rate has ended. That's really the only thing I dislike about the system. I also wish it would partner with Faire, the wholesale platform we use to integrate inventory and invoicing.

“They have gone downhill

Pros

Lightspeed Retail has a powerful foundation with a simple POS and useful connected integrations.

Cons

Customer service used to be great but in just a few years, it has become some of the worst I have experienced in any industry. I can honestly say even our basic employees/users understand the system better than any of the customer service reps from Lightspeed.

“I won't recommend it to anyone

Pros

Not only is it simple and easy to use but I also find it quick to set up and affordable too.

Cons

Be careful as they will let you use their POS system but once you are settled in, they will penalize you if you don't use their payment services. The monthly penalty for not using their payment gateway is massive. Also I noticed that support is almost nonexistent and the account managers main goal is to sell you more of their services. If you do not accept, they will pressure you into it by charging you a �335 monthly penalty. So I would highly recommend looking into other POS providers before committing to it. They only give you 18 days to pay the penalty before suspending your service.

“Total letdown, find another option

Pros

Nothing at all. It wasted my time and energy with false promises about how well it would work. I am very much disappointed. Overall a terrible experience.

Cons

During the demo I asked if it integrated with WooCommerce and Amazon. I was told it did but it does not. You need extra software to integrate with Woo, Amazon and Shipstation. I was also told support was based in North America but again it was a lie. Plus it takes 4 to 6 days to get an email response and phone support does not have answers they just create more email chains.

“Keep your expectations low

Pros

I would say its simply the worst!

Cons

Avoid it at any cost as it has been nothing but a nightmare since we signed the contract. Customer service is horrible. We have not even been able to get the POS system working. Support is no help and our onboarding person has not communicated with us even once. Like less than a month in and we still do not have a working POS. When I tried to cancel they threatened me with a $4k fine for breaking the contract.

“Promised a lot, didnt deliver

Pros

LightSpeed covers the basics really well such as matrices, easy SKU setup and a pretty intuitive POS.

Cons

Customer service is the worst. They keep pushing new add-ons that do not work and no one ever responds. Overall I have felt like the system does not live up to its promises. For example we were sold on a Shopify integration which isn't true. We were also told the reporting would be great but it's the opposite. Plus you have to pay extra for any reports that actually provide useful information, like inventory valuations.

“Disappointed!

Pros

It is fast, fully online and makes it simple for us to import and export data between Excel.

Cons

Not a good experience at all. Basic functions just do not work and they haven�t been fixed after months or even years.