Best POS System for Smoke Shops: 7 Top POS + Must-Have Features

Are you planning to open a smoke shop? Or maybe you’re running an existing tobacco shop or cigar lounge? One tech tool you will absolutely need to consider is the best POS system for your smoke shop.

Tobacco retailers and smoke shops face unique challenges that don’t affect other industries. Therefore, the POS system that they choose needs a specific feature set.

7 Best POS Systems for Smoke Shops

Choosing a POS system for a smoke shop isn’t just about processing sales; it’s about improving your entire business. The systems listed here were selected for their industry-specific features, pricing, and reliability. They provide tools essential for a successful smoke shop, including inventory customization and integrated processing for high-risk transactions.

1. FTx POS

FTx POS is a standout choice for smoke shops due to its comprehensive suite of features and deep industry experience. FTx POS includes seamless age verification, robust inventory management, and powerful scan data integration to help you earn additional revenue and simplify compliance. Tailored specifically for high-risk industries, it excels at handling the unique demands of smoke shops.

Pros

Excellent support

FTx POS offers 24/7 support, ensuring you’re never stranded, no matter what. Our dedicated team is always available to assist you with any issues or questions, providing peace of mind and seamless operations for your business.

Deep industry experience

With years of experience serving high-risk businesses, FTx POS understands the specific needs and challenges of smoke shops. This expertise translates into features that are both practical and effective.

Great processing rates

One of the standout features of this system is its competitive processing rates, which are particularly beneficial for high-risk transactions. This advantage allows businesses dealing with such transactions to save on costs while ensuring reliable and efficient processing.

Cons

Learning curve

FTx POS offers many features, which can seem overwhelming at first. However, we provide onboarding support and a library of training videos to help you get started.

Price

• Core level: $99 per POS per month
• Pro level: $179 per month for first POS per store; $129 per month for each additional POS
• Enterprise level: $299 per month for first POS per store; $199 per month for each additional POS

2. POS Nation

POS Nation is another reputable POS system that caters to smoke shops. Known for its user-friendly interface, it simplifies daily operations.

It offers excellent customer service and provides a range of features tailored to small and midsized businesses.

However, some users find the software lacks advanced customization options.

Price

• Starter level: $69 per month
• Growth level: $99 per month
• Premium: $149 per month

3. Clover

Clover is a popular POS system that’s designed for businesses of all sizes.

It’s been praised for its ease of use and sleek design.

However, it doesn’t cater well to high-risk credit card processing and lacks robust inventory customization options, which are crucial for smoke shops.

Price

• Starter level: $60 per month for 36 months or $799 plus $14.95 per month
• Standard level: $135 per month for 36 months or $1,799 plus $49.95 per month
• Advanced level: $190 per month for 36 months or $2,398 plus $69.90 per month

4. National Retail Solutions (NRS)

National Retail Solutions (NRS) is a POS system designed for small businesses and independent retailers, including liquor stores. It offers a comprehensive solution that includes hardware, software, payment processing, and customer support.

NRS is known to be user-friendly and affordable, featuring a free loyalty program and credit card reader.

However, it does have some limitations, as it does not offer advanced reporting features or 24/7 customer support

Price

• Basic level: $19.95 per month (without NRS Pay: $24.95 per month)
• Pro level: $29.95 per month (without NRS Pay: $49.95 per month)
• Advanced level: $44.95 per month (without NRS Pay: $69.95 per month)

5. Lightspeed

Lightspeed offers a feature-rich POS system that can adapt to various retail and restaurant needs.

Lightspeed is a versatile POS system but has some drawbacks, particularly with its mandatory use of their credit card processing rates.

It offers a highly customizable interface and robust reporting tools. However, being locked into their credit card processing rates can be a disadvantage, especially for high-risk transactions.

Price

• Basic level: $109 per month ($59 for each additional register)
• Core level: $179 per month ($59 for each additional register)
• Plus level: $289 per month ($59 for each additional register)

6. KORONA POS

KORONA POS provides a straightforward and efficient POS solution for smoke shops.

It’s appreciated for its simplicity and ease of use. However, it lacks some of the advanced features and integrations that other POS systems offer.

Price

• Core level: $59 per month
• Retail level: $69 per month

7. Shopify

Shopify is an all-in-one ecommerce platform that allows businesses of all sizes to create and manage online stores.

It provides a simple and intuitive user interface as well as a wide range of themes, templates, and plugins, so businesses can easily customize their online stores.

However, the level of design customization is restricted compared to other platforms. Shopify is also not ideal for large businesses, as their plans have limitations on things like inventory locations and the number of storefronts you can manage.

Price

• Basic level: $39 per month
• Shopify level: $105 per month
• Advanced level: $399 per month
• Plus level: $2,300 per month (on a 3-year term)

Best POS Systems for Smoke Shops: Must-Have Features

Which POS features are most important for smoke shops and tobacco outlets?

From age verification tools to customer loyalty programs and scan data integration, a POS system for smoke shops needs to have these five features:

• Loyalty integration
• Tobacco scan data capabilities
• Inventory management
• Barcode scanning
• Age verification

We’re going to jump into each of these features and provide ways a smoke shop POS can help tobacco and vape businesses grow, stay compliant, and take control of their inventory.

1. Inventory Management with Ecommerce Integration

If your smoke shop is only a brick-and-mortar location, inventory management is a must. But if you’re planning to expand online, or you’re already selling online, an inventory tool that integrates with your ecommerce business is especially important.

Here’s a look at how inventory management tools help smoke shops improve:

• Get data on best-sellers, worst-sellers, and slow-movers
• Optimize your product mix to remove stock of slow-moving products to reduce spoilage
• Loss prevention (which is a big problem in smoke shops)
• Automate replenishment and set up low-stock alerts
• Gather information on seasonality and sales trends

Apps for cigar shops inventory management and tobacco stores not only help you value your inventory; they also include barcode scanning features and automation to help you avoid out-of-stock items in your smoke shop.

Why Do You Need Ecommerce Integration?

If you sell online or offer online ordering, you need a tool that will track inventory in real-time. This will ensure your inventory levels on your website match what you have on hand.

Additionally, this will help you gather sales data and have it fully synced with your transaction reports in your POS system.

2. Customer Loyalty Programming and Marketing Integrations

The best POS systems for smoke shops don’t just process transactions. They’re also powerful CRM platforms, where you manage customer data or launch a loyalty program. A POS with an integrated CRM tool provides you with helpful customer data, including:

• Demographic data – Who your customers are, where they live, age, etc.
• Customer preference data – What products they’re most likely to buy, purchase history, and what promotions work.
• Marketing automations – Send email or SMS offers through marketing tools in your smoke shop’s POS system.
• Segmenting customers – A robust CRM will allow you to segment your audience to offer more targeted promotions.

A CRM tool will also allow you to launch a rewards program. For smoke shops, loyalty programs boost customer experience and can completely transform sales, generating more frequent visits, large average orders, and improved customer retention. A POS loyalty tool like Loyal-n-Save allows you to connect with your customers through an app and then communicate deals and promotions directly to your audience.

3. Customer Barcode Printers / Scanners

Tobacco retailers have complex inventory needs and generally manage thousands of SKUs, multiple variations, and specialty products. One POS feature that can help manage these inventory needs is barcode printing and scanning.

Printing custom barcodes for your specialty products offers many advantages. It helps you:

• Reduce manual pricing mistakes
• Speed up customer check-out times
• Generate better, more granular inventory data
• Individually label specialty products with UPCs (allows for inventory scans and checkout scans)

In addition to barcode printing, the POS should integrate with handheld barcode scanners. Scanners make inventory counting easier, as the data they generate instantly syncs with your inventory database. This reduces manual data entry errors and improves the speed of inventory processes.

4. Security and Compliance Tools

In the area of security and compliance, there are two features your smoke shop needs: 1) POS age verification, and 2) biometric security / permissions. Here’s a closer look at these two features:

Age verification

Manually checking IDs creates a compliance risk for smoke shops, and failing to catch a fake ID can result in s teep fines and even a loss of license. A POS-based age verification system includes ID scanning tools as well as online verification checks (if you’re an ecommerce shop). You can create an alert in your smoke shop POS to remind cashiers to check for IDs, too.

Biometric security

Controlling who can access a POS can help your business reduce theft and better manage who can access the cash drawer. One feature in FTx POS is biometric security; a fingerprint scan is required for an employee to access the register. Additionally, this creates staff accounts, so you can monitor a cashier’s transaction history.

From our research, this can significantly reduce theft, as employees are dissuaded from providing unauthorized discounts to friends or failing to ring in cash sales.

5. Tobacco Scan Data Integration

Smoke shop owners and tobacco industry veterans know about tobacco scan data and the reporting requirements for Altria, RJ Reynolds, and ITG. These so-called scan data programs offer specialized incentives to smoke shops and retailers.

For a smoke shop, scan data can help you boost revenue. For example, you can pass incentives on to customers, who in turn are more likely to frequent your smoke shop. Ultimately, you should only consider a POS with tobacco scan data reporting.

These systems automatically generate sales reports (formatted for scan data manufacturers) so that you can share transaction-level data with them.

>> Read our Case Study: How Smokers Choice Grew Revenue by 400% with Scan Data.

What Type of Scan Data Is Required?

The Altria program is one of the most popular. To participate, you’re required to share key details, like:

• Management Account Number
• ON / Loyalty UPC
• Altria Loyalty codes
• Customer ID information

The required customer ID information can be pulled from the customer IDs that you scan into your POS during the checkout process – either a driver’s license or a state-issued non-driver’s ID. This security measure protects both retailers and manufacturers because it ensures that sales staff do not sell tobacco products to underage customers.

Why FTx POS is the Best POS System for Smoke Shops

FTx POS has served tobacco businesses and retailers for more than a decade. We understand the unique needs that smoke shops have, and we’ve developed a POS platform that meets those needs. In addition to the above features, our signature retail POS system includes:

• Digital signage – Create and display revenue-driving digital ads
• Upselling tools – Use Uplift to generate more impulse buys (20% of customers on average)
• Payment processing – We offer some of the best payment processing rates in the industry

Take your smoke shop to the next level with advanced POS tools. Contact our team today for a demo or to learn more about our award-winning POS system for the tobacco industry.