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 smoke shop point-of-sale (POS) system.

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

This one is a 360-degree retail point-of-sale system designed to streamline retail operations by combining various essential tools into a single platform.

With features that support sales processing, inventory management, eCommerce integration, and customer loyalty programs, FTx Cloud POS aims to enhance business growth and improve operational efficiency.

Take The FTx POS Product Tour And Learn More!

Key Features:

• All-in-One Solution: Combines retail POS, inventory management, ecommerce, loyalty programs, reporting tools & more.
• Affordable Plans: Offers plans starting at $0, with volume discounts available for multi-location retailers.
• Easy Integration: Integrates accounting & marketing solutions like Klaviyo.
• Enhanced Sales Features: Intuitive checkout process, upselling capabilities, and reporting for data-driven decisions.
• Real-Time Inventory Management: Offers real-time tracking, suggested ordering, and inventory error reduction.
• Customizable Interface: Users can tailor the POS system and workflows to meet specific business needs.
• Employee Management Tools: Built-in tools for scheduling, payroll, and shift management.
• Industry-Specific Configurations: Tailored solutions for various sectors, including grocery, liquor, and tobacco shops, salons, and more.
• Training and Support: Offers onboarding sessions and self-paced training courses for retailers to maximize their use of the system.
• Advanced Add-ons: Features like digital signage, ecommerce store, loyalty app, and age verification.

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.

Must Read: How To Keep Track Of Cigarette Inventory

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.

Learn More! Smoke Shop Credit Card Processing: Everything You Need To Know To Get Started.

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.

Gain Insights Today: The Ultimate Guide to Software Integration with POS Systems

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 shop 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.

Watch How to Eliminate Inventory Hassles in Under 3 Minutes With FTx POS System

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 customer relationship management (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, their age, etc.
• Customer preference data – What products they’re most likely to buy, purchase history, and what promotions work.
• Marketing automation – Send email or short message service (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. Custom Barcode Printers / Scanners

Tobacco retailers have complex inventory needs and generally manage thousands of stock keeping units (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 steep 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.

One-Stop Age Verification Solution for Retailers with FTx POS!

• Scan IDs in seconds
• Improve compliance
• Eliminate chargebacks

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 Universal Product Code (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.

6. High-Risk Payment Processing Support

A standard POS system for a smoke shop will likely get your merchant account shut down. Your vape shop POS system must seamlessly integrate with payment processors who specialize in high-risk industries. This ensures stable, reliable transactions without sudden interruptions to your cash flow.

7. Advanced Reporting & Analytics

You need more than just a sales total. A robust tobacco store POS provides detailed reports on age-restricted sales (for compliance audits), tracks profit margins for thousands of SKUs like cigars and vape liquids, and identifies your top-selling products. This data is your roadmap for making smarter purchasing and pricing decisions.

8. Hardware Compatibility & Reliability

Your hardware needs to withstand daily use. Look for a smoke shop POS system that supports reliable, commercial-grade hardware like fast barcode scanners and durable customer displays. Compatibility with specialized peripherals, like age verification scanners or weight scales for loose products, is also a major plus for a cigar shop POS.

9. Custom Discounts & Promotion Management

Flexibility is key. Your vape store POS system should allow you to easily create and manage promotions unique to your shop – think “Buy 2, Get 1” on cigarillos, loyalty points for premium customers, or special bundle pricing on vaping hardware. This helps you move inventory and reward your best customers directly from the checkout.

Why a Smoke Shop POS Needs Special Features

Running a smoke shop isn’t like running a standard retail store. You’re navigating a specialized landscape with unique operational hurdles. A generic cash register or basic POS system for smoke shop operations will create more problems than it solves. Your business demands a system built for its specific challenges.

Here’s a breakdown of the core reasons you need a specialized tobacco store POS system.

1. Complex Tax Structures

Forget simple sales tax. Tobacco, vaping, and CBD products often have layered taxes that vary by:

• Product type (cigarettes vs. cigars vs. liquid nicotine).
• Jurisdiction (state, county, and city-specific excise taxes).
• Quantity (different rates for single packs vs. whole cartons).

A specialized smoke shop POS system automatically calculates and applies these complex tax rules at the point of sale, ensuring compliance and preventing costly financial errors during audits.

2. Large SKU Counts with Pack/Carton Tracking

Your inventory is vast and nuanced. You’re not just tracking individual products; you’re managing relationships between them.

• A single brand might have dozens of flavors in different strengths.
• You sell individual items and multi-pack configurations (e.g., single cans, 4-packs, and cases of energy drinks or cigars).
• You need to track inventory at both the sellable unit (a single pack) and the stackable unit (the sealed carton it came from).

A robust vape shop POS system handles this matrix natively, updating all inventory levels accurately with each sale to prevent stockouts and shrinkage.

3. Need for Tobacco Scan Data Reporting

Many states and manufacturers (like Altria or RJ Reynolds) require detailed scan data on tobacco product sales. This isn’t just a sales log – it’s a specific electronic report, known as EAIV (electronic age and identity verification), that tracks:

• Exact product UPCs sold
• Quantities and timestamps
• Proof of age verification

How to Choose the Right Smoke Shop POS System

Selecting your POS system for smoke shop operations is a major investment. With so many options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. The key is to filter your choices through the lens of your shop’s specific, non-negotiable requirements.

Follow this decision framework to find a partner that will support your growth, not hinder it:

1. Understand Your Business Needs

Start by looking inward. Are you a vape-only store, a traditional tobacco shop, or a hybrid? Do you sell CBD or glassware? List everything you sell and every process you manage. This clarity will help you immediately eliminate generic systems and focus on a smoke shop POS built for your product mix and daily workflow.

2. Make Sure It Handles Smoke Shop Taxes

This is a deal-breaker. During a demo, ask the vendor to walk you through a transaction that includes:

• A pack of cigarettes (with state excise tax)
• A premium cigar (often taxed differently)
• A vaping device and a bottle of e-liquid

Watch how the tobacco store POS system calculates and itemizes each tax on the receipt. If it can’t do this automatically and accurately, move on.

3. Test the Payment Processing Options

Don’t assume. Explicitly ask, “Is your payment processing compatible with high-risk merchants like my smoke shop?” A true vape shop POS system will either have a built-in, approved high-risk payment gateway or will seamlessly integrate with reputable third-party processors who specialize in your industry. This ensures transaction stability.

4. Look for Robust Reporting & Analytics

Your system should turn data into insights. Key reports to look for include:

• Age-Restricted Sales Audit Trail: For compliance peace of mind.
• Margin Analysis by Product/Category: To see what’s truly profitable.
• Inventory Performance: To identify fast and slow movers within your large SKU count.

If the reporting looks basic, the smoke shop POS system is likely underpowered for your needs.

5. Review Hardware and Integrations

Consider your full setup. Does the system support:

• The barcode scanners, printers, and cash drawers you need?
• Integration with age-verification scanners or scales?
• Compatibility with future hardware as you grow?

A flexible tobacco store POS works with a range of reliable hardware, preventing you from being locked into a single, expensive vendor.

6. Evaluate Customer Support Quality

When your register goes down during a rush, you need help immediately. Before choosing, ask:

• Is support available during your open hours (including evenings/weekends)?
• What are the response times for critical issues?
• Do they have a dedicated support channel (phone, email)?

Test their support with a pre-sales question and gauge their speed and expertise.

7. Check for Scalability

Your system should grow with you. Can the vape store POS system easily handle:

• Adding a second register or a new location?
• Expanding your product catalog by thousands of SKUs?
• Integrating e-commerce if you decide to sell online later?

A scalable platform protects your investment and avoids a costly, disruptive switch down the road.

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 (24% of customers on average)
• Payment processing – We offer some of the best payment processing rates in the industry

We hope this article has shed light on what features every retailer must look for and the comparison of the best POS systems from vendors.