Clover POS is a point of sale (POS) system that offers users with proprietary hardware for mobile and desktop. It is basically designed for both web-based and server-based deployment. The tool lets users accept or receive payments, track tax and inventory and generate sales reports. Small business owners still prefer to use it instead of having the best accounting software to process business tasks for their small businesses. We compiled available Clover POS reviews from around the web and found that it has a mix of positive and negative ratings. We also compared its available pricing options for your small business.
Clover POS comes with two service plans a basic option (Register Lite, $14/device/month), and a more robust system option (Register Classic, $29/device/month). The main difference between the plans is the availability of features such as inventory management and tax tracking.
Clover’s Register Lite plan is quite suitable for businesses with sales under $50,000 a year. On the Register Lite plan, you receive all of the tools needed to manage a successful small business like accepting credit cards, sales tracking analytic, and employee management. However, it’s missing out on robust inventory management, a loyalty program, and a mailing list integration. Regarding processing fees, in-person transactions cost 2.7% plus $0.10 for every swipe and keyed-in transactions cost 3.5% plus $0.10 per transaction.
The Register plan is suggested for businesses with sales over $50,000 a year. Additionally, the Register plan is required if you’re purchasing higher-end Clover hardware such as the Station ($1,199). With the Register Classic plan, you’ll receive additional benefits like the ability to make product exchanges, add a weight measuring system, and restaurant features (opening a bar tab and adding gratuity). Regarding transactions, the processing fees are less than Lite with 2.3% plus $0.10 for in-person card swipes and 3.5% plus $0.10 for keyed-in transactions.
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The minimum cost for Clover hardware will cost you around $449 for the Flex. It replaces the register, terminal, and printer for an all-in-one mobile system. A downside for the Flex is you cannot access the POS software. You need to use your computer or phone. The Clover Mini starts at $649. Its screen size is similar to an iPad mini and can access the POS software. The Clover Station starts at $1,149 and provides the most robust and fastest payment processing of the available hardware.
Pros
Clover’s hardware is where it differentiates itself from the competition. The hardware is designed with a modern, clean, and sleek feel. It appeals to business owners who place emphasis on quality interior design. Clover’s software is available at a reasonable price when compared to some other popular options. Its software and interface come easy to use with built-in features like loyalty programs and the ability to send out promotions to customers from the POS system.
Cons
The major drawbacks are not able to offer you the feature to integrate an iPad into its POS system. You use its hardware, which can be expensive for the average small business. The Flex Mini is basically compared to an iPad and costs $449. Some business owners wouldn’t prefer using the smaller screen of the Flex Mini to manage their POS software. The screen size is similar to a smartphone.
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Pros
Cons
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Clover has always been in the direction of offering you the best features to manage your business. The payment management and process screen is mainly designed to give customers a great experience. Clover’s app market lets you customize your POS software to meet your needs. The tools offer customers to avail of a built-in loyalty program. The reporting analytics are simplified so that business owners of any experience level can understand them.
The Clover POS system accepts all types of payments including credit cards, debit cards, chip cards and contactless NFC like Apple pay. Its mobile Flex hardware makes it easy to accept payments on the go. Clover’s software associates with accounting programs like QuickBooks and Xero to automatically upload your sales data.
Clover made a partnership with hundreds of companies to create apps to use within its POS software. For instance, Gusto is a payroll services software company that integrates directly into Clover. One of Clover’s most appreciated apps is DAVO, which automates sales tax for items you sell. The software sets aside sales tax for every sale and pays your state every year an in-full payment. The app saves you time so you don’t have to calculate your state sales tax payment.
There is a built-in customer relationship management (CRM) system in Clover that helps you better understand your customers. With the CRM you can have a database of customer information like addresses, phone numbers, e-mails, and recent purchases. Clover’s built-in rewards program offers discounts custom to a customer’s past purchasing behavior which encourages them to come back to your store. You can also solicit feedback from customers through e-mail and text messages, which helps you know if you and your employees are serving customers well.
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Clover looked forward to offer physical and digital gift cards for customers to purchase and redeem. The physical gift cards stand out with more than 70 different designs to choose from. You can also upload your own custom design with your business’s branding. The digital gift cards can be stored and redeemed on any mobile phone.
Clover stores your sales data in the cloud. You can access your analytics on the POS system or from a mobile app. The sales analytics adds real-time information so you can make day-of decisions. Clover is also considered best in offering end-of-day custom reports to analyze sales by employee and credit card type.
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When choosing a POS software, it is important that the software integrates with other applications your business is currently using. Here is a list of Clover POS’s popular integrations.
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Clover’s user reviews are mixed. The positive comments center around Clover’s customization ability. Customers are pleased with the fact that they could add Clover’s proprietary and third-party apps if required. Another customer enjoyed the POS tablet’s ease of use and said it functioned similar to other tablets she had used in the past.
Negative comments came in light for poor customer service and fees. Regarding customer service, users said it took too long to get in touch with a support representative. We also heard users saying that they were not aware of the apps’ additional fees and the overall cost of the Clover system.
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The overall Clover POS software is easy to use with a user-friendly interface. The chip reader as quickly as possible during the checkout process. The Clover Dashboard is a designed user-friendly interface where you can easily interact and navigate to features such as sales, inventory and employee management. Clover’s POS software does not make you feel to attend some extra classes to master its features and working.
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Clover provides 24×7 customer phone support for both its Register Lite and Register Classic software options. Additionally, if you do not have time to spend speaking with a representative on the phone, you can e-mail them with questions. Clover has a big help center that walks you through setting up your POS system and how to use the features to manage your business.
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Best Small Business POS Systems –go through our buyer’s guide for a comparison of the top three POS software for small businesses. We compare Square POS vs Lightspeed Retail vs ShopKeep to give you an idea of which POS software will work best for your business needs.
Clover POS System is best for small businesses such as retail, restaurants, E-commerce and service-based industries. However, it is ideal for businesses of any size and industry.
