Vend POS

Vend POS Review

If you’re looking for the best retail POS for your business, it’s critical to assess every component of your POS service. My Vend POS review will explore the various features on offer at this top point of sale platform. We’ll explore its features, pricing, eCommerce capabilities, hardware requirements, and more!

Overview of Vend POS

Vend POS is a leading retail point of sale software that was initially created in Auckland, New Zealand, but it is now under the Lightspeed umbrella, a Canadian company. You may already be familiar with LightSpeed, and they are titans in the POS industry, owning several other POS platforms, including ShopKeep, Upserve, and LightSpeed Restaurant POS.

Vend by LightSpeed maintains a San Francisco-based office for US clients, but it’s an international point of sale boasting users from around the world. At present, Vend POS is located in 140 different countries — over 25,000 stores use the platform for their point of sale services.

Vend’s software is specifically built for the retail industry. The system comes packed with features that assist fashion boutiques, fitness companies, supplements companies, electronics outlets, and more. The Vend POS enterprise features can also help you use the platform with multiple locations.

Users benefit from extensive retail features to help businesses manage inventory, build loyalty programs, track customer habits, and more. Vend POS offers multiple third-party integrations and a long list of compatible credit card processors. There’s an abundance of eCommerce options that also help you maintain an online store.

You can run this system on iPads, Macs, or PCs. It offers both touchscreen and non-touchscreen capabilities. Vend’s commitment to developing a robust iPad app has led it to become one of the few POS platforms endorsed by Apple.

It’s time to explore everything the app has to offer!

Pros vs Cons

Pricing

So how much does Vend cost? Vend POS pricing starts at $99 per month. The company currently offers a few different packages with varying service lists. The package you choose will dictate the price of the platform. Below, let’s take a quick look at the different prices and features available in each package:

Vend Lite

• $99 per month (annually) or $119 per month (monthly)
• 1 Outlet
• Limit of $20k per month
• Inventory management
• 24/7 customer support
• Reporting
• Xero integration

Vend Pro

• $129 per month (annually) or $159 per month (monthly)
• More than 1 outlet
• No turnover limit
• Inventory management
• 24/7 customer support
• Advanced reporting
• Gift cards
• Promotions
• All integrations
• Access to API
• Multi-Store Management

Vend Enterprise

• Only available via custom quote
• 6+ Outlets
• No turnover limit
• Personal account manager
• Personal onboarding

As you can see, the pricing at Vend is slightly more expensive than some competitors in the industry. This being said, you can try the platform free of charge for 14 days (you won’t even need to enter credit card details). Vend POS offered a free version with minimal features, but it’s unclear if this is still available.

Demo Video

Key Features

It’s impossible to compare POS providers without exploring their features. Below, let’s take an in-depth look at Vend’s primary functions and how they can help your business.

Data Reporting

Data reporting Vend’s software platform helps you access your business’s information remotely. Vend POS offers an intuitive backend platform that provides a full dashboard for all your reporting needs. You can also connect this data with QuickBooks or Xero to automate your accounting requirements.

Vend POS also prides itself on offering ‘reporting insights’ that can help you grow your business. The data available on the platform means you’ll be able to analyze critical metrics and improve current operations. It’s an excellent way to ensure you’re more efficient with your stock.

Deployment Type

As with many modern point-of-sale systems, the Vend app is a cloud-based platform that helps you access data from any web browser. You won’t need to be onsite to view your store’s critical information. This also means that damage or theft won’t cause data loss — the information is stored in real-time on the cloud.

You’ll still need a hardware device to run the software, so this is a ‘hybrid’ system. Unlike some cloud-based systems, Vend is capable of working offline if you lose your internet connection. If you experience an internet outage, orders and transactions will be stored on your hardware and resynched once your internet reconnects.

eCommerce Capabilities

Modern retail requires a modern approach. If you also sell your products online, it’s critical to find a platform that offers eCommerce features. Vend has an in-house eCommerce solution that helps you synch your physical and online stores. You can manage inventory and orders across both platforms in real-time — there’s no need to run into problems with double-ordering.

Vend’s software works with online stores, traditional stores, and stores that offer conventional and online presences. You must have at least the ‘Pro’ version of Vend POS to take advantage of its eCommerce features.

There are some complaints that this service isn’t extensive enough, but it does appear to work well with many eCommerce platforms. If you’re already using a popular eCommerce service, you can integrate it with the product. Below is a list of the eCommerce platforms you can fully integrate with your Vend POS system:

• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• BigCommerce
• Magento
• Industries Served

The Vend app is built for retail — it can adapt to almost any retail niche on the market. While it’s excellent for small businesses, the system is hugely scalable to multiple locations. With Vend’s more expensive packages, there’s no limit to how many storefronts you can operate with this system. Its eCommerce capabilities also contribute to how easily you can grow using this POS provider.

Still, one thing to keep in mind is cost. Because the premium versions of this system can be quite expensive, it might not be the best option for a small business with a limited budget.

Ease of Use

The Vend app is known for its usability. You can fully customize this platform to suit your business’s requirements. The intuitive design of the system has been popular with its users.

It’s not only the design that makes this platform easy to pick up but there are also some excellent resources included in the system. As you set up the system, you’ll be walked through the configuration process. While the POS system is straightforward to learn independently, the onboarding resources included turn you into a pro in no time!

Vend also allows you to import your products directly into the system. You won’t have to worry about manually setting up any component of your store. This feature makes it easy to switch from your current POS platform to Vend POS.

Hardware

The hardware flexibility on offer with Vend POS is undoubtedly a bonus for users that prefer to have hardware options. You will be able to run this platform on almost any web browser, though you should have at least Mac OS X 10 or Windows 7. Most people choose to run this platform on a Mac, PC, or iPad — you can purchase your hardware independently.

The company also sells hardware packages that give you access to additional equipment. You can purchase a Mac bundle, PC bundle, or iPad bundle. These bundles also include required POS hardware items such as scanners, printers, and cash drawers.

Integrations

Third-party integrations are critical if you want to improve your POS platform without changing providers. Fortunately, Vend offers third-party compatibility with a range of leading platforms. Using these integrations can help you improve accounting, eCommerce, staffing, marketing, and more. Check them out below:

• Xero
• QuickBooks
• Deputy
• Timely
• Marsello
• Unleashed
• Stitch Labs
• Shopify
• WooCommerce
• BigCommerce
• Magento

Payment Processing

Vend’s various credit card processing partners mean that you can compare different rates and commissions. This great feature allows you to avoid the rip-off prices often associated with in-house merchant processors.

Vend POS offers different processors depending on whether the transaction is in-store or online. Below is a full list of the current processors:

In-Store Processors

• Square
• North American Bancard
• CardConnect
• WorldPay
• PayPal

eCommerce Processors

• PayPal
• Stripe
• Payment Express
• Authorize.net

Customer Service

Vend offers 24/7 support for its clients — you can contact the company’s support team via phone, live chat, and email. Users also benefit from an online ‘Help Center’ and ‘Vend Resource Libray‘ that provide you with access to tons of resources and tutorials.

Current user sentiment is a great way to determine if a company is meeting expectations. We take a look at recent complaints to see if any shortcomings continue to pop up. It’s also essential to identify if there are any recurring issues at Vend POS. Below are the most common complaints I’ve found from past customers:

• System Lagging — Some users complain that the system glitches or lags; this may prove to be a problem if you currently run a busy store.
• Pro Option is Expensive — If you’re looking to take full advantage of this platform’s features, you will have to pay a pretty penny. Compared to other competitors in the industry, the pro version at Vend software is on the more expensive end of the cost spectrum. If you’re looking for a retail POS with a one-time payment, you might check out Intuit Quickbooks POS.
• Inventory Issues — Some customers report that inventory levels seem incorrect. While many clients seem to think inventory reports are reliable, a few users appear to have problems.
• Slow Customer Service — Some clients claim that contacting customer support is stressful. Some issues seem to take over 24 hours to fix.

While the above negative comments highlight the shortcomings of the Vend platform, there’s also plenty of positive feedback. The company has an excellent reputation with various consumer watchdog groups. Overall, this service is undoubtedly popular with its users.

Our Verdict

It’s not hard to see why Vend POS is popular with users in over 140 different countries. This is a retail-focused system that helps business owners streamline their point of sale processes. And outside of processing orders and transactions, Vend allows you to control your inventory and access key metrics to improve your operations.

You’ll find a long list of integrations included with this service. Users can choose their own hardware and payment processing partners. You can also integrate with top eCommerce platforms to synchronize your physical and online storefronts.

Unfortunately, this platform’s ‘Lite’ version doesn’t provide users with an extensive feature list. If you want to get the most out of this platform, you must purchase the ‘Pro’ option (or Enterprise). This may be too pricey for a small business. Popular alternatives and competitors of Vend are Clover POS and Shopify POS, so you may want to check those out as well.

Regardless, you can try the system completely free of charge for 14 days. You won’t even need to enter a credit card number to test run this platform. It’s the perfect way to demo Vend POS software without making any financial commitments!

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