Zettle by Paypal
$29.00
Jason Feemster
- Can accept contactless payment via a smartphone
- No monthly fees
- Accepts most popular payment options
- No termination fees
- Affordable hardware
- Few integrations available
- No add-ons available
- No offline mode
Zettle by PayPal POS Review 2025: Features, Pricing & Pros/Cons
Table of Contents
- 1 Our Review Process
- 2 Pros vs. Cons
- 3 PayPal Zettle Review: Pricing Overview
- 4 What Sets PayPal Zettle Apart
- 5 Areas Where PayPal Zettle Could Improve
- 6 Zettle POS System Demo
- 7 Key Features
- 8 Data Reporting
- 9 Deployment Type
- 10 Industries Served
- 11 Hardware
- 12 Integrations
- 13 Unified Payment Management
- 14 Customer Support
- 15 Additional Perks: More Value for Your Money
- 16 Explore Other Options
- 17 PayPal Zettle Review: Our Verdict
- 18 Frequently Asked Questions About PayPal Zettle POS System
Zettle by PayPal is not just another mobile point-of-sale (POS) system; it’s the next-generation upgrade from the PayPal Here card reader app.
Designed to work on both Apple and Android devices, Zettle offers a comprehensive set of features that go beyond basic payment processing, making it a robust solution for managing products, inventory, customers, sales, and staff.
Our Review Process
In our PayPal Zettle review, we take a thorough approach to assessing its overall performance and suitability for different businesses. Our team evaluates key factors such as the system’s key features, how well it reports data, how fast you can set up your POS system, and more.
Another vital aspect of our PayPal Zettle reviews is the examination of fees. We break down the cost structure to give you a clear understanding of any transaction fees, hardware costs, and monthly charges.
We also evaluate customer service, looking at response times, helpfulness, and availability across multiple channels.
By analyzing these critical areas, we provide a comprehensive review that helps you decide if PayPal Zettle is the right fit for your business.
Pros vs. Cons
- Doesn’t require a terminal or card reader if you have a smartphone
- Free Zettle application
- Free PayPal and Zettle accounts
- Accepts many payment options, including Venmo, in person
- Tracks all sales payments in one place
- Integration options are limited
- Limited reporting options
- Limited payments with Tap to Pay mobile feature
- Hardware requires a cellular or Wi-Fi connection
PayPal Zettle Review: Pricing Overview
Zettle POS is free to use with a 2.29% + $0.09 transaction fee. Card reader starts at $29. No monthly fees.
In-Person Payments
Accepting in-person cards and contactless payments is a breeze with Zettle’s user-friendly devices. Whether you opt for a mobile card reader, pair it with a countertop stand, or build a full in-store checkout system, Zettle has you covered. All in-person payments come with a flat-rate fee of 2.29% plus $0.09.
Keyed-In Payments
For situations where a card isn’t present, such as phone sales, Zettle allows you to process keyed-in payments through the app and online dashboard. These transactions have a higher processing fee of 3.49% plus $0.09 per sale.
What Sets PayPal Zettle Apart
Zettle by PayPal doesn’t stand out in terms of features it has. However, it offers something different to new businesses:
- Free PayPal and Zettle accounts: There are no fees or subscriptions for users, which means if you are a beginning entrepreneur, you lose nothing by trying to sell your products.
- Free termination: If your business doesn’t take off, terminating your account is as easy as opening it.
- Affordable hardware: Zettle’s hardware won’t break the bank. In fact, shop owners can easily process payments directly from their phones before needing to invest in a full terminal.
Areas Where PayPal Zettle Could Improve
The Zettle POS system can benefit many small businesses; however, the provider should consider adding some key elements.
- No add-ons: Many merchants will appreciate the app access to the Zettle application, which already offers some nice features to track inventory and sales. However, add-ons would only further enhance the system and help eCommerce owners scale faster.
- No appointment scheduling feature: The lack of appointments limits a range of businesses that can benefit from Zettle. Having such a feature will enable service providers to easily track online booking and sales in one place.
- No marketing features: Unfortunately, Zettle doesn’t offer marketing features, such as messaging loyal customers or sending email campaigns to existing leads.
Zettle POS System Demo
Zettle POS system is easy and intuitive. While hardware is optional for smaller merchants, businesses of any size will have free access to the Zettle application.
Key Features
Inventory and Sales Management
Zettle comes with a robust set of POS features that allow you to manage your inventory and track sales effectively. From creating and sending invoices to running detailed sales reports, Zettle offers everything you need to keep your business running smoothly.
Staff Management
Zettle’s multi-user functionality enables multiple staff members to use the same terminal while keeping their sales history separate. This feature simplifies end-of-day reconciliations and enhances operational efficiency.
Accepting Payments with Your Phone
Zettle by PayPal is a POS system that allows small businesses to save money on hardware purchases. Merchants can charge customers directly from their iOS or Android phones using a free app’s Tap to Pay feature. Payment options include debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
If you opt for a card reader or terminal, the range of payment options will expand and include American Express, Discover, and other credit cards, Venmo, and others.
Product Catalog
Another useful feature you can benefit from is a product catalog that is fully customizable with categories, barcodes, photos, and more. Setting up your eCommerce shop is quick and easy with the Zettle POS system.
Data Reporting
Zettle POS system offers sales reporting where you can check the reports but also customize them so that you receive the most valuable information.
The data reporting feature is quite intuitive and easy to find in the app. You can select a timeframe and see how many sales you’ve had over that period and our average earnings.
If you would like to store your reports separately or share them with your partners, Zettle provides exporting options in PDF and Excel.
As for customer tracking, the Zettle app automatically records customer data, including contact information.
Overall, sales reports are simple to understand, and they may help you predict some trends. However, we would love to see more in-depth details that could help you identify patterns and more.
Deployment Type
How quickly can you set up your Zettle POS system and open up your shop? We would say it takes at least a few days, which is still better than other POS providers can offer.
Here is a step-by-step deployment process:
- Create an account at PayPal: To access Zettle, you need to have a PayPal business account.
- Purchase hardware (optional): If your phone is sufficient to run your business, go for it. If not, you have a choice between a Zettle terminal and a card reader (for tablet owners).
- Set up your terminal: You only need to power up your terminal and follow the instructions on the screen.
- Open up your shop: Once you are all set, you can open the doors to your store and track inventory and prices from your app.
Industries Served
Zettle provides an economical payment solution suitable for all types of small businesses. Apart from one-time costs for hardware like card readers or checkout stands, the only ongoing expenses are the flat-rate payment processing fees. This transparent pricing model makes Zettle an affordable choice for businesses of all sizes.
Hardware
Zettle POS system is very versatile and can be supported on your tablet, smartphone, or physical card reader. What’s more, if you already have a smartphone purchased solely for work, it costs nothing to make a virtual point-of-sale out of it.
Zettle by PayPal offers a feature that allows you to charge payments directly from your phone with Tap to Pay and contactless payment methods.
If you want a more reliable tool, the first card reader from Zettle is quite affordable, costing only $29, while the next one is priced at $75.
Another option is a portable, all-in-one POS terminal. You can purchase it for $199. It’s a one-time payment for an all-in-one solution. However, if you require a POS terminal with a built-in barcode scanner, the price is slightly higher, $239. In addition to the terminal, you can purchase a kit that comes with a printer and dock starting at $269.
Not sure which POS system to opt for? Check out our comparison table:
Integrations
PayPal Zettle is not only versatile in use, it is also easy to integrate with your dedicated eCommerce tools.
- ECommerce: You can connect to your eCommerce tools like Shopify, BigCommerce, and WooCommerce.
- POS integrations: Zettle’s reader can connect to Lightspeed, Loyverse, Revel, and Vend.
- Accounting: Accounting integrations include QuickBooks and Xero.
We can agree that the integration options are rather limited, but if you are actively using any of the abovementioned, Zettle could be a good fit for your business.
Unified Payment Management
With Zettle, you can manage all your payments in one unified PayPal account. Whether you accept payments through an e-commerce store, PayPal invoices, or payment links, your Zettle transactions will appear alongside others in your PayPal account. Plus, Zettle deposits are typically accessible within one business day.
Customer Support
If you happen to have a problem with your Zettle account, you can try giving a call to the customer service department, which is open from 6 AM to 6 PM Pacific time every day. Alternatively, you can contact an agent through an online chat.
If you’re looking for information about payments or inventory, Zettle offers forums for reading on the topics.
Additional Perks: More Value for Your Money
When you choose Zettle, you get more than just a POS system. You also enjoy free Zettle and PayPal accounts, a full-featured POS app, access to your Zettle dashboard and virtual terminal from your computer, and free next-day deposits. All of these come with no startup, monthly, or termination fees, and you can cancel anytime.
Explore Other Options
If you are looking for a functional and practical POS system for small businesses, consider these three alternatives.
PayPal Zettle Review: Our Verdict
Zettle by PayPal is a comprehensive, feature-rich, and cost-effective POS solution designed to meet the diverse needs of modern businesses. With its versatile payment options, unified payment management, and robust set of features, Zettle is the smart choice for any business looking to optimize its operations.
Before you decide, compare 2025‘s best POS systems fast & save
Frequently Asked Questions About PayPal Zettle POS System
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Specification: Zettle by Paypal
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