Clover POS is an all-in-one, intuitive point of sale system developed by Clover and owned by First Data. Established in 2014, it offers diverse hardware that is integrated with web-based and server-based programs. This POS allows the business to accept all kinds of payments, including reading Chip and PIN enabled cards, use of mobile payment apps and swipe or magstripe cards. Having a variety of hardware, Clover is suitable for over the-counter services, retail businesses, full-service businesses and quick-serve restaurants. It is currently available in the U.S, the U.K, Ireland, Austria and Germany.
Clover Review on Pricing
Clover can be purchased through different merchants that deal with credit card processing as it’s a point of sale system that deals with credit cards mostly. Different merchants have different prices according to their ISO and agent partnership with First Data in which some may have prices on websites while some require you to call or email them to get package prices.
Clover Software Review
Clover POS has three price plans of which two are paid monthly and one with no end month pay. Software prices and processing rates on card transactions will depend on the financial provider and merchant you’re working with. To subscribe to a price plan, you need to focus on the following
- Payment Plus price plan has a $0 per month subscription fee.
- Register Lite software price plan has a $14 per month tag on each device. This plan has a rate on processing transactions by 2.7% + $0.10 for in-person transactions and 3.5% + $0.10 for keyed-in transactions. The features in a Register plan are:
- Inventory management that allows you to add, remove and track the sale of items individually, helping you restock on time.
- Create reports.
- Building customer email base and feedback.
- Access to the Clover market app.
- Tax calculated per item.
- Employee permissions and management.
- 24/7 customer support.
- The Register plan is $29 per month and is the primary payment plan with most features. It costs 2.3% + $0.10 processing fee on all the in-person transactions and 3.5% + $0.10 for keyed-in transactions. The features of this plan allow you to:
- Create and track sales reports.
- Accept offline payments and give partial or full refund.
- Manage taxes from sales and tipping from customers to staff.
- Process all forms of payments, including EMV and NFC cards.
- Manage employees better by controlling permissions and their shifts.
- Capture electronic signatures.
- Wider access to the Clover app market
- Connect to the kitchen printer and screen
- Email, text or print receipts.
- Advanced inventory management.
- Build your customer database in regards to regularity and enable to receive feedback.
- Customize customer loyalty programs.
Clover POS Hardware Review
Clover has different devices that one can purchase in regards to their budget and business needs. All hardware from Clover accepts credit cards, debit cards and contactless payments. The following pricing is the one you can get from the Clover online store and not from other merchants across the globe:
- Clover Station- This device is in three varieties namely:
- Clover Station 2018 with thermal printer and a cash drawer- $1,049.99
- Clover Station 2018 with contactless (NFC) printer and a cash drawer- $ 1, 149.99
- Clover Station 2018 with thermal printer, cash drawer and a Clover Mini- $1,399.99
The Clover Station 2018 was rolled out in 2018 leading to the original Clover Station being phased out by 2022. The original hardware is no longer on sale at Clover, but their software and compatible apps are available on the Clover website. The Station 2018 is mounted on a countertop and has a 5 pound weight. It comes with a front facing camera, bar code scanner, printer and cash drawer.
- Clover Mini- $599 affords you this countertop POS that is most used and recommended for restaurants.
- Clover Flex- This handheld POS system costs $499 to allow for in-person and mobile payments appropriate for drive-in restaurants, food trucks and quick serve restaurants.
- Clover Go- This mobile device costs $59 and is the smallest device of the Clover devices. Allows for the business to receive card and phone enabled payments via the phone or other mobile device by connecting to the Clover Go through Bluetooth.
The device is usually shipped overnight and comes with an easy to read and understand set up manually. It is advised you look into the needs of your business before purchasing as it is not interchangeable as plans could be changed. The Clover Mini and Station have a front facing camera, QR and Bar code scanner but all Clover devices have the same polished white look.
Clover POS Feature Review
There are features that come with the software but someone has to download apps from the Clover app market that allows you to customize your POS to fit your business and ease of operations. For every feature one can download apps that can advance the feature further.
Employee Management
The owner or manager can manage employees by controlling employee permissions in accessing business information and doing specific roles. This feature also allows for better time management of time as employees can clock in and clock out of their shifts as well as switch shifts through the app. Employees can send messages to each other to organize schedules and managers can view sales and productivity of the employees day by day. Management of staff performance and delivery is done without work interference.
Inventory management
Register lite has basic inventory tools that allow you to place items in categories and track the items during sales to know when to restock and what to restock. The software, register price plan has advanced inventory management hat not only allows for individual items to be put into categories but also be placed in variants and modifiers. Variants are different versions of the same item and modifiers are different items that make one item meet the order requirements of a customer.
Customer management
The Clover POS automatically builds a mailing list, with frequent customer orders and what they prefer, where one can send their business promos and request for customer feedback using surveys. Feedback can also be given through the provision of digital receipts with a survey feedback link is given. Clover customer apps can help you set up loyalty programs for your clients, give them gifts and help conduct promos.
Payment processing
The Clover POS has an inbuilt system to accept all forms of payments. EMV enabled devices are secure systems as they need client authorization to complete transaction. A cashier or merchant can customize their payment processing system to generate tips, calculate taxes and discounts capture signatures and PINS as well as information they want on the printed receipts. For devices with a cash drawer, the system can be customized to allow it to open only after the transaction is complete or under command.
Clover also offers a feature that allows one access their money from transactions immediately at a rate of 1% fee every time. This feature is called Rapid Deposit.
Reporting
Real-time sales reports can be generated by the Clover POS using the Clover web dashboard. This system integrates with inventory management and can be customized to give advanced and specialized reports by adding on apps from the app market. The Clover reporting app can track and compile revenue from sales reports and as well view end-of-day gross sales reports from employees.
Customer support
The Clover support center is an app on the device screen that allows you to reach them 24/7 by phone or email. However, there are helpful articles and blogs on Clover Help that could solve the questions one has or contact your merchant. There have been several negative reports where a caller was kept on hold and not gotten back to, customer service personnel being rude to a customer or failure to understand each other when one tries to call the support lines. It’s easier if you could reach out to Clover through their self-serve website or your merchant provider where you can get YouTube videos that explain your solution clearer. Social media accounts like twitter, Facebook and integral are also provided.
Clover App Market
There exist more than enough features that can suit your business anywhere in the world by downloading the app one requires. The apps come with a cost attached to it whilst some are free. Other non-Clover apps that one wants to integrate into their Clover system should be done under Clover personnel guidelines. Some of the apps one can get include:
- Feedback to help you hear from all the traffic coming through your store.
- Rewards to encourage customer loyalty.
- Clover Dining to help restaurants in managing tables, wait staff and controlling floor plans.
- Gusto to help in creating and executing a payroll depending on employee contracts and working hours. Create and remit taxes on your behalf, but with your authorization.
Clover Virtual Terminal
The virtual terminal in Clover accepts payments, process refunds, email or text receipts and complete transactions through the Clover web dashboard from any android or iOS device. This system helps businesses manage payments on the move without any extra charges.
Advance financing
Clover rolled out this service recently that allows a merchant customer to receive cash advance that will be deducted from your total credit and debit sales deposits. Approval for this cash advance takes two to three business days, but one has to be in business for not less than 6 months and process a minimum of $1,000 a month in Visa and MasterCard transactions.
Clover POS Alternatives Review
SQUARE POS
There are alternatives to Clover POS depending on your investment options. Square is a point of sale system that is quite similar to Clover POS except that it doesn’t have the monthly fee attached to it. The free version of Square POS comes with a free magstripe reader meaning that one cannot use EMV cards in this case. To process chip and PIN enabled cards, one has to purchase different card readers compared to the in-built Clover POS card reader. After prices are included, both the Clover and Square are almost similar as the total amount one has to use to get the Square POS to function with all the efficiency of Clover is almost equal. The free software budget plan and excellent interface are the most enticing of the Square, but if you need to scan your products for a code then the Clover is best.
SHOPKEEP POS
The main difference of the Clover POS and Shopkeep is the excellent customer support that Shopkeep offers. It has a straightforward functionality with a wide range of apps to customize your POS to fit better with your business. It provides for employee management, reporting, inventory tracking and sales tracking tools. It doesn’t have many hardware options that Clover offers.
SHOPIFY POS
The basic Shopify plan is $29 a month and this POS has been best for anyone already using the Shopify CRM to help them in having better sales through eCommerce. The processing rates for each transaction are 2.7%, which is the lowest in card transactions and also has a free trial version before settling on a purchase. It doesn’t have a wide variety of hardware like Clover.
TOAST POS
This POS offers a free trial with a $79 per month on the purchase of their software. A toast POS device installation would cost a total of $499 and is best suited for restaurants in table notifications and food menu management.
Clover POS Customer Reviews
PROS
Ease-of-use
The ease of use with Clover has an average of 4 star rating. The easiest part is that it is easy to set up the hardware as there are only a few pieces to assemble. It takes only a few minutes to receive basic training and operate the system. The screen of the Clover devices is presentable and clear to read and easily accessible with a touch of your finger and the apps are self-explanatory.
Online connection
Clover is a cloud-based POS and customers like that everything are online and no software installations are required as the only thing required is an internet connection. Internet connection used is either through Wi-Fi, Ethernet or a SIM card that has sufficient network. Applications automatically download after the initial quick start that are compatible with your price plan and updates are accessible through the Clover web dashboard or the Clover app market that is an app on your screen. Apps automatically update thus saving the customer a lot of effort.
User-friendly POS
Customers love to customize their POS to fit their own needs as you can add and remove items quickly. To process payments is a step by step software directed process that makes even errors be limited to none. In case of a higher quote of the bill than the total price, the system will show and a customer has the right to decline or accept. It is easy to navigate the system and locate everything on the menu.
Excellent reporting
Businesses have to hire a great number of accountants and auditors to compile reports from sales and inventories. The POS is really appreciated by customers because of the excellent report compilation, especially with the register plan and any other reporting app that may be downloaded from the app store. The tax compilation, sale reports per item and category help notify one when an item may be running out.
Secure system
First Data encrypts all data with the Clover security system formerly known as Trans Armor security that makes sure the system has no third party interference and all transaction data is secure for the customer and the merchant. The EMV POS ensures that no one can sign off on credit and debit cards without authorization.
CONS
High cost
Most merchants have complained about the high cost of the POS devices and a monthly charge of the price plans. To get advanced features to customize your POS is expensive as most apps come with an extra cost attached per month, including the price plan amount which makes it very high for a normal retail business. Some devices can be well afforded by small businesses including the Clover Go device and the basic payment plus software plan. Clover’s device sellers will vary from different ISO partners as the resellers set the tone on pricing.
Poor customer service
The greatest complain in the Clover website is their customer support as it is unresponsive most of the time leading to frustration of the customers. Clover has received more than 100 public complaints related mostly to their customer support due to the device malfunctioning and failure to get assistance. This has created a negative impact in about the product’s dependability in quick-serve businesses that are surrounded with a high demand client base. Customers have also complained about the product being oversold and not delivering on what they hoped for.
Is Clover a Good POS system for you?
Clover POS hardware only works with the credit processor you purchased it from and if one tries to switch credit card processors, the hardware cannot function and a new set would have to be acquired. The POS device allows for at least three devices in a common business to be linked together, but under a different monthly charge per device. The hardware is proprietary and thus cannot be exchanged after delivery so one has to keenly check their business requirements before final purchase. Businesses with the same merchant name and account but different store names can be managed through one POS merchant account through the dashboard. An owner can be able to track sales and inventory across different stores, but doesn’t allow diversity with the variant option. Software price plans can be interchanged depending on your business growth and demand.
Clover is a great POS system compared to other POS systems out there, but it all depends on taste and preference plus capital when it comes to choice. It is a simple and direct point of sale system that is efficient and easy to use with any staff while giving you all the controls at the tip of your fingertip.