ShopKeep – Is It The Right POS For Your Business?

ShopKeep POS is an elegant, intuitive and user friendly built-in point of sale system for small and medium sized businesses. Founded in 2008 by Jason Richelson and David Olk, it serves most of the US and Canada with two hundred plus employees at its headquarters in New York.

ShopKeep has worked hard to fit its own niche of small and medium sized businesses without crossing over to large scale businesses. This makes it the most competitive among companies offering point of sale systems to retailers. They offer an inbuilt POS to coffee shops, restaurants, bars, bakeries, boutiques and any small business that needs them; they are willing to customize the POS for your business.

The company keeps improving on the features offered up to businesses by improving the back office to handle unlimited number of users and unlimited inventory without going up to provide for large scale businesses. It does not offer table mapping for larger full-service restaurants, but is efficient with the tableside ordering functionality.

Cloud-Based POS

ShopKeep is a cloud based iPad POS that allows for the app to run locally on a device and syncs the data back to cloud by use of internet connection. The devices compatible with ShopKeep, though one should confirm specifics from their websites, are limited to iOS 9.3.5 or a higher iOS, iPad, iPad Minis and clover devices making it very efficient in integrating with other devices.

The glossy devices are made better by having a secure system that minimizes risks associated with client-server systems and that updates software and apps for free from the cloud. Technology requires one to always be up to date and these updates ensure that you are on the latest applications and software at all times instead of buying new devices.

Pricing

The point of sale system for ShopKeep had a flat rate pricing of 69$ per month, but has changed into a quote system where you talk with a representative by filling in a form to describe your specific business needs and getting it tailored specifically for you. The Shopkeep POS works for different types of retail businesses and thus the POS will be fitting to your specific trade. It offers a monthly subscription service that is not contract bound offering inventory management, employee management, reporting, customer service, a register amongst others that are discussed before.

Ease Of Use

Perhaps the most competitive feature of ShopKeep is the simplicity, warmth and user- friendly nature of the system compared to other point of sale systems. The customer service is always on hand to help clients through all their hitches and the back office is very clear to understand for anyone using it and trying to personalize the system. Long set-up processes that could hinder the operation of the system do not exist, which fits the efficiency in operation of small businesses.

Features

Most point of sale systems are made to meet the basic functions of payment processing, inventory management, sales tracking and manage customer data. ShopKeep has gone over and above to include eCommerce, customer loyalty programs, register management, integrated accounting, email marketing, gift cards and diverse hardware.

Payment Processing

ShopKeep accepts the following payments: credit, debit, cash, check, EMV chip cards and mobile payments. Apple Pay and Google Pay are the mobile payments accepted. ShopKeep allows for choice in accepting payments and thus can connect with your most preferred merchant service provider.

One can accept payments offline in the case of loss of internet connectivity, but one can choose a range of Bluetooth and wired card readers. The POS is PCI DSS compliant and EMV enabled thus providing security for your business and one can also access their money fast.

ShopKeep allows you to set a default tax rate as well as assign specific tax rates to specific items using the Tax Groups feature. Customers can also tip the staff members while processing payments as ShopKeep allows for tipping and discounts as a part of payment processing.

Customer Support

With payment processing, the next thing in one’s mind is “what if I run into problems? The ShopKeep customer support offers 24/7/365 prompt response via phone, email, web browser chat and their website blog topics. Video tutorials can also be found online as well as supporting content on their social media pages: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Customer Management And Loyalty Programs

ShopKeep has a back office that allows for great customer management. One can register a new customer by adding a new customer by following the steps in the back office. Adding a customer helps you to begin tracking their contact details and purchases while tagging customers is associated with an already existing one. Tagging helps for fast receipt emailing if the customer’s details are on file by associating the customer with a sale before or as it is rung up. The register can be edited to capture the name, address or contact details to keep the customer list up to date.

This whole process allows for the owner to view the transaction history of the customer, process returns, reprint receipts and their preferred purchase. One can also delete customers at the back office one at a time or export the customer list to view and analyze in a spreadsheet.

Through the customer management program one can view top and regular customers and reward them through ShopKeep Loyalty that is powered by AppCard. This integration allows customers to earn points from their transactions which in turn bring newer faces to the business. To upgrade to the ShopKeep loyalty one has to upgrade their package to include it as a feature. The loyalty program links each transaction to the customer’s phone number to count the number of whole dollars spent. When enough points have been accumulated, a customer can redeem the points and get rewards.

Email Marketing

A business owner can use the existing customer list to market an existing or new product or service by using the MailChimp integrated service thats built into ShopKeep. A link can be added to lead to a business survey so as to improve customer satisfaction for your business.

Reporting

ShopKeep POS allows for access to clear, brief and real-time reporting from anywhere in the world. The reporting is so advanced it identifies the best-selling items and categories, while showing costs and margins. Sales can be tracked by the department; item and hour sold to measure the effectiveness of pricing as well as adjust employee working hours and organize the floor space more efficiently.

The point of sale also offers average cost reporting, sales by customer reporting and sales by discount reporting. All the reports can be exported to a spreadsheet but on-screen reports are best advised as they include charts and it’s easier to look for variations. QuickBooks has been integrated with ShopKeep to provide better accounting management of your sales reports.

Remote And Multi-Store Business Management

Information on the ShopKeep transactions can be accessed from anywhere at any time through the Shopkeep Pocket App. This allows for a business owner to keep up with the business and make decisions on the go to improve the day to day operations in his or her absence. The pocket app can be accessed on any iOS and android device as well as from any web browser.

The multi-location capability of ShopKeep enables to view multiple stores on one parent website or a dashboard overview for each individual store giving you more control over your businesses from a central location. The Pocket app is also useful in viewing different store’s inventory, sales and reports.

eCommerce

ShopKeep has recently been integrated with BigCommerce but is only available for ShopKeep merchants on select packages. This integration allows a merchant to create their own web store to provide mobile online shopping for their customers.

ShopKeep inventory items are the ones that are enabled to be part of the items for sale online while the ones not enabled are for in-store selling only. Enable the existing ShopKeep payments account to accept payments from BigCommerce online sales. The BigCommerce subscription fee is synced to your ShopKeep account and is paid together with your monthly subscription fee.

Inventory management

ShopKeep’s inventory management is very simple as one can add and manage new inventory individually or in bulk. Inventory addition can be delegated to staff while restricting the information they can access while doing the work. Items can be assigned into categories, departments, suppliers and variants to make it easy to locate groups of items and track sales of items to know how many remain and when to reorder.

It is easier to track the most profitable items and other sales data of item-by-item then fine tune for increased profit. To be able to clearly see your profit and margins, add the buying price of the items and ShopKeep will calculate the difference from the selling price. The point of sale system has been made more sophisticated by adding on more inventory tools such as: using the open priced option slot for the sale of custom priced items, selling items sold by weight or volume using the unit priced items option, barcode printing, matrix inventory to enable you track variants and monitoring using the Pocket App.

Employee management

ShopKeep keeps track of your staff working hours and calculates their total pay weekly and monthly to update on the payroll. This POS helps in managing shifts and working hours in regards to business needs and identifies top performers as it can process the employee’s sales report. The POS also allows you to decide on which customers can access which information in your system and control managerial functions.

Hardware

The ShopKeep POS hardware is proprietary hardware made to work only with vendor specific software. This means that a business has to consider its catalog as the hardware is ready to use for the specific business. There are several kits that are provided by ShopKeep.

The retail hardware kit comes with a cash drawer, receipt printer, iPad Enclosure, credit card reader, bar code scanner and label printer.

The restaurant hardware kit has a cash drawer, iPad enclosure, kitchen printer, Ethernet cable, credit card reader and a receipt printer.

The quick service hardware kit comes with a cash drawer, iPad enclosure, credit card reader and a receipt printer.

The all-in-one android POS hardware uses the Mini by Clover device and also the Station by Clover which come with the clover device, two rolls of printer paper, power adapter block and cable, Ethernet cable, USB cable and a screw driver.

ShopKeep provides the following hardware parts in their ShopKeep store:

ShopKeep ships all hardware orders to the United States for free and to Hawaii, Canada and Alaska at an additional fee. Hardware warranty is one year and in case the device malfunctions in this period, one device can be sent overnight as a replacement. In the case where the device does not please you or your business needs, ShopKeep has a policy that allows you to exchange or return the hardware in 30 days.

The following are POS systems that are readily available for specific business types:

• Bakery point of sale POS system
• Bar point of sale POS system
• Boutique point of sale POS system
• Salon & Spa POS system
• Coffee shop POS
• Concession businesses point of sale POS system
• Convenience store POS system
• Food truck iPad POS system
• Gift shop iPad POS system
• Ice cream point of sale POS system
• Juice bar POS system
• Pet shop POS system
• Quick service POS system
• Restaurant POS tablet and iPad
• Specialty retail point of sale POS system
• Vape shop POS
• Wine shop POS

Since complete package pricing is not included in the ShopKeep website, you have to request several quotes to know the one that fits your business in terms of capital available.

Shopkeep Apps

The ShopKeep register and pocket app are two apps that help in the running of the ShopKeep POS.

The ShopKeep register app is available for the iOS v4.10.0. Version as it no longer updates to the v3.8.0 version. In case one has multiple registers, ShopKeep will be more effective with each register being on the same version of the ShopKeep register app. The version of the Register app on android is v.2.7.0. While the one on the Mini and the Station is v.2.6.8. The versions update at night automatically when the devices are not in use. The app should never be deleted unless under a customer representative’s directive as one runs the risk of permanently deleting the data available. The ShopKeep Pocket app version for android available is v4.40.0 and v4.40.0 on iOS.

Shopkeep has partnered with First Data and being the point of sale of Clover POS systems, it, means that ShopKeep will be available in both iPad and android forms and also found in the Clover hardware terminal.

Add-Ons And Integrations

Shopkeep has integrated with MailChimp, AppCard, BigCommerce, online ordering and QuickBooks.

QuickBooks is accounting software that will save you time and money by integrating it with the ShopKeep point of sale system. Just as the POS is cloud- based, Quick Books is also a cloud-based, secure and easily accessible from any browser at any point. It tracks each transaction to create detailed reports on profit and loss, taxes, sale per item and much more. QuickBooks syncs directly to your bank account and makes it easier to reconcile your business day payments automatically. Integrating with ShopKeep allows a merchant to dedicate their time to other things pertaining your business as the most time consuming is taken care of by experts. It also imports and exports CSV files to QuickBooks automatically, one of the day’s sales and another for the cash drawer to give detailed final reports.

Syncing QuickBooks to ShopKeep is a very smooth process as ShopKeep gives a detailed step-by-step online process. The versions of QuickBooks accepted by ShopKeep are Simple Start, Essentials and Plus thus your business can afford any of the versions comfortably.

Conclusion

ShopKeep is a great point of sale system and cannot compare to other POS providers out there especially in customer support. The proprietary hardware is tailor made for the business type in question to ensure maximum productivity of the business in terms of processing payments within 9 seconds maximum and managing the entire business by the touch of your fingertips. It all depends on your preference and capacity to afford the POS even if it is specifically made for small and medium sized businesses.