Retail POS Stop at Lightspeed Basic ($89/mo on annual billing, $109 month-to-month) if you're a single-location retailer who came to Lightspeed for its inventory engine — matrix items, purchase orders, receiving, transfers and the wholesale network (Lightspeed Wholesale, NuORDER Catalog, PO Sync) are all included on Basic. You also get a Basic-tier built-in webstore and 24/7 chat support.
Move up to Core ($149/mo annual, $179 month-to-month) when the missing pieces are growth tools rather than POS basics: the full built-in eCommerce store, in-store and online loyalty, advanced sales/staff/inventory reports, accounting, ecommerce and marketing integrations, the Mobile Scanner POS App, or landed costs for accurate margins on imported goods.
The short version: Basic runs the store; Core runs the business around it. The $60/month gap (annual billing) buys loyalty, reporting depth and integrations — not more POS. And if you need forecasting, API access or 24/7 phone support, neither tier has it: that's Plus ($289/mo), which we cover below.
At a Glance
| Lightspeed Basic | Lightspeed Core | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (annual billing) | $89/mo | $149/mo |
| Price (month-to-month) | $109/mo | $179/mo |
| Registers included | 1 (extra registers +$59/mo each) | |
| Card-present rate (Lightspeed Payments) | 2.6% + 10¢ (identical) | |
| Retail POS + inventory management | Included (both) | |
| Lightspeed Wholesale + NuORDER Catalog + PO Sync | Included (both) | |
| Built-in Lightspeed eCommerce | Basic tier | Full |
| In-store and online loyalty | — | Yes |
| Advanced sales, staff and inventory reports | — | Yes |
| Accounting, ecommerce & marketing integrations | — | Yes |
| Mobile Scanner POS App (payments on iOS) | — | Yes |
| Landed costs | — | Yes |
| 24/7 chat support | Included (both) | |
| 24/7 phone support | — (Plus only) | |
Every figure on this page is verified against Lightspeed's official retail pricing page (lightspeedhq.com/pos/retail/pricing/, US region) read on 2026-09-03 — including the interactive plan wizard and full plan–feature matrix. Prices reflect Lightspeed Retail (X-Series) and, per Lightspeed's footnote, "can vary and additional service fees may apply depending on the nature of the business and the industry." Pricing is per location; each additional location is priced the same as the base plan, and annual billing is advertised to save up to 18%.
What Basic Already Includes
Lightspeed's entry tier is unusual: unlike Square's Free plan, which gates the retail basics, Basic ships with the full inventory engine that retailers come to Lightspeed for. Per the official plan matrix, Basic includes:
- Retail POS with 1 register (iPad-based) and integrated payments — Lightspeed Payments at 2.6% + 10¢ card-present.
- Inventory management across products, variants and stock — the depth that tops our inventory ranking: purchase orders, receiving and transfers are Lightspeed platform features, not plan gates.
- Lightspeed Wholesale + NuORDER Catalog + PO Sync: the wholesale/vendor network — order from brands, pull in 5M+ product records, and sync purchase orders between NuORDER and your POS.
- Built-in Lightspeed eCommerce (Basic tier): a starter webstore on the same catalog.
- 24/7 chat support and access to onboarding/professional services, plus Lightspeed Capital (merchant cash advances with flexible repayment).
What Basic doesn't have is everything that makes a retailer's surrounding business run: loyalty, deep reports, integrations and full eCommerce. That's the Core pitch.
What Core Unlocks: The Official Gate List
Straight from Lightspeed's plan comparison matrix (re-verified 2026-09-03), these are the gates between Basic and Core:
| Feature gate | Why it matters | Basic | Core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full built-in Lightspeed eCommerce | Basic gets a "Basic" webstore tier; Core unlocks the full store | Basic tier | Full |
| In-store and online loyalty | Rewards tied to customer accounts across channels | — | Included |
| Advanced sales, staff & inventory reports | Deeper performance insight than standard sales reporting | — | Included |
| Accounting, ecommerce & marketing integrations | QuickBooks/Xero-class connections — a top reason to move up | — | Included |
| Mobile Scanner POS App | Turn your iOS/Android device into a counting-and-fulfillment tool; on iOS it also takes payments (US, CA, UK, AU, IE, NL) | — | Included |
| Landed costs | Roll freight and duty into product cost for true margins on imported goods | — | Included |
Just as important is what neither plan includes. Insights (demand forecasting, order recommendations, custom reporting), API access, Workflows, custom user roles, SSO and 24/7 phone support are all Plus-only at $289/mo (annual). If any of those are on your must-have list, the Basic-vs-Core question is moot — see our full Lightspeed pricing breakdown.
Cost Math: The $60/Month Question
On annual billing, Core costs $60/month more than Basic ($720/year); month-to-month the gap is $70/month. Unlike Square's plan ladder, there's no processing-rate difference between the tiers — Lightspeed Payments charges 2.6% + 10¢ card-present on all three plans. So the upgrade can never pay for itself in rates; it has to earn its keep in features.
| Cost line (annual billing) | Basic | Core |
|---|---|---|
| Software, 1 location, 1 register | $89/mo | $149/mo |
| Year-one software total | $1,068 | $1,788 |
| Add a 2nd register (+$59/mo) | $148/mo | $208/mo |
| Add a 2nd location (same as base plan) | $178/mo | $298/mo |
| Same store on month-to-month | $109/mo | $179/mo |
Two structural notes from the official pricing wizard. First, extra registers cost $59/month each on any plan — a two-register counter on Core runs $208/mo before payments or hardware. Second, each additional location is priced the same as the base plan, so a two-location retailer on Core pays $298/mo, not $149. Multi-location buyers should also read our Square vs Lightspeed comparison before committing — Square's per-location Plus tier is $49.
When Core Earns Its $60
- You keep books in accounting software: the accounting integrations gate is the most common upgrade driver — without Core, exports and reconciliation are manual.
- Your webstore matters: Basic's built-in eCommerce is a starter tier; Core's full store is the real omnichannel play on the same catalog.
- Repeat business is your engine: in-store and online loyalty — tied to customer accounts — exists only on Core and above.
- You import goods: landed costs fold freight and duty into item cost; for importers, margin visibility alone can justify the $60.
- You manage staff seriously: advanced staff reports and the full reporting suite land on Core.
- You want to count stock from a phone: the Mobile Scanner POS App (payments on iOS in supported markets) is Core+.
Who Should Stay on Basic
- Inventory-first single stores: if you chose Lightspeed for matrix items, POs and receiving — and run them well — Basic has all of it natively.
- Lean operators: shops that reconcile books quarterly from CSV exports and don't run loyalty programs.
- Wholesale-network users: Lightspeed Wholesale, NuORDER Catalog and PO Sync are included on Basic — vendor-side ordering doesn't need Core.
- Budget-sensitive pilots: at $89/mo annual ($109 month-to-month), Basic is already the most expensive entry tier among the four POS systems we track; every $60 saved delays breakeven.
Pros & Cons Recap
Lightspeed Basic
Pros
- Full inventory engine: POs, receiving, transfers, variants
- Wholesale network + NuORDER + PO Sync included
- Built-in eCommerce (Basic tier) and 24/7 chat support
- Same 2.6% + 10¢ card-present rate as higher tiers
Cons
- No loyalty, advanced reports or integrations
- Starter-tier webstore only
- $89/mo entry price is high for a bare POS tier
- No phone support, forecasting or API on this tier
Lightspeed Core
Pros
- Full built-in eCommerce + loyalty in one platform
- Accounting, ecommerce and marketing integrations
- Advanced sales/staff/inventory reports, landed costs
- Mobile Scanner POS App included
Cons
- $60/mo more than Basic with no rate benefit
- Forecasting, API, custom roles, SSO and 24/7 phone still wait for Plus ($289)
- Per-location and per-register fees multiply fast
Final Decision
You're a single-location, inventory-first retailer who doesn't need loyalty, deep reports or accounting integrations — and you'd rather put the $720/year toward an extra register or hardware.
Explore Lightspeed RetailYour bottleneck is the business around the POS: books in accounting software, a real webstore, loyalty for repeat customers, or landed costs on imported stock. Ask for the annual-billing rate — it saves up to 18%.
Get a Lightspeed QuoteFAQ
How much does Lightspeed Core cost vs Basic?
Core is $149/mo on annual billing versus Basic's $89/mo — a $60/month difference. Month-to-month, Core is $179/mo versus Basic's $109/mo. Annual billing is advertised to save up to 18% versus month-to-month.
Does Core come with a lower payment processing rate?
No. Lightspeed Payments charges the same card-present rate — 2.6% + 10¢ — on Basic, Core and Plus. Plan upgrades buy software features, not better rates. (Third-party sources report Lightspeed Payments is required on Basic while Core+ may allow outside processors; the official pricing page doesn't state this, so confirm processor flexibility in your quote.)
What's the difference between Basic's eCommerce and Core's?
Basic includes a "Basic" tier of the built-in Lightspeed eCommerce webstore; Core and Plus include the full built-in eCommerce platform. Lightspeed's plan matrix marks the Basic webstore as a limited tier — if online selling is a real channel for you, budget for Core.
How much are extra registers and locations?
Each plan includes 1 register; additional registers cost $59/month each on every plan. Each additional location is priced the same as the base plan — so two locations on Core is $298/mo on annual billing. Both figures come from Lightspeed's official pricing wizard (2026-09-03).
Does Basic or Core include 24/7 phone support?
No. All plans include 24/7 chat support, but 24/7 phone support is exclusive to the Plus plan ($289/mo annual). If phone support is essential, that's a Plus-tier decision, not a Core one.
Is Lightspeed worth it for a small store vs Square?
It depends on your inventory depth. Lightspeed Basic at $89/mo is far more expensive than Square's free tier, but includes purchase orders, receiving and transfers natively — features Square gates behind its $49 Plus plan. See our full Square vs Lightspeed comparison for the worked cost math.