Unlock the Full Potential of Your Retail Business with Lightspeed: The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between! Dive into our comprehensive review to find out if Lightspeed is the game-changing solution you’ve been searching for.
From its user-friendly interface to its robust reporting features, we’ve got all the pros and cons covered to help you make an informed decision. Don’t miss out!
Read further to learn more about Lightspeed, in our review we will detail its features, pros and cons with our rating, and a conclusion about why you should use it.
Click on “open” if you want to see exactly what we will talk about in the rest of this article.
Overview
What is Lightspeed?
Lightspeed is a unified point of sale and payments platform designed for retail, hospitality, and golf businesses. The cloud-based system is utilized at approximately 168,000 locations worldwide.
It aims to simplify complex operations, streamline workflows, and help businesses scale by expanding to new channels and locations. The platform also focuses on delivering exceptional customer experiences, both online and offline.
It offers specialized solutions for different business types, including retail and eCommerce, restaurants and hospitality, as well as golf courses and clubhouses.
Lightspeed specifications
Features | 24/7 Customer Support / Ecommerce / Inventory Management / Mobile Application / Mobile-Friendly / Multilingual Support / Powerful Integrations / Seamless Integration / Seamless Integration with Email Marketing Platforms / Seamless Integration with Popular Tools / Social Media Integration / Third Party Integrations / YouTube Integration / eCommerce Functionality |
Best suited for | Small businesses, Mid size businesses |
Website languages | Deutsch / English / French / German / Nederlands / Norsk / Spanish |
Website URL | Visit official website |
Support link | Support page |
Live chat | Yes |
Company address | Canada |
Year founded | 2005 |
Pricing
Lightspeed pricing: How much does Lightspeed cost?
Lightspeed offers three main pricing plans to cater to different business needs. The Lean Plan is available for $89 per month, with a discounted rate of $69 if billed annually. The Standard Plan comes in at $149 per month or $119 when billed annually.
For businesses requiring more advanced features, the Advanced Plan is priced at $269 per month, with an annual billing option of $199. Prices may vary based on the business type and industry.
Pricing range | From $119 to $319 per month |
Pricing types | Annual subscription / Monthly subscription |
Free plan | No |
Free trial | Yes, 14 days |
Money back guarantee | No |
Pricing page link | See plans |
Lightspeed pricing plans
- Lean Plan: Priced at $89 per month or $69 if billed annually.
- Standard Plan: Costs $149 per month or $119 if billed annually.
- Advanced Plan: Available for $269 per month or $199 if billed annually.
Note: Prices may vary depending on the nature of the business and the industry.
Features
Lightspeed features: What can you do with it?
Lightspeed eCom is a robust, cloud-based platform designed to streamline various aspects of your online business. From offering a diversified range of products including digital goods and subscriptions to simplified inventory management, the software is built to scale with your needs.
With mobile management capabilities, easy product import tools, and features aimed at boosting sales and conversions, Lightspeed eCom is a comprehensive solution for businesses of all sizes. It even offers multilingual support to cater to an international customer base. Here’s a closer look at its key features.
Diversified Product Offering
Lightspeed eCom allows you to sell a wide range of products, not just physical goods. You can also sell digital goods (up to 25GB per file), subscriptions, services, and gift cards. This flexibility enables you to create a diverse product catalog tailored to your business needs.
Simplified Inventory Management
The platform offers a single cloud-based system to manage your inventory. Features include tracking inventory at both the product and option levels, low-stock alerts, and bulk editing tools. You can also enable pre-orders for out-of-stock items or upcoming releases.
Mobile Business Management
Lightspeed eCom has a mobile app available for both iOS and Android. The app allows you to add new products and photos, create orders, and find products and orders quickly using a built-in barcode scanner. This makes it easier to manage your online business on the go.
Product Import Tool
If you’re new to Lightspeed eCom, you can use the product import tool to transfer your existing product inventory. This drastically reduces the startup time needed to get your online store up and running.
Product Organization and Sales Boosters
The platform offers features to help you organize your products and boost sales. You can highlight best sellers, launch sales, and bundle products. It also allows you to show recommended products during checkout and use product ribbons like ‘Sale’, ‘Hot’, ‘New’, etc., to drive customer attention.
Multilingual Support
For businesses that cater to an international audience, Lightspeed eCom offers multilingual support. You can display your product catalog in multiple languages, translating product titles, descriptions, categories, and more to provide a localized experience for your customers.
Conclusion
Lightspeed review: Why you should use it?
Using Lightspeed software can be a game-changer for your retail business. The platform is lauded for its user-friendly interface, especially on iPads, and its robust reporting features, particularly in the advanced plan. It offers seamless integration with payment systems and excels in inventory management.
However, it’s not all rosy; the software is considered overpriced by some users, especially for the advanced edition which is almost a necessity for detailed sales reporting. Customer support has room for improvement, and the system has experienced occasional downtimes.
Overall, if you’re a small business just starting out, Lightspeed could be a great fit, but for larger, growing companies, it might not scale as well with your needs.
Pros
- User-Friendly Interface: The software is known for its intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, particularly on iPad devices.
- Robust Reporting: In the advanced plan, the reporting features are comprehensive and provide valuable insights into sales and inventory.
- Seamless Payment Integration: Lightspeed offers a smooth integration with payment systems, making transactions hassle-free.
- Inventory Management: The platform excels in managing inventory and even allows tracking multiple vendor costs.
Cons
- High Cost: Some users find the software to be overpriced, especially the advanced edition which is almost a necessity for detailed reporting.
- Customer Support: The customer service experience has been criticized for being less than optimal, with long wait times and inadequate resolutions.
- Occasional Downtimes: Users have reported instances where the system went down, disrupting business operations.
- Limited Scalability: While great for small businesses, the software may not scale well for larger, growing companies.
FAQ