Everything You Need to Know About Shopify POS in Spain
After all the economic changes and troubles caused by COVID-19, it is no secret that almost every country has adapted to a modern hybrid type of brick-and-mortar store which integrates online sales channels as well as a physical store environment. Due to the months of worldwide isolation and lockdowns where people weren't able to go out shopping, online stores were the ones leading the market. As a consequence, the revenue in the Spanish eCommerce market is expected to reach €32,200m in 2022 and €48,217m in 2025, as you can see in the image below.
With this in mind, the Shopify POS represents a bridge that can merge both recently implemented online sales channels with brick and mortar stores. The platform's flexibility allows you to process purchases in-store, on deliveries, in pop-up stores, and more. This way, you can make an overall improvement to everyone's shopping experiences.
Additionally, the POS system provides your business with features developed to make your management tasks way easier, such as staff management, smart inventory management, unlimited addition/modifications of products offered, customers profiles, reporting data/analytics, and more. It is also worth mentioning that Shopify is constantly updating and adding new features to keep improving its products and services.
Selling in Person Using the Shopify POS in Spain
Can I use Shopify POS in Spain?
Not only is Shopify POS available for Spanish merchants but also since February the 1st, Shopify Payments is a supported payment gateway for the POS system in Spain. This means that now Spanish merchants are capable of enjoying a quick and complete integration that ensures customers don't have to leave the website when they're making a purchase.
Even though complete access to Shopify's own hardware store is still missing in Spain, merchants are currently able to purchase the Wise Pad 3 and incorporate it into their POS system right away.
In which countries is Shopify available?
You can use Shopify as an eCommerce platform in any country that you want, however, Shopify Payments usage is limited to a certain list of countries. So, if you're currently running your business in any of the following countries, then you are eligible to use Shopify Payments:
- Australia
- Canada
- Germany
- Denmark
- New Zealand
- The Netherlands
- Singapore
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- Spain
- United Kingdom
- Japan
- United States (all territories except for Puerto Rico).
If your business is based in a country not listed above, you also have the option to implement a compatible third-party payment provider.
Who is Shopify POS for?
The Shopify point of sale is the perfect fit in these unpredictable pandemic times where a huge part of businesses have integrated online sales channels (social media, other eCommerce platforms, etc) into their physical stores. It provides an easy-to-use interface in which you'll be able to process your customers' purchases and automatically sync your inventory. This is why the POS system turns out pretty handy in case you have multiple locations since it makes it easier to perform inventory management tasks in an accurate way by automatically syncing your products' information of each location in real-time.
Additionally, if your store offers a delivery service, your staff will be capable of using their iPhone/Android device to process the purchase, this way you can encourage trust among your customers by allowing them to pay when the product is in their hands.
Shopify Plans
Regardless of your Shopify subscription plan, you can try the POS PRO features thanks to the 14-day free trial. This way you'll see the best of the POS system before actually subscribing to it. Having that said, Shopify offers a different pricing structure for your main Shopify Store and for the POS system. These costs are calculated in USD as the main currency regardless of the country your store is located. The POS app is included in every subscription plan a Shopify user may have, even the Basic Shopify plan.
As an eCommerce platform, the main subscription plans offered by Shopify, as current users may be aware, are Advanced, Shopify, and Basic. Here's a more detailed cost description (including the Shopify transaction fee):
On the other hand, the Shopify POS app has its own subscription prices. The plans are Shopify POS Lite and Shopify POS Pro. The differences between them are displayed in the following table:
The next thing you need to think about is whether or not to acquire POS Hardware from Shopify. Even though the only thing you need to actually start selling is a mobile device with the Shopify POS app installed, it will only let you process cash payment purchases. To provide your business with more flexibility, you'll need to buy a Shopify card reader so you can process both debit and credit card payments.
If you have certain hardware such as cash drawers, barcode scanners, receipt printers, iPad stands, or more from your previous shopping processing system, you can check if they're compatible with the Shopify POS and start using them with your POS system.
Shopify's Hardware Store
Unfortunately, there is no complete support for Shopify's own hardware in Spain yet, which means you cannot enjoy the benefits of buying directly from their hardware store. What you'll need to do is to acquire the devices you need through a third-party supplier and verify whether or not they are compatible with the Shopify POS system.
Some of the third-party hardware can be easily found in other eCommerce platforms, on the other hand, you can request card readers and such right into your bank. It is recommended to make sure the supplier is a reliable source. Before actually buying the hardware, you can search for the provider's reputation on a trustworthy reviews website and check out its users' opinions.
Top Shopify features for retailers
As a retail store owner, there are some specific Shopify features that will make your life and daily routines a lot easier and quicker thanks to the automation of some tasks and how much useful information the platform can gather for you. Here you have some of the features that will enhance your experience.
In-context product analytics
Shopify has recently added the option to view how key inventory metrics are performing in your company. This allows you to make better supply chain decisions based on accurate data collected from your own Shopify purchases history. By using the new metrics such as sell-through rate and days of inventory remaining, you can monitor your best-selling products and avoid risks from overstocking and understocking. The data collected for in-context metrics comes with detailed reports for sell-through rate, days of inventory remaining, and inventory value by ABC.
Customer profiles
You can use the customer profiles feature in your favor by collecting their past purchases data and until you've obtained the necessary information to start popping up on their notifications with reminders, back-in-stock notifications, special promotions, etc. This is a very common strategy applied by thousands of businesses nowadays. It may help you encourage that little Spanish urge to be shopping and checking out promotions every now and then.
Smart inventory
With this feature, you'll have the ability to make inventory decisions with confidence thanks to the smart recommendations from Stocky by Shopify (App not available for Shopify Lite plan). You'll also be able to request transfers across locations, easily keep track of incoming and outgoing products, ensure the inventory in your store matches the one in the system by using a barcode scanner, perform inventory counts and receive incoming orders, make low stock and detailed inventory reports. Unfortunately, these features are only available for the Shopify pro plan
What Payment Methods does Shopify POS Accept?
As mentioned before, depending on the hardware devices you have in your store, the payment types your POS setup supports may vary. Cash payments will always be available, but if you integrate a card reader into your POS system, you'll be able to process credit and debit card purchases. Currently, Spain is one of the countries supported by Shopify Payments, which adds a layer of trust and convenience to the shopping experience and in-person sales.
Retailers also have the option to accept both Apple pay and Google pay, they just need to fulfill some requirements.
For Apple Pay: to enable the Apple Pay button for your store, you must be using one of the following credit card payment providers: Shopify Payments, Stripe, First Data, Payeezy, Authorize.net, CyberSource, Braintree.
For Google Pay: to enable Google Pay for your store you need to be using Shopify Payments.
Does Shopify POS Only Work with Shopify Payments?
In order to accept payment methods such as online banking, credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, cash cards, and more, you will have to hire a payment provider that allows you to implement the most convenient payment solutions while also suiting both your store's needs and budget. While Shopify Payments is one of the best gateways available in the market, it's not the only one supported by the Shopify POS system. Here are the top 3 payment providers currently supported by Shopify in Spain.
Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments, the company's very own payment gateway, is one of the most convenient payment providers for your Shopify store. It was specifically developed to be added to your Shopify POS app experience and let you accept payments of any kind. With highly competitive pricing, Shopify Payments offer the highest levels of security along with seamless integration with all aspects of your eCommerce store.
There are also several ways for customers to pay online without using a credit card thanks to Shopify Payments, such as Shop Pay, Facebook Pay, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. You might also want to accept alternative methods of payment like cryptocurrency.
Pros: It's included in every Shopify Plan, all credit cards are charged the same rate based on your plan (starting at 1.5% for in-person transactions), there are no hardware rental or hidden fees, 24/7 customer service in case of any problem, 2-day payout.
Cons: Not supported in every country, strong regulations for the activities allowed to use the service.
Strongly recommended for Shopify store owners who can take advantage of the low commissions and prices for already being part of the Shopify community.
MONEI
MONEI is the first Spanish payment gateway, it aggregates many payment methods and processors into a single platform to help e-commerce businesses grow faster. Users in Spain and Andorra can accept credit and debit cards, digital wallets like PayPal, Google Pay, and Apple Pay, and local payment methods such as Bizum and Cofidis. MONEI offers dynamic billing (as merchants sell more, their fees decrease).
Pros: API is easy to integrate, takes only 24hrs to payout, it's easy to use, 3D Secure protocol is integrated.
Cons: High price, consuming CPU.
Klarna
Klarna has recently allied with Shopify in October 2020 making it possible to integrate this payment gateway with your POS system. This platform has become very popular among online buyers given its possibility to divide the total price of the purchase into 4 parts to be paid every 2 weeks without any additional fee or interest rate. Klarna can help customers buy something they need but don't actually have the total amount of money upfront, as long as they can afford the subsequent payments. The convenience of not having to pay for the whole amount at the moment encourages customers to buy even more products.
Pros: No prepayment, annual or membership fees, easy to integrate, the merchants get their money even if the customer hasn't paid yet, using it leads to a 44% increase in orders.
Cons: Charges returned payment and late fees.
Shopify POS: tips & tricks
There are some general practices merchants are implementing nowadays to improve the POS (punto de venta) experience in their retail businesses. Some of them you might not know about, while others you may have heard of. In any case, doing some research is worth the effort if you want to get the most from your POS system, so here's a list of some things you should mind to improve your service and experience.
Providing an omnichannel experience
Given how online sales channels noticeably increased their popularity in Spain during the isolation and how unpredictable these pandemic times are, it is recommended to keep a hybrid model of sales. Having a physical store and online sales advantages prepares retail stores for any unexpected situation.
Another benefit of merging all channels with each other is to create a seamless customer experience and make it easier for users to switch between your business' platforms depending on their needs. Making the experience as effortless as possible creates a smoother process for both customers and employees at the time of check out, and if your store is a physical and online Shopify store hybrid, this feature will benefit both modalities at the same time.
Implementing loyalty programs
One of the most common strategies to increase sales and customer engagement is rewarding your loyal buyers with discount codes, referral programs, exclusive content/promo codes, etc. You can earn your audience's contact details by offering them some content of interest or maybe more targeted offers in exchange for email subscriptions. Then, you can start growing your email list and improving your marketing strategy. You can also use loyalty apps as a guide to starting with this approach.
Creating personalized marketing campaigns
Since the POS system gathers all of your customers' past purchases information, you can easily use it for a very specific targeted marketing campaign based on accurate analytics from your actual client base. This can be combined with the notifications previously mentioned to make it even more powerful and engaging.
Best Reviewed apps for Shopify POS
Shopify's app store has a wide variety of options that can provide you with all the extra tools needed to improve both your business' personnel and customer experience. Here you have 4 of the Shopify app store community's most acclaimed apps.
EasyTeam
This is one of the leading apps for store management tasks. EasyTeam integrates an intuitive interface along with exportable timesheets to facilitate payroll tasks, staff time tracking, sales commissions calculation, staff scheduling, and more. All these features combine together to make both managers' and employees' routines smoother, quicker, and more accurate. With an average rating of 4.9 stars, its current users have assured its legitimacy. You can try this feature for yourself at no cost thanks to the free plan available.
LoyaltyLion
With a 4.4 stars average ranking based on the opinion of 391 of its current users, this app has proven how beneficial it can be to enhancing sales. It offers loyalty points for purchases, sign-ups, subscriptions, birthdays, reviews, and social media interactions. This is a convenient way to reward customers for their appreciation and at the same time, encourage engagement and interaction with the brand. In addition, this app offers a free plan for new users to try its features.
Sufio
Everyone knows how important yet time-consuming is the creation of invoices. This app is here to automate the creation and sending of professional invoices and documents. It's also capable of designing custom workflows that are tailored to your business needs. These invoices are validated by certified accountants ensuring your documents meet worldwide regulations for both B2C and B2B. You can try all these benefits with the 14-day free trial offered by Sufio.
Stocky
Given how much time inventory management tasks can take from you and your team members, the implementation of apps like Stocky might be truly beneficial for your business. After all, who doesn't want to finish tasks quickly without lowering the work's quality?
This app can give you better visibility into what products you should order and when based on product performance and seasonality. It allows you to track what you’ve received and what’s leaving your store with each purchase without the need to create spreadsheets or use multiple systems. In addition, it lets you know when stock runs low so you can create purchase orders or transfer items from your locations.
