Home › Blog › iPad POS Pricing in Singapore: The Real Cost for a Small Café

iPad POS Pricing in Singapore: The Real Cost for a Small Café

28 Oct 2025 • 8 min read

POS pricing in Singapore is confusing on purpose. The headline subscription is rarely the real number. To budget properly, separate the cost into three layers — software, hardware, and payments — and look at each honestly.

Layer 1: The software subscription

This is the monthly fee for the POS itself. Ranges run from "free" (with catches — limited features, your data hostage, or pressure to use their payments) up to S$150+/month per outlet. Things to check:

• Per-device or per-outlet? A second iPad shouldn't double your bill.
• Are features gated? Loyalty, reporting, and extra users are sometimes charged on top.
• Annual discount? Paying yearly often saves two months.

For reference, Shopways is S$88/month flat (everything included), or S$880/year.

Layer 2: Hardware (mostly one-time)

Rough Singapore ballpark for a single counter:

An all-in-one terminal bundles much of this — convenient, but you pay for it and you're tied to that device.

Layer 3: Payment processing fees

This is separate from your POS subscription and often the biggest long-run cost. In Singapore:

• PayNow — typically the cheapest, often no per-transaction fee for many setups. This is why it's so popular. See our PayNow guide.
• Cards (Visa/Mastercard) — usually a percentage per transaction; meaningful on small-ticket coffee sales.
• NETS — common locally; check the rate.

On a S$6 flat white, a card fee can quietly eat a noticeable slice of margin — pushing customers toward PayNow protects it.

The hidden costs to watch

• Per-feature upsells — the headline plan is cheap, then loyalty and reporting cost extra.
• Payments lock-in — "free" POS that only makes money if you use their (pricier) payment rails.
• Proprietary hardware — a terminal you can't repurpose if you switch.
• Contracts — check for lock-in periods and early-termination terms.

A sample monthly budget

For a small café that already owns an iPad, buys a LAN printer and cash drawer, and leans on PayNow:

• Month one: ~S$88 software + ~S$250 hardware (one-time) = ~S$338.
• Ongoing: ~S$88/month software + minimal payment fees (mostly PayNow).

That's the value of the iPad + PayNow model: low, predictable cost once you're set up.

How to keep costs down

• Reuse an iPad you already own.
• Encourage PayNow to minimise card fees.
• Pick one flat plan with no per-feature surprises.
• Pay annually if cash flow allows.

FAQ

Is a "free" POS really free? Rarely — check how they make money (usually payment fees or gated features).

What's the cheapest way to start? Reuse your iPad, add a printer, lean on PayNow. Compare options in our Shopways vs Qashier guide.

← Back to all articles