Introduction

Many Shopify merchants operating both online stores and physical locations face the need for flexible pricing options to reflect different costs, promotions, or market conditions across sales channels. However, Shopify doesn’t currently offer a built-in solution for setting separate prices for its Point of Sale (POS) system versus the online store, making it challenging for merchants to easily manage dual pricing.

This article outlines methods and workarounds to implement separate prices for POS and online store, so you can better control in-store and online sales pricing.

1. Understanding Pricing Limitations in Shopify

Shopify is designed to sync inventory and product data across all sales channels, which includes maintaining the same price across online and POS. Unfortunately, this unified approach restricts flexibility when trying to display different prices for different channels.

Several methods have been explored, such as duplicating products, using discount codes, or manipulating the Compare At Price feature. While these methods have worked for some merchants, they are often time-consuming or lack scalability for larger inventories.

2. Solutions for Setting Different Prices for POS and Online

Currently, Shopify doesn’t provide a direct, built-in feature for setting different prices across channels. However, here are some common approaches that merchants have found useful:

• Duplicate Products: Duplicating products and adjusting the POS price. Drawbacks include inventory sync issues and potential complexity when managing a large product catalog.
• Discount Codes for POS: Applying a specific discount in the POS to reduce the final price for in-store purchases. This option is straightforward but may slow down checkout and introduce manual steps.
• POS-Specific Pricing Apps: Using specialized third-party apps designed to add flexibility to Shopify POS pricing.

3. Workarounds and Third-Party Apps

Many merchants turn to third-party apps for additional functionality. The following apps and techniques have been reported as effective ways to set separate prices for online and POS:

• POS Variable Priced Products App: This app allows custom price adjustments at the time of sale. Though it requires manual price adjustment for each sale, it can be effective in a POS environment.
• Discount Ninja: Discount Ninja offers automatic discounting options that work on the online store while maintaining the regular price on POS.
• SimpleSync: SimpleSync helps sync inventory across duplicate products, which can allow for POS-specific products with adjusted prices. Note that this method may be limited depending on the scale and complexity of your inventory management needs.

4. Detailed Guide for POS Variable Priced Products App

One of the most popular solutions, the POS Variable Priced Products app, allows retailers to adjust prices manually at the checkout. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use it effectively:

1. Install the POS Variable Priced Products App: Go to the Shopify App Store and add the app to your store.
2. Setup: Configure the app to allow custom price input at checkout.
3. Use During Checkout: During in-store transactions, the app allows staff to enter a different price directly, which can be useful for events, sales, or customized in-store pricing.
4. Inventory Management: As the app uses the same product listings, inventory levels remain consistent across both online and POS channels.

Although this method requires some manual work, it’s a flexible and easy solution, particularly useful for businesses that need ad-hoc in-store pricing adjustments.

5. Alternatives to Shopify for Dual Pricing

If your business relies heavily on different prices for different sales channels and Shopify’s limitations pose a significant challenge, you may want to consider alternative platforms that offer more flexible pricing features.

• WooCommerce: WooCommerce offers more flexibility for pricing adjustments across different channels. By using plugins, you can manage separate prices for online and in-store transactions.
• Square: Square’s POS system provides flexibility in setting up different pricing and promotions for in-store sales.

Conclusion

While Shopify’s current functionality doesn’t support dual pricing natively, several workarounds and apps can help bridge the gap. Each method has pros and cons, and the best solution depends on your business’s specific needs and the size of your catalog.

As Shopify continues to evolve, merchants are encouraged to provide feedback to ensure that future updates include features that better support in-store and online retail environments.

FAQs

• Can I use Shopify’s Compare At Price for POS pricing?
  Yes, you can use Compare At Price as a workaround for different POS and online prices, but it can be challenging to manage across large inventories.
• Does duplicating products affect inventory?
  Yes, duplicating products can lead to inventory sync issues, as each duplicate product is treated separately in Shopify’s system. Using apps like SimpleSync can help.
• Is it possible to set automated discounts for online prices only?
  Yes, apps like Discount Ninja allow for online-only discounts, keeping POS prices unaffected.
• Why doesn’t Shopify offer built-in dual pricing for POS and online?
  Shopify’s unified approach simplifies inventory management but limits separate pricing capabilities. Shopify has yet to officially support dual pricing natively.
• What other platforms offer flexible pricing per sales channel?
  WooCommerce and Square offer features or plugins that support varied pricing across online and in-store channels.