eHopper POS Review

Pros

• Free plan and card reader available
• Easy to use
• Accept EBT transactions
• Cash discount program available

Cons

• Only available on Windows and Android
• Basic feature set
• Buggy
• Poor customer service

What is eHopper POS?

eHopper POS is a point of sale system that allows small grocery and retail store owners to take payments for free using eHopper’s payment processor. Alternatively, business owners can take payments using a third-party payment processor and get inventory management features for a low monthly cost.

eHopper POS Pricing

eHopper earns an above-average score in the pricing category. I awarded points for eHopper’s 14-day free trial available, monthly pricing plan options, and the ability to use a third-party payment processor with the POS software.

eHopper lost points due to the added monthly fee you must pay to use your own payment processor and the substantial early termination fee eHopper charges for canceling your account.

eHopper offers the following pricing plans, which range from $0 - $35.99/month/device with a year-long subscription.

The free plan requires you to use eHopper for payment processing. Each paid plan requires you to pay per device. There is a substantial discount for yearly contracts, but you do not get a refund if you decide to cancel your contract early.

eHopper POS Is Best Suited For

eHopper works best for retail and grocery store business owners in the US looking for free POS software and Android or Windows-based POS hardware. eHopper’s in-house payment processor allows business owners with no budget to start a cash discount program and avoid payment processing fees.

We do not recommend eHopper for those who want to sell online for in-store pickup, local delivery, or shipping. We also do not recommend eHopper if you want to use iPads or third-party software integrations. Business owners who want a more flexible system should choose a different POS system.

eHopper POS Features

eHopper earned an average score in the features category. The system gains points because of its good theft prevention features, decent inventory management, and niche features. It loses points because of its lack of popular integrations, POS register feature limitations, and lack of eCommerce sales capabilities.

However, if you own a small, simple business that sells primarily in-person, you may not need eCommerce features or third-party integrations.

To test out eHopper’s features, I created an account for a grocery store using the free trial available. I found that eHopper’s best features include its inventory management, cash discount program, and niche features like accepting EBT payments and rounding up payments (great for starting a donation drive.)

Register Features

eHopper free POS cash discount settings.

eHopper allows you to install POS software on Android, Windows, and proprietary POS devices. On the POS interface, eHopper users can easily:

• Log onto the system using a unique employee PIN
• Split payment tenders, hold orders, accept tips (custom or suggested amount), and edit product prices on-screen
• Add items to orders by scanning a barcode, searching for it, or selecting the quick key on the screen
• Perform a starting till count make any pay-ins or payouts, and do a final till count when you close the register
• Accept EBT payments and start a cash discount program
• Accept exchanges and returns (but not store credit)
• Add a barcode scanner and weight scale to your POS setup
• Sell regulated items such as cigarettes and liquor
• Update the language of registers (great for international grocery stores with employees who speak different languages)

While not one of our best grocery store POS systems, we appreciate the EBT payment function, weight scale functionality, and the ability to sell regulated items such as cigarettes and liquor.

Note: A huge drawback of this POS is that you must manually synchronize the POS app and the Back Office app if you change anything (add products, update pricing, etc.) Employees may not remember to manually synchronize which can lead to issues later.

Online Ordering

eHopper offers an eCommerce app that includes an online store builder with some basic theme options. With eHopper’s online ordering app, you can:

• Accept Payments: Customers can pay for their online order at the time of purchase using several major credit card providers, PayPal, Google Pay, etc. They can also pay at pick-up.
• Sync Inventory: Sync in-person and online orders so you never sell items you don’t have. You can also choose to display quantity on hand on your online store to create a sense of scarcity that motivates shoppers to complete their purchase,
• Use Online Marketing & SEO Tools: eHopper websites are optimized for mobile devices, speed, and security. Your website can also sync with a Google Business Profile, which is great for getting discovered on Google Maps. Integrate your site with email marketing services to offer coupons and discounts to subscribers. Or, offer discount codes right on your website.

Inventory Management

eHopper POS inventory management add product.

eHopper offers a good amount of inventory management tools, including:

• Item Creation: Name your products, write descriptions, nest each item in a department and category, upload an image, and note whether a product is taxable and discountable. You can add item images and import inventory items as well.
• Sales Units: Choose from a list of units (inch, ounce, pound, gram) by which to sell each product and designate whether the price should be fixed or manually calculated when you ring the item up. Integrate eHopper with a weight scale to automatically weigh out things like produce at checkout.
• Stock Control: Track your stock levels by indicating the current quantity, recommended quantity, and minimum quantity of each product. The Product Mix report will allow you to see what you still have in stock and how many you have sold. You can also set minimum stock levels, get low stock alerts, and transfer stock between locations.
• Barcode Management: Create and manage barcodes for items. Use barcodes to sell items and track customer orders.
• Purchase Order Tracking: Track orders by vendor, and include pertinent vendor information such as contact info, tax ID, and vendor types. It’s also possible to record the sale price and cost price.

Admin Management

eHopper offers the following back-office management features:

• Employee Management: Assign PINs and permissions for team members in different user roles. Allow team members to clock in and out. Offer employee discounts to team members.
• Reporting Features: Generate POS reports on tips, employee activities, product mix, cash management, customer engagement, and orders.
• Tax Settings: You can set more than one tax level, include taxes in your product price, set up multiple taxes, and create tax exemptions.
• Discounts: Assign discounts by individual products or entire transactions.
• Location-Based Settings: Set currency and language options. Employees can also change what language they’re using when working.

Niche Features

eHopper POS loyalty program settings.

More niche features include:

• Cash Rounding: You can ask customers if they want to round up their purchase to the next dollar for charity.
• Control Number: If you are a merchant who works in Puerto Rico, you are in luck. eHopper has a control number option for Puerto Rican merchants, who must display a control number on every receipt.
• Loyalty Program: eHopper offers a basic loyalty program app for the Omnichannel and Omnichannel + Processing plan users.

Also, eHopper integrates with QuickBooks Online and WooCommerce.

Ease Of Use

I awarded eHopper points in the ease of use category because the POS app was ready to go as soon as I installed it on my Windows desktop device. If you’ve ever seen a register or even used a self-scan register in a store, you’ll understand how to use eHopper’s POS app.

eHopper loses points because while it’s easy to configure the system, the POS and Back Office app have very basic feature sets and clunky user interfaces. Businesses with more intense inventory management needs will run into problems when trying to manage large catalogs.

You don’t need a representative to start using the software, and there was a checklist that guided me through the POS and Back Office app setup.

Customer Service & Support

I rated eHopper highly in customer support because several user reviews rated customer support very well. I also appreciated that most eHopper users have many ways to reach eHopper.

Note: If you’re using eHopper on the Essential plan, you won’t have access to eHopper’s support staff. You will only have knowledge base resources, including training videos and a community forum.

On the Omnichannel plan and the Omnichannel + Processing plan, you have access to phone, email, and chat support. You can also send support tickets, request personalized implementation services, and schedule training sessions.

Payment Processing With eHopper POS

eHopper includes in-house payment processing, or you can use the POS with an outside payment processor of your choice.

eHopper offers free credit card processing to US customers only. This is achieved by passing along the processing costs to customers via a credit card surcharge or cash discount program. The method you use will depend on your state, as credit card surcharges aren’t allowed in all states.

If you want to use an outside processor, the system supports providers such as Fiserv, TSYS, and the USAePay payment gateway, to name a few. However, available processing options vary based on which terminal you use and which country your business is located.

eHopper POS Contract & Commitment

eHopper advertises monthly plans, low processing rates and a “free” credit card terminal with merchant account signup.

However, all business owners are required to fill out a sales form before working with eHopper. The sales form will specify your contract length, custom payment processing fees (which may differ from the advertised rate), and other fees like implementation fees.

Here’s what to look out for when signing a contract with eHopper.

What To Watch Out For

eHopper POS Reviews

eHopper earns an average review score because while eHopper has positive reviews on popular review sites, the software has few reviews in general. Only two reviews were written in the past two years, which doesn’t give us a great idea of how users feel about the current product and customer service.

The following are comments we’ve gathered from various online sources.

Negative eHopper Reviews & Complaints

• Credit Surcharge Processing: This feature is a good thing for some merchants but not for others. Many businesses aren’t that comfortable passing on their credit card fees to customers, commenting that it could turn away customers who prefer to pay with a credit card.
• Buggy: Some customers say the system tends to stall out or behave erratically. Sometimes the printer speed can be slow as well. There are a lot of negative reviews on the Google Play store, mostly due to complaints of Android tablet bugginess. Some users comment that eHopper works better on PC.

Positive eHopper Reviews & Testimonials

• Easy To Use: It can be easy to overcomplicate an interface, but eHopper keeps things simple.
• Good Value: If you’re willing to use eHopper’s payment processor, you get free POS software and hardware. This is a good deal for very small businesses with simple needs.
• Basics Are All There: If you only need a simple system, eHopper can work for you. You’ll probably run into problems when you expand, but until then, eHopper can fit your business’s needs.
• Free Credit Card Processing: Although the cash discount/credit surcharge pricing model doesn’t work for all businesses, some merchants appreciate this feature and see it as the system’s biggest perk.

Getting Started With eHopper

To start with eHopper, sign up for a free trial on eHopper’s website. You just need to enter your contact info and then create a password. You’ll get an email containing login credentials that you’ll need to install the POS app on your device.

After signup, you’ll be asked if you want to upgrade your account or if you want to just try out a demo. Choose the demo, then you’ll be directed to the Back Office web-based app. This is where you’ll make all changes to your products, prices, employees, etc. On the first page of the Back Office app, you’ll see a “to-do” list. Complete that list, then install the POS app on your device.

Whenever you change anything in the Back Office, you have to manually synchronize the POS app with the Back Office to reflect the change.

Note: After your 14-day free trial, if you do not commit to eHopper by signing up for a merchant account or adding payment information for a paid plan, you will lose all of your store’s data.

Alternatives To eHopper

Square, Lightspeed Retail, Shopify, Clover, and Helcim are the best eHopper alternatives. These retail POS systems offer a more updated POS user interface, better inventory management, and more omnichannel sales capabilities.

Final Verdict Of eHopper POS

eHopper is a solid budget POS system, but the software doesn’t work for all businesses, especially midsize/large ones.

It could be a good solution for small grocery and convenience store owners looking to accept EBT payments, offload payment processing fees to customers, and sell regulated items.

If you are considering a paid eHopper plan, pay close attention to any potential additional monthly fees that eHopper may charge you for POS hardware, add-ons, and the number of terminals.

Alternatively, if eHopper doesn’t meet your needs, check out our best POS systems for small businesses.

Retail POS Review Methodology

We evaluate and test each software system that we review at Merchant Maverick, placing special emphasis on certain key software characteristics in order to generate our granular product ratings.

For retail POS software in particular, we have a 62-point rubric we use to evaluate the system in terms of its pricing, ease of use, features, and user reviews. These points are based on attributes relevant to the retail POS niche—such as the availability of features like purchase ordering, customer-facing displays, BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store), and others.

Our rating system also takes into account attributes that are desirable for POS systems and cloud-based software in general, such as the availability of monthly pricing plans, free trials, and transparent software contracts.

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Square is an industry-leading point-of-sale and payment processing provider. Sign up for a free account and get a complimentary card reader for use with Square POS. Start For Free.