What Is a Mobile POS System? A Quick Guide for Markets

Industry Insights

What Is a Mobile POS System? A Quick Guide for Markets

Dec 16, 2025 • 6 min read

Being tied to a fixed checkout counter is costing you time, money, and customer satisfaction.

You have to help customers at the deli, run a price check in aisle three, receive deliveries, and keep shelves stocked — all without letting your checkout lines grow too long. You've tried adding staff during rush times, but hiring more cashiers isn't cost-effective.

The solution? A mobile point of sale (POS) system.

Mobile POS systems help you offer a faster, more convenient experience for your customers. But not all mobile POS solutions work the same way, and many aren’t built to handle grocery store operations.

This guide will help you understand what mobile POS systems actually are, how they work in real market environments, and which type makes sense for your store. We'll compare popular options honestly, without the sales pitch, so you can make the right choice for your business.

What Is a Mobile POS System and Why Does It Matter for Markets?

Let's start with the basics: What is a mobile POS system? A mobile POS is a solution that allows you to process sales, manage inventory, and access customer information using a portable device.

There are two primary types of mobile POS systems to consider for your business:

Tablet-only systems: These solutions are built to use tablets or smartphones as your main POS terminals. Your staff uses these devices for everything from checkout to inventory management. They're truly mobile, but they come with trade-offs we'll discuss later.
Flexible cloud-based systems: These solutions provide powerful, full-sized POS terminals for your checkout lanes, along with the ability to access your system remotely through mobile devices.

When you operate an independent market, your checkout counter sees dozens or even hundreds of transactions during busy hours. You need hardware that can keep up with scale integration, conveyor belts, and high transaction volumes. At the same time, you want the flexibility to check stock levels, receive shipments, and manage your store from anywhere.

The right mobile POS system gives you efficiency where it counts, without forcing you to compromise on the tools that keep your checkout lines moving. Let's look at how mobile capabilities can actually improve your daily operations.

How Mobile POS Devices Improve Daily Market Operations

We often think of a point of sale system in terms of processing payments. In reality, a modern POS solution does way more than transaction processing. The right mobile POS solution can change every aspect of your operational model.

Here are a few of the main advantages of mobile POS systems:

Inventory management: If you need to check stock levels from the floor or receive a shipment without walking back to the office, a mobile POS system can help. These solutions give you real-time access to your inventory and stock levels from anywhere with an internet connection.
Price changes and label printing: You don’t want to have to run back and forth to the back office any time a price needs adjusting. Mobile POS access lets you adjust prices instantly from the sales floor and print shelf labels on the spot.
Customer service: If a customer asks if you carry a specific product, you can check your inventory right on the sales floor. You can also use your mobile POS to place special orders and answer questions without interrupting the shopping experience by having to run to the back office.

All these features are independent of the things we traditionally think of when we say “mobile POS,” which is the ability to open up pop-up checkout counters when things get busy.

Types of Mobile POS Systems

Before you invest in a mobile POS system, understand your options. We briefly discussed the two main approaches, but let’s look a little closer. What are your options, and how does each work in a real-world scenario?

Tablet-Only Systems

These systems use tablets or smartphones as your primary POS terminals. You literally check out customers on an iPad with a card reader attached. The appeal is clear: lower upfront costs, true mobility around your store, and a simple setup if you're running a farmers market booth or pop-up. However, there are some downsides.

Smaller screens can slow down checkout processes when you’re scanning dozens of items per customer. Many tablet-based systems also struggle to integrate scales, conveyor belts, and other essential grocery store components.

Tablets are more delicate in nature, too, and aren’t built for the severe wear and tear of a busy market environment, which can be another major challenge.

Flexible Cloud-Based Systems With Mobile Access

Your other option is to invest in a flexible, cloud-based system that offers full-sized POS terminals at your checkout counters, as well as mobile access through tablets or apps when needed.

This option gives you powerful, rugged hardware at checkout so you can process those massive carts and high-volume sales days. You’ll also gain mobile access, allowing staff to view grocery store inventory, update prices, and manage operations from a mobile device.

These solutions often provide a “best of both worlds” situation for markets, allowing you to handle high-volume checkouts with the flexibility to access key information from anywhere in your store. The trade-off is a higher investment and a slightly more complex setup.

Provider	System Type	Starting Price	Best For	Grocery Fit
Square	Tablet / phone-based POS	$29/month + processing fees	Pop-ups, farmers markets, very small operations	⚠️ Limited — Not built for grocery workflows
Revel Systems	iPad-based cloud POS	Custom pricing	Specialty and boutique markets	⚠️ Moderate — Better inventory, tablet limits
Clover	Terminal + mobile options	$60/month (36-month term)	General retail businesses	⚠️ Flexible hardware, weak grocery fit
Shopify POS	Cloud-based + mobile	$89/month + processing fees	Online-first sellers with stores	⚠️ Ecommerce-first, not grocery-first
TouchBistro	Restaurant POS	$69/month + custom rates	Cafes and food trucks	❌ Food-service only
Toast	Restaurant-focused POS	$0–69/month + processing fees	Restaurants only	❌ Not suitable for grocery
Markt POS	Full grocery terminals + cloud access	Custom pricing	Independent grocery stores	✅ Built specifically for grocery operations

Choosing the Right Mobile POS System for Your Market

The right mobile POS system for you depends on the ins and outs of your business and how you run your store. When choosing your POS solution, ask yourself these key questions.

What's your primary use case? If you're mainly focused on checkout, you need terminals that can handle high volume. If you mostly need mobile access for inventory checks and price updates, a tablet solution might work. Need both? That's where flexible cloud-based systems shine.

What's your transaction volume? There’s no getting around it: High-volume checkout requires full terminals. Lower volume gives you more flexibility in your options.

What peripherals do you need? If you only need basic payment processing features, a tablet-based system can work well. If you need tools like scales, scanners, conveyor belts, and customer displays, you need a flexible, cloud-based solution.

How many checkout lanes do you operate? You need a system that can grow with you without becoming a logistical nightmare. If you run a small, single-lane convenience store, you might not need as many features.

What's your budget? And, of course, you need to consider your budget. Remember to look beyond the sticker price, though. Consider the total cost of ownership, including costs like downtime, customer support, and ongoing payments, when making your choice.

The bottom line is that mobile POS capabilities are valuable for any independent market. The key to your success is to select the type of mobile system that best fits your business and your needs.

For best results, look for grocery-specific solutions built by people who understand your industry. Generic retail systems and tablet-only solutions work great for boutiques and coffee shops, but your market deserves better.

Markt POS gives you powerful checkout terminals for high-volume lanes and mobile flexibility for everything else. It's built specifically for independent markets like yours, with integrated scale technology, EBT support, and 24/7 support from people who understand grocery operations.

Ready to see what Markt POS can do? Build and price your ideal solution with our transparent online pricing tool today.

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