What’s the Best POS for Smoke Shops? 5 Software Options

Running a smoke shop without the right point of sale (POS) system is like trying to enjoy a cigar without a lighter — it simply won’t work.

But with so many options on the market and so many tasks on your to-do list, setting aside time to hunt down the perfect POS solution might seem impossible.

That’s why our tobacco industry experts have done the hard work for you and put together a list of the top five smoke shop POS systems. Keep reading to discover the top providers and their features, pricing, and reviews.

Want a look ahead? Here are our top picks:

• Cigars POS: Best overall
• KORONA POS: Best for marketing
• NRS: Best for small budgets
• Lightspeed: Best for multilocation smoke shops
• TORO: Best for selling online

What To Look For in a Smoke Shop POS System

Before we dive into recommendations, let’s cover the basics.

Tobacco retailers face unique challenges — from tracking and selling hundreds of individual cigars to preventing underage sales. Tackling these challenges with an old-school cash register or a generic retail POS system is nearly impossible, which is why you need a specialized smoke shop POS system.

Here are the top features to look for:

• Age verification: Prompts cashiers to manually enter customers’ birthdates or scan their IDs using a handheld ID scanner
• Carton-pack inventory management: Makes it easy to manage complicated inventory, letting you track and sell products by the pack or carton
• Compliance-friendly reports: Protects your tobacco retail license by maintaining accurate, easily-searchable inventory and sales records
• Automation: Saves time and prevents stockouts by automating purchase order and receiving processes
• Loyalty program: Tracks purchase histories, loyalty points, and perks — encouraging customers to choose your shop for all their smoking needs
• Payment processing: Lets you process secure sales transactions with no delays or unexpected cancellations
• Technical support: Helps you make the most of your new POS system and solve technical issues as soon as they arise

A smoke shop POS system with these tools makes it easier to manage inventory, stay compliant, and sell more tobacco.

Now, let’s take a look at five providers offering these features.

1. Cigars POS: Best Overall

Cigars POS is our number-one recommendation for smoke shops, tobacco stores, and cigar lounges.

That’s because it’s designed specifically for the day-to-day needs of tobacco retailers like you, from managing carton-pack inventory to verifying customers’ ages at checkout. Here are some of Cigars POS’ top features:

• Inventory automations: Spend less time creating purchase orders and updating your inventory records with auto PO and auto receiving tools.

• High-risk payment processing: Worried about your payment processing being canceled with no notice? With Cigars POS, you don’t have to. They offer integrated high-risk payment processing, allowing you to sell highly regulated products without the hassle.

• AI-powered reporting: Know exactly what’s selling and what you should discontinue with insights from Cigars POS’ automated ranking feature. This AI-powered technology gives each of your products an A through D grade, helping you make smarter stocking decisions.

Here’s what Corey Grant, owner of Tobacco Town Cigar Lounge, had to say about the software:

“We like that Cigars POS gives us real data. It saves us time on the back end — we have information right there and can make adjustments on the fly.”

Cigars POS offers flexible pricing options — and most importantly, all of them include the must-haves: age verification, sales reporting, and 24/7 support. Pricing tiers start at $59/month, but use their Build & Price tool for a custom quote.

Related Read: Success Story: 3 Ways Tobacco Town Transformed Their Business

2. KORONA POS: Best for Marketing

Next is KORONA POS. While KORONA POS is designed for retailers in all industries, we’ve included it in our smoke shop POS roundup because it includes essential features: ID scanning, carton-pack tracking, and more.

Let’s look at a few of KORONA POS’ top features:

• Customer relationship management (CRM): Build a stronger marketing strategy with KORONA POS’ built-in CRM. Create customer accounts, give loyalty points, and create gift cards or loyalty program membership cards.
• Security features: Monitor employee activity and track shrinkage to prevent shoplifting and internal theft.
• Payment processing flexibility: Looking to upgrade your POS system but keep your payment processing provider? KORONA POS is payment agnostic, meaning you can use most major payment providers.

Here’s what Amy K. had to say about her experience with KORONA POS:

“Overall, it's a dependable POS system that focuses on getting the core things right. If you need something stable and easy to manage for everyday operations, it's a good option.”

KORONA POS’ base pricing options range from $59 to $79/month, and we recommend adding their Plus package (+$20/month) for in-depth inventory and sales reporting.

3. National Retail Solutions (NRS): Best for Small Budgets

Looking for a simple POS solution for your smoke shop? Check out NRS. NRS offers straightforward retail POS software and hardware at affordable starting prices — great for smaller or brand-new stores. Here are some of NRS’ core features:

• User friendliness: Enjoy easy onboarding and training with NRS’ simple, intuitive interface.

• Age verification: Scan IDs or manually enter customers’ birthdates before tobacco sales. Keep in mind that you may have to pay an additional fee for ID scanner usage.

• Promotions: Create discounts that apply automatically at the checkout counter — no manual price changes required.

Here’s what customer Ankit B. said about their interaction with NRS:

“I was having issues with my NRS pos… I called for technical support… they answered me within five minutes… I’m 100% satisfied with the technical support from NRS.”

One word of warning: NRS’ pricing structure can seem complicated if you need functionality beyond basic transactions, inventory tracking, and sales reporting. Their base prices range from $19.95 to $79.95, with the option to pay additional monthly fees to unlock new features.

4. Lightspeed: Best for Multilocation Smoke Shops

Next, let’s talk about Lightspeed, a powerful POS system designed for retailers, restaurants, and golf courses. Lightspeed could be the right fit if you’re planning to sell online or launch multiple locations.

Here’s what this POS system has to offer:

• Omnichannel inventory management: Keep inventory synced whether you make a sale online or in store, reducing manual data entry and errors.
• Consolidated reporting: Manage multiple smoke shop locations with Lightspeed’s consolidated sales and inventory reporting.
• Website builder: Create a custom website for your smoke shop with Lightspeed’s user-friendly drag-and-drop builder.

Let’s look at how Christie Kwait, one of Lightspeed’s customers, described the onboarding process:

“The onboarding team has done a great job making us feel comfortable with the move to Lightspeed from our old POS.”

Lightspeed is one of the most expensive options on our list, with monthly software costs ranging from $109 to $339/month.

In-depth comparison: Lightspeed vs. Cigars POS

5. TORO: Best for Selling Tobacco Online

The final option on our list of the best POS systems for smoke shops is TORO, another industry-specific solution.

Let’s explore what they have to offer:

• E-commerce integration: Create an online tobacco store and monitor inventory and sales changes from a single interface.

• Prebuilt cigar database: Enjoy smoother onboarding with TORO’s database of 35,000 of the most popular tobacco SKUs.

• Cloud-based access: Access your smoke shop POS software from anywhere, at any time.

Though TORO includes customer quotes on their website, we couldn’t find any public reviews of the system.

TORO costs $119/month and requires a 36-month contract. They also charge a higher startup cost than most other providers on our list ($5,000) — unless you decide to go with their revenue-sharing plan.

In-depth comparison: TORO vs. Cigars POS

Get the Best POS System for Smoke Shops, Cigars POS

Searching for the best POS system for your smoke shop? You can’t go wrong with our top option: Cigars POS.

Designed specifically for tobacco retailers and backed by 24/7 support, Cigars POS gives you everything you need to launch, manage, or grow a thriving smoke shop.

Talk with one of our tobacco industry experts today to find the best fit for your small business.