POS System Training Guide For Retailers (2025)

Investing in a POS system is a big decision for any retail business, but the true value comes from how effectively your team can use it. 

While Shopify POS offers powerful features to reduce operational costs and improve efficiency, proper staff training is what unlocks its full potential. When employees fully understand system capabilities like smart grid customization, mobile selling features, and integrated loyalty programs, they can deliver exceptional service that keeps customers coming back.

Want faster checkout times and fewer transaction errors? Here’s how to train your staff on your new Shopify POS. 

Introduction to Shopify POS

Shopify POS represents a new era in unified commerce, bringing your online and in-store operations together into one seamless platform. It provides customer relationship management features like purchase history tracking, segmentation, and loyalty program integration, so staff can provide tailored experiences to shoppers. 

As a complete point-of-sale solution, it offers significant advantages, such as:

• 22% better total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to market competitors
• Up to 20% faster deployment than competitor solutions
• Up to 5% improvement in gross merchandise value (GMV) through operational efficiencies
• An average 8.9% GMV increase through unified commerce capabilities

As evidenced by leading retailers, Shopify POS doesn’t just process sales, it improves every aspect of your retail operation. For example, Oak + Fort reported saving approximately 180 hours per week across its 42 retail locations through improved operational efficiency. Pepper Palace was able to rapidly expand to 60 new locations in a single year thanks to Shopify POS’ streamlined implementation process.

Prelaunch preparation

Before getting into the training details, run this prelaunch checklist to ensure you’ve set up your system correctly.

• Log into your Shopify admin account.

• Add project stakeholder Shopify user accounts.Assign roles and permissions to staff responsible for operating your store. 

• Add POS sales channels.Sync your Shopify POS with your online store. 

• Add locations for Shopify POS and online stores.Configure each location’s settings, like tax rates and shipping options.

• Order POS hardware.Get barcode scanners, receipt printers, and card readers for your checkout counter. 

1. Migrate and organize products. Add your products with scannable barcodes, categorize them for easy navigation, and ensure availability across all sales channels.
2. Create barcodes and set up inventory tracking. Generate unique product codes using the free Retail Barcode Labels app and implement inventory management with the Stocky app to track stock levels across locations.

Hardware and POS app setup

Before your staff can use Shopify POS, you’ll want to set up the software and hardware properly. Here’s what to configure:

• Install the Shopify POS app. Download and configure the app on your store devices with your preferred settings and payment methods.
• Connect POS hardware. Set up and test your barcode scanners, receipt printers, cash drawers, and card readers.
• Customize your POS interface. Arrange your POS terminal view to match your workflow and streamline operations.
• Verify product availability. Ensure you’ve listed all your products in your POS sales channel with accurate details and inventory.
• Set up payment options. Configure gift cards and custom payment methods for your store.

📚 Read: Tomilson saw a 56% reduction in its in-store checkout times since migrating to Shopify POS, while decreasing new hire training on POS operations by almost a third.

How to train your staff on Shopify POS

• Core POS fundamentals
• Role-based training
• Advanced features for managers

Core POS fundamentals

Finding product information

The first skill your staff needs to master is finding products quickly and efficiently. Nothing slows down a sale more than struggling to locate items in your system. 

Train your staff to use these two search methods:

• Global search bar: Tap the magnifying glass icon at the top of your screen. This method keeps the cart visible while you search for items. 
• Navigation bar: Tap “Products” in the bottom navigation bar. This method provides a fuller view of your inventory and is good for product discovery with customers. 

Make sure your team understands they can search using:

• Product names
• Barcodes
• SKUs
• Tags
• Product descriptions

💡Training tip: Create a scavenger hunt exercise where staff must find specific products using different search criteria. This makes learning fun and builds confidence in the system.

Add items to cart

Adding items to a customer’s cart is a frequent task your staff will perform. There are a few ways to do this with Shopify POS.

The simplest way to add items is through the Products screen. Have your staff practice these steps:

1. From the Shopify POS app, tap Products.
2. Search for the item using the search bar.
3. Tap the product to add it.
4. For products with variants, select the specific variant before adding it to your cart.

Sometimes you’ll need to sell items that aren’t in your system. Train your team to handle these situations:

1. From the Home screen, tap “Add custom sale.”
2. Add the following details:
• Title (optional)
• Quantity adjustment if needed
• Price
3. Tap “Add to cart.”

💡 Training tip: Ensure your staff knows when it’s appropriate to use custom sales, like for special orders or unlisted items.

Managing payments

Payment processing is where many sales can go wrong, so this section requires careful attention during training.

Before starting any shift, train your staff to:

• Check that the card reader is properly connected.
• Verify that their login credentials work.
• Understand which payment methods you accept.
• Know how to handle payment issues.

Walk your staff through the following scenarios:

Standard card payments

1. Demonstrate the proper way to present the card reader.
2. Show how to handle chip, tap, and swipe transactions.
3. Explain what to do if a card is declined.

Split payments

1. Show how to divide a transaction between multiple payment methods.
2. Practice splitting payments between cash and card.
3. Demonstrate gift card and credit card combinations.

Shop Pay Installments

1. Explain the qualifying purchase amounts ($50 to $20,000).
2. Show how to present this option to customers.
3. Practice the QR code scanning process.

💡Training tip: Role-play different payment scenarios, including difficult situations like declined cards or split payments. 

Creating receipts

Handling receipts may seem straightforward, but it’s important for customer satisfaction and record-keeping.

Train your staff to:

• Always offer receipt choice before completing the transaction.
• Position the device appropriately for customer privacy when they are entering their email/phone number.
• Understand when to suggest different receipt types:
• Digital receipts for eco-conscious customers
• Printed receipts for business expenses
• Gift receipts for presents

👉 Best practice: Create a standard script for offering receipt options, such as, “Would you prefer your receipt printed, emailed, or texted to you?”

Managing customer profiles 

Customer profiles are valuable for building relationships and tracking sales history. Train your staff to make profile creation a natural part of the checkout process.

Show your team how to:

• Search for existing profiles before creating new ones
• Add essential information efficiently
• Explain the benefits of profiles to customers (easy returns, digital receipts, etc.)

🏃 Training exercise: Create sample customer scenarios and have staff practice adding profiles while maintaining a natural conversation flow.

Role-based training

When training your retail team on Shopify POS, establish clear processes for common tasks. 

POS roles

As you train new staff, consider implementing a tiered permission system:

1. Basic Operations (Week 1):
• Processing standard sales
• Adding items to cart
• Basic product lookups
2. Intermediate Tasks (Week 2–3):
• Basic returns
• Standard discounts
• Customer profile creation
3. Advanced Functions (After proven competency):
• Complex returns
• Custom discounts
• Order cancellations

💡 Training tip: Use Shopify POS’s testing environment to train new staff to practice without affecting real transactions.

Discount management

A team member can only apply discounts based on your assigned permissions. There are several discount types you can train on:

• Custom discounts on individual items
• Cart-wide discounts
• Pre-set discount codes
• Automatic discounts set up by a manager

New staff often struggle with discount combinations. Demonstrate which discounts can stack and which can’t using examples from your store.

💡Training tip: Use your actual store promotions when training. Staff learn better when working with discount scenarios they’ll encounter on the floor.

Returns and exchanges

Before training on returns, make sure the employee has “Return and exchange orders” access in Shopify POS. Then, walk them through the steps of processing a return:

1. From your home screen, tap Orders.
2. Locate the original order.
3. Tap Return.
4. Select the items being returned using the + and - buttons.
5. Select a return reason.
6. Make an important decision about inventory:

• By default, items return to your store’s stock.
• If an item shouldn’t go back to inventory (damaged, etc.), tap Restock at this location and turn it off.

Exchanges require a bit more explanation because staff is handling both a return and a new sale. Here is the process:

1. Find the original order in Orders.
2. Tap Exchange instead of Return.
3. Select the items being returned.
4. Choose new items from your inventory.
5. Handle any price differences:
• If the new item costs more, collect the difference.
• If it costs less, process a refund for the difference.

Always note if items need to be shipped to customers by toggling Mark item as unfulfilled.

👉 Best practice: Create a checklist near each POS station listing return requirements (receipt, original payment method, time limits) to help staff make quick decisions.

Troubleshooting 

Prepare your staff for common technical issues before they happen. Create a simple troubleshooting flowchart for common issues. Post it near POS stations for quick reference.

Basic steps to teach include:

1. Check internet connectivity.
2. Verify the POS app is updated.
3. Know when to force-close the app.
4. Understand when to call for manager support.

👉 Best practice: Document common technical issues specific to your store setup. Include Wi-Fi passwords, support contact information, and backup procedures.

Advanced features for managers

Managers using Shopify POS have access to powerful tools for monitoring store performance, managing inventory, and overseeing staff. Here’s how to effectively use these features in-store.

Report access and analysis

Based on your Shopify subscription plan, managers will have access to different types of analytics:

• Retail Sales Reports: Track in-store performance.
• Inventory Reports: Monitor stock levels and movement.
• Staff Performance Reports: View sales by staff member.
• Customer Reports: Analyze buying patterns.

Begin by showing staff where to find reports in the admin panel. Walk through one report type at a time. Start with daily sales reporting before moving to more complex analysis. Use examples from your store to demonstrate report interpretation.

Schedule weekly report reviews with your management team. Focus on key metrics like average transaction value, items per transaction, and return rates to identify training opportunities.

💡 Training tip: Create a quick reference guide showing which reports are most important for different situations. For example, “Use the Retail Sales Report to check your daily performance” or “Review the Inventory Report before placing new orders.”

Register shift management

Structure your training program over three days:

First day: Start with basic register operations

• Show how to start and end shifts.
• Demonstrate cash counting procedures.
• Practice opening/closing sequences.

Second day: Move to more complex tasks

• Train on mid-shift cash drops.
• Show how to handle multiple payment types.
• Practice reconciliation procedures.

Third day: Focus on troubleshooting

• Review common issues.
• Practice error correction.
• Learn manager override procedures.

💡 Training tip: Use Shopify POS’ “Training” permission level for new hires. This lets your staff practice on the POS interface without changing your default setting, like accidentally editing inventory levels or discount code criteria. 

Inventory management 

Break down training into manageable segments for managers:

Week 1: Basic inventory functions

• Show how to check stock levels.
• Demonstrate receiving procedures.
• Practice basic inventory counts.

Week 2: Advanced inventory tasks

• Train on inventory transfers.
• Show how to handle discrepancies.
• Practice full stock counts.

Get up and running with Shopify POS quickly

Remember: mastering POS systems takes time and practice. Create a training schedule for plenty of hands-on experience, and keep reference materials easily accessible. Consider designating an experienced team member as a POS mentor for new staff.

The key to successful POS training is patience and consistency. Regularly check in with your team and provide refresher training as needed, especially when new features are released.

Need help? Shopify offers 24/7 support, and your team should know how to access help when required through the POS app’s help section or by contacting your designated store manager.