Shopify POS 10 Explained: What Retailers and Developers Need to Know

People keep saying retail is dying. That everything’s going digital. That soon we’ll be buying socks and skincare and sourdough starters exclusively from our couches, forever.

But walk into any good store on a Saturday and you’ll see the flaw in that logic. In-person retail hasn’t disappeared. It’s just changed. 

Most merchants aren’t choosing either online or offline. They’re doing both. Because they kind of have to. Customers bounce between channels constantly now. They might discover you on Instagram, buy online, pick up in store, then come back next week just to return something or ask a question in person. That’s normal now.

But here’s the catch: running both sides of the business only works if your systems talk to each other. If your online store and your in-person checkout are speaking different languages, it’s chaos. 

That’s where Shopify comes in. It’s one of the few platforms that actually feels built for this kind of hybrid setup. The POS is already baked in. You don’t have to glue together five different tools just to sell a t-shirt.

With the new version, Shopify POS 10, things are cleaner. Especially if you’ve got a team working the floor or more than one store to manage. There’s a lot to like here, whether you’re deep into Shopify already or just trying to get a handle on selling across more than one channel.

So What Exactly is Shopify POS V10?

Shopify POS V10 is the latest version of Shopify’s in-person selling system. It’s the software your store staff use to run checkouts, look up products, apply discounts, fulfill local pickup orders. Basically it handles everything that needs to happen when a customer is standing right there with their wallet out.

The update rolled out as part of the broader Shopify POS update in early 2024. And while it didn’t get a flashy keynote or some viral AI demo, this release quietly fixed a lot of things that have annoyed store owners and retail teams for years.

The interface is brand-new, with less visual clutter, better organization, fewer accidental taps. Search is smarter now too, and branding opportunities are everywhere. 

If you’re running multiple locations, using Shopify Markets, or managing inventory across online and physical spaces, this version is going to make your day-to-day easier. If you’re a developer, you’ll have more hooks, cleaner theme options, and less weird workaround code to maintain.

What’s New in Shopify POS 10

There’s nothing flashy about this update at first glance, which is probably why it’s one of the better ones. Just like the “boring” updates released in Shopify Editions Winter 2025, the Shopify POS 10 refresh isn’t trying to transform everything. It’s just making a good system better. 

Here’s what you can expect:

A Cleaner, Quicker Interface

The layout has been completely rebuilt, especially on tablets. You now get a vertical navigation menu that gives you instant access to your register, connectivity settings, staff lock screen, and cart. Previously, those functions were buried a few taps deep, which added friction in the middle of a busy shift. This version is tighter and more intuitive.

For mobile, the cart button is finally in the main nav, which is a small but welcome fix. Staff no longer need to backtrack through three screens to check out a customer. It’s clear that this was redesigned by people who’ve actually worked a register during a Saturday rush.

Faster, Smarter Search

Search used to feel like a bottleneck, especially for stores with large catalogs. Now, it’s quicker and more forgiving. You can type partial terms, scan barcodes instantly, and get results that actually make sense. It pulls directly from your product catalog, including variants and stock levels, which cuts down on staff frustration during busy hours. Whether you’ve got twelve SKUs or two thousand, the new system responds faster and feels more stable under pressure.

It also handles inventory across multiple locations more intelligently. If an item isn’t available at the current store, the POS can surface options from other nearby branches. This saves your team from having to say, “Let me check in the back” when the back is actually 40 minutes away. 

Better Cart Control

If you previously used POS add-ons for more cart control in Shopify, you’re in luck. The new cart interface lets you adjust quantities, apply discounts, or remove items without opening a second screen. You also get support for bundled products and split payments, which used to require separate apps or workarounds.

Discounts and promotions apply more predictably now. There’s also tighter integration with loyalty apps and gift card systems, so your staff isn’t jumping between apps to redeem a reward or answer basic customer questions.

Custom Branding Options

One of the more unexpected additions in Shopify POS 10 is the ability to theme the lock screen and checkout experience. Merchants can upload a logo, set your brand colors, and even display video content on customer-facing screens when idle.

This might not sound like a super important feature update at first, but it’s great for creating a sense of cohesion between an online score and in-person experience. If you want to really connect the dots, these branding features will make every customer experience feel a lot more professional. 

Better Multi-Location Inventory Visibility

This has always been one of the trickier parts of running a retail operation in Shopify. Customers want to know if something is in stock at Store A, not just “available.” The updated POS makes it easier to check availability across multiple locations and complete a sale, even if the item needs to be shipped or picked up elsewhere.

Store staff can now fulfill from another store with a few taps, without jumping through admin menus. This is critical if you're using Shopify Markets or handling regional product splits.

How to Get Started with Shopify POS 10

Shopify POS 10 doesn’t require a complicated migration or hours of setup. But if you skip the details, you’ll miss the parts that actually make a difference.

Step 1: Update your devices

This sounds obvious, but it gets overlooked constantly, check that every device running Shopify POS is on the latest version. Not just the front iPad. All of them.

If your staff are using older tablets, or if you’re still hanging onto one of those original Shopify card readers, expect some limitations. A lot of the new features in POS 10, like branded lock screens or smoother cart transitions, only work properly on updated hardware.

Step 2: Review your POS settings in Shopify admin

Go to your Shopify admin > Settings > Point of Sale. Take ten minutes to walk through the options. Go beyond the defaults, and check your actual settings. 

Set your staff permissions. Decide if tipping should be enabled. Choose whether staff can apply discounts or see order history. If you want branded visuals on the lock screen or checkout screens, upload them here. If you're using multiple locations, check that inventory tracking and fulfillment preferences make sense across the board. These small tweaks add up fast.

Step 3: Back up, and run a few test transactions

If you’re using branded assets from your Shopify theme to customize the POS experience, duplicate your theme before syncing. POS 10 can pull directly from your online store’s colors, fonts, and logos. Most of the time, it looks great. Occasionally it doesn’t. A clean fallback saves a lot of stress.

Before you roll this out to your team, run a handful of test checkouts yourself. Just load up a cart, apply a discount, maybe run a return or two. You’ll spot the friction points quickly.

It helps to do this using a secondary staff login, not your owner account. That way you’ll see exactly what your team sees day-to-day.

Quick Tips to Make the Most of Shopify POS 10

Most stores won’t need a full overhaul to see the benefits of Shopify POS V10. Still, it helps to take a few initial steps to make sure you don’t hit any roadblocks: 

• Walk your staff through the new layout: Not a full training. Just a five-minute reset. Show them the new navigation, the faster cart flow, and where to find the tools they use most.
• Add product shortcuts: These are tappable buttons that sit right on the home screen. Perfect for fast-moving items like gift cards, water bottles, or top-sellers you don’t want staff searching for every five minutes.
• Enable customer profiles at checkout: It takes five seconds to capture a phone number or email. Later on, that data helps you build segments, reward loyalty, or send reminders without needing a separate CRM.
• Use Shopify Flow for in-store automations: Set up simple triggers like low stock alerts when a certain threshold is hit at a location. Or tag in-person buyers over $150 and drop them into a post-sale follow-up.
• Integrate your loyalty platform cleanly: If you’re using Smile.io, Rise.ai, or Yotpo, tie it directly into POS. V10 handles this better than older versions. Your staff won’t need to bounce between apps to apply rewards or check points.
• Tailor POS branding per location: If you’re running multiple stores or pop-ups, customize the visuals slightly for each one. Customers may not notice consciously, but it makes the experience feel more polished and intentional.

These tips don’t require developer hours or fancy workflows. Just a little time, a bit of intention, and a system that’s already built to keep up.

Shopify POS 10: What Developers Need to Know

Most updates to Shopify POS come with some minor dev implications. Shopify POS 10 brings real changes under the hood, especially if you're building custom workflows, apps, or anything that needs to tie POS into the broader Shopify stack.

Here’s what you can expect:

• More Reliable POS UI Extensions: Shopify’s been rolling out improvements to POS UI Extensions, and with V10.6, things are much more stable. You now have access to new extension points, like hooks for return flows and post-transaction screens, that weren’t available before. That means you can finally build features that respond to how a transaction ends, not just that it ended.
• Better Integration with Metafields and Metaobjects: POS is now playing nicer with Shopify’s content architecture. You can tap into metafields directly inside the POS interface, which makes custom product data actually usable in-store. If you’ve ever tried to build a product comparison block or show detailed specs on the fly, you know how much of a pain this used to be.
• POS + Shopify Markets: If you’re dealing with Shopify Markets, you already know the struggle. Currencies, tax rules, language preferences, it’s a moving target. POS used to feel a bit detached from all that. Not anymore. Now, when a customer walks in speaking French and wants to pay in euros, POS 10 won’t just freeze or spit out an awkward error. The system respects Market-specific settings like currency rounding, tax inclusions, and even product visibility. 

Just remember, even with all these improvements, Shopify POS V10 isn’t magically foolproof. Theme customizations still need to be tested thoroughly, especially when pulling in content from apps or custom Liquid blocks. If  you're using older third-party apps that haven’t updated their POS compatibility since version 8, expect glitches.

Why Shopify POS 10 Is a Big Deal 

The promise of omnichannel has always sounded great in theory, until you actually try to run it. One checkout system for in-store, another for online. Separate inventories. Duplicate products. Returns that turn into full-blown customer service dramas because “the system” doesn’t talk to itself.

That’s the stuff Shopify POS 10 is finally starting to clean up.

The most obvious shift is how seamlessly POS now connects to the rest of your Shopify store. Inventory is shared. Customer data is unified. Fulfillment flows actually line up. If someone buys a product online, they can return it in store without a five-minute explanation or three screens of admin digging. Your staff sees what they need to see, and the customer gets a smoother experience.

It also changes how you think about where and how you sell. If you’re testing out a local market, POS lets you spin up a retail presence without launching a whole new backend. The same catalog powers everything. The same workflows apply. It’s one system, not three stitched together.

Returns, exchanges, local pickup: those processes are cleaner now too. POS 10 makes it easier to fulfill orders across locations, offer in-person pickups for online purchases, or reroute inventory when something sells out. For teams working across retail and ecommerce, that kind of flexibility isn’t just nice to have, it’s the difference between a functioning system and constant workarounds.

Ready to Take Advantage of Shopify POS 10?

The truth is, Shopify POS 10 doesn’t reinvent anything. It just makes the parts that were always supposed to work even more reliable. 

The checkout feels faster. The interface makes more sense. Your team can stop tapping through five screens to find a product or check stock at another store. Loyalty programs, customer profiles, and pickup flows are all baked in more cleanly now. Most importantly, the whole thing finally feels like it’s part of the Shopify platform, not some bolt-on tool sitting off to the side.

That said, setting it up right still takes some thought.

Maybe you want to customize the branding across different store locations. Or you need to localize POS settings for international markets. Or you’ve got a loyalty app that doesn’t quite talk to the cart the way it should. That’s where having the right developer, or someone who’s been through it before, makes a huge difference.

If you’d rather skip the trial and error, Storetasker can match you with a vetted Shopify expert who’s already set up POS 10 for other stores. It’s still your store. We’re just here to make sure the tools don’t get in your way.

Start your project today.