If you sat through a demo and still cannot work out what you would pay, that is because Korona POS pricing follows a different logic from the deals most store owners get pitched. The software is a monthly subscription per register. The card processing is a separate agreement with a separate company.
Two ways a register gets priced
Almost every quote you will see is one of these two models. Knowing which one you are holding is more useful than any single figure.
| Software billed separately | Bundled with processing | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly software cost | Visible, per register | Low or advertised as free |
| Where the margin sits | In the subscription | In the processing rate |
| Processor choice | Usually yours | Usually theirs |
| Cost as you grow | Flat | Rises with card volume |
| Easy to compare | Yes, once you add processing | Hard, deliberately |
Neither model is dishonest by nature. A bundled deal can be the cheaper one for a low volume store. The subscription model simply puts the software cost where you can see it, which makes the processing negotiation a separate conversation instead of a hidden one.
What Korona POS pricing covers
The subscription buys the register software and the back office behind it: item management, purchase orders, stock counts, reporting and the multi terminal setup. Extra modules, extra registers and higher support tiers are priced on top, and annual commitment usually prices differently from month to month.
Read the tiers on their own pricing page and price the shape of your store rather than the entry tier. Two lanes plus a back office workstation is three seats in most subscription models, not one.
The four questions that turn a demo into a number
Ask these in writing, before the trial ends:
- What is the monthly charge per register, and does the back office count as a register
- Which modules are included at the tier you are quoting, and which are extra
- What does support cost, and what is the response time at that level
- What does month to month cost compared with an annual commitment, and what happens to my data if I stop
Then add card processing to whatever number comes back. Software quoted alone is never the bill.
Does a subscription pay for itself in a store with thousands of SKUs
This is the real question, and for a liquor store or a small grocer the answer is often yes, because the value is in the item file rather than in the checkout screen.
A register that handles case and pack relationships properly, tracks cost as well as price, and produces a purchase order you can send to the distributor without retyping it, saves hours every week and stops slow stock from sitting in the back. A cheaper register that cannot do those things costs you the same money in dead inventory, just where you cannot see it. Our inventory management page and the deeper piece on what a stock count really costs both cover the arithmetic.
If your catalogue is small and simple, the maths flips and a lighter system wins. Say that to yourself honestly before you buy depth you will never open.
The processing question you have to ask separately
With software priced on its own, your card rate becomes a negotiation you control. That is an advantage, and only if you use it. Get a full fee schedule in writing from anyone you consider, compare the effective rate rather than the headline rate, and check which processors the software is certified to work with. Certification matters more than preference: an integration that does not exist is not one you can talk anybody into building.
For a concrete baseline, our own published rate is 2.50% + $0.10 on an in-person sale and 2.90% + $0.25 keyed or online, with a monthly fee of $0.00. Sample pricing applies to new accounts applying directly; pricing is subject to underwriting, MCC and the merchant agreement; rates may differ and are subject to change.
Our POS system cost breakdown puts subscription and bundled quotes on the same footing so the totals are comparable, and the liquor store POS page lists the features worth paying for in this trade. If you want a read on a quote you already have, tell us what you were offered.
Frequently asked questions
Is subscription POS more expensive than a free register? Over a year, sometimes yes on the software line and no on the total, because bundled deals recover the software cost through the processing rate. Compare the full annual number, software plus processing at your real card volume, or you are comparing two halves of two different bills.
Can I bring my own processor? With separately licensed software, usually yes, within the list of integrations the vendor supports. Confirm the specific processor and the specific terminal model before signing, because support is certified per combination rather than in general.
What happens to my item data if I cancel? Ask for the export format in writing at the point of purchase. A catalogue that only exports as a PDF report is effectively locked in, and rebuilding it from shelf tags is the most expensive part of any move. Check whether cost prices and supplier codes come out with the item names, because a file without them rebuilds only half your store. What a full move involves sits on our switching page.
Do I need the top tier? Most stores do not. Buy the tier that covers your item depth, your lane count and your reporting, then upgrade when a real problem appears. Paying now for a module you plan to learn later is the most common overspend in this category.