Lightspeed POS review for Canada (2026): the software, the payments rule and what it costs

Our verdict

The short answer

• Lightspeed sells separate products. Restaurant (K-Series), Retail (X-Series, and the older R-Series), eCom (E-Series) and Golf. Each has its own pricing and support site.
• Lightspeed Payments is required unless Lightspeed agrees otherwise in writing. Its Service Agreement (updated 26 February 2026) says so in section 5.3.
• Another processor costs CAD $270 to $1,080 a month. That is Lightspeed's published Canadian fee, set by your monthly card volume. Above CAD $233,330 a month, it is quoted.
• Restaurant prices are published in Canadian dollars. From CAD $89 a month, with card processing at 2.6% + 10¢ on the first two plans. Retail shows only US prices.
• The contract renews for the same term on its own. You must give 90 days' notice on terms longer than 90 days, and leaving early costs the rest of the term.
• Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) is certified in Quebec. It was on Revenu Québec's list on 1 October 2026. The older L-Series is not.

Lightspeed's versions, and which one you would get

Lightspeed renamed its products with letters around 2022. This is what it sells or supports in Canada, read on 6 November 2026.

Two names you may see elsewhere are not Canadian offers. The O-Series is sold in Australia and New Zealand. The U-Series (Upserve) was a US product, sold to Skyview Equity in April 2026.

What we love and what we don't

Payments in Canada

Lightspeed launched Lightspeed Payments in Canada in February 2020, built on Stripe. Since March 2023 it has sold its software and payments together in North America, and charged existing customers who process elsewhere.

Today the rule is in its Service Agreement (updated 26 February 2026). Where Lightspeed Payments is offered and you qualify, section 5.3 says you must use it unless Lightspeed agrees otherwise in writing. Section 5.4 adds a monthly Transaction Fee for every month you process through another provider.

Lightspeed publishes that fee for Canada.

This is Lightspeed's Canadian fee table, read on 6 November 2026. Lightspeed notes the bands and fees move with exchange rates.

What that means in practice:

• On Lightspeed Payments: Restaurant pays 2.6% + 10¢ per card payment on Starter and Essential, and a custom rate on Premium. Lightspeed publishes no Canadian rate for Retail.
• Your current terminals will not carry over. Lightspeed says existing third-party terminals lack its certified firmware.
• Switching help exists. Lightspeed offers up to $1,000 toward your old processor's cancellation fee, if you process at least $25,000 on Lightspeed Payments and claim within six months. It calls the offer limited-time.
• Surcharging: Lightspeed allows a credit card surcharge of up to 2.4% in Canada, but not in Quebec, where the law bans it.

Pricing

Lightspeed Restaurant, Canadian prices, read on 6 November 2026:

A kitchen display screen adds $40 a month per screen. Lightspeed says prices may vary by business.

Lightspeed Retail X-Series shows US prices only, even on the Canadian site: US$89 (Basic), US$149 (Core) and US$289 (Plus) a month, one register each. Lightspeed Golf is quoted, and its page says it has no long-term contract and no cancellation fee.

The contract

These terms come from Lightspeed's Service Agreement, updated 26 February 2026. Your Order Form sets the length of your term.

• It renews on its own for a term as long as the first one.
• Notice to stop it: 90 days before the end of any term longer than 90 days.
• Leaving early: you owe an Early Termination Fee covering unpaid one-time fees, the recurring fees for the rest of the term, and any discount you received on software or hardware.
• Price changes: Lightspeed can change its fees on 30 days' written notice.
• Hardware: discounted or free hardware requires 24 months on Lightspeed's software and payments, and the hardware warranty is 30 days from shipping.

Golf is the exception: its pricing page says it has no long-term contract. Read your own Order Form before you plan around a date.

Lightspeed in Quebec

Since 1 June 2025, a Quebec restaurant covered by mandatory billing must use a sales recording system certified by Revenu Québec. Lightspeed Restaurant POS (K) was on Revenu Québec's list on 1 October 2026. The older L-Series is not certified, and Lightspeed told Quebec L-Series users to move to K-Series by 1 June 2025. See our certified POS list and our mandatory billing guide.

Both iPad apps are in French, and Lightspeed has a Canadian French website. The contract is a different matter: its English version is the binding one, and Quebec customers waive Civil Code articles 2125 and 2129.

What owners say

Read on 6 November 2026:

The complaints that come back most often are slow or unresolved support, the payments lock-in and its fee, billing surprises, and trouble cancelling. The praise is for helpful individual reps, how easy the software is to use, and the depth of its retail inventory tools.

How we scored it

We scored seven things out of 5 and averaged them. Each score rests on the sources below.

Where CleverPays fits

We don't sell Lightspeed and can't set up processing inside it. If you are choosing a point of sale, we can show you systems that let you choose your processor, including Clover, where CleverPays is a Certified Clover Dealer.

If you are already on Lightspeed, send us a recent statement. We will tell you in writing what you pay today, what the fee to leave Lightspeed Payments would be at your volume, and whether a move makes sense once your term ends.