Frequently Asked Questions
This page is your go-to resource for answers to frequently asked questions about Lightspeed Retail (S-Series). Here we’ll cover subjects ranging from account setup and billing to BackOffice, inventory, and beyond.
Table of Contents
Account & Billing
Get quick answers to your Lightspeed Retail account and billing questions.
How much does Lightspeed Retail cost?
Prices vary by account according to the specific pricing package and payment plan selected. Visit our Manage Account article to learn how to view the billing rate for your individual Lightspeed Retail account.
*Businesses in CO, CT, HI, IA, IL, KY, LA, MA, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, WA, WV, WI, and Washington D.C. are subject to state sales tax.
How does billing work?
Billing happens either monthly or annually, depending on your plan. Credit cards are the only form of payment we can accept. However, if you purchase an in-app subscription, you can use any payment method supported by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Visit our Manage Account article to learn how to update payment information.
What types of payments are accepted?
Account billing is done by credit card. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. We cannot accept checks or bill you directly. However, if you purchase an in-app subscription, you can use any payment method supported by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
Where can I see which plan I have?
Your billing rate/plan is listed in BackOffice under Manage Account.
Where can I view my billing statements?
Billing activity from the previous six billing cycles can be viewed from BackOffice in the ‘Billing Activity’ section of the Manage Account page.
Can I update billing information and account settings from the Retail POS (S-Series) app?
No, these details can only be updated from BackOffice, not from the Retail POS (S-Series) app. For help updating billing information and other account settings, visit our Manage Account article.
What should I do if my Lightspeed Retail account payment is declined?
Sign into BackOffice as the Business Owner or an employee with the relevant permissions, follow the prompts to retry the unsuccessful payment, and, if necessary, update the credit card on file. Visit our Manage Account article for help retrying payments and updating credit card details.
I’m selling my business and the new owner wants to use Lightspeed Retail. Can I transfer my account to him/her?
To protect the safety and security of your business data, Lightspeed Retail (S-Series) accounts are not transferable.
However, Lightspeed has an impressive suite of other commerce solutions that are available to the new owner. We encourage them to visit LightspeedHQ.com to explore our product lines and sign up for a new account.
Why is my account past due?
If your billing date arrives and the charge is declined, we will automatically try to bill you again on each of the next 2 days. If these charges are also declined, you will have 30 days to retry the payment and, if needed, update the credit card on file for your account. After 30 days, your account will become past due if we do not receive payment. If your first billing is unable to be processed, your account will become past due instantly.
The register will continue to work while your account is past due, but BackOffice access will be restricted until payment is received. To resolve the situation, sign into BackOffice as the Business Owner or an employee with the relevant permissions and follow the prompts to update the credit card on file. Visit our Manage Account article to learn how to retry a payment and add or update credit card details.
Are seasonal businesses supported?
If your business is open seasonally or has to temporarily close, we can make your account dormant for the duration of your off-season if you’re paying month-to-month and are not on a contract. Dormant accounts are billed a lower rate, carry 0 register licenses, and have full access to BackOffice. This allows you to view reports and edit inventory to prepare for your reopening. Contact Customer Care to make an account dormant.
How do I cancel my Lightspeed Retail account?
Before canceling your account, first export any data needed from BackOffice. After the account is closed, you will be unable to access it again without resubscribing. When ready to cancel, you must contact us to do so and include your phone number so an Account Services team member can call you to process the request.
How do I reopen my canceled Lightspeed Retail account?
To resubscribe to Lightspeed Retail, sign into BackOffice as the Business Owner and follow the prompts to select a plan and put a credit card on file. After resubscribing, you will receive an email confirming the selected plan and, if applicable, a second email asking you to provide information required to set up specific features included in the plan.
How can I change my BackOffice password?
Business Owners can click the ‘Need Help Logging In?’ link on the BackOffice login page to request a password reset link. Other BackOffice users must have the Business Owner change their password. For step-by-step help changing your password, visit our BackOffice Settings & Password article.
How do I activate or deactivate a register?
To learn how to activate a register, visit our Activate & Sign In article. Deactivating a register requires steps to be performed both on the register and in BackOffice or only on the register, depending on the method used. To learn how to deactivate a register, visit our Add & Remove Register Licenses article.
Support
Learn where and how to get the best support along with information on Lightspeed Retail supported hardware.
Is technical support available?
Yes, our award-winning English-language support team is available via chat every day from 8 AM to 11 PM ET. Phone support is available Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 11 PM ET. Visit our Points of Contact article to learn how to get support or click the ‘Help’ link in BackOffice to learn how to contact Customer Care directly.
Where can I get help if I have an issue?
Visit one of our troubleshooting guides for help resolving problems related to Lightspeed Retail apps, BackOffice, and supported hardware.
What is a Location Code and where do I find mine?
A Location Code is a 6-digit number that allows our Customer Care advisors to quickly identify your account when you contact us. Find your Location Code in BackOffice, on the register’s Diagnostics screen, the last page of the register’s Help section, or on any error message.
Do you offer hardware setup help?
Yes. Before reaching out for assistance, we recommend reviewing any relevant hardware setup guides. Follow the instructions in our Points of Contact article to contact our Customer Care team for help with hardware setup.
What hardware is compatible with Lightspeed Retail?
All supported hardware can be found in our online store. Starter kits are our recommended packages, but you can add on or buy hardware à la carte as needed.
What kind of device do I need to run Lightspeed Retail?
Lightspeed Retail works best on an iPad (6th gen), iPad Pro, or iPad Mini 4 running iOS 10 or above. Lightspeed Retail also works on tablets running Android v7.0 Nougat and above. Visit our Best Practices for Lightspeed Apps guide to learn more.
How do I process credit cards?
Lightspeed Retail offers a payment processing solution, ShopKeep Payments by Lightspeed, with competitive pricing and no long-term contracts or commitments. Learn more about credit card processing here.
Do I need internet to run Lightspeed Retail?
Lightspeed Retail can run cash sales without an internet connection, but an active internet connection is required to process credit cards and sync register data to BackOffice. If your internet connection goes down, you cannot accept credit cards unless you are using a Clover device with offline payments enabled.
If you are unable to run credit cards, consider accepting only non-credit tenders or using a credit card imprinter so you can enter credit transactions manually when your connection is restored. To run a manual credit transaction, the card number, expiration date, CVV code, and billing zip code are required.
How can I find out if there is an issue with BackOffice or credit card processing?
If Lightspeed Retail or credit card processing is down, check our status page for updates on the situation. Click ‘Subscribe to Updates’ to receive real-time text or email alerts.
Miscellaneous
Below we address miscellaneous questions about Lightspeed Retail unrelated to the other sections here.
Is Lightspeed Retail available internationally?
Yes. Lightspeed Retail apps are available in the USA, Canada, and other countries around the world.
Our technical support is provided only in English and we do not currently support VAT, multiple currencies, non-English languages, and integrated credit card processing for countries outside the USA and Canada.
Can I return hardware I purchased from Lightspeed Retail?
Yes, most products can be returned for a full refund. To learn how to submit a return, visit our Return Lightspeed Hardware article.
What kind of integrations does Lightspeed Retail offer?
A number of integrations designed to empower your business are available:
Where do I learn about the latest Lightspeed Retail versions or features?
Keep up to date on what’s new by reading our Register Release Notes articles for iOS and Android.
How do multiple locations work with Lightspeed Retail?
Each Lightspeed Retail account is designed for a single physical location. Accounts, or locations, can be linked together to simplify BackOffice management, enable multi-location reporting, create and delete items in all linked locations, and copy one item shortcuts layout to all locations.
Visit the articles below for help setting up and managing multiple locations in Lightspeed Retail:
Can I use a Bluetooth printer to print kitchen tickets?
The Epson TM-m10 and TM-m30 printers can print kitchen tickets via Bluetooth on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS but not on the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android. After setting up your printer, learn how to configure it as a kitchen/ticket printer here.
Can I use Lightspeed Retail for my online store?
Yes. We offer an eCommerce integration that allows you to sell Lightspeed Retail inventory items online.
Can I contact you with feature suggestions or other ideas?
Yes, we love to hear from our merchants. Tell us about your experience using Lightspeed Retail and let us know how we can improve in the future. To submit feedback, click the arrow in the upper right corner of BackOffice and select ‘Send Feedback’.
*Note: Submitting feedback does not guarantee that a feature will be created, but we do consider all requests.
Am I able to accept and track customer deposits?
Yes, deposits can be left as full or partial, refundable or non-refundable payments. Visit our Liabilities & Redemptions article to learn how to accept and refund deposits.
ShopKeep Payments by Lightspeed
This list of frequently asked questions answers some of the most common ShopKeep Payments by Lightspeed questions we receive from merchants like you.
Online and Mobile Payments
This guide covers frequently asked questions about online and mobile payments, including how to set up an account and receive deposits.
EMV
We have a significant amount of educational material about EMV, including blog posts, this FAQ, and video content. These materials should help you understand what EMV really means and how to prioritize it for your business. Ultimately, the decision about how and when to adopt EMV is up to you, the merchant.
What is EMV?
EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. EMV is a standard originally created by these companies for smart payment cards (also called chip cards) and the terminals which process them.
Rather than storing payment information on an unchanging magnetic stripe, like traditional debit and credit cards, EMV cards use a chip to create a unique transaction code every time they are used. This ever-changing payment information makes these cards less susceptible to fraud or duplication.
What is the EMV liability shift?
Before October 1, 2015, if an in-store transaction was conducted using a counterfeit, stolen, or otherwise compromised card, consumer losses from that transaction fell on the payment processor or issuing bank, depending on the card’s terms and conditions.
After October 1, 2015, the deadline created by major U.S. credit card issuers American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover, the liability for card-present fraud shifted to whichever party is least EMV-compliant in a fraudulent transaction.
When did the EMV liability shift occur?
The liability shifted to the least EMV-compliant party in a fraudulent transaction as of October 1, 2015.
Why did the EMV liability shift occur?
The shift took place in an attempt to increase credit card security and minimize fraud in the United States, where more than 50% of world fraud occurs on less than 25% of world transactions. The initiative has been adopted by the four major U.S. credit card issuers: American Express, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover.
Do I have to accept EMV chip cards at my business?
No. There is no official requirement, government or otherwise, that you must accept EMV chip cards. However, if you do not accept them and your customers use them, you may be held liable for fraudulent transactions that occur at your business.
How do EMV chip cards work?
They work similarly to magnetic stripe cards, but instead of swiping, the customer inserts or “dips” their card into the card reader. The card stays in the terminal for verification by signature (the vast majority of U.S. cards) or PIN. Once verified, the customer removes their card from the reader. This process takes slightly longer than a traditional magnetic stripe transaction.
What happens if I swipe an EMV chip card or use a magstripe card on an EMV card reader?
EMV chip cards still have magnetic stripes that can be swiped on non-EMV readers. If you swipe an EMV chip card on an active EMV reader, the reader will reject the swipe and ask you to insert the card.
If you swipe an EMV chip card on a Lightspeed EMV reader before it is enabled to accept EMV, it will work like a traditional magstripe card. If fraud occurs, you may be covered by the Lightspeed EMV Liability Promise.
If you swipe a traditional magstripe card (with no chip) on an EMV reader, the transaction will be just like a normal credit card sale before the EMV liability shift. Additionally, you will not be liable in case of any fraud because the credit card company will be the least EMV-compliant party in the transaction.
Does Lightspeed Retail sell EMV-capable devices?
Yes. We have multiple models of EMV-capable readers available here in our online store.
Will my current credit card readers continue to function after EMV is enabled for my account?
Credit card readers that are not EMV-capable, such as the iDynamo, cannot be used after EMV is enabled. Our supported iPP Series, Link/2500, iCMP, Clover Go, Clover Mini, and Clover Flex card readers are all EMV-capable devices.
Where does Lightspeed Retail have more information on EMV?
We’ve been writing about EMV on our blog and have some great tips there. To learn how to run an EMV transaction on your Lightspeed Retail POS, visit our Lightspeed and EMV article.
Setup
From configuring your account to adding inventory, this list of frequently asked questions focuses on account, inventory, and hardware setup.
Register App
Whether running sales, adding discounts, or processing returns, use this guide to view answers to common questions about the Retail POS (S-Series) app.
BackOffice
BackOffice is the account management portal where you add inventory, review sales, and customize account settings. For your convenience, we compiled a list of the most frequently asked questions about BackOffice.
Hardware
Hardware includes printers, scanners, card readers, and other supported devices that are part of your Lightspeed Retail setup. This guide answers common questions about purchasing, setting up, and using hardware.
Inventory
This guide covers frequently asked questions related to managing, receiving, and adjusting inventory items as well as questions about inventory reporting.
Reporting
Reporting provides insight into critical aspects of a business, such as sales and staff performance. This list of questions focuses on the different types of reports available in BackOffice.
Gift Cards & Liabilities
Here we answer questions to help you become more familiar with gift cards, gift certificates, and deposits.
Advanced Topics & Integrations
From credit card processing to Lightspeed Pocket to QuickBooks integration, use this list of frequently asked questions to answer your questions about some of Lightspeed’s more advanced topics.