RetaPos vs Vend POS (Lightspeed X-Series)

Still searching for "Vend POS"? Vend was acquired by Lightspeed in 2021 and rebranded as Lightspeed Retail X-Series. We compare RetaPos against the modern Vend/Lightspeed platform so you can choose the right POS for your retail store.

RetaPos: $399/year Vend/Lightspeed: $828+/year Mobile-First vs iPad-First India & UAE GST/VAT

What Happened to Vend POS?

Vend POS was a popular iPad-based retail POS founded in New Zealand in 2010. In May 2021, Lightspeed Commerce acquired Vend for approximately NZD $455 million. The product has since been rebranded as Lightspeed Retail (X-Series). If you are currently a Vend customer or were considering Vend, you are now effectively evaluating Lightspeed. This page compares RetaPos against the current Vend/Lightspeed platform.

Quick Verdict

Which POS fits your business?

Choose RetaPos if…

  • You run a small retail store in India, UAE, or globally
  • You want a full POS on any Android or iOS smartphone
  • You need WhatsApp CRM and GST/VAT billing built-in
  • Your budget is under $500/year all-inclusive
  • You manage up to 500 SKUs across 1–5 stores

Choose Vend/Lightspeed if…

  • You operate in AU, NZ, UK, US, or Western Europe
  • You need a fully integrated online store
  • You have 500+ SKUs with advanced reporting needs
  • Offline billing is a hard requirement
  • You need dedicated iPad POS with Vend-legacy workflow

Both are good for…

  • Cloud-based POS with no hardware lock-in
  • Inventory management with barcode scanning
  • Customer loyalty programs
  • Multi-payment method support
  • Multi-store management

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

RetaPos vs Vend (Lightspeed X-Series) — head to head

Feature RetaPos Vend / Lightspeed X-Series
Annual Pricing $399/yr  ·  ₹6,000/yr $828+/yr ($69+/month)
Trial / Guarantee 30-day money-back 14-day free trial
Primary Platform Android & iOS smartphones iPad-first (Vend legacy) & desktop
Internet Requirement Wi-Fi or 4G/5G required Offline mode available
WhatsApp CRM
GST Billing (India)
VAT Billing (UAE / UK)
Inventory Tracking Up to 500 SKUs Unlimited SKUs
Loyalty Program Add-on (extra cost)
E-Commerce Integration
Transaction Fees None None
25+ Retail Category Templates
India / UAE Availability Limited (not optimised for India)
Setup Time Under 30 min on smartphone Hours (hardware + config)
Best For Small retail — India, UAE & global markets Mid-large retail — AU, NZ, UK & US

Pricing Comparison

What do you actually pay per year?

RetaPos

$399/year

₹6,000/year (India)

  • Unlimited users included
  • All features — no add-ons
  • No per-transaction fees
  • WhatsApp CRM & loyalty included
  • 30-day money-back guarantee
View RetaPos Pricing

Vend (Lightspeed X-Series)

$69/month (from)

= $828+/year minimum

  • Retail plan from $69/month
  • Advanced plan: $119+/month
  • Loyalty program is an add-on
  • 14-day free trial available
  • Pricing verified May 2026
Visit Lightspeed

Verify current pricing on each provider's website before purchasing.

Where RetaPos Outperforms Vend

Key advantages for small retail businesses in India, UAE, and global markets

Runs on Any Smartphone

Vend was iPad-first and required dedicated Apple hardware. RetaPos runs natively on any Android or iOS smartphone your staff already carries — zero additional hardware cost.

WhatsApp CRM Built-In

Send digital receipts, loyalty updates, and promotional offers directly to customers' WhatsApp. Neither Vend nor its Lightspeed successor offers any WhatsApp integration.

Full India & UAE Tax Support

Full CGST/SGST/IGST for India and VAT (5% UAE, 20% UK) configured out of the box. Vend was built for AU/NZ/UK/US markets and has no native India GST billing support.

Less Than Half the Cost

$399/year vs $828+/year — and RetaPos includes loyalty programs and WhatsApp CRM at no extra cost. Vend/Lightspeed charges add-on fees for features that are standard in RetaPos.

Frequently Asked Questions

RetaPos vs Vend — common questions answered

Vend POS was acquired by Lightspeed Commerce in May 2021 for approximately NZD $455 million. The product has been rebranded as Lightspeed Retail (X-Series). The core iPad-based POS functionality continues under the Lightspeed brand, but new sign-ups are now handled through Lightspeed's website and pricing structure. If you were evaluating Vend, you are effectively evaluating Lightspeed X-Series today.

Yes. RetaPos costs $399/year (International) or ₹6,000/year (India) with all features and unlimited users included. Vend/Lightspeed Retail starts at $69/month ($828/year minimum), and loyalty programs cost extra. For a small retail store, RetaPos delivers equivalent core POS functionality at less than half the annual price.

No. Vend (now Lightspeed X-Series) was built for the AU, NZ, UK, and US markets and does not natively support Indian GST billing — CGST, SGST, IGST, or GSTR report generation. RetaPos has full India GST support built in, making it purpose-built for retailers operating under India's tax framework.

No. RetaPos is fully cloud-based and requires an active internet connection — Wi-Fi or 4G/5G mobile data. Vend offered offline processing, which it retains under the Lightspeed X-Series brand. In practice, most smartphones maintain reliable 4G/5G connectivity for uninterrupted in-store billing. If your location has frequent internet outages and offline billing is a hard requirement, Vend/Lightspeed may be more suitable.

Yes. You can export your product catalog and customer data from Vend/Lightspeed as CSV and import it into RetaPos. The RetaPos onboarding team helps you get set up within 30 minutes on your existing Android or iOS smartphone. There is no dedicated hardware to purchase and no lengthy installation process.

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