Lightspeed to Shopify: How to Move Your POS and Online Store Without Missing a Sale

Many Lightspeed retailers run two systems: a Lightspeed POS in the shop and a separate eCom store online. Moving both to Shopify puts products, stock, customers and orders in one place. This guide covers what moves, what changes at the till and how we plan the switch so you don’t lose a day of trading.

Which Lightspeed do you have?

Lightspeed names its products by series, and each one exports data differently. Check your back office before you plan anything:

Most retailers use one POS plus one eCom product. We migrate both together so stock and customers match on day one.

What moves to Shopify

• Products and variants — titles, descriptions, images, SKUs, barcodes, prices and cost prices
• Inventory by location — stock levels for each shop and warehouse
• Customers — contact details, addresses, tags and marketing consent
• Order history — online orders and, where useful, in-store sales history
• Gift cards and store credit — balances recreated as Shopify gift cards
• Content — pages, blog posts and SEO fields from your eCom store

Note: customer passwords can’t be migrated, and some POS-only data — like layaways, special orders and work orders — needs a plan rather than a straight import. We list each one in your quote.

What changes at the till

Shopify POS runs on an iPad, iPhone or Android device with Shopify’s card readers. Every Shopify plan includes basic in-person selling. Most shops need POS Pro for staff roles and permissions, smarter inventory tools and features like buy online, pick up in store. In the US, POS Pro costs $89 a month per location on the Basic, Grow and Advanced plans.

• Hardware: many barcode scanners, receipt printers and cash drawers carry over, but Lightspeed Payments card terminals won’t. Check compatibility before ordering anything.
• Staff: each person gets a POS PIN. Set roles before launch so nobody can issue refunds they shouldn’t.
• Barcodes and labels: keep your existing barcodes so stock on the shelf scans the moment you switch.
• Layaways and special orders: handled with draft orders, deposits or a POS app. Agree the process with your team before go-live.

Plan the switch-over

1. Audit your catalog, locations, gift cards and open layaways.
2. Build Shopify with your theme, payments, shipping, taxes and POS settings.
3. Test-migrate everything and check product counts, stock and customer totals.
4. Train staff on Shopify POS with test sales, returns and exchanges.
5. Count stock the night before launch, then run the final import.
6. Go live in-store and online on the same day, and switch the domain.

We usually switch on a quiet trading day and keep Lightspeed available read-only for a few weeks, in case you need to look something up.

Keep your Google rankings

If you sold online through Lightspeed eCom, your URLs will change. A C-Series URL like /linen-shirt.html becomes /products/linen-shirt on Shopify. We export every URL and import 301 redirects before launch, then watch Search Console for 404s for the first 30 days.

FAQ

Can I keep my Lightspeed POS and move only the website?

Yes, with a sync app — but you’ll be managing two systems. Most retailers we work with move both so stock and customers live in one place.

Will gift card balances carry over?

Yes. We recreate each balance as a Shopify gift card and keep the existing codes where the export allows it.

How long does a Lightspeed migration take?

Most launch in three to four weeks, including staff training. Larger catalogs and multiple locations take longer.

Need a hand?

We’ve moved Lightspeed retailers — including jewellers and bookstores — to Shopify with POS, gift cards and stock intact. See Lightspeed to Shopify migration — or get a free, fixed-price migration quote.