The best POS system for small businesses in the Philippines (2026)
Finding a POS that supports GCash, issues BIR-compliant receipts, and doesn't charge you US-level fees is harder than it looks. We ran six systems through the same Manila café test. Here's what actually works.
Wemu Team
Product
Every POS system claims to 'work globally.' Most of them don't actually support the Philippines beyond accepting your credit card for the subscription. We ran six through the same Manila café checklist (GCash, BIR invoicing, peso formatting, local support) to see which one actually holds up.
What we tested
- GCash and Maya acceptance (not just 'cards')
- BIR-compliant Official Receipt or Sales Invoice generation
- PH peso (₱) formatting everywhere
- Manila-timezone support that answers in under 4 hours
- Inventory tied to sales
- Multi-branch support
- Monthly cost for a single-branch café
The results, summarized
| System | GCash | BIR receipts | Local support | Starting price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wemu | Recorded at the till | Confirm accreditation | PH hours | Free trial, from US$29/mo |
| Loyverse | Manual only | Partial | Email only | Free |
| Square | No | No | US hours | Free |
| Fresha | No | No | UK hours | Free |
| Toast | No | No | US only | $69/mo |
| Shopify POS | Third-party | Manual | US hours | $89/mo |
System by system
Wemu
Bookings and the till in one app. GCash, Maya and bank transfer payments are recorded at the till next to cash and card, and booking deposits can be taken by GCash; online GCash and Maya checkout isn't live yet. For BIR invoicing, confirm accreditation and your Permit to Use with any vendor, Wemu included. Multi-location + bookings + retail in one. Platform fee is 1.5% — the lowest in the category for PH. Customers browsing Wemu Local (local.wemu.io) can also find and book you for free — extra discovery on top of your own storefront, with no per-new-client fee.
Loyverse
Popular in PH because the free tier is genuinely usable. But GCash support requires manual reconciliation — you mark a cash payment and type 'GCash' in notes. BIR receipts are partial (you can customize the format, but none of the fields auto-fill TIN). Support is email only with 24-48h response.
Square
Excellent software, zero PH support. Doesn't accept GCash or Maya. The Square Reader hardware is a US import costing ₱8,000+. Customer support is US-timezone with no Philippines knowledge base. Good choice if you sell to US tourists; bad for Filipino customers.
Fresha
Dominant in UK/US beauty industry. Free to use, polished UI, great bookings. But: no GCash, no BIR, no Philippines phone support. Card processing is 3.5% + ₱15 — the most expensive on this list for PH transactions.
Toast
Restaurant-specific, fantastic KDS and kitchen ops. Completely US-locked. Their hardware doesn't ship internationally, and they don't support peso at the software level. Skip.
Shopify POS
Best-in-class if you're primarily e-commerce with a physical pickup counter. For a café or salon that's PRIMARILY in-store, it's expensive ($89/mo minimum) and GCash acceptance requires a third-party app subscription on top.
Our pick for Philippine small businesses
If you're running a café, salon, retail store, or service business in the Philippines, Wemu is our pick: GCash and Maya recorded next to every other payment, local timezone support, inventory + bookings + retail together, and plans from US$29/month. Whichever system you choose, confirm BIR accreditation with the vendor before you rely on it for invoices.
Try Wemu free for 7 days
Full access to every feature — bookings, POS, inventory, multi-branch. No credit card to start.
Start free trial →More switching guides
- StoreHub alternative for PH businesses — bookings-first, with GCash recorded at the till.
- Fresha alternative for Philippine salons — bookings, POS and retail in one app.
