TORO POS vs Lightspeed for Tobacco Shops

Comparing tobacco-specific POS vs high-end retail solution

The Key Difference

Lightspeed is a solid, professional retail POS used by high-end retailers worldwide. It’s not tobacco-specific, but it’s a legitimate competitor. The main questions: Does it justify the higher cost? Can it handle tobacco-specific needs? And do you need all the features you’re paying for?

Cost Comparison (3 Years)

Here’s the real total cost for a tobacco shop doing $50,000/month in credit card sales:

Cost Category Lightspeed (3 Years) TORO (3 Years)
Upfront Cost $0 $5,000
Monthly Software (36 mo) $5,184 – $10,764
$144-299/mo × 36		 $4,284
$119/mo × 36
Processing Fees (36 mo) $39,600 – $43,200
2.2-2.4% × $50k × 36		 $36,000
2.0% × $50k × 36
Or $0 with fee passthrough*
Hardware $1,500 – $3,000
iPad + accessories		 $1,200
Touchscreen terminal
Total 3-Year Cost $46,284 – $56,964 $46,484
Or $10,484 with fee passthrough*
*Fee passthrough = customers pay credit card fees, you pay $0 in processing costs

Save $180 – $46,480 Over 3 Years

TORO is cheaper or comparable even before fee passthrough. With fee passthrough, TORO saves you $36,000 – $46,000.

Card-Not-Present Rate Comparison

Phone Orders: Ask Lightspeed for Their CNP Rate

Lightspeed CNP Rate

Ask Them

Varies by processor

Industry avg: ~3.6%

TORO CNP Rate

2.0%

Same rate as in-store

Estimated Annual Savings on $10k/month Phone Orders:

~$1,920/year

If Lightspeed charges industry avg 3.6%, TORO saves you $1,920/year

Ask Lightspeed for their exact CNP rate to calculate your actual savings

Note on Processing Rates:

Lightspeed’s processing rates vary by which processor you choose. We used industry average estimates (~3.6% for CNP).

Ask them directly for actual rates – and verify if rates are published or custom-quoted. See our industry average rate methodology.

No Price Increase Since 2013

TORO launched in 2013 at $5,000 + $119/month.

That’s still our price today. Zero increases in 13 years.

When was Lightspeed’s last price increase? Ask them.

Feature Comparison

Multi-Pack Inventory

Lightspeed

⚠️ Partial support via variants. Can use variants for pack sizes but requires setup. Not designed for tobacco – you’re adapting general retail features. Manual work to break up boxes.

Possible but not built for it

TORO

✅ Native tobacco support. Built specifically for selling cigars at multiple pack levels. One product, sell at any level, inventory auto-adjusts. Zero configuration needed.

Built for cigars from day one

Age Verification

Lightspeed

⚠️ Basic prompts available. Can configure age verification but it’s generic retail functionality. Not tobacco-specific. Staff can potentially bypass.

Generic compliance, not specialized

TORO

✅ Mandatory tobacco verification. Cannot complete tobacco transaction without ID check. Configurable age limits (18/19/21+). Non-bypassable. Built for tobacco compliance.

License protection built-in

Support Quality

Lightspeed

✅ Professional support. 24/7 phone/email support. Knowledge base, training resources. Good quality support – but generic retail, not tobacco-specific.

Quality support, general retail

TORO

✅ Tobacco expert support. Unlimited phone/email from tobacco retailers. We know how to handle cigars without barcodes. We understand humidor management. Real tobacco knowledge.

Tobacco-specific expertise

Platform & Integration

Lightspeed

✅ Cloud-based, multi-platform. iPad, web browser, Android. Access from anywhere. Huge app ecosystem. E-commerce integration. Modern cloud infrastructure.

Excellent platform and integrations

TORO

❌ Windows PC only. Local installation. Works fully offline. WooCommerce integration available. More limited than Lightspeed but more reliable.

Platform-limited but dependable

Reporting & Analytics

Lightspeed

✅ Advanced analytics. Comprehensive reporting, data visualization, business intelligence. Custom reports, export options. Very powerful reporting suite.

Enterprise-level analytics

TORO

✅ Tobacco-focused reporting. Sales, profit, inventory, customer analytics. Compliance reports for tobacco. All reports included – no tiered pricing. Focused on what tobacco retailers need.

Tobacco-relevant reports

What Lightspeed Does Better

  • Enterprise features: Advanced reporting, business intelligence, analytics
  • Cloud platform: Access from anywhere, mobile apps, web dashboard
  • E-commerce: Native online store, not just integration
  • App ecosystem: Hundreds of integrations with other software
  • 24/7 support: Around-the-clock professional support
  • Multi-location: Built-in support for multiple store locations

What TORO Does Better

  • Tobacco-specific features: Multi-pack, age verification, compliance – all native
  • Lower cost: $900-6,480 less per year in software fees
  • Better processing rates: 2% vs 2.2-2.4% saves $3,600-7,200/year
  • Fee passthrough: Option to pay $0 in processing fees
  • Tobacco expert support: Help from actual tobacco retailers
  • Simpler: Built for one purpose, not trying to serve all retail

6 Questions to Ask Lightspeed

Before choosing Lightspeed, ask them these questions directly:

  1. What is your exact in-store processing rate? (Depends on processor – get specifics)
  2. What is your card-not-present rate? (Phone/mail order rate – critical for phone sales)
  3. What is your online e-commerce rate? (If you do online sales)
  4. Do you make money from processing margins? (Are they marking up processing?)
  5. When was your last price increase? (Ask for pricing history)
  6. Why aren’t your rates published? (Or are they? Transparency matters)

If they won’t answer these questions clearly, that’s a red flag.

What Real Tobacco Retailers Say

“Lightspeed had great features but we didn’t need most of them. TORO gives us exactly what we need for tobacco.”

– Greg Zimmerman, VP PCA

Tobacco Company, Harrisburg PA

“Saving $6,000/year in software costs plus lower processing rates. TORO pays for itself.”

– John Anderson, President PCA

W. Curtis Draper, Washington DC

“The 2% CNP rate on phone orders is huge. Other systems charge 3.5% or more.”

– Stephen Rast

Tobacco Cabana, TX

“No price increases since 2013. That kind of stability and honesty is rare.”

– Eli Swett

SMoKE Cigar Lounge, PA

The Bottom Line

Lightspeed is excellent software – if you need what it offers.

The question is: Do you need enterprise-level analytics, multi-location management, and a huge app ecosystem? Or do you need tobacco-specific features like multi-pack inventory and mandatory age verification? Lightspeed is powerful but expensive. TORO is focused and affordable – built specifically for tobacco.

Choose TORO if you…

  • Run a single tobacco shop or small chain
  • Sell cigars in multiple pack sizes (stick/pack/box)
  • Want tobacco-specific features, not general retail
  • Prefer lower monthly costs
  • Want tobacco expert support
  • Value simplicity over enterprise features

Choose Lightspeed if you…

  • Run multiple locations that need centralized management
  • Need enterprise-level analytics and business intelligence
  • Want built-in e-commerce, not just integration
  • Tobacco is less than 50% of your sales
  • Value platform flexibility over cost savings
  • Need extensive third-party integrations

See TORO in Action

Schedule a demo and see how TORO’s tobacco-specific features compare to Lightspeed’s general retail approach – at a fraction of the cost.