TORO POS vs Square for Tobacco Shops

An honest, detailed comparison to help you choose the right POS for your tobacco business.

Full disclosure: We make TORO POS, so we’re biased. But we’ve done our best to be fair and accurate about what Square does well and where it falls short for tobacco retailers. We encourage you to verify everything yourself.

The Quick Summary

Choose TORO If:

  • ✅ Tobacco is your primary business
  • ✅ You do $30k+/month in sales
  • ✅ You sell cigars by stick/pack/box
  • ✅ You want to avoid monthly fees
  • ✅ You need tobacco-specific features

Choose Square If:

  • ✅ Tobacco is less than 30% of sales
  • ✅ You do under $20k/month
  • ✅ You prefer low upfront cost
  • ✅ You want cloud-based mobile access
  • ✅ Simple inventory is fine

Cost Comparison: Real Numbers

Let’s compare the total 3-year cost for a typical cigar shop scenario:

Scenario: Single-location tobacco shop

  • $50,000/month in sales ($600,000/year)
  • 2 employees needing POS access
  • 1 POS station + 1 iPad for inventory
Cost Category Square (3 Years) TORO (3 Years)
Initial Software $0 Contact for quote
Monthly Software Fees (36 mo) $4,320
$120/mo × 36		 $0
Transaction Fees (36 mo) $46,800
2.6% × $600k × 3		 $0
Hardware $1,000
Stand + iPad		 $1,200
Touchscreen terminal
Payment Processing Included in transaction fees ~$28,080
1.56% rate via third-party
Support Email only Free unlimited
Total 3-Year Cost $52,120 ~$29,280 + software

💰 Potential 3-Year Savings: $20,000+

Even accounting for software purchase and higher payment processing, TORO typically saves tobacco shops $6,000-8,000 per year.

Feature-by-Feature Comparison

1. Multi-Pack Inventory Management

Square

❌ Not built-in. You must create separate SKUs for each pack size (singles, 5-packs, boxes). When you break up a box, you manually adjust both SKUs.

Result: Inventory drift, inaccurate counts, extra work.

TORO POS

✅ Automatic. Create one product. System tracks how many per box/pack. Sell at any level – inventory adjusts automatically at all pack sizes.

Result: Always-accurate counts, less manual work.

2. Age Verification & Compliance

Square

⚠️ Manual setup required. You can add a custom prompt for age verification, but it’s optional and can be skipped. No automatic enforcement.

Result: Relies on staff memory and diligence.

TORO POS

✅ Automatic enforcement. Age verification triggers automatically on all tobacco products. Transaction cannot complete without verification. Configurable age limits (18, 19, 21+).

Result: License protection, audit-ready compliance.

3. Tobacco Tax Management

Square

⚠️ Generic sales tax only. You can set custom tax rates per product, but you’re manually calculating and entering tobacco tax rates. No built-in tobacco tax categories.

Result: Manual tax calculation, easy to get wrong.

TORO POS

✅ Automatic tobacco tax. Calculates OTP, cigar, cigarette, and MSA taxes automatically by product type. State-specific rules built-in. Generate tax reports for compliance.

Result: Accurate taxes, compliance reporting.

4. Customer Management & Marketing

Square

✅ Basic customer database. Track purchase history. Email marketing available. SMS marketing costs extra ($15-25/month).

Result: Good customer tracking, marketing costs extra.

TORO POS

✅ Comprehensive CRM. Purchase history, favorite products, loyalty programs, VIP tiers. SMS marketing included at no extra cost. Automated birthday messages.

Result: Better customer relationships, no extra fees.

5. Reporting & Analytics

Square

✅ Good basic reporting. Sales reports, top sellers, employee performance. Advanced reporting requires Plus subscription ($60/mo). Export to Excel.

Result: Decent reports, best features cost extra.

TORO POS

✅ Comprehensive reporting included. Sales, profit, inventory, customer analytics, compliance reports. Custom date ranges, filters by category/brand. All features included.

Result: Complete analytics, no add-ons needed.

6. Hardware & Platform

Square

✅ iPad/Android/PC. Cloud-based, works on any device. Access from anywhere. Mobile POS capability. Works offline temporarily.

Result: Flexible platform, modern cloud system.

TORO POS

❌ Windows PC only. Runs locally on Windows computers/terminals. Works fully offline. Not cloud-based or mobile.

Result: Less flexible platform, but more reliable.

7. Support

Square

⚠️ Email/chat only. No phone support on Free plan. Phone support requires Plus ($60/mo). Help center and community forums available.

Result: Limited support unless you pay extra.

TORO POS

✅ Unlimited phone/email/remote. Free phone support during business hours. Free remote assistance. Free training. Personal support from people who know tobacco retail.

Result: Comprehensive support always included.

What Square Does Better

To be fair, Square has advantages in certain areas:

1. Low Upfront Cost

Square is free to start. TORO requires a software purchase upfront. If cash flow is tight or you’re unsure about the tobacco business, Square’s low barrier to entry is appealing.

2. Cloud-Based Modern Platform

Square works on iPad, Android, and web browsers. Access your dashboard from anywhere. TORO is Windows-only and local.

3. Ecosystem Integration

Square integrates with tons of apps – accounting software, e-commerce platforms, appointment scheduling, etc. TORO’s integrations are more limited.

4. Fast Setup

Sign up online, enter payment info, start selling in an hour. TORO requires installation and setup.

What TORO Does Better

1. Total Cost of Ownership

After year one, TORO is dramatically cheaper. No recurring fees means you keep more profit every month.

2. Built for Tobacco

Every feature designed for tobacco retail. Multi-pack management, age verification, compliance reporting – all native, not workarounds.

3. Better Support

Actual phone support from people who understand tobacco retail, not email-only generic help.

4. Offline Reliability

TORO works fully offline. If internet goes down, you keep selling. Square requires connectivity for most functions.

The Bottom Line: Which Should You Choose?

Choose Square if…

  • You’re just starting and need to minimize upfront cost
  • Tobacco is less than 30% of your sales
  • You value cloud-based mobile access over cost savings
  • Your monthly sales are under $20,000
  • You’re okay with manual multi-pack inventory workarounds

Choose TORO POS if…

  • Tobacco is your primary or sole business
  • You sell cigars in multiple pack sizes (stick/pack/box)
  • You want to eliminate monthly fees and transaction percentages
  • Your monthly sales exceed $30,000
  • You need tobacco-specific compliance and reporting
  • You value included phone support and training

Switching from Square to TORO

Many tobacco shops start with Square and later switch to TORO when they realize the long-term costs. If you’re considering the switch:

  • ✅ Export your data: Square lets you export inventory and customer lists
  • ✅ We handle import: TORO team imports your Square data
  • ✅ Minimize downtime: Most shops switch over a weekend
  • ✅ No Square penalties: Cancel Square anytime, no contract

See TORO in Action

Schedule a demo and see how TORO handles multi-pack inventory, compliance, and customer management – with no monthly fees.