A fixed checkout counter can slow a store down even when staff are ready to help. Customers may find a product on the sales floor, ask an associate to check stock, and still have to join a separate queue to pay. For busy retailers, checkout is an operational issue, not simply the final step in a sale.
The European Central Bank’s 2024 SPACE study found that mobile devices accounted for 6% of point-of-sale payments by number across the euro area, almost twice the 2022 share. Mobile POS lets staff accept payments and access store tools away from fixed registers. The Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market is therefore relevant to retailers seeking more flexible checkout and connected store operations.
How Large Is the Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market?
Coherent Market Insights estimates the global market at USD 55.96 Billion in 2026. The same report projects USD 128.43 Billion by 2033, registering a 12.6% CAGR from 2026 to 2033.
Digital payment acceptance supports expansion. Visa reported that its Tap to Phone solution grew 200% year on year worldwide in March 2025. The service turns an NFC-enabled smartphone into a payment device. This is a vendor-specific measure, not market-wide mPOS growth, but it shows how mobile acceptance can reduce reliance on dedicated terminals.
Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market Segmentation Analysis
CMI segments the market by component, deployment, and end-use industry:
- By Component: Hardware; Software.
- By Deployment: On-premises; Cloud-based.
- By End-use Industry: Retail; Hospitality; Healthcare; Entertainment; Transportation and Logistics.
Which Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market Segment Leads by Component?
Hardware segment accounts for 62.8% of the market in 2026. Mobile POS relies on devices to scan products as well as to process payments across a store. Handheld terminals, card readers, tablets, scanners, and compatible smartphones connect POS software with customers.
Visa’s Tap to Phone growth shows how NFC-enabled smartphones can create payment points without separate readers in some settings. Dedicated handhelds remain useful where retailers need integrated scanning, longer battery life, rugged construction, or continuous use across shifts. Hardware demand therefore spans configured consumer devices and purpose-built retail terminals.
Which Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market Segment Leads by End-Use Industry?
Retail segment holds 37.5% of the market in 2026. Stores must coordinate transactions with stock availability, promotions, customer records, as well as with the online orders. A mobile POS lets an associate complete a sale on the floor, check inventory, or prepare an order for collection without switching between disconnected systems.
The U.S. Census Bureau put e-commerce sales at USD 340.2 billion in the second quarter of 2026, equal to 17.1% of total retail sales. E-commerce grew 12.2% year on year, compared with 6.7% growth in total retail sales. These figures indicate why retailers need systems that coordinate in-person transactions with digital orders and fulfillment.
What Are the Trends Shaping the Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market?
Three developments are reshaping mobile checkout. CMI's analysts analyze all three trends.
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Tap-to-Phone Technology Is Expanding Mobile Payment Acceptance
Tap-to-phone lets a compatible smartphone or tablet accept contactless payments through built-in NFC. EMVCo published its TapToMobile User Experience Guidelines in July 2025. Visa’s Tap to Phone rollout provides a commercial example of NFC smartphones being used for merchant acceptance.
The technology lets merchants accept payments without a dedicated terminal at every selling point. It suits microbusinesses, pop-up shops, as well as the occasional payment points. Merchants still need a supported device, payment application, provider, along with appropriate security controls. The hardware barrier drops, but the compliance burden remains.
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Retailers Are Connecting Mobile Checkout with Omnichannel Fulfillment
Mobile checkout is becoming part of wider store workflows. Oracle’s January 2025 Retail Xstore update supports mobile use on tablets and handhelds, including buy-online-pick-up-in-store order preparation and customer purchase history. Square introduced Square Handheld in May 2025, and it combined portable payments with barcode scanning along with inventory functions.
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Payment Security Is Becoming Integral to Mobile Store Operations
Mobile acceptance places payment functions on devices that run business applications and connect to networks. Security must cover payment software, device controls, account access, updates, and monitoring.
The PCI Security Standards Council’s Mobile Payments on COTS (MPoC) standard addresses payment acceptance on commercial off-the-shelf devices such as smartphones and tablets, including PIN and contactless acceptance on the same device. The sunset period for older SPoC and CPoC standards ended on October 31, 2026. Merchants should check PCI listings and providers’ security maintenance, because an unlisted device introduces compliance risk.
What Are the Opportunities in the U.S. Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market?
The U.S. mPOS market is projected to maintain its growth trajectory during the forecast period. Multiple opportunities will arise in the market as retailers adapt to consumers using several payment methods and shopping across physical and digital channels. Federal Reserve Financial Services reported that the U.S. consumers made an average of 11 mobile-phone payments per month in 2024, compared with four in 2018. They also made an average of seven cash payments per month.
Mobile acceptance can make checkout more flexible, but the retailers still need to support cards as well as cash. Additionally, the e-commerce data reinforces the requirement for POS systems that seamlessly connects store inventory, online orders, as well as collection. Simpler deployment and integration can serve independent merchants and retail chains.
How Retailers Can Build a Connected mPOS Checkout Experience
Handheld devices can support queue management, assisted selling, or stock checks. Additionally, smartphone-based acceptance may be better suited for smaller sellers or occasional payment points. Systems should be able to support the key payment methods and integrate with inventory, e-commerce, as well as with reporting.
Merchants should verify PCI solution listings, device-update practices, as well as staff permissions. Test wireless coverage, battery life, receipts, as well as the transaction handling before rollout. Specialist retailers may need more than just the generic checkout. Systems that support liquor store point of sale systems features can include inventory counting, deposit management, promotions, e-commerce, and delivery integrations alongside in-store payment functions.
The platform should fit the retailer’s products and workflows. For multi-site operators, central configuration, consistent reporting, and clear support arrangements matter as much as the device. A pilot at one busy location can show whether mobility removes handoffs or merely relocates the queue.
Who Are the Key Players in the Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market?
The competitive landscape includes VeriFone, Ingenico Group, PAX Technology, Square, PayPal Holdings, Intuit, Oracle Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Development Company, Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Panasonic Corporation, Posiflex Technology, BBPOS Limited, Newland Payment Technology, Zebra Technologies Corporation, and Squirrel Systems.
Recent developments span hardware and software. Square introduced Square Handheld in May 2025, combining payment acceptance, scanning, and inventory functions. Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions announced the TCx M7 in December 2025, a retail handheld with NFC SoftPOS, scanning, and inventory capabilities. Oracle unveiled a redesigned Retail Xstore POS in January 2025, supporting mobile use as well as the BOPIS workflows.
Analyst Insight into the Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) Market
CMI analysts identify North America as the largest regional market, with an estimated 35.2% share in 2026. Asia Pacific accounts for 29.7% and is projected to grow fastest. This creates opportunities in North American retail upgrades and in Asia Pacific payment infrastructure.
Some of the major market challenges are the security concerns, implementation costs, as well as the integration complexity. Smartphone acceptance can reduce dedicated-terminal needs in selected settings, but not payment fees, software subscriptions, compliance, or support costs. Providers will compete on secure acceptance, interoperability, and integration with inventory and fulfillment. Retailers should assess mPOS as part of store operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a mobile point of sale system?
- A portable hardware and software solution that lets businesses process transactions away from a fixed checkout counter.
- How does mPOS differ from a traditional POS terminal?
- A traditional terminal is installed at a designated checkout point. mPOS runs on handhelds, tablets, or compatible smartphones. Thus, it allows transactions across different locations.
- How do mobile POS systems support contactless payments?
- They use NFC-enabled hardware or supported smartphones to accept contactless cards and mobile wallets, subject to device, provider, as well as the security requirements.
- Which industries use mobile point of sale systems?
- CMI covers retail, hospitality, healthcare, entertainment, and transportation and logistics as end-use industries.
- What security features should businesses check before adopting mPOS?
- Check the provider’s PCI listing, device and application security, data protection, staff permissions, updates, and ongoing monitoring arrangements.
