How do billing apps charge for users and stores?
Billing software is priced in one of three ways: per user (each login costs extra), per location or register (each shop or counter costs extra), or flat (one price for the business). The listed yearly price only tells you the cost of the plan's included users and locations.
| Model | What you pay for | Who it suits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Per user | Each staff login | Owner-run shop with one counter | Every new cashier or godown helper adds a fee |
| Per location / register | Each shop or billing counter | Chains where each outlet has its own budget | A second counter in the same shop can count as a new register |
| Flat | One price for the business | Shops that add counters, staff or branches | Check what is actually included and what is an add-on |
A shop rarely stays at one login. A second counter for the Diwali rush, a godown helper who enters purchases, an accountant who needs reports: each one is a user. So the question to ask a vendor is not "what is the yearly price" but "what is the yearly price for my number of counters, staff and shops".
How many users and stores do entry plans include?
On the pricing pages we checked on 22 October 2026, most entry-level paid plans included one to three users and one location. The table lists what each vendor's cheapest paid plan with GST billing and stock includes, as shown on its own page.
| Software and plan | Listed price | Users / locations stated on the page |
|---|---|---|
| RichPOS (Yearly) | ₹2,000/year; or ₹199/month (₹99 for the first 3 months) | Unlimited staff users and devices; multiple stores and warehouses |
| Swipe PRO | ₹2,799/year | Admin + 1 user |
| myBillBook Plus | ₹3,490/year | 1 user + 1 CA |
| Marg ERP Nano | ₹5,550 + 18% GST (period not stated) | Max 2 users |
| Zoho POS Standard | ₹649 per location per month, billed yearly (₹7,788/year per location) + GST | 1 register, 3 users per location |
| Zoho Books Standard | ₹749/month billed yearly (₹8,988/year) + taxes | 3 users |
| TallyPrime Silver | ₹8,100 for 12 months + 18% GST | Single PC |
| Zoho Inventory Standard | ₹999/month billed yearly (₹11,988/year) + GST | 3 users, 2 locations |
Source: each vendor's own pricing page, read as a public visitor on 22 Oct 2026 (links in Key facts and on RichPOS facts). Vyapar, BUSY and GoFrugal plans were checked for price, but their user and store limits were not part of our check, so they are not listed here. Prices change; check before you buy.
What would 3 counters in 2 shops cost?
Take a common case: a main shop with 2 billing counters and a second shop with 1 counter, so 3 cashiers plus the owner. Here is what the listed prices cover, and where the price of the extra seats was not on the page we checked.
| Software | What the listed plan covers | Year-one cost we can work out | Not covered by our check |
|---|---|---|---|
| RichPOS | Unlimited users, devices, stores and warehouses | ₹2,000 (Yearly plan) | Nothing extra for users or stores; the Marketplace Accounts add-on is separate |
| Zoho POS Standard | 1 register and 3 users per location | At least ₹15,576 + GST (2 locations × ₹7,788) | Price of a second register in the main shop |
| Zoho Inventory Standard | 3 users, 2 locations | ₹11,988 + GST | Price of the 4th user |
| Swipe PRO | Admin + 1 user | ₹2,799 for 2 logins | Price of users 3 and 4, and of a second shop |
| myBillBook Plus | 1 user + 1 CA | ₹3,490 for 1 user | Price of users 2 to 4, and of a second shop |
| Marg ERP Nano | Max 2 users | Not enough users on Nano | Which edition allows 4 users, and its price |
Only prices printed on each vendor's page on 22 Oct 2026 are used. Where a cell says the price was not in our check, ask the vendor for it in writing before comparing.
The point of the example is not that one tool always wins. It is that the listed price can be a fraction of what a growing shop ends up paying, and that you can only compare once every vendor has quoted for the same number of users, counters and shops.
Is flat pricing with unlimited users always the better deal?
No. Flat pricing is better when you add staff or shops, but the plan still has to do what your shop needs. A single owner with one counter may be fine on a per-user plan that includes one login, or on a free plan.
Check the limits of any flat plan as carefully as the price. RichPOS, for example, needs an internet connection to bill and does not do offline billing, GST e-invoices (IRN), e-way bills or weighing-scale billing. If your business must issue e-invoices or e-way bills, a tool that includes them may cost more but save you a separate service.
What should a multi-store billing system actually do?
Beyond extra logins, a second shop needs separate stock per location, transfers between locations, staff limited to their own shop, and reports for each shop and for the business as a whole.
- Stock per location: each shop and godown has its own quantity, not one shared number.
- Stock transfers: move goods from the godown to a shop, and the stock moves in both places.
- Staff per store: a cashier at shop 2 bills only from shop 2.
- Permissions by role: limits on discounts, price edits and bill deletion.
- Reports per store and combined: sales, stock and GST for each shop and for all shops.
- Same GSTIN or different: two shops in one state can share a GSTIN; a shop in another state needs its own registration. See two shops, one GST number.
What should you ask a vendor before you pay?
Ask for a written yearly quote for your exact setup: number of shops, billing counters, staff logins and devices, plus the renewal price for year two. Then compare those totals, not the headline prices.
- Count your seats Write down shops, godowns, billing counters and every person who needs a login, including the owner and accountant.
- Ask for the full quote Ask each vendor for the yearly price for that setup, with GST shown separately.
- Ask about year two Confirm the renewal price and whether an intro discount ends.
- Test with two logins In the trial, bill from two devices at once and check stock updates on both.
- Check permissions Log in as a cashier and confirm what that role cannot do.