Best billing software for retail shops in India: a 2026 buyer's guide

What does retail billing software do?

Retail billing software (also called POS or point-of-sale software) creates the customer's bill at the counter and, in the same step, reduces stock, records the payment and stores the GST data you need for returns. Good retail software goes further: it handles purchases from suppliers, barcode labels, schemes and loyalty, staff permissions and the reports an owner uses to decide what to reorder.

The difference from accounting software matters. Accounting tools are built for an accountant closing the books; retail billing software is built for a cashier with a queue in front of them. If your shop has a counter, staff and shelves, the counter workflow is what you are really buying. For the basics, see what is retail billing software.

Which features does a retail shop's billing software need?

Use this list to compare any software you shortlist. The last column shows where each feature sits in er4u's plans, so you know exactly what you'd be paying for.

Which billing software plan fits your type of shop?

Shops don't need the same software. Here is where each common type of Indian retail business usually starts with er4u, and what to focus on in the demo.

Should you choose online or offline billing software?

Both work well; the right choice depends on your internet and on whether you need to see the business from outside the shop. er4u sells both: Startup, Premium and Enterprise come in online and offline versions, the website and app plans are online, and the 5-firm and 5-store plans are offline.

Whichever you choose, ask how backups are taken and how a restore works, and try it once before you go live.

How much does billing software cost in India?

Prices for shop billing software in India range from free mobile apps to ERP projects costing lakhs. The number that matters is the total cost over three years: the first-year price, every renewal, and the extras you will actually need. er4u publishes all of it. Current online plans (effective 15 October 2026, + 18% GST):

Offline plans start at ₹5,000 + GST (Startup Off) and go up to ₹40,100 + GST for Enterprise Multi (5 stores). 10-year plans with no renewal for a decade start at ₹11,000 + GST offline and ₹15,000 + GST online. See every plan on the pricing page.

Worked example: a garment shop on Premium pays ₹11,200 in year one and ₹3,000 in each of years two and three, a three-year total of ₹17,200 + GST, with unlimited invoices, training and support throughout.

Before you sign with any vendor, put these in writing:

• Renewal or AMC for years two and three, not just the first-year offer.
• Users, counters, firms and outlets included, and the price of adding more. On er4u an extra user or warehouse is ₹1,000 + GST a year.
• Messaging and GST API limits: WhatsApp and SMS bills, e-way bills and e-invoices per year.
• Training and support: how many hours, in which language, and whether it costs extra.
• Data migration: who imports your item master, opening stock and customer list.
• Hardware: barcode printer, scanner, thermal printer and weighing scale. er4u supplies tested retail hardware.
• Online selling: website, app, payment gateway and marketplace charges.

What GST checks should billing software pass?

Software helps you comply, but the invoice is still your responsibility. Check these on a sample bill:

• Invoice fields required by Rule 46 of the CGST Rules: your name, address and GSTIN; a unique serial number for the financial year; date; the buyer's name, address and GSTIN for B2B; HSN code; description, quantity and unit; taxable value; GST rate and amount (CGST + SGST, or IGST for inter-state sales); and place of supply. For a sale of ₹50,000 or more to an unregistered buyer, the buyer's name, delivery address and state also go on the invoice.
• E-invoicing: mandatory for B2B invoices (not ordinary retail bills to consumers) once your aggregate turnover crosses ₹5 crore in any financial year since 2017-18. If you qualify, test that the IRN and QR code print on a B2B bill. At ₹10 crore turnover or more, each invoice must be reported within 30 days of its date.
• E-way bills: generally needed when goods worth more than ₹50,000 move in one consignment; some states set their own limit for movement within the state. Test that the e-way bill is created from the invoice, not retyped on the portal.
• Return data: check that GSTR-1 data exports cleanly for your CA.

In er4u, GSTIN verification and GST return export (Excel, CSV and JSON) are on every plan. E-way bills and e-invoices are generated from the invoice on Enterprise plans: 625 included on Enterprise and Enterprise Max, 1,250 on Enterprise Plus and up to 2,500 on Enterprise Multi. GST rules change, so confirm current thresholds on the e-invoice portal, the e-way bill portal or with your CA.

What should you test in a billing software demo?

Feature lists all look alike. A live demo with your own data shows the difference in ten minutes. Ask every vendor on your list to do these, with the same products:

1. Import 50 of your real items with HSN, GST rate, barcode and opening stock. Note what needed fixing by hand.
2. Bill a mixed basket with the scanner, a quantity change, an item discount and two payment modes. Time it.
3. Hold a bill, serve someone else, recall it.
4. Exchange or return an item against the original bill, and check stock afterwards.
5. Log in as a cashier and try to see cost prices or delete a bill.
6. Run a scheme (buy 2 get 1) and check it applies without anyone typing the discount.
7. Enter a purchase and print barcode labels straight from it.
8. Make a B2B GST invoice and, if you need them, an e-way bill and an e-invoice.
9. Pull three reports you'd use every week: item-wise sales, low stock and customer dues.
10. Ask about the bad day: what happens if the internet or the PC fails, and how a backup is restored.

er4u runs free demos over Google Meet, TeamViewer or AnyDesk, and has 90+ demo videos in Hindi and English you can watch first.

Why do retailers choose er4u?

er4u (Easy Retail For You) is retail billing, POS and inventory software from ER4U Technologies Pvt. Ltd., with its head office in Bhopal, a branch in Indore and an international head office in Singapore. It serves 20,000+ businesses across 300+ retail, wholesale and manufacturing categories. What owners point to:

Hear it from owners: shops such as Mahi Collection, Giftiny and Maa Vaishno Departmental Store review er4u on video. See all client reviews and clients state by state.

How does er4u compare with Tally, Busy, Marg and Vyapar?

These are good products built for different jobs. The quickest way to choose is to match the software's main purpose to your own:

You don't always have to pick one: many retailers bill on er4u at the counter while their CA keeps using Tally for final accounts.

Based on each product's public positioning as of November 2026. Tally, Busy, Marg ERP and Vyapar are trademarks of their respective owners; check current features and prices on each vendor's website.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the best billing software for a retail shop in India?

The best one is the software that bills a real basket quickly at your own counter, keeps stock accurate for the way you sell (sizes, batches or loose weight), produces GST-correct invoices and has a cost you can see for the first year and every renewal. For counter retail such as garments, footwear, grocery and supermarkets, er4u is built around that workflow, with online plans from ₹7,000 + GST and offline plans from ₹5,000 + GST for the first year. Test any shortlist with your own products in a free demo before you decide.

Is there billing software that works without internet?

Yes. er4u's offline plans run on your own PC, so billing continues when the internet is down. Offline plans start at ₹5,000 + 18% GST for the first year (Startup Off, 3 users), with a ₹1,500 + GST renewal from the second year. Online plans suit owners who want to check sales and stock from a phone or from more than one place.

How much does billing software for a shop cost in India?

er4u costs ₹5,000 + GST (offline) or ₹7,000 + GST (online) for the first year on the Startup plans, renewing at ₹1,500 or ₹2,000 + GST a year. Plans with unlimited users start at ₹12,000 + GST offline (Enterprise Off) or ₹15,400 + GST online. 10-year plans start at ₹11,000 + GST offline and ₹15,000 + GST online. Prices are effective 15 October 2026; check the pricing page for the current offer.

Can billing software handle loose items sold by weight?

Yes, if it integrates with a weighing scale. er4u reads the weight from the scale into the bill and decodes weight-embedded barcodes printed by the scale. Integration costs ₹4,000 + GST once for up to 5 devices, and er4u supplies the Phoenix NPW 30 kg scale at ₹6,500 including tax.

Does er4u create e-invoices and e-way bills?

Yes. E-invoices and e-way bills are generated from the invoice itself on the Enterprise plans: 625 included on Enterprise and Enterprise Max, 1,250 on Enterprise Plus and up to 2,500 on the offline Enterprise Multi plan. Every plan exports GST return data in Excel, CSV and JSON.

How many users can use the billing software?

On er4u, Startup plans include 3 users, Premium plans 10 users, and Enterprise plans and above have unlimited users. Unlimited invoices and unlimited training and support are included on every plan.

Can I sell online from the same stock as my shop?

Yes. er4u's Enterprise Max plan adds a branded eCommerce website on your own domain with a payment gateway, and Enterprise Plus adds a branded Android app. Online orders and counter sales draw from the same stock. Existing Shopify and WooCommerce stores can be connected through e-Comm Connect plans.

Can I switch to er4u from Tally, Busy, Marg or Vyapar?

Yes. Purchase and sale data can be imported from Excel on Premium plans and above, and the er4u team maps your item master and opening stock during onboarding. Many retailers run the counter on er4u while their accountant keeps using Tally for final accounts.

Can I try er4u before buying?

Yes. er4u gives a free live demo over Google Meet, TeamViewer or AnyDesk, and has 90+ demo and training videos in Hindi and English. Bring your own product list so the demo uses your real items.

Related reading: Garment shop software · Weighing and billing software · Supermarket billing software · Billing and invoicing software with GST · er4u plans & pricing