Add & Remove
Register Licenses

Add and remove register licenses to change the number of registers that can be activated on a Lightspeed Retail account. Deactivate a register to free up a license for removal or for activation on another device. Register licenses tie the Retail POS (S-Series) app to BackOffice, determine the number of registers that can be used, and affect billing rates for merchants on select pricing packages.

Only the Business Owner or an employee with ‘Manage Account’ and ‘Manage Register Licenses’ permissions can add or remove register licenses.

Table of Contents

Add a Register License

To activate an additional register, first add a register license to your account. Be advised that changing the register license count will affect billing for accounts on select pricing packages.

This feature is only available to Lightspeed Retail merchants on paid pricing packages. If using a free Lightspeed Retail account, follow the steps here to upgrade the account to be able to add register licenses.

  1. Sign in to BackOffice as the Business Owner or as an employee with 'Manage Account' and ‘Manage Register Licenses’ permissions.

    Learn more about customizable BackOffice permissions here.

  2. Click 'Settings', and select 'Register Licenses'.

    Don’t see ‘Register Licenses’? Visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

    Click to Enlarge
  3. Review the number of activated registers.
    • If no registers are available for activation, proceed to step 4 to continue adding a new register license.
    • If a register is available for activation, you do not need to add a license to activate an additional register. Skip to step 6 to download and activate the Retail POS (S-Series) app on a new device.
    No Registers Available for Activation

    Click to Enlarge
    One Register Available for Activation

    Click to Enlarge

  4. Click 'Change Account Settings'.

    Merchants using a free Lightspeed Retail account will be prompted to upgrade their account after following this step. Learn more about upgrading here.

    Click to Enlarge
  5. Adjust the license count, then click 'Update'.

    If relevant, you will be charged a prorated amount immediately for each new license added. For more information, visit our Billing Policy.

    Click to Enlarge
  6. Download and activate the Retail POS (S-Series) app to begin using a new register.
    a  Download the Retail POS (S-Series) app on an iPad or Android tablet.
    For help completing this step, visit our Introduction to iPad or Introduction to Android article.
    b  Follow the steps here to activate the Retail POS (S-Series) app.

Have questions about register licenses? Visit our BackOffice FAQ.

Deactivate a Register

Deactivating a register frees up a register license, allowing you to remove the license from the account or activate the Retail POS (S-Series) app on a different device. Deactivating a register can be done from BackOffice or from the Retail POS (S-Series) app.

Deactivating a register does not affect account billing. If a deactivated register license will not be needed for the rest of the current billing cycle, merchants on select pricing packages can reduce the amount of their next billing by removing the license. View our full billing policy here.

From BackOffice

Deactivate a register from BackOffice if you are able to sign into BackOffice as an employee with ‘Manage Register Licenses’ permissions or as the Business Owner. This method also allows you to remove a register license while deactivating the register, if necessary. This is a multi-step process that requires access to both BackOffice and the Retail POS (S-Series) app.

  1. On the register to be deactivated, close all saved sales and close the register shift.

    Skip this step if you cannot access the register because it is lost or stolen.

  2. Sign in to BackOffice as the Business Owner or an employee with 'Manage Register Licenses' permissions.

    Learn more about customizable BackOffice permissions here.

  3. In BackOffice, click ‘Settings’ and select ‘Register Licenses’.

    Don’t see ‘Register Licenses’? Visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

    Click to Enlarge
  4. Click ‘Deactivate’ next to the register being deactivated.
    Click to Enlarge
  5. Review the warning, then click ‘Continue’ to deactivate the register.
    Click to Enlarge
  6. If prompted, select whether to remove the register license from, or keep it on, your account.

    Register licenses determine the number of registers that can be activated on an account at any one time.

    • Remove the license if you will not need to use it to reactivate the Retail POS (S-Series) app before the end of your current billing cycle on the same device or a different one.
    • Keep the license if you will need to use it to reactivate the Retail POS (S-Series) app before the end of your current billing cycle on the same device or a different one.
    For merchants on select pricing packages, removing a register license will reduce the amount of the next account billing. If a register license is added back, you will immediately be charged a prorated amount for the rest of the billing cycle (if relevant). View our full billing policy here.
    Click to Enlarge
  7. Open the Retail POS (S-Series) app, and tap 'OK' to dismiss the deactivation success screen.

    If the screen below does not appear, get updates on the iOS or Android register to trigger it. If there is an error, visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

    Click to Enlarge
  8. Activate a register on a different device, or remove the register license from the account.

From the Register

Deactivate a register directly from the Retail POS (S-Series) app itself if you are able to sign into the register as the Business Owner.

  1. On the register to be deactivated, sign in as the Business Owner.
  2. Close all saved sales and close the register shift.
  3. From the Main Menu (iOS) or Support screen (Android), tap ‘Deactivate Register’.
    Retail POS (S-Series) app for iOS

    Click to Enlarge
    Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android

    Click to Enlarge

  4. If using the Retail POS (S-Series) app for Android, review the message box and tap ‘OK’ to continue.
    Click to Enlarge
  5. Tap ‘Confirm’ (iOS) or ‘Yes’ (Android) to proceed with deactivation.
    Click to Enlarge
  6. Tap ‘OK’ to dismiss the deactivation success screen.

    If there is an error, visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

    Click to Enlarge
  7. Activate a register on a different device, or remove the register license from the account.

Remove a Register License

When a register license is no longer needed for the rest of the current billing cycle, remove it to reduce the number of registers that can be activated. For merchants on select pricing packages, removing a register license will also reduce the amount of the next account billing.

If a register license is added back after being removed, merchants on select pricing packages will immediately be charged a prorated amount for the rest of the billing cycle. View our full billing policy here.

  1. Sign in to BackOffice as the Business Owner or as an employee with 'Manage Account' and ‘Manage Register Licenses’ permissions.

    Learn more about customizable BackOffice permissions here.

  2. Click 'Settings' and select 'Register Licenses'.

    Don’t see ‘Register Licenses’? Visit our troubleshooting guide for help.

    Click to Enlarge
  3. Review the number of activated registers.
    • If a register is available for activation, proceed to step 4 to continue removing a register license.
    • If no registers are available for activation, you must first follow the steps here to deactivate a register before proceeding to step 4 below as only available register licenses can be removed.
    One Register Available for Activation

    Click to Enlarge
    No Registers Available for Activation

    Click to Enlarge

  4. Click 'Change Account Settings'.
    Click to Enlarge
  5. Adjust the license count, then click 'Update'.

    Only remove a license if you will not need to use it to reactivate the Retail POS (S-Series) app before the end of your current billing cycle on the same device or a different one.

    For merchants on select pricing packages, removing a register license will reduce the amount of the next account billing. If a register license is added back, you will immediately be charged a prorated amount for the rest of the billing cycle (if relevant). View our full billing policy here.

    Click to Enlarge

Move License to a Different Device

Move a register license to change which device is used as your Lightspeed Retail register if you upgrade devices, lose an existing register, or cannot access a register to continue the business day.

  1. Follow the steps above to deactivate a register.
  2. If prompted during deactivation to remove a register license, select ‘No, keep license’.
    Click to Enlarge
  3. Download the Retail POS (S-Series) app on a different iPad or Android tablet.

    Need help downloading the Retail POS (S-Series) app? Visit our Introduction to the iPad or Introduction to Android articles.

  4. Follow the steps here to activate a new register.