Key takeaways
- POS Hub is now available to pre-order - wired countertop hardware that connects all your POS peripherals reliably.
- Shopify partnered with Verifone, bringing two new terminal options to POS merchants.
- Returns got category-specific reasons - “Too big” for apparel, “Taste” for food - so you capture more useful return data.
- The Camera API for POS UI extensions enables ID scanning, photo capture, and image attachment directly in POS.
January 2026 was a strong month for Shopify retail and POS updates, and the month Google and Shopify launched the Universal Commerce Protocol.
POS & Retail
POS Hub available to pre-order.
POS Hub is Shopify’s new wired countertop hardware solution. It connects card readers, receipt printers, and barcode scanners to a POS tablet through a single wired connection, with automatic fault recovery if a peripheral disconnects. Designed for high-volume retail environments where Bluetooth connectivity isn’t reliable enough.
Verifone partnership - two new terminal options.
Shopify partnered with Verifone, adding two new payment terminals to the POS hardware lineup: the Victa Mobile (handheld) and the Victa Lane (countertop). Both integrate directly with Shopify POS. This expands hardware options for merchants who prefer Verifone equipment or need specific form factors for their retail setup.
Designate customer-facing storefronts.
Merchants with multiple locations can now designate which locations appear as customer-facing storefronts. Pop-up locations, warehouses, and fulfillment centers can be excluded from the public store locator while still being used operationally in POS.
Enhanced Shop app pickup experience.
The Shop app’s order pickup flow now shows preparation status, pickup instructions, and a QR code that staff can scan to confirm the handoff. Customers get a clearer view of where their order is in the pickup process.
POS settings simplified.
Shopify removed rarely-used settings from the POS app and consolidated the remaining controls into a cleaner layout. The intent is to reduce setup time for new POS installs and make the settings easier to navigate.
Returns
Category-specific return reasons.
Return reason options are now category-aware. Apparel returns can show “Too big” or “Too small.” Food returns can show “Taste.” This gives merchants more precise return data without cluttering every product category with irrelevant reasons. Useful for identifying fit or quality issues by product type.
Payments
Offline payments with multi-entity Shopify Payments.
Merchants using multiple Shopify shops under one Shopify Payments account can now accept offline payments across those shops. Previously this was limited to single-entity setups.
Agentic Commerce
Universal Commerce Protocol launches (January 11).
On January 11, Google and Shopify co-launched the Universal Commerce Protocol - an open standard that lets AI shopping agents discover products and complete purchases on behalf of consumers. Shopify merchants are natively included. See our full breakdown of UCP and what it means for your store.
Developer Updates
Camera API for POS UI extensions.
POS UI extensions can now access the device camera via a new Camera API. This enables workflows like scanning customer IDs at age-restricted sales, capturing product photos, and attaching images to orders or returns directly within Shopify POS.
Translation support for POS UI extensions.
Apps using POS UI extensions on v10.19 now support translations. Apps automatically display in the POS user’s device language, removing the need for separate localized versions.
Flow adopts API version 2026-01.
Shopify Flow is now running on the 2026-01 GraphQL Admin API version, which includes improved metafield and metaobject querying and updates to returns handling.
Compliance
France and Spain: tax override restrictions.
Merchants with retail locations in France and Spain can no longer manually override tax calculations at the cart or customer level. This ensures compliance with France’s NF525 certification requirements and Spain’s upcoming Verifactu regulations (effective January 2027). Merchants in those markets should review their tax setup.
FAQ
What is Shopify POS Hub?
POS Hub is wired countertop hardware that connects card readers, receipt printers and barcode scanners to a POS tablet through a single wired connection, with automatic fault recovery if a peripheral disconnects. It went up for pre-order in January 2026 and is aimed at high-volume stores where Bluetooth is not reliable enough.
When did the Universal Commerce Protocol launch?
Google and Shopify co-launched the Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) on January 11, 2026. It is an open standard that lets AI shopping agents discover products and complete purchases on behalf of shoppers, and Shopify merchants are included natively.
What are category-specific return reasons in Shopify?
Since January 2026, return reasons adapt to the product category: apparel returns can show Too big or Too small, and food returns can show Taste. Merchants get more precise return data, which helps spot fit or quality issues by product type.
Which Verifone terminals work with Shopify POS?
Through the partnership announced in January 2026, Shopify POS supports two Verifone terminals: the Victa Mobile, a handheld device, and the Victa Lane, a countertop terminal. Both integrate directly with Shopify POS.
