Lightspeed adds AI & operational tools for merchants

Lightspeed has introduced a new round of product updates for its retail and hospitality platform, including Lightspeed AI and a series of operational tools for merchants in more than 100 countries.

The new AI layer spans Lightspeed Retail, Lightspeed Restaurant and NuORDER by Lightspeed. It adds conversational assistants that let merchants and buying teams ask questions in natural language and receive real-time answers drawn from the platform.

The update is intended to reduce the need to move through dashboards and reports to find operational or commercial information. Lightspeed is positioning the AI product as a broader intelligence layer across both retail and hospitality.

"This quarter's innovations underscore our commitment to delivering powerful, intuitive technology to independent businesses," said Dax Dasilva, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Lightspeed.

"By bringing smarter automation, deeper insights, and more connected workflows into our platform, we're empowering merchants to run their operations with greater confidence and focus on delivering exceptional experiences to their customers," Dasilva said.

Hospitality tools

In hospitality, one of the main additions is Lightspeed Tempo, a service pacing product built around the company's Kitchen Display System. The tool is designed to give servers and managers a view of the dining journey, including when items are ordered, prepared, ready and served.

The system aims to bring more structure to table management and course timing, an area often handled informally in restaurants. Tempo is currently available to flagship Lightspeed Restaurant customers.

Another addition is Lightspeed Tasks, a digital checklist tool for restaurant operators. It lets teams build recurring workflows for activities such as opening and closing duties and cleaning routines, while staff can complete tasks on mobile devices through the Lightspeed Pulse app.

Managers receive real-time completion logs and notifications for urgent items. The product is intended for single-site and multi-site operators seeking greater consistency in daily routines.

Lightspeed has also added Lightspeed Reservations, a booking and table management product integrated into its wider platform. The system handles online and phone reservations and includes automated reminders intended to reduce no-shows.

Payments are another part of the hospitality update. Mobile Tap has been expanded to France, Germany and Switzerland, extending availability across Lightspeed's core European restaurant markets.

The device can be attached to a counter iPad or used with Lightspeed Tableside, allowing restaurants to take orders and payments from the same mobile setup. It supports tap, swipe and insert payments.

Retail changes

For retail customers, Lightspeed has rolled out a new multi-brand shopping and ordering experience within Lightspeed Marketplace. The change creates a centralised destination for retailers to browse, compare and buy products from thousands of brands through NuORDER by Lightspeed and the Lightspeed POS system.

The update replaces a model in which buyers often had to move between separate brand portals. The new setup connects purchasing activity more directly to point-of-sale workflows and internal data.

Retailers are also getting a new themes store for eCommerce websites. The store offers free and paid website themes that merchants can preview and trial before choosing a design.

At checkout, customer-facing display functions have been added to payment terminals used by Lightspeed Retail merchants with Lightspeed Payments Smart Terminals. The feature removes the need for separate display hardware and is intended to improve transaction visibility for shoppers.

Lightspeed also said Selling on Scanner is now available on Android. Through the Lightspeed Scanner app, retail merchants can accept in-person contactless payments directly on Android devices.

The feature had previously been released in beta. General availability now covers Lightspeed Payments customers in the United States, Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Lightspeed operates point-of-sale and payments software for retail, golf and hospitality businesses. Its merchant base spans more than 100 countries, giving the latest product cycle a broad footprint across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

The latest updates reflect a continued push by software providers to embed AI tools, payments and operational workflows into the same merchant platform, reducing the need for separate software across ordering, service, commerce and administration.

The AI assistant is available across Lightspeed's core retail and hospitality products and within NuORDER by Lightspeed.