# Switch from Lightspeed to Rundoo

> https://rundoo.ai/switch/lightspeed/

Switching to Rundoo

# Switch from Lightspeed

Lightspeed is a well-built retail platform, and stores that use it tend to like the interface. But supply stores consistently run into its limits: charge accounts are clunky or nonexistent, invoicing across multiple locations is painful, and the system wasn't designed for the way hardware, paint, and farm stores actually operate. Rundoo was.

Why stores switch

## What stores switching from Lightspeed love

Lightspeed stores that switch to Rundoo tend to like their old system's interface just fine. The frustrations are almost always about the things Lightspeed wasn't built to do. Here's what they tell us after making the move:

**Charge accounts that don't feel like a workaround.** Lightspeed's charge account handling is a consistent pain point for supply stores. One store described it as a "nightmare situation" where processing payments requires bouncing between separate systems, and ACH payments can take ten days to clear. On Rundoo, charge accounts, statements, and payments are all native, and your contractors can pay directly from the mobile app.

**Invoicing that works across locations.** Multi-store Lightspeed users tell us that invoicing is a major headache, especially when trying to keep customer accounts and inventory consistent across locations. Rundoo was built for multi-location from the start, so invoices, inventory, and customer data stay in sync across every store in real time.

**A system built for your industry, not every industry.** Lightspeed serves restaurants, retail boutiques, golf courses, and everything in between. That breadth means supply store needs like EDI ordering, contractor pricing tiers, and buying group integrations are never going to be a priority for their product team. At Rundoo, independent supply stores are the only thing we do, and that focus shows in every feature we build.

Data migration

## What we bring over from Lightspeed

Our Lightspeed parser covers both the R-Series and X-Series data exports. Here's what we automatically import into Rundoo.

✅
Products

✅
Customers

✅
Charge Account Balances

✅
Sales History

✅
Vendors

✅
Inventories

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Pricing Tiers

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Product Categories

## Lightspeed vs. Rundoo, point by point

Stores that leave Lightspeed almost never complain about the interface. They leave because of what a general-purpose retail platform cannot do for a supply store. Here is the pattern we hear from hardware, paint, farm and feed, and building-supply owners, side by side with how Rundoo handles each one.

| What supply stores hit in Lightspeed | What Rundoo does differently |
| --- | --- |
| Charge accounts are a workaround. Taking a payment means bouncing between systems, and an ACH payment can take days to clear. | Charge accounts are native. Statements, balances, and payments live in one place, and contractors pay their balance from the mobile app. |
| Tax-exempt status has to be hacked into the customer's name because there is no real field for it. | A dedicated tax-exempt toggle on every customer. Clean, reliable, and auditable, with no risk of charging tax to an exempt account. |
| Pricing tiers end up used as customer labels because true tiered pricing does not work the way supply stores need. | Real multi-tier pricing by customer or group, plus separate customer tags for organizing accounts. Each tool does the job it was built for. |
| No per-customer pricing, so you cannot charge a dealer or a contractor differently from a walk-in. | Per-product pricing at the customer level, so dealer, contractor, and wholesale rates are built in. |
| No vendor management. Vendors live in a file cabinet or a spreadsheet rather than the point of sale. | Full vendor records linked directly to products, with purchase orders and price updates on receipt. |
| No native distributor integrations for the supply trade. | Native EDI to House Hasson, Orgill, Emery Jensen, AllPro, Florida Hardware, Bradley Caldwell, and Blish-Mize. |
| Cash reconciliation reports false over and short errors at close, even when the drawer counts correctly. | Purpose-built cash management with configurable floats and clean, auditable end-of-day closes. |
| No product images, so new staff cannot identify items quickly at the counter. | Every product can carry a photo, so staff recognize items on sight and checkouts stay fast. |
| No AI and no automated reporting. Owners pull the numbers by hand. | Rundoo AI sends proactive daily and weekly reports, with alerts on margins, slow movers, and account activity. |
| Built for every retail vertical, so supply-store needs like EDI and buying groups are never the priority. | Independent supply stores are the only thing Rundoo builds for, so those needs are the roadmap, not an afterthought. |
| Multi-location invoicing does not sync cleanly, so customer accounts and inventory drift between stores. | Built for multi-location from day one. Inventory, invoices, and customer data stay in sync across every store in real time. |

Success stories

## Stores that switched from Lightspeed

[![S&T Farm Supplies](https://pub-5247264bd04e4ebeaecbbedb3bebb9f8.r2.dev/static/images/clients/st-farm-supplies-storefront.png)

### S&T Farm Supplies

Hot Springs, Arkansas

> "Lightspeed was a nightmare for charge accounts. Rundoo solved everything we needed on day one."

Read their story →](/clients/st-farm-supplies/index.md)

Rundoo is purpose-built for
[farm & feed stores](/industries/farm-feed/index.md).
See the [ROI of switching](/insights/roi-of-switching/index.md).

The process

## How switching works

1

### You get a person

As soon as you sign, you're paired with a dedicated implementation manager who has real experience working in supply stores.

2

### We migrate your data

Our data team handles the migration, pulling whatever exists from Lightspeed into Rundoo. Your implementation manager walks you through reviewing it, and we fine-tune from there.

3

### Training and go-live

Your team gets hands-on training sessions before go-live day, and your implementation manager stays with you through the first weeks to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Want the full story? Read our deep dive on [what happens when you switch](/insights/switching/index.md), or the [ROI of switching](/insights/roi-of-switching/index.md).

## Frequently asked questions

I like my Lightspeed interface. Will Rundoo feel like a downgrade?

Not at all. Lightspeed has a clean interface, and most of the frustration supply stores feel is not about the screen, it is about what the system cannot do underneath it. Rundoo keeps the modern, easy-to-use feel and adds the charge accounts, EDI ordering, and vertical workflows Lightspeed was never built for, so it feels familiar on day one and finally does the things your store actually needs.

We have built workarounds in Lightspeed. Do those carry over?

The best part is that most Lightspeed workarounds simply disappear on Rundoo. Tax-exempt status that lived inside a customer's name becomes a real per-customer toggle, pricing tiers used as labels become true per-customer pricing, and bouncing between systems to take an ACH payment becomes one native flow.

Is switching from Lightspeed disruptive?

Our implementation team handles the migration for you. The Lightspeed parser covers both the R-Series and X-Series exports and imports your products, customers, charge account balances, sales history, vendors, inventory, pricing tiers, and categories automatically. Every store gets a dedicated implementation manager from signing through go-live, plus two to three weeks of hands-on support after you are live.

Does Rundoo work with QuickBooks?

Yes. Rundoo integrates natively with QuickBooks Online, and we can connect you with a CPA who specializes in the Rundoo and QuickBooks Online setup so your books stay clean from the first day.

Does Rundoo handle charge accounts and AR statements?

Yes, and this is the most common reason supply stores leave Lightspeed. Charge accounts, statements, aging reports, and end-of-month net-30 billing are all native, and your contractors can pay their balance directly from the Rundoo mobile app.

What does Rundoo cost?

Rundoo uses straightforward tiered pricing with no large upfront implementation fee, and every plan includes unlimited users. [Book a demo](/signup/index.md) and we will give you a quote tailored to your store.

## Ready to make the switch?

Book a demo and we'll walk you through exactly what the transition from Lightspeed looks like for your store.

[Book a demo](/signup/index.md)

!