Shop software for Jamaican shops
Shopkeepa is simple software for Jamaican mini-marts, corner shops, hardware and beauty supply stores. Sell, track stock and see how the shop is doing in JMD, with GCT handled, on the phone or tablet you already own.
Running a shop in Jamaica, at a glance
- Currency
- Jamaican dollar (JMD). Many shops also see USD from visitors and remittances.
- Sales tax
- General Consumption Tax (GCT), standard rate 15%. Some goods are zero-rated or exempt.
- GCT registration
- Required once taxable turnover passes J$15 million over 12 months (raised from J$10 million in the 2025-26 budget).
- Electronic invoicing
- Not required. The government said in March 2026 that it needs digital infrastructure first and set no timeline.
- How customers pay
- Mostly cash, then bank cards, bank transfer and wallets such as Lynk, NCB Pay and JAM-DEX.
- Retail landscape
- About 18,000 registered retail outlets, with 8,000 to 10,000 independent mini-marts, small supermarkets and wholesalers.
Why Jamaican shops still run on the notebook
Most of Jamaica's small shops are independent: the mini-mart at the corner, the hardware store in town, the beauty supply off the main road. Many still run on a cash drawer, a notebook and the owner's memory. It works until the owner steps away, a delivery goes missing or the shelf runs empty on a Friday evening.
The usual step up has been a POS system from a local installer, often with a tablet or all-in-one terminal, a receipt printer and a setup visit. Packages start at roughly J$90,000 before software or support. For a shop doing most of its trade in cash, that is a lot to spend before seeing any benefit.
Shopkeepa takes the other route. It runs in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer you already have, with no printer required. Receipts can be shown on screen or shared as a link.
GCT, prices and your records
If your shop is GCT-registered, you charge 15% on most taxable goods and file returns with Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ). Basic food items and some other goods are zero-rated or exempt, so not every line on the shelf carries GCT. Many small shops sit below the J$15 million turnover threshold and are not registered at all.
In Shopkeepa, tax is a shop setting: switch GCT on or off for the shop, and mark each product as taxable or not. Prices and reports stay in JMD. Your sales history then shows what you sold and when, which makes the GCT return or a conversation with your accountant easier. Shopkeepa does not file returns for you.
Cash, Lynk, cards and transfers
Cash is still how most customers pay in a Jamaican shop, and any system has to make cash simple. Digital payments are growing: Lynk reports more than 250,000 users and 4,000 businesses, payment providers such as DimePay accept Lynk, NCB Pay and JAM-DEX alongside cards, and bank card terminals remain common in busier shops.
Shopkeepa records how each sale was paid (cash, card, bank transfer, Lynk or other) so the day's cash total is clear when you cash up. It does not process payments itself: the money goes through whichever terminal, wallet or bank you already use.
Deliveries, distributors and restocking
Most stock reaches small Jamaican shops through distributors and their route sales reps, or from a trip to the wholesaler. Many shops outside Kingston get deliveries only once or twice a week, so running out between visits means days of lost sales.
Shopkeepa keeps a running count as you sell and receive stock, reminds you once when a product drops below the minimum you set, and builds a restock list with a suggested quantity. Before the rep arrives, you know what to order. See how to set reorder points for working out the right minimum when deliveries only come weekly.
Patchy connections and power cuts
Connections drop and power goes, especially in rural parishes. Shopkeepa is built with unreliable connections in mind, so a short outage should not stop you selling. Keep the phone or tablet charged, and count the drawer against the day's sales once things are back.
Common questions
Does Shopkeepa work in Jamaican dollars?
Yes. Prices, sales and reports are in JMD. Currency is a shop setting rather than something fixed in the app.
Can Shopkeepa handle GCT?
GCT can be switched on for the shop, and each product can be marked taxable or not, so zero-rated items stay at 0%. Shopkeepa keeps the sales records; it does not file returns with TAJ.
Do I need to buy a POS terminal or printer?
No. Shopkeepa runs on a phone, tablet or computer, and receipts can be shown on screen or shared as a link. A receipt printer or barcode scanner can be added later if you want one.
Can customers pay with Lynk?
Customers pay through Lynk as they do today, and you record the sale in Shopkeepa as a Lynk payment. Shopkeepa records the payment type; it does not process the payment.
Is Shopkeepa available in Jamaica now?
Not yet. Shopkeepa is in development, and Jamaican shops can join the early access waitlist to try it first and help shape it.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked on 6 October 2026. Rules, rates and products change, so confirm anything important with the source.
- PwC Worldwide Tax Summaries: Jamaica, other taxes (GCT rate and threshold)
- VATupdate: Jamaica raises GCT registration threshold in 2025-26 budget
- JIS: Implementing electronic invoicing requires buildout of digital infrastructure (24 March 2026)
- Hope Research Group: Jamaica retail audit and trade census
- Lynk: digital wallet for Jamaica
- DimePay: payment methods accepted in Jamaica
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