Shopify to Lightspeed
Migrating from Shopify to Lightspeed represents a strategic move from a dedicated eCommerce platform to a unified POS and eCommerce solution. In 2025, with Shopify's online-only focus and Lightspeed's integrated retail management, many merchants with physical stores are making the switch for unified inventory, sales, and customer management across online and offline channels.
This comprehensive technical blueprint covers Shopify's REST Admin API structure, field mappings to Lightspeed's REST API, and step-by-step migration execution.
1. The Strategic Pivot: Why Leave Shopify?
💰 Unified POS & eCommerce
The Shopify Pain: Shopify requires separate POS system (Shopify POS) which may not integrate well with existing retail operations. Managing two separate systems for online and offline sales.
The Lightspeed Gain: Lightspeed is built as a unified POS and eCommerce platform. Single inventory, single customer database, and seamless integration between online and retail stores.
🚀 Retail-Focused Features
The Shopify Pain: Shopify is designed primarily for online stores. Retail-specific features like inventory management across locations, staff management, and retail reporting are limited.
The Lightspeed Gain: Lightspeed offers comprehensive retail management: multi-location inventory, staff scheduling, retail analytics, and industry-specific features for restaurants, retail, and more.
🛠 Industry-Specific Solutions
The Shopify Pain: Shopify is generic eCommerce. Industry-specific needs (restaurants, specialty retail, etc.) require expensive custom development or apps.
The Lightspeed Gain: Lightspeed offers industry-specific solutions: Lightspeed Restaurant, Lightspeed Retail, with features tailored to specific business types.
⚡ Inventory Synchronization
The Shopify Pain: Managing inventory across online and physical stores requires third-party apps or manual synchronization. Complex and error-prone.
The Lightspeed Gain: Lightspeed provides automatic inventory synchronization between online and retail locations. Real-time stock updates across all channels.
2. The Pre-Migration Architecture Audit
Shopify is a hosted SaaS platform with REST Admin API, while Lightspeed is a hosted platform with REST API access.
- Shopify Plan: Are you on Basic, Shopify, Advanced, or Plus? API rate limits differ by plan.
- API Access: Shopify provides REST Admin API. Generate API credentials in Shopify admin.
- Lightspeed Setup: Ensure Lightspeed eCommerce store is created. Lightspeed provides REST API for data access. Generate API keys in Lightspeed admin.
- Product Structure: Shopify products map well to Lightspeed products. Variants structure is similar.
- Images: Shopify images are on Shopify CDN. Need to be downloaded and re-uploaded to Lightspeed.
3. Exact Data Mapping: The Blueprint
Shopify's REST Admin API structure maps well to Lightspeed's REST API.
🛍 Product Data Mapping
| Shopify Field (Source) | Lightspeed Field (Target) | Notes & Logic |
|---|---|---|
Product.id |
itemID |
Lightspeed generates new IDs. Use SKU for mapping. |
Product.title |
description |
Direct string transfer. |
ProductVariant.sku |
customSku |
Shopify SKU is at variant level, Lightspeed at item level. |
ProductVariant.price |
Prices.ItemPrice |
Price per item in Lightspeed. |
Product.body_html |
longDescription |
HTML content. Images need re-uploading to Lightspeed CDN. |
Collection |
Category |
Shopify collections become Lightspeed categories. |
Product.options and ProductVariant |
ItemAttributes |
Shopify variants map well to Lightspeed item attributes. |
👥 Customer Data Mapping
| Shopify Field | Lightspeed Field | Critical Logic |
|---|---|---|
Customer.email |
email or ContactID |
Unique identifier. |
Customer.password |
password (on create) |
Requires password reset. Shopify and Lightspeed use different hashing. Customers must reset passwords. |
CustomerAddress |
Addresses |
Shopify addresses map to Lightspeed addresses array. |
📦 Order Data Mapping
| Shopify Field | Lightspeed Field | Mapping Logic |
|---|---|---|
Order.name (order number) |
saleID |
Preserve Shopify order number in Lightspeed sale ID. |
Order.financial_status, Order.fulfillment_status |
completed or status |
Map Shopify's dual status system to Lightspeed order statuses. |
Order.total_price |
total |
Direct mapping with currency conversion if needed. |
4. The Toolkit: Selecting Your Vehicle
Option A: Automated Cloud Migration (Recommended)
Tools: Migration Shop, LitExtension, Cart2Cart
Specialized tools that connect via Shopify Admin API and Lightspeed REST API.
- ✅ Pros: Handles API complexity, preserves relationships, creates redirects.
- ❌ Cons: Cost scales with data ($200 - $500).
Option B: Custom Script
Tools: Shopify Admin API + Lightspeed REST API
- ✅ Pros: Full control, can customize mapping.
- ❌ Cons: Requires developer ($100-$200/hr), 30+ hours.
5. Execution Protocol: Step-by-Step
Phase 1: Environment Preparation
1.1. Prepare Target (Lightspeed):
Create Lightspeed eCommerce store. Generate API credentials in Lightspeed admin. Create API key with write permissions for items, customers, and sales.
1.2. Prepare Source (Shopify):
Generate API credentials in Shopify admin. Create private app with read permissions for products, customers, and orders.
Phase 2: The Connection Setup
2.1. Lightspeed API Access:
Use API credentials from Lightspeed. Migration tool authenticates via OAuth or API key.
2.2. Shopify API:
Use Admin API access token from Shopify. Migration tool authenticates via Shopify REST Admin API.
Phase 3: Migration Execution
- Use Automated Tool: Recommended for handling Shopify API and Lightspeed mapping.
- Create 301 Redirects: Critical for SEO preservation.
- Plan POS Integration: After migration, set up Lightspeed POS if you have physical stores for unified inventory management.
Phase 4: Post-Migration
4.1. Customer Communication:
Notify customers about the migration. They'll need to reset passwords.
4.2. Verify Products:
Check all products migrated correctly. Verify images, prices, and variants.
4.3. POS Setup:
If you have physical stores, set up Lightspeed POS to enable unified inventory and sales management across online and retail.
6. Financial Breakdown: Cost of Migration (2025)
Custom Script
Developer Time
Automated Cloud
Average Cost
Agency Service
Starting Cost
7. Troubleshooting & SEO Preservation
Common Challenges
- API Rate Limits: Both Shopify and Lightspeed APIs have rate limits. Migration tools handle this automatically.
- Product Variants: Shopify and Lightspeed handle variants similarly, but verify mapping.
- POS Integration: After migration, set up Lightspeed POS if you have physical stores for unified operations.
The 301 Redirect Strategy
Shopify URLs differ from Lightspeed URLs. Automated migration tools create redirects, but verify in Lightspeed admin.
Ready for Unified Retail & Online?
Migrating from Shopify to Lightspeed provides a unified POS and eCommerce platform with seamless inventory synchronization. Shopify's API access makes migration straightforward, and you'll gain the power of integrated retail management.