For one thing, it doesn't accommodate cash. For another, it doesn't print receipts (not without a third-party printer, that is). And it requires you to own a smartphone or tablet, hardware not every business owner can afford.

If you're looking for a more traditional point-of-sale system, but with Square-like pricing, check out . It's a soup-to-nuts POS setup that's absolutely free.

Yeah, I was skeptical, too, but there's no catch that I could find. Instead, there's something of an embarrassment of riches in what the company offers.

GoPago Live comes with an Android-powered tablet, a tablet stand with credit card reader, a cash drawer, a receipt printer, and, perhaps most amazing of all, a free 4G data plan courtesy of Verizon.

Once again, there's no charge for any of this. Your only expense is a per-transaction fee of 2.85 percent--and that applies only to credit-card transactions, not cash. (Customers can also use the GoPago app to make mobile payments.) There are no other charges, no monthly fees.