Is Loyverse NF525-compliant in France? What merchants need to know in 2026

Loyverse is a free POS developed by a Hong Kong-based company, available in 30+ languages and used by hundreds of thousands of merchants worldwide. Its free plan is attractive, its interface is polished, and its popularity is real. However, Loyverse was not designed specifically for the French market and its particular legal requirements.

Since 2018, France requires every VAT-registered merchant to use a POS system compliant with NF525/ISCA criteria (Inalterability, Security, Conservation, Archival). From 1 September 2026, editors must provide either an official NF525 certification issued by an accredited body (LNE, Infocert/AFNOR), or an editor self-certification attestation explicitly allowed by French law since August 2024.

Loyverse does not appear on the public list of NF525-certified POS software, and does not provide an editor attestation tailored to the French legal framework. For a French merchant, this creates a direct problem during a tax audit.

Article 1770 duodecies of the French Tax Code provides for a fine of 7,500€ per non-compliant POS system, with 60 days to comply. Beyond the fine, tax authorities can deepen the audit and go back several fiscal years, undermining the credibility of your entire accounting.

Concretely, if an inspector asks for your compliance attestation or NF525 certificate, Loyverse provides no document officially recognized by French tax authorities. You also have no native FEC (Fichier des Écritures Comptables) export formatted to the administration's expectations.

This isn't about software quality — Loyverse works very well for what it offers — it's about French legal framework it wasn't adapted to.

Inalterability: every sale must be impossible to modify or delete after validation. Loyverse allows adjustments and deletions in certain scenarios, which isn't compatible with French strict inalterability requirements.

Security: transactions must be cryptographically chained to detect any tampering. Loyverse doesn't implement the specific chaining expected by NF525.

Conservation: data must be retained for at least 6 years in a format guaranteed in France. Loyverse stores your data in its cloud, but without contractual guarantees aligned with this French obligation.

Archival: exports must be in a format readable by tax authorities, typically standardized FEC. Loyverse offers CSV exports, but not a native French FEC.

Each pillar was designed to fight VAT fraud in France. International POS systems like Loyverse target other markets with other standards (HMRC in UK, GS1 in Germany, etc.) and don't integrate these specific French criteria.

Several free or freemium POS systems are NF525-compliant and suited to the French market:

digabloPos is a free alternative to Loyverse, designed for the French and international market. Core software is free forever, with an NF525 self-certified attestation (legally equivalent to LNE certification since August 2024 law) downloadable directly from your account. Works fully offline, supports 6 languages including French, handles CFA franc for Francophone Africa, and provides native FEC export for your accountant.

SumUp POS (formerly Tiller) is NF525-certified but charges 1.75% on each card transaction, or imposes a 25€/month subscription to reduce this commission.

L'Addition is a French restaurant specialist, NF525-compliant, starting at 49€/month.

Lightspeed is NF525-compliant but starts at 79€/month and relies heavily on the cloud.

If you currently use Loyverse in France, migrating to a compliant solution is the only sustainable option. The sooner you migrate, the more comfortable the transition will be before 1 September 2026.

Migrating from Loyverse is relatively simple if you have a solution that guides the process. Loyverse lets you export your product catalog, customers, and sales history in standard CSV format.

digabloPos offers a guided migration module that imports these exports automatically. Catalog, prices, categories, customers, history — everything is brought over in a few hours, with no business closure. You keep your past data in Loyverse as archive, and your new activity starts NF525-compliant from day one.

Timing matters: ideally, migrate before 1 September 2026 to avoid any gray zone during an audit. The preceding three months will likely be busy for all editors — anticipating is the best strategy.