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Best Cafe and Coffee Shop POS Systems From Our Partners
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
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Square Restaurant POS Learn more on Square Restaurant POS's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 5.0/5 Best for Overall cafe and coffee shop POS | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 Free plan; $60 Plus plan; Custom plan available. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Square Restaurant POS's secure website |
Clover POS Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Taking payments from customers in line | In-person: 2.3% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $14.95 and up. | Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | ||
Toast POS Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Larger coffee shops that serve food | 2.49% + $0.15 if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option. | $0.00 Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available. | Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | ||
TouchBistro Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Customer relationship management platform | N/A Quote-based. | $69.00 and up. | Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | ||
Lavu Learn more on Lavu's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Cash discount program | N/A Quote-based. | $99.00 and up. | Learn more on Lavu's secure website |
Our pick for
Overall cafe and coffee shop POS
Square Restaurant POS
on Square Restaurant POS's secure website
Free plan; $60 Plus plan; Custom plan available.
Pros
- Easy to scale up as your business grows.
- Flexible system can adapt to restaurants of many types.
Cons
- Other systems have more front-of-house features.
- Limited inventory management.
Our pick for
Taking payments from customers in line
Clover POS
on Clover POS's secure website
and up.
Pros
- Free plan available if you’re only using a mobile card reader.
- 24/7 phone and email support.
- All restaurant plans include no-fee online ordering, and retail plans let you integrate with existing online stores.
Cons
- Promotions require a three-year contract.
- Charges termination fees, though they may be waived in certain cases.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Popular accounting integrations are only available through third-party apps.
Our pick for
Larger coffee shops that serve food
Toast POS
on Toast POS's secure website
if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option.
Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available.
Pros
- Free plan available for restaurants with up to two POS terminals.
- 24/7 support via web messaging.
- Offers helpful related services, like payroll and team management software, that integrate closely with its POS system.
- Built specifically for restaurants with in-house delivery platform available, among other industry-specific features.
Cons
- Requires a two-year contract and charges early termination fees.
- Online payment processing rates are more expensive than competitors.
- Charges setup fee, and offline mode includes hidden cost of backup router.
- Online ordering is considered an add-on for all plans.
Our pick for
Customer relationship management platform
TouchBistro
on TouchBistro's secure website
Quote-based.
and up.
Pros
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support.
- Includes restaurant-specific features, like table and menu management.
- Optional profit management system provides tools for improving margins.
- As a hybrid POS system, TouchBistro can operate without the cloud. Offline capabilities include accepting payments, taking orders, editing menus and managing staff.
Cons
- Payment processing rates are quote-based, making them difficult to compare to the competition.
- Contracts are automatically renewed and can't be terminated early.
- No free plan options and charges setup fee.
- Ability to accept online orders costs extra.
Our pick for
Cash discount program
Lavu
on Lavu's secure website
Quote-based.
and up.
Pros
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
- Highly customizable POS platform for those with programming skills.
- Restaurants can set up timed menu changes, start customers’ tabs on one register and cash them out at another.
- Dual pricing program can help decrease payment processing fees.
Cons
- No free plan options.
- Cannot cancel subscription before term is up.
- Does not list payment processing fees.
- No virtual terminal for accepting transactions remotely.
Square POS for Restaurants: Best overall cafe and coffee shop POS
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $192 and up for Square Restaurant Essentials Bundle.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail Premium plan.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $49 and up for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
Clover: Best for taking payments from customers in line
- $14.95 for Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter, Professional Services Starter and Standard and Home & Field Services plans.
- $49.95 for Retail Standard, Personal Services Standard and Advanced and Professional Services Advanced plans.
- $54.95 for Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
- $64.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
- $69.90 for Quick-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $84.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter plan.
- $99.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard plan.
- $114.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
- $49 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $599 for Clover Flex mobile POS with printer.
- $799 for Clover Mini POS.
- $1,699 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Duo.
- 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions for most plans, though rates may also vary by hardware type.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Starter, Personal Services Starter and Professional Services Standard plans, as well as Home & Field Services Standard and Advanced plans.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
Toast: Best for larger coffee shops that serve food
- $0 for Quick Start Bundle.
- $69 for Core plan.
- $110 plus $4 per employee for Restaurant Basics plan.
- $165 for Growth plan.
- Custom plans available.
- $799.20 for Handheld Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,024.20 for Countertop Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,339.20 for Guest Self-Service Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- 3.09% plus 15 cents per transaction, if you choose pay-as-you-go option on hardware.
- 2.49% plus 15 cents for card-present transactions, if you pay for hardware upfront.
- 3.50% plus 15 cents for card-not-present transactions, if you pay for hardware upfront.
TouchBistro: Best customer relationship management platform
- $69 for base plan.
- $25 for gift cards feature.
- $50 for online ordering feature.
- $99 for loyalty features or marketing features.
- $229 for reservations feature.
Lavu: Best cash discount program
- $99 for Starter plan with Dual Pay.
- $149 for Growth plan with Dual Pay.
- $279 for Optimize plan with Dual Pay.
How to choose a coffee shop POS system
Fees
- Does the system charge a monthly fee to integrate with your accounting software?
Hardware features
- Does the terminal come with a customer-facing display? Can you add one to it?
- Can you set tipping options on the customer-facing display?
- Does the company offer mobile POS options for taking orders from customers standing in line?
- Will an offline mode kick in when the Wi-Fi inevitably goes out?
Customizability and loyalty
- Can employees add special notes to orders?
- Is there a loyalty program that rewards customers for each visit?
- Will the system help your employees spot regulars and remember their orders?
Payments
- Is there an online ordering option or order-ahead option available?
- Does the system let you accept contactless payments?
- Are you stuck with the in-house payment processor, or can you use a third-party processor?
Time-tracking
- Does the system let employees easily clock in and out?
- Does it let employees tip out when a shift is over?