NCR Silver Pro Restaurant POS Review: Pros, Cons, Alternatives
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This article is out-of-date. NCR Silver Pro has been replaced with the company's Aloha Cloud product. For more information about Aloha point-of-sale, see NerdWallet's review.
NCR Silver Pro is a cloud-based point-of-sale system that runs on an iPad or Android tablet. It’s a product of the NCR Corporation, formerly known as the National Cash Register Company, the oldest cash-register manufacturer. But despite the company’s longtime industry status, its POS options NCR Silver Pro and Aloha POS are less comprehensive than newer competitors like Square and Clover.
Although this POS system has many happy longtime users and various useful features, such as email marketing and loyalty programs, its restrictive multiyear contracts make it a so-so choice for small-to-medium-size businesses.
Deciding factors
Best for | Restaurants looking for user-friendly software and ready for a multi-year contract. |
Software cost | Free for Starter plan and $165 per month for Premium plan with accompanying hardware subscription. |
Hardware cost | Quote-based bundles. |
Payment processing cost |
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Accepted payment methods |
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Contract length | 36-month initial term unless otherwise specified. |
Termination fees | Early termination requires users to pay out all remaining months of the initial contract term. |
Live support | 24/7 phone support. |
Ease of use | User-friendly, according to reviews. |
How does NCR Silver Pro work?
NCR Silver Pro runs on an iPad or Android tablet with accompanying hardware like card readers and receipt printers. The software processes online and in-store orders. NCR Payments is also quote-based and comes with a three-year contract, exclusivity clause and early termination fee.
Features
In addition to the features listed below, NCR Silver Pro has built-in email marketing and loyalty programs, sales analytics, back-office reporting and multi-site management capabilities.
Online ordering: NCR offers digital ordering and payment features for takeout and dine-in.
Labor scheduling: This optional add-on helps with employee schedule management, including features for shift swapping and time-off requests.
Gift cards: NCR Silver Pro has built-in capabilities to create and promote physical and virtual gift cards.
Kitchen production: This back-of-house feature routes customer orders to the kitchen and displays them digitally.
Payroll: NCR Silver Pro can integrate into the company’s outsourced HR management platform, connecting with your POS operations to track time and attendance, automate income and verify employees.
How much does NCR Silver Pro cost?
Software
Plan | Features | Pricing | Payment processing |
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Starter | POS capabilities, customer support, hardware setup, basic loyalty and email marketing. | From $0 with hardware terminal subscription. |
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Premium | All of the above plus online ordering, mobile app and lower payment processing rates. | From $165 per month. |
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Optional add-ons for both plans include kitchen production, advanced reporting, inventory and labor scheduling.
Hardware
NCR Silver Pro has two hardware bundles for in-person transactions. All NCR hardware is quote-based and offered through a monthly subscription payment.
Table Service Hardware Bundle
Includes 15-inch POS terminal, card reader that accepts chipped card and contactless payments, cash drawer and receipt printer.
Fast Casual & Quick Service Hardware Bundle
Includes 15-inch POS terminal with customer-facing display, card reader that accepts chipped card and contactless payments, cash drawer and receipt printer.
NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 | NerdWallet rating 5.0 /5 |
Payment processing fees 0.40% + 8¢ plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online. | Payment processing fees 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. | Payment processing fees 2.7% + 5¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. |
Monthly fee $0 | Monthly fee $0 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | Monthly fee $0 |
Pros
Ease of use
User reviews say NCR Silver Pro is user-friendly, with a simple interface that employees can learn to use quickly. It’s not as complex as some other POS systems, and hardware setup is included with the contract.
Marketing and loyalty
NCR Silver Pro offers basic loyalty tools and email marketing templates. Though some reviews say the templates aren’t as visually appealing as a dedicated email service like MailChimp, they’re functional and can be automated with personalized deals and coupons.
Cons
Pricing and multiyear contracts
Much of NCR Silver Pro pricing is subscription-based and quote-based, so it can be hard to estimate how much your business will end up paying to use the company’s hardware and software. Especially with its restrictive multiyear contract terms, it’s best to carefully review your contract and proceed with caution.
Limited integrations
For businesses seeking an online presence, NCR Silver Pro offers no integrations to major e-commerce sites like Shopify — only its own NCR Silver Commerce platform.
Alternatives
Square POS for Restaurants
Square Restaurant POS |
Square for Restaurants offers a variety of industry-specific features with transparent and straightforward pricing. It offers a free software plan, an upgraded plan with a $60 monthly subscription fee and a premium plan with custom pricing.
Square’s current per-transaction fee for in-person payments is 2.6% plus 10 cents. Its restaurant POS hardware ranges from free readers to $1,339 complete hardware kits, depending on your restaurant’s needs. And unlike NCR Silver Pro, Square’s hardware can be purchased outright.
Square for Restaurants allows you to run front-of-house operations, such as menu setups, table maps, tabs and gratuity. It also provides reporting and employee management, as well as customer insights.
Clover POS Register
Clover |
Clover is a popular POS system for restaurants, with various hardware and software options. Per-transaction fees start at 2.3% plus 10 cents for card-present transactions, with hardware starting at $499 for the Clover Flex.
The Starter plan, at $69.95 per month with accompanying hardware, offers features like employee management, loyalty programs, inventory management, promotions and more. Clover Register allows you to manage tables, take payments without Wi-Fi, set up low stock alerts and schedule shifts for your team, among other operations.
On a similar note...
Product | Payment processing fees | Monthly fee | Learn more |
---|---|---|---|
Helcim NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Helcim's website | 0.40% + 8¢ plus interchange, in-person; 0.50% + 25¢ plus interchange, online. | $0 | Learn more on Helcim's website |
Square NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Square's website | 2.6% + 10¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. | $0 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | Learn more on Square's website |
Stripe Payments NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Stripe's website | 2.7% + 5¢ in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online. | $0 | Learn more on Stripe's website |
Shopify POS NerdWallet Rating Learn more on Shopify's website | 2.70% in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online (Basic plan). | $39 and up for e-commerce plans with POS Lite; Can upgrade to POS Pro for an extra $89. | Learn more on Shopify's website |