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Best Bar 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 bar POS system | 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 |
Toast POS Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Bars that serve food | 2.49% + $0.15 if you buy hardware upfront; 3.09% + $0.15 for pay-as-you-go option. | $0.00 Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan. | Learn more on Toast POS's secure website | ||
Clover POS Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Customer engagement tools | In-person: 2.3% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $14.95 and up. | Learn more on Clover POS's secure website | ||
Lightspeed Restaurant POS Learn more on Lightspeed Restaurant POS's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Flexibility and customizability | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $69.00 Starter plan; $189 Essential plan; $399 Premium plan. | Learn more on Lightspeed Restaurant POS's secure website | ||
TouchBistro Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | 3.5/5 Best for System reliability | N/A Quote-based. | $69.00 and up. | Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website |
Our pick for
Overall bar POS system
Square Restaurant POS
on Square Restaurant POS's secure website
Free plan; $60 Plus plan; Custom plan available.
Pros
- Free plan available.
- App and card readers are compatible with iOS and Android devices.
- Can pay for hardware in installments.
- No long-term contracts or installation fees.
- In-house payroll software available.
- All plans include a free online ordering page.
Cons
- Free plan doesn’t include 24/7 support.
Our pick for
Bars 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.
Starter Kit; $69 Point of Sale plan; custom Build Your Own plan.
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 engagement tools
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
Flexibility and customizability
Lightspeed Restaurant POS
on Lightspeed Restaurant POS's secure website
Starter plan; $189 Essential plan; $399 Premium plan.
Pros
- 24/7 phone and chat support.
- Free online training with a specialist.
- May be compatible with hardware from different brands.
Cons
- Annual contracts are required for lower pricing.
- Monthly software fees are higher than many competitors.
Our pick for
System reliability
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.
Square for Restaurants: Best overall bar POS system
- $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.
- No contract or hidden fees.
- Free software plan available.
- Total pricing transparency.
- Can scale to fit changing business needs.
- Free plan includes unlimited countertop devices and locations.
- Free trial available with Plus plan.
- 24/7 support available only with paid monthly plan.
- Hefty in-person setup and training fee (starts at $1,399).
Toast POS: Best for bars that serve food
- $0 for Starter Kit plan.
- $69 Point of Sale 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.
- 24/7 customer support available with all plan tiers.
- Enables QR code ordering.
- Hearty, spill-resistant hardware.
- Offline mode with detailed support instructions for troubleshooting during various outage scenarios.
- Long-term contract required and may include early termination fee.
Clover POS: Best for customer engagement tools
- $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.
- 24/7 customer support.
- Enables QR code ordering.
- Dependable hardware.
- Large selection of software integrations.
- No free monthly software option.
- Pricing, while transparent, can be tough to navigate.
Lightspeed Restaurant POS: Best for flexibility and customizability
- $69 for Starter plan.
- $189 for Essential plan.
- $399 for Premium plan.
- $99 for Chipper 2X BT card reader.
- $199 for iPad stand or swivel stand.
- $299 for WisePOS E countertop reader.
- $429 for Lightspeed Lite Server for data backup and offline mode functionality.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 24/7 support available.
- Offers free live setup and training.
- Can integrate with existing hardware and third-party payment processors.
- Integrations with useful apps such as BevSpot, 7shifts and OpenTable.
- Offline mode only included with purchase of a proprietary local server (and function is limited).
TouchBistro: Best for system reliability
- $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.
- 24/7 support.
- Remote training and POS access to diagnose issues.
- Software integrations for accounting, payroll and inventory management.
- Hybrid system setup enables many functions to continue — across multiple devices — during internet outage.
- Long-term contract that may be very difficult to terminate early.
- Add-on capabilities add up pretty quickly.
Bar POS system must-have features
- Speed and reliability. The bar environment is a fast-paced one, and you’ll need a POS system that can keep up on all fronts, from app and software response to payment processing to receipt printing. Taking advantage of a free trial opportunity or live, in-person demo could help you gauge whether the system you’re considering will power through a late-night rush or drag you down with delays and lag times.
- User friendliness. Even if you’re a tech-savvy business owner, your staff will likely have varying degrees of comfort with tech and POS systems. And because time is definitely money in the bar and restaurant industry, you want to be sure you won’t need to invest heavily in getting you and your staff confident in using the system. This is where POS providers who offer live setup and training support (especially if it’s in-person and most especially if it’s free) can stand out among the competition.
- 24/7 live support. Whether by phone or through chat, customer support availability — particularly after normal business hours — is an important consideration when choosing your bar POS provider. It’s great to have a chatbot at your fingertips for quick questions that can be easily answered, but when it’s 1 a.m. and your bar is packed, you won’t want to dampen the mood if your system suddenly has an issue accepting credit card payments and you’re unable to reach a customer support representative until 9 a.m. the next day.
- Tabs, split checks and promos. Customers will almost certainly expect the ability to open a tab, split a check among friends or coworkers and see what’s on offer for happy hour. You’ll want to be sure your POS system can deliver on those expectations.
- Menu management. Whether you have a small, curated menu of specialty cocktails, an extensive beer and food menu that spans several pages, or something in between, you’re going to need the ability to easily make changes to your menu. Some systems allow you to schedule pricing changes to occur on certain days and times (think happy hours and promotions), which can help to streamline your menu management.
- Staff management. Any bar owner knows the amount of time and thought that goes into creating a staffing schedule that satisfies both the employee and the business needs. Not to mention how crucial it is to accurately track and pay out tips, ensure employees get paid correctly and on time and set system permissions according to employee role. A POS system that includes functionality for managing staff, whether as a built-in feature or an add-on tool, is a must.
- Inventory tracking. It almost goes without saying that accurate inventory tracking is essential for running a bar. Many bar POS systems will include this as a built-in function; some may also offer the ability to integrate with various inventory management apps and software.