Best Cafe and Coffee Shop POS Systems
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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 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 | $15 $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 | 2.99% + $0.15 if you pay for hardware monthly; 2.49% + 15¢ if you buy upfront. | $0 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 | 4.0/5 Best for Customer relationship management platform | N/A Quote-based. | $69 and up. | Learn more on TouchBistro's secure website | ||
Lavu | 3.0/5 Best for Cash discount program | N/A | $59 and up. |
Our pick for
Overall cafe and coffee shop POS
Square Restaurant POS
on Square Restaurant POS's secure website
$0
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
$15
$14.95 and up.
Pros
- Competitive flat rates for payment processing.
- Hardware performs well and is well designed.
Cons
- No free options.
- Pricing can be tough to understand.
Our pick for
Larger coffee shops that serve food
Toast POS
on Toast POS's secure website
2.99% + $0.15
if you pay for hardware monthly; 2.49% + 15¢ if you buy upfront.
$0
Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available.
Pros
- 24/7 phone, email and chat support.
- Free plan available for restaurants with up to two POS terminals.
- In-house payroll software available.
- Online ordering is included in some plans.
- In-house delivery platform available.
- Built specifically for restaurants.
Cons
- A two-year contract is required.
Our pick for
Customer relationship management platform
TouchBistro
on TouchBistro's secure website
N/A
Quote-based.
$69
and up.
Pros
- 24/7 phone, chat and email support.
- Built specifically for restaurants.
- Greater offline mode capabilities than many competitors.
Cons
- Contracts are automatically renewed and can't be terminated early.
Our pick for
Cash discount program
Lavu
N/A
$59
and up.
Pros
- Compatible with third-party payment processors.
- Lets you pick and choose integration features.
- Highly customizable POS platform for those with programming skills.
Cons
- Limited hardware options.
- Monthly software fees skyrocket if you choose not to use Lavu Pay for payment processing.
- Lack of payment processing pricing transparency.
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 and Retail Plus plans.
- $69 for Square Appointments 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).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer.
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system.
- 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.
- 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.
- $627 for Handheld Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $875 for Countertop Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- $1,009 for Guest Self-Service Starter Kit (but $0 if you agree to a higher processing fee).
- 2.99% 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
- $59-$329 for Starter plan.
- $129-$429 for Growth plan.
- $279-$529 for Optimize plan.
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?