6 Best Restaurant POS Systems of August 2022
The best restaurant POS systems have inventory tracking features, employee management tools and strong reporting capabilities.
Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
For restaurants, point-of-sale systems do much more than just accept credit and debit card payments. They also help with communication between the front and back of house, table and menu management, inventory tracking and sales reports.
The best options, listed below, are reliable, easy to use and packed with features that make day-to-day restaurant operations go smoothly. All of NerdWallet's top picks are also equipped with 24/7 customer support and tools for inventory management, table management and employee management.
For restaurants, point-of-sale systems do much more than just accept credit and debit card payments. They also help with communication between the front and back of house, table and menu management, inventory tracking and sales reports.
The best options, listed below, are reliable, easy to use and packed with features that make day-to-day restaurant operations go smoothly. All of NerdWallet's top picks are also equipped with 24/7 customer support and tools for inventory management, table management and employee management.
Best Restaurant POS Systems
| Product | Best for | Payment processing fees | Monthly fee | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Toast POS Shop now on Toast POS's secure website | Best for Overall restaurant POS | 2.99% + $0.15 | $0 Starter Plan. Essentials Plan also available | Shop now on Toast POS's secure website |
 Square Restaurant POS Shop now on Square Restaurant POS's secure website | Best for Free plan | 2.6% + 10¢ | $0 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. Free, Plus, and Premium plans available. | Shop now on Square Restaurant POS's secure website |
 Clover POS Shop now on Clover POS's secure website | Best for Quick-service restaurants | 2.3% + 10¢ | $40/Month Standard Plan. Accept payments and run your business with a compact 7" countertop POS. | Shop now on Clover POS's secure website |
 Upserve Learn more on NerdWallet's secure website | Best for Reporting capabilities | N/A | $59/mo $59 and up. | Learn more on NerdWallet's secure website |
 Lightspeed POS Shop now on Lightspeed POS's secure website | Best for Customizability | 2.6% + 10¢ | $69/Month Lean Plan. Standard & Advanced Plans available. | Shop now on Lightspeed POS's secure website |
 TouchBistro Learn more on NerdWallet's secure website | Best for Locally installed option | N/A | $69/mo $69 and up. | Learn more on NerdWallet's secure website |
Our pick for
Overall restaurant POS
Our pick for
Free plan
Our pick for
Quick-service restaurants
Our pick for
Reporting capabilities
on NerdWallet's secure website
Upserve
Payment processing fees
N/AMonthly fee
$59/mo$59 and up.
on NerdWallet's secure website
Our pick for
Customizability
Our pick for
Locally installed option
on NerdWallet's secure website
TouchBistro
Payment processing fees
N/AMonthly fee
$69/mo$69 and up.
on NerdWallet's secure website
Our picks for best restaurant POS systems
Our pick for: overall restaurant POS
Software cost: Free and up.
Hardware cost: $799 for Toast’s Starter Kit, which includes a Toast Flex POS terminal, contactless card reader and router (no tablet required). Clients can also pay for the kit as a percentage of their sales over time. A two-year contract is required in both scenarios.
Payment processing cost: 2.99% plus 15 cents per transaction if you don’t pay for the Starter Kit upfront; 2.49% plus 15 cents per card-present transaction and 3.5% plus 15 cents per card-not-present transaction if you pay for the Starter Kit upfront.
Why we like it: Among other restaurant-specific features, Toast lets restaurants compare actual versus theoretical performance and add Toast Delivery Services to subscription plans. The in-house delivery service platform charges a flat fee for each order instead of a percentage of the order.
Toast runs on an Android operating system and recommends that clients use its hardware instead of their own tablets.
Our pick for: free plan
Software cost: Free and up.
Hardware cost: $1,389 and up for a Square Register Kit, which includes a Square register, cash drawer, receipt paper and receipt printer (no tablet required).
Payment processing cost: 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction; 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments.
Why we like it: In addition to a free plan, Square offers flexibility to scale the system, cancel your plan without fees and pay for hardware in installments makes it an exceptional option for new restaurants, even though the free plan doesn’t include 24/7 support.
Though Square can operate on Android tablets, the tablet accessories offered on its site are mostly compatible with iPads.
Our pick for: quick-service restaurants
Software cost: $44.95 per month and up for quick service restaurants.
Hardware cost: $1,349 for the Station Solo, which includes a POS station, receipt printer and cash drawer (no tablet required).
Payment processing cost: 2.3% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction; 3.5% plus 10 cents per keyed-in transaction for table-service restaurants; can also choose from third-party payment processors.
Why we like it: Because employees can walk around with the Clover Flex and accept payments, it can help shorten long lines. The Full-Service Restaurant plan also includes features like a customer loyalty program and online ordering that some competitors treat as add-ons. The company doesn’t offer its own kitchen display hardware, but you can sync information between front and back-of-house via a third-party app.
Clover runs on an Android operating system and does not let clients use tablets that weren’t purchased through the company.
Our pick for: reporting capabilities
Software cost: $59 per month and up plus $40 to $60 per terminal.
Hardware cost: $1,350 for a POS terminal with a monitor and card reader (no tablet required).
Payment processing cost: A flat-rate, quote-based fee.
Why we like it: Upserve offers impressive reporting capabilities. It also handles Reputation Management, which collects all of the restaurant’s online reviews and reports them back, and Restaurant Logbook, which establishes a clear line of communication between employees and managers. Employees use the logbook to provide feedback and ask questions, while managers answer those questions via the Upserve Live app.
Upserve has customizable solutions for bars, breweries, coffee shops, delis, quick-service restaurants and more. Its Training Mode setting walks new employees through the different workflows they need to know, making it easy to learn. The system supports a variety of iPads and Android tablets, but the accessories on its site are mostly tailored to iPads. The company is owned by Lightspeed, which is another POS provider.
Our pick for: customizability
Software cost: Starts at $39 per month plus $39 per month per additional register.
Hardware cost: Quote-based.
Payment processing cost: 2.6% plus 10 cents per card-present transaction and 2.6% plus 30 cents per card-not-present transaction with Lightspeed Payments; can also choose from third-party payment processors.
Why we like it: Aside from customizability, Lightspeed Restaurant is also a good fit for restaurants that want the freedom to choose a third-party payment processor.
Lightspeed is compatible with a variety of iPads and iPhones and is optimized for use with iOS systems. Its supported hardware page doesn’t list any Android tablets.
Our pick for: locally installed option
Software cost: Starts at $69 per month.
Hardware cost: Quote-based.
Payment processing cost: Quote-based if you use TouchBistro Payments; can also choose from third-party payment processors.
Why we like it: TouchBistro is a locally installed system that has solutions for all types of restaurants, including food trucks, catering companies and bakeries. TouchBistro lets restaurants advertise their menu on a bigger screen via Apple TV, too. And since the POS system and digital menu board are synced, staff can make changes to the menu in real-time.
TouchBistro is an iPad POS system. It’s compatible with most iPad models but not Android devices.
How to choose a restaurant POS system
Consider the following factors when choosing a POS system for your restaurant:
Payment processing. A payment processor allows you to accept card payments, an important capability for most restaurants. Some POS providers offer their own payment processing services, while others give you the option to connect with various third-party processors.
Front-of-house management. All restaurants need to take, process and manage orders from customers. The best POS system for your restaurant will allow you to manage your front-of-house operations in the way that makes everything run smoothly, whether that includes tableside ordering, splitting and authorizing checks, communicating with the kitchen or managing your floor plan.
Menu and inventory management. A restaurant POS system should allow you to customize the menu, track inventory and note modifications, special offers and sold-out items.
Employee management and access. A good system allows you to set up employee access and permissions, schedule shifts, let employees clock in and out and split tips.
Reporting. Strong reporting capabilities are a must. Look for actual versus theoretical cost reports on food and labor to find opportunities for improving margins. Ideally you should be able to run reports on your restaurant’s different sales channels to see how each channel is performing. This can tell you which dishes are selling best in-house versus takeout, for example.
Integrations. Many restaurant POS systems allow you to connect to additional internal or third-party tools, such as online ordering apps, email marketing software and payroll services.
Support. Consider what kind of customer support is offered by restaurant POS providers. Some providers have phone, chat and email support, as well as implementation and training services. If your restaurant is open late at night, go with a product that offers 24/7 support.
Last updated on August 2, 2022
Methodology
NerdWallet’s point-of-sale systems provider ratings reward companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including cost, system capabilities, contract requirements, customer service and integrations and add-ons. Learn more about how we rate point-of-sale (POS) systems providers.
These ratings are a guide, but services, hardware and pricing can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our editorial guidelines.
To recap our selections...
NerdWallet's Best Restaurant POS Systems of August 2022
- Toast POS: Best for Overall restaurant POS
- Square Restaurant POS: Best for Free plan
- Clover POS: Best for Quick-service restaurants
- Upserve: Best for Reporting capabilities
- Lightspeed POS: Best for Customizability
- TouchBistro: Best for Locally installed option
Frequently asked questions
Restaurant employees use POS systems to accept various forms of payment, keep track of inventory, take orders, send them to the kitchen, clock in and out, manage table layout and maintain menus. A full system consists of hardware — usually a terminal, card reader, cash drawer and receipt printer — and software, along with payment processing capabilities.
Toast is NerdWallet’s top pick for restaurant POS systems. Created specifically for the restaurant industry, it boasts “pay-as-you-go” plans, its own delivery platform and solid inventory management and reporting capabilities.
When you’re estimating cost, factor in hardware, software and payment processing. Expect to pay about $1,300 upfront for a register setup that includes a POS terminal, card reader, receipt printer and cash drawer. Taxes, delivery and potential setup and training fees can get pricey too, so make sure you understand what additional costs are associated with a product before you sign a contract.
Software plans tend to cost around $60 or $70 per month on the lower end, and most companies charge extra fees per additional terminal too. Consider whether you’ll need integrations like advanced inventory management, vendor management or online ordering. These can increase your monthly cost by hundreds of dollars.
Payment processing fees vary, but try to avoid monthly PCI compliance fees and high chargeback fees.
