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5 Best Restaurant POS Systems of June 2023

The best restaurant POS systems have inventory tracking features, employee management tools and strong reporting capabilities.
Last updated on May 26, 2023

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For restaurants, point-of-sale systems do much more than 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 options and tools for inventory management, table management and employee management.

Best Restaurant POS Systems

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Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

Product
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Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
4.0/5

Best for Overall restaurant POS

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.

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

Square Restaurant POS

Learn more

on Square Restaurant POS's secure website

5.0/5

Best for Free plan

2.6% + $0.10

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

$0

Free plan; $60 Plus plan; Custom plan available.

Learn more

on Square Restaurant POS's secure website

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Quick-service restaurants

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

Online: 3.5% + $0.10

$15

$14.95 and up.

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Lightspeed Restaurant POS

Best for Customizability

N/A

in-person; 2.6% + 30¢ manually keyed.

$69

Starter plan; $189 Essential plan; $399 Premium plan.

TouchBistro

3.0/5

Best for Locally installed option

N/A

Determined by the payment processor you select.

$69

and up.

Our pick for

Overall restaurant POS

Toast POS

Learn more

on Toast POS's secure website

Payment processing fees

2.99% + $0.15

if you pay for hardware monthly; 2.49% + 15¢ if you buy upfront.

Monthly fee

$0

Quick Start Bundle; $69 Core plan; $165 Growth plan. Custom plan also available.

Our pick for

Free plan

Square Restaurant POS

Learn more

on Square Restaurant POS's secure website

Payment processing fees

2.6% + $0.10

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

Monthly fee

$0

Free plan; $60 Plus plan; Custom plan available.

Our pick for

Quick-service restaurants

Clover POS

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Payment processing fees

In-person: 2.3% + $0.10

Online: 3.5% + $0.10

Monthly fee

$15

$14.95 and up.

Our pick for

Customizability

Lightspeed Restaurant POS

Payment processing fees

N/A

in-person; 2.6% + 30¢ manually keyed.

Monthly fee

$69

Starter plan; $189 Essential plan; $399 Premium plan.

Our pick for

Locally installed option

TouchBistro

Payment processing fees

N/A

Determined by the payment processor you select.

Monthly fee

$69

and up.

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Our picks for best restaurant POS systems

Toast

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 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.
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. Read our full Toast POS review.

Square for Restaurants

Our pick for: Free plan
Software cost: Free and up.
Hardware cost: $1,479 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 for in-person transactions.
  • 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
  • 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
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, making it an exceptional option for new restaurants — even though the free plan doesn’t include 24/7 support.
The tablet accessories offered by Square are mostly compatible with iPads, though they can operate on some Android tablets. Read our full Square POS for Restaurants review.

Clover

Our pick for: Quick-service restaurants
Software cost: $44.95 per month and up for quick-service restaurants.
Hardware cost: $1,799 for the Station Duo, which includes a POS station, receipt printer and cash drawer (no tablet required).
Payment processing cost:
  • 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.
Why we like it: Because employees can walk around with the Clover Flex and accept payments, it can help shorten long lines. Plus, Clover systems can accept payments while the internet is down or you don’t have Wi-Fi. The Full-Service Restaurant plans also include 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. Read our full Clover review.

Lightspeed Restaurant

Our pick for: Customizability
Software cost:
  • $69 for Starter plan.
  • $189 for Essential plan.
  • $399 for Premium plan.
Hardware cost:
Pricing for Lightspeed's iPad and desktop hardware kits is quote-based. Individual hardware products are listed in Lightspeed's online store:
  • $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.
Payment processing cost:
  • 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
  • 2.6% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
Why we like it: Aside from customizability, Lightspeed Restaurant is also a good fit for restaurants that want to use a third-party payment processor, as it supports a few other options besides its own.
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. Read our full Lightspeed Restaurant POS review.

TouchBistro

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. Read our full TouchBistro review.

What is a restaurant POS system?

Restaurant employees use POS systems to accept various forms of payment, keep track of inventory, take orders and 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.

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 May 26, 2023

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.

Frequently Asked Questions