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The best restaurants in the world use point of sale technology such as cash registers, credit card machines and receipt printers to keep their staff well-informed on sales. This is a trend that’s only going to continue into the future.
The “old restaurant pos systems” are a type of system that was used for decades in restaurants. However, as technology has progressed and new systems have been introduced, the old restaurant pos systems are now considered to be outdated.
For foodservice organizations, point-of-sale (POS) systems handle orders and collect payments. All-in-one restaurant management solutions including inventory management, personnel management, staff scheduling, reservations, Ordering over the internet, and customer loyalty features are the finest POS systems for restaurants.
We choose cloud-based and hybrid POS systems that run on tablets for independent restaurants because they are more cost-effective and versatile than typical legacy POS systems with locally installed countertop hardware. Typical monthly costs vary from $49 to $120 per terminal, while two of the alternatives on our list have no monthly software fees.
The finest restaurant POS systems, according to our research, are:
- Best Overall POS in a Restaurant for all sorts of eateries
- Revel is ideal for restaurants with a large number of customers and several locations.
- Lightspeed’s Upserve is the best for inventory management automation.
- Lavu is the best app for keeping track of and showing nutritional data.
- Rezku: For small eateries transitioning from a cash register, this is the best option.
- Restaurant Lightspeed is the best option for integrating third-party delivery services and managing reservations.
- TouchBistro: The most user-friendly point-of-sale system with customizable reporting
- Restaurants should use Square since it’s the best for free Ordering over the internet.
POS Systems for Restaurants Compared
How We Assessed POS Systems for Restaurants
We examined 12 of the most popular restaurant POS systems based on what’s important to food and beverage companies, such as inventory control and Ordering over the internet, as well as general business features like personnel management, pricing, and simplicity of use. Personal reviews of each program from our retail and restaurant professionals were also taken into account.
Toast emerged as the top restaurant POS based on the aforementioned parameters. According to our restaurant software assessment methodology, the program obtained the highest overall grade (4.31 out of 5).
Our in-depth assessment criteria may be found by clicking through the tabs below:
10% of the overall score
Independent eateries must operate on a shoestring budget. We looked at whether each system had a free plan, a free trial, or an entry-level software subscription that costs less than $75 per month. We awarded POS systems that allow numerous payment processing alternatives high grades to guarantee eateries can receive the best available costs. Finally, we examined hardware expenditures as well as the term of the subscription. The best grades went to systems that enable eateries to bring their own hardware or avoid long-term service commitments.
30% of the overall score
Employee hours must be tracked, contactless payments and gift cards must be processed, and sales and labor records must be accessed fast. We sought for systems with sophisticated tip-tracking capabilities since many eateries handle tips for their personnel. To keep expenses down, we looked at sophisticated labor management capabilities including built-in staff scheduling and enforced clock-ins.
30% of the overall score
We examined the amount of restaurant-specific functionalities that are important to different restaurant kinds to establish the best overall restaurant POS. We searched for features like cash management and credit card pre-authorization since many establishments include a bar. Customizable reports, ingredient-level inventory management with physical counting capabilities, integrated Ordering over the internet, and dynamic loyalty and marketing tools were also given to POS systems.
15% of the overall score
We emphasized restaurant POS systems that provide 24/7 customer service since diverse restaurants operate early in the mornings, late at night, and on weekends. We also gave points to POS systems that include a hybrid installation or an offline mode, so they may continue to work even if the internet is down. We also looked at how much installation assistance each system provides, as well as if it is cloud-based, allowing mobile access to administration and reporting dashboards.
15% of the overall score
Finally, we looked at any unique characteristics that each system could have. We also looked at whether the system provides excellent overall value for the money, as well as the popularity of each system among restaurant owners. Then, based on our own interactions with the software and the company’s customer service staff, we assigned points.
*Percentages based on total score
Best Overall POS in a Restaurant
Toast
4.31 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 2.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 4.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- Uses industry-standard hardware designed to handle high-volume restaurant usage.
- The cost of the basic software subscription is Baseline software subscription is $0 per month per month.
- Ordering over the internet and delivery technologies that are robust
- There are several hardware peripherals available, ranging from portable tablets to self-service kiosks and KDS.
What Isn’t There
- Toast-built hardware is required.
- Toast is locked in for payment processing.
- The mentioned cost only covers the first terminal; additional terminals may incur extra expenses.
Pricing for Toast
- Fee for software subscription:
- Starter: $0 per month per month as a starter
- $165 per month for the essentials
- $272 per month in growth
- Costs of hardware:
- A terminal package including a POS display, a Toast Tap payment reader, and a router starts at $799.
- Starter customers may receive a Starter Kit terminal for no upfront cost by paying higher credit card processing costs (2.9 percent + 15 cents each in-person transaction).
- One-time installation fees: The Starter POS package includes remote launch support. Depending on your requirements, additional in-person help might cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000.
- Fees for processing:
- Pay-as-you-go Starter plans include: In-person swiped, dipped, or tapped purchases are charged 2.99 percent plus 15 cents.
- 2.49 percent + 15 cents for in-person purchases on standard Starter plans
- Higher subscription levels provide volume processing reductions.
Toast is a hybrid point-of-sale (POS) system. This means it uses a local network that is backed up by the cloud, providing it great offline capabilities. It has menu modifiers that are simple to change, customisable reporting, and contactless ordering and payment alternatives. Add-on modules for personnel scheduling and computerized onboarding, as well as Ordering over the internet and delivery are integrated. capabilities, are included in the system. When it debuted its Toast is a hybrid POS system. This means that it operates through a local network that is backed up by the cloud, giving it excellent offline functionality. It has easy-to-edit menu modifiers, customized reporting, and contactless ordering and payment options. The system also includes add-on modules for employee scheduling and electronic onboarding, plus Ordering over the internet and delivery are integrated. tools. This excellent restaurant POS became virtually unstoppable when it released its $0 per month Starter POS package in 2021. per month Starter POS plan in 2021, this superb restaurant POS became nearly unstoppable.
Toast earned an overall score of 4.31 out of 5 on our restaurant ranking. It earned high scores for User-Friendliness, niche POS functions, and our expert rating. The only things that kept it from scoring higher were the lack of integrated payment processors (users are locked into Toast) and the required proprietary Toast hardware (most other systems on this list operate on iPads).
Characteristics of Toast
Starter, Essentials, and Growth are the three subscription levels offered for Toast software. Order and menu management, built-in payment processing, and 24/7 customer service are all included in the Starter software package. When you choose a pay-as-you-go plan, you may get a single terminal for Toast software is available at three subscription tiers: Starter, Essentials, and Growth. The Starter software package includes order and menu management, built-in payment processing, and 24/7 customer support. Pricing starts at $0 per month for a single terminal when you opt for a pay-as you-go plan. each month.
For in-person dipped, swiped, or tapped payments, pay-as-you-go customers incur a higher processing charge of 2.99 percent + 15 cents. This slightly increased processing rate covers up to two terminals’ software and hardware expenditures. If you want to pay in advance, the Starter POS software package is $69 per month and has a 2.49 percent + 15 cents processing charge for in-person transactions.
The following are some of Toast’s outstanding features:
Baseline functions that are robust and configurable
Toast accepts orders ordered by table number, seat number, or order number, as well as combination meals and counter service. The technology lets you to personalize your floor layout, menu screens, and order screen views to fit your service style and saves pre-authorized payment cards on customer bar tabs. You may divide checks by item or seat number or take several payments on a single check.
Options that do not need contact
If you want to go contactless, Toast gives you lots of options. Customers can order online through a fully integrated online menu. In-house, you can offer self-ordering kiosks for customers. The system supports tapped payments and mobile wallet payments. If your budget is too tight for all that extra hardware, you can use Toast’s Order & Pay module to generate a QR code that customers scan with their smartphones. Once scanned, the QR code uses their phones like a mini-kiosk, allowing customers to place orders and pay their checks without ever touching a menu.
Ordering over the internet and delivery are integrated.
As an add-on to the Starter POS, Toast provides built-in Ordering over the internet (it is included in the Essentials and Growth packages). Because this module is completely integrated with your POS, client data is sent directly into your loyalty program. The menu is also linked to your inventory, ensuring that you never sell a meal that has been 86’d. If you manage a team of drivers, the delivery tools enable you to monitor their positions and control their sales in the same way that you manage servers in your restaurant.
Marketing and customer retention
You can run Toast’s Marketing and customer retention tools directly from the POS itself. Create email messages to target specific customer types and send them directly from the POS; no need to export email lists. The system supports traditional points-based rewards to keep customers coming back. Toast also includes built-in customer feedback tools, so you can catch disappointed guests before they complain on Yelp. This module is included in the higher plans.
Hardware that is adaptable
Toast can provide you with portable tablets for Ordering at the table, dynamic KDS displays, and self-service kiosks as part of your POS solution. In fact, Toast’s self-service kiosk and KDS are two of our top restaurant tools suggestions. They’re both very easy to use and integrate flawlessly with the rest of your POS system.
Management of the workforce
You may create staff timetables and prohibit early clock-ins using Toast’s team management capabilities. More than that, you can completely digitally onboard new workers, save their new hire papers in a single area, and sync that information with your payroll system right away. It’s almost as if you had an extra manager on staff to handle all of the boring paperwork.
Toast is a great place to start.
Revel: Best for High-volume & Multilocation Restaurants
Revel
4.08 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 1.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 4.44 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 4.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- Complex orders are handled with dynamic menu modifiers.
- Map-based driver dispatch is part of comprehensive delivery management.
- Staff authorization levels and vendor management are included in the full-featured inventory.
- Users may choose from a variety of integrated payment processing alternatives to get the best prices.
What Isn’t There
- Long-term service agreement of three years
- Pricey
- A unique estimate from the Revel sales team is required for hardware pricing.
Pricing for Revels
- Fee for software subscription:
- $99 a month, per terminal
- Costs of hardware: Custom-quoted
- Installation costs are one-time and start at $674.
- Fees for processing: Varies based on your chosen processor. Revel offers built-in Revel Advantage payments and integrates with:
- First Information
- Heartland
- TSYS
- Worldpay
- Chase Paymentech is a company that specializes in payment processing
- Elavon
Revel Systems is a feature-rich, hybrid restaurant POS that combines the flexibility of a cloud POS with the reliability of a local POS network. With many choices for digital menu displays, KDS, and self-service kiosks, this POS is the most adaptable of any on our list. The reporting tools, which enable you to dive down to the most detailed data of your restaurant’s performance, are also customizable. You can manage all of your restaurants from a single back-office dashboard if you have more than one.
In our restaurant POS ranking, the platform received a 4.08 out of 5 rating. It tied for first place in general POS functions with Toast and Upserve, and tied for second place in specialty POS functions with Toast and Upserve. The price of Revel and the length of its service contract—a three-year deal is normal for Revel—kept this POS from scoring better.
Highlights to Look For
There’s nothing Revel can’t do for a restaurant. The Revel team designed the most complete cloud POS accessible since this POS was the first iPad restaurant POS on the market. With some of the most extensive reporting tools I’ve seen in any restaurant POS, this system certainly attempts to be robust. Revel is also a good solution for traditional pizzerias looking for a cloud POS since it has driver dispatch capabilities and combination ordering. Revel, on the other hand, may be more machine than a tiny coffee shop or café need.
The following are some of Revel’s notable features:
Offline functionality is strong.
Local servers connect your Revel Systems terminals together. In the event that your internet connection is lost, the system will continue to transmit orders to your kitchen and process payments.
Baseline characteristics in their entirety
The starting point Employee scheduling, customer management, and inventory management are all included in the Revel Systems POS. You can pre-authorize bar tabs and construct bespoke floorplans and menu displays, much like Toast. Your staff may take multiple payments or divide checks by item or seat number when paying out consumers.
Combination creation is difficult.
Users of Revel may create combination order displays in a variety of ways. You may use layered modifier menus to make meat temperature and sauce options mandatory. You can also make complicated combination dinners. Restaurants that deal with a lot of alterations, such as pizzerias and delis, would appreciate the opportunity to see all of the possibilities on a single screen.
Ordering over the internet and delivery are built-in.
Like Toast, Revel Systems has a fully Ordering over the internet and delivery are integrated. module. Revel’s tools are just slightly more robust than Toast’s, featuring much more detailed driver management reports alongside the maps-based driver dispatch tools. Ordering over the internet screens are easy for customers to navigate. The system also logs customer information in your customer database to support detailed reporting and marketing tasks.
Insightful inventory management software
You may grant rights to line-level personnel like bartenders and chefs in Revel’s inventory module, so you can distribute physical counting tasks among your team without giving hourly employees access to management duties. To guarantee that counts are correct and not merely duplicated, you may customize the inventory count sheets to display or conceal the “anticipated” total of your inventory items. Using the free Revel Stocktake app, your staff may also rely on their own cellphones.
Management of many locations
Users of Revel may manage several locations from a single dashboard. From a single back-office platform, compare sales and cost data from one site to another to uncover possibilities for improvement or to shift inventory from one place to another.
Pay a visit to Revel
Lightspeed’s Upserve is the best for inventory management.
Lightspeed’s Upserve
4.03 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 1.00 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 4.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 4.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 4.06 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- Inventory management that is fully automated with one-click reordering
- Exceptionally user-friendly
- Marketing and client management tools that are extensive
What Isn’t There
- Pricey
- Long-term contract of three years
- Upserve Payments Have Been Locked In
Lightspeed’s Upserve Pricing
- Fee for software subscription:
- $59 per month for the core + $60 per terminal
- $199 per month plus $50 per terminal (pro)
- $359 per month plus $40 per terminal for Pro Plus
- Costs of hardware: Upserve offers Android or iOS-based POS terminals. Pricing for a free-standing Upserve terminal starts at $1,350; individual iPads configured with the Upserve POS software start at $459.
- Optional one-time installation costs start at $1,700 for in-person installation assistance.
- Fees for processing: Upserve comes with Upserve Payments built-in. Transaction fees are flat rate, custom quoted, and vary based on your sales volume and card mix.
Upserve POS is a sleek, cloud-based restaurant POS that is Exceptionally user-friendly. It has all the baseline features that a restaurant needs—customizable menus and floorplans, easy check splitting, customizable employee permissions, sales and labor reporting—alongside one of our favorite restaurant inventory tools.
On our restaurant POS criteria, Upserve scored 4.03 out of 5. It ties top-ranked Toast and Revel for Features of niche POS and scores well on general POS functions too. If the system were more affordable and offered options for payment processors and third-party integrations, it would have scored higher.
Lightspeed’s Upserve Standout Features
In the basic POS, Upserve, Revel Systems, and Lavu all provide a multitude of POS capabilities, however unlike those two systems, Upserve’s inventory features are only accessible on the higher-priced tiers. However, like like Revel, it incorporates customer relationship management with its entry-level subscription. Upserve is more expensive than our top-ranked Toast, but for the money, you get one of the most user-friendly restaurant POS systems available. Upserve is your best choice if you want to save administrative hours by using automated inventory solutions.
The following are some of Upserve’s outstanding features:
Baseline POS that is intuitive
Sidebar navigation is used on menu displays to create orders with few touches. Menus, modifiers, and floor layouts may all be customized, and checks can be simply merged, transferred, or separated. Set automated gratuities, monitor tip pools, and send printed or emailed receipts, as well as void, comp, or discount individual items or complete checks.
Vendor management that is automated
The built-in inventory management in Upserve keeps track of your inventory down to the ingredient level. A smartphone counting program transforms any smartphone camera into a bar code reader, allowing you to check in deliveries and inventory fast. Recipe costs are calculated in reports, and price movements from your suppliers are tracked. Upserve’s “1-click” reordering mechanism evaluates your low stock, compiles a vendor-recommended order, and allows you to place orders with multiple vendors immediately from the inventory dashboard—no spreadsheets or paper purchase orders to keep care of.
CRM and comprehensive marketing
The Guest Book feature on Upserve creates customer profiles that contain information such as previous visits, favorite foods, average check, and more. Even if they have never met, new staff may provide individualized service to your regular customers. The data from the Visitor Book is fed into the marketing functions, enabling you to generate filtered guest lists for targeted email marketing. Marketing reports analyze the return on investment (ROI) of individual campaigns, allowing you to determine if a certain offer is attracting new consumers or promoting recurring business.
Ordering at the table
Like Toast, Upserve offers a custom-built handheld tablet for Ordering at the table and payments. Upserve Tableside devices easily clip to your employees’ apron and feature a user-friendly 5-inch screen.
Templatized and bespoke reporting that is robust
Upserve HQ, Upserve’s reporting module, enables a variety of templated and customizable reports. Upserve features all of the standard sales and cost data, as well as unique reports like server analysis and reputation management. Server analysis breaks out your sales team’s efficiency by sales category, allowing you to understand where you can improve. You can watch your restaurant’s internet reviews from a single dashboard and react fast to bad criticism with reputation management. You may also use this tool to check how your restaurant compares to your competition.
Visit Lightspeed’s Upserve
Lavu: Best for Tracking & Displaying Nutritional Information
Lavu
3.88 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 3.50 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| ase of Operation | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 3.13 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- Smaller eateries will find it cost-effective.
- You can use your own hardware if you use an iPad.
- Integrates with a variety of payment processors, allowing you to compare prices.
- Features for Ordering over the internet that are robust
What Isn’t There
- Add-ons may be costly.
- It’s possible that the App for reporting on the go will be unreliable.
Pricing at Lavu
- Fee for software subscription: A single terminal costs $69 per month.. Additional pricing requires a custom-quote
- Costs of hardware: Lavu iPads are required for operation.. Users can bring their own or purchase from Lavu for $329 (10.2”, 32GB iPad) to $1,099 (12.9”, 5th generation iPad Pro).
- There are no one-time installation expenses.
- Fees for processing: Rates vary based on processor. Lavu integrates with:
- Worldpay
- Bridgepay
- Heartland
- PayPal
Lavu is a popular iPad restaurant POS system with a mid-priced price tag. This program is so simple to use that you can get started collecting orders in only a few hours after downloading it from the Apple App Store.
The system is very customisable, with plenty of nice touches like basic tip pool monitoring, as well as more conventional capabilities like customized staff positions and simplified check administration. Lavu invites you to input nutritional information when you insert menu items into this POS. Customers and workers don’t have to seek for information since Lavu records it to show on the POS or self-ordering kiosks.
Overall, Lavu scored a 3.88 out of 5 in our evaluation. It performed well in the categories of User-Friendliness and general POS feature and would have scored better if it had more dramatic standout features. For example, Lavu includes ingredient-level inventory in the baseline POS, which is excellent, but the Lavu module is not as robust as competitors like Upserve and Revel Systems.
While Lavu is inexpensive, rivals such as Toast and Restaurants have a square. provide better deals. Lavu’s specialty is bridging the gap between the two by providing strong POS functionality at a cheap price.
Characteristics of Lavu
Lavu combines a low price with a full-featured point-of-sale system. The system is an outstanding entry-level POS for first-time restaurant operators and delivers exceptional value for eateries. Because the software is available for download from the Apple App Store, you can easily adapt your POS by adding KDS displays or self-ordering kiosks as your restaurant expands. You may include nutritional information on your self-ordering kiosk menu to assist clients in making the healthiest dietary choices.
The following are some of Lavu’s notable features:
a complete baseline POS
All of the fundamental check splitting, payment splitting, and employee authorization capabilities that you’d expect in a restaurant POS are included in Lavu’s baseline POS. The entry-level POS includes ingredient-level inventory, as well as thoughtful features like tip pool monitoring and built-in staff scheduling capabilities.
Display of nutritional data
In the POS, Lavu invites you to enter nutritional information for your menu items. This allows the system to present this information to consumers on the Lavu self-order kiosk in a seamless manner, saving time and reducing customer confusion. You may also use high-resolution menu graphics to help your staff and consumers navigate order screens more swiftly.
Ordering over the internet solutions that are simple to use
Lavu spent the years 2020 and 2021 improving its Ordering over the internet capabilities. MenuDrive, an easy-to-use, configurable Ordering over the internet and client retention solution, was added to its POS capabilities. To attract repeat customers, it incorporates email marketing and customer loyalty solutions. Pricing begins at $149 a month, but you can try the system for free before committing. Using the easy setup wizard, you can create your MenuDrive site in a few hours and personalize it with colors and logos.
App for reporting on the go
Lavu Pilot, Lavu’s App for reporting on the go, lets you access your sales and performance data from your smartphone. It also syncs with the built-in employee scheduling tools, so you can make scheduling adjustments and approve shift trades from your phone.
Integrations that are dependable
If there’s a software tool that the Lavu POS doesn’t have, you’ll very certainly be able to locate an integration for it. Over 100 third-party solutions are integrated with Lavu, ranging from accounting to specialist inventory and third-party delivery aggregators.
Pay a visit to Lavu.
Rezku is ideal for small restaurants who are transitioning from cash-only to cash-based operations.
Rezku
3.88 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 2.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 4.06 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- For small eateries, a comprehensive point-of-sale system is available.
- iPads are supported.
- Ordering over the internet, loyalty, and gift cards are all standard POS features.
- You may use the Option for a cash discount to offset credit card transaction costs.
What Isn’t There
- There are restrictions to reporting.
- Upserve and Revel provide more sophisticated inventory features.
- The features for dispatching drivers aren’t as extensive as those in Toast and Revel.
Pricing at Rezku
- Fee for software subscription: $49 per terminal, per month
- Costs of hardware: Rezku iPads are required for operation.. Users bring their own iPads and purchase additional terminal hardware from Rezku for prices ranging from $428 to $797.
- There are no one-time installation expenses.. You can directly download most of the software from the Apple App Store so that you can complete setup yourself.
- Fees for processing: Rezku Payments is the built-in payment processor. It uses interchange plus pricing, charging interchange + 0.20% + 15 cents for in-person transactions.
Rezku is a cloud-based iPad POS with a lot of features that debuted in 2014, making it a relative newbie in the iPad restaurant POS industry. The number of features included with the basic POS is Rezku’s most appealing feature.
The system now has no limitations in terms of functionalities; the basic POS includes everything from Ordering over the internet to gift cards and KDS software. This system is a fantastic alternative for small businesses that are expanding to take credit and debit card payments for the first time because of the extensive software and a unique function to offset credit card processing expenses.
Rezku scored a 3.88 out of 5 in our evaluation, tying with competitor Lavu. Rezku received good marks for cost and general POS features and a perfect score for User-Friendliness. But the system could have scored higher overall if its delivery management and inventory functions were as robust as Revel and Toast’s. But that said, this affordable system has a lot to offer for $49 per month.
Rezku’s Unique Qualities
Rezku is fairly similar to Lavu in terms of functionality, however it has a few more standard POS capabilities. Even tiny restaurants can rapidly develop specials and sell online since inventory, loyalty, marketing, and Ordering over the internet are all included. Rezku does not have separate fees for add-on functionality, unlike the other systems on this list. Users may obtain all of the features, including gift cards, for $49 per month per terminal.
The following are some of Rezku’s notable features:
All-in-one point-of-sale
With counter service, table service, tableside service, bar service, and Ordering over the internet, Rezku provides everything a small restaurant needs. All of these features, as well as customer monitoring, loyalty, and reporting, are included with the basic POS. For table service restaurants, the floor plan builder is quite thorough, and the menu builder offers high-resolution photographs to assist customers and workers place orders swiftly.
Option for a cash discount
The Cash Discount function in Rezku allows restaurants to charge varying pricing depending on whether customers pay with cash or credit card. This reduces the cost of credit and debit card transaction costs while avoiding restrictions prohibiting the transmission of processing fees on to consumers in 11 states. Rather of charging fees on customer checks, your Rezku system gives cash customers a discount.
Ordering over the internet
Like all its features, Rezku includes Ordering over the internet and delivery management in the baseline POS. The only other system on this list that comes close to offering the same deal is Restaurants have a square., which offers a free Ordering over the internet site. Rezku users get a custom-branded menu website that integrates directly with the POS. Online orders sync with your inventory so you never sell an item that is out of stock, and orders print directly in your kitchen.
Integrations for delivery
Rezku integrates directly with Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Postmates. You can get even more Ordering over the internet platforms fed directly into your POS via the integration with Chowly.
Support with a smile
Rezku has increased its customer service hours to 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Its customer service employees are very polite and educated, and emails and chat requests are usually answered swiftly.
Pay a visit to Rezku.
Restaurant Lightspeed: Best for Third-party Integrations for delivery & Hotel Restaurants
Restaurant Lightspeed
3.60 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 3.19 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 2.71 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- iPads are required for operation.
- The program integrates with the hotel’s Property Management System (PMS).
- Small eateries can afford it.
- Multiple payment processing alternatives are supported, allowing customers to shop around for the cheapest prices.
What Isn’t There
- There are restrictions to reporting.
- Cayan and certain card readers are the only ways to get pre-authorized bar tabs.
- A special quotation is required for hardware cost.
Restaurant Lightspeed Pricing
- Fee for software subscription:
- When paid yearly, a single terminal costs $59 per month.
- When paid monthly, a single terminal costs $69
- Each additional terminal costs $34 per month.
- Costs of hardware: Lightspeed sells complete hardware kits consisting of an iPad stand, a cash drawer, a receipt printer, and a kitchen printer at custom-quoted prices
- There are no one-time installation expenses.
- Fees for processing: Lightspeed includes built-in payment processing via Lightspeed Payments. The system also integrates with:
Restaurant Lightspeed is a mobile-first, cloud-based iPad restaurant POS with a streamlined user interface. This user-friendly POS integrates with third-party delivery apps to send orders directly to your POS and supports an integrated Ordering over the internet website for customers to place pickup orders.
You can also funnel all of your Ordering over the internet platforms into your Lightspeed POS through Lightspeed Delivery via Deliverect. This integration funnels all of your orders from third-party platforms directly into your POS, allows you to update your menu across channels from a single dashboard, and analyzes order and delivery data in centralized reports.
Restaurant Lightspeed earned an overall score of 3.60 on our restaurant rubric. It scored incredibly well for User-Friendliness, but some niche restaurant features could be stronger. More robust in-house delivery options would help, as would stronger cash management tools like dual drawer tills, and tip-pool tracking. But the system offers some unique tools that other restaurant POS don’t have, namely the ability to process room charges as a payment type and integrate with hotel PMS systems.
Restaurant Lightspeed Standout Features
This platform combines a lot of the features we love in other restaurant POS systems. Like TouchBistro and Restaurants have a square., Restaurant Lightspeed is incredibly easy to set up and use. It includes ingredient level inventory management in its baseline POS, like Rezku and TouchBistro; and as does Toast, it offers contactless ordering and payment options via QR code and an integrated Ordering over the internet tool.
Restaurant Lightspeed’s standout features include:
Baseline POS with all the bells and whistles
All of the fundamentals are covered by Lightspeed. Bespoke menus with various modifiers, high-resolution menu graphics, and custom floor layouts are all possible. It also allows you to manage staff hours for payroll processing, record customer data to create targeted marketing campaigns, and examine all of your important performance indicators in easy-to-read reports accessible from any internet-enabled device. Transferring checks from the bar to a table and from one waiter to another is simple.
Third-party distribution made easier
Lightspeed Delivery is a third-party delivery consolidation technology developed by Lightspeed. Lightspeed Delivery is significantly misnamed; consumers who anticipate maps-based vehicle dispatch tools will be disappointed. Lightspeed does not have built-in driver management capabilities at this time; if you require them, look at Toast, Revel, and Restaurants have a square.. Lightspeed Delivery, on the other hand, is a fantastic solution if you operate with many third-party delivery providers. It lets you update your menu across all platforms from a single dashboard and integrates orders from third-party sites into your POS order stream.
Kiosks that are QSR-ready and KDS
Restaurant Lightspeed supports one of our favorite KDS screens. The dynamic color codes and touch-screen interface are easy to read at a glance and navigate with intuitive taps and swipes. Combined with integrated self-ordering kiosks, quick-service restaurants can quickly expand their operations without increasing staff. Toggling on Quick-Service mode further streamlines your POS order screens, so your team can ring in more orders faster.
Connects to a hotel’s property management system (PMS).
Restaurant Lightspeed is the only restaurant POS on this list that hosts built-in integration with hotel PMS software. Such an integration allows Restaurant Lightspeed users to accept room charges as payment without extra steps.
Options that do not need contact
If you want to go contactless, Lightspeed has several options. In-house, you can use self-ordering kiosks to accept orders and payments or generate QR codes to use customer smartphones to order and pay. For curbside pickup with digital payments, Restaurant Lightspeed offers the built-in Order Ahead option that creates an Ordering over the internet site. Order Ahead syncs with your in-house menu, so you never sell items you don’t have.
Before you purchase, try it out.
Restaurant Lightspeed is one of the two POS systems on this list that offers a free trial (Restaurants have a square. is the other one). While software demonstrations are nice, nothing compares to getting into the system yourself and navigating through the menus and reports to see if it works for you.
Visit Restaurant Lightspeed
TouchBistro is a user-friendly point-of-sale system for restaurants looking for templated reporting.
TouchBistro
3.55 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 3.44 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 2.29 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 5.00 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- iPads are required for operation.
- Small eateries can afford it.
- Users may compare rates from a variety of integrated payment processors.
What Isn’t There
- For high-volume restaurants, reporting may not be enough.
- Inventory tools need a great deal of administrative effort.
- A special quotation is required for hardware cost.
Pricing at TouchBistro
- Fee for software subscription:
- A single terminal costs $69 per month.
- Costs of hardware: You can bring your own iPads if they are compatible or purchase through TouchBistro for custom-quoted prices.
- Installation prices are one-time and include remote launch assistance; in-person installation help is offered for a custom-quoted charge.
- Fees for processing: Users can choose from the built-in TouchBistro Payments or use one of these integrated processors:
TouchBistro is an Exceptionally user-friendly cloud POS for small restaurants. The system’s easy installation directly networks your iPad POS terminals to one another, so many TouchBistro users don’t need a separate back office computer. You can perform most managerial functions directly in the POS, where navigation screens follow the familiar iOS nesting format. If you’ve ever used an iPhone, you’ll be incredibly comfortable with the TouchBistro interface.
TouchBistro’s reports are constructed on easy-to-navigate templates, unlike Revel Systems’ detailed reporting. TouchBistro is great if you want concise reports that demonstrate your restaurant’s success at a glance.
TouchBistro earned a score of 3.55 out of 5 in our restaurant POS evaluation. It earned a perfect score for User-Friendliness but some POS functions have limitations or are only available for an additional price. Reports are templatized and very specific, so data like discounts is separate from daily sales, which can make end-of-day reporting tedious.
While the default POS includes ingredient-level inventory management, it is not automated like Upserve or Revel. Keeping your supplies up to date might require a lot of time and effort. TouchBistro, on the other hand, is the perfect size for small restaurant operations like diners, cafeterias, and counter service restaurants with short menus.
Highlights of TouchBistro
In addition to the simplified POS software, TouchBistro provides a variety of peripheral gear including as customer-facing displays, self-ordering kiosks, and KDS screens. All of these interfaces, like the underlying POS, operate on iPads, making it simple to upgrade your system as your business grows. TouchBistro, like Rezku, includes an optional integrated bookings module with SMS messaging facilities that allows you to contact with consumers right from the reservation page.
The following are some of TouchBistro’s notable features:
All-in-one streamlined POS
Everything a small restaurant needs is included in the baseline POS. You can create custom floorplans, start tabs with a credit card swipe, transfer tabs to tables, and transfer tables to new servers quickly. TouchBistro tracks your employee’s hours and tips for payroll, supports image-based menus, and has tools for everything—from reservations to integrated Ordering over the internet.
Incredible User-Friendliness
TouchBistro employs the familiar iOS UI to walk you and your staff through all of the POS functions in a straightforward manner. Seat numbers and table numbers are color-coded to assist you in accurately ringing in orders. Many TouchBistro users claim that new staff can learn how to use the system in only a few hours.
Tableside gadgets that are quick to use
The table configuration at the bottom of the Ordering at the table screen is particularly helpful and allows for quick drag-and-drop check splitting and combining.
Reporting templates
Reporting templates can be a limiting factor for large restaurant operations or restaurants with menus that change often. But if report analysis is not your strong suit, you’ll love TouchBistro’s easy-to-read, visually dynamic reports. Most reports are formatted to include bar graphs and pie charts that show your restaurant’s performance at a glance, so you always know if your numbers tell you to increase your staff levels or drop a costly dish from your menu.
TouchBistro is a great place to start.
Restaurants should use Square since it’s the best for free Ordering over the internet.
Restaurants have a square.
3.45 OUT OF 5 STARS FOR THE OVERALL PERFORMANCE
| CRITERIA FOR RATING | Pricing: | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
| Characteristics | 3.59 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Features of niche POS | 2.58 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| User-Friendliness | 3.44 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Rating | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
What We Enjoy
- A free subscription to the baseline software is available.
- There are There is no long-term contract.s.
- For higher cost membership levels, a 30-day free trial is available.
- Free Ordering over the internet site included
What Isn’t There
- For payment processing, you’re tethered to Square.
- On bar tabs, credit cards cannot be pre-authorized.
- There are restrictions to reporting.
Restaurants have a square. Pricing
- Fee for software subscription:
- Free: $0 for unlimited terminals for an infinite number of terminals
- Added bonus: $60 per month
- Enterprise: Quoted on a case-by-case basis
- Costs of hardware: Square iPads are required for operation. and Square Terminals. You can bring your own iPads and purchase complete register kits (including card reader, receipt printer, kitchen printer and cash drawer) from Square for $1,039 (without iPad; $1,368 with iPad).
- There are no one-time installation expenses..
- Fees for processing:
- 2.6 percent plus 2.6% + $0.10 for in person tapped, swiped, and dipped transactions.10 for transactions tapped, swiped, or dipped in person
- 2.9 percent plus 2.9% + $0.30 for manually keyed transactions.30 for transactions entered by hand
- Restaurants with yearly processing volumes of more than $250,000 may request a special pricing quotation.
Restaurants have a square. is a flexible cloud-POS for all restaurant types, but it is especially useful for small restaurants working with a tight budget. All the usual restaurant POS features are present—menu management, custom floor plans, check management, and employee permissions—but users also gain access to Square’s incredible small business tools, including the free Square Online store.
Although Square is a relative newcomer to the restaurant market, it has been building small company solutions for many years. Square’s all-purpose POS system is, in reality, one of the finest on the market.
Restaurants have a square. earned an overall score of 3.45 out of 5 in our evaluation. It crushed the competition on price, tying with Lightspeed and TouchBistro for the top score in that category. It also performed very well with our retail and restaurant experts. What kept it from scoring higher is that some features require third-party integrations. There are also limitations with inventory, and Restaurants have a square. does not support credit card pre-authorization or dual cash drawer tills. That can be a real bummer for bars and high-volume quick service restaurants.
Restaurants have a square. Standout Features
The only system on our list that comes close to matching Square’s fantastic basic pricing is Toast. Unlike Toast, though, Square lets free users to use the POS software on as many devices as they like. For small food and beverage enterprises who believe a POS is beyond of reach, the Free POS is a game-changer.
For full-service restaurants that need seat and course management, the Plus subscription tier is a good improvement. At $60 per month, this tier is still reasonably priced, particularly given that it includes team management. If you wish to check out the Plus system before making a purchase, you may do so for free for 30 days.
Restaurants have a square.’ standout features include:
Baseline POS for free
Restaurants have a square.’ baseline POS is free to use with Square Payments. It is best suited to coffee shops, food trucks, and counter service operations that don’t need to ring in orders by table number, course, or seat number. But these restaurants are frequently overlooked by higher-priced restaurant POS systems, so the free Restaurants have a square. POS plan can be a lifesaver.
Pricing that is clear
When you are shopping for a restaurant POS, you can get tired of seeing the phrase “custom quote.” Restaurants have a square. lists subscription prices, transaction fees, and hardware costs transparently on its website. If you have a large-scale restaurant business and think your costs to use Restaurants have a square. will be high, you can still reach out to the Square sales team for a custom quote for software and payment processing.
There is no long-term contract.
You can start with the Free Restaurants have a square. and upgrade to the Plus plan as your restaurant grows. Seasonal restaurants can use Restaurants have a square. when they are open and not pay any fees when their restaurant is dark. You start with Restaurants have a square. and cancel without penalties if it isn’t a fit for your business.
Square ecology is fully integrated.
Your Restaurants have a square. POS works with the broader Square ecosystem. You can add integrated Ordering over the internet via the Square Online store and sync your employee time and tip data directly with Square Payroll. If you have a catering arm or sell foods to businesses that pay monthly, Square Invoices has the tools you need. All of these small business tools working together can save you hours of administrative time; especially if you are an owner-manager, your time is precious.
Visit Restaurants have a square.
Conclusion
For the most customizable, restaurant-friendly software, you want our overall best restaurant POS system winner Toast. It received the highest score across our grading system for general and Features of niche POS. The pricing is flexible depending on your restaurant’s needs, even including a free Starter subscription. This POS is uniquely suited to grow with your restaurant as it expands or your needs change. Toast is a great place to start. for a demo and a custom quote.
Toast is a great place to start.
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The “worst restaurant POS systems” is a category of restaurant POS systems that are designed to be the cheapest possible. They have been criticized for being unreliable and difficult to use. Reference: worst restaurant pos systems.
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