8 Best Touch Screen POS Systems

Touch screen point of sale systems are the future in retail, with benefits including increased customer satisfaction and higher profits. Here is a list of 8 best touch POS systems that will help you get started on your path to success.

The “all in-one touch screen pos terminal” is a type of POS system that combines all the features of a traditional POS with a touch screen. It is an excellent option for businesses that have limited space, or those who need to keep their costs down.

A touch screen POS system is a kind of point-of-sale system that runs on tablets and other mobile devices. The most significant benefit of having a touch screen POS is the simplified interface, which allows for speedier checkout. Plus, unlike cash registers or hardwired countertop POS systems, touch-screen devices are more portable, allowing for mobile sales.

The top touch screen POS systems, in our opinion, are:

• Square is the best free touch screen POS for small companies in general.
• For inventory management, Lightspeed is the best touch screen POS.
• Shopify is the best point-of-sale system for online and multichannel retailers.
• Upserve is the best restaurant POS system for client management.
• Loyverse is the best free cafe and restaurant POS with loyalty benefits integrated in.
• Lavu: Best touch screen POS for restaurants on a budget
• Overall, the best restaurant touch screen POS is Toast.
• Vend: For merchants, the best touch screen POS with built-in customer loyalty is Vend.

Comparing the Best Touch Screen POS Systems

How We Assessed Touch Screen Point-of-Sale Systems

Based on pricing and functionality, we examined 12 prominent software that provide great touch screen POS systems in this evaluation. Offline processing, digital signature capture, device interoperability, and access to mobile card readers are all features that the finest touch screen POS systems should offer.

General POS capabilities like as payment processing flexibility, remote and multilocation functionality, and the extent of inventory and company management tools included in basic plans were also taken into account. Finally, we took into account the comments of our retail specialists, who had firsthand experience with each program.

Overall, based on our review criteria, Square emerges as the best touch screen POS for small companies, obtaining the greatest overall grade from our grading system for touch screen POS software (4.65 out of 5). Based on our expertise evaluating various software and dealing with small companies who use POS systems on a daily basis, our scoring system picked our top 12 alternatives according to what we would personally suggest.

For a more complete description of our assessment criteria, go through the tabs below:

30%

Features Unique to Touch Screens

20% of the overall score

We looked at subscription choices under $75 per month, as well as pay-as-you-go and free-forever options for each product. Systems that allow for infinite inventory listing and transaction processing received bonus points. Finally, we gave high points to POS systems that allow users to process cards in a variety of ways.

20% of the overall score

In general, company owners choose POS systems that are efficient, which necessitates features that are both scalable and highly configurable. As a result, we’d like to emphasize touch screen POS systems that can take a broad range of payment methods while also providing the essential functionality based on the subscription. We also investigated how many of these tools are included in the baseline plans for each system’s core POS features.

30% of the overall score

This section compares and contrasts the touch-screen capabilities of each POS system with business needs. Providers that provide offline transaction processing and the greatest compatible with mobile card readers and other touch-screen devices received excellent scores. We also gave points for touch-screen capabilities like digital signature capture and the option to print personalized digital receipts. Finally, we identified solutions that allow for limitless device connections, which may speed up transaction processing and increase revenues.

20% of the overall score

POS systems with touch screens should be simple to use. We took care to emphasize web-based and/or cloud-based solutions so that you may synchronize and view your data from any connected device. We also awarded bonus points to systems that give help 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

10% of the overall score

Finally, we assessed each system’s overall performance from a professional aspect so that readers can see how highly we suggest it and what sort of company it’s best suited for. We examined the quality of both general and industry-specific features, noting any standouts as well as any capabilities that were lacking. We also compared the software and hardware alternatives to their costs to see which system provides the best overall value for the money. I also gave points for my own experience using the product and dealing with the company’s customer service.

*Percentages based on total score

Square is the best free touch screen POS in the world.

Square

4.65 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Offers a variety of payment alternatives, including contactless and mobile sales on the move.
• Ecommerce and online ordering are both free.
• Can accept credit card payments even if you’re not connected to the internet

What Isn’t There

• Inventory management is limited, and reporting is poor.
• The cost of payment processing is not readily negotiated.
• Customer service is limited for free users.

Pricing in Squares

• Plans for POS software subscriptions include:*
  • Regular POS, Retail, and Restaurant: Starts at Regular POS, Retail, and Restaurant: Starts at $0; also has custom pricing; bespoke pricing is also available.
• Square Stand ($169 or $27 per month for six months), Square Terminal ($299 or $27 per month for a year), Square Register ($799 or $39 per month for 24 months), Card readers (starting at $49), Hardware kits ($526–$1,489)
• Fees for processing: 2.6 percent + 10 cents per transaction flat rate transaction cost Ecommerce sales (2.9 percent + 30 cents per transaction) and keyed-in payments (3.5 percent + 15 cents per transaction)

*A free magstripe card reader is included with each software subscription. Discounts for large orders: For companies who handle more than $250,000 in credit card transactions

For most small companies, Square is the best touch screen POS option. Its free edition comes with almost everything you’ll need to manage a single retail business or quick-service restaurant (QSR). Apart from receiving payments, adding tips, and printing (or emailing digital) receipts, Square also allows you to keep track of staff hours, create a client database, and examine sales reports—whether for your own records or to combine your sales and payroll data with QuickBooks. Optional improvements include bar code scanning, a kitchen display system, and staff sales reporting, among others.

Based on our evaluation, Square leads our recommended touch screen POS systems, earning a total score of 4.65 out of 5—the only software that scored perfect marks for Features Unique to Touch Screens. While the lack of additional payment processing options and limited customer support kept Square from gaining a perfect score, its modest payment processing fee—combined with excellent features included in its free version—provides exceptional value, making Square the best touch screen POS, the best iPad POS, and the best overall POS systems for small businesses.

The Square iPad stand converts your iPad into a POS terminal by including a contactless and chip reader. (Image courtesy of Square)

The Square Terminal is an all-in-one mobile POS terminal that allows you to collect payments anywhere in your shop, even at the curb. (Image courtesy of Square)

Customers may see and pay for their products, as well as join up for your loyalty program, on a separate display included with the Square Register. (Image courtesy of Square)

Features of Square POS

• Add all of your goods to Square so that staff can easily check out clients by just clicking a picture of each item on the touch screen. You may manually enter your inventory or use a spreadsheet to import it in bulk. Although you’ll need to subscribe to print barcodes, make purchase orders, and see extensive inventory reports, the free version of Square includes surprisingly powerful inventory management—including categories, variations, modifiers, and low-stock alerts.
• Customer management: From the checkout counter, you can construct basic customer profiles and monitor loyalty points and transaction histories. Use a feedback button on digital receipts to engage your consumers and gather real-time feedback. With the Square Loyalty ($45 per month) and Square Marketing ($15 per month) add-ons, you may get even more information.
• Employee management: Employees clock in and out at the register, allowing you to log their hours (including breaks and overtime) and export timecards for payroll purposes.
• Table and menu management are included in the free edition of Square, so waiters may easily open tabs and add things. Square works with third-party delivery services such as DoorDash and Grubhub, as well as offering its own free online ordering platform. A kitchen display system, table map, coursing, and more thorough employee/server sales statistics are included in Square for Restaurants Plus.
• Reports: The free edition of Square features roughly a dozen sales reports, including sales by category, discounts applied, and real-time hourly, weekly, and monthly sales graphs. More extensive personnel reports, such as sales by employee and revenue per labor hour, are available in the paid editions.
• Customer care is available through phone, chat, and email from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday. Users that pay for help have access to it 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Disadvantages of Square

While the Square POS is a fantastic solution for startups, it may not be the ideal option as your business grows. If you start managing complicated inventories and various locations, you’ll need a stronger inventory and reporting management platform. With a more advanced inventory management feature, a fully customized reporting function, and a superior multilocation management tool, Lightspeed is the best alternative. Lightspeed also provides a more flexible payment processing option, allowing you to shop around for lower transaction rates.

Square should be visited.

Lightspeed: Best for Inventory Management & Multiple Locations

Lightspeed

4.32 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Built-in inventory with a lot of options
• Purchase orders, receiving, and returns are all automated.
• For better rate shopping, you may link an external payment gateway.

What Isn’t There

• To obtain the greatest subscription rate, you must utilize Lightspeed Payments.
• In the baseline plan, just the most basic CRM and reporting tools are available.
• When you’re offline, you won’t be able to take credit card payments.

Pricing at Lightspeed

• Plans for software subscriptions include:
  • Retail:* $79 per month for the first register; $29 per month for additional registers
  • Restaurant: $69 per month, invoiced on a monthly basis; additional registers are $34 per month, billed on a monthly basis.
• Cost of hardware: Hardware kits may be ordered on a custom basis. Card readers and other accessories are available for purchase separately.
• Chip, tap, and swipe payments (2.6 percent + 10 cents per transaction), keyed-in payments (2.6 percent + 30 cents per transaction) are all subject to processing costs. Businesses that handle more than $250,000 are eligible for a volume discount.

*Price is based on a monthly subscription and needs Lightspeed Payments registration.

For retail organizations with vast stock and several locations, Lightspeed is our top suggestion. Each subscription includes ecommerce services and a free payment terminal, but it’s Lightspeed’s inventory management features that set it apart from the competition.

It can browse through things using searchable tags, scan barcodes to instantly add items to your inventory, verify supplier lists, and write purchase orders directly from the site. All of this makes Lightspeed an excellent option for POS inventory management since it can handle thousands of distinct SKUs.

Lightspeed received a 4.32 out of 5 rating from us, with high ratings for its top-of-the-line inventory management and analytic features, as well as its simplicity of use. In terms of pricing, it lagged behind Square since, although the monthly plans are within our price range, access to offline transaction processing, additional registers, and mobile card readers are all extra costs, making big POS systems prohibitively expensive.

An iPad stand, one LAN receipt printer, one cash drawer, one Bluetooth scanner, and receipt paper are included in Lightspeed’s iPad retail package. (Photo courtesy of Lightspeed)

A Lite Server is included with the Lightspeed restaurant iPad hardware kit, which manages and backs up your database. (Photo courtesy of Lightspeed)

Lightspeed Mobile Tap is a contactless mobile reader that accepts tap, swipe, and chip card payments. (Photo courtesy of Lightspeed)

Features of Lightspeed

• Inventory management: Of all the touch screen POS on our list, Lightspeed Retail has the most sophisticated inventory management. Thanks to capabilities like the ability to tag objects with searchable phrases, it can manage hundreds or even thousands of distinct SKUs. Additionally, Lightspeed Retail uploads vendor catalogs, making it simple for firms to restock goods as needed. Most other POS systems lack built-in product catalogs and facilities for directly managing purchase orders.
• Customer management: Lightspeed Loyalty adds to the fundamental CRM operations by providing extra capabilities. It lets you to develop SMS and email marketing campaigns, as well as establish a rewards program and client credit accounts. You may also segment clients automatically for targeted marketing including distributing discounts and special offers.
• Employee management: You may establish an unlimited number of user accounts for workers to clock in and out on all Lightspeed plans. With metrics like revenue, average basket size, email capture rates, and how many customers each person is servicing, you can manage hours and analyze staff performance.
• Lightspeed has a very powerful loyalty program, which is managed through marketing. Customers may check their points and see incentives via a branded smartphone app. You may also send push notifications, SMS, and email alerts for any special deals or prizes that are qualified. You must be on a “Advanced” or above plan to participate in the loyalty program.
• Lightspeed comes with over 60 built-in reports that cover inventory, sales, and customer behavior. While this is more than most POS systems provide, the “Pro” plan also allows you to create custom reports utilizing any of the system’s data points.
• Customer care is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, live chat, and email.

Drawbacks of Lightspeed

Lightspeed lacks an offline payment processing option, which is one of the most important aspects. It enables you to continue working on other company administration activities such as taking orders and maintaining inventory when offline, but it does not allow you to take credit card payments. Alternative systems like Square and Toast, which allow safe offline payment processing, are better suited for businesses who operate in places with a less-than-reliable internet connection.

Lightspeed is a great place to start.

Shopify: Multichannel Sellers’ Best Touch Screen POS

Shopify

4.31 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Excellent ecommerce platform
• Tools for selling across several channels that are excellent
• Its basic package includes marketing features.

What Isn’t There

• There is no way to pay using a credit card over the phone.
• In the basic plan, there are no reporting features.
• Uses third-party payment processors for a charge.

Pricing on Shopify

• Plans for POS software: POS Lite is free with any Shopify ecommerce package or $9 per month on its own. For corporate customers on the Shopify Plus account, POS Pro costs $89 per month, per location, or free.
• Hardware prices start at $789 for the Startup Bundle (which includes an iPad stand, card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner), $159 for the Retail Bundle, and $29 for card readers.
• Fees for processing: For in-person transactions, 2.7 percent + 30 cents; for online transactions, 2.9 percent + 30 cents. 2.5 percent for in-person sales and 2.6 percent Plus 30 cents for online transactions, according to the Shopify plan. 2.4 percent for in-person sales and 2.4 percent Plus 30 cents for online transactions on Shopify’s advanced plan.

*Monthly Shopify Ecommerce subscriptions range from $29 to $299. For corporate users, a Shopify Plus membership costs $2,000 per month.

Shopify is the ideal point-of-sale system for online retailers looking to expand into brick-and-mortar stores. Shopify, one of the world’s most popular ecommerce systems for small companies, allowing you to set up an online shop and manage both online and in-person sales from the same platform. This ensures that your inventory, sales, and customer data are always up to date.

You can also use Shopify to sell on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram, allowing you to manage all of your sales channels from one place. While each Shopify account comes with a free POS app plan to get you started, it’s vital to keep in mind that critical POS capabilities are only available if you upgrade to a premium plan.

Shopify received a 4.31 out of 5 rating in our review, with a perfect score for simplicity of use and top scores for price and general features. Shopify’s omnichannel selling features provide the ideal foundation for rapid growth. Shopify, on the other hand, was unable to get a better score due to its absence of offline payment processing and the need to upgrade to a subscription plan in order to access crucial touch screen POS capabilities such as digital signature capture.

A tap and chip reader (left) and a chip and swipe reader (right) are both available on Shopify. (Image courtesy of Shopify)

Shopify works with Star’s mPOP hardware, which combines a cash drawer and a receipt printer into one device. (Image courtesy of Shopify)

The Shopify retail bundle kit includes a chip and swipe card reader and is compatible with iPads with screen sizes of 9.7″ and 10.2″/Air 10.5″. (Image courtesy of Shopify)

Shopify’s Start-up bundle kit includes a Shopify chip & swipe card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, and barcode scanner (Source: Shopify)

Features of Shopify

• Inventory management: The POS Pro add-on ($89 per month) from Shopify gives you a much more extensive inventory system than Square, allowing you to make purchase orders and monitor incoming shipments. You may use a barcode scanner to check the things acquired and add them to your inventory automatically after they arrive.
• Customer management: Shopify’s CRM tools come with just the most basic functionality in the free plan. You may construct basic client profiles and send order updates, digital receipts, and post-purchase marketing via automating emails. Integrations provide access to more dynamic CRM capabilities.
• Employee management: You can establish employee user profiles and have workers clock in/out to log their hours and analyze performance, much like other touch screen POS systems. On the other hand, the number of user accounts you may create on Shopify’s basic and standard subscriptions is limited.
• Shopify Lite: With Shopify Lite, you can sell in-person using the POS Lite software or add a purchase button to other websites. While you won’t be able to create your own online shop with this plan, you will be able to access in-store inventory and customer profiles, as well as give customer discounts and use back-office operations like product administration, order management, and reporting.
• Ecommerce: One of the most appealing features of Shopify is the ability to set up an online shop and handle orders on the same platform as in-store sales. The website builder offered by Shopify is one of the most popular on the market. It can handle almost any function or integration you would need, and you can even sell on Amazon, Instagram, and Facebook using Shopify.
• You can handle all the subtleties that come with having both an online and physical presence, in addition to receiving payments, processing returns, providing refunds, and so on, in person. Customers may, for example, pay online and pick up at your curbside. You may also accept returns from the internet in person.
• Customer care is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, live chat, and email.

Drawbacks of Shopify

Shopify is an unbeatable option for ecommerce companies, but if you operate a brick-and-mortar company that relies on in-person sales for the bulk of your income, its software may not be the greatest fit. To access standard capabilities like sophisticated CRM and customizable reporting, Shopify asks consumers to subscribe to a higher subscription. If you wish to collect client signatures on your digital device or modify your digital receipts, you’ll need to upgrade.

Instead, choose Square’s free plan, which has a native ecommerce capability and an easy-to-use shop builder. Each Square account also comes with a free card reader.

Go to Shopify to learn more.

Lightspeed’s Upserve: The Best Touch Screen POS for Restaurant Customer Management

Lightspeed’s Upserve

4.19 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Excellent customer service and reservation management
• Calculates the profitability of a meal based on current ingredient pricing.
• Reporting and management tools that are both powerful and easy to use, including built-in workforce management.

What Isn’t There

• Inventory and online ordering are expensive add-on features.
• Transaction costs that aren’t mentioned
• Adding more terminals is costly.

Pricing for Upserve

• POS Plans for software subscriptions include: Core ($59 per month, additional $60 per terminal), Pro ($199 per month, additional $50 per terminal), Pro Plus ($359 per month, additional $40 per terminal)
• Upserve POS terminal ($1,350), Upserve iPad stand ($300), Tableside mobile POS ($500), EMV card reader for iOS ($251), Magstripe reader ($105) are the costs of the hardware.
• Fees for processing:
  • Upserve Payments is the payment processor.
  • Processing fee: a fixed fee determined by the client.

Lightspeed’s Upserve is our recommendation for restaurants looking for unparalleled customer management, given its guestbooks, logbooks, and reservation management features, which is powered by its restaurant analytic software, Upserve HQ. It also rivals Toast in terms of its high-quality interface and inventory management capabilities, as you can track item quantities down to the ingredient and calculate your menu profitability and wastage.

Many major food suppliers have integrated with Upserve, enabling you to reorder supplies straight from the app and see real-time ingredient pricing. With Upserve’s mobile management app, you can obtain precise restaurant metrics and insights on the move.

Based on our evaluation, Upserve earned an overall score of 4.19 out of 5, receiving perfect marks for ease of use and outstanding marks for its Features Unique to Touch Screens, scoring better than Toast because it is compatible with iOS and Android devices. Its low scores are mainly from the steep cost of its add-on features, use of additional POS terminals, and undisclosed payment processing fees. Upserve is in a close race with Toast for being the most expensive touch screen POS on the market. However, they are also two of the best options available for restaurants.

Upserve’s Tableside mobile POS allows waiters to receive orders and payments (dip, swipe, or tap) from anywhere in the restaurant. (Photo courtesy of Upserve)

Upserve Terminals work with both iOS and Android smartphones and have an EMV chip built in. (Photo courtesy of Upserve)

Features of Upserve

• Upserve’s inventory management system is unusual in that it interfaces with many major food suppliers, allowing you to reorder goods straight from the app and have your supply levels updated immediately. Another advantage is that food pricing will always be current, enabling you to monitor the profitability of your menu in real time.
• Customer management: Upserve HQ provides seamless customer management tools (guestbooks, logbooks, and reservation management) that enable you to develop unique customer profiles and numerous customer categories to enhance upselling potential.
• Upserve HQ has a built-in reputation management function that records your restaurant’s internet reviews as well as those of five other businesses so you can see how your customers’ opinions compare to those of your rivals.
• The manager’s logbook, a customisable overview of each day’s sales, visitor count, weather, and important occurrences, is another of Upserve’s highly regarded features. You may also design unique questions or checklists for employees to complete at the end of their shifts, with their replies immediately logged. Toast will debut its own logbook feature in May 2020, but Upserve has had it for longer and has an advantage over the competition.
• Online ordering: For an additional $59 per month, Upserve can set up your own online ordering system. It also has direct Chowly integrations with Grubhub, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Caviar.
• Upserve shines in this area as well, delivering all of the major sales information (including sales by category, tender type, and comp/void activity), labor records (containing sales and gratuities by employee), and inventory reports (like food costing, supplier expenditure, and wastage).
• Upserve’s customer assistance is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by phone, live chat, and email.

Downsides of Upserve

Upserve may not be the ideal choice if inventory control is more important to you than CRM. While it has a lot of inventory features, it’s only accessible as an add-on for basic customers or if you switch to one of the pricier plans, which starts at $199 per month. If this is a deal-breaker for you, go for Loyverse, which has a free basic membership with basic inventory management and a $25/month advanced inventory add-on.

Visit Lightspeed’s Upserve

Best Free Touch Screen POS With Built-In Loyalty Program: Loyverse

Loyverse

4.15 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• POS software with a kitchen display system is available for free.
• There’s also a built-in loyalty program.
• Product varieties and inventory breakdown

What Isn’t There

• Direct integrations are limited.
• There isn’t any built-in payment processing.
• Only premium customers have access to round-the-clock help.

Pricing for Loyalists

• POS Plans for software subscriptions include:
  • POS software is available for free and contains a POS dashboard, kitchen display, and customer display.
  • Employee management ($5 per month, each employee), advanced inventory ($25 per month, discount for more than three businesses), and access to third-party connections ($9 per month) are all available as add-on software.
• Costs of hardware: Loyverse recommends Sunni, Bematech, and iMin iPads and Android POS terminals.
• Fees for processing:
  • Upserve Payments is the payment processor.
  • Processing fee: a fixed fee determined by the client.

*All add-on software comes with a 14-day free trial and is priced on a monthly basis. Annual subscriptions are eligible for a two-month discount.

Loyverse is the only free POS that incorporates a loyalty program (Square costs $45 per month). Customers’ points are automatically tracked when they make purchases, and their balance is shown on the receipt. This POS system, although not the most advanced on our list, provides easy transaction processing, data analysis, and limitless device connections at no additional cost.

Furthermore, Loyverse add-ons are affordable (Shopify’s advanced inventory costs $89 per month), making Loyverse an excellent choice for small food-service businesses such as coffee shops or food trucks wishing to connect their consumers via a loyalty program.

Loyverse received a 4.15 out of 5 rating, with good grades for touch screen POS-specific capabilities, including device flexibility and infinite register connectivity, as well as simplicity of use. However, Loyverse was unable to collect additional points because to the absence of built-in payment processing and important capabilities for bigger, full-service enterprises, such as table map, third-party delivery connections, and credit card preauthorization.

Loyverse works with a range of Android smartphones in addition to iPads. (Image courtesy of Loyverse)

Features of Loyverse

• Employee management: For an additional $5 per month per employee, you can monitor employee hours, set account permissions, and run employee sales performance reports with the employee management add-on.
• Inventory management: Loyverse offers free inventory management solutions that allow you to input products and monitor their amounts. You can print barcodes, make purchase orders, and run inventory reports with the Advanced Inventory add-on ($25 per month).
• Loyalty: Loyverse offers a free basic loyalty program. Customers may earn points on their purchases after being signed up by a cashier, which can then be immediately redeemed for a discount. It isn’t as advanced as other POS systems, which let you to create awards and allow consumers to join up and track their points using their smartphones.
• Reports: The platform comes with all of the standard sales reports, such as sales by item/category and daily/weekly sales trends. It doesn’t compare to Lightspeed’s extensive reporting capabilities or Upserve’s ingredient-level monitoring.
• Customer service: Only paying customers have access to live chat assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Email and community support are provided to all clients.

The Drawbacks of Loyverse

The free POS software from Loyverse is ideal for managing small, quick-service establishments such as coffee shops. Loyverse, on the other hand, may not be a good match for a developing restaurant company, even if it just has one location. Table mapping and credit-card pre-authorization capabilities to allow for open tabs are both missing from the system, which makes it difficult to handle dine-in guests. It also lacks delivery service integration, which you’ll need if you wish to expand your market with online sales. If your business need this service, Toast offers full-service options for big, upmarket restaurants as well as a pay-as-you-go subscription plan.

Loyverse is a website dedicated to loyalty.

Lavu: Best touch screen POS for restaurants on a budget

Lavu

Overall Score: 4.11 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on our experts’ weighted analysis of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• With in-house and integrated payment alternatives, it provides flexibility.
• Inventory management that includes a multi-pizza building module.
• After two days, LavuPay accounts are enabled.

What Isn’t There

• There can only be one terminal in a baseline plan.
• Add-ons may be costly.
• Customer service is lacking.

Pricing at Lavu

• POS Plans for software subscriptions include:
  • Single Terminal (beginning at $69 per month)
  • Several terminals (custom quote)
  • Entrepreneurship (custom quote)
• Cost of hardware:
  • Enclosures for terminals ($125–$200)
  • Readers for credit cards ($60–$150)
  • Hardware for KDS ($800–$2,500)
  • Customer display at the back ($95)
  • Mini Mac servers (varies)
• Fees for processing:
  • Lavu Pay is the payment processor.
  • Rate of processing: Custom-quoted rate

Lavu is a restaurant touch screen POS system for specialty restaurants with an economical price range. Subscriptions for a single terminal start at $69 a month, which is much less than Toast or Upserve but still provides a level of flexibility that you won’t get with free software like Loyverse.

Ingredient-level inventory and menu control, tableside ordering, loyalty, and real-time sales reporting are just a few of Lavu’s capabilities. It also allows you to choose between in-house and integrated third-party payment processing, giving you the flexibility to discover the best transaction rates for your business.

Lavu really excels when it comes to inventory monitoring and menu management, and unlike Toast and Upserve, Lavu’s inventory functionality is included in the standard subscription. Even with many modifiers, you may connect your inventory to your menu and watch product availability in real time. To help pizzerias, Loyverse provides a pizza building module with configurable modifier panels.

Lavu received a 4.11 out of 5 rating based on our criteria, with great ratings for general features and exceptional rankings for simplicity of use. It was penalized for its lack of price information and device compatibility, both of which are critical for touch screen POS systems. The features included in the basic plan are unclear on Lavu’s website, which lost Lavu points in our review.

For mobile payments, Lavu is compatible with PayPal chip and tap card readers in addition to swipe card readers. (Photo courtesy of Lavu)

Lavu POS may be downloaded to a suitable iPad tablet and put up on a counter with the help of a stand. (Photo courtesy of Lavu)

Features of Lavu

• Inventory management: Keep track of your ingredients in real time and send alerts to your floor servers when a food item is ready to be phased out. For each item on your menu, you can also change the measurements and generate a full ingredient list.
• Modifiers may be used to alter your menu and satisfy unique requests from customers. You may also make a variety of combinations and send orders to various printers at the same time (drinks to the bar, entrees to the kitchen). Use Lavvu’s pizza builder module to create multiple pizza tastes for pizzerias.
• Staff management: Includes five pre-made user profiles with varying degrees of access that may be changed to meet your operational requirements. You may establish and manage shifts, check employee attendance and working hours, set overtime limits, and keep track of open tabs.
• MenuDrive is a native online ordering solution for Lavu users that lets you to take orders online as well as through email, phone, chat, and SMS. You may also establish custom delivery zones and set delivery rates for each of them.
• MenuDrive also lets you allocate deliveries to your riders, discover the most efficient route, and send driving directions and delivery instructions to their phones.
• Customer management: This feature enables your waiters to enroll clients in your loyalty program as they place their orders. Create a client database and link it to your delivery tools and personalized rewards management system.
• Over 40 customisable built-in reports with real-time sales and labor reporting capability are included in the reporting tools. Pilot is a reporting tool developed by Lavu that enables you to obtain real-time performance statistics from your smartphone.
• Customer service: Online training handbooks and a support database are accessible, and US-based customer service is available through phone, email, and webchat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Drawbacks of Lavu

Lavu’s back office integration options are still in need of some improvement. For instance, if you are a QuickBooks user, you won’t be able to use Lavu as it does not support this accounting software integration. Instead, you will be better served by trying Square for Restaurants as an alternative POS system. Also, Lavu does not have an integrated vendor management system, so if this is a priority in running your business, we recommend you try Lightspeed’s Upserve.

Pay a visit to Lavu.

Toast: The Best Touch-Screen Point-of-Sale System for Restaurants

Toast

4.10 OUT OF 5 I I I I I I I I I I I Our ranking is based on our experts’ weighted assessment of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• A multi-functional portable tablet is part of the proprietary, industry-grade hardware.
• Offers a pay-as-you-go membership with no upfront investment.
• Excellent tools for table control and order.

What Isn’t There

• Advanced inventory management software is only available for purchase.
• Purchase of proprietary hardware is required.
• Fee for remote installation of Loyalty and Gift Card add-ons is required.
• There are no payment connections available without a Toast Payments membership.

Pricing for Toast

• Plans for software subscriptions include:* Starter (from $0 per month for up to two terminals), Essentials ($165 per month), and Growth ($272 per month)
• Costs of hardware: Pay-as-you-go (Costs of hardware: Starter kits: Pay-as-you-go ($0), Standard paid plan (from $799) Additional terminals ($999), Mobile Handheld POS: Toast Go ($499 + $50 per month)), Standard paid plan (from $799) are available as starter kits. Additional terminals ($999), Toast Go ($499 + $50 per month) Mobile Handheld POS
• Fees for processing: Pay-as-you-go plan:* 2.99% + 15 cents for card present and card not present transactions (Additional 0.40% per transaction for plans with add-ons), Standard paid plan: 2.49% + 15 cents for card present and 3.5% + 15 cents for card not present transactions

*When ordering a beginning kit with a basic paid plan, a POS subscription costs $69 per month.

When it comes to touch screen POS systems for full-service restaurants, Toast leads the pack. Its top-of-the-line order and table management tools are meant to keep servers in continual touch with the kitchen, while portable terminals guarantee that servers are alerted as soon as orders are available or as soon as an item is 86ed from the menu. The touch-screen KDS also enables back-of-house employees to keep track of all orders, whether they originate from the dining room or a third-party delivery app, and send alerts to the waitstaff.

Toast is the finest overall touch screen POS for restaurants since it includes precise inventory management, a variety of touch-screen hardware choices, and flexible ordering features.

Toast scored a 4.10 out of 5 rating after thorough testing, with excellent marks for simplicity of use, general functionality, and expert review. The extra expense of using basic tools like inventory, workforce management, and loyalty and gift cards, on the other hand, may make the system rather expensive. Furthermore, the proprietary hardware precluded Toast from receiving a better grade in our review since it lacked both terminal and card reader flexibility, which is critical for touch screen POS systems.

Toast Go is a mobile POS terminal that enables your staff to process card payments and accept dine-in and take-out orders from anywhere in the restaurant. (Image courtesy of Toast)

Toast’s basic set includes Toast Tap, a Toast Flex terminal, and a router, as well as Toast software. (Image courtesy of Toast)

To incorporate a customer-facing display in your beginning set, add $200. (Image courtesy of Toast)

Features of Toast

• Inventory management: Toast has a robust inventory management system that allows you to track food expenditures, waste, and menu profitability. However, in terms of interfacing with food suppliers for real-time pricing, it is not as sophisticated as Upserve.
• Customer management: Toast lets you establish customer profiles and deliver digital receipts as well as gather and react to comments. Combine it with add-ons like Toast Loyalty, which offers a customisable rewards program, and Toast Marketing, which allows you to send personalized and targeted emails to loyal customers or entice them to return.
• Allow workers to clock in and out to keep track of their hours, including breaks and overtime. For an extra price, Toast provides its own payroll system, or you may link with one of numerous restaurant payroll services.
• Table management: Toast’s improved communication between front-of-house and back-of-house workers is praised by many users. Menu item amounts are updated in real time when waiters use Toast’s handheld tablets, so they’re informed of 86s before accepting a customer’s order. Similarly, servers get information as soon as a course leaves the kitchen and are reminded of its destination. Toast is also the only POS on our list that allows clients to order and pay using their cellphones.
• Users on the $165 per month and above plans may create their own commission-free online ordering system. Toast also uses Chowley to connect with Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Caviar.
• Toast provides customer service by phone, chat, and email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Disadvantages of Toast

Toast’s major flaw as a touch screen POS is that it employs proprietary hardware, which limits the versatility of this sort of POS system while also increasing the cost of doing business. This binds you to a potentially long-term contract as well as Toast’s in-house payment processing solution, preventing you from obtaining the best transaction charge rates. In this aspect, Lavu is a preferable option since it is compatible with both iOS and Android smartphones and has integrated third-party payment processing.

Toast is a great place to start.

Best Touch Screen Retail POS With Built-In Loyalty Program: Lightspeed is a vendor.

Lightspeed is a vendor.

Overall Score: 4.02 OUT OF 5 iOur score is based on our experts’ weighted analysis of hundreds of comparable items and services.

What We Enjoy

• Customer loyalty program built-in
• The UI is simple and straightforward to use.
• Payment processing solutions that are flexible
• Provides a free trial.

What Isn’t There

• Subscription plans that are too expensive
• With the basic plan, transaction volume is limited.
• Features for basic ecommerce integration and reporting
• There isn’t a built-in payment processor.

Pricing by Vendor

• Plans for software subscriptions include:
  • Lite (monthly fee of $99)
  • Pro ($129 per month) is a paid subscription service.
  • Entrepreneurship (custom quote)
• Costs of hardware:
  • mPop (from $499) is an all-in-one device.
  • iOS hardware starter bundle ($600)
  • Starter package ($684) for PC and iOS
  • Hardware set for professionals ($807)
  • iPad stands (starting at $99)
• Fees for processing: Depends on your chosen payment processing provider (TSYS, Worldpay, Cardconnect, Chase, EVO Payments, PayPal, Square, and more)

Vend is a great choice for brick-and-mortar stores seeking for a touch-screen POS with customer and loyalty management integrated in. Only a few POS systems integrate loyalty programs, shop credit, and layaway as standard features. Vend is a good alternative for shops because of its offline processing functionality, flexibility to interact with third-party processors, and ability to provide different payment methods.

With its inventory features, it competes with Square, therefore high-volume firms looking for an alternative payment processor to offset the pricier subscription plan might consider utilizing this system.

After careful consideration, Vend earned a score of 4.02 out of 5, with perfect scores for general features and ease of use. For touch-screen features, Vend scored well on device flexibility, electronic signature capture, and customizable digital receipts availability. On the other hand, the software lost points for its unreliable offline payment processing, Subscription plans that are too expensive, and limited transaction volume, and subsequently prevented Vend from performing better in our ranking.

An all-in-one mPOP with an integrated cash drawer, printer, and scanner is included in Vend’s iOS beginning kit. (Image courtesy of Vend)

A 10.2″ iPad with stand, mobile barcode scanner, small printer, and cash drawer are included in the Vend Pro hardware package. (Image courtesy of Vend)

Features of the Vendor

• Inventory: Its basic design includes real-time inventory capabilities. Users may bulk upload and update goods, monitor variation bundles, and create low stock alerts and automated restocking. For simple administration of many locations, it also allows you to create a centralized catalog that can be accessible directly from the POS, back office, and mobile.
• Users may manage their client list across any integrated platform since the solution is cloud-based. Customer profiles that monitor purchase history and contact information are included in Vend’s basic package. Vend Pro gives you access to customer group management features, gift cards, shop credit, and a customized loyalty program with personalized prizes and points.
• Vend supports all credit card types, as well as mobile payments, gift cards, layaways, and buy-now-pay-later programs, at the point of sale.
• Loyalty program: This is included in the Pro plan and includes gift cards. During checkout, you may see how many loyalty points you have so you can better engage your consumers with amazing purchase ideas. Customers may also participate in loyalty programs and submit their email address if they choose to get their receipt through email using Vend’s free customer-facing display app.
• Reporting and analytics: Vend Lite, like Lightspeed, includes bespoke analytics reporting with the flexibility to filter data. You may get advanced reporting features like discounts, employee insights, seasonal patterns, and gift card analytics by upgrading to Vend Pro.
• Customer service: Phone assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as live chat, email, and social media. Vend U also allows users to enroll in on-demand courses and training webinars.

Disadvantages of Vend

Vend is the only one of our top recommendations that has a transaction volume limit in one of their plans. Vend’s value-for-money, especially for small company owners, is called into doubt by a somewhat pricey basic membership ($99) that lacks important features like ecommerce integration and loyalty. Consider Lightspeed if you want a touch screen POS with inventory and reporting features included in a considerably more inexpensive basic subscription package.

Vendor Visit

Conclusion

While there are many different sorts of businesses, each owner’s strategy to development is different. The many various kinds of POS systems on the market are intended to provide a range of functions to complement a variety of company models, sizes, goals, and expansion plans. A touch screen POS system can help you get the job done effectively, whether your main aim is to manage a large inventory, handle multichannel sales, strengthen your loyalty program, or improve the quality of your table service via tableside ordering.

If you’re not sure where you should be spending your money just yet, Square’s free POS tools are a wonderful place to start. Square has almost everything a small business or restaurant needs to get started, and it can grow with you. Click the button below to get a free trial of Square.

Square should be visited.

The “best cloud-based pos systems for retail” is a list of 8 different touch screen POS systems. The article will discuss the pros and cons of each system.

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