Most Popular Point of Sale System in 2024

Forwarding instruction to the kitchen, accepting orders from the customer and collecting payments are important functionalities of a successful restaurant. Best POS for small business to streamline all these major functions. A good POS system serves a variety of purpose, they help in managing the inventory, accepting gift cards and track sales.

Features and functionalities are different in every pos machine and system which can vary from company to company. When you are opting for a POS system for a restaurant, you can consider whether it allow you to split checks, assign seats, add tips and more. 

Popular POS for Restaurants

Best pos for small business & restaurants differ in pricing and features, so selecting the right one for your food service business is crucial. Following are the best pos systems for small businesses and restaurants with their strengths and weaknesses.

Square POS

Square’s hardware integrates seamlessly with its POS app, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play. The free restaurant POS system includes essential features such as menu and table management, along with automated discounts for specials and happy hours.

For more advanced needs, Square offers paid restaurant plans. These plans enable features like reopening closed checks, customizing your floor plan, and assigning orders to specific seats. The Plus plan is priced at $60 per month (with an additional $40 per extra POS device). Whereas the Premium plan requires a custom quote from Square’s sales team.

Square also provides a Kitchen Display System (KDS), available for free with paid plans or at $10 per device per month when using the free POS system. The KDS tool lets you personalize ticket layouts, monitor ticket times, and generate reports on kitchen performance.

With Square POS, you’ll need to account for hardware costs and payment processing fees. Its processing rates are clear—usually 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person credit card transaction—though some competitors in the market may offer lower rates.

Toast App POS

Toast POS is by far the most favorite POS system for restaurants as it is designed especially for restaurants. It offers you a bunch of useful features that other POS systems may not offer. These features can vary from plan to plan and can include menu management, online ordering, pickup/delivery options, gift cards and loyalty programs. 

Toast pricing are not mentioned on the website therefore you have to contact them directly and get a quote according to your plan. Toast app offers you a three month plans and every plan has different pricing, ranges from starter plan to a $340/month growth plan. You’ll need to contact Toast POS to learn more about its credit card processing fees.

EPOS Now

Epos Now provides POS systems tailored for various retail and food service businesses. Its restaurant POS system offers features such as tracking ticket times, managing inventory, and enabling contactless ordering through QR codes. It also integrates with apps for customer relationship management (CRM), accounting, and delivery.

The Epos Now Pro-C15W terminal is designed for use in restaurants, bars, cafes, takeout, and hospitality settings. It includes essential hardware like a printer and cash drawer, with a full price of $999, though financing options or discounts may be available. Additional accessories include a handheld tablet for order-taking and a customer-facing display, ideal for counter-service environments.

Epos Now’s cloud-based POS software is available either through an annual license or a monthly subscription starting at $39. Unlike some competitors, Epos Now does not provide its own payment processing system but partners with various credit card processors. While this may be a drawback for small businesses seeking an all-in-one solution, it allows restaurants to explore competitive transaction rates from different providers.

Clover POS

Clover is a good option for contactless payment and its payment hardware. It’s station and mini are options for your checkout counter or behind the bar while its handheld flex is designed for servers on the go. 

Clover’s cloud-based POS system requires payment for hardware, monthly fees, and payment processing. It can be costly to implement, particularly for small businesses. For instance, choosing a Station setup could cost over $1,300 in hardware alone. Monthly fees for Clover’s counter-service POS start at $39.95, with an additional $9.95 per extra device. The full-service restaurant POS is priced at $69.95 per month, plus the same $9.95 per additional device.

Clover’s payment processing fee of 2.3% plus 10 cents per in-person credit card transaction is competitive and slightly lower than many other in-house processors. Additionally, its transparent pricing structure is likely to appeal to customers seeking clarity in costs.

Conclusion

Opting for a best pos for small business is confusing with too many option available and every POS system has different POS benefits. Therefore, always ensure your requirements and the features you are primarily look for. Once you are aware of all these then you will be able to choose the best POS system for your business and restaurant.