Best Bar POS Systems + Software for Nightclubs & Breweries 2022

Toast operates on industry-grade touch-screen terminals that have been tested and rated to stand up to the wear and tear of a busy bar. They are designed to prevent dust and steam intrusion and operate at temperatures both higher and lower than iPads and other consumer-grade hardware. The Toast Go 2 handheld terminals are also drop-tested and can withstand liquids poured directly on the touch screen.

Countertop Kit	Handheld Kit	Guest Self-Service Kit	Toast KDS
Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 2.99% + 15 cents processing fees Pay upfront: $799 plus $69 per month*	Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 2.99% + 15 cents processing fees Pay upfront: $609 plus $69 per month*	Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront; 2.99% + 15 cents processing Pay upfront: $999 plus $99 per month*	Custom-quoted; Contact Toast for pricing
Toast Flex terminal, payment device, router**	Toast Go 2 handheld order and payment device, indoor wireless access point, router**	22” Toast touch-screen kiosk terminal, payment device, router**	Wall-mountable touch-screen kitchen display system screen**

Purchase from Toast

* Toast’s standard processing rates of 2.49% + 15 cents apply to hardware and software packages that are paid upfront, rather than on a Pay-as-you-go plan.
** Includes setup and customer care

• Pay-as-you-go Hardware

  Users can get Toast’s industry-grade hardware with no upfront cost by agreeing to pay slightly higher credit card processing fees. The standard processing rate is 2.49% plus 15 cents; Pay-as-you-go customers pay 2.99% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions. For this additional rate, you can get hardware for up to two terminals. You can choose countertop terminals, handheld terminals, or self-service kiosks. Toast is the only option on this list that offers a pay-as-you-go option for hardware.

• Flexible bar tab management

  Your employees can pre-authorize payment cards, so no cards are left at the bar. You can set the Toast system to give any employee the ability to add items to an open tab from any register. You can split checks via multiple payment methods. Toast also has a mobile POS solution so employees can take orders or close out tabs tableside.

• Robust beverage integrations

  Toast features a host of third-party integrations so you can customize the POS to meet your needs. If you want more beverage-centric inventory, you can add BevSpot. Breweries can track keg usage with BrewLogix and offer self-serve pours via PourMyBeer. For added security, bars can add the Solink integration that syncs security cameras with your POS data to easily identify customer issues or employee theft.

• Toast Pay Card

  For an additional fee, you can add the Toast Pay Card with PayOut, an app that enables your employees to access their wages and tips as they are earned, rather than waiting until the next payday. Toast is the only system that offers this option, and it can help bars retain staff that prefer immediate access to their tips. This can be a game changer if your bar struggles with employee turnover.

• Text from the POS

  The text alert function in the Toast POS allows your hourly staff to quickly send a text alert to a manager directly from the POS screen. If your bartenders need more change in the till, another bottle of tequila, or a manager to address a customer situation, they can send a text with the push of a single button.

Toast is one of the most comprehensive food and beverage POS systems available. It is difficult to name another system that has as many features for all types of hospitality businesses. The biggest reasons you might want a different system are if you prefer an iPad-based POS, need a shorter-term contract, or want to shop for the lowest processing rates from multiple processors.

Hotel bars that prefer an iPad POS should consider Lightspeed Restaurant, which also integrates with hotel property management software (PMS) software. Lightspeed also only requires a one-year contract and offers a 14-day free trial. High-volume bars that need inventory tools and cash management in an iPad POS will be well-served by Revel Systems, which also integrates with several major payment processors. And, if you want a free POS that runs on iPads and requires no long-term contracts, you’ll want to look at Square for Restaurants.

iPad Hardware Kit	Customer-Facing Display	KDS
iPad stand cash drawer, receipt printer, and kitchen printer (iPad not included)	iPad-based customer facing display	iPad-based touch-screen KDS

Contact Lightspeed Restaurant for custom quote

• Automated inventory

  Like competitors Revel and Toast, Lightspeed’s built-in inventory tracking is comprehensive, including physical count and vendor management tools. But, Lightspeed’s inventory tool is more user-friendly than Toast and Revel Systems because it is more automated. With Lightspeed’s Advanced Inventory function (available at the Pro level), your system will generate suggested orders based on your low stock alerts, ensuring that you never run out of product—no matter who places the supply order—and letting you place several orders with different vendors by clicking a single button.

• Advanced Insights

  At the Pro Plus level (and for an additional fee at lower subscription tiers), your Lightspeed POS includes detailed reports called Insights. These insights offer a deeper look at your staff productivity and customer behavior. Customer reports update automatically based on payment information. You don’t have to manually input each customer visit or purchase; the system logs all of this for you, even if the same customer uses different credit cards.

• Cost-saving workforce management

  Lightspeed’s Workforce Management tools include a user-friendly staff schedule builder. After creating a schedule in the management dashboard, you can send the schedule to staff via email or text message. The system will block staff from clocking in early and require a manager to override if a staff member tries to clock in off schedule. So, you’ll never be surprised by last-minute shift swaps or higher labor costs from early clock-ins.

• Recipe lookup

  Lightspeed Restaurant users can enter cocktail recipes into the POS, enabling bartenders to look up cocktails with the push of a button. This is especially useful in craft cocktail operations where customers expect bartenders to make any obscure drink they request. You can add your entire cocktail catalog to your POS to ensure that your bartenders are never stumped.

Lightspeed Restaurant supports four subscription tiers—more than any other system on this list. This ensures that large operations get the tools they need, while smaller venues don’t pay for tools they won’t use.

If you want to replicate Lightspeed’s customizability for no upfront costs, try Toast. Toast also offers stronger offline functionality, including offline payments. If the marketing strengths are what entice you, check out TouchBistro, which also supports detailed customer profiles and templated marketing campaigns (though for a slightly higher monthly cost).

Like Toast, Simphony operates on industry-grade hardware. Terminals are tested and rated to withstand high and low temperatures and prevent the intrusion of water and dust. The kitchen display system (KDS) screens’ electrical connections are all internal, making them an even safer option in wet, steamy kitchen environments.

MICROS Compact Workstation 310	MICROS Customer-facing display	Mobile 721 Tablet	Express Station 400
Small footprint countertop touch-screen terminal	Customer-facing display	Handheld order and payment device	24” KDS screen with bump bar navigation

Contact Oracle for Pricing

• $1 Hardware

  Like top-ranked Toast, Simphony operates on industry-grade hardware that is tested and rated to withstand wet, hot and dusty conditions. If you’ve seen all the places napkin lint ends up, you know how useful this is. Simphony advertises its terminals for as little as $1 each, but you’ll need to reach out to a Simphony sales rep to confirm your final pricing. The handheld order and payment tablet is pocket-sized and drop-tested to withstand busy bar environments.

  With systems like Toast (which offers up to two terminals for no upfront cost), and Square (which allows you to use hardware you already own), an offer like $1 per terminal pricing is necessary to stay competitive.

• Robust cash management

  Like Revel and Toast, Simphony can operate two cash drawers from a single till, which helps you track cash if there are discrepancies. You can track every cash transaction from each drawer, check cash status mid-shift for audits, track multiple paid-ins and paid-outs, and retain digital cash counts that are searchable later.

  Unlike other systems on this list, Simphony also includes petty cash tracking directly in the POS. So, if you are in the habit of handing a barback $20 from the drawer to buy more lemons, Simphony has you covered. These are the most robust cash tracking tools of any system on this list.

• Dynamic engagement screen

  Your Simphony POS home screens feature interactive live tiles to showcase whatever information your staff needs. You can include daily specials, weather widgets, shift notes, and even social media feeds, which can help your team see what customers are saying about their experiences in real time.

• Multi-language support

  If you’re planning to turn your bar into a global brand, you’ll want to know that Simphony operates in over 20 languages. You can set up your system in Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, English and more—whatever language your team is most familiar with. This is more languages than other systems on this list, making Simphony an excellent choice for bars and restaurants in cultural enclaves where many languages are spoken.

Oracle MICROS Simphony is midpriced compared to others on this list. Though, like Square for Restaurants, its baseline subscription—Essentials—is pretty basic. To get truly useful analytics and marketing, you’ll need to upgrade to the Plus plan at $75 per month. Though unlike others on this list, Oracle also offers its Single Tenant subscription, which supports an on-site server. This option gives the cloud-based system the heft of a locally installed system and strengthens the offline functionality.

The industry-grade hardware is a major reason users opt for a system like Simphony. So, if you prefer iPad-based hardware that is easy to replace, look at Lightspeed, Revel, or Square. If you need an iPad POS with cash management tools that are nearly as strong, try Revel.

While Oracle’s systems support popular integrations with inventory, reservations, and online ordering systems via an open API, Square and Lightspeed have many more pre-built integrations that promote faster connections.

Like Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro, and Square for Restaurants, Revel operates on iPads. Revel users can configure iPads and iPad mini devices as countertop terminals, self-service kiosks, and handheld order and payment tablets. Revel does not list pricing publicly, however. You’ll need to contact Revel for a custom quote.

C-Stand Terminal	L-stand Terminal	Handheld Terminal
Low profile countertop iPad stand	Eye-level iPad stand with customer-facing display option	iPad mini-based handheld order and payment terminal

Contact Revel Systems for pricing

• Flexible payment processing
  Revel Systems has a built-in payment processing solution called Revel Advantage. Payment processing rates are not disclosed on the Revel website; quotes are customized based on your sales volume and card mix. Users can also get rate quotes from compatible processors First Data, Heartland, TSYS, triPOS, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, and Elavon. If your venue does a high volume of business, those fees can add up, so shopping for the lowest possible rates can significantly impact your bottom line.
• Employee management
  Revel Systems includes employee scheduling in the entry-level POS. Revel’s schedule builder is easy to use but is slightly less robust than Toast’s add-on workforce management module. Revel’s system doesn’t include time clock enforcement, and you can’t text schedules to staff (you can only email and print the schedule). If you want clock enforcement and text-enabled schedules, you can rely on Revel’s integrations with Homebase, 7shifts, or HotSchedules, though.
• High till alerts
  Revel supports dual cash drawer tills, so two bartenders operate from the same POS terminal. In addition, Revel users can set a maximum dollar amount for each cash drawer. The system will alert you when the cash drawers are over the limit so your staff can drop excess cash in the safe. This feature helps busy locations that process a high volume of cash secure their profits and reduces the temptation (or possibility) of theft.
• Robust, built-in Inventory
  Revel has detailed inventory tools built into the POS itself. Unlike others on this list that require a third-party integration to get vendor and purchase order management, Revel’s tools are part of the POS, just like competitor Lightspeed. It also includes an integrated Stock Take smartphone app to speed physical counts, and allows you to choose whether stock-taking employees can see the “expected” count for inventory items or can only blind count. This setting is excellent for preventing employee theft.
• Security integrations
  Like top-ranked Toast, Revel Systems integrates with security tools Solink and Envysion to sync your POS data with your security cameras. This allows you to quickly search security footage for movement at unexpected times and pull up videos of questionable transactions as they were processed. This can save hours when investigating missing inventory or suspicious cash transactions.

Unlike many of the systems on the list, Revel offers its POS at a single subscription level. Some features—like online ordering—are offered at an additional custom-quoted rate. Requesting a general custom quote is also not a bad idea; if you need more than a single terminal, you’ll likely be able to get a lower per-terminal rate. Though, you’ll also want to note Revel’s installation fee. Most other POS systems on this list are self-installable, but Revel users will need to budget for an installation fee of at least $674. If your system is extensive—spread across multiple floors or requiring five or more stations—you’ll likely pay more.

Revel POS Pricing

The biggest reason you might want to pass on Revel is the three-year contract. If you want a robust system with nearly as many tools, but a shorter contract, try Toast. If you absolutely need something month-to-month, Square for Restaurants is your best bet, though many bar-supporting tools will require integrations.

For close to the same level of built-in functionality and the ability to shop for multiple processors, try Lightspeed Restaurant.

Like Lightspeed, Revel, and Square, TouchBistro operates on iPads. You can bring your own hardware if it is compatible, but for the best functionality, TouchBistro encourages users to buy directly from them.

POS Kit	KDS	Customer-facing Display
Kit containing an iPad POS stand, cash drawer, receipt printer, and card reader	iPad KDS screen	iPad customer-facing display

Purchase from TouchBistro

• Easy self-install
  TouchBistro provides detailed installation instructions in its online user knowledge base. Most TouchBistro users find it only takes a couple of hours to get their TouchBistro system up and running. The company also offers setup support services at custom-quoted rates for bars that want individual attention in the installation process.
• iOS-based user interface
  TouchBistro’s POS interface and back office dashboard resemble a big iPhone more than any system on this list. Anyone who has used an iPhone will pick up TouchBistro at lightning speed. This streamlined design is what makes TouchBistro so easy to use. In fact, many user reviews mention training new staff to use the POS in less than an hour. If your bar struggles with high turnover, TouchBistro could save you hundreds of dollars in training costs.
• Flexible payment processing
  Like the others on this list, TouchBistro has a built-in payment option, TouchBistro Payments. Like Lightspeed, Revel, and Simphony, TouchBistro integrates with a few other payment gateways like TSYS and Square, so users have the option to bring their own processor if they find a better rate.
• Built-in inventory options
  TouchBistro supports two inventory systems, one of which is a basic countdown for individual items like bottles of wine, which may be all a wine bar or brewery needs. Cocktail bars and pubs that serve food may prefer the ingredient-level inventory. In our experience, however, TouchBistro’s ingredient-level inventory tools require a lot more administrative legwork to update than more automated systems like Toast and Revel.
• Reports To Go
  Like Revel and Simphony, TouchBistro includes a smartphone reporting app that owners and managers can access on the go. TouchBistro calls its app “Reports To Go.” This app is available for iOS and Android phones and includes basic sales and labor reports along with void and discount tracking.

Like Revel Systems, TouchBistro offers a single subscription tier. Pricing starts at $69 per month for a single terminal. For more than one terminal, it is best to contact a TouchBistro sales representative for a quote; they tend to offer reduced rates for additional terminals.

If you need inventory with more automation that takes less administrative time, consider Lightspeed, Revel, or Toast. If you need purpose-built, industry-grade hardware that can stand up to high-volume use, try Toast, Square, or Oracle MICROS Simphony.

Square for Restaurants operates on iPads, smartphones, and Square-built terminals. You can use hardware you already own or purchase hardware directly from Square. It has a sales team to guide you through your choices, or you can simply order what you want directly from the Square website. Hardware is competitively priced, and Square offers easy financing options with low monthly payments if you’re on a tight budget.

Square Stand	Square Terminal	Mobile POS Kit	Square Register
$149 ($14/ month with Square Financing)	$299 ($27/month with Square Financing)	$49 without phone; $299 with phone	$799 ($39/ month with Square Financing)
iPad stand with built-in tap, dip, and swipe card reader (iPad not included)	Handheld order and payment device with built-in receipt printer	Samsung L7 smartphone case with integrated tap and chip card reader	Square-built touch-screen terminal with integrated customer-facing display
Purchase Stand	Purchase Terminal	Purchase Mobile POS	Purchase Register

• One-day setup

  Square for Restaurants has the fastest setup time of any POS on this list. To receive payments, all you need to do is connect your POS app to an existing bank account. So, there is no downtime completing a credit application, getting approved for a merchant account, and then receiving a custom quote for your transaction fees.

  Since you can download the POS app onto iPads you already own—or can easily purchase from a number of retailers—you also don’t need to wait to receive specialty hardware. In our product tests, we have created fully operational Square POS systems for food and beverage businesses in a couple of hours. So, you can definitely get started using Square for Restaurants the day you decide to use it.

• Free baseline POS

  Like competitor Toast, Square for Restaurants offers a free baseline POS subscription. This Free tier is designed to support the smallest businesses, so it only comes with a single set of user permissions, but you can use the software on unlimited terminals. So, this level may be all small breweries or wine bars need.

• Square Terminal Handheld

  Like Toast, Square offers a purpose-built, pocket-sized handheld order and payment device. Square’s Terminal is a little larger than a smartphone and offers the full ordering and payment processing functions of a POS terminal. In addition to credit and debit cards, your Square Terminal can also accept mobile wallet payments and gift cards.

  For an even lighter-weight option, Square offers a smartphone case with built-in card reader that it calls its Mobile POS Kit. The case and card reader attach to Samsung L7 phones and turn the smartphone into a pocket-sized POS. Mobile POS Kits can be purchased directly from Square, with or without a Samsung smartphone. The Mobile POS Kit can only accept chipped cards and NFC mobile wallet payments.

• Multiple inventory integrations

  Square for Restaurants includes basic inventory tracking that allows you easily keep count of your bottles of beer and wine. It does not yet have the ability to track ingredients. If you want your POS to deplete your stock of cocktail ingredients in real time based on sales and send you low stock alerts and order reminders, you’ll need a third-party integration. Square integrates with several third-party inventory systems, so you can choose your preferred user interface.

  Current offerings include Craftable, Yellow Dog, MarketMan, BackBar, and PeachWorks.

Like top-rated Toast, Square for Restaurants offers its POS at three distinct subscription levels, with a free baseline subscription. The included features vary by subscription, with features available for the smallest bars up to custom quotes for high-volume and multilocation bars.

If inventory tracking is important to you, you should know that Square for Restaurants does not currently have ingredient-level inventory built into the POS. So, cocktail bars that want to receive low stock alerts will need to add a third-party integration with Yellow Dog or MarketMan. If you prefer your inventory built-in, you’ll be happier with Lightspeed or Revel.

Meanwhile, if you deal with a lot of cash or need multiple bartenders to work from the same register, Square is not your best bet. Try a system with stronger cash management tools like Revel or Toast.