A touch screen POS system is a point-of-sale program that operates on tablets and handheld devices. This type of POS system is easier to use than traditional POS systems, and, being web-based, allows you to sync devices and monitor your business remotely.
In addition to cloud-based software, some advantages of using a touch screen POS include a more streamlined interface for faster checkout and mobile sales capabilities. This is because tablets and smartphones are more portable than cash registers or POS systems with a hardwired countertop setup.
Based on our evaluation, the best touch screen POS systems are:
- Square: Best overall free touch screen POS for small businesses
- Lightspeed: Best touch screen POS for inventory management
- Shopify: Best for online and multichannel sellers
- Vend: Best touch screen POS with built-in customer loyalty for retailers
- Loyverse: Best free cafe and restaurant POS with built-in loyalty rewards
- Upserve: Best restaurant touch screen POS for customer management
- Toast: Best overall restaurant touch screen POS
How We Evaluated Touch Screen POS Systems
From our list of 36 POS systems, we narrowed our choices down to 12 providers that offer outstanding touch screen POS solutions. We then compared these systems based on price and features that businesses should look for in a touch screen POS solution, including offline processing, the ability to capture digital signatures, device compatibility, and access to mobile card readers.
We also considered general POS features, such as a variety of payment types, level of inventory and business management tools, and remote and multi-location features. Finally, we considered our retail experts’ opinions based on their personal knowledge of each software.
Based on our evaluation criteria, Square emerges as the best touch screen POS for small businesses, receiving the highest overall score from our grading system for touch screen POS software (4.66 out of 5). Our scoring system ranked our top 12 choices according to what we would personally recommend based on our experience testing different software and working with small businesses that use POS systems every day.
Click through the tabs below for a more detailed breakdown of our evaluation criteria.
15% of Overall Score
We evaluated each software’s pricing plans for subscription options under $75 per month, as well as pay-as-you-go or free-forever opportunities. We awarded points for systems that allow for unlimited inventory listing and transaction processing. Finally, we awarded high marks for POS systems that provide users with the most flexible card processing options.
25% of Overall Score
In general, business owners look for efficiency in POS systems, which requires features that are both easy to scale and highly customizable. Therefore, we want to highlight touch screen POS solutions that can accept a wide variety of payment options and offer key inventory management tools. We also evaluated each system’s built-in business management tools, add-ons, and integrations.
30% of Overall Score
This section measures each POS system’s touch screen features and weighs them against business requirements. We gave high marks for providers that offer offline transaction processing and the most compatibility with mobile card readers and different touch screen devices. We also awarded points for features unique to touch screen systems, such as digital signature capture and the ability to issue customized digital receipts. Finally, we recognized systems that provide unlimited device connections that can help process transactions faster and ring in more sales.
10% of Overall Score
Touch screen POS systems should be easy to operate. We made sure that we highlight web-based and/or cloud-based solutions so that your data can be synchronized and accessed from every connected device. We also gave extra points for systems that provide round-the-clock support.
20% of Overall Score
Finally, we evaluated each system’s overall performance from a professional standpoint so that readers know how highly we would recommend the software and for what type of business it fits best. We took a detailed look at the quality of both general and industry-specific features, noting standout, as well as any missing functions. We also weighed the software and hardware options against their cost to determine which system offers a good overall value for its price. I also awarded points based on my personal experience interacting with the software and the company’s customer support.
Square
PROS
- Impressive set of retail and restaurant POS features completely free
- Huge range of integrations includes QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and Grubhub
- Free ecommerce and online ordering
CONS
- Payment processing rates are not easily negotiable
- Limited customer support for free users
- Add-on features can get expensive
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 5 | OUT OF | 5 |
Square is the ideal touch screen POS solution for most small businesses. Its free version includes just about everything you need to run a single-location retail store or quick-service restaurant (QSR). Besides accepting payments, adding tips, and printing (or sending digital) receipts, Square lets you track employee hours, save a database of customers, and view sales reports—whether for your own reference or to integrate your sales and payroll data with QuickBooks. Square also offers optional upgrades for things like bar code scanning, a kitchen display system, or employee sales reports.
Based on our evaluation, Square leads our recommended touch screen POS systems, earning a total score of 4.66 out of 5, with top marks for pricing, general features, touch screen-specific features, and expert score. 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, our top pick for iPad POS systems, and one of the best overall POS systems for small businesses.
Square POS Pricing
- Software price: Subscription fees range from $0 to $60 per month. The free version includes all the basic payment and employee management features, while the “Plus” versions add things like bar code printing (with Retail Plus) or a kitchen display system (with Restaurants Plus). The Restaurants Plus edition also requires a $40 per month fee for each additional terminal after your first, while Retail Plus has no such charge.
- Payment processing: The free version of Square charges 2.6% + 10 cents for swiped transactions, and 3.5% + 15 cents for manual entry, which are both pretty standard. Retail Plus users get a discounted rate of 2.5% + 10 cents for swipes.
- Hardware: Square hardware is very reasonably priced compared to its competitors. You can purchase an iPad terminal with a stand and credit card reader for under $500. Its mini touch-screen terminal, which is proprietary, is only $299. You can also run Square on any iOS or Android and use a $49 Bluetooth card reader to accept payments.
From left to right: iPad terminal, mini terminal, and Bluetooth card reader. Square also has full registers with cash drawers.
Square POS Features
- Employee management: Employees clock in and out at the register, so you can keep track of their hours (including breaks and overtime) and export timecards for payroll.
- Inventory management: Add all your items to Square so employees can check out customers more quickly by simply clicking an image of each item on the touch screen. You can add your inventory manually or import in bulk using a spreadsheet. The free version of Square has surprisingly strong inventory management—including categories, variants, modifiers, and low-stock alerts—although you’ll need to upgrade to print bar codes, create purchase orders, and view detailed inventory reports.
- Restaurant features: The free version of Square includes table and menu management, so servers can open tabs and add items with ease. Square integrates with third-party delivery apps like DoorDash and Grubhub, and also provides its own free online ordering platform. Square for Restaurants Plus adds a kitchen display system, table map, coursing, and more detailed employee/server sales reports.
- Reports: Square’s free version includes about a dozen sales reports, including sales by category, discounts applied, and real-time hourly, weekly, and monthly sales charts. Paid versions include more detailed personnel reports, such as sales by employee and revenue per labor hour.
- Customer service: Free users can access phone, chat, and email support Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time. Paying users can access support 24/7.
Lightspeed
PROS
- Extensive inventory features
- Automates purchase orders, receiving and returns
- Can connect an outside payment gateway for better rate shopping
CONS
- Steep monthly subscription cost
- Expensive to add more registers
- Upgrade required for QuickBooks and Xero integrations
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 5 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 2.88 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
Lightspeed is our best recommendation for retail businesses with large inventories and those running multiple locations. The system comes with ecommerce features and a free payment terminal with each subscription, but Lightspeed’s inventory management features is what makes it stand out from competitors. It can sort through items with searchable tags, automatically add to your inventory by scanning bar codes, check supplier lists and draft purchase orders straight from the platform. All these make Lightspeed highly effective in handling thousands of unique SKUs, which also makes it our top choice for POS inventory management.
Based on our evaluation, Lightspeed earned a score of 4.30 out of 5, with top marks for its top-of-the-line inventory and analytic tools, as well as for ease of use. On the other hand, while its monthly plans fall within our pricing threshold, access to offline transaction processing, additional registers, and mobile card readers are an additional cost, making large POS setups quite pricey.
Lightspeed Pricing
- Software price: Lightspeed’s retail POS begins at $69 per month with several premium plans available for a higher monthly fee. For example, its $99 per month plan adds ecommerce, and its $119 per month plan adds QuickBooks and Xero integrations. Lightspeed also has a restaurant package starting at $59 per month. Additional retail terminals are $29 per month, and additional restaurant terminals are $34 per month.
- Payment processing: Lightspeed provides its own payment processing service, which charges 2.6% + 10 cents for swiped transactions and 2.6% + 30 cents for manual entry.
- Hardware: While Lightspeed doesn’t disclose hardware pricing, the fact that it can run on iPad and Mac and Windows computers means it will likely be more affordable than a proprietary system. It’s also compatible with a range of credit card readers, receipt printers, and bar code scanners.
Lightspeed Features
Top: Lightspeed on iPad, Bottom: Lightspeed running on iMac with full hardware package.
- Employee management: All Lightspeed plans let you create an unlimited number of user accounts for employees to clock in and out. This allows you to track hours and monitor employee performance with reports like sales, average basket size, email capture rates, and how many customers each employee is helping.
- Inventory: Lightspeed Retail offers the most advanced inventory management of any touch screen POS on this list. It’s equipped to handle hundreds or even thousands of unique SKUs thanks to handy features like the ability to tag items with searchable terms. Plus, Lightspeed Retail uploads vendor catalogs, making it easy for businesses to reorder stock whenever it runs low. Most other POS systems don’t have built-in product catalogs or features to directly manage purchase orders.
- Marketing: Lightspeed has a very strong loyalty program. You can create a branded smartphone app for customers to check their points and view rewards. This also allows you to send push notifications, SMS, and email alerts for any special offers or eligible rewards. To access the loyalty program you’ll need to be on an “Advanced” plan ($169 per month) or higher.
- Reports: Lightspeed includes more than 60 built-in reports covering inventory, sales, and customer behavior. While this alone is more than most POS systems will offer, the “Pro” plan ($229 per month) also lets you build custom reports using any data points in the system.
- Customer Service: Phone, live chat, and email support are available 24/7.
Shopify
PROS
- Low transaction fees
- Top-notch ecommerce platform
- Access to thousands of add-ons and integrations
CONS
- Limited staff accounts without upgrade
- No offline payment processing
- Advanced inventory requires expensive add-on ($89 per month)
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 3 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 5 | OUT OF | 5 |
Shopify is the best POS solution for online retail businesses that want to expand to in-person sales. As one of the world’s leading ecommerce platforms for small businesses, Shopify allows you to create an online store and manage both your online and in-person sales from the same system. This keeps your inventory, sales, and customer data synchronized at all times.
Furthermore, you can use Shopify to sell on Amazon, eBay, Facebook, and Instagram—truly managing all your sales channels from one platform. While each Shopify account does come with a free POS app plan to help you get started, it’s important to note that key POS features can only be accessed by upgrading to a paid plan.
Our evaluation earned Shopify an overall score of 4.22 out of 5, receiving top marks for general features and expert score. Shopify’s omni channel selling tools create the perfect platform for easy business expansion. However, its lack of offline payment processing and need for upgrading to a paid plan in order to access key touch screen POS features, such as digital signature capture, prevented Shopify from earning a higher score.
Shopify Pricing
- Software Price: Shopify begins at $29 per month for standard payment and ecommerce features, but only two staff accounts, and a 2.7% transaction fee. The $79 per month package allows up to five staff accounts and provides a 2.5% transaction fee. Both level accounts come with a free POS app and can add “POS Pro” for an additional $89 per month, which includes unlimited staff accounts and more advanced inventory management.
- Payment processing: Swiped transactions are charged at 2.7%, but this is discounted on higher level plans. Online and keyed-in payments start at 2.9% + 30 cents but are, again, discounted for higher-plan customers.
- Hardware: Like Square, Shopify’s hardware is very reasonably priced. iPad terminal kits begin at $229, and they include a stand, NFC/chip card reader, and cabling. You can also purchase a portable NFC/chip card reader for $49, which connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
Shopify Features
Shopify’s POS Pro runs on iPads and has a customizable interface.
- Employee management: Like most touch screen POS systems, you can create employee user accounts and have employees clock in/out to track their hours and monitor performance. However, Shopify does limit the number of user accounts you can set up on basic and standard plans.
- Ecommerce: One of the main perks to using Shopify is the ability to create an online store and manage your orders from the same platform as your in-store sales. Shopify’s website builder is one of the most popular on the market. It’s capable of supporting just about any feature and integration you might require, and you can even use Shopify to sell on Amazon, Instagram, and Facebook.
- Omnichannel selling: In addition to taking payments, processing returns, issuing refunds, etc., in person, you can manage all the nuances that come with having both an online and physical storefront. For example, have customers pay online and pick up at your curbside. Likewise, you can accept online returns in person.
- Inventory management: With Shopify’s POS Pro add-on ($89 per month), you get a much more advanced inventory system than what you’ll find from Square, as Shopify enables you to create purchase orders and track incoming shipments. Once they arrive, you can use a bar code scanner to confirm the items received and automatically add them to your inventory.
- Customer Service: Phone, live chat, and email support are available 24/7.
Vend
PROS
- Built-in loyalty program
- Easy-to-use and intuitive interface
- Excellent customer support
CONS
- Limited transaction volume for its basic plan
- Basic ecommerce integration and reporting features
- Pricey subscription plans
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 1.38 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
Vend is an excellent option for brick and mortar retailers looking for a touch screen POS that offers a built-in customer and loyalty management. Very few POS include loyalty programs, store credit, and layaway functions in its basic plan. Combined with its offline processing features and its ability to integrate with third-party processors and offer multiple payment options, Vend is a solid option for retailers.
Vend also rivals Square and Lightspeed with its inventory features, so high-volume businesses that prefer alternative payment processor options to offset the higher subscription plan should consider using this system.
Based on the criteria we’ve set for evaluating touch screen POS systems, Vend earned a score of 4.13 out of 5, with high marks for ease of use, expert score, and general features. On the other hand, Vend’s pricey subscription plans, extra cost for setting up additional registers, and limited transaction volume in its basic subscription prevented it from performing better in our ranking.
Vend Pricing
- Software price: Monthly subscription fees start at $99 per month applicable to a single location, single register, and a monthly transaction limit of $20,000. Vend’s Pro plan costs $120 per month, which includes unlimited transaction and advanced reporting. Each additional register costs $59 per month.
- Payment processing fees: Vend does not have in-house payment processing. Instead, it offers integrated payments through partner payment providers like Worldpay, CardConnect, Square, and PayPal.
- Hardware: Vend works on iOS (iOS 12 and above), Mac (OSX Mountain Lion, Mavericks, Yosemite, El Capitan, and Sierra), and PC devices (Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Surface Pro). While it does not sell its own hardware, Vend provides a list of recommended hardware specifications from computers to label printers.
Vend Feature
Vend POS works on most iOS, iMac and PC devices.
- Point of sale: Vend accepts all credit card payment types, as well as mobile payments, gift cards, layaways and buy-now-pay-later plans.
- Inventory: Real-time inventory tools are available from its basic plan. It allows users to upload and edit products in bulk, track variant bundles, and set custom low stock alerts and automatic reordering. It also lets you build a centralized catalog that can be accessed directly from the POS, back office, and mobile for easy management of multiple locations.
- Loyalty Program: This is available in its Pro plan and already comes with gift cards. Loyalty points information is available during checkout so that you can engage your customers more with great buying suggestions. Vend also offers a free customer-facing display app where customers can enter their email address if they prefer getting their receipt via email or for enrolling in loyalty programs.
- Customer service: Offers 24/7 phone support—in addition to live chat, email, and social media. Users can also sign up to Vend U for on-demand courses and training webinars.
Loyverse
PROS
- Free POS software with kitchen display system
- Includes built-in loyalty program
- Inexpensive add-ons
CONS
- Limited direct integrations
- No built-in payment processing
- 24/7 support only for paid users
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 4.25 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 3.75 | OUT OF | 5 |
Loyverse is the only free POS we’re aware of that also includes a loyalty program (Square charges $45 per month for theirs). It automatically tracks points as customers make a purchase and prints their balance on the receipt. While it’s not the most sophisticated option in our list, this POS system offers simple transaction processing, data analysis and unlimited device connection at no extra cost.
On top of that, Loyverse add-ons are also inexpensive (Shopify’s advanced inventory will cost you $89 per month), making Loyverse very ideal for small food-service operations like coffee stands or food trucks that are looking to engage their customers with a loyalty program.
Based on our evaluation criteria, Loyverse garnered a score of 4.05 out of 5, earning great marks for pricing and touch screen POS-specific features, particularly on device flexibility and unlimited register connection. However, the lack of built-in payment processing and key features for larger, full-service businesses—such as table map, third party delivery integrations, and credit card preauthorization—prevented Loyverse from gaining more points.
Loyverse Pricing
- Software price: The free version of Loyverse includes all the main POS features, including a kitchen display system. The employee management add-on ($5 per month, per employee) allows you to track hours and run employee sales reports, and the advanced inventory add-on ($25 per month) lets you print bar codes and create purchase orders.
- Payment processing: Loyverse does not offer a payment processing service. Instead, you can integrate with CardConnect, Worldpay, SumUp, or iZettle.
- Hardware: Loyverse can run on Android and iOS devices. While it doesn’t sell any hardware packages, it does provide a list of compatible printers, bar code scanners, and tablet stands. Which credit card reader is compatible depends on the payment gateway you connect.
Loyverse Features
Loyverse can run on iPads or Android tablets.
- Employee management: For an extra $5 per month, per employee, the employee management add-on will let you track staff hours, manage account permissions, and run employee sales performance reports.
- Inventory: Loyverse provides basic inventory management tools for free, letting you import items and track their quantities. The Advanced Inventory add-on ($25 per month) allows you to print bar codes, create purchase orders, and run inventory reports.
- Loyalty: Loyverse provides a basic loyalty program for free. After being signed up by a cashier, customers can earn points on their purchases, which can be automatically redeemed for a discount. It is not as sophisticated as other POS systems, which allow you to customize rewards and enable customers to sign themselves up and check their points from a smartphone.
- Reports: The platform includes all the basic sales reports, such as sales by item/category and daily/weekly sales trends. It does not come close to the advanced reporting offered by Lightspeed or the ingredient-level tracking provided by Upserve.
- Customer service: 24/7 live chat support is available only to paying users. All customers receive email and community support.
Upserve
PROS
- Outstanding customer and reservations management
- Calculate menu profitability off real-time ingredient prices
- Powerful reporting and management tools including built-in workforce management
CONS
- Undisclosed transaction fees
- Non-transparent hardware pricing
- Expensive to add additional terminals
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.5 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 4.38 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 3.5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 4.69 | OUT OF | 5 |
Upserve is our recommendation for restaurants looking for unparalleled customer management, given its guestbooks, logbooks, and reservation management features. 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.
Upserve also integrates with many major food suppliers, allowing you to reorder supplies directly from the app and view ingredient costs in real time. You can also get detailed restaurant analytics and insights on the go with Upserve’s mobile management app.
Upserve earned an overall score of 4.02 out of 5, with outstanding marks for general features, ease of use, and expert score. Its low scores are mainly from the steep cost of its add-on features, use of additional POS terminals, undisclosed payment processing fees, and hardware. 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 Pricing
- Software price: Upserve begins at $59 per month for all the main POS features. The $199 per month plan adds loyalty rewards, recipe costing, and food supplier integration, while the $349 per month adds custom reporting and an API. Terminals are $60–$40 per month each depending on your account level.
- Payment processing: While Upserve does not disclose payment processing rates, we were quoted at 2.4% + 15 cents for swiped transactions and 2.99% + 15 cents for manual entry. However, Upserve users can pay as low as 1.71% + 15 cents (the same as Toast) by negotiating with its sales rep.
- Hardware: While Upserve does not disclose its hardware pricing, it does reveal its starting price to be at $2,000 for a full setup, and this includes a terminal, printers, cabling, and accessories. The cost makes its hardware a bit more expensive than its closest competitor, Toast. However, unlike Toast, Upserve supports both iPad and Android-based terminals.
Upserve Features
Upserve’s countertop and portable terminals
- Online ordering: Upserve lets you set up your own online ordering system for an extra $59 per month. It also integrates directly with Grubhub, Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Caviar via Chowly.
- Inventory: Upserve’s inventory management system is unique in that it integrates with many major food suppliers, so you can reorder supplies directly from the app and your supply levels will automatically update. Another benefit is that food prices will always be up-to-date, allowing you to track the real-time profitability of your menu.
- Logbook: Another one of Upserve’s highly praised features is the manager’s logbook, a customizable snapshot of each day’s sales, guest count, weather, and notable events. You can also create custom questions or checklists to be filled out by staff at the end of their shift and have their responses automatically added to the log entry. Toast launched its own logbook feature in May 2020, but Upserve has offered it longer and has a leg up on the competition.
- Reports: This is another area where Upserve excels, providing all the main sales reports (such as sales by category, tender type, and comp/void activity), labor reports (including sales and tips per employee), and inventory (like food costing, supplier expenditure, and wastage).
- Customer service: Upserve has phone, live chat, and email support available 24/7.
Toast
PROS
- Competitive credit card processing
- Excellent order and table management tools
- Affordable hardware
CONS
- Inventory management tools not included in base package
- Uses proprietary hardware
- Add-ons can get expensive
| RATING CRITERIA | Pricing | 3.5 | OUT OF | 5 |
| General Features | 5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Touch Screen POS Specific Features | 2.5 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Ease of Use | 4.13 | OUT OF | 5 | |
| Expert Score | 5 | OUT OF | 5 |
Toast takes the lead when it comes to touch screen POS systems for full-service restaurants. Its top-of-the-line order and table management features are designed to keep servers in constant communication with the kitchen, while handheld terminals ensure that servers are immediately notified whenever orders are ready or if an item is 86ed from the menu. Also, the touch screen kitchen display system allows the back-of-house staff to keep track of all orders—whether they come from the dining room or from a third-party delivery app—and send notifications back to the waitstaff.
Toast also offers detailed inventory management, an array of touch screen hardware options, and flexible ordering tools—making it the best overall touch screen POS for restaurants.
Toast earned an overall score of 3.94 out of 5 and garnered top points for ease of use, general features, and expert evaluation. However, the additional cost to use simple tools—such as inventory, employee management, loyalty and gift cards—can make the system quite pricey. The proprietary hardware also meant there is a lack of terminal and card reader flexibility, which is essential for touch screen POS systems, and thereby prevented Toast from getting a higher score in our evaluation.
Toast Pricing
- Software price: Toast begins at $69 per month for the main POS and table and menu management tools. The next highest plan adds online ordering for $99 per month, and then loyalty and gift cards for $189 per month. Additional terminals cost $50 per month each.
- Payment processing: While Toast does not disclose its credit card processing rates, clients have revealed they’re paying somewhere from 1.71% + 15 cents to 2.49% + 15 cents. This is quite competitive, especially for full service restaurants, where you’re likely to have a higher average transaction value.
- Hardware: Though not quite as inexpensive as Square, hardware prices are reasonable. A Toast Flex terminal costs $799, and it includes a large 14” rotating touch screen, a chip/NFC reader, and a wireless router. Prices are not disclosed for the handheld Toast Go; however, sources indicate it costs around $450. All tablets are proprietary, so if you switch to another POS, you will not be able to repurpose the hardware.
Toast Features
Toast is an Android-based POS that offers complete proprietary hardware options from mobile to kitchen display.
- Employee management: Allow employees to clock in and out to track hours, including breaks and overtime. Toast also offers its own payroll solution for an additional fee, or you can integrate with one of several restaurant payroll providers.
- Table management: Many users like how Toast improves communication between front-of-house and back-of-house staff. When servers are using Toast’s handled tablets, menu item quantities are updated in real time, so they’re aware of 86s before taking a customer’s order. Likewise, servers are given a notification as soon as a course is out of the kitchen and are reminded where it’s headed. Toast is also the only POS on this list that offers fully contactless ordering, allowing customers to order and pay from their smartphones.
- Online ordering: Users on the $99 per month plan and higher can set up their own commission-free online ordering system. Toast also integrates with Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Caviar via Chowley.
- Inventory: Toast provides a powerful inventory management system, allowing you to keep an eye on your food costs, wastage, and menu profitability. It is not quite as advanced as Upserve, however, as far as integrating with food suppliers for real-time pricing.
- Customer Service: Toast offers 24/7 phone, chat, and email support.
Bottom Line
While there are a definitive number of business types, each business owner’s approach to growth is unique. The many different POS systems in the market are designed to offer a variety of features to match combinations of business concepts, size, objectives, and growth strategy. Whether your primary goal is to manage a vast inventory, handle multi channel sales, boost your loyalty program, or improve the quality of your table service through tableside ordering, a touch screen POS system will help you get the job done efficiently.
If you aren’t sure yet where you need to be investing your money, the free POS tools offered by Square provide a great jumping-off point. Square offers just about everything a small retail shop or restaurant will need to get started, and it can scale with you. To try Square for free, click the button below.
