Square’s restaurant POS features
Square was previously our top choice for restaurant POS systems, but during our latest round of testing, it just lost out to Toast’s superior ease of use. That said, Square is still one of the best restaurant POS systems on the market. It offers an excellent array of hardware options, from fully-fledged POS registers to payment terminals, and even gives a complimentary chip and PIN card reader to users of its free forever plan – providing a lifeline for new businesses looking to sell with minimal outlays.
Despite Square’s suitability for single-location businesses, its robust feature package also lends itself well to growing businesses and those with multiple venues. For example, Square offers areally strong menu management feature in comparison to other providers, equipped with customizable layouts and item grouping, which helps servers sell faster.
Square also lets you create automatic discounts for specific items, categories, and daily specials, which is especially useful for bars and restaurants running promotional deals like happy hours.
Square’s payment and pricing features are only getting more expansive over time, too. Businesses using Square can now accurately identify customers by using their iOS or Android camera to scan a ‘reference ID’ via QR code or barcode. This benefits businesses that have members’ clubs or those that apply group discounts to certain customers, like a ski resort that issues discounts for Season Pass holders, for example.
Square’s software offers a number of great capabilities for sit-down restaurants, including table management, seat management, and table-side ordering. However, unlike Lightspeed and SpotOn, Square doesn’t let you customize the colors and labels of tables when creating or editing a floor plan. So, if you have a complex layout, or change your floor plan regularly, you’ll probably be better off opting for one of these alternatives instead.
Creating a new floor plan using the Square app. Image: Tech.co
If your business is new to POS technology or requires regular support, you can contact Square through live chat, phone, and social media channels 24/7, making it the best provider on this list to depend on when you’re in a pinch. It also performed well in our wider research, which also found it to be the best POS system for small businesses and the best mobile POS system.
Despite Square’s impressive versatility, it lacks some profit-focused features that may prove useful to bigger chain restaurants, such as ingredient tracking and cost management. If lacking these features is a deal-breaker, we’d recommend using Toast instead, as it gives you a clear overview of where you’re investing your money.
FAQs
Approximately $1,000 per terminal bundle (terminal, case, stand, credit card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, cabling) Approximately $200 - $400 for each additional receipt printer/kitchen ticket printer. Approximately $200 for a router. Approximately $600 for a handheld POS system with a credit card reader.
How much do restaurant POS systems cost? ›
Approximately $1,000 per terminal bundle (terminal, case, stand, credit card reader, receipt printer, cash drawer, cabling) Approximately $200 - $400 for each additional receipt printer/kitchen ticket printer. Approximately $200 for a router. Approximately $600 for a handheld POS system with a credit card reader.
What are 4 four features or functions of a point of sale POS system? ›
Aside from standard ordering and payment capabilities, top point-of-sale (POS) features include inventory control, customer relationship management (CRM), reporting and analytics, and employee management — although the most important features to you will depend on your business's unique needs.
What POS system does Chick-fil-A use? ›
Software company Ditto has partnered with Chick-fil-A, Inc. to modernize the Point-of-Sale (POS) system in Chick-fil-A restaurants across the U.S. Ditto created a distributed data platform that enables apps to synchronize data in real-time even without internet connectivity.
What POS system does Texas Roadhouse use? ›
Texas Roadhouse, Inc. announces an agreement with Radiant Systems under which Radiant will be its exclusive POS provider. Radiant will provide P1220 and P1520 POS terminals to the chain's 274 restaurants.
What POS system is the cheapest? ›
#1. Square POS: Best for Cheaper Monthly Rates. Square is an attractive option with a free subscription and a streamlined interface. It offers accessibility to startup businesses with low initial investment and financial burden for merchants.
Do all POS systems have monthly fees? ›
POS systems can have a one-time purchase cost, monthly subscription fees or be free to use. Hardware costs are typically one-time expenses for mobile card readers, store register systems and other payment equipment.
When getting a POS system, what features should you consider? ›
Sales and payment processing – At a minimum, the POS should seamlessly handle checkout and all payment types you accept, such as cash, credit cards, and mobile payments. Inventory management – The system should track stock levels in real-time across locations so you can optimize inventory.
What are the three types of POS? ›
There are four main types of POS systems: legacy, tablet-based, mobile, and cloud-based POS systems. The last three of these types of systems are considered “modern” POS systems and are usually more efficient and affordable than legacy systems.
Which POS does McDonald's use? ›
McDonald's uses the NewPOS NP6 system, also known as the McDonald's NP6, MediaWorks NewPOS, or MW NewPOS (as well as Torex or Savista NewPOS).
What Point of Sale System Does Starbucks Use? Starbucks uses Oracle Simphony as its POS system, since it requires a heavy duty system that has the capacity to grow with them. Oracle's POS system is more than just a means for customers to pay for their coffee.
What POS system does IHOP use? ›
IHOP implements TRAY's POS system across 1,500 restaurants
TRAY's POS solution features reporting and performance analytics, and open architecture that facilitates integration with other systems.
What is the best restaurant rating system? ›
One of the best known guides is the Michelin series which award one to three stars to restaurants they perceive to be of high culinary merit. One star indicates a "very good restaurant"; two stars indicate a place "worth a detour"; three stars means "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".
Are there any downsides to using a POS system in a restaurant? ›
Cutting to the chase, the advantages of POS systems include better customer service, easier team management, increases sales and much more. However, it has disadvantages such as security risks, costly pricing and vulnerability to malware.
