Top 7 Stadium POS Systems

Square’s standard POS costs $0/month. Square also has paid niche POS systems specific to retail and restaurants, as well as paid monthly add-on features.

Square offers the following stadium POS features:

• Integrates with Time.ly, Ticketscandy, SimpleTix, Brushfire, and other apps for online ticket sales
• Retail and QSR features for selling merch and concessions
• Square Online store has features to sell event tickets
• Customer directory with automatic customer profile creation
• Works on most mobile devices
• Offline mode for spotty internet connections
• Kiosk integrations for self-ordering and payments
• QR code generation and scanning
• Add-ons for marketing, team management, loyalty, payroll, Square KDS, and other features

All Square accounts come with one free card swiper that you can use with your Android or iOS mobile device. Square also sells a credit card reader ($59 for 2nd generation, $49 for 1st) and other POS equipment, including Square Stand for iPad ($149), Square Register ($799), and Square Terminal ($299).

• Recommended: Complete Buyer’s Guide To Square POS Hardware In 2024

Square accounts come with built-in payment processing from Square Payments. The cost to process in-person transactions is 2.6% + $0.10, while online transactions are processed at a rate of 2.9% + $0.30. High-volume businesses processing over $250,000/month may qualify for a lower rate.

Square has no contract, so you can stop using the POS at any time without incurring any penalty or termination fees.

However, Square is a payment service provider, meaning that merchants receive an aggregate merchant account rather than individual merchant accounts. Not having a dedicated merchant account can lead to account instability, including occasional fund holds and even sudden account terminations.

Clover plans range from $14.95 to $94.85 per month if you purchase your hardware upfront. You may also opt to lease your equipment and will pay a fee of $50 to $290 per month for your hardware and software. Clover plans purchased from other providers may charge additional fees.

Clover POS has the following features for stadiums:

• Integrates with event ticketing and stadium parking apps, such as Click Tickets, DigiTickets, Future Ticketing, Sports Parking, and Flex Valet
• Inventory, customer, employee, and order management
• Mobile and countertop POS devices
• eCommerce and online ticket sales
• Contactless dining with QR codes (Scan to Order and Scan to Pay)
• Sales tracking and reporting
• Pre-auth for bar tabs
• Onscreen tipping and signatures

Clover POS hardware options include Clover Go ($49), Clover Flex ($599), Clover Mini ($799), Clover Station ($1,699), and Clover Station Duo ($1,799). Pricing is from Clover.com.

• Related: Complete POS Hardware Buyer’s Guide

Plans purchased from Clover.com include flat-rate processing, with a rate of 2.3% + $0.10 or 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, depending on your plan level. For online payment processing, Clover charges 3.5% + $0.10 for online payments. If you purchase your Clover system from a third-party seller, you may have a different processing model.

Contract terms and any termination fees can vary based on your Clover service provider. Some providers may lock you into a long-term contract or hardware lease.

If you purchase from Clover directly, software plans are month-to-month, with no commitment to use the POS beyond the current month — although owning Clover hardware is a commitment in itself since you can’t resell or reuse the POS equipment with a different POS system.

• Recommended: Can I Buy A Used Clover POS? How To Avoid Scams In 2024

Along with the standard plans shown above, Lightspeed Retail offers custom pricing for high-volume merchants and large businesses looking to use the Enterprise plan.

Extra POS device licenses cost $59/device/month for all standard plans.

Lightspeed Retail offers the following features for retailers:

• iPad and desktop hardware options
• Product matrices to sort item variants
• Built-in purchase orders
• Omnichannel gift cards
• Sell memberships and subscriptions
• Multichannel eCommerce inventory syncing
• Employee performance reporting

Lightspeed Retail can operate using iPad- or desktop-based hardware. You can source your own POS hardware or buy from Lightspeed (contact the company for a quote).

Lightspeed Retail now requires all new and existing qualified merchants using Lightspeed Retail in the US and Canada to sign up for Lightspeed Payments, Lightspeed’s payment processor. If you currently use a card reader from a third-party payment processor, you can’t use it anymore. Since you can’t use any existing payment terminals (card readers) with Lightspeed Payments, Lightspeed is currently running a free terminal replacement promotion for eligible merchants that includes two free Lightspeed POS terminals (card readers) per qualified merchant.

Eligible merchants include business owners who process a minimum of $100/day in credit card payments, as measured by a monthly average. Apple products are not included in this promotion, so you’ll still need to source an iPad to take sales.

Payment processing with Lightspeed Payments is 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions and 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions.

Lightspeed will buy out payment processing contracts, paying off merchants’ early cancellation fees if you process a minimum of $25,000 in card sales, and then submit documentation of your previous payment processing contract that states your early termination fee within six months of meeting this minimum processing amount.

It’s important to note that the “paying off” comes in the form of discounted payment processing fees, not a chunk of cash that goes towards your termination fees when you decide to switch to Lightspeed Payments.

If you are a current Lightspeed user and don’t apply for Lightspeed Payments within 30 days of receiving a notification email, you’ll be charged a fee between $200 and $1,120 per month until you do sign up for Lightspeed Payments.

You’ll need to commit for a full year to get the best price. However, if you cancel a yearly plan early, you will be charged an early termination fee. Consider signing up for a monthly plan until you’re sure Lightspeed is the right POS system for your stadium business.

To qualify for Lightspeed’s hardware warranty (14 days for Apple products and 30 days for all other products), you must verify that you have received your POS hardware within five business days of receiving it.

Shopify POS pricing has a very wide range, from $5/month for a mobile-only (social media and messaging apps) Starter plan to $399/month for an Advanced plan. Shopify also has $2,000+/month Shopify Plus plans for an enterprise-level business.

Most businesses that want to sell both online and in-person from a POS will need at least the $79/month Shopify plan.

As follows are some Shopify POS features for stadiums:

• Integrations with Evey Events, Event Ticketing by Guest Manager, Timely, and other ticketing apps
• Works on iOS and Android
• Retail POS features
• Omnichannel selling features
• eCommerce website and blog
• Social media sales channels
• Mobile and countertop POS setups
• Unlimited registers (per location)

The only Shopify hardware you need is a $49 mobile card reader. Shopify also sells optional hardware kits and components for iPad and Android tablets. For example, you can buy an iPad stand from Shopify for $149. Shopify is also compatible with Star mPOP POS kits, which retail for about $500.

Shopify accounts come with Shopify Payments; the in-person processing rates range from 2.4 to 2.7%, depending on your Shopify plan level. Online processing rates range from 2.4% + $0.30 to 2.9% + $0.30, depending on plan level.

Alternatively, you can use an integrated processor instead of Shopify Payments, though you’ll pay an additional transaction fee ranging from 0.50% to 2.0%, depending on your plan.

All Shopify plans are month-to-month unless you sign up for an annual or biennial plan. If you choose a one-year or two-year plan, you can save 10% or 20%, respectively.

One thing to know about Shopify Payments is that it is powered by Stripe, a PSP like Square. That means your business will not receive a dedicated merchant account.

Toast pricing starts at $0/month for the Starter plan, though this plan level charges a higher payment processing fee on every transaction. Paid plans start at $69/month before add-ons, and you can add a second terminal for another $45/month.

Toast POS concession features for stadiums include:

• New quick-serve module for fast order inputs
• Self-ordering options, including kiosks and mobile ordering
• Onscreen tipping and signatures
• Handheld ordering and payment devices
• Table management for full-service restaurants
• Employee retention features, including instant access to tips and wages
• Multilocation menu management for chain eateries
• Advanced restaurant inventory management and reporting
• Customer loyalty and guest engagement features
• Kitchen display system

Toast hardware starts at $0 for a starter kit that includes a terminal, contactless payment device, and router — though, as with the free plan, you’ll pay a higher processing fee if you accept the free equipment. If you pay for the starter kit upfront, it’s $875. You can also add a guest-facing display for $124, a cash drawer for $134, and various other hardware add-ons.

All Toast accounts come with Toast payment processing; you cannot use an outside processor with this POS. Toast’s standard payment processing fee for most in-person payments is 2.49% + $0.15 (or 2.99% + $0.15 on the free plan). For in-person AMEX transactions, you’ll pay a higher rate of 3.29% + $0.15. With online payments (including orders customers place on their mobile devices), you’ll pay 3.5% + $0.15 or 3.89% + $0.15 for AMEX.

Toast’s standard contract is two years, and there is an early termination fee if you want to exit your contract early.

Toast is also on the hook for a poorly implemented online ordering fee first introduced in early 2023. This move set the precedent for future unannounced and non-negotiable fees for “software updates”.

• Recommended: 5 Best Toast Alternatives & Competitors

KORONA’s Core package is $59/month, and you can add ticketing functionality for +$50/month per gate. Ticketing functions, as well as other premium features, also come with quote-based Enterprise plans.

KORONA POS includes these stadium POS system features:

• Multiple ticketing options
• Group visits and rates
• Membership ticketing
• Customizable reservations calendar
• Ticketing hardware
• Basic retail and restaurant features
• Integrations with QuickBooks and WooCommerce

KORONA POS does not list hardware pricing on its website, so you’ll need to reach out for a quote. KORONA can use both Apple and Android setups and offers both hardware options and the ability to lease the hardware or purchase it outright.

KORONA calls itself “processor agnostic” and can integrate with several payment gateways and merchant services providers. Some of these include Elavon, Heartland, and TSYS.

KORONA POS does not require a long-term contract or commitment; plans are month-to-month. However, if you agree to a hardware lease, you will be committed for a longer period.

SpotOn pricing is customized per package, so you’ll need to reach out for a quote.

SpotOn offers these POS features for stadium and arena venues:

• VIP and loyalty tools
• Handheld ordering devices
• Self-order kiosks
• In-seat ordering
• Robust inventory management
• Solutions to manage cash room and hawking operations
• Kitchen display systems
• POS keeps working if the internet goes down
• Integration partners include Givex, Skidata, Lava, Cisco, Ping, YinzCam, Venuetize, and more

SpotOn seems mainly geared toward high-volume concessions, with cloud mobile POS ordering solutions that make it perfect for a modern professional sports stadium or arena that wants to let fans order from their seats.

SpotOn offers several robust, mobile hardware solutions but does not list pricing on its website; you’ll need to get a quote by contacting the company.

SpotOn’s standard in-person processing fees are 1.99% + $0.20 per transaction. For corporate, international, AMEX, or keyed cards, this rate increases to 2.99% + $0.20. However, custom rates are available for high-volume businesses, such as stadiums. SpotOn will also price-match lower quotes obtained elsewhere.

Smaller businesses that use SpotOn say that the company does not require a long-term contract. However, this may differ for large businesses, so it’s important to verify the contract terms with the company before committing.