7 POS Systems With The Best Drive-Thru Ordering Systems

Get Started with Revel POS Systems

Pros

Customer-facing display
Full offline functionality
Unlimited users
Multiple payment processing options

Cons

Can get pricey with add-ons
Requires an annual or multi-year contract

Top-rated Revel Systems is one of the most functional iPad POS systems currently on the market, both for its feature-depth and its versatility. This quick-serve POS can be used in a single-location kiosk or easily handle a restaurant with multiple franchises. It also has some very convenient features for drive-thrus, including a customer-facing display option. This helps to streamline the ordering process and significantly cuts down on the potential for errors, as the customer can see each product in front of them as it is entered. The customer can then confirm or ask for changes before they get to the window.

Revel’s easy employment management system also comes in handy, as both hours and payroll are kept on the same platform, cutting down on confusion in a system that dozens of employees may be using each day. The system allows for unlimited users, so each employee can have their own account. Revel also features an “Always On” mode that will keep the system functional during any internet issues. Inventory is tracked in real-time; in a business where ingredients are flying off the shelves, you can know the instant a product is getting low.

Revel pricing starts at $99/month (billed annually) with a three-year contract with Revel Advantage (Revel’s in-house payment processor). You may be able to choose a shorter contract or use your own merchant account, but this will be more expensive. Add-ons, such as a kitchen display system, loyalty program, self-service kiosk, or customer-facing display, will also drive up the monthly price.

2. Upserve

Upserve POS

Get Started with Upserve POS

Pros

Made specifically for restaurants
Customer management features
Quick-serve mode

Cons

Must use Upserve Payments for processing
Has more features than most drive-thrus need

Upserve, an iPad POS made specifically for restaurants, has prided itself on exceptional usability since its inception. Founded by a group of former restaurant workers, this POS is remarkably friendly for employees, has a high level of mobility, and offers plenty of integrations to suit a wide variety of businesses. Upserve can be run at a wide variety of locations, and the Upserve Live function, which is available on any smartphone, can quickly and effectively monitor performance at each store.

Managers can keep tabs on a busy drive-thru’s sales, see what items are selling quickly, and even track what customers are returning and what they’re purchasing. Upserve’s extremely intuitive interface, which can be run in “Server” mode or “Quick Serve” mode, also walks employees through fast-paced orders, cutting down on costly mistakes. One of the more unique features of this POS is its easy-to-read heat map, which displays the busy times of a day and can even match up a company’s most capable employees with the best possible shifts for them to work.

Upserve pricing starts at $59/month for core features. If you want advanced features, such as menu optimization, loyalty, customer management, low inventory alerts, and recipe costing, you’ll need to spring for the $199/month package. Upserve can only be used with Upserve’s in-house payment processor, Upserve Payments. Upserve offers more features than most drive-thru-only restaurants need (such as table management and course management). But if you don’t need all the bells and whistles, the “core” package is pretty affordable.

3. Toast

Toast POS

Get Started with Toast POS

Pros

Android tablets = cheaper hardware costs
Made specifically for restaurants
Customer-facing display
Digital ordering options

Cons

Must use Toast Payments for processing
Lengthy service contract with ETF

Android-based Toast continues to be one of the most innovative restaurant POS systems on the market, and the area in which it thrives — customer-facing digital payments — makes it a terrific option for a fast-moving drive-thru operation, particularly in the time of COVID-19. Toast is highly mobile, and its design is intuitive and accessible. Reporting is a highlight, giving managers access to information in real-time, showing sales, wait times, net sales, tips, etc.

Toast is also one of the more user-friendly POS systems for customers. Not only is there a way for customers to access their loyalty points remotely, but they can also use Toast’s popular online ordering system, making the order pickup at a drive-thru window hassle-free. The Toast Takeout App also lets customers place easy orders for contactless pickup and/or delivery. With Toast, all locations of a particular business can be accessed from the same device. Even more complicated changes (such as price switches) can be done easily and quickly on a mobile device. Like nearly all good POS systems, Toast is also highly customizable, giving you the ability to put frequently ordered items in easy-to-find locations.

Toast’s monthly software pricing ranges from $0 to $272/month and could be even higher depending on how many registers you have and whether you use add-ons such as a kitchen display system or payroll. It’s important to know that you must use Toast Payments as your merchant account when you sign up. You will also likely have to sign a two-to-three-year contract with an early termination fee should you choose to leave your contract early. So make sure you test-drive this restaurant POS first before you invest in it for your drive-thru. It has a lot of similarities to Upserve, so if you are interested in one of these systems, I’d recommend testing the other as well.

4. NCR Silver

NCR Silver

Pros

Drive-thru mode
Offline functionality
Users own their data (includes report/data download)
Longest history in the market

Cons

The quality of merchant services depends on where you buy your system
Not EMV-enabled

NCR Silver is a sleek cloud POS that strives to fit in with a client’s unique retail or restaurant needs. Despite having the expertise of software giant NCR behind it (over 130 years, though iPad-based Silver’s only been around since 2012), Silver does a nice job of appealing to small to mid-sized operations. NCR’s towering status in the payment processing market is also a big-sell for multistore drive-thru operations, especially since the software has a dedicated “drive-thru” mode designed for quick service.

Some features that set NCR Silver apart include its built-in loyalty program, offline mode, mobile ordering, inventory management system, and reporting suite.

The software is highly customizable and sold by a number of different merchant service providers; the quality of your experience with NCR Silver may depend a lot on which company you buy your system from, so it’s important to choose a good one.

As for pricing, NCR Silver’s “Restaurant Pro” version of its software is $178/month, with a 24-month contract that includes the POS hardware and all features — that’s if you buy from NCR directly. This iron-clad contract also has an ETF with liquidated damages, unfortunately. However, various other merchant service entities also sell NCR. You will likely be able to get a better deal from a provider such as Dharma Merchant Services, an ethical MSP that sells NCR Silver for $149/month.

5. talech

talech POS

Pros

Low monthly price
Purchase ordering
Inventory management
Apple Pay-ready

Cons

Limited offline mode (can’t accept credit cards offline)
Basic reporting suite

talech does a little bit of everything, and it does it all well. This iPad POS works well across multiple locations, allowing managers to make pricing adjustments quickly and keep tabs on inventory. This POS’s inventory management is superb, a huge plus in the drive-thru industry. Product history can be easily tracked along with how well various products are performing. It’s also simple to group items and track materials and ingredients for all locations. Purchase orders can be created and auto-generated in the system to help with restocking. While relatively simplistic, talech also has a user-friendly interface, and a basic setup can be done in a matter of minutes and rather intuitively.

talech has a highly functional online ordering system that allows for online payments, and it easily tracks customer data, aiding in the pickup process. For in-person, talech can also accept almost any payment type, including chip cards and Apple Pay.

Most notably, talech has an incredible starting price point of only $29/month. This plan includes unlimited devices, five employees, 100 products, and most of the program’s features, including inventory management and employee management. For payment processing, talech integrates with Elavon, Global Payments, Bank of America Merchant Services, Vantiv, Chase, and others. Additionally, talech’s USAePay gateway allows talech customers to connect to all major credit card processors in the US.

6. HungerRush

Revention POS

Pros

Used by popular fast-food franchises
Highly customizable
Combines cloud and legacy system features
EMV and NFC support

Cons

Expensive upfront cost
Limited payment processing options

Formerly Revention, HungerRush is a quick-serve restaurant POS that’s been around since 2003. Despite still having a somewhat dated interface that harkens back to the era of its founding, the company has updated its features and device compatibility to the modern age. It now includes iOS and Android tablet support (in addition to PCs) as well as cloud-based features, such as online ordering, cloud reporting, and contactless payment support.

HungerRush is used by several popular fast-food franchises, including Hungry Howie’s and Popeye’s Chicken. This says a lot about its reliability and functionality, even at an enterprise level. However, this scaleable system is also suitable for small to medium quick-service businesses as well, including single-location drive-thrus. Some standout features of this restaurant POS system include its customizability, employee management system, digital signage, top-notch customer service, and offline mode.

HungerRush still some negative attributes of the legacy POS systems of yore. For example, you have to purchase the POS software upfront, rather than pay monthly basis like with most cloud software. Also, the system’s only merchant account integration (WorldPay, formerly Vantiv) comes with a three-year processing agreement and tiered pricing. At the same time, the system is, in some ways, a good compromise between a locally-installed legacy system and a cloud POS system for businesses deciding between the two. Considering the commitment involved and high upfront costs, it’s important to make sure that you love this system before you buy it. So be sure you test the demo version of HungerRush and read user reviews before purchasing.

7. Lavu

Lavu POS

Pros

Competitive monthly pricing
Local server option for full offline functionality
Integrates with PayPal and Square

Cons

Expensive equipment lease

Another exceptionally versatile POS for the restaurant industry is Lavu. iPad-based Lavu has a modern and appealing interface that is highly customizable, even allowing for intricate menu building. The Quick Serve option for order taking is designed to speed up the process and get customers through a line quickly, and, in a business with both walk-in and drive-thru customers, orders can be assigned to specific printers.

The employee management feature, which can assign restrictions to workers, is useful for businesses with a wide variety of employees alternating on a POS system. Lavu features solid multilocation restaurant management, helping to maintain consistency with menus, tax profiles, and inventory. Lavu has a local server integration and a cloud version that can help a company endure an internet outage or slowdown as well. Its kitchen display system integration eliminates printed tickets, simply displaying orders on a TV screen to aid kitchen workers. Additional add-ons, such as Lavu ToGo, allow customers to view a menu online and place to-go orders while their information is stored for future use. You can also choose from options, such as a digital menu board, a customer-facing display, and a PayPal Here-powered self-service kiosk that accepts chip-and-tap payments.

Lavu integrates with several payment processors, including in-house processor LavuPay as well as PayPal, Square, Moneris, and Heartland. The fact that it integrates with flat-rate mobile processors such as PayPal Here and Square makes Lavu a great add-on for users of those basic programs who are happy with the processing but want to upgrade to a more fully-featured restaurant POS.

Lavu has a very competitive price point of $69/month for all features. The only downside of Lavu pricing is that the sales team may try to talk you into an expensive, multiyear equipment lease; however, you also have the option to purchase your Lavu POS hardware outright, which is what we recommend.