Find out if Toast POS costs fit your budget with this pricing guide that breaks down what you'll pay for Toast software, hardware, and payment processing.
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Toast POS is one of the best POS systems for quick-serve and full-service restaurants, but the price may not fit your budget. We researched Toast pricing for POS software, hardware, and payment processing fees. See how Toast POS costs compare to other restaurant POS systems to help you decide whether Toast is right for your business.
How Much Does Toast POS Cost?
Toast POS costs $0-$165+/month for POS system software, $627-$1,034 for POS hardware, and 2.49%-3.69% in payment processing fees unless you get a custom quote on a Toast POS pricing plan. Add-ons like Toast Payroll and Toast Kitchen Display System also require a custom quote.
Toast Pricing Plans For Software
Toast pricing plans range from $0-$165+/month for POS software. You will typically need to sign up for a 1-3 year contract with Toast, and there is an early termination fee if you cancel your account early. These contract requirements aren’t great, but they are the standard for many POS systems now.
The following are Toast’s basic software plans.
Quick Start Bundle Plan
The Quick Start Bundle plan is a no-upfront-cost plan available for very small food service establishments that like Toast hardware and software but have no means of paying for POS hardware upfront.
With the Quick Start Bundle plan, you may build a starter kit that includes one countertop, handheld, or self-ordering kiosk POS device with Toast’s core POS in-person ordering and menu management software for no upfront cost and no monthly fee as long as you agree to higher payment processing fees. You may add one additional POS device to your Starter Kit as well as hardware like Toast’s kitchen display system screens, receipt printers, and cash drawers, but you have to pay for the hardware upfront.
Toast has built the Quick Start Bundle plan so that if you agree to higher payment processing fees (much higher than the average for POS systems), you’ll get more Toast add-ons for no monthly fee. Here is the increased payment processing fee breakdown:
- 3.09 %+ $0.15: Includes Toast in-person ordering software and Starter Kit
- 3.39% + $0.15: Includes online ordering and third-party delivery service ordering (DoorDash, GrubHub, Uber Eats)
- 3.69% + $0.15: Includes gift cards, loyalty program builder, email marketing, website builder, and catering software
Increased fees are for all orders, not just orders that are placed online or on third-party delivery order platforms.
Important Note: At some point, you will end up paying more in payment processing fees than you would if you got Toast add-ons for a flat monthly subscription fee. If you only need one or two POS devices and can afford to purchase your POS equipment upfront, consider signing up for the Core plan. If you can get equipment financing or a small business loan, consider doing so as an alternative to paying these high payment processing fees.
Core Plan
The Core plan starts at $69/month. With this plan, you can build a 1-2 POS terminal starter kit or a custom hardware package that includes more than two terminals and Toast’s base in-person POS ordering software.
If you choose to build a starter kit with the Core plan, you’ll pay for a countertop POS, handheld POS, or self-serve kiosk upfront, the $69 monthly fee, and a payment processing fee of 2.49% + $0.15 per order.
You may add on hardware accessories like the kitchen display system for a one-time fee as well as software such as online ordering or event catering for a flat monthly fee.
If you need more than two POS terminals, you’ll build a custom plan with a custom payment processing fee.
The Core plan includes everything offered in the Quick Start Bundle plan. The only difference is that you pay for your hardware upfront, a flat monthly fee for the core POS software, and a flat monthly fee for add-ons, which is worth it to avoid steep per-order payment processing fees.
New Restaurants Plan
The New Restaurants plan costs $110/month plus $4/employee. This plan is a POS/payroll package that combines Toast’s core POS software with a “lite” version of Toast Payroll and Toast Scheduling. We recommend it for restaurant owners with more than a few employees who want all-in-one scheduling software and restaurant payroll software.
Toast also offers restaurant insurance and 401(k) referrals with this plan.
In terms of POS software and hardware, it’s the same as the Core plan. You pay for your hardware upfront, get a custom payment processing fee, and pay a flat monthly fee for POS software. You’ll also pay a flat monthly fee for add-ons like catering and loyalty program software.
Growth Plan
The Growth plan starts at $165/month and includes everything in the Core plan plus online ordering for takeout and delivery, either through your in-house delivery staff or Toast’s local network of delivery drivers.
You can also get your restaurant listed on the Toast TakeOut app, an app that customers download and use to order food. It’s like being listed on DoorDash, except you don’t have to pay commission fees.
On this plan, you’ll pay for your hardware upfront, get a custom payment processing fee, and pay a flat monthly fee for the core package plus add-ons.
Build Your Own Plan
The Build Your Own plan is a completely custom plan we recommend for multi-location business owners or those who want to mix and match from Toast’s entire ecosystem of restaurant management products.
We especially recommend this Toast plan if you’re looking for a franchise POS system.
Toast POS Extra Costs & Fees
You can purchase these popular Toast software add-ons at the following prices if they’re not already included in your plan:
- Digital Ordering: $75/month for Toast-backed online ordering platform and listing on Toast TakeOut app
- Third-Party Ordering Integration: $75/month for Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats third-party order syncing
- Loyalty: $50/month
- Gift Cards: $50/month
- Kitchen Display Software: $25/month
- Self-Serve Kiosk Software: $90/month
- Email Marketing: $75/month
- Catering & Events: $100/month
- Toast Websites: $75/month for a branded website with your own domain name
Other popular add-ons (such as Toast Payroll and Toast Scheduling) require you to get a custom quote, which will be determined based on factors like the number of employees and locations you own.
If you plan on purchasing multiple Toast products at once, ask about a discount for bundling products.
Note: We believe that Toast is one of the best POS systems with loyalty programs and has the best gift card management software for restaurants, and highly recommend these two add-ons if you can afford them.
Toast Hardware Pricing
Toast online ordering on a smartphone, Toast admin dashboard on PC, Toast KDS, Toast Go 2 handheld POS, Toast countertop POS.
Toast software is compatible only with Toast’s proprietary line of Android POS hardware. Android-based POS systems are generally more durable than iPad POS systems. Toast hardware is spill-proof and heat-resistant.
Toast hardware is available at the following prices:
- Toast Go 2 Handheld POS: $427
- Countertop POS: $875
- Outdoor Wi-Fi Access Point: $134
- Kitchen Printer: $269
- Receipt Printer: $296
- Label Printer: $428
- Cash Drawer: $134
- Kitchen Display Screens: $629 + $35/month
- Self-Serve Kiosk Terminal: $1,034
The Toast Go 2 is one of the best handheld restaurant POS systems on the market, and we highly recommend it for sit-down restaurants and bars.
Again, we strongly recommend paying for hardware upfront to avoid higher payment processing fees.
Toast POS Payment Processing Cost
You are required to use Toast for payment processing if you want to use Toast software and hardware.
Toast payment processing fees vary widely depending on whether you choose a plan with listed flat-rate payment processing fees or get a custom quote.
Flat-rate payment processing fees range from 2.49%-3.69%. As a comparison, the industry standard flat-rate payment processing fees are 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person orders and 2.9% + $0.30 for online orders.
Flat-rate processing fees are much lower if you sign up for the Core plan and pay a flat monthly fee for digital ordering, the loyalty program, and other add-ons. We recommend this option whenever possible.
A custom quote will depend on your restaurant’s time in business, sales volumes, card mix, ordering platform (online versus in-person), number of locations, overall risk level, and other factors. Custom quotes are best for restaurant owners who have a good personal financial history and an established restaurant with solid monthly sales volumes.
How Does Toast Pricing Compare To Other Options?
Toast VS Square Pricing
Square For Restaurants is one of the best free restaurant POS systems because restaurant owners get free in-person POS software, a free Square Online ordering platform, and free Square gift card sales management.
You must use Square Payments for payment processing and purchase Square POS hardware to use Square software, but the payment processing fees are lower than on Toast’s no-upfront-cost plan and the hardware is less expensive ($49-$799). Square also offers hardware financing options.
We recommend Square over Toast when you have a smaller establishment, smaller menu, and fewer perishable ingredients since Toast significantly outperforms Square in these areas.
Toast VS Lightspeed Restaurant Pricing
Lightspeed Restaurant is a great restaurant POS for small to midsize restaurants. Costs range from $69/month for the core POS offering and a loyalty program to $189/month for online ordering and advanced inventory management to $399/month for multi-revenue support and open API access.
Lightspeed allows you to use most iPads as POS registers, self-serve kiosks, and kitchen display screens. Card readers cost $299.
We recommend Lightspeed over Toast when you want an affordable loyalty program and strong inventory and menu management.
Toast VS Clover Pricing
Clover POS restaurant plans cost $54.95-$114.85/month, kitchen display software costs $25/month, and there’s an app marketplace full of software add-ons that range from $0-$300/month.
Clover hardware is also Android-based and ranges from $49 for a small mobile POS system to $1,799 for the full Clover Station register setup with a customer-facing display.
You can choose your payment processor by purchasing your Clover hardware from a Clover merchant services provider, which is a unique feature among restaurant POS system providers.
We recommend Clover when you want to choose your payment processor and make use of the software’s wide range of affordable POS add-ons.
Is Toast POS Right For Your Restaurant?
Toast is a good choice for small to large multi-location businesses that are looking for an all-in-one restaurant management solution and that can afford Toast’s POS hardware costs and monthly software fees, which can make this POS expensive. We recommend Toast for restaurants with dine-in table service because of the well-made and relatively affordable handheld POS system, restaurants looking to offer a comprehensive customer loyalty program, restaurants with several employees to manage, and restaurants that are expanding to more locations.
Check out the rest of our best restaurant POS systems if you’re not sure whether Toast is right for you.
FAQs: Toast POS Cost
Does Toast charge customers a fee?
Toast no longer charges customers a fee for ordering through Toast’s online ordering platform.
The company did charge customers a $0.99 fee on $10+ online orders but removed the fee in July 2023 after pushback from restaurant owners and customers.