Selecting the proper POS system is essential for the smooth operation of your food truck business.
With so many options available, it can be challenging to make an informed decision that suits your specific requirements.
To simplify your search, I’ve conducted thorough research on highly-rated POS systems tailored for food trucks.
This guide offers a balanced perspective, analyzing crucial factors to consider and presenting the top contenders in the industry.
The Top 6 Food Truck POS Systems In 2024
- SpotOn – Best mobile hardware devices for food trucks
- Toast – Best online ordering and takeout features
- Square – Best for startups looking for a subscription-free system
- Lightspeed – Best advanced analytics features for a food truck fleet
- TouchBistro – Best for ease of use and integrated loyalty features
- Table Needs – Best mobile POS system with a built-in KDS
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Why Use a Food Truck POS System?
A Food Truck POS (Point of Sale) system is an essential tool that combines software and hardware to help food trucks manage sales and operations easily.
Designed for the unique challenges of mobile food businesses, it covers order taking, payment processing, inventory control, and analyzing data.
Built with food trucks in mind, a modern cloud-based POS system tackles real-time inventory tracking in tight spaces, quick service management, and operations across different locations.
It’s more than just a mobile cash register; a food truck POS is a powerful management system that boosts efficiency and improves customer experience.
SpotOn
Selecting the right Point of Sale (POS) system for a food truck business can be a challenging task considering the variety of options available, such as Toast, TouchBistro, Lightspeed, Square, and traditional systems like NCR and Oracle.
Among these choices, SpotOn has emerged as an option for food truck owners to consider.
Launched in 2017, SpotOn is a recent entrant in the POS ecosystem, originating from San Francisco. Despite its newcomer status, SpotOn has rapidly developed a presence in the market through its flexible solutions.
SpotOn is a cloud-based restaurant POS system that emphasizes on improving sales and efficiency for food truck owners. The system provides POS and handheld devices that have been designed for ease of use, taking into consideration the fast-paced nature of food trucks.
In addition to the core POS features, SpotOn has made investments in enhancing its team management capabilities. The addition of a two-way sync feature aims to reduce the need to work with multiple systems and duplicate processes, thus increasing operational efficiency for food truck businesses.
An aspect that differentiates SpotOn from some of its competitors is the integration of promotional features within the POS. This allows for more accessible handling of promotions and deals, which could be beneficial for encouraging customer loyalty and repeat visits to the food truck.
SpotOn Pricing & Hardware
SpotOn offers three main pricing plans for restaurants, each with different features and costs. Here’s a simple breakdown of each plan:
Quick Start
- Ideal for: Small counter-service restaurants or cafes.
- Subscription Cost: $0 per month.
- Transaction Fees: 2.89% + 25 cents per transaction. (There are processing minimums that apply.)
- Included Hardware:
- 15” Station hardware bundle with a guest-facing display, among other items.
- Software:
- Cloud-based Restaurant POS software.
- Access to a powerful dashboard for marketing, reporting, review management, and SpotOn Capital.
Counter-Service
- Ideal for: Counter-service restaurants needing essential employee and guest engagement features.
- Subscription Cost: $99 per month plus $3 per employee each month.
- Initial Hardware Cost: $850 outright or available through financing.
- Transaction Fees: 1.99% + 25 cents for most card transactions.
- Included Hardware:
- 10″ Counter hardware bundle with a guest-facing display, among other items.
- Software:
- Cloud-based Restaurant POS software with added employee management features.
- Commission-free online ordering system.
- Additional Features:
- More features and software options are available upon request.
Full-Service
- Ideal for: Full-service restaurants looking for a fully integrated system with tools to boost revenue.
- Subscription Cost: $135 per month plus $3 per employee each month.
- Initial Hardware Cost: $1,350 for a Station and Kitchen Display System (KDS) hardware bundle or available through financing.
- Transaction Fees: 1.99% + 25 cents for most card transactions.
- Included Hardware:
- 15″ Station hardware bundle.
- Kitchen Display System (KDS) touchscreen monitor with Fresh KDS software.
- Software:
- Cloud-based Restaurant POS software with employee management.
- Online ordering and QR order & pay functionalities.
Considering all of the features offered by SpotOn POS, the price is worth it. SpotOn Payments has very low commission rates on the Counter-service and Full-service plans, so for many types of restaurants, this is a good deal.
At the moment SpotOn is only available in the US.
Your restaurant’s success is deeply intertwined with your choice of hardware. I believe that SpotOn’s hardware, a cornerstone of the complete solution it provides, could be a transformative asset to your operations.
Handhelds: Experience the advantage of speed and simplicity with SpotOn’s handheld point-of-sale (POS) systems. Compatible with your iOS and Android devices, these handheld systems also support peripherals like barcode scanners, cases, and Bluetooth printers.
These handheld devices come with two functionalities – order only or full payment, enabling your staff to process orders or payments swiftly, from any location within your establishment. Tailored for ease of use, they are available in various sizes, and include cases, belt hooks, and hand straps.
Kiosks: Invest in enhancing customer experience with SpotOn’s self-service kiosks. These tools are engineered to eliminate long queues and serve more customers, offering personalized interactions. Quick add buttons, favorites, add-to-cart button scrolls are only some of the features that expedite the ordering process.
There is an added benefit: the kiosks suggest combos, add-ons, and upsell items, stimulating revenue increment. You can select from different models – countertop, freestanding, and outdoor – with screen sizes of 15″ and 22″.
Kitchen Displays: SpotOn’s Kitchen Display System (KDS) augments your operations, presenting real-time order tracking. As soon as an order is placed, it heads directly to the kitchen, paving the way for customization. Your orders or individual items are also efficiently routed to dedicated stations.
Payment Devices and Accessories: SpotOn offers a variety of accessories like cash drawers, payment devices, barcode scanners, scales, and customer-facing displays. What makes it better is the ability to integrate them easily with leading payment providers, without overhauling your existing workflows.
To sum up, SpotOn’s arsenal of hardware devices offers an all-encompassing suite to meet any restaurant’s requirements. If you’re considering a POS solution tailored precisely for the food and beverage sector, SpotOn can become your ideal partner.
New SpotOn Hardware Devices for 2023
Announced in May 2023, SpotOn’s latest line of restaurant POS hardware includes devices such as the 15.6” Station, the 10” Counter, and the 6.5” Handheld.
User-friendliness is built into these devices: the updated software and larger screens on the Station and Handheld simplify menu and modifier navigation. For easy navigation, the Handheld’s user interface now clusters menu items, enables search, illustrates floor plans, and provides table status updates.
The new lineup of SpotOn’s hardware devices, set to launch later this year, promises to boost SpotOn’s standing in the restaurant POS market. Here’s a sneak peek into why:
Customization and Flexibility: The new devices offer multiple configurations, adjusting to the evolving needs of your restaurant. Choose the Station with an option of an attached or detached guest-facing display, a base payment reader, or a side-mounted payment reader. This customization ensures you select a setup that ensures streamlined operations.
Efficiency and Speed: Sporting an 18% larger touchscreen display and an easy-to-hold leather strap, the Handheld empowers seamless tableside payment. The Counter, specifically designed for quick-service restaurants and cafes, accommodates contactless and dip payments and includes an optional guest-facing display for enhanced speed and precision.
Durability and Reliability: Equipped with high-definition touch screens, these are IP54-rated devices, ensuring protection against dust and drink spills, making them reliable and durable.
Enhanced Customer Experience: These devices are primed to augment customer satisfaction. To illustrate, the Handheld’s screen rotates to face the customer during payment, whilst the Station and Counter’s customer-facing displays boost order accuracy and speed up checkout.
Future-Proofing: SpotOn has collaborated with FIS to evolve into a payment facilitator for its customers, offering improved control over payment processing. Furthermore, this partnership enables tokenization, facilitating SpotOn customers to understand their patrons’ preferences and buying habits for highly personalized experiences.
In conclusion, these new additions promise to strengthen SpotOn’s hardware portfolio with their superior customization, efficiency, durability, and user experience. Backed by robust support and service, the new devices are future-proof, making SpotOn an even more competitive player in the restaurant POS market.
SpotOn User Reviews
Here is a summary of my analysis of user reviews, testimonials, and complaints about SpotOn as seen on major review sites like Capterra, G2, and others.
- Ease of Use & Training: SpotOn POS is frequently recognized for its user-friendly interface, even among those who are not tech-savvy. Users report a smooth learning curve and find the system highly functional. Training sessions are lauded for their effectiveness and SpotOn’s local tech support is often highlighted for their friendliness and help with system modifications.
- Customer Support & Responsiveness: Local customer support is consistently praised, with many users expressing satisfaction regarding the attentiveness and helpfulness of their local representatives. The team’s dedication to resolving issues and guiding clients through challenges is appreciated, alongside their hands-on assistance during setup.
- Flexibility and Customization: The flexibility of SpotOn’s hardware and the ability to customize the software is a strong point. Many restaurants benefit from handheld devices and the multitude of functions offered, which contribute to improved service speed and order accuracy.
- Increased Efficiency & Savings: The system is credited with helping businesses increase revenue and save costs. Positive impacts include a boost in online orders, enhanced workflow through devices and integrations, and cost savings from features like cash discount programs.
- Integration and Real-time Reporting: SpotOn users are pleased with the software’s integration capabilities, especially with online ordering. Real-time reporting with detailed insights is also frequently mentioned as a vital tool for business operations.
- Implementation Challenges: Some users experienced rocky initial launches with aspects such as gift card processing and loyalty programs presenting hurdles. Reporting also required adjustments for specific business needs.
- Credit Card Processing Issues: Users have encountered difficulties with credit card reader functions and card payment processing, including fees charged to gift card payments. Issues like these have been a source of frustration that required technical assistance to resolve.
- Hardware and Software Quirks: A few reports indicated glitches with the occasional technical quirk, like sensitive screens or cumbersome steps on handheld devices. Device limitations, such as the inability to scan UPCs or process offline payments, were also noted.
- Learning Curve & Complexity: Although overall user-friendly, some accountants and management staff found the array of options and reports slightly overwhelming at first, highlighting a learning curve mainly for back-office functionalities.
Where SpotOn Stands Out for Food Truck Businesses
Mobile Compatibility: You’ll find the SpotOn Sidekick, a compact and portable POS device with built-in cellular network capabilities, ideal for taking orders in-person and on the go.
Menu Customization and Management: The platform allows you to create custom menus for on-site and online ordering, offering a seamless experience for customers and owners alike.
SpotOn Teamwork: This feature helps employee onboarding, management, and compliance with instant two-way sync for data updates. Additionally, with SpotOn Reserve’s VIP tag sync, restaurant staff can swiftly identify VIPs and access their preference notes upon arrival.
Payment Options and Integration: SpotOn accepts multiple payment types and can directly print receipts. It also integrates with online ordering for pre-orders.
Analytics and Reporting: You can use data-driven insights and customer email capture to optimize day-to-day operations and targeted marketing efforts.
Marketing and Loyalty Programs: SpotOn’s integrated loyalty and marketing tools allow you to manage promotions, handle online reviews, and develop digital loyalty programs.
Space-efficient Hardware: The compact SpotOn Sidekick, designed for food trucks, includes a built-in receipt printer and scanner, with order tickets sent to a Bluetooth printer.
Customer Support: Benefit from in-person installation and training, personalized service, and 24/7 support to optimize in-person and online sales.
Where SpotOn Falls Short
- Limited hardware compatibility: Requires SpotOn’s hardware.
- Higher fees for non-SpotOn payment processing: 2.99% + $0.25 for specific transactions.
- Dependence on the cloud: Less robust offline functionality compared to some competitors.
- Expensive add-ons: Additional features can increase overall system cost.
Feature rich all-in-one POS solution with modern food truck specific features
Best mobile hardware devices and excellent marketing tools.
- Wide selection of hardware devices
- Low credit-card processing fees*
- No long term contracts
- Limited offline functionality
- Requires SpotOn devices
- *Requires SpotOn Payment for low fees
Toast
Over recent years, Toast has emerged as a significant player in the restaurant commerce industry by rapidly growing and gaining attention through notable acquisitions. In fact, one could say that Toast has become a game-changer. So, it’s no surprise that they have been named one of the most innovative companies of 2023 by Fast Company (Source).
Toast aims to become a comprehensive restaurant commerce system. It also positions itself as a one-stop shop for food trucks.
One of the best things about Toast is that even with its many awesome features, it still maintains a reasonable pricing structure. Indeed, it is one of the top Point of Sale (POS) systems for food trucks.
Toast Pricing & Hardware Options
Here is the pricing plan for the Quick Start Bundle, Core, and Growth plan:
Quick Start Bundle: Starting at $0/month
A great match for food trucks or single-location cafes, this shop-and-go option includes initial hardware and our basic POS software. Features include cloud-based point of sale and hardware setup including one terminal (additional charges apply for subsequent devices).
Core Plan: Subscription starting at $69/month
Ideal for any restaurant looking to streamline operations and provide faster service, with flexible options to meet your specific needs. This package includes powerful cloud-based point of sale with reporting and analytics, simple, flat rate payment processing with real-time fraud monitoring, mobile dining solutions, including digital menus and mobile payments, and 24/7/365 customer care, with installation support.
Growth Plan: Subscription starting at $165/month
A software bundle including online ordering and delivery software for restaurants looking to add more revenue streams. This plan includes everything in Core, plus Toast Online Ordering, Toast Delivery Services, and Toast TakeOut App.
Please note that additional features and software are available for each plan, and you can pair each plan with a hardware setup of your choosing.
Credit card processing fees: You cannot opt to use a third-party payment processor as Toast will handle all credit and debit card transactions for you.
Toast believes that customers should receive more than just transaction reports from their card processor. To achieve this goal, they combine their card processing service with technology that engages with customers.
The information gathered from customers can then be used by restaurants to understand them better and create more targeted marketing campaigns.
As for the fees, Toast customizes the rates for processing card transactions based on the specific needs of your restaurant.
Toast is available in the US, Canada, UK, and Ireland.
Toast Flex is a handheld device constructed for you to swiftly take orders and process payments. Its design is spill-resistant, allowing you to conveniently manage contactless payment types like swipe, dip, or tap.
Designed for smaller establishments such as coffee shops and restaurants with minimal counter space, Toast Go is an all-in-one portable device. You can take orders, process payments, and print receipts without swapping gadgets.
Toast Kiosk offers your customers a self-ordering experience. They can pick their dishes using a large, interactive touchscreen display. Particularly beneficial for quick-service restaurants, this device plays a helpful role in reducing wait times and enhancing the customer experience.
The Toast Terminal is a comprehensive countertop setup, covering a touchscreen display, card reader, cash drawer, and receipt printer, all ready to go.
Toast Display, a customer-facing setup, supports you in managing restaurant orders. It gives you the ability to monitor orders in real-time and handle your inventory.
Bear in mind, that hardware costs differ based on the configuration you opt for, and some devices come included in certain plans. Should you require a tailored quote, you should reach out directly to the Toast team.
Toast User Reviews
Here is a summary of my analysis of user reviews, testimonials, and complaints about Toast as seen on major review sites like Capterra, G2, and others.
- User-Friendly Interface: Many Toast users express satisfaction with the system’s user-friendly interface. They find that the software is easy to navigate, and training new employees is straightforward due to its intuitive design.
- Customization and Flexibility: Users appreciate the high level of customization available with Toast POS. The system allows them to tailor the POS to their specific business needs, from table layouts to menu configurations.
- Comprehensive Reporting: The reporting features of Toast POS are praised by several users. They find the reports easy to tailor to their needs and are pleased with the ability to download them into different formats for further analysis.
- Effective Tableside Ordering: The handheld devices for tableside ordering receive high marks for their ease of use and ability to increase efficiency for service staff, allowing them to spend more time with guests.
- Mobile and Cloud-Based: Toast’s mobile compatibility and cloud-based platform are highlighted as beneficial, enabling business owners to manage their operations and access real-time data from anywhere.
- Technical Problems and Outages: Some reviewers report experiencing technical issues with the system, including network-wide crashes and offline payment processing errors, which occasionally cause entry errors and disrupt operations.
- Additional Costs and Fees: Fees associated with certain features and payment processing rates are a point of contention for some users, who believe these fees can be excessive and not fully transparent.
- Limited Quick Service Features: Toast POS is criticized by some quick service restaurants for its limited feature set tailored to their business model, suggesting improvements in order management and throttling.
- Problematic Payroll Service: There are some complaints specifically about Toast’s payroll service, with users advising others to avoid it due to errors in tax reporting and other difficulties.
- Installation and Setup Challenges: A few users find the self-install process to be complicated, noting that initial setup could be smoother and sometimes requires intervention from company representatives.
- Issues with Customer Service: A common theme among the negative reviews is dissatisfaction with customer service. Users complain about receiving minimal support from customer service representatives, stating they often follow scripts with limited product knowledge.
Where Toast Stands Out for Food Trucks
Mobility and Flexibility: Toast has a handheld device, the Toast Go, which is ideal for the limited space in food trucks. This mobile POS system allows you to easily take orders, process payments, and print receipts, all from the palm of your hand.
Mobile Dining Solutions and QR Code Capabilities: Implement a custom QR code with Toast to scan to order, allowing guests to effectively serve themselves and keep staff focused on meal prep.
Hardware that Fits Your Business: Toast hardware is restaurant grade, IP54 spill-proof rated, designed to withstand the rigors of a food truck environment in a small, mobile space.
Online Ordering: Toast POS allows food trucks to offer online ordering, improving customer experience and increasing sales.
Customer Engagement and Loyalty Programs: Toast integrates with customer engagement programs like customer loyalty and email marketing, to build a loyal customer base and keep them coming back.
Inventory Management: Toast has integrated food inventory management tools, helping you keep track of stock and reduce costs.
Detailed Customer and Sales Reporting: Toast includes integrated reporting and analytics, letting you keep pace with performance in real time and make informed decisions to improve your business.
Cost-Effective Plans: Toast fits your budget. The Pay as You Go plan keeps startup costs low by providing Starter Kit Hardware for $0 (just pay shipping and taxes) and eliminating monthly POS software subscription fees. The payment processing fee covers all costs, meaning Toast only gets paid when you do.
Easy Menu Customization and Management: With Toast, you can quickly update your menu or prices wherever you are, particularly useful for food trucks with frequently changing menus.
Reliable Internet Connection and Offline Mode: Toast POS can be used on the road with a third-party 4G modem. In case of internet issues, it offers an offline mode, allowing you to place orders, print tickets, and take credit card payments until the connection is re-established.
Where Toast Falls Short
- Locked into Toast Payment Processing: Users are required to use Toast’s in-house credit card processing solution, restricting their ability to shop around for potentially better or more affordable alternatives.
- Add-ons Can Get Expensive: While Toast POS offers a range of valuable add-ons to help restaurants enhance their operations, these extra features often come with additional costs. These expenses might be prohibitive, especially for small or start-up establishments looking to maintain a low-budget operation.
- Not Very Transparent Pricing: Another downside of Toast POS is the lack of transparent pricing information on the website, including the various hardware bundles and add-on features. This can make it difficult for potential clients to compare Toast POS with other providers.
- Only Available in a Few English-speaking Countries: Toast is only available in a select few English-speaking countries, limiting access for restaurants operating outside these markets. This geographical restriction may make Toast POS less desirable for global or multi-national brands looking for a comprehensive solution across all their locations
The most innovative POS system on the market
Best for food trucks that want advanced online ordering, take-out and delivery features.
- Rapid development of new features
- Robust online ordering system
- Includes a free starter plan
- Android only
- Locked into Toast payment processing
Square
Square for Restaurants provides an excellent POS solution for food trucks, facilitating every aspect of running and expanding your business.
With Square Online, you can accept orders on your free personalized website and manage them seamlessly using the Kitchen Display System (KDS), enabling pickup and delivery.
You can simultaneously manage multiple food trucks, unifying operations, payroll, and staffing. And, benefit from the intelligent routing and reporting capabilities to enhance order accuracy and minimize errors.
Furthermore, Square offers marketing tools to connect with customers and heighten sales. Effortlessly design, send, and monitor email and social media campaigns while implementing a loyalty program to reward your regulars.
Square Pricing & Hardware Options
Free plan: There’s no monthly fee, but there is a transaction fee for each in-person sale. 2.6% + 10¢ for swiped or tapped card transactions. 3.5% + 15¢ when the card number is keyed in. Online payment: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction.
Plus: Includes more advanced features designed specifically for restaurants. $60/month for one device per location. +$40/month per added countertop POS device. (+ processing fees).
Premium subscribers get everything in the Plus subscription and custom pricing for add-ons like Square Payroll, Square Marketing, and Square Loyalty.
Example pricing of some add-ons:
Square Payroll +$35/mo then $5/mo per employee
Square Loyalty From $45/mo per location
Square Marketing From $15/mo per location
(Hardware is not included in the subscription. See hardware costs in the section below).
Contract length
A key advantage of Square’s payment processing is the absence of long-term subscriptions, providing flexibility in the usage of its services. You can opt for month-to-month payments and easily cancel your subscription anytime without penalties.
As a result, you can experiment with different business strategies while staying agile and adaptable to changing market conditions.
The Square app is available worldwide. Card payment acceptance is available in the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, France and Spain (Source).
The Square Terminal can read all types of cards. You can use it for everything from taking payments to accessing your Square POS system to printing receipts to using all the features of Square’s app. The price for the terminal is $299.
Square Reader for Contactless and Chip: Restaurants can now process payments more easily with the new Square Reader, which has improved Bluetooth connectivity, enhanced security, and longer battery life.
Square Stand Restaurant Station with cash drawer, receipt printer, and kitchen printer.
Restaurant Mobile POS Kit for Square for Restaurants. Includes a Square Reader for contactless and chip (2nd generation), a phone case, and a Samsung Galaxy A32.
The Square Register is a countertop setup and a fully integrated point-of-sale system. No extra tablets or apps are required. Includes a touchscreen card terminal facing the customer and a built-in card reader. Costs $799.
Square User Reviews
Here is a summary of my analysis of user reviews, testimonials, and complaints about Square for Restaurants as seen on major review sites like Capterra, G2, and others.
- Ease of Setup and Use: Many users commend Square for its user-friendly setup process and intuitive design. The system is easy to configure, adaptable for various devices including iPads and smartphones, and provides quick access to online market tools.
- Cost-Effective: Business owners appreciate the affordability of Square for Restaurants. The pricing is competitive, and the system offers a variety of financial management tools such as integrated payment processing which contributes to a low-stress financial experience.
- Efficient Sales Tracking and Payment Processing: The app has been highlighted for its capabilities in sales monitoring and secure payment processing, with immediate transaction fees rather than monthly billing.
- CRM and Website Integration: Users appreciate the CRM tools provided by Square and find the website creation services particularly beneficial for enhancing their online presence, which is especially notable for quick transitions to online ordering during events like the pandemic.
- Resourceful Features: Square for Restaurants POS is valued for its many features that assist in business operations, including inventory tracking, promotional offers, loyalty rewards, customer feedback collection, and seamless QuickBooks integration.
- Complex Restaurant Issues: Some users report that Square for Restaurants is not ideal for complex restaurant operations. Glitches have led to crashes, with systems becoming unresponsive during busy times, causing major distress for restaurant owners. The system is also criticized for being unable to handle the intricacies of a full-service restaurant setting.
- Customization Limits: Certain users find it tedious to customize menus and loyalty programs. Adjustments to the system may require excessive steps, which can be frustrating, especially for businesses with frequently changing offerings.
- Technical Support Concerns: There have been complaints regarding the level of technical support provided by Square. Troubleshooting complex issues has sometimes proven difficult, with tech support struggling to resolve problems effectively. Furthermore, the lack of on-site support from Square when compared to competing products is a significant drawback for some users.
- Inadequate Reporting: Users have mentioned that the reporting feature for Square for Restaurants POS could be improved. Detailed drill-down reports are lacking, making it cumbersome for business owners to analyze sales and inventory effectively.
- Hardware Problems: Issues with the card reader have also been mentioned, with it occasionally rotating during a swipe and causing a read error, although solutions like anchoring the reader have been used to fix it.
Where Square Stands Out For Food Trucks
Square for Restaurants stands out as a great food truck point-of-sale (POS) system choice, due to its robust features catering to unique food truck needs. Here’s why Square is worth your consideration:
Mobility: Your food truck is always on the move, and you need a POS system that moves with you. Designed for mobility, Square is easy to set up and use, no matter where you park.
Ease of Use: Benefit from the user-friendly interface of Square. Quickly customize the items grid and categories page to align with your changing menu—a key consideration given your likely rotating or varying menu.
Payment Flexibility: Never miss a sale due to payment restrictions. Square accepts all kinds of payments, cash, credit cards, and mobile payments.
Fast Transactions: Thrive in your fast-paced environment with a system designed for quick transactions. It also offers a tab-splitting feature if your customers wish to spread their payment across multiple credit cards.
Inventory Management: Enjoy free inventory management software that comes with Square’s POS system. This allows you to manage your inventory in real time, even receiving custom alerts when you’re running low on a specific ingredient.
Employee Management: Square’s integrated employee management software lets your team clock in and out directly from the POS system. This helps optimize scheduling and keeps overtime hours in check.
Business Insights: Discover smarter business decisions with real-time insights. After processing payments, check out your sales, get real-time business data, and find useful insights on the Square Dashboard.
Where Square Can Improve
Limited Advanced Features: Square for Restaurants may lack some advanced features found in other POS systems, such as in-depth inventory management and comprehensive reporting tools.
Complex Reporting: The reporting features can be difficult to navigate due to their complexity and the insufficient detail they provide. Reconciling sales to receivables is also a lengthy process.
Lack of On-Site Support: Square for Restaurants doesn’t offer on-site support, which may not be suitable for businesses needing in-person assistance.
Best for starting food trucks looking for a subscription free system
Take orders on a free Square Online website and manage them directly from the Square KDS while organizing pickup and delivery.
- Subscription free plan
- No long term contracts
- Integrates with the Square ecosystem
- Lacks some advanced features
- No on-site support
More information on Square:
Square for Restaurants: Setting a New Course for the Future
How Square’s New AI Features Can Benefit Your Restaurant
Lightspeed
Lightspeed Restaurant: When it comes to selecting a Point of Sale (POS) system for food truck businesses, Lightspeed is among the quite frequently considered options. Founded in 2005, Lightspeed has grown into a leading global provider of cloud-based POS and e-commerce solutions serving businesses in over 100 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific.
Lightspeed has a distinct focus on building commerce platforms for independent restaurants. Its unified hospitality platform is designed to meet the specific needs of food and beverage establishments, including food trucks.
The platform ties together point-of-sale capabilities, integrated payments, inventory management, staff management tools, and provides powerful reporting insights.
An interesting factor about Lightspeed is the incorporation of advanced technology features. This includes a blockchain-based technology platform, real-time analytics, tailored workflows and various integrations, all in an intuitive iOS-based interface. Moreover, the platform can operate in offline mode, making it a reliable option in various situations.
Lightspeed Pricing & Hardware Options
Lightspeed Restaurant Essentials: $90/month (annual plan $69/month)
Features include: Menu manager, Mobile access, Takeout and delivery orders, Integrated payment processing, Reporting and analytics, Inventory, 24/7 support, Dedicated account management, Table Mode. 1 register.
Lightspeed Restaurant Plus: $246/month (annual plan $189/month)
All Essentials features, Loyalty program, Gift cards
Lightspeed Restaurant Pro: $516/month (annual plan $399/month)
All Plus features and Advanced insights, Advanced inventory. 1 register.
Additional registers +$34/mo
Add-on pricing starting at $12/month
Premium add-ons starting at $39/month
Transaction fees: 2.6% plus 10 cents per card-present transaction with Lightspeed Payments. Third-party payment processors are also available.
*Pricing at the time of publishing this guide. For the most current pricing, contact Lightspeed.
Lightspeed Restaurant POS is currently available in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Australia.
There are several hardware options available for restaurants. These include an iPad hardware kit that includes a receipt printer, cash drawer, and kitchen printer but does not include an iPad or payment terminal.
There is also a Lightspeed iPad Stand by Vault, which is a restaurant-grade stand designed to mount an iPad securely.
In addition, there are several payment terminals available, including the Verifone e285, Verifone P400, and Verifone 400m, which all support tap, swipe, and dip payments and the e285 also supports tip entry and signature capture.
For a full list of supported hardware options, Lightspeed provides more information.
Lightspeed User Reviews
Where Lightspeed Stands Out for Food Trucks
Flexible and Customizable System: Lightspeed is a comprehensive solution crafted for food trucks like yours. It allows you to customize your menus, screens, and layouts to match your unique needs.
Data-Driven Decision Making and Real-Time Insights: Lightspeed integrates real-time insights with each transaction, enabling you to make swift, data-driven decisions. You can fine-tune your menu, track your customers’ habits, and identify your top-performing staff.
Lightspeed Payments: Payment processing that integrates AI and blockchain technology for a single, universal sign-on at any point of purchase globally. Each transaction is recorded on a private blockchain, potentially enhancing security and traceability.
Multiple Ordering Options: Lightspeed caters to your guests’ convenience by offering diverse ordering options. These include online ordering, or QR code ordering, enabling guests to order in a manner that suits them best, enhancing their overall dining experience.
Management Across Multiple Locations: If you operate multiple food trucks, Lightspeed enables you to manage all of them from a single platform. It allows you to easily track guest data and reports across different locations and implement changes to all menus. Lightspeed POS gives you centralized control and real-time visibility across all your food truck locations.
Self-Order Menu and Self-Ordering Kiosks: Lightspeed offers a Self-Order Menu feature that allows customers to place their own orders. This feature can increase order size and improve customer service. It can be used at tables or as a self-ordering kiosk, and it’s convenient to set it up with your existing Lightspeed menu.
Customer Facing Display (CFD): Lightspeed includes a Customer Facing Display (CFD) feature, offering transparency to your customers during the checkout process. The CFD visually presents the full breakdown of their order, ensuring that guests can be confident they are being correctly charged. It displays item details, subtotal price, tax rate, total, and order number for takeaway orders.
Delivery Feature: Lightspeed introduces a delivery feature tailored for food trucks. With the increasing popularity of food delivery apps, Lightspeed facilitates your adaptation to changing customer behaviors.
This delivery service centralizes online orders from platforms like UberEats, Skip The Dishes, or DoorDash onto a single screen, making it easier for you to manage and deliver orders to customers wherever they are.
Order Anywhere Feature: Lightspeed’s Order Anywhere feature provides a streamlined service for food trucks. Whether customers are eating at your food truck or ordering to-go, this feature allows guests to pay via QR code, cutting down wait times for the bill and eliminating the need for app downloads. Customers can order straight from their phones, simplifying the takeout ordering process.
Kitchen Display System (KDS): Lightspeed’s Kitchen Display System (KDS) enhances staff communication and optimizes your workflow. The KDS displays ticket times, color-coded orders, and real-time updates to elevate your service turnaround and ensure a unified workflow. Digitizing your kitchen operations reduces errors and collects data on production times, bringing clarity and efficacy to your kitchen operations.
Where Lightspeed Falls Short
- Price: Lightspeed Restaurant POS is more expensive than some other POS systems on the market. While the system offers a range of features and benefits, the cost may be a barrier for some restaurant owners, especially those who are just starting out.
- Limited Customization: While Lightspeed’s interface is user-friendly, it may not offer as much customization as some coffee shop owners would like. For example, some users have reported that it’s difficult to customize the layout of the order screen, which can impact efficiency during peak hours.
Cleverly crafted POS with exceptional design
Best for food trucks seeking powerful inventory, data insights, and retail features.
- Ease of use & interface design
- Reporting & analytics
- E-commerce capabilities
- Not the cheapest option
TouchBistro
TouchBistro is an excellent choice for food trucks. Not only does it offer a visually appealing and intuitive design, but it also has an abundance of features. It further offers the convenience of a hybrid cloud/server system, giving you peace of mind knowing that your data is always accessible and secure.
Ease of use: TouchBistro is one of the easiest POS systems to use. It is easy to use and you can learn it in a short time. TouchBistro is great for people who want something quick and easy to work with.
New employees don’t have to waste precious time going through an extensive tutorial – if they are familiar with an iPad, then they can easily figure out TouchBistro. You can customize your menus and interface with this tool which will help you speed up your processes in the long run.
TouchBistro Pricing & Hardware Options
I like the modularity of the TouchBistro pricing structure. You get a good deal at a low price and can choose from the selection of add-on options as your business grows.
Here is the pricing plan for TouchBistro and its add-ons:
Monthly subscription fee: Starts at $69/month for up to two setups
Add-on pricing (starting at):
- Online ordering: $50/month
- Reservations: $229/month
- Gift cards: $25/month
- Marketing: $99/month
- Loyalty: $99/month
TouchBistro Payments (US only)is powered by Chase and provides pricing through an innovative cost plus pricing model. The solution supports all major credit and debit cards, as well as swipe, dip, tap, and digital wallet payments from Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay.
TouchBistro Payments also offers an offline payments mode, allowing you to continue taking payments even when their internet is down.
Payment processing fees depend on if you use TouchBistro Payments (US only) or one of the available payment processing partners like Square. You’ll be able to use different payment processors depending on which one offers the lowest rate.
For example, Square charges the following: 2.6% +10¢ per transaction.
Please note that hardware and additional fees may apply to these prices. It’s recommended to contact TouchBistro directly for a custom quote.
TouchBistro is available in the US, Canada, the UK, Mexico, and over 100 other countries. (TouchBistro Payments is only available in the US).
TouchBistro supports iPads, iPad Pro, or the iPad Mini and runs best on devices from 2018 or later. These tablets are used to take orders and process payments table-side.
A TouchBistro setup can include an iPad stand, receipt printer, card reader, router, and modem.
TouchBistro also sells accessories, such as a Self-Service Kiosk, customer-facing display, KDS, and Digital Menu Boards. TouchBistro may also make use of third-party hardware such as cash drawers, card readers, and receipt printers.
Customizable Additional Hardware: Depending on the unique needs of your restaurant, you can mix and match different POS equipment such as cash drawers and receipt printers.
Hardware Setups for Different Venue Sizes: TouchBistro offers tailored hardware configurations based on the venue size and type of your restaurant. Whether you have a small or large venue, they have hardware solutions designed to fit your specific needs.
Integrated Hardware Support: TouchBistro also offers dedicated implementation specialists to provide round-the-clock support for your hardware.
TouchBistro suggests always purchasing the latest iPad models for the best experience and longevity of support. While they provide iPad stands, they also offer the flexibility for you to use your own. Their iPads are compatible with any iPad stands, allowing you to choose a stand style that aligns best with your restaurant’s look and feel.
TouchBistro User Reviews
Here is a summary of my analysis of user reviews, testimonials, and complaints about TouchBistro as seen on major review sites like Capterra, G2, and others.
- Ease of Use: The user interface is generally praised as user-friendly and easily navigable, making it simple for staff to manage tasks and learn the system.
- Robust Features: TouchBistro offers comprehensive features for managing a wide range of restaurant operations, from room charges to extensive menus.
- Menu Management: Users enjoy the intuitive platform for updating pricing, adding and removing items, and overall menu customization.
- Self-Ordering Kiosk and Offline Functionality: The self-ordering kiosk feature for customer upgrades and the ability to operate without internet are well-received.
- Quick and Efficient Order Taking: Utilizing iPads, the TouchBistro POS allows for efficient order taking directly at the table, enhancing the guest experience.
- Inventory Tracking: Although it requires extensive setup, the inventory tracking capabilities are detailed and offer significant benefits once in place.
- Responsive Customer Service: Some reviewers cite the customer service team as being quick to respond and helpful, often implementing suggested features.
- Ongoing Software Improvements: The company is recognized for continuously rolling out new features and for being supportive during the challenges faced by the restaurant industry.
Technology Issues During Updates: Users experience significant technology issues when updates to TouchBistro are required, leading to potential downtime that businesses cannot afford.
Difficulties with Customer Support: Reaching customer support can be time-consuming, and some users face lengthy wait times and get passed from one representative to another.
Challenges with Reporting: Obtaining comprehensive reports is cumbersome, and the analytics provided are found to be lacking in depth by some users.
Onboarding and Training Challenges: Users noted the onboarding process could be difficult, and the lack of user-friendly support materials led to some businesses having to create their own training manuals.
Wi-Fi Connection Problems: Some users reported intermittent Wi-Fi connection issues, which occasionally require modem resets.
System Stability and Bugs: Instances of the system disconnecting daily, causing significant operational burdens and frustrations.
Limited Remote Management: Managing multiple restaurants or making substantial changes remotely is problematic due to limitations of the system’s infrastructure.
Where TouchBistro Stands Out for Food Trucks
TouchBistro is a great food truck POS system with a user-friendly interface and robust features tailor-made for high-turnover food and beverage businesses. It’s built to match the pace of your mobile business, streamlining the processing of long lines swiftly and efficiently.
Sales Enhancement Features: One of the distinguishing features of TouchBistro is its sales enhancement capability. It leverages pop-up prompts to remind staff to upsell, and optimizes your menu and promotions using comprehensive sales reports. This feature aligns with the crucial need for POS systems to deliver analytics and reporting for informed business decisions.
Outstanding Guest Experience: TouchBistro not only enhances sales but also the guest experience. It boasts quick register buttons for swift order processing. A customer-facing display guarantees customers receive the correct order. Plus, integrated mobile payment processing enables various payment methods—swipe, dip, or tap—for customer convenience.
Tailored Hardware Solutions: TouchBistro offers hardware solutions that fit your business. It efficiently utilizes counter space with stow-away mobile credit card processing terminals when not in use—a particular benefit for spatially limited food trucks.
Menu Customization and Management: In terms of menu customization and management, TouchBistro allows time savings with pre-scheduled menus and promotions. An intuitive iOS system proves easy for staff to learn and use, cutting down training time.
Comprehensive Reporting: TouchBistro meets the POS system requirement of comprehensive analytics and reporting features by providing access to over 50 powerful reports on-the-go. These reports range from payment processing and financial data to a breakdown of customer orders.
Multiple Payment Processors Integration: TouchBistro shines with its capacity to integrate with various payment processors, offering flexibility and convenience for food truck owners. Its support for multiple terminals also makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses requiring more than one POS terminal.
Offline Functionality: TouchBistro ensures business continuity with its offline functionality—critical for food trucks that may occasionally lack a reliable internet connection. Uniquely, TouchBistro’s hybrid POS accepts orders and payments without internet access, assuring unbroken service.
Where TouchBistro Falls Short
- Limited integrations: TouchBistro doesn’t offer as many integrations as some other POS systems, potentially limiting businesses requiring extensive software/platform integration.
- Limited reporting: Reporting features need improvement for more comprehensive sales, employee performance, and inventory reports.
Designed by restaurant industry veterans
Best for independent food trucks looking for a well designed, easy-to-use, and feature-rich POS.
- Fast & easy-to-use
- Integrated loyalty features
- Excellent offline functionality
- Fewer integrations than competition
- Somewhat limited reporting features
More information on TouchBistro:
TouchBistro’s New Cutting-Edge Back-of-House Solutions
Table Needs
Table Needs is a point-of-sale company that specifically targets the food service industry, with a particular emphasis on quick service restaurants, cafes, and food trucks. Its offerings include innovative and simplified products and services designed to augment business proficiency and profitability.
Table Needs was founded by individuals who have substantial experience in the food service industry and are well-versed in the specific needs of restaurateurs.
The company’s vision is to foster a world where locally-owned quick service restaurants, cafes, and food trucks are stable, profitable businesses that contribute to their communities and promote local growth.
Where Table Needs Stands Out for Food Trucks
All-in-One System: The Table Needs POS system is a comprehensive platform allowing you to manage your entire business seamlessly. The full package includes a kitchen display system (KDS), QR code ordering, online ordering, and menu management, all at no extra cost.
Ease of Use: Designed with simplicity and speed in mind, this POS system runs on standard mobile devices, thereby saving you the expense of investing in proprietary hardware.
Ordering Options: Your customers are presented with a variety of ways to place an order. They can Scan to Order & Pay via their mobile device after scanning a provided QR code, place an order for a future time using the commission-free online ordering system, or make traditional counter orders. All these orders are routed through the POS system, allowing for easy tracking and reporting.
Built-in Kitchen Display System (KDS): The in-built KDS feature aids you in streamlining order management. This tool simplifies kitchen operations, helping you manage orders, prioritize tasks, and reduce confusion during busy periods. Additionally, the KDS will automatically send text messages to your customers to let them know when their orders are ready for pick-up.
No Contracts, No Hidden Fees: Table Needs operates with total transparency. There are no contracts or hidden fees to worry about. Besides, no proprietary hardware is imposed on you, making it a more economical choice compared to some other systems out there.
Mobile App: Initiate your journey with Table Needs simply by downloading their mobile app. As a food truck owner, this sets you up with a cost-effective, highly portable, and efficient solution right at the tip of your fingers.
Mobile Point of Sale (POS) system specifically designed for food trucks and food carts. This robust system provides a full suite of features that lets you manage your entire business right from the palm of your hand, eliminating the need for bulky hardware.
Table Needs Pricing
Table Needs operates on a flexible pricing model designed to cater to different sizes and scales of food service businesses.
Table Needs Mobile POS System is a go-to choice for those seeking a user-friendly, all-in-one solution for efficient food truck management.
- Compatibility with standard mobile devices
- A built-in KDS
- No hidden fees or contracts
- Dependence on mobile devices
- Mobile devices can be damaged
Food Truck POS System Recommendations
Based on the features of each POS system, here are my recommendations for different types of food trucks.
SpotOn: Given its robust features and mobile compatibility, SpotOn comes highly recommended for food trucks that often switch locations and require a dependable, portable system. The system’s integrated cellular network functionality allows for operative continuity even in areas with weak Wi-Fi connectivity. This comes particularly handy for food trucks operating in diverse settings such as festivals, events, and street locations.
Feature rich all-in-one POS solution with modern food truck specific features
Best mobile hardware devices and excellent marketing tools.
- Wide selection of hardware devices
- Low credit-card processing fees*
- No long term contracts
- Limited offline functionality
- Requires SpotOn devices
- *Requires SpotOn Payment for low fees
Toast: For newcomers to the food truck business or those functioning on a restrictive budget, Toast’s economical plans and robust features make for an ideal fit. Its offline mode and mobile compatibility establish Toast as a reliable option for food trucks navigating areas with inconsistent internet connectivity. The system’s ability to split tabs and rapidly process transactions proves advantageous for food trucks catering to larger groups.
The most innovative POS system on the market
Best for food trucks that want advanced online ordering, take-out and delivery features.
- Rapid development of new features
- Robust online ordering system
- Includes a free starter plan
- Android only
- Locked into Toast payment processing
TouchBistro: For food trucks dealing with high staff turnover or keen on reducing the training period, TouchBistro meets the unique requirements with its user-friendly interface and robust features. With offline functionality, the system guarantees uninterrupted service making it perfect for food trucks operating in areas with unreliable internet connection.
Designed by restaurant industry veterans
Best for independent food trucks looking for a well designed, easy-to-use, and feature-rich POS.
- Fast & easy-to-use
- Integrated loyalty features
- Excellent offline functionality
- Fewer integrations than competition
- Somewhat limited reporting features
Square for Restaurants: If you’re kicking off your food truck business or seeking a simple, uncomplicated system, Square’s mobile design and easy setup offer an effortless solution. The provision of free inventory management software and real-time business insights makes Square particularly appealing for food truck owners desiring to monitor their business performance and inventory closely.
Best for starting food trucks looking for a subscription free system
Take orders on a free Square Online website and manage them directly from the Square KDS while organizing pickup and delivery.
- Subscription free plan
- No long term contracts
- Integrates with the Square ecosystem
- Lacks some advanced features
- No on-site support
Lightspeed: Lightspeed’s customizable system and cloud-based solution serve food trucks looking for a flexible, adaptable system. The system’s capacity to function offline makes it a good choice for food trucks functioning in areas with intermittent internet connectivity. Food trucks operating on limited space can benefit from a wide range of hardware options, including an iPad cash register.
Cleverly crafted POS with exceptional design
Best for food trucks seeking powerful inventory, data insights, and retail features.
- Ease of use & interface design
- Reporting & analytics
- E-commerce capabilities
- Not the cheapest option
Review Conclusion
In the dynamic food truck industry, a powerful POS system with diverse features plays a vital role. It drastically improves business proficiency and profitability by offering mobile compatibility and optimizing inventory management in limited spaces.
The significance of flexible menu management, financial integrations, and analytics to streamline operations and guide strategy is noteworthy. The system should enhance payment conveniences, provide insights, and enable quick menu adjustments to changing demands.
The POS system should also align with the changing industry trends by integrating online ordering, delivery services, and digital marketing. A loyal customer base can be established through customer loyalty programs. Importantly, select a durable, user-friendly POS system hardware that fits the food truck’s space limitations.
A carefully chosen POS system significantly contributes to the food truck’s success. Therefore, every food truck owner must assess their specific needs before selecting a system, ensuring it is intuitive, reliable, and provides excellent customer support.
In conclusion, a good POS system is not just for processing transactions, but it is a strategic partner for advancing your food truck business.
Read more:
How Much Does a Restaurant POS System Cost?
Restaurant Payment & Credit Card Processing Simplified
14 Restaurant POS Features That Are Essential
