The short answer
Square fits counter service and new openings: a free plan, published in-person rates from 2.6% + 15¢, kitchen displays on paid plans, and no locked-in contract. Toast publishes its contract terms: its POS contracts renew automatically each year. We could not verify Clover pricing on a published page, so get any quote in writing and compare effective rates.
What Does Square for Restaurants Cost?
Square publishes everything. Its restaurant plans run "$0/mo. per location $49/mo. per location $149/mo. per location," and with Square Free "you only pay processing fees when you take a payment." In-person rates are 2.6%, 2.5% or 2.4% + 15¢ depending on the plan, and a keyed-in or saved card is 3.5% + 15¢ on every plan.
Add-ons cost extra. Square's kitchen display app is "$20 per month per device with Square Premium or $30 month per device with Square Plus," and it is not available on the free plan. Restaurants processing over $250,000 a year can ask Square about custom pricing.
What Do Toast Contracts Commit You To?
A term that renews itself. Toast's own help center says "your POS contract will automatically renew for successive one (1) year periods," and that you can leave only by giving at least 30 days' written notice before the current term ends. Put that date on the calendar the day you sign.
Toast offers two ways to buy its starter hardware: traditional pricing, where you "pay for hardware upfront and pay monthly for software," or a pay-as-you-go option with "no upfront cost" and no monthly subscription. Toast does not publish its rates in a place we could verify, so get your effective rate in writing before you compare.
Which Handles Kitchen Displays, Tabs and Outages?
Each system covers the basics. The difference is in what you pay for them and what you sign.
- Kitchen displays: Square's KDS is a paid add-on on Plus and Premium. Toast says its KDS module "must be on your account before you can use it."
- Tabs: Square lets you "temporarily preauthorize a customer's credit card for a set amount" so a bar tab is covered at close.
- Outages: Toast says a KDS "can still receive in-store orders over your local network" during an outage. Square's offline payments are declined if the device does not reconnect within 24 hours of the first offline payment.
What About Clover?
We could not verify Clover's restaurant pricing on a published page, so treat any Clover quote as specific to whoever is selling it. Ask for the effective rate on your real sales, the monthly software fee, and the contract term, in writing, before you compare it with Square or Toast.
How Do You Compare Restaurant POS Quotes?
BatchOut sets up Square and Clover and the rest of its lineup for restaurants, matched to how the room runs. See the setups for full service restaurants, quick service and bars.
- Effective rate: total processing fees divided by card sales, on your own volume and average check. The fee calculator does the arithmetic on published rates.
- Monthly cost: software per location plus every add-on, such as KDS screens and online ordering.
- Contract: the term, whether it renews automatically, the notice period and any cancellation fee.
- Hardware: bought, financed or bundled, and who owns it if you leave.
Commonly Asked Questions
Is Square or Toast better for restaurants?
It depends on the room and the contract you want. Square publishes its plans and rates and has no locked-in contract. Toast's POS contracts renew automatically for one-year periods and need 30 days' written notice to leave.
How much does Square for Restaurants cost?
Square lists $0, $49 or $149 a month per location, with in-person rates of 2.6%, 2.5% or 2.4% + 15¢ by plan. Its kitchen display app adds $20 or $30 per device a month on paid plans.
Does Toast require a contract?
Toast's help center says its POS contracts automatically renew for successive one-year periods, and you can opt out with at least 30 days' written notice before the current term ends.
How do I compare a Clover quote?
Get the effective rate on your real sales, the monthly software fee and the contract term in writing, then compare it with Square's published pricing and any Toast quote.
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