Bars have unique needs for speedy ordering, managing high sales volumes, and supporting streamlined staff cashouts at the end of a long shift. Point of sale (POS) systems for bars must be speedy, user-friendly, and durable. The best bar POS systems do all that plus help track your inventory and prompt you to order more supplies when stock runs low. We scored several of the most popular POS systems for bars to identify the best bar POS systems for 2024.
Best bar POS systems
Company
Our Score (out of 5)
Key Features
Monthly Software Fees
Payment Processing Fees
4.58
- Durable, high-design hardware
- $0 upfront starter subscriptions
- Pay-as-you-go options for small bars
- Highly expandable system
From $0 to $69+
- In-person: 2.49%–3.29% + 15 cents
- Online: 3.5%–3.89% + 15 cents
4.56
- Durable, high-design hardware
- Options for $0 upfront subscriptions
- Custom-built order screens speed ordering and payments
From $0 to $135, premium tiers charge $3 per employee
- Quickstart: 2.89% + 25 cents
- Counter service, full service, customize your own: 1.99% + 25 cents
4.10
- iPad POS
- No long term contracts
- Incredibly fast setup
From $0 to $165+
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
3.92
- iPad POS
- Robust, built in inventory management tools
From $189 to $399+
- In-person: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online: 2.9% + 30 cents
3.81
- Durable, industry-tested hardware
- $1 POS hardware for new customers
- Streamlined bar ordering and cash management
From $55 to $75+
- In-person: 2.45% + 15 cents
- Card not-present: 2.99% + 18 cents• Amex: 3.10% + 15 cents
Toast: Best for team management
Overall Reviewer Score
4.58/5
Pricing
4.11/5
Hardware
4.58/5
Software Features
4.58/5
Support & Reliability
5/5
User Experience
5/5
Average User Review Scores
4.2/5
Pros
- Durable hardware
- Get started for $0 upfront
- Lots of bar-supporting tools, designed by experts
Cons
- Standard contract is 2 years
- Processing fees can get high
- Inventory management is an extra cost
Why I chose Toast
Toast topped our rankings due to its affordability, flexibility, and wide range of features that support bars of all sizes. And the platform is exceptionally user-friendly with a no-nonsense, visually attractive interface. If you have high employee turnover, Toast makes it easy for newcomers to get up and running. In comparison, more complex platforms like Oracle Micros Simphony don’t deliver this ease of use.
Beyond simplicity, Toast POS comes with excellent pricing for the smallest bars while also offering software and hardware add-ons that scale easily. However, Toast users need to purchase the company’s hardware and commit to a two-year service contract to operate this system. Still, its pay-as-you-go options for hardware and software make this excellent system accessible for everyone.
Toast is a hybrid POS designed specifically for the food and beverage industry. The hardware is industry-grade and tested for drop, spill, and steam to withstand the rigors of high-volume bar use. New users can get started with up to two POS stations for no upfront cost, while high-volume and multi-location bars can find plenty of expansive software and hardware tools to customize this user-friendly POS.
Toast is excellent for bars with lower volume operations, craving a no-nonsense, easy-to-use platform. However, its above-average credit card fees can quickly add up. If you run a larger enterprise, you can save a lot of cash by opting for providers with less expensive fees, like SpotOn.
Toast offers its POS hardware at three pricing levels: Starter Kit, Point of Sale, and Build Your Own. Toast has changed these names a few times in the past year, so you might also know them as Starter, Growth, and Enterprise.
Despite the name change, the subscription structure remains virtually the same. Starter subscriptions best fit new and small bars and reduce upfront costs in favor of higher processing rates. The mid-tier is for mid-sized restaurants or those switching from another POS provider, and the Build Your Own tier is for larger businesses that need more customization.
Cost
Starter Kit
Point of Sale
Build Your Own
Monthly software fee
$0
$69
Custom-quoted
In-person payment processing fee
- 2.49% + 15 cents without hardware
- 3.09% + 15 cents with Pay-as-you-go hardware
Custom-quoted
Custom-quoted
In addition to these three subscription levels, Toast offers a software add-on bundle that hooks payroll and workforce management tools. Some of these functions include staff scheduling perks, restaurant-specific insurance, and employee benefits like the Toast Pay Card and 401(k) offerings. This combination of POS capabilities and administrative functions starts at $90 plus $9 per employee per month.
For comparison, many third-party human resources platforms, like Gusto and Paychex, start at around $40 plus $6 per employee per month, and these don’t include POS offerings or restaurant-specific guidance. This makes Toast’s offering a decent value for money if your budget allows.
Toast hardware starts from $799.20 for a handheld Toast Go 2 POS device to $1024 for a countertop POS station with a touchscreen, card reader, and router. New Starter Kit subscribers can invest in higher payment processing fees to get up to two POS stations for $0 upfront.
- Durable Hardware: Toast is built on Toast-designed hardware built to withstand the rigors of high-volume food and beverage service. Stationary POS devices are spill — and steam-resistant, while handheld devices are drop-tested and fit in an apron pocket (unlike an iPad).
- Versatile bar tabs: Toast users can pre-authorize bar tabs with a card swipe on stationary or mobile POS devices, adjust tab names, and use the pre-authorization for payment or partial payment. The tab management interface is user-friendly and incredibly simple to navigate.
- Advanced tip management: With Toast, you can automate detailed tip pooling and tip-out arrangements based on hours worked and schedule employee roles, reducing end-of-shift tip-out calculations and errors. The tip management tools also provide extreme transparency to your tipped staff. You can easily print out reports showing how tips are allocated (which the law requires in some locations).
- Pay-as-you-go options: Toast provides options for the smallest bars to get started with a POS system for no money down. You can get hardware for up to two POS stations for $0 and pay $0 in monthly software fees; all you pay are card processing fees.
SpotOn: Best for high-volume bars and stadium service
Overall Reviewer Score
4.56/5
Pricing
4.64/5
Hardware
4.79/5
Software Features
4.17/5
Support & Reliability
5/5
User Experience
5/5
Average User Review Scores
4.4/5
Pros
- No long-term service contract
- Low processing fees
- $0 software fees for small bars
Cons
- Inventory requires third-party integration
- Set up can take over a week
- No option for self-installation
Why I chose SpotOn
SpotOn has recently made its already excellent enterprise-level POS even more accessible for small bars and restaurants. Like Toast, SpotOn relies on industry-grade hardware with excellent connectivity for stationary and handheld POS devices. It includes even more refined mobile ordering tools that make its POS a terrific fit for bars in sports stadiums and event venues. The affordable processing rates make this system even more competitive, and its user reviews are some of the highest of the systems we scored for this ranking; only Lightspeed Restaurant scored higher, and only slightly (4.43 average user rating for Lightspeed versus SpotOn’s 4.40).
SpotOn, a POS provider with options for both restaurants and retailers, comes in right behind Toast on our ranking. It has focused primarily on multi-location restaurants and enterprise-level hospitality groups. While it might sound like a newcomer system for smaller bars, SpotOn has been around for some time. Like Toast, this highly customizable system operates on durable hardware designed to withstand the rigors of bar and restaurant use.
SpotOn currently offers its restaurant POS in four pricing tiers. None of them require a long-term contract; all SpotOn services are month-to-month except for equipment financing agreements. Users are locked into SpotOn for processing, but the fees listed are the lowest we’ve seen in a bar POS.
Cost
Quick-start
Counter-service
Full-service
Customize Your Own
Monthly software fee
$0
$99
$135
Custom-quoted
In-person payment processing fee
- 2.89% + 25 cents*
- 1.99% + 25 cents
- 1.99% + 25 cents
1.99% + 25 cents (custom rate quotes are available)
*Processing minimums may apply
These low credit card fees are perfect for high-volume businesses. For reference, the average levy is 2.6% or higher on every swipe. Other contenders on this list, like Toast, can charge over 3% on every transaction. In comparison, SpotOn’s higher tiers are undeniably a steal if you handle many bank cards.
In addition to software fees, SpotOn users must purchase SpotOn hardware. The POS devices range in price from $850 for a counter service station to $1,350 for a POS station and kitchen display system (KDS) bundle. You can purchase hardware upfront for a one-time fee or finance the purchase over several months.
- Low processing fees and no long-term contract: SpotOn publishes the lowest processing rates of all the systems we ranked. This can save high-volume or low-price point bars a lot of money in ongoing credit card processing fees. Unlike most cloud-based bar POS systems, SpotOn does not require a long-term service contract. If you decide the system doesn’t work for your bar, you can cancel your software service contract at any time with no additional penalties.
- Flexible hardware: SpotOn has the most flexible, customizable, and durable hardware of any of the bar POS systems we ranked. Users can choose from white or black colorways for a variety of countertop, handheld, and kiosk devices. Built-in customer-facing displays are available, as well as two options for handheld POS devices that support onsite or offsite mobile ordering and payments.
- Best-in-class team management: SpotOn includes a built-in add-on module for team management that includes detailed scheduling, labor cost management, tip pool management, and labor law compliance tools. This module also supports a staff-facing smartphone app that shows upcoming shifts and payroll information, saving your managers’ time and giving your staff the transparency they crave.
- SpotOn Connect: SpotOn Connect is a customer-facing Wi-Fi network that allows customers to connect with a dedicated Wi-Fi network by providing their email address and agreeing to receive emails from your bar. This email capture can grow the audience for promotions and upcoming events with amazing speed.
Square for Restaurants: Best for wine bars and breweries
Overall Reviewer Score
4.1/5
Pricing
4.64/5
Hardware
4.58/5
Software Features
3.33/5
Support & Reliability
3.33/5
User Experience
4.38/5
Average User Review Scores
4.33/5
Pros
- Free baseline POS subscription
- No long term contract
- Includes pay-as-you-go options for add-ons
Cons
- Pre-authorizations have some bugs to work out
- Inventory requires a third-party integration
- Reporting is not as robust as competitors
Why I chose Square for Restaurants
A forever-free bar POS with hundreds of integrations you can self-install on the hardware you already own is too good a deal to pass by. With the addition of pre-authorization functions, Square has made itself increasingly relevant to bar businesses. User reviews suggest there are still a few bugs to work out with the pre-authorization function, but a small-footprint bar operation like a wine bar or brewery can easily sidestep those issues. While Square for Restaurants may not yet be a contender for high-volume bars, we could see it easily getting there in the near future.
Square for Restaurants is a cloud POS that operates on iPads and Square-designed POS hardware. Like Toast and SpotOn, Square offers a free baseline POS software subscription. Unlike those competitors, users can self-install Square for Restaurants on hardware they already own and get started processing sales and payments for free. Square now boasts credit card pre-authorization functions, making this popular POS even more useful for bar businesses.
Square for Restaurants recently updated its pricing model but it still offers its free baseline subscription — that hasn’t changed. But Premium users now have a more detailed pricing model, with fees for additional POS stations and business locations.
Cost
Free
Plus
Premium
Monthly Software Fees
$0 for one countertop station
$69 for a single countertop POS station
+ $50 for additional countertop station+ $20 for additional mobile POS device
- $165 for a single countertop POS station
- + $50 for additional countertop station
- + Free for additional mobile POS device
Payment Processing fees
- Card-present: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online 2.9% + 30 cents
- Manually keyed: 3.5% + 15 cents
- Card-present: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online 2.9% + 30 cents
- Manually keyed: 3.5% + 15 cents
- Custom rates available for bars that process $250,000+ annually
- Card-present: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Online 2.9% + 30 cents
- Manually keyed: 3.5% + 15 cents
- Custom rates available for bars that process $250,000+ annually
Hardware for Square for Restaurants is some of the most affordable on this list. Users can get started for free if they use an iPad they already own. Alternatively, they can purchase hardware from the Square website for a tap and chip card reader at $49 to a full POS station with a cash drawer, iPad stand, receipt, and ticket printer at $1,350. Square also offers easy monthly payment options for larger hardware purchases.
- Free forever subscription: Small bars can use Square for Restaurants’ free subscription for a few months or several years; all you pay are processing fees on card and digital payments. There are no long-term contracts, so you can use Square as long as you like and either upgrade or cancel your subscription when your business requirements change.
- Pay-as-you-go business tools: Square is the system that first brought pay-as-you-go pricing to the food and beverage POS world. Square users can get text and email marketing tools, team management, payroll and other tools for incredibly low prices that are based on your actual usage. For example, Square’s email marketing tools start as low as $15 per month for up to 500 sends. In short, you’ll only pay for what you actually use.
- Hundreds of integrations: Square for Restaurants doesn’t have built-in ingredient-level inventory to help you track your bar’s usage and create vendor orders. But it does support integrations with nearly every third-party inventory app on the market — from YellowDog to MarketMan. Users will also find hundreds more integrations for scheduling apps, third-party ordering and delivery, and more. This way, you can keep your favorite apps and still use Square.
Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for inventory management
Overall Reviewer Score
3.92/5
Pricing
2.86/5
Hardware
3.54/5
Software Features
4.79/5
Support & Reliability
4.17/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.43/5
Pros
- Best in class, built-in inventory
- Operates on iPads
- Excellent Reporting
Cons
- No self installation option
- Hardware pricing requires custom quote
- Pricier than competitors
Why I chose Lightspeed
Since Lightspeed bought several competing restaurant POS systems in 2020, it has become an incredibly high-functioning bar and restaurant POS system. Insightful automation is increasingly useful when the new normal means training a full roster of workers who are new to the food and beverage industry. Users love this system, awarding the highest average score of any bar POS system on this list.
Lightspeed stands out for its advanced capabilities. Unlike Toast and Square, Lightspeed delivers rich analytics and artificial intelligence-powered functions, among other neat perks. For example, you can use the platform’s machine learning to develop a new, more profitable menu in seconds. This advanced power sets it apart from competitors.
Lightspeed Restaurant is an iPad POS built for food and beverage businesses. It features the speed and agility of the popular Lightspeed Retail POS, strengthened by insightful, automated ingredient-level inventory management tools. If inventory management is a must for your bar, Lightspeed Restaurant is your best choice. The only thing that kept this excellent POS from scoring higher is its cost; Lightspeed Restaurant is the highest-price system on this list.
Lightspeed Restaurant is available at three distinct subscription levels for bars of all sizes. Unlike Toast, SpotOn, and Square, Lightspeed does not offer a free baseline subscription.
| Cost | Starter | Essential | Premium | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Software Fees | $69 | $189 | $399 | Custom-quoted |
| Payment Processing Fees | In-person payments: 2.6% + 10 cents | Custom-quoted | ||
Lightspeed operates on iPads, with Lightspeed stands and peripheral hardware. You may be able to bring your own iPads, and the Lightspeed sales team can tell you what is compatible with your subscription level. Other Lightspeed hardware requires a custom price quote.
- Automated inventory management: Lightspeed Restaurant’s inventory management is one of the most user-friendly and insightful inventory tools we’ve seen in a restaurant POS. Plus, they are built right into the POS; no third-party integration is necessary. Lightspeed will track your usage levels in real-time and prompt you to reorder low stock. Comparing your actual usage to your theoretical usage in real-time can help you identify theft and overpours as soon as they happen.
- Advanced reporting: Lightspeed Restaurant’s reporting leverages POS data like customer payment information to build detailed customer profiles and reports. You can get a similar level of detail in staff productivity reporting to identify high performers and training opportunities to strengthen your team.
- Automated workflows: Lightspeed Restaurant users can set up automatic prompts for ID scans or for suggested add-on sales. If your bar struggles with high turnover or is frequently training new employees, this automation can increase your sales and reduce the risk of accidentally serving underage customers.
Oracle Micros Simphony: Best for flexible payments
Overall Reviewer Score
3.81/5
Pricing
4.06/5
Hardware
3.51/5
Software Features
2.78/5
Support & Reliability
4.58/5
User Experience
3.75/5
Average User Review Scores
4.20/5
Pros
- Best available speed screens
- Integrates with multiple payment processors
- Oracle Payments does not require a long term contract
Cons
- May be more machine than small bars need
- Inventory requires third-party integration
- No free baseline software subscription
Why I chose Oracle Micros Simphony
The Micros brand has supported bar and restaurant businesses for over 50 years. They know the food and beverage industry and have grown along with it. Micros has developed many solutions to bar and restaurant pain points. To get the best deal on a Micros Simphony POS, you should get a custom quote to ensure that you are getting the best deal.
Oracle’s Micros Simphony cloud POS is the cloud extension of the legacy Micros POS that has served the restaurant industry since the 1970s. Micros Simphony is popular with enterprise businesses like Outback Steakhouse down to mom and pop bars.
In addition to a history of supporting food and beverage businesses, Micros Simphony is the only system on this list (and one of few on the market) that integrates with multiple payment processors. Micros users have the option to use the built in payment processor, Oracle Payments, but are not required to.
Micros Simphony is available at three major subscription tiers. Unlike competitors Toast, SpotOn, and Square, however, Micros does not offer a free baseline subscription.
| Cost | Essentials | Plus | Single Tenant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly software fees | $55 | $75 | Custom-quoted |
| Payment processing rate | • Card present: 2.45% (3.10% for Amex) + $0.15 • Card not present: 2.99% (3.10% for Amex) + $0.18 ($0.15 for Amex) | $0.06 to $0.10 per transaction | |
Most Micros hardware requires a custom quote. For restaurants switching from a different POS provider, you can get some Micros Simphony hardware for as low as $1. You’ll need to contact a Micros sales representative for detailed information.
- High-volume cash management: Micros Simphony has the most detailed cash management features of any of the bar POS systems we scored. Users can track high cash amounts and prompt mid-shift cash drops to reduce the risk of theft. Cash counts are digitized so you can reference them for reporting. You can track detailed paid and paid-out transactions and petty cash directly from the POS, all searchable via detailed reporting.
- Rugged hardware: Micros Simphony’s hardware is not all the most streamlined-looking — though the newer Worktstation 8 collection is sleek — but it is incredibly durable. Users have options for stationary and handheld POS devices, KDS screens, and kiosks. New users who switch from another POS provider can get hardware for as low as $1 per station.
- Built-in Oracle payments: Micros Simphony users can rely on the built-in Oracle Payments for reasonable processing rates. Oracle Payments does not require long-term contracts, and the system integrates with many other payment processors. If you decide Oracle Payments is not for you, you can shop for lower rates with other processors.
Key features of a bar POS system
Whether they serve beer and wine only or a full complement of spirits, bars have unique needs in the food and beverage industry. Bars need to comply with restrictive state, federal, and local liquor control and labor laws while also managing a controlled product that is prone to theft. The best bar POS systems include tools to help with all of these challenges. A strong bar POS should have most of these features:
- Credit card pre-authorizations: Bars must be able to pre-authorize credit credit cards quickly and easily to avoid customers forgetting to close out. This also helps avoid the liability that arises from holding onto customers’ physical credit cards behind the bar.
- Inventory management: Real-time, ingredient-level inventory tools supported by detailed physical counting tools are critical to reducing theft and identifying overpours. The best systems will prompt you for suggested re-orders so you always have your best-selling spirits on hand.
- Employee management: Employee-level shift reporting is the minimum requirement for sales and tip tracking. But many bar POS systems include everything from productivity reporting to scheduling tools with an employee-facing app, which can save managers a ton of time writing and managing schedules.
- Speed ordering screens: The ability to ring in and pay tabs from a single screen keeps bars running smoothly. Every button press that you can remove from the POS ordering and payment process means more time making and selling drinks.
- Table management: Not every bar needs table mapping in a POS, but if you serve customers at tables, this is nice to have to keep your orders organized.
- Robust hardware: Bar POS hardware can take a beating. Bars are busy businesses that deal with a lot of liquids, from water to wash glassware to glass bottles full of spirits. A bar POS can’t fail if a little water gets splashed on the screen or a customer drops the POS terminal when closing out their tab.
- Handheld devices: Handheld devices save time tableside and also keep your bar EMV-compliant (which can help you reduce the costs associated with chargebacks). Increasingly, handheld POS devices are becoming a critical part of running a profitable bar.
- Marketing tools: Most bars have happy hours, live music, or seasonal events. Your bar POS should make it easy to create eye-catching email or text marketing messages to draw crowds to your bar.
- Scalability: Profitable bar businesses can easily grow to larger operations or multiple locations. Your bar POS should include the reporting and management tools you need as your business grows.
Depending on your bar style, you may also need food-supporting tools like menu management and online ordering. All of the systems on our list include strong tools in these categories. You can also check out our guide to the best restaurant POS systems to explore more options.
Finding the right bar POS for your business
No matter your budget or bar type, there is a bar POS system that can help you manage and grow your business. Most bar POS systems currently offer a free baseline subscription to support the smallest bars up to automated reporting and inventory tools for high-volume or multi-location bars. To find the best POS for your bar, look for a system that you can afford and that has the tools you’ll need as your business grows.
FAQs
