The Best POS Systems for Coffee Shops

The right point-of-sale (POS) system can help you manage every aspect of your coffee shop. A POS system makes tracking customer orders and managing payments easier in a coffee shop’s fast-paced environment. It can help you monitor inventory levels and identify which beverages and food items are most popular with customers.

However, with numerous options on the market, finding the best POS system for your business can be challenging. We’ve evaluated dozens of POS solutions to determine the five best platforms for coffee shops specifically. We evaluated POS system costs, ease of use, and features that facilitate ordering, menu management, inventory control, loyalty programs and more to determine the best POS systems for coffee shops.

A point-of-sale (POS) system is a combination of hardware and software designed to streamline sales and payment processing. Businesses of all sizes, from small coffee shops to large restaurant chains, utilize POS systems to enhance their operations.

The hardware components of a POS system can vary depending on business needs, but typically include a cash drawer, credit card reader, receipt printer and barcode scanner. More advanced systems may also feature customer-facing displays and other specialized equipment.

The software component of a POS system is equally important. It handles tasks such as checkout, payment processing, order management, inventory management, employee time tracking and customer loyalty programs.

A point-of-sale (POS) system works through a combination of hardware and software, which can be configured in a variety of ways based on the needs of the business.

Commonly, coffee shop POS system hardware includes a tablet or monitor that staff can use to place customers’ orders, and which can also be offered to customers to add a tip when paying. Most systems include receipt printers as well, with the option of adding an order number for customers to use when claiming their order. These systems may also include mobile credit card readers for accepting debit and credit card transactions and a cash drawer for storing cash and making change.

The POS software automatically tracks sales data, identifies popular items and recommends menu adjustments accordingly. Additionally, these systems help manage inventory levels, reducing waste and controlling costs. Employee management is simplified through features like time tracking and payroll calculation.

Implementing a POS system offers numerous benefits for coffee shops, including increased efficiency, accurate sales tracking, optimized inventory management, improved employee management and the ability to implement customer loyalty programs. By leveraging the data and insights provided by a POS system, coffee shop owners can also make better informed decisions to drive their business’s success.

Create a better customer experience

POS systems come with many features, like customer loyalty programs, gift cards and online ordering tools, that improve the customer experience.Additionally, they help you process payments quickly via debit or credit card, giving customers easy, familiar payment options other than cash. In addition to accepting debit and credit card payments in-store, you can offer in-app purchases or let customers pay via a QR code or mobile wallet.

Manage your inventory

Manually tracking inventory is tedious and error-prone. A POS system will keep track of your coffee shop’s inventory and ensure you always have the necessary items on hand. Most systems also send alerts and notifications when a particular ingredient or item is low in stock and may need reordering.

Boost operational efficiency

A POS system automates some key functions, like inventory management. It can also share data with other important business software, like your accounting software, eliminating the need for time-consuming data entry and reducing the likelihood of errors in your records. Features like these boost efficiency and productivity, helping you accomplish more with fewer resources.

Increase payment security

Most POS systems come with double user authentication, which reduces credit card fraud and the likelihood of your system getting hacked. As the administrator, you can grant or block access to specific users. These features ensure your data is secure at all times.

When you invest in a POS system, you must pay for the platform’s software and the hardware you need for operations. The software costs are usually paid monthly, though some companies offer a discount for annual payments. Depending on the features you need, a free plan may be suitable or you may expect to pay up to $200 per month for POS software.

POS hardware costs are usually a one-time fee; precise costs will vary depending on the types and quantity of devices you need. For example, some businesses may be able to get by with a card reader and tablet, while others may need self-service kiosks and kitchen displays.

You must also pay ongoing credit card processing fees that will vary depending on your payment processor. When evaluating different POS systems, ask about additional charges like activation fees, installation fees and user licenses.

The right POS system will improve your coffee shop’s functionality and make it easier to grow and scale your business. Take the following steps to choose the right POS system for your coffee shop.

1. Determine your coffee shop’s specific needs.

Start by determining the features you need in a POS system. For example, are you looking for an affordable POS system like Square that offers a free plan? Do you need something more comprehensive that provides inventory and menu management features? Understanding your priorities will make it easier to find the right POS system.

It is important to “find a POS that fits like a glove with our specific needs,” said Amy Jam, the co-owner of California-based shop Bread Bros. “This means having impressive inventory management to keep track of all our ingredients, sales tracking… and easy integration with our online ordering systems.”

2. Research the best POS systems for coffee shops.

Start by researching available products and narrowing them down to the most promising solutions. You can use online guides to compare various vendors and match their offerings to your needs. You can also read through user reviews and customer comments on third-party review sites and the Better Business Bureau’s website.

“To me, the right POS has to be super intuitive,” Jam added. “Nobody wants to fumble through screens when there’s a line out the door.”

It’s helpful to find direct side-by-side comparisons to help you understand how various POS systems stack up. For example, our Clover vs. Toast comparison weighs these vendors’ features and pricing.

3. Register for demos and free trials.

Reach out to each company you’re considering and ask for a product demo. If the company offers a free trial, you can sign up and test the software before investing.

Julie King, the founder of Villa Mexico Cafe, emphasized the importance of asking hard questions of company representatives during this process.

“Ask providers what they bring to the table,” she said. “Do you really need all the bells and whistles they’re trying to upsell you on? Most likely not, but they do need your business, so get a good deal.”

4. Get multiple POS system quotes and compare them.

Finally, obtain quotes from multiple vendors and compare your options. Compare and contrast what each package includes and which product gives you the most bang for your buck. Jay Owen, CEO of Business Builders, advises owners to think about their future needs as well.

““If growth and scale are priorities, invest in a system with powerful features, even if [it] costs more,” he said.

Anyone who runs a coffee shop needs a reliable way to accept payments and track sales. But the best POS systems do much more than that. Pay close attention to the following features when seeking a coffee shop POS system.

Online Ordering

Online ordering features provide convenience for everyone. It helps your coffee shop operate more efficiently and generates a better customer experience. Customers can place an order online or through an app and pick up the items in the store. If you operate a larger coffee shop, you can also consider offering third-party delivery options.

Menu Management

When customers visit your coffee shop, they’ll want to customize their order. When ordering, they should easily be able to add an extra shot, dairy-free milk, an additional pump of vanilla or any other modifier they choose. It should be easy to modify these orders online and in the store.

Loyalty Programs

Building a customer loyalty program is a great idea for enhancing customer satisfaction. Customers can earn rewards like free drinks or food items, and you can collect data about their buying habits. Check whether loyalty programs are included with your POS system subscription or if you have to pay extra for this feature.

Inventory Management

Coffee shops need a way to manage their inventory levels and ensure they always have the items they need in stock. The right POS system will track your inventory and alert you when specific items are running low. Some systems may even automatically re-order these items for you.

If none of our recommendations work for you, here are some additional options.

Lightspeed

Lightspeed offers a range of industry-specific POS plans, with their restaurant and cafe options being particularly impressive. Even the lower-tier plans include essential features like payment processing, online selling, and robust inventory management. One of Lightspeed’s standout features is its customizable interface, allowing you to create a personalized home dashboard and choose from various mobile-responsive templates. This ensures that the POS system aligns with your brand and preferences.

Read our Lightspeed POS review to learn more.

Lavu

Lavu is a powerful iPad-based POS system that offers over 200 customizable features, making it ideal for cafes and coffee shops of all sizes. Its extensive range of add-on features and services allows businesses to tailor the system to their specific needs. With nearly 15 in-house integrations, Lavu stands out from competitors in terms of flexibility and customization. You can also integrate the software with various third-party apps to further personalize your POS solution.

Revel

Revel’s iPad-based POS system is designed specifically for food and beverage businesses and offers exceptional customer loyalty capabilities. You can easily capture customer information through the POS software, create tailored loyalty programs, and define how customers earn points. Revel’s in-house loyalty reward card program provides flexibility for building your own program or integrating with popular third-party loyalty platforms. With its extensive range of loyalty options, Revel sets itself apart from other POS systems, offering businesses a powerful tool to retain and reward their customers.

To determine the best POS systems for coffee shops, our team of sales experts and software analysts evaluated an initial list of 67 platforms. As this number suggests, we cast a wide net, looking not only at popular, well-known POS services but also at lesser-known platforms and up-and-coming vendors that might appeal to established coffee and cafe chains.

To narrow our list, our experts and analysts studied each solution’s functionality and judged the products on nearly 50 factors. These included the availability of coffee shop-specific features, payment options, credit card processing rates, usability, scalability, customer support resources and more.

Based on that research, we selected 10 POS systems to review more closely by conducting in-depth investigations that included participating in vendor demos, conducting hands-on testing and scouring real customer testimonials to gauge how their user experiences measured up to ours. Ultimately, we chose five POS programs as our top recommendations.

The main factors highlighted below were weighted differently in our overall conclusion. The weights were determined based on how much business owners prioritize these criteria when shopping for business software and services and making purchasing decisions.

• Pricing (30%): Our experts and analysts compared and contrasted each vendor’s plans, judging which packages offered the best bang for your buck. They took into account monthly subscription fees, credit card processing rates, hardware costs and whether there were industry-specific pricing plans.
• Features (25%): We looked for standard POS system functions like in-store, mobile and online payment processing, inventory management, customer management and loyalty programs. We also assessed the available integrations and awarded extra points for advanced services, like AI-powered stock monitoring and price control.
• Ease of Use (25%): We tested the hardware and software ourselves, gauging each solution’s learning curve, user-friendliness and customization options. We also considered whether there were e-commerce capabilities and a fully featured mobile app for managing sales and marketing tasks on the go.
• Customer Service (20%): We evaluated the range of customer service options, including whether phone assistance was provided with all package tiers. We also examined each vendor’s online resources for businesses interested in self-guided help.

Based on these criteria, we not only determined which coffee shop POS systems our readers could trust but also the ways in which each solution could best serve different business needs. Some solutions were better at certain tasks than others or more suited to a particular type of company. These takeaways informed the “Best for” use cases you see on this page.

To learn more about our methodology, see our full editorial process.