Toast POS Review and Pricing

Why We Chose Toast for Online Restaurant Ordering

Toast is a flexible POS system that can accommodate restaurants, bakeries and cafes of various types and growth profiles, whether they’re casual eateries or fine dining establishments. Restaurant personnel can use Toast to accept payments, manage front- and back-of-house operations, and enable online ordering. It’s also an excellent bar POS system with many built-in features that bar owners will appreciate. For example, its QR-code bar service prevents employees from starting an order before receiving customer payment — a significant advantage in crowded environments where it’s easy to lose track of customers. 

We were impressed by Toast’s broad selection of restaurant-specific hardware and helpful software add-ons, including loyalty programs and the Order & Pay feature, which allows in-person diners to place orders from their mobile devices. Not all restaurant POS systems have this breadth of features.

Where Toast truly shines, though, is online ordering. Guests can easily order and schedule meals online, save orders, preorder meals and use express checkout for a seamless experience. We were particularly impressed that Toast’s online ordering system is completely integrated with its POS software and that restaurants can throttle orders when necessary with a “snooze” feature. For these reasons, we chose Toast as the top restaurant POS system for online ordering.

Toast allows customers to specify modifications and add notes to online orders. Source: Toast

Ease of Use

Toast’s POS system is intuitive and easy to use, which is one reason over 112,000 restaurants across the country use the platform. Here are some of the features we think are especially notable about the platform’s ease of use: 

• Simplified hardware options: We like that Toast offers various hardware options to simplify the server and customer experience. For example, servers can easily take orders, collect payments and request guest feedback using Toast’s in-restaurant tablets. Toast’s mobile functionality speeds up the ordering process and improves the customer experience.
• Easy customization options: Customization options are also straightforward. Once you subscribe, you’ll be provided with ways to use your menus more efficiently, including templates, modifiers and the ability to turn off options if you’ve run out of something. The “quick edit” mode doesn’t require a password, allowing staff to make changes quickly.  
• Training resources: Compared with most other POS systems, Toast provides ample training materials and tutorials to make life easier for everyone using the platform. If you can’t find answers in the training materials, you can refer to Toast’s online database of information and troubleshooting tips.
• Multiple viewing options: Toast’s sleek user interface offers different viewing options, adding to the platform’s ease of use.
  • Open View allows users to quickly scroll left and right through food items and modifications. This view works particularly well for quick-service establishments, where speed in selecting high-level menu items is key. 
  • Focus View is the classic order screen layout where users scroll up and down. It’s used primarily by full-service restaurants. 
  • Table View has color coding for course firing, which helps servers turn tables quickly.

Toast’s Open View option is ideal for eateries with multiple modifiers and customizable menu items. Source: Toast 

Toast Features        

Toast’s all-in-one POS system provides everything you need to run your restaurant. You can access restaurant-grade hardware, such as handheld devices and self-serve kiosks. Because Toast is a cloud-based POS system, you can manage your restaurant from any device or location. 

Here are some notable POS features Toast offers.

Online Ordering

Toast’s online ordering functionality impressed us with its convenience for guests and seamless experience for restauranteurs. Here are some of the online ordering features we appreciated: 

• Easy ordering for customers: Customers can easily place new orders on your website or through the Toast TakeOut mobile app. You can opt to autofire those orders directly to the kitchen to eliminate the risk of errors or double entries. Customers can also preorder meals, thus helping you manage orders during peak dining hours. Customers can choose from multiple order fulfillment options.
• Saved customer data: Customers can save their order information online, which helps to foster repeat business and customer loyalty. Additionally, the express-checkout option saves names, contact information, delivery preferences and more for seamless future checkouts. Restaurants can set SMS alerts to go out to customers upon order fulfillment so they know their order status.
• Easy menu management: All menu changes and updates are automatically reflected in available online ordering options, eliminating confusion. Additionally, online menus can be customized to account for product availability.
• Online-order pausing: Toast gives restaurants the ability to pause online orders so the kitchen doesn’t get overwhelmed.
• Restaurant features: Restaurants can customize the online ordering interface with their branding. Additionally, restaurants with multiple locations can include a feature that ensures that customers order from the correct location. 

Best of all, unlike some other vendors, Toast doesn’t charge commissions or hidden POS charges and fees for online ordering. You’ll pay a flat monthly rate for the service.

Toast makes online ordering easy for customers. Source: Toast

Toast Websites

We really like the Toast Websites option, which is an easy way for restaurants to add a search-engine-optimized webpage to their domain. When you take advantage of the Toast Websites module, you can incorporate all Toast functions in one place. Reservations; online ordering; loyalty information; marketing tools, like a newsletter; and a digital menu are all available to your customers online. You won’t have to hire web developers or learn how to incorporate these functions. 

Toast Websites’ plug-and-play nature makes it quick and easy to produce a professional, clean-looking site that syncs seamlessly with your POS system. 

The Toast Websites product goes beyond online ordering to include functions such as reservations, loyalty tools and marketing. Source: Toast

Delivery Services

We like how Toast handles its delivery service. While delivery benefits customers, many restaurants don’t want to hire delivery drivers or deal with unreliable delivery partners. Instead of employing your own delivery drivers, you can rely on Toast Delivery Services to dispatch DoorDash drivers to fulfill online orders. You can adjust minimum ticket requirements for delivery and set up your fee structure so guests take on a portion of delivery costs. 

Order & Pay

We were impressed by the Toast Order & Pay feature, which enhances Toast’s online usability. This add-on service allows customers who prefer in-person dining to use a QR code to place new orders and pay for their food on their mobile devices while inside the restaurant. Restaurants can print stickers or table tents to display these codes. Customers can access the menu, modify orders and pay for their meals from their phones while seated at their table.

Toast Order & Pay helps restaurants operate more efficiently by minimizing the back-and-forth between guests and staff. Also, guests don’t have to wait for a server to deliver their menu or the check, thereby speeding up table turnover. 

Customer-driven, in-store ordering via QR code is made easier with printable table cards from Toast. Source: Toast

Hardware

Toast’s available hardware is relatively standard for the industry but delivers what restaurants need. 

• Toast Flex: The Toast Flex POS hardware is a flexible solution for host stands, kitchen displays and server stations. Adding the Toast Flex for Guest customer-facing module makes it easy for guests to pay.
• Toast Go: The Toast Go handheld device is designed to mimic the order experience of a traditional POS system. It has a strap for easy carrying and allows for quick table-side service.
• Kiosks: Toast kiosks allow customers to send orders directly to the kitchen.
• Toast Flex for Kitchen: This kitchen display system integrates with the POS system and allows kitchen staff to customize ticket views. They can be color-coded by time elapsed and separated by course, with visible countdowns for fired items.

At 22 inches, Toast’s largest kitchen display system presents a customizable array of ticket items for kitchen employees. Source: Toast

Customized Tipping

We like that Toast provides customized tipping options, including suggested tipping amounts. Tips can be automatically calculated, and payouts can be distributed evenly across restaurant staff.

Order with Google

Toast’s Google partnership allows restaurants to tap an additional ordering channel. Customers can search for restaurants, find your eatery, and place and pay for an order with you without leaving Google. This integration gives Toast a more extensive online presence and greater control over ordering channels. 

Loyalty Programs

We like that you can use Toast to boost engagement, drive long-term customer loyalty and earn repeat business. The system’s flexible customer loyalty program, which integrates directly with your POS system, allows customers to earn points every time they swipe their credit cards at your restaurant or pay you online. You can also customize how customers earn and redeem their points. For example, you can offer birthday rewards and sign-up bonuses. 

Customers can use the Toast Takeout and Delivery app (available on Android and iOS) to track their progress toward a reward. Restaurants don’t need additional hardware to implement this loyalty program; Toast charges a flat monthly fee for the loyalty service, similar to other POS vendors we reviewed. Charges for gift cards are separate, but they’re also billed at a set amount.

Integrations

We like Toast’s ability to integrate with numerous third-party applications, including the most widely used restaurant software. This integration level is competitive with the industry standard and useful for streamlining business processes. 

Reports

Toast’s detailed POS reports add to its usability, giving insight into your restaurant’s sales and costs, including how these numbers have increased or decreased over time. This can help you find ways to make adjustments and increase your restaurant’s profits.

We were really struck by the detail in Toast’s reporting capabilities. With reports like Toast’s sales summary, restaurant owners can see sales trends according to the day of the week or time of day. They can also customize revenue summaries by date range or course for multiple locations.

Sales breakdowns give insight into dining options, service areas and discounts. Operators can view a menu breakdown of quantities of items and modifications, alongside frequent discounts and refunds. This information is invaluable for staff who are making menu changes and ordering decisions. This information can be broken down by location or dining option. We also like Toast’s xtraCHEF inventory management feature, which breaks down all items by ingredient or recipe and ensures you always have enough of your products on hand.

Toast allows restaurants to run sales summaries in real time, along with menu and data reports. Source: Toast

Toast Pricing 

When it comes to POS system costs, we like that regardless of your restaurant’s size or type, Toast offers flexible, customizable POS packages. There’s a monthly software subscription, optional hardware costs, and add-on features to select. 

We really appreciate Toast’s free Starter Kit plan — something few competitors offer. The company also offers a Point of Sale plan (which starts at $69 per month) and a Build Your Own plan (where pricing is based on the services you need). We also like that each plan comes with installations and network configurations, as well as automatic software and feature upgrades.

Companies can see additional savings by bundling Toast Payroll and POS for $69 a month, plus $9 per employee per month — a great option if you’re just starting a restaurant.

The following features and services will benefit most restaurants, but they cost extra:

• Order & Pay 
• Additional hardware
• Payroll and team management
• Scheduling and team communication
• Marketing, gift cards and loyalty features
• Delivery services
• Partner integrations
• Digital storefront suite
• Supplier bookkeeping and accounting

When testing Toast’s POS system, we noticed it handles credit card processing internally, so you can’t partner with a third-party payment processor. Toast will work with your restaurant to establish a payment processing rate that fits your needs.

Implementation/Onboarding

We like that Toast provides a dedicated onboarding consultant to help you get up and running. Several ​​”customer onboarding journey” guides are also available online. A “kickoff call” with your consultant is one of the first steps. Toast says the onboarding process — a combination of a guided self-onboarding system and advice from your consultant — takes about 14 days. We like that the consultant verifies your hardware needs before shipping your equipment and reviews your website for readiness so there are no surprises. 

Customer Support

We appreciate that each Toast plan includes 24/7 phone support, making it perfect for restaurants that operate at different times. This is fairly common in the POS industry, and for good reason — many restaurants are open late and may often need assistance outside of regular business hours. There’s also chat and email support and a robust Toast Community, where you can get online help from industry peers. 

Other online support resources include the Toast Central knowledge base, Toast Classroom training resources, helpful Toast blogs and more.

Limitations

Toast has much to offer restaurants, but we identified a few limitations during our evaluation. 

• Toast isn’t compatible with third-party payment processors. Because Toast processes payments for you, it is not compatible with third-party payment processors. This can be a benefit because it eliminates the need to shop around for one of the best credit card processors for your needs. If you’re looking for a restaurant POS that allows third-party payment processing, check out our review of Epos Now.
• Toast has hardware limitations. Toast has some additional hardware costs and is compatible only with Android devices. (Check out our review of TouchBistro if you’re looking for an iPad-specific POS system for your restaurant.) Additionally, although Toast is compatible with select third-party hardware, the company strongly recommends using its hardware. This could quickly become expensive if you must replace existing POS hardware. 

Methodology

We researched and analyzed dozens of highly rated solutions to identify the best POS systems on the market, with a special focus on maintaining and growing revenue. We looked at pricing, contracts, hardware, platform compatibility, features, reports, payment processing, integrations, usability and customer support. We watched product videos and got hands-on experience with demos when possible. When choosing the best POS system for online ordering, we prioritized restaurant-specific features, online ordering features, integrations, delivery options and loyalty programs.

Bottom Line

We recommend Toast for …

• Restaurants that need a POS system with online ordering and delivery capabilities.
• Restaurants that want to provide an in-store, guest-driven dining experience with QR codes.
• Restaurants that want to increase and maintain customer loyalty.

We don’t recommend Toast for …

• Restaurants that want to use a third-party payment processor.
• Restaurants that want to use third-party hardware.

Elizabeth Crumbly contributed to this review.