The right POS lets waiters enter orders quickly, the kitchen see them instantly, the till close bills without mistakes and the owner see the day in one report. When choosing, look at installation and hardware, the order–kitchen–till flow, bill splitting, user permissions, reports and total cost.
What does restaurant POS software do?
POS software records every order and payment at a table, from opening to closing. Modern systems offer it as part of a restaurant management system: floor plan, waiter ordering, kitchen display, till and reports share the same data.
10 criteria for choosing
- 1
Installation and updates
Installed software needs maintenance and updates; web-based systems open in the browser and update themselves. If you do not want to wait for an engineer, prefer web-based solutions.
- 2
Hardware
Dedicated handhelds and POS terminals raise the upfront cost. A system that runs on staff phones or a standard tablet lowers it and makes replacing a broken device easy.
- 3
Speed of order entry
How many taps does an order take at peak time? Categories, portion options, quantity and notes should be on one screen. Simulate a service with your real menu during the trial.
- 4
Kitchen communication
Do orders reach the kitchen on a printer or a screen? We compare both in kitchen display vs kitchen printer.
- 5
Bill splitting
Groups want to pay for their own items. Check splitting by item, entering a custom amount and how discounts are applied to split payments.
- 6
Roles and permissions
Should waiters give discounts? Who may reverse a payment? Who sees revenue? Role-based permissions reduce both mistakes and misuse.
- 7
Corrections that leave a trace
Cancelled items and reversed payments should not be deleted but shown in the report. That is where “why doesn't the till balance?” gets answered.
- 8
Reports
Daily revenue, split by payment method, hourly activity, item sales and takings per staff member are the essentials.
- 9
Menu and QR menu integration
If the POS item list and the guest menu live in separate systems, prices are updated twice. A QR menu that uses the same menu removes the double work.
- 10
Total cost
Add up licence, hardware, installation, maintenance and per-user fees. Fixed yearly plans keep the budget predictable.
Remember fiscal obligations
POS software tracks orders and payments inside the business. Fiscal documents required for sales, such as receipts from a registered cash register or e-invoices, are separate obligations in many countries. Ask whether the software issues them; if not, plan with your accountant how it will work alongside your existing register.
Trial checklist
- Enter 20 items from your menu and simulate a full service: open a table, order, prepare in the kitchen, split the bill, close.
- Sign in with a waiter role and check what it cannot see.
- Cancel an item and reverse a payment; see how they appear in the report.
- Read the kitchen screen from the actual distance in your kitchen.
- Test the speed on mobile data, without Wi-Fi.
Frequently asked questions
Is web-based POS software secure?
Check that the connection is encrypted (HTTPS), that every user signs in with their own account and that permissions are split by role. In CG Menu every connection is encrypted and each team member has their own login.
Does a small café need POS software?
A small counter-service café may only need a QR menu. If you serve at the table and lose time splitting bills, POS software pays for itself quickly.