Best Kiosk POS Systems
One of the best ways to streamline customer transactions is by incorporating a top-of-the-line Kiosk POS system into your establishment.
We'll review the 5 best brands that will increase the productivity of your employees, as well as keep your customers happy.
Continue reading to learn more!
Comparison Table
Best Features | Cost | Processing Fees | Support | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Industry-specific hardware, customizable menu system, Order & Pay System | $69 per month starting | Varied for different payment processors | 24/7 365 support | |
Room-charge payment options, customizable tip distribution, reservation module | $39 per month starting | 2.6% + 30 cents per transaction | 24-Hour Weekday Support | |
Cloud-based data synch, massive inventory management system, real-time sales tracking | Based on Specific Quotes | 1.75% + $0.10 | 24/7 365 support | |
Customizable promotions, full-fledged reporting and analytics, online store | $9 per month starting | 2.9% + $0.30 for online transactions and 2.7% for in-person transactions | 24/7 365 support | |
All-in-one sales management tool, versatile mobile application, built-in accounting tools | $89 per month starting | 2.5% + $0.30 for keyed-in transactions | 24/7 365 support |
Top 5 Kiosk POS Systems
#1 Toast
Toast is another wonderful self-service kiosk POS system that is 100% customizable. If you run a restaurant, bar, coffee shop, or anything of the like, it is highly recommended.
Beyond the self-service kiosk functions present in this restaurant POS system, the software is completely cloud-based. It runs on the Android operating system, which makes it a bit more versatile compared to iOS exclusive competitors.
There are plenty of functions to love, including team management, inventory management, reporting, analytics, and online ordering. It is pretty rare to find all of these features wrapped up in one POS system, especially at a mid-range price, which is one of the reasons we love Toast so much.
Toast comes with an intuitive touchscreen system, allowing patrons to easily browse the menu, place their orders, and pay without ever coming into contact with an employee. It is the perfect solution for Covid-19 contactless ordering. This is among the reasons that we rate it as the best POS system for kiosks.
You can easily customize photos, product descriptions, and menu categories, as well as integrate scanners to process RTE and RTD items. All orders get sent directly to your kitchen display systems and kitchen printers if you have them. The system will even send out a text to the customer when the order is ready to go.
Toast has developed a unique QR-code based system, giving guests the ability to use their smartphones to make orders and pay for their meals. You can add the Order & Pay feature to Toast for an additional $69 per month and $0.5% per transaction. Again, this feature is highly worth the extra cost if you are looking for Covid-19 contactless payment solutions.
One aspect to note is that the installation fee for Toast is quite hefty. Toast also does not allow you to use a third-party payment processing system, which can be a bit of a drag if you have already found a payment system that you really enjoy. On the other hand, if you are overwhelmed with the payment processing choices, using Toast's payment processing might be an easier solution.
The bottom line is that Toast packs in just about every necessary feature you could want. Plus, you can add over 70 third-party integrations for delivery and team management if it ever it comes time to take your business to the next level.
Learn more at Toast POS Reviews.
#2 Lightspeed
Lightspeed is an iPad POS system which differentiates it from the others on our list.
The system comes with completely comprehensive front-end and back-end features, all of which are necessary for a professional kiosk solution.
One of the cool things about Lightspeed that separates it from its competitors is the fact that it comes with hotel property management integration. The point is that it works well with various business types, from quick service to member-based venues.
Lightspeed has robust inventory features and a quality reporting platform. Some of the more unique features of the Lightspeed system include the customizable tip distribution feature and the inbuilt reservation module. Lightspeed comes with a handy self-order menu, which supports payments with credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets.
The Self-Order menu, similar to the other kiosks on our list, utilize a user-friendly touchscreen design. There are two modes available on this POS kiosk, including Kiosk mode and Table Mode. With Kiosk mode, customers can place orders and pay with their cards or mobile wallets at a kiosk in your establishment. They will receive a text message on their mobile device when their order is ready to go.
With Table Mode, you can set up a tablet, such as an iPad POS, at each table. This way, your tablets are associated with particular customers, allowing your service staff to assist guests with placing and paying for an order when they are done with their meal.
It is worth noting that Lightspeed has wonderful retail POS software as well. It is the ideal choice for restaurants that venture a bit outside the lines of a standard full-service or quick-service restaurant. It is the only POS system on this particular list that enables customers to pay with room charges, which is a necessary feature for hotel property management.
On the downside, Lightspeed does not support any form of delivery management or online ordering. You must utilize a third-party function to get access to these kinds of functions. Another downside is that the Self-Order menu does not have any filters for dietary restrictions, which can be difficult if you get a lot of customers who are vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.
Overall, Lightspeed POS is a very reliable and responsive system. It fills in the cracks that many POS systems leave open, especially when it comes to self-service.
#3 ShopKeep
ShopKeep is one of the best choices for those who want to invest in a system that is both reliable and accessible. And your employees will absolutely love how intuitive the POS software is.
For starters, the interface is sleek and very easy to navigate. If you run a restaurant or coffee shop, for example, which has quick employee turnover, not having to go through the process of walking new employees through the POS system step-by-step can be nice.
That said, the software does not skimp out on high-quality features. There are plenty of business tools for you to take advantage of when you use this point of sale system.
ShopKeep is a cloud-based app, meaning it stays connected to the Internet. If you ever have issues with your POS hardware, you won't have to worry about losing any of your valuable data. If the internet goes out, the data will be cached. Even without a stable Internet connection, you can continue running your business.
One unique feature on the ShopKeep POS system is the user permissions. You can give each of your staff members custom user permissions. You may want to provide your manager with managerial permissions, including payouts, gift cards, discounts, and more.
ShopKeep is renowned for its customer service. If you have any problems that arise during the business day, you can shoot Shopkeep a line. They work around the clock, 365 days throughout the year. Any issues that you have will be fixed in no time.
Of course, no system on the market is perfect. One of the downsides of ShopKeep is that the application likes to update automatically. This can be inconvenient at certain times.
If you run a small business, we highly recommend using Shopkeep over all of our other choices!
Visit ShopKeep POS Reviews to learn more.
Nova POS comes in a close second with ShopKeep. It comes with plenty of cool features to increase productivity for kiosks in just about every industry.
The Nova interface is both simple and easy to use, providing owners and employees with all of the necessary information to optimize restaurant operations.
Some of these efficient features include inventory and sales management. They even provide access to helpful loyalty programs to increase customer experience.
One of the highlights of the Nova POS system is the sales management system. You can easily track your employee productivity, checking in on your staff, and seeing how they are integrating themselves in the business.
The "spare" system encourages employees to upsell items too. We love the competition features as well, which allow for weekly or monthly sales contests to see which employee can sell the most items.
If you're working in a fairly limited space, having a solid inventory management system is crucial. The inventory management system on Nova POS is very robust, allowing you to set up wholesale orders or get notifications when stock is low.
Did we mention Nova has a mobile app? The app is compatible with both Android and iOS devices and is one of the most convenient things about this system. You can check out real-time reports and analytics for your business via your mobile device, as well as review salaries, set up schedules for your employees, or send out messages to your staff.
Lastly, we have to give praise to the built-in accounting features. You can easily view your expense management reports, profit and loss reports, and any other customizable reports you want to have on hand, all from the Nova app.
Unfortunately, Nova forces you to commit to a year-long plan if you choose to sign up with their POS system. There aren't any free trials, though they do provide a demo where a Nova consultant will take you through the POS software.
#5 Shopify
Shopify is one of the best-priced Kiosk POS systems on the market right now.
It is the perfect choice for small businesses that are interested in finding a more affordable solution. The lite plan, which is a popular choice among small business owners, only costs $9 per month. Of course, if you want to shoot for one of the more robust plans, including the customizable online store, you'll have to pay a bit more.
One thing we really love about Shopify is that the interface is easy to navigate.
The central dashboard is well-organized, providing easy access to any data or analytics that you might need quickly.
We've said it before and we'll say it again: having an easy-to-use interface is crucial if you run a business with quick employee turnover. The last thing that you want to have to deal with is the headache of teaching new employees a complex system, only to have to deal with more mistakes from new employees later down the line.
Another unique feature to love with Shopify is that it comes with customizable store promotions. You'll be able to create multiple promotions for in-store and online use, setting them to active and inactive as you please. This is one of the best ways to increase customer loyalty and get people coming back.
Shopify comes with a wonderful reporting and analytics system too. You can grab sales data from your customer database. All of the information is presented in a way that is easily digestible and usable.
Let's talk about online store capabilities quickly. While this particular guide focuses more on kiosk systems, it is important to note that Shopify has the ability to create a custom online store. If you are interested in expanding your business into the realm of eCommerce, we highly recommend looking into this point of sale system.
As for Shopify's downsides, it is important to note that the inventory system is not nearly as strong as those from the competitors on this list. It's strange that it does not come with any sort of low-stock alerts. Another thing that is a bit bothersome is that Shopify does not have the ability to process credit cards offline. If you run a restaurant that doesn't have the most reliable Internet access, for example, this could end up becoming a major problem down the line.
Head over to Shopify POS Lite vs Pro to learn more.
What to Look For in a Kiosk System
Ease of use
We can't stress the importance of having an intuitive system enough. Your employees should be able to easily navigate through your POS terminals and your customers should be able to easily navigate through your kiosks.
Payment Processing
You want your kiosks to come with the option of accepting major forms of payment, including cards, gift cards, mobile wallets, etc. You might also want to inquire about whether or not you can use your own payment provider, as many companies lock you into their own payment processing systems.
if you prefer to select your own payment provider, see our POS System Without Credit Card Processing article.
POS Hardware
You may want to have additional POS hardware for your business. We recommend looking at each brand to see what kinds of hardware they offer.
You may want a cash register, receipt printer, kitchen display system, terminal, and more. Consider the size of these pieces of hardware and the available counter space in your establishment.
You may also want to ask about how easy it is to set up the particular hardware. If you need someone from the company to come and set it up for you, inquire about the installation costs.
Security
A great POS solution should be PCI-compliant with its payment processing. You should also rest assured that your data is safe and password-protected, especially if you run a business with higher-profile clients and customers.
Price
Different POS solutions have different price points. Most will charge additional fees for each extra function that you choose to integrate. You'll need to consider payment processing fees on top of that, as well as whether or not your chosen POS solution has a free trial or not.
For more information, visit our guide to POS system cost.
Final Verdict - Which Kiosk POS System Should I Get?
Whether you are just getting started with your restaurant business, are seeking to enhance the dining experience that you have already put time into curating, a convenient and efficient self-service system can exceed the expectations of your guests. Kiosk POS systems also increase order accuracy and decrease labor costs.
Out of the top-notch POS options on our list, we highly recommend Toast POS. It is one of the most accessible POS systems on the market today.
Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author