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Kitchen display system review

Lightspeed Kitchen Display System

Lightspeed's kitchen display for Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series), billed per screen on top of the POS plan. It runs in a web browser on an iPad, Android tablet or other screen, with one POS device acting as the hub.

By LightspeedParent company: Lightspeed Commerce Inc.

RTC SCORE

7.1

#3 of 7 with enough data

Lightspeed also offers: POS systems

Our verdict

A sensible add-on for Lightspeed Restaurant users: a published price per screen and the freedom to use your own tablets. Mind the contract: it follows the Lightspeed agreement, with a 90-day notice to avoid renewal.

What we like

  • Published price: $30 per screen a month on every Lightspeed Restaurant plan.
  • Runs in a browser on an iPad, Android tablet or other screen you choose.
  • Routing by station and an offline mode served from a POS device on your local network, with 24/7 support.

What to watch

  • It only works with Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series), and one POS device must stay on as the hub.
  • It falls under the Lightspeed Service Agreement: renewal notice of 90 days and the fees left in the term if you leave early.

How the score breaks down

RTC Score7.1out of 10

Methodology v1.0.0

Data completeness80%

We could verify 80% of the scoring data

Strongest points
12-month cost of 2 kitchen screens, Keeps working without internet, Routing by station
Weakest point
POS systems it works with

Score by criterion

  • 12-month cost of 2 kitchen screensWeight 26%Strongest8.3 out of 10

    $1,618 over 12 months

  • Keeps working without internetWeight 9%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • Routing by stationWeight 8%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • Support 24/7Weight 8%10.0 out of 10
  • Kitchen time reportsWeight 7%No data
  • Initial termWeight 7%No data
  • Published pricingWeight 6%10.0 out of 10
  • POS systems it works withWeight 6%Weakest1.4 out of 10
  • Choice of kitchen screensWeight 6%8.0 out of 10
  • All-day item countsWeight 4%10.0 out of 10
  • Bump bar supportWeight 4%No data
  • Early termination feeWeight 4%2.5 out of 10
  • Notice to avoid renewalWeight 3%0.0 out of 10
  • Order-ready text to the guestWeight 2%No data

All the data, with sources

Each value links to its source. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't disclose it; "Unconfirmed" means we looked and couldn't confirm it. Data points we have for fewer than four vendors are left out until we can compare them.

Pricing
Data pointValue
KDS license per screen$30/mo per deviceSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
How the license is chargedPer screenSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)The same $30 per screen on Starter, Essential and Premium.
Published pricingPublishedSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
Kitchen screen from the vendorN/ASource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)Lightspeed doesn't sell a dedicated KDS screen with a public price; the KDS runs on a tablet or screen you choose. The cost calculator uses the cheapest iPad on apple.com as the screen.
Installation feeUnconfirmedSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)The KDS page says it connects in about 5 minutes and doesn't mention an installation fee.
POS and hardware
Data pointValue
Type of KDSPart of its own POS (needs that POS)Source: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)
Works with these POS systemsLightspeedSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
Kitchen screensA compatible tablet or screen you bringSource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)A POS device set as the hub must stay on and plugged in.
Runs oniPad, Android tablets and screens, Any screen with a web browserSource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)
In the kitchen
Data pointValue
Routing by stationYesSource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)
If the internet goes downIn-house orders keep reaching the screens over your local networkSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)The hub POS serves the screens over your local network; Lightspeed recommends a wired connection and a fixed IP address for the hub.
Kitchen time reportsUnconfirmedSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)Tickets show when each order was received, started and finished, but Lightspeed doesn't document a kitchen time report.
All-day item countsYesSource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)Production mode in the KDS 1.0 guide; the KDS 2.0 guide doesn't describe it.
Bump bar supportUnconfirmedSource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)The KDS 2.0 guide doesn't mention bump bars.
Order-ready text to the guestUnconfirmedSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)The KDS page doesn't mention texts to guests when an order is ready.
Contract and exit
Data pointValue
Initial termQuote onlySource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)The initial term is set in each restaurant's order and renews for the same length.
Notice to avoid renewal90 daysSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
Early termination feeIf you end the agreement early, Lightspeed can charge the recurring fees left in the current term plus unpaid one-time fees.Source: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
How the early termination fee worksThe fees left in the termSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
Support
Data pointValue
Support 24/7YesSource: Lightspeed (opens in a new tab)
Language
Data pointValue
Website or help in Spanish for the USNoSource: Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series) Help Center (opens in a new tab)The K-Series help center offers English, German, French and Dutch, not Spanish.

More about Lightspeed Kitchen Display System

How we score