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Bar tabs with pre-authorization, speed at the bar, tips and late-night service.
What matters in a bar or nightclub
Bars and clubs run in peaks. Most of the night can happen in a couple of hours, with a crowd at the bar and tabs open everywhere. The POS has to keep up, keep every tab straight and protect you from walkouts.
What to look for
- Tabs with card pre-authorization. Open a tab with a card, add rounds fast and close it without chasing anyone down.
- Speed at the bar. Quick drink buttons, modifiers and payments during the rush.
- The door, covers and bottle service. Charging covers at the door, reservations and bottle packages, if that's part of your business.
- Liquor control. Inventory by bottle or by pour, so you can spot losses.
- Tips and payouts. Tip handling for bartenders and servers, with clear end-of-night reports.
- Late-night support and offline mode. Help when you're actually open, and a way to keep charging if the internet drops.
- Who pays for processing. Some bars pass that cost to customers with a surcharge or dual pricing. We show it separately, as a cost your customers pay. Check your state's rules before you add one.
How this ranking works
This ranking only includes POS systems that serve bars and nightclubs. They're scored with our public model and any adjustments for this type of business, listed in our methodology.
Not everything on this list counts toward the score yet: we only score what we can research for most vendors. For the rest, like tabs and liquor control, check the data we show for each POS and ask about it in the demo.
POS systems with enough verified data to be ranked: 8 of 8. 8 POS systems for bars and nightclubs: 8 ranked · 0 listed apart. Ranked: enough verified data. Listed apart: not enough data to score. Below 60% completeness, a POS isn't ranked. The score sets the order, with the same rules for every POS.
The ranking
Shift4 POS
By Shift4
- Lowest cost to get started (tied). Among 12 POS systems whose upfront prices are published, for our reference restaurant.
- Longest equipment warranty (tied). Among 17 POS systems with a published warranty on the main terminal.
Restaurant POS from Shift4 Payments that requires Shift4 payment processing. Software starts at $29.99 a month with loaned hardware and no upfront cost; the processing agreement runs 36 months and its early termination fee is a per-device amount for each month left.
RTC SCORE
8.8
#1 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- No upfront cost for software and hardware.
- 24/7 support, per its pricing page.
- Defects on the loaned hardware are covered for as long as your agreement is active (Shift4 calls it a lifetime warranty); accidents and theft are not. Shift4's billing glossary says its yearly fees per device ($250 plus $189.99, or the maintenance fee that replaces them) are what pay for those replacements.
Cons
- 36-month term with exclusive Shift4 processing and 1-year automatic renewals unless you give 90 days' notice.
- The early termination fee is charged per device for every month left, so it grows with your volume and number of devices.
- The standard card rate (2.75% + 15¢) appears only in Shift4's online checkout, not on its pricing page or in the contracts, and annual fees per device apply on top.
- Initial term
- 36 months
- Must use their processing
- Yes
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant), and 36-month total cost (reference restaurant). Weakest on own online ordering.
SpotOn
By SpotOn
- Lowest cost to get started (tied). Among 12 POS systems whose upfront prices are published, for our reference restaurant.
Restaurant POS with two published plans. All-In costs $0 per station with hardware included and a 2-year minimum; POS Essentials costs $55 per station a month with month-to-month software and lower card rates. Payments run through SpotOn under a processing agreement with a 3-year initial term.
RTC SCORE
6.0
#2 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- Plan prices and card rates are published, including a plan with month-to-month software.
- 24/7 support included, per its pricing page.
Cons
- The $0 All-In plan has a 2-year minimum, processing minimums and higher card rates.
- The processing agreement is exclusive, has a 3-year initial term on both plans, and its Account Closure Fee is not published.
- Receipts are always in English on SpotOn Express.
- Initial term
- 36 months
- Must use their processing
- Yes
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), 36-month total cost (reference restaurant), and own online ordering. Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
Lavu
By Lavu
- Lowest cost to get started (tied). Among 12 POS systems whose upfront prices are published, for our reference restaurant.
- Longest equipment warranty (tied). Among 17 POS systems with a published warranty on the main terminal.
iPad restaurant POS for bars, quick service and food trucks, sold on a 36-month contract that renews for the same length. Lavu quotes its monthly price and doesn't publish its card rates or what it costs to leave early; the signer is a personal guarantor.
RTC SCORE
5.8
#3 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- Its current offer prices the terminal at $9.99 a month with zero upfront fees and setup included, on a 36-month contract; the software plan is quoted on top.
- 24/7 support, per Lavu's help center.
- Its offer page says your equipment is under warranty for as long as you're with Lavu; its terms bill that replacement coverage (LavuCare) at $199 a year by default, plus shipping on each replacement, and exclude loss, theft and natural disasters.
Cons
- The monthly price, card rates and the fee to leave early are not published.
- A 36-month contract that renews for another 36 months unless you cancel before the renewal date, and the signer is a personal guarantor.
- Initial term
- 36 months
- Must use their processing
- Yes, or pay a fee to use another
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), own online ordering, and hardware warranty included. Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
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TouchBistro
By TouchBistro
- Lowest cost to get started (tied). Among 12 POS systems whose upfront prices are published, for our reference restaurant.
iPad-based restaurant POS with software from $69 a month and an Essentials Bundle with hardware and integrated payments. It works with a range of processors, and its early termination amount includes the processing fees left in the term.
RTC SCORE
4.5
#4 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- Works with a range of payment processors.
- No per-order commission on its own online ordering.
- 24/7 support, holidays included, per its pricing page.
Cons
- You cannot end the agreement early, and the Default Amount includes the processing fees left in the term.
- Renews for a period equal to your initial term.
- Card rates are not published and its own pages list two different bundle prices.
- Initial term
- Quote only
- Must use their processing
- No
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), own online ordering, and support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it). Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
Square for Restaurants
By Square
- Shortest term (tied). Among 15 POS systems with a published term.
- Longest trial at no charge. Among 21 POS systems. Only trials with no software charges, or with your money back, count.
Restaurant POS from Square with a $0 plan and Plus and Premium plans billed per location. Card payments run through Square, and there is no term or early termination fee.
RTC SCORE
4.5
#5 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- No term and no early termination fee.
- Card rates and plan prices are published.
- A $0 plan that includes online ordering.
Cons
- Card payments run only through Square.
- The kitchen display is a paid add-on and is not available on the free plan.
- You buy the hardware up front.
- Initial term
- Month to month
- Must use their processing
- Yes
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), own online ordering, and hardware warranty included. Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
Lightspeed Restaurant
By Lightspeed
Restaurant POS with Starter, Essential and Premium plans from $69 a month. Lightspeed Payments is required by default; using another processor needs Lightspeed's written approval and carries a monthly fee. The term is set in your order form.
RTC SCORE
4.1
#6 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- Plan and hardware prices are published, and online ordering is included from the Essential plan up.
- 24/7 support, per its pricing page.
Cons
- Card rates are only published as an example in its blog, and using another processor needs approval and a monthly fee.
- Renews for a period equal to your initial term, at the then-current prices and without your first-order discounts, with 90 days' notice on longer terms.
- The early termination fee includes the recurring fees left plus any discounts you received.
- Initial term
- Quote only
- Must use their processing
- Yes, or pay a fee to use another
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), own online ordering, and support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it). Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
GoTab
By GoTab
- Shortest term (tied). Among 15 POS systems with a published term.
POS and ordering platform for bars, breweries and food halls with plans at $15, $99 and $229 per location a month. It runs on your own devices, includes QR and online ordering, and GoTab says there is no long-term commitment.
RTC SCORE
3.8
#7 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- Low published entry price per location, with QR and online ordering included.
- Runs on your own devices, and GoTab publishes its hardware prices in its own store (a countertop station with a payment terminal from $759).
- 24/7 support from the Pro plan up, per its pricing page.
Cons
- The published card rate is a starting rate for qualifying locations.
- Initial term
- Month to month
- Must use their processing
- Yes
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), own online ordering, and initial term. Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
Toast
By Toast
All-in-one restaurant POS that runs card payments through Toast. The Point of Sale plan costs $69 a month; the Starter Kit has no monthly software fee but higher pay-as-you-go card rates. The term is set in your order form.
RTC SCORE
3.4
#8 for Bars and nightclubs
Pros
- Its own online ordering charges no per-order commission and connects with DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.
- 24/7 support included in every software subscription, per its pricing page.
- Two years against defects on the countertop terminal (one year on handhelds), included with the purchase; drops and liquid damage are billed at the full replacement price. Hardware bought from Toast can be returned within 90 days.
Cons
- The term is set in your order form and renews automatically for a year unless you give 30 days' notice.
- You must process cards with Toast, and Toast doesn't publish its rates on its own site.
- Each device after the first costs extra, and Toast doesn't publish how much.
- Initial term
- Quote only
- Must use their processing
- Yes
Strongest on cost to get started (reference restaurant), own online ordering, and support 24/7 (as the vendor publishes it). Weakest on switching or signing bonus you qualify for (reference restaurant).
This is general information about published contracts, not legal advice: read your own contract and check with a lawyer before you sign.