Restaurant POS cost. The number, not the brochure.
Defaults are loaded. Change the inputs. The headline number is Toast all-in. The chit-rail under it is the same inputs on SpotOn, Square for Restaurants and Clover.
What does a restaurant POS cost per month all-in?
On a 4-terminal full-service restaurant with $80,000 monthly card volume (78% card-present, $42 average ticket), all-in monthly lands between $2,490 and $3,037 in 2026. Square for Restaurants is the cheapest at $2,490/mo (Free SaaS plus flat-rate processing). Toast is the most expensive at $3,037/mo (SaaS $326 + hardware financed $156 + processing $2,455 + Volume Subscription Fee $80 + hidden fees $20). SpotOn lands at $2,647/mo; Clover at $2,818/mo. These numbers are emitted live by the calculator above on these exact inputs (Toast VSF Mar 2026 · 2026-06-20).
The four hidden lines every owner misses
Toast Core $69/terminal/mo Toast pricing · 2026-06-20. 4 terminals = $276. KDS adds $25 per screen. Online ordering bundled in Core.
Toast 0% APR 36-month bundles $39/mo per terminal kit Toast hardware · 2026-06-20. Clover 36-48 month lease compounds to 2x to 3x cash.
On $80K monthly, 78% card-present, $42 average ticket: SpotOn interchange-plus nets $2,188, Clover $2,387, Square flat $2,450, Toast negotiated + VSF $2,535. Numbers emitted by the calculator. Visa IRF · 2026-06-20
PCI compliance $9.99 to $14.95/mo. Statement $9 to $12/mo. Chargebacks $15 to $25 each. Toast Volume Subscription Fee $80/mo on $80K processed.
19-bang · the three gotchas to ask about before you sign
Start with your segment, not a vendor
Pick the operation that looks like yours. The calculator defaults change, the chit-rail reshuffles, the right-answer vendor moves with you.
14 vendors. Every price sourced. Quote-only is named.
Where a vendor refuses to publish a price, we say so. We do not invent rates.