by Ben Dwyer The NCR Aloha POS, sometimes just referred to as Aloha or Aloha POS, is a point of sale system designed for the restaurant industry. It can be used on fixed point of sale systems, or handheld devices. Aloha works for fast casual, sit-down, quick serve, and fine dining establishments.
NCR boasts that the Aloha POS system is easy to use, which helps reduce the learning curve in high-turnover restaurants. Additionally, as one of the most popular restaurant POS systems, many servers and cashiers have been trained on Aloha at some point in the career.
In this Aloha review, we’ll take a look at the features, hardware, and costs to use NCR’s Aloha restaurant POS.
Looking for other NCR POS systems? Checkout our NCR Silver review.
Be aware that there are at least two companies that are not NCR themselves but have website addresses that may lead you to believe they are. One is Advanced Hospitality Systems, which uses the website ncraloha.com. The other is Hospitality Control Solutions, which runs the website alohancr.com.
The official NCR website simply ncr.com and has a subsection that is dedicated to Aloha.
Features
Aloha is loaded with features crucial for restaurants, including the ability to quickly split checks, manage bar tabs, and modify items in an order. The guest and table management options allow you to easily see which guests are waiting for tables and can alert you if guests are waiting beyond the time they were quoted.
Aloha also offers options for takeout and delivery through the Aloha Delivery Marketplace. Orders are treated like any other, except that customers place the order instead of your staff.
You can allow customers to order online and have those orders routed right to the kitchen so nothing gets missed. The integrated map systems help you set up efficient multi-stop delivery routes and provide turn-by-turn directions for drivers. The system even estimates delivery timeframes to help you plan staffing and assign orders to drivers.
Hardware and Accessories
NCR’s fixed countertop terminal option is the XR7, available with either a 12” or 15” LED color screen.
You can attach optional accessories, including an encrypted card reader, fingerprint reader, and customer-facing displays. Aloha integrates with cash drawers, receipt printers, kitchen printers, and barcode scanners as well.
If you prefer a mobile option, you can use Aloha on NCR’s portable Orderman terminals, which offer the same intuitive menu as the full Aloha POS while providing the flexibility to carry the terminal to diners’ tables to take orders or accept payments quickly if you opt for a model with a built-in reader. Orders taken tableside print directly to the kitchen.
The Orderman is available on Android or iOS and features a 5” color HD screen. With special printers, you can even enable options to allow servers to “tap” the Orderman to a printer to quickly print a receipt.
NCR offers this intro to the Orderman portable terminal:
Businesses that want self-serve kiosks can set those up through NCR Aloha POS as well.
Aloha Costs
The cost to use Aloha depends on where you purchase the system, as different resellers price the hardware differently. The total cost will also depend on what optional accessories (if any) you choose to add. Costs for the POS system itself are separate from the costs of credit card processing.
NCR Aloha Credit Card Processing
The system integrates with many payment processors allowing you to easily accept credit and debit cards or mobile wallet payments. Pricing for credit card processing will be set by the processor you choose, allowing you the flexibility to secure the best possible pricing.
Want to see real numbers? Try CardFellow’s free quote request tool to get pricing from processors that can support Aloha POS.
