by Ben Dwyer Toast POS is an Android-based tablet point-of-sale system for restaurants, cafes, pizzerias, and other food service businesses.
Toast offers a wide range of features for your business, including tableside ordering, online ordering and delivery tracking, automatic tipping options, voids, integrated credit card processing, and more. We’ll take a look at all of these features, costs, and customer reviews in depth in this Toast POS profile.
If you’re looking to take credit cards with your Toast system, be sure to check out our full Toast Review for all the details about credit card processing with Toast.
Features
If you run a business in the food service industry, you may benefit from a POS system specifically deisgned with your needs in mind. Check out this introduction video from Toast about what you can expect when using its POS system:
A general POS system can perform many of the same functions, but the restaurant-specific systems offer advanced features like online ordering capabilities so your customers can conveniently place orders for takeou. Additionally, tablet-based systems like Toast can help with faster customer turnover and higher checks.
Related Article: Tablet POS Systems for Better Restaurant Performance.
Here’s what you can expect from the Toast system.
Tableside Ordering
An increasingly popular option, tableside ordering is fast and convenient, allowing your servers to enter the orders and send them to the kitchen right from a customer’s table. No more writing down orders and then returning to a workstation to enter them. It’s easy to split checks, swipe cards, and text or email receipts. You can also open tabs for bar customers, and close them out or transfer checks.
Online Ordering
Toast’s online ordering software allows you to offer online ordering from your full menu. Online ordering is hosted through an integrated restaurant management program so you can easily change your menu as necessary. If your customers pay online at the time of purchase, the order will automatically print to the kitchen or to prep stations the same as if they were orders placed in person. Manager approval can be required if the customer doesn’t pay in advance and instead will pay at the time of pickup or delivery.
Delivery Management
If you offer delivery, you can customize your services by setting delivery zones, customizing fees for delivery based on distance, and set times for delivery. Orders can be assigned to specific drivers and tracked from initial order submission to delivery.
Customized Tipping
Adding gratuities should be a simple process. The customized tip percentage option in the Toast POS system automatically prompts diners to add a tip. If your restaurant splits tips among staff, Toast includes distribution calculations for quick server payout information.
Voids and Comps
Toast provides an easy voiding process, and includes detailed reporting on both voids and comps. Information is available for why the void or comp was processed, who did it, and who authorized it.
Integrated CRM and Loyalty Program
Toast’s integrated CRM lets you record your customer’s contact information and order history, allowing you to view detailed information including average check total and frequently ordered items. Additionally, you can collect customer’s contact information and allow them to join a loyalty program for your restaurant. The loyalty program lets customers easily reorder past orders, earn points for purchases, and more.
Gift Cards
With Toast, you can choose to offer digital gift cards or physical electronic gift cards. With digital cards, your customers can choose whether the card will be emailed or texted to the recipient. Physical gift cards can be customized and Toast will print them for you. Physical cards can be swiped like any traditional credit card. Customers can use their smartphone to pay with digital gift cards. Balances can be printed on receipts for customer convenience.
Reporting
Manage your restaurant with Toast’s report dashboard. The dashboard gives an overview of transactions, including net sales, tips, and payment method breakdown. You can also view exceptions reports to review voids and refunds. Labor reporting is available to help you track how your labor is affecting sales. Product mix reports let you easily determine how your menu items are performing. Online ordering comes with additional reporting, separated out by takeout and delivery orders.
Equipment
If you need equipment, Toast provides options for tablets, printers, stands, and accessories such as cash drawers, scanners, scales, and customer-facing pole displays. Wireless and stationary models are available. Toast POS software runs on Android platforms, so you will not be able to use it with an Apple iPad. Toast includes an explanation of the benefits of using Android POS hardware on its website, and states that using Android allows for easier integrations and greater customization options as well as a lower price point for many hardware models.
Toast sells equipment directly, including a hardware bundle for ~$1,300 that includes an Android tablet, stand, cash drawer, card reader, and receipt printers. Kitchen printers, routers, and other accessories are available for purchase at additional cost.
Toast Costs
There are a few different parts to the costs to use Toast – the costs for the POS system, monthly costs, and the costs for credit card processing. The costs for the POS system itself are described in the Equipment section, above. Equipment pricing is subject to change,
Monthly Costs
For most businesses, Toast starts at $99/month for the first device, and costs $50/month for each additional device. Some businesses may qualify for the Express plan, which starts at $79/month. Larger businesses will need to contact Toast to inquire about custom pricing.
Additional costs for some features apply, as follows:
Toast Inventory: $75/month
Online Ordering: $50/month
Gift Card Program: $50/month
Loyalty Program: $25/month
Integrated Credit Card Processing Costs
Toast offers secure integrated credit card processing. You can accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as checks, cash, and gift cards. Toast states that they will match your current processor’s rates and references a flat rate pricing model, but doesn’t provide further details.
Have you used the Toast POS system at your restaurant or bar? What did you think? Let us know by leaving a comment below!
