Squirrel POS Review

Boasting 24/7 support with high customer satisfaction scores, Squirrel aims to be a POS partner for your business. Let’s take a look at what you can expect for features, costs, and more.

What You’ll Need

In order to take credit cards using the Squirrel POS system, you’ll need at minimum:

• Compatible hardware
• A merchant account with a credit card processor

It’s not required that you accept cards through the POS system, but these days most restaurants find that customers expect credit card acceptance. Additionally, taking credit cards can raise your average sale, as customers who pay with plastic often spend more than those who pay with cash.

Hardware

Squirrel’s website mentions that you can choose your preferred operating system on which to run the software, but then also references Windows and Linux compatibility, without mentioning Apple or Android. Elsewhere, Squirrel clarifies that if you’re already utilizing a POS system, you may be able to run the Squirrel software on it without needing to purchase new hardware.  

If you’re not already using a system and would prefer to purchase hardware along with your Squirrel software, you can choose the Squirrel WS10X terminal. The WS10X features a 15” high-resolution touchscreen LCD running either Windows or Linux. The machine can be wall-mounted or installed countertop.

If you’d prefer to use a mobile option, Squirrel clarifies that it will work with Android, Apple, and Windows mobile devices. Mobile devices increase portability, allowing you to take orders and payments at the table, edit menus on the go, and more.

Merchant Account

Squirrel POS doesn’t lock you in to a single processor. Instead, you can open a merchant account with any company that supports Squirrel. Need help finding the right processor at the best pricing? Get quotes instantly with CardFellow’s free and private quote request tool.

Squirrel POS Features

While it’s website doesn’t talk much about features, the area it does cover most thoroughly is reports. Squirrel POS offers information ranging from sales patterns to check-level detail so that you can see whatever data you need to make business decisions. Reports are available through a user-friendly web interface that provides real-time data on revenue, labor costs, and more.

We reached out to Squirrel for details on additional features and were told that Squirrel offers several helpful features, including check-splitting, happy hour or other 'timed special' capabilities, automatic gratuities, and delivery management options. Additionally, Squirrel pointed out that it offers an open API, so if a business wants a specific feature that Squirrel doesn't offer, there's potential to integrate with a third-party vendor for those features.

Integration with QSR Automations

Squirrel POS also works with QSR Automations for reservation management and kitchen video systems to streamline your process and reduce human error.

The reservation management system helps prevent lost reservations and allows you to customize your table layout for maximum efficiency. You can choose to let guests know when tables are ready via text message, track wait times, move reservations to wait lists prior to the reservation time, and more.

The kitchen video system allows you to display orders and details rather than print them on paper. A display system cuts down on the possibility of lost or misplaced orders and helps ensure that kitchen staff is aware of all open orders.

Staff Messaging

Another feature Squirrel references is the ability to leave messages and reminders for staff right on the POS system.

In the screenshot above, staff will see the message about a weekly contest for servers to sell the most desserts.

Software

You can choose either the Squirrel in a Box bundle or Squirrel Professional. The Squirrel Professional option is geared toward large scale businesses with multiple locations, while Squirrel in a Box offers a bundle sized for smaller businesses.

Squirrel in a Box

When you choose the Squirrel in a Box option, you can configure hardware for up to four terminals and optionally add printers, cash drawers, chip-capable card readers, and other accessories. This solution offers configurable menus, anti-virus and firewall capabilities, and Squirrel’s 24/7 support.

You can choose whether you’d like optional installation and training on-site or a remote tutorial on using the system. You can also access the Squirrel Learning Management System (LMS) at your convenience. It’s not clear from Squirrel’s site if opting for the on-site training and installation incurs an additional cost. We contacted Squirrel to ask for clarification and starting costs. The company confirmed to CardFellow that training and installation does cost extra, but declined to give any numbers, stating that it varies depending on the scope of the installation and other factors.

Squirrel Professional

If you’re looking for something a little more robust, Squirrel Professional is the way to go. It offers a completely hospitality management system for businesses with multiple locations. It includes a Corporate POS Manager function that allows you to manage the POS system for different locations while still using customized menus or pricing. You’ll have the ability to consolidate reports (such as sales or labor information) across multiple locations for an easier understanding of sales and expenses.

Squirrel Professional boasts a graphical interface that can accommodate promotions, complex orders, and more. You can choose wireless or wired chip-capable payment processing.

With either solution, you’ll receive free software updates and can opt in to Squirrel DataStore. The DataStore option securely saves sales info, menus, and configurations, allowing the support team to recover data quickly in the event of a data loss. We reached out to Squirrel to confirm if DataStore costs extra and were told that it does, but Squirrel declined to give a general cost.

How much does Squirrel POS cost?

Despite a page on its website called “How our pricing works,” Squirrel doesn’t actually provide hard numbers. The page dedicated to pricing instead talks about the different needs of businesses in the food service industry. The actual cost for your system will depend on your specific needs.

We reached out to Squirrel for more information, but the company declined to provide starting costs or a price range, stating that it would be too broad. Squirrel did tell CardFellow that there are both one-time fee and monthly fee options. 

Note that the actual cost you’ll pay for a Squirrel system will vary depending on where you purchase it. You can check POS system inventory and request prices anonymously through CardFellow’s handy tools to help you find the right processor and POS system for your needs.

It’s completely free and there’s no obligation. Ready to get started? Fill out our two-minute form to get your personal quotes.