Best POS System for Restaurants

Restaurants with a healthy online customer base need a POS system like Clover that can handle everything like your online orders, send orders, and delivery management.

When you open a restaurant, cafe, or bar, you need a point-of-sale system to accept credit and debit payments. But restaurant POS systems these days do much more than accept payments. They track inventory, text and email receipts, analyze customer and sales data, produce invoices, and manage employees, cash drawer among other capabilities.

In a market full of point-of-sale providers marketing to restaurants, it can be hard to decide which option is the best for your business. Restaurants with a healthy online customer base need a POS system like Clover that can handle everything like your online orders, send orders, and delivery management. Clover also offers useful online integrations such as Newsletter Service, Mailchimp, and eCommerce company Shopify. Their suite of customer engagement features includes contact lists with options for promos, rewards, and private feedback. Let's learn more about the system.

Clover POS System

Clover is an integrated point-of-sale (POS) system with custom hardware designed for several types of retailers. The program is available in both web-based and server-based deployment versions and offers a mobile POS option in addition to countertop units.

With Clover, businesses are able to run thousands of transactions, access reports on a merchant dashboard remotely, and manage their inventory through a single solution. Clover replaces cash registers, terminals, receipt printers, label printers and barcode scanners. It allows businesses to read chip and pin cards, swipe credit cards, and process Apple Pay and other mobile payment apps.

Additionally, the program integrates with QuickBooks, includes a time clock to track clock-in and clock-outs and manage and purchase orders and vendor maintenance.

With Clover's dashboard, businesses can visualize their key data metrics in real time. Other features include accounting, order tracking, menu editing, and data reporting.

Pros of Clover POS

If you're looking for a POS solutions that you can customize, Clover is a good option. It has a good selection of features, and you can add many more using the apps and integrations available through the Clover App Market, allowing you to configure the system to your liking.

Full-Service Restaurants

Clover System has a collection of useful apps for full-service restaurants. You easily can use these Clover apps to set up your restaurant:

Setup: Sets up the basics for your Clover POS System
Printers: Set up printers to receive server orders and print customer receipts
Happy Hour: Defines times for offering customer discounts
Clover Dining: Sets up your restaurant tables
Employees: Adds employee profiles
Shifts: Sets up employee clock-in and clock-out processes
Inventory: Builds your menu to get a product or service at a lower price.

Inventory Management

The 'Register Lite Version' comes with basic inventory tools that allow you to categorize and track items, and the 'Register Version' has advanced inventory features that supports variants, and modifiers. Clover supports an inventory of up to 15,000 items, 2,000 modifiers, 100 modifier groups and 100 categories. If you need advanced inventory management, apps are available from the Clover App Market.

Customer Management

Clover's POS software allows you to build a customer list and accept customer feedback using digital receipts. You can set up a digital loyalty program, offer gift cards, and run social media campaigns using Clover-branded or third-party apps form the Clover Applications Market. The system is also helpful for repeat business as you can find your old customers very easily.

Employee Management

Clover's POS software allows you to add your employees to the system to manage employees, set user permissions and track shifts. Employee-scheduling and time-tracking apps are available from the Clover App Market, as is an integration with the payroll service Gusto.

Reporting

You can run real time sales reports using Clover's dashboard from any device, and this feature is also available with all versions of Clover's POS software. If you need additional analytics and reporting options, you can add apps from the Clover Applications market.

Integrations

You can extend your business online using the Clover online store. Or, if you already have a website or online store, you may be able to connect Clover to it, as integrations are available for Magento, WooCommerce and Shopify. Other integrations include QuickBooks and Xero accounting programs, MailChimp and constant contact email marketing solutions.

Cloud-Based POS

Clover offers cloud service and online data store. It is a cloud based POS system, so you can easily backup all your data with 100% safety.

Cons of Clover POS

You must use Clover POS hardware with this system, so it's best suited for businesses that are in the market to purchase new equipment. The hardware is locked, which means that it only works with the credit card processor you purchased it from. If you switch payment processors, even to another Clover reseller, you cannot continue using the hardware and you will have to buy a new system.

Another con is employees are able to access each others tables. Also, employees are able to access functions without being clocked in.

Pricing

You sign up for Clover through credit card processors, some post the pricing for Clover POS software and hardware on their websites, but many don't, so in most cases you'll need to call for pricing quotes specific to your business. Clover is a highly customizable system. The Clover App Market has hundreds of apps and integrations that you can use to add features to the system or sync with your existing business applications. Some apps are free and some cost extra, so you will want to consider which apps you need and what they cost as you compare systems.

POS Software

There are two paid service plans for Clover POS software, and you can switch between plans at any time. Here is what it costs if you subscribe through the Clover Online store:

The Register Lite plan costs $14/month for each device. Processing rates for this plan are 2.7% + .10 for in-person transactions and 3.5% + .10 for transactions you key in.
The Register plan costs $29/month for each device. Processing rates for this plan are 2.3% + .10 for in-person transactions and 3.5% + .10 for transactions you key in.

The monthly subscription prices for the software, processing rates, and whether you're required to sign a contract to use a Clover depend on the processor you choose to work with. As you select a payment processing company, keep in mind that the best processors provide service on a month-to-month basis and do not charge any cancellation fees when you close your account. They also do not advertise leasing or free POS hardware with the intent of getting you to sign a lengthy contract with unfavorable terms.

POS Hardware

You can choose from four hardware configurations. Here is what it costs to buy them from the Clover online store. Pricing you receive from your payment processor may vary.

Clover Station: $1,099
Clover Mini: $599
Clover Flex: $399
Clover Go: $49 (This mobile device works with iOS and Android tablets and phones)

All Clover card readers accept EMV chip cards, contactless payments such as NFC-powered mobile wallets, and magstripe cards. Clover's POS hardware costs, and whether you can purchase the equipment outright or are required to lease, also depends on your processors. As with any POS solution, purchasing your equipment upfront is the least expensive option in the long-term and lets you avoid being locked into lengthy leasing contracts, many of which are unable to be cancelled.

Conclusion: Which should you use?

There you have it - all the information you need to know in order to make the call on Clover POS systems for your small business. Now that you're well acquainted with the ins and outs of Clover POS and their top competitor, what's the last word? As far as we are concerned, despite their minor imperfections, Clover POS systems are some of the very best on the market and best for your restaurant and small business.

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