Point-of-sale system comparison: software costs, processing fees, and key features by business type.
I've broken down 30 of the top POS and payment platforms so you don't have to. Below is how they stack up on software cost, processing fees, and features by business type. If you'd rather skip the research, I'll help you pick the right system and handle the setup and integrations.
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| Platform | Best For | Software Cost | Processing Fees | Key Features | Notes / Drawbacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accept.blue | Merchants needing secure gateway | $20 monthly $0.10 per transaction $50 setup fee (one time) | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | 3D Secure, recurring payments, ACH/check processing, integrations, integrates with equinox terminals | User friendly design; strong for fraud protection; integrates with only two hardware terminals |
| Authorize.net | E-commerce, B2B, card-not-present & recurring billing | $20 monthly $0.10 per transaction $0.10 per batch | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Virtual terminal, recurring billing, Advanced Fraud Detection Suite, ACH/e-check, mobile payments, customer profiles, developer APIs | Online gateway only; long-standing, widely integrated; owned by Visa |
| Biller Genie | B2B businesses needing AR automation and invoice collections | $44.95 monthly $0.10 per transaction | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Automated invoicing, payment reminders, ACH & credit card payments, QuickBooks/accounting integrations, collections automation, customer payment portal | Software only, no hardware; AR automation platform; integrates with Quickbooks Online |
| BenjiPays | Small to medium-sized businesses that use QuickBooks for invoicing | Inquire within | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Automated invoicing, payment reminders, ACH & credit card payments, QuickBooks/accounting integrations, collections automation, customer payment portal | Software only, no hardware; integrates with Quickbooks Online and Quickbooks Desktop. |
| CashierLive | Independent pharmacies, retail stores (Cloud POS) | Inquire within | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Cloud-based, iOS app access, CRM/loyalty, reporting dashboard, hardware sync (printers/drawers) | Retail/pharmacy niche, remote management, dedicated support included |
| Clover | Retail, restaurants, services (flexible hardware) | $0 (Payments Only) No POS tools, just payment acceptance $14.95 (Essentials) Basic POS features, tips, employee permissions $59.95 (Counter Service) Online ordering, line-busting, tips, reporting $84.95 (Retail Growth) Inventory tracking, loyalty, exchanges/returns $89.95 (Retail Growth) Floor plans, server-specific tips, QR ordering, bar tabs | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing ~2.3%–2.6% + $0.10 | Customizable hardware, inventory, e-commerce, app marketplace | Contracts common; higher upfront/hardware costs |
| Dejavoo | Fast casual to full restaurants/retail (affordable Android) | $20 monthly Basic plan, includes 2 devices +$10 per additional device $50 monthly Restaurant/Retail plan +$10 per additional device | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Affordable Android terminals, fast speeds, DejaPayPro (inventory, analytics), dual pricing | Reseller-based; fewer features; shop rates |
| Fishbowl Inventory | Business needing inventory management with connected payments | Custom/quote-based | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Cloud gateway, white-label, fraud detection (WatchDog AI), virtual terminal, recurring, Level 3, cash discount/dual pricing programs | Gateway-focused (not full POS); great for lowering fees via surcharging |
| Fluid Pay LLC | Business needing cloud and online payments | Custom/quote-based | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Cloud gateway, white-label, fraud detection (WatchDog AI), virtual terminal, recurring, Level 3, cash discount/dual pricing programs | Gateway-focused (not full POS); great for lowering fees via surcharging |
| Helcim | B2B, healthcare, services | Free POS software | Interchange-plus | Free software, mobile/tablet, Tap to Pay | Processor-focused; low-cost/transparent |
| Hyfin | Businesses needing payments/invoicing with surcharging | $40 monthly No quickbooks integration $60 monthly Quickbooks Online integration | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Smart invoicing, payment requests (text/email), recurring/auto payments, virtual terminal, dual pricing/surcharging, API | Not full POS; payment/invoicing platform; shifts fees to customers |
| KORONA POS | Retail/QSR/ticketing (flexible, customizable) | $59 monthly Core plan $79 monthly Pro plan Per terminal; add-ons +$10 | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Cloud-based, inventory, excellent support, hardware compatibility | Affordable/custom; strong retail |
| KwickPOS | Restaurants (QSR, full-service, pizza, bars, cafes, food trucks), retail/salons | ~$9.99 monthly Custom/quote-based Add-ons like loyalty ~$95 monthly | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Cloud/on-premise hybrid, online ordering, QR ordering/reviews, driver management, loyalty, kiosks, offline mode, multi-location, 24/7 support | Flexible hardware (browser-based); pricing may vary; strong support |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | Multi-location, fine-dining, scalable restaurants | $69 monthly Starter plan (add-ons extra) $189 monthly Essential plan (add-ons extra) $399 monthly Premium plan (per location; add-ons extra) | ~2.6% + $0.10 – $0.15 per transaction | Robust inventory, multi-location, e-commerce, analytics | Strong for growth; add-ons needed |
| NMI | E-commerce, invoicing, online stores | $20 monthly $0.10 per transaction | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Virtual terminal, recurring billing, Level 2/3 processing, mobile payments, fraud suite, tokenization, ACH, hosted payment pages | Recurring billing and subscription management; seamless integration with over 150 systems; limited customization in reporting; outdated or confusing interface in parts of the dashboard |
| Owner.com | Online ordering/delivery management (add-on) | $499 monthly All-in; 0% commission | N/A (integrates with POS) | Website, online ordering, marketing, no commissions | Not full POS; online focus |
| PAR Technology | QSR, fast casual, table service restaurants, chains (cloud POS) | ~$90+ monthly Enterprise plan | Varies (integrated payments) | Cloud-based, scalable, integrations (loyalty, ordering, drive-thru, KDS), unified commerce, analytics | Enterprise/chain-focused; quote-heavy; hardware/integrations strong |
| Revel Systems | Large operations, chains, multi-location (iPad-based) | Starting ~$99/terminal Essentials plan Higher for Pro plan | Varies (flat or custom) | Feature-rich, multi-location, inventory, scalable | Complex; suited for larger ops |
| SimplyBook.me | Healthcare & medical services, education & tutoring, beauty & wellness | $30 monthly $0.10 per transaction | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Online booking 24/7, mobile-optimized booking website, Facebook and Instagram booking integration, Google Business integration, calendar synchronization | Extensive customization for branding and booking pages; booking limits constrain growth (50–2,000/month by plan); limiting functionality |
| Slice | Independent pizzerias | 5% of sales (all-in) Family plan A la carte: Higher % + add-ons | Bundled (low/zero via dual pricing) | Pizza online ordering, phone management, integrations, marketing | Niche (pizza only); % scales with volume |
| SpotOn | Restaurants (team management, affordable hardware) | ~$55/station monthly Essentials plan ~$135/station monthly Full plan | ~2.45% + $0.15 or bundled | Team communication, scheduling, multi-unit | Varies by bundle |
| Square | Small businesses, retail, restaurants, quick setup | Free Basic plan $49/location monthly Plus plan $149+/location monthly Premium plan | ~2.6% + $0.15 | Free tier, easy hardware, inventory, online ordering, loyalty, no contracts | Beginner-friendly; fees add up on volume |
| Stripe | Customizable payments/POS (ecommerce, hybrid) | $0 monthly Core plan Terminal/POS add-ons vary | In-person: ~2.7% + $0.05 Online: ~2.9% + $0.30 |
API integration, customizable, online/in-person | Developer-strong; fees stack for advanced |
| SumUp | Small cafes, fast-paced, minimalist | $0 monthly Basic plan $99–$289 monthly Connect plan | ~2.6% + $0.10 | Short learning curve, cloud POS, marketing add-ons | Minimalist; good for small/fast-paced |
| SwipeSimple | Small businesses, mobile merchants, and service-based businesses | $39 monthly | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Mobile card reader, invoicing, virtual terminal, inventory management, reporting, simple dashboard | Simple interface ideal for merchants new to card acceptance; no proprietary processing lock-in |
| Toast | Restaurants (full-service, quick-service) | $0 with bundle Starter Kit ~$69+ monthly Point of sale Custom plans available | ~2.49% + $0.15 (traditional); higher pay-as-you-go | Table management, kitchen display, online ordering, payroll, 24/7 support | Restaurant-focused; ecosystem lock-in, hardware pricey |
| TouchBistro | Restaurants (intuitive, multi-location) | Starting ~$69 Core plan Bundles ~$119 Add-ons extra | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Tablet-based, table management, staff management, strong support | Add-ons increase cost; easy use |
| Union POS | Bars, restaurants serving liquor | Inquire within | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Smart invoicing, payment requests (text/email), recurring/auto payments, virtual terminal, dual pricing/surcharging, API | Full POS system, hardware is iPad based. |
| USA ePay | Financial services, retail & e-commerce stores, mobile & field sales teams | $49.95 one time setup fee $0.05 per transaction $12.50 monthly Silver Package $17.50 monthly Gold package $20.00 monthly Platinum package | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Virtual terminal, recurring/auto payments, hosted payments page | Supports recurring billing and ACH payments; mobile app for on-the-go payments; outdated interface reported by some users; extra costs for premium features |
| Valor | Retail and restaurant merchants needing cloud POS with surcharging | $20 monthly $0.10 per transaction | Surcharge ~3% on credit; 0% on debit Dual Pricing ~4% on credit & debit Interchange Pricing | Cloud-based POS, PaymentSITE online portal, dual pricing/surcharging, VirtualPAY, inventory management, reporting | Strong dual pricing and surcharging support; good fit for merchants looking to offset processing costs |
No systems match this category.
Common Questions
It depends on your industry, transaction volume, hardware needs, and the software you already use. The comparison above is a starting point. For a recommendation tailored to your business, get in touch and I'll narrow it down for you.
Yes. I handle the full setup: hardware, payment configuration, and integrations with tools like QuickBooks, e-commerce platforms, and online ordering. Your POS works end to end from day one.
No. I'm independent, so I recommend whatever genuinely fits your business instead of pushing one brand, including options that let you offset card fees through surcharging or dual pricing.
There are two parts: monthly software (anywhere from free to a few hundred dollars) and processing fees, which depend on your pricing model: surcharge, dual pricing, or interchange. Because it varies with your volume and setup, reach out for an exact quote.
Often, yes. Many of the platforms above support surcharging or dual pricing, which shift some or all of the card fees off your bottom line. Send me your current statement and I'll show you where you can save.
Ready when you are
Tell me about your business: your industry, volume, and what you need it to do. I'll recommend the right system, set it up, and handle the integrations. No processor loyalty, no sales pressure.