Restaurant POS Hardware: 2024 Guide

Restaurant POS hardware is necessary to input orders and accept digital payment types. It can also help servers and customers navigate the ordering and fulfillment process.

Keep reading to learn what restaurant POS system hardware is, the types of hardware components, and how to choose restaurant POS hardware compatible with the best POS system software on the market today.

What Is Restaurant POS Hardware?

Restaurant POS hardware is the physical component needed to take orders and payments.

This includes general point of sale hardware like ordering screens on iPads, card readers, and barcode scanners. Restaurant-specific POS hardware includes items such as kitchen display screens and self-ordering kiosks.

What’s The Difference Between Restaurant POS Hardware & Software?

Restaurant POS hardware is the physical items that restaurant staff and customers can see and touch in the ordering process. Restaurant POS software is a set of instructions that facilitates the ordering process. POS software is installed on POS hardware and connects all the separate hardware components. You need both for a complete restaurant POS system.

For example, a customer places an order for a burger and fries. The server taps an image of a burger and fries on a POS screen, such as an iPad, and the POS software adds the item and price to the order.

When a customer is ready to pay with a card, the point of sale software adds up the total, and customers pay with their preferred method with a card reader. The card reader charges only the amount the POS software tells it to.

Must-Have POS Hardware For Restaurants

These five items are the bare minimum necessities for taking orders and payments in a restaurant.

Additional Restaurant POS Hardware To Consider

While you don’t need these restaurant-specific POS hardware components to run your restaurant, having this hardware will improve the overall experience for servers, kitchen staff, and customers.

How To Choose POS Hardware For Your Restaurant

You have to combine POS hardware with POS software for a fully functional restaurant POS system. So, when choosing restaurant POS hardware, you have to consider the software you want to use in your restaurant.

Here’s how to pick restaurant POS hardware compatible with your POS software.

1: Decide On Your Budget

Restaurant POS system costs include a one-time fee for POS hardware, an ongoing monthly fee for POS software, and payment processing fees.

Decide how much you can afford to spend right now on POS hardware. You can also look into financing hardware or getting a small business loan to cover one-time equipment expenses.

Build your monthly budget to know how much you can spend on software. This helps you decide whether you can afford add-on features now or later on.

Most restaurant POS system providers include payment processing with their POS hardware, so shop around for the one that gives you the best payment processing rates while still meeting your POS software and hardware needs.

2: Choose Your Must-Have Restaurant Features

All restaurants need inventory and menu management, an ordering screen, tipping features, employee logins, and at least basic POS reporting. However, you may want or need more than these basic features.

For example, if your restaurant can manage online orders and delivery, you will need an online ordering platform and delivery management. If you get a lot of orders from third-party delivery services, KDS software and hardware can help you manage orders from all customer touchpoints.

Consider whether add-ons are worth it before adding them to your software plan.

3: Measure Your Restaurant Space

Estimate your restaurant counter and kitchen space before choosing your POS hardware. If you have a small counter service restaurant or a food truck, look for a POS provider that offers small restaurant POS hardware setups or allows you to use small iPads to take orders. If you have a multi-station restaurant, consider whether you have the space to put a KDS screen at every station.

Related: These are our best food truck POS systems.

4: Choose Your Restaurant POS Software & Hardware

Once you have a sense of your price range, software features, and restaurant space, it’s time to choose your POS software and accompanying hardware. Make a list of your options, sign up for any POS software free trials or demos, and then decide.

See what POS hardware your software provider offers, and choose what works for your restaurant space and needs.

Note: Before deciding on POS hardware, consider how much wear and tear you expect your hardware to endure. If you expect a lot of drops and spills, consider paying for more durable restaurant-grade POS hardware if you have the funds.

5: Purchase & Install Your Restaurant POS Hardware

Look for any hardware warranty requirements and setup service offerings. Install your POS hardware in your restaurant and train staff on using the devices. Troubleshoot any hardware or software issues with a customer representative. Then, start taking orders!

The Bottom Line On Restaurant POS Hardware

Restaurant POS hardware is a worthwhile investment for an efficient restaurant. Not only can it help with inventory management and streamline your kitchen ordering, but it can also dramatically cut down on errors and ticket times with tableside ordering. These are our recommendations for the best restaurant POS systems along with compatible POS hardware options and pricing.