Best POS Systems for Bars in 2025
Bars face unique POS challenges: rapid-fire drink orders, complex tab management, age verification requirements, and tip distribution for multiple bartenders. The wrong system costs you money on every shift.
With average drinks priced at $8-12 and margins around 80% on liquor, even small efficiency gains add up. A POS that saves 30 seconds per transaction can add $50,000+ to your annual revenue.
🏆 Top 5 Bar POS Systems
1. Toast POS — Best Overall for Bars
Toast dominates the bar industry with spill-resistant hardware, lightning-fast tab management, and industry-leading age verification. Their bar-specific features are unmatched.
- Spill-proof hardware made for bars
- Best-in-class tab management
- Built-in ID scanning
- Excellent tip pooling
- 2-year contract required
- Proprietary hardware only
2. TouchBistro — Best for Cocktail Bars
TouchBistro excels at craft cocktail bars where customization matters. Complex recipes, modifier tracking, and tableside ordering make it perfect for elevated experiences.
- Recipe costing built-in
- Elegant iPad interface
- Tableside ordering support
- Multi-location management
- Online ordering costs extra
- Limited third-party integrations
3. Square for Restaurants — Best Budget Option
Square offers a free entry point for new bars. While lacking some bar-specific features, its simplicity and free pricing make it ideal for starting out.
- No monthly fees to start
- Use existing iPads
- Excellent reporting
- Easy staff training
- Limited bar-specific features
- Basic inventory tracking
4. Revel Systems — Best for Nightclubs
Revel’s enterprise features shine in high-volume nightclub environments. Multiple bar stations, advanced security, and robust reporting handle the most demanding venues.
- Handles extreme volume
- Advanced security features
- Multi-station coordination
- Deep analytics
- Higher price point
- Steeper learning curve
5. SpotOn — Best for Bar & Restaurant Combos
SpotOn excels when you’re running both a bar and restaurant operation. Seamless menu switching and unified reporting make managing dual operations simple.
- Low monthly cost
- Excellent for dual concepts
- Modern cloud platform
- Good customer support
- Newer to market
- Fewer integrations
Essential Bar POS Features
When evaluating POS systems for your bar, prioritize these critical features:
- Tab Management: Quick open/transfer/split tabs for managing multiple customers
- Age Verification: Built-in ID scanning to ensure compliance and reduce liability
- Inventory Tracking: Monitor pour costs and identify shrinkage in real-time
- Tip Distribution: Flexible tip pooling for bartenders and support staff
- Speed Screens: One-touch buttons for popular drinks during rush periods
- Pre-authorization: Hold cards for tabs without charging immediately
Bar Owner Tips
From industry veterans
- 1Invest in spill-resistant hardware—regular tablets fail fast behind the bar
- 2Set up speed screens for your top 20 drinks—they account for 80% of orders
- 3Use pre-auth on all tabs to reduce walkouts by up to 95%
- 4Track pour costs weekly—acceptable variance is 5-8%, above 10% signals theft
- 5Ensure your POS integrates with your liquor inventory system