Best POS Systems for Coffee Shops in 2025
☕ Best Coffee Shop POS Systems (2025)
Speed is everything in coffee. We analyzed 40+ POS systems to find the ones that handle morning rush, track ingredient inventory, and keep baristas happy with seamless tip management.
Coffee shops have unique operational demands. Unlike restaurants where tickets average 45-60 minutes, you need to process orders in under a minute. Your POS must handle complex drink modifications without slowing down the line.
The average coffee shop generates $200,000-$400,000 in annual revenue, with profit margins ranging from 2.5% to 15% depending on efficiency. The right POS can be the difference between thriving and struggling to break even.
🏆 Top 5 Coffee Shop POS Systems
1. Toast POS — Best for High-Volume
Toast dominates the coffee shop space with restaurant-grade speed and reliability. Built specifically for food service, it handles complex drink modifiers seamlessly.
- Fastest checkout speeds in testing
- Excellent tip pooling features
- Built-in online ordering
- Offline mode keeps you running
- Requires proprietary hardware
- 2-year contracts standard
2. Square for Restaurants — Best Free Option
Square remains the go-to for new coffee shops. The free tier includes robust features, and the ecosystem of add-ons makes scaling straightforward.
- No monthly fees on basic plan
- Works with iPad hardware
- Excellent mobile app
- Easy to set up and use
- Limited offline functionality
- Basic inventory management
3. TouchBistro — Best Staff Management
TouchBistro shines with staff management capabilities. Advanced scheduling, tip distribution, and performance tracking make it ideal for larger teams.
- Superior staff scheduling
- Flexible tip management
- Intuitive iPad interface
- Online ordering costs extra
- Limited integrations
4. Lightspeed — Best Inventory Control
Lightspeed offers the most sophisticated inventory management. Track ingredients down to the ounce, set automatic reorder points, and get real-time cost analysis.
- Best-in-class inventory tracking
- Ingredient-level costing
- Powerful analytics
- Steeper learning curve
- Higher price point
5. Revel Systems — Best for Chains
Revel is the enterprise-grade solution for coffee chains. Centralized management, advanced multi-location reporting, and robust API for custom integrations.
- Scales to 100+ locations
- Centralized menu management
- Open API for customization
- 3-year contracts required
- Overkill for single locations
☕ Coffee Shop Profit Margins by Product
- 1Pre-build your modifiers. Create one-tap buttons for common mods (oat milk, extra shot). Each tap saved = 2-3 seconds. Over 300 drinks, that’s 10-15 minutes daily.
- 2Throttle mobile orders. Configure a 10-minute delay during peak to prevent overwhelming your bar while still capturing sales.
- 3Use Quick Order mode. Train your team to switch to simplified interface at 6:45 AM and back at 9:30 AM.
- 4Batch tip reporting. Configure POS to show tip totals only during shift change to keep focus on speed.
- 5Pre-open inventory alerts. Set checks at 5:30 AM. Know shortages before the first customer walks in.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Costs range from $0-150+/month for software, plus $300-1,500 for hardware. Processing fees typically run 2.49-2.9% plus 10-30¢ per transaction. For a shop processing $25K monthly, that’s $625-725 in fees alone.
Technically yes, but you’ll struggle with speed and drink modifications. Coffee shops need POS optimized for quick-service with robust modifier capabilities. Standard restaurant POS will slow you down during rush.
Essential in 2025. Coffee shops with mobile ordering see 15-25% higher average tickets because customers browse longer. Mobile orders also smooth out rush periods by spreading demand.
Most shops use tip pooling distributed by hours worked. Toast and TouchBistro offer robust tip management. Consider showing suggested tips (18%, 20%, 25%) – research shows higher averages than custom amounts.
Best POS systems offer ingredient-level tracking that auto-deducts when drinks sell. Lightspeed offers the most granular tracking with par levels and automatic reorder points for each ingredient.
Last updated: December 2025 | POSAdvice editorial team | We may earn a commission when you purchase through our links.
Coffee Shop POS Pricing Breakdown
Wondering what you will actually pay? Here is a transparent breakdown of costs for the top coffee shop POS systems:
Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) POS Pricing
Fast food, cafes, and quick service restaurant POS system pricing comparison.
Toast
- Software Free plan available
- Processing 2.49% + $0.15
- Contract 2-year standard
Square
- Software Free plan available
- Processing 2.6% + $0.10
- Contract None
Detailed Pricing Breakdown
Toast Pricing
Software Plans
| Plan | Monthly Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | FREE | Counter service POS |
| Essentials | $69/mo | Online ordering, analytics |
| Custom | Custom | Multi-location, catering |
Hardware Costs
Payment Processing
Rate applies to in-person card transactions. Online and keyed transactions may have higher rates.
Square Pricing
Software Plans
| Plan | Monthly Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | FREE | Basic QSR features |
| Plus | $60/mo | Advanced features |
Hardware Costs
Payment Processing
Rate applies to in-person card transactions. Online and keyed transactions may have higher rates.
Get Your Personalized Quote
Actual pricing depends on your specific business needs. Get custom quotes from top providers.
Get Free QuotesCompare Top Coffee Shop POS Systems
See how the top POS systems compare head-to-head:
- Square vs Toast – Free software vs restaurant specialist
- Square vs Clover – Transparent pricing vs negotiable rates
- Toast vs Lightspeed – Restaurant POS comparison
- View All POS Comparisons
Free Coffee Shop POS Guide
Restaurant POS Buyer's Guide
Complete 2025 Guide for Restaurant Owners
Everything you need to know about restaurant POS systems. Compare top options, understand pricing, and avoid costly mistakes.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.