Year in Review: The Biggest POS Industry Stories of 2025

📊 Year in Review • December 2023

2023 Year in Review: The Stories That Shaped POS

From AI breakthroughs to record sales — the year that changed everything

1️⃣ AI Enters the POS

Every major provider launched AI features: Square’s inventory forecasting, Toast’s menu optimization, Shopify’s product descriptions. POS became intelligent.

2️⃣ Toast’s Continued Dominance

25,000+ new locations, 120,000+ total. First full year of profitability. Stock doubled. Toast is pulling away.

3️⃣ The Self-Service Revolution

Sub-$1,000 kiosks from Toast and Square. Self-service went from enterprise luxury to small business necessity.

4️⃣ Contactless Hits 60%

More than 60% of Q4 transactions were contactless. NFC support is now table stakes.

5️⃣ Security Concerns Grew

High-profile breaches highlighted the danger of legacy POS hardware. Cloud migration is a security imperative.

6️⃣ SpotOn’s Rise

Market share from 3% to 7%, winning restaurants with lower rates and no contracts. A credible Toast alternative emerged.

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