The needs for a food truck differ from those of a conventional restaurant due to the speed, mobility, and service style in which a food truck operates. The best point-of-sale (POS) systems for food trucks have features that allow you to run your food truck efficiently and affordably to maximize profitability. That being said, there are a few great food truck POS options on the market for you to choose from.
I evaluated dozens of popular POS systems based on my experience working on mobile kitchens and helping out with food trucks. I also sought input from my colleagues with food truck experience to get their takes. According to our evaluations, the four best food truck POS systems are:
- Square For Restaurants: Best overall food truck POS and best for beginners
- Toast: Best for catering and food truck fleets
- SpotOn: Best for customer loyalty
- TouchBistro: Best for easy staff training
I have over 10 years of experience in the food and beverage industry and have worked with a variety of POS systems across many use cases. I bring my expertise in food product management and food tech to my evaluations of the POS systems in this guide, especially focusing on mobile POS systems.
Restaurant Expert at FitSmallBusiness
Best Food Truck POS Compared
Square For Restaurants: Best Overall Food Truck POS & Best for Beginners
Pros
- Baseline POS is free
- No long-term contracts
- Can use hardware you already own
- Supports handheld payment terminals
Cons
- Square is the only payment processor
- Ingredient-level inventory requires a third-party integration
- Free POS only supports one set of user permissions
Square For Restaurants Overview
Who should use it:
Beginners in the food truck space will find Square for Restaurant’s POS system invaluable and highly affordable. Additionally, users who want fluid handheld device capabilities, a focus on marketing, and a service that is well-tested and regarded throughout the industry should choose Square.
Why we like it:
Square is an extremely approachable POS system, which is key for many food truck owners. Remember, food trucks are often used as proof of concept, and therefore, many food truck owners may be new to managing a food business. Square for Restaurants offers a POS system that is robust in features while being wildly accessible to new restauranteurs. With the ability to work on various network Wi-Fi and cellular signals, a free baseline plan, and the ability to use preexisting hardware, it is hard to find a more optimized food truck POS software.
- Monthly software fees:
- Free: $0
- Plus: $60
- In-person payment processing: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Free POS: The baseline Square for Restaurants POS subscription (which is all most food trucks will need) has no monthly software fees. All you pay are transaction fees on digital payments; there are no fees for cash sales. This is important, as many food truck owners may not have a lot of upfront capital, making Square an economically affordable choice.
- No long-term contracts: Unlike Toast or TouchBistro, Square does not require a long-term contract. This is an excellent fit for seasonal trucks or trucks operating only on weekends or holidays.
- Pay-as-you-go marketing: Square’s marketing tools allow you to easily collect customer contact information and send email or text promotions to capture their attention. This means that food truck owners only need to pay for marketing when it is financially viable, another great asset when building a business from the ground up.
- Food Truck Pub integration: Square offers free-to-access mobile and web management order software for food truck owners. It costs a $1 convenience fee per order, which customers pay. This integration does more than process online orders; it also shows your truck location on a map so nearby foodies can find you. This map can also share your future locations and events.
- Square Invoices: Square Invoices—which integrates with Square’s POS products—keeps your catering deposits organized and processes payments for large events. Square says that over 75% of Square invoices are paid within 24 hours. Square Invoices is free to use; the only cost is a slightly higher payment processing rate of 2.9% + 30 cents for invoices paid online.
- Cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity: Your Square POS can communicate through any Wi-Fi network with an internet speed of 25 megabytes per second. If you are out of Wi-Fi range, you can get these speeds through a mobile hotspot or an LTE-enabled mobile router from your cellular provider. Square also works on 4G and 5G networks.
Toast: Best for Catering & Food Truck Fleets
Pros
- Baseline subscription has no software fees
- Pay-As-You-Go options supply up to two Toast terminals for no upfront cost
- Includes efficient invoicing tools
- Industry-grade hardware ideal for high-volume use in both kitchens and outdoor cooking settings
Cons
- Locked into Toast Payments
- A two-year contract is required
- More tools than smaller trucks need
Toast Overview
Who should use it:
Food truck owners that offer catering or manage a fleet are better off with Toast; its invoicing tools and general suite of features are meant for larger settings. Toast’s industry-grade hardware is tested to be durable in all types of food settings. Its built-in invoicing tools make offering catering services easy and profitable.
Why we like it:
Toast is a brand that takes being built for restaurants to heart. Its extremely durable hardware is great for food trucks, as they can be in some of the harshest cooking environments. Toast’s pay-as-you-go subscription is an affordable gateway into leading POS systems, and its focus on a variety of high-volume tools makes it ideal for trucks that cater for many events.
It also has an excellent suite of training videos focused on improving and training new food truck owners, a key asset when building out a business.
- Monthly software fees:
- Starter Kit: $0 (pay-as-you-go option)
- Point of Sale: $69
- Build Your Own: Custom pricing option
- In-person payment processing: $2.49 + 15 cents
- Industry-grade hardware: Toast is the only system on this list that publicizes its hardware’s Ingress Protection (IP) rating. Toast’s terminals have an IP-54 rating, meaning they can withstand dust and steam penetration and operate at temperatures from 40 to 114 degrees Fahrenheit. Apple does not list an IP rating for iPads and recommends operating between 32 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Pay-as-you-go options: Toast users who only need one to two terminals can use Toast’s Starter Kit Bundle subscription with no monthly software fees. You can also roll in a complete Toast stationary terminal with a terminal, cash drawer, card reader, and router for a higher processing fee.
- Dynamic handheld terminals: Toast’s Toast Go 2 handheld is one of the most comprehensive handheld POS terminals available. The large touch-screen is easy to read and navigate. It can take orders, process swiped, dipped, and tapped payments, and alert your staff when orders are ready. The Toast Go 2 has a 24-hour battery life and is water-resistant and drop-proof. It’s great for busting long food truck lines and keeping orders flowing during a rush.
- Invoicing tools: Toast includes invoicing tools built into the POS. So, if you handle catering orders or cater private events with your truck, you can create invoices in your Toast POS and track large order payments from the initial deposit to the final balance.
- Inventory by xtraChef: Toast’s inventory software, xtraChef, is a custom-quoted add-on. With plenty of functions to guarantee its worth, xtraChef is an industry-leading inventory system. This offering sets Toast apart from others in this guide.
- Food truck-friendly payments: Toast offers QR code and online ordering, SMS alerts when food is ready, and the functionality to let customers pay by tapping, swiping, or using mobile wallets such as Apple Pay. Its various user-friendly payment methods allow for speedier lines and a smoother overall customer experience.
SpotOn: Best for Customer Loyalty
Pros
- Baseline subscription is $0 for software
- Offline payment processing, 4G access, and handheld POS systems are offered
- Robust, industry-grade hardware
- Highly regarded in user reviews
Cons
- Locked into SpotOn’s payment processing
- Only handheld POS can be self-installed
- KDS is an extra hardware cost
SpotOn Overview
Who should use it:
Food trucks who want to build an engaged and active customer base will appreciate SpotOn. It may be too much for seasonal food trucks.
Why we like it:
Beyond the customer loyalty tools, SpotOn offers robust POS features for food trucks. Its industry-grade hardware is meant to last in difficult environments. It often implements software updates geared toward better functionality, and it developed its tools with the guidance of the Restaurant Advisory Council. This, along with extremely positive user reviews, makes SpotOn a great choice for food trucks.
- Monthly Software Fees:
- Quick Start: $0 (higher processing fees)
- Small Business (handheld POS): $25
- Counter-Service: $99
*Custom plan also available.
- In-person Payment Processing:
- Quick Start: 2.89% + 25 cents (Minimums may be required for this plan)
- Other Plans: 1.99% + 25 cents
- Customer loyalty features: Display your logo at every touchpoint your customer interacts with when ordering online. You can view data on loyalty campaigns to determine which performed well. Finally, you can set automated awards for members of your loyalty program, such as a free taco for their birthday if you are a taco truck.
- SpotOn Teamwork: This app enables smart scheduling to save you admin time (up to 20 hours a week) and helps you stick to your labor budgets. You can also track staff availability, manage shift swaps, and get alerts for local labor regulations like California’s Meal Break Penalties. The only competing system that comes close to this level of staff management is Toast.
- Mobile ordering: Your customers can place group orders and split the bill in multiple ways directly from their smartphones. SpotOn also integrates with Ordr, an app that allows event attendees to order food to be delivered to their seats in arenas and stadiums. An integrated order-ready display screen shows takeout customers and delivery drivers exactly when their order is ready.
- Contactless payments: SpotOn users can accept NFC and mobile wallet payments onsite and online through SpotOn’s integrated mobile ordering system. Handheld terminals operate via Wi-Fi and 4G connections, so you’ll never go offline.
- Automated upsells and discounts: Your mobile and on-site ordering modules can automatically suggest items that are popular pairings or apply discounts when an order meets the promotional criteria.
TouchBistro: Best for Easy Staff Training
Pros
- iOS-based interface is as easy to use as a smartphone
- Operates on iPads, terminals, KDS screens, self-ordering kiosks, and handheld devices
- Self-installable
- TouchBistro offers robust employee management tools
Cons
- Locked into TouchBistro Payments
- Higher baseline POS price than others on the list
- Hardware and payment processing rates require custom-quote
TouchBistro Overview
Who should use it:
TouchBistro is great for food truck owners with staff that require more in-depth management. Additionally, it’s ideal for users wanting an intuitive and easy-to-use software.
Why we like it:
TouchBistro is incredibly user-friendly, which is a big win in the hyper-busy environments of a food truck. This system is self-installable and easy to set up, offering a detailed knowledge base that walks you through many different configuration scenarios. Its employee management tools, such as different user permissions, make the system very approachable.
- Monthly software fees: $69 per terminal
- In-person payment processing: Custom-quoted
- Flexible hardware: With TouchBistro, it is easy to format iPads as POS terminals, KDS screens, or handheld order and payment devices. Some configurations come with additional monthly fees; you’ll need to check with TouchBistro for full pricing.
- Menu management: TouchBistro’s menu-building interface is extremely user-friendly and cloud-based, so you can build a new menu screen on the go. The system also offers color-coded menu items to help your staff quickly navigate order screens. You can even add staff-facing detailed menu descriptors that allow your staff to tell the full story behind a dish.
- Self-installable and easy to use: The system is easy to set up on your own and designed to be user-friendly, making it a breeze for operations. The iOS-style design makes this software super friendly to anyone who has used an iPhone before. Its resource guide offers various setup configurations based on your internet access type.
- Employee management tools: TouchBistro provides labor cost reports, individual staff login accounts, and customizable staff types for payroll processing. It also features clock in/out functions in a few taps, cloud-based employee tracking, and restricted actions customized to each individual working on your food truck.
How to Choose a Food Truck POS System
There is an art to finding the best food truck POS system for your business. The dynamic nature of owning a food truck ensures that the software you choose is just as dynamic. Let’s discuss the steps you should take when assessing the best POS for your food truck.
Step 1: Search for Agility & Mobility
The truth about food truck POS systems is that they need to be flexible and mobile to bring success to your business. Flexible payment processing, easy display screens for employees to input orders, and orderly order routing to the cook staff quickly are vital in a food truck POS system. There are many great POS systems on the market, but not all are meant to be successful in a food truck setting.
Step 2: Know Your Budget
The next step in determining the best POS for your food truck is knowing your budget and the cost of the systems you are considering. Food trucks are scrappy and are often created as a starting business for a chef or a brand. That being said, a food truck POS needs to be affordable while still offering you industry-standard services. Knowing your budget will help you decide where to look when considering a POS system.
Step 3: Consider Niche Food Truck POS Functions
The next step in determining if a POS system fits your food truck is to search for niche POS systems you will use in your day-to-day operations. This includes in-depth inventory, menu and order management, available integrations, and employee permissions. The niche tools you have to run your food truck matter, and each POS system on the market will vary in what they provide to you.
Step 4: Note Your Desired Level of Support
One major aspect in determining the rankings in this guide is the amount of customer support each POS provides its users. Many food truck owners are first-time business operators and may need more support in getting on their feet. Finding a POS system that offers the support you need in relation to your experience level is a key step in picking a system that will work with you.
Step 5: Find a System With Easy Setup
Lastly, finding a system that can be set up quickly to get your food truck up and running is vital when trying to get a business off the ground. Quick setup and adoption of the software with you and your staff is a crucial piece of managing your food truck business effectively.
How We Evaluated Food Truck POS Systems
When it comes down to determining the best POS systems for food trucks, we evaluated the guide based on a few guiding criteria. Price, mobility, and payment processing were considered due to the nature of a food truck business. Food truck niche tools and ease of use were also considered. Finally, our expert score rounded out our determination of each system.
Below is a breakdown of our scoring.
20%
Mobility & Payment Processing
20%
Food Truck Niche Tools
20% of Overall Score
The presence of a free trial, a monthly software cost, and additional hardware cost all affected our pricing score. Additionally, we considered the maximum number of users and how long a contract was required to use each service. Pricing took into account the tight margins and often changing sales outlook food trucks face.
20% of Overall Score
Regarding mobility and payment processing, the first aspect of a system we took into account was the number of different processors they synced with and whether an offline mode supported payment processing. We then looked at cloud access, the hardware itself, and whether contactless payments existed.
20% of Overall Score
Ease of use was determined on the basis that the system could be easily self-installed, the type of training included, customer support hours, and the type of customer support provided.
20% of Overall Score
Features offered, the value provided against the cost of the software, and user reviews on reputable sites were all taken into account. The popularity of each POS system and the overall ease of use of each were all considered for our final expert score.
*Percentages of overall score
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Finding a great POS system for a food truck takes time and research as well as a basic understanding of the food truck business. Below are some of the most common questions regarding food truck POS systems.
A POS system is a combination of hardware and software that manages sales for the truck. From taking orders, processing payments, and displaying menus, the POS system is crucial to efficient operations in a food truck setting.
A POS can help a food truck process digital payments and keep track of sales, inventory, and employee hours. Many POS systems also include tools for employee scheduling, tip pool management, invoicing, and online ordering.
You can find food truck POS systems for as little as $0 up to more than $100 monthly. Your costs will depend entirely on the tools you need and the system you choose. If you need online ordering or invoicing, for example, you may need to pay an additional monthly fee. Most food trucks can expect to get all the tools they need in a baseline cloud POS subscription, which runs about $0 to $60 monthly.
We recommend POS systems for food trucks for a lot of reasons. The most important reason is that a POS allows you to easily accept the card and digital wallet payments that customers prefer. A POS also helps you keep track of sales and inventory, which saves you administrative time and can help you identify theft. Trucks operate with tight margins, so it is tempting to avoid the cost of a POS system, but in my experience, a POS for a food truck will save you time and money while helping you increase sales.
Features such as diverse payment processing, mobility, inventory management and tracking, and customer loyalty are a few of the key features your POS system should offer. Point-of-sale systems for food trucks should also be affordable, with agreeable contract terms, and should be able to support the growth of the business as needed.
Bottom Line
Food truck service differs from restaurant service due to the speed, limited space, and randomness of location that operators may encounter. You need a POS system that is flexible, easy to use, and inexpensive to get the most from it. Square is our pick for the best food truck POS.
With invoicing, text and email marketing, and a variety of hardware, you can configure this POS to fit any food truck style. Square can also grow with your business as it expands or your needs change. The lack of a long-term contract makes Square for Restaurants a low-risk option for new or seasonal food trucks. Additionally, its many easy-to-use features make it the ideal software for a busy and agile business type like a food truck.
