Toast POS Overview: Features, Pricing, Hardware, & Plans Explained

If you’re in the market for a restaurant-focused point of sale system, Toast POS is probably on your radar. Known for its sleek hardware, built-in payment processing, and restaurant-first tools, Toast offers a platform for food businesses of all kinds — from quick-service cafes to full-service restaurants.

In this post, we’ll break down Toast POS’s features, pricing, hardware options, and plan tiers to help you decide if it’s the right fit for your business.

What is Toast POS?

Toast POS is a cloud-based point-of-sale system designed specifically for the foodservice industry. It combines front-of-house, back-of-house, and payment processing into a single platform, giving restaurant operators tools to manage service, staff, and sales.

Unlike other POS providers that serve retail and food businesses equally, Toast focuses almost exclusively on restaurants, giving it an edge in areas like kitchen display systems, menu management, and table service features.

In 2024, Toast expanded its POS system to include a retail component, now offering features tailored for the retail sector, particularly within the food industry.

Toast POS Key Features

Toast offers a range of tools tailored to modern food establishments. Here are some of its most notable features:

💳 Order & Payment Tools

• Tableside ordering and payments via handheld devices
• QR code ordering and payments
• Online ordering & delivery integration
• Split checks and tipping
• Toast Go™ handheld devices for line busting and tableside service

👨‍🍳 Kitchen & Back-of-House Tools

• Kitchen Display System (KDS) to replace paper tickets
• Menu management with modifier support
• Inventory tracking
• Automatic 86ing of menu items
• Recipe costing and food cost control (with add-ons)

📈 Reporting & Analytics

• Sales dashboards
• Labor reports and cost tracking
• Product mix and modifier reports
• Mobile access via the Toast app

⏱️ Employee & Labor Management

• Built-in time tracking and shift scheduling
• Role-based permissions
• Payroll integration (with add-ons)

🎟️ Customer Engagement

• Loyalty and rewards program
• Marketing campaigns
• Customer feedback tools
• Gift card support (physical and digital) 

Toast POS Pricing & Plans

Toast pricing can feel a bit confusing at first because it offers both traditional (monthly fee + lower processing rates) and Pay-As-You-Go plans (no monthly fees, higher processing rates). Both also come with add-on options (loyalty, accounting, gift cards, online ordering, etc.), all of which add significantly to the monthly price.

Here’s a breakdown: 

Toast Starter Kit Plans (Basic, Core, Growth) 

The Starter Kit is ideal for smaller restaurants or new businesses. It comes with three plan tiers:

With each plan, you can choose between:

• Pay-as-you-go: $0 upfront for hardware, but higher payment processing rates
• Traditional pricing: Pay upfront for hardware and benefit from lower processing fees 

Toast POS Plan

The core Toast POS plan is aimed at full-service restaurants and larger operations that need more customization and support. 

Pricing starts at $69/mo per terminal, with hardware costs and processing fees billed separately. 

Toast Custom Plan

For enterprise-level operations or restaurants with highly specific needs, Toast offers a fully customizable plan.

This plan is ideal for multi-location chains or unique setups needing a tailored POS experience.

4. Toast Retail POS (New!) 

In 2024, Toast launched Toast Retail, its first offering outside the restaurant space. Designed for hybrid and non-restaurant businesses, Toast Retail targets establishments that sell retail goods:

• Coffee shops
• Wineries
• Bakeries
• Gift shops
• Pop-up shops

Toast Retail uses a custom pricing model, so you’ll need to contact Toast for a quote based on your retail business’s needs.

Toast POS Hardware

All Toast hardware is proprietary, meaning you can’t bring your own iPads or Android tablets. Below is a look at some of the most popular hardware Toast offers:

Optional Add-Ons and Integrations: Why They Matter—and Why They Add Up Fast

While Toast POS offers a powerful core platform, most restaurants quickly find that the base software subscription isn’t enough to fully meet their operational needs. To unlock key features, restaurants typically require several of Toast’s optional add-ons.

Common Toast Add-Ons Restaurants Rely On:

• Toast Payroll & Team Management (~$90/month + $9 per employee)
  Essential for scheduling, payroll processing, and labor compliance.
  
• Toast Online Ordering (~$75/month)
  Commission-free online ordering is a must-have for takeout and delivery, especially post-pandemic. This module integrates directly with kitchen display systems.
  
• Loyalty & Gift Cards (~$50/month each)
  Building customer loyalty and running promotions often requires both loyalty programs and gift card capabilities, which are separate add-ons.
  
• Toast Marketing (~$75/month)
  Email campaigns, targeted promotions, and automated marketing tools help restaurants keep customers coming back but add to your monthly bill.
  
• Inventory Management (Variable, often additional fees)
  Ingredient-level tracking and waste reduction tools are vital for controlling food costs, but are not included in the base package.

What Do Toast Add-Ons Mean for Your Monthly Bill?

Even though Toast’s starter plans may begin as low as $69/month, adding these essential modules easily pushes the monthly software subscription into the $400-$500 range for an average-sized restaurant.

This doesn’t include hardware fees, payment processing fees (which are higher on the Pay-As-You-Go plans), or other incidentals. For many businesses, the total Toast POS cost can become a significant monthly expense.

Real Toast POS Customer Reviews: What Users Are Saying

(Sources: G2, Capterra, Trustpilot, Toast official FAQ)

Toast Onboarding and Rollout Experience

Many users report that onboarding with Toast is straightforward but complex, given the breadth of features offered.

• Setup support: Toast provides dedicated onboarding specialists who assist with hardware installation, menu setup, and staff training.
• Training: Online resources, webinars, and in-person or virtual training sessions are available. Many users praise the comprehensive nature of these materials.
• Rollout: Depending on the size of your operation, rollout can take from a few days (small single-location venues) to several weeks (multi-location chains). Toast also offers priority support for larger clients.
• Potential hiccups: Some users mention initial software bugs or hardware delivery delays but appreciate the company’s responsive customer service during those times.

Toast Customer Support: What to Expect

Toast offers 24/7/365 customer support, a perk for busy restaurant operators working non-traditional hours.

While overall support scores are strong, some users note wait times can spike during peak hours or major product updates.

Is Toast POS Worth It?

Toast is a solid choice for food service businesses that want an all-in-one, industry-focused platform. Its scalability and dedicated restaurant features justify the investment for many growing brands.

However, Toast is expensive. The upfront hardware costs, mandatory payment processing fees, add-on subscriptions, and long-term contracts can quickly add up, often making Toast one of the priciest POS options on the market.

If budget is tight or your business isn’t a full-service restaurant, this cost premium may not be justified.

Choosing the Right POS: Toast vs. KORONA POS

If your business is restaurant-centric, Toast POS remains one of the strongest, most feature-rich platforms in the industry. It’s tailored for hospitality workflows, kitchen coordination, and contactless dining experiences.

But if you’re looking for a POS that handles quick-service restaurants, retail, specialty sales, or unique verticals like wineries and pop-up stores, KORONA POS may offer better tools, pricing clarity, and flexibility. 

Here’s a quick comparison of the two:

KORONA POS: A Toast POS Alternative for QSR, Retail & Specialty Shops

Toast isn’t a one-size-fits-all. In fact, it’s quite expensive. If you’re not a full-service restaurant—or if you operate a retail-heavy hybrid like a winery or coffee shop — KORONA POS may be the better fit. KORONA doesn’t serve full-service restaurants, but it does offer a robust platform for:

• Quick-service restaurants (QSRs)
• Retail stores
• Coffee shops and bakeries
• Wine and liquor shops
• Ticket-based businesses

With transparent pricing, built-in inventory management, and award-winning customer service, KORONA POS is a strong contender for non-restaurant businesses seeking smart, reliable software. Book your free KORONA POS demo to see what it can do for you.