4 Best POS for Food Trucks

The needs of 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 allow you to run your food truck efficiently and affordably to maximize profitability. Luckily, 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 with mobile kitchens and assisting food trucks. I also sought input from my colleagues with food truck experience to get their takes. According to my evaluation, the four best POS for food trucks include Square, Toast, SpotOn, and TouchBistro.

• Square for Restaurants: Best overall food truck POS
• Toast: Best for catering and food truck fleets
• SpotOn: Best for customer loyalty
• TouchBistro: Best for easy staff training

Best food truck POS systems compared

	My score	Minimum monthly software fee	Offline functionality	Marketing & loyalty features
	4.5/5	$0	Strong	Excellent (pay-as-you-go)
	Visit Square
	4.24/5	$0	Strong	Good
	Visit Toast
	3.95/5	$0	Strong	Excellent
	Visit SpotOn
	3.93/5	$69	Strong	Good
	Visit TouchBistro

Square for Restaurants: Overall best POS for food trucks

Overall score: 4.5/5

Pricing: 5/5

Mobility & payment processing: 4/5

Food truck niche tools: 4.75/5

Ease of use: 3.75/5

Expert score: 5/5

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

Visit Square

My expert opinion

Who should use it: Beginners in the food truck space will find Square for Restaurants’ 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 I 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 widely accessible to new restaurateurs. 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’s hard to find a more optimized food truck POS software.

Pricing

Free: $0/location/month

• Includes food truck POS software for one countertop POS device.
• Add countertop POS devices for $50/month per device.
• Comes with phone support Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. – 6 p.m. PT.
• Includes processing fees at 2.6% + 15 cents per in-person transaction or 2.9% + 30 cents per online transaction.

Plus: $69/location/month

• Includes food truck POS software for one countertop POS device.
• Add countertop POS devices for $50/month per device.
• Includes processing fees at 2.6% + 10 cents per in-person transaction or 2.9% + 30 cents per online transaction
• Includes Square kitchen display system (KDS) software at no additional cost (hardware costs are separate).
• Includes scan-to-pay features, the ability to reopen closed checks, and close-of-day reports.
• Comes with 24/7 phone support.

Premium: $165/location/month

• Includes food truck POS software for one countertop POS device.
• Add countertop POS devices for $50/month per device.
• Includes processing fees at 2.6% + 10 cents per in-person transaction or 2.9% + 30 cents per online transaction
• Includes Square kitchen display system (KDS), mobile POS, and kiosk software at no additional cost (hardware costs are separate).
• Includes scan-to-pay features, the ability to reopen closed checks, and close-of-day reports.
• Comes with 24/7 phone support.

Standout features

• Free POS: The baseline Square for Restaurants POS subscription (which is all that 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’s 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 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 megabits 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 food truck POS system for catering & food truck fleets

Overall score: 4.24/5

Pricing: 3/5

Mobility & payment processing: 4/5

Food truck niche tools: 5/5

Ease of use: 4.44/5

Expert score: 4.75/5

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

Visit Toast

My expert opinion

Who should use it: 
Food truck owners who 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 I like it: 
Toast is a brand that takes being built for restaurants to heart (it’s also my best restaurant POS system overall). 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.

Generally, there aren’t a lot of features in the higher plans that aren’t also available in the free plan. All plans include the same amount of customer care, table and order management, digital menus, an offline mode, mobile payments, and timekeeping, among other features.

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.

Pricing

Starter Kit: $0 (pay-as-you-go option)

• Payment processing fees range from 3.09% + 15 cents/card transaction to 3.69% + 15 cents/card transaction with pay-as-you-go pricing.
• Payment processing fees are 2.49% + 15 cents/card transaction with traditional pricing.
• Includes cloud-based POS software for one location and up to two terminals. 
• Includes 24/7/365 support, installation and network configuration, and automatic feature and software upgrades.

Point of Sale: $69/month
Build Your Own: Custom-priced

Standout features

• 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 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 food truck POS for customer loyalty

Overall score: 4.5/5

Pricing: 4.5/5

Mobility & payment processing: 3.75/5

Food truck niche tools: 4.38/5

Ease of use: 3.13/5

Expert score: 4/5

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 Review

Visit SpotOn

My expert opinion

Who should use it: 
Food trucks that want to build an engaged and active customer base will appreciate SpotOn. It may be too much for seasonal food trucks.

Why I like it: 
Beyond the customer loyalty tools, SpotOn offers robust POS features for food trucks. Its industry-grade hardware is designed to withstand challenging 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.

Pricing

Quick Start: $0, plus 2.89% + 25 cents processing fees

• Cloud-based POS comes with POS ordering & payments, menu management, table layout management, and reporting and analytics.
• A 15” SpotOn Station, guest-facing display, stand, cash drawer, and receipt printer are included in the processing fees.
• Support includes installation help, 24/7/365 support, and automatic software upgrades.

Quick-Service: $99/mo + $3 per employee/month ($75/mo min), plus 1.99% + 25 cents processing fees for most credit cards

• Hardware includes a 10” SpotOn Counter, stand, guest-facing display, cash drawer, and receipt printer, with up to $850 in available financing. 
• This plan includes the same support and cloud-based POS features as the free plan.
• This plan includes an employee app and employee management tools for scheduling, payroll preparation, and tip management.

Full-Service: $135/mo +$3 per employee/month ($75/mo min), plus 1.99% + 25 cents processing fees for most credit cards

• Hardware includes a 15″ SpotOn Station, stand, cash drawer, receipt printer, and kitchen display system (KDS), with up to $750 in available financing ($750 for the stand and $600 for the KDS). 
• This plan includes the same support and cloud-based POS features as the free plan.
• This plan includes an employee app and employee management tools for scheduling, payroll preparation, and tip management.
• This plan also gets you digital & tableside ordering via digital menus and QR code order and pay.

Standout features

• 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 item for their birthday.

• 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.

Overall score: 3.93/5

Pricing: 2.75/5

Mobility & payment processing: 4/5

Food truck niche tools: 4.5/5

Ease of use: 4.38/5

Expert score: 4/5

Pros

• iOS-based interface is as easy to use as a smartphone
• Operates on iPads, terminals, KDS screens, self-ordering kiosks, and handheld devices
• You can self-install
• 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 a custom quote

TouchBistro Review

Visit TouchBistro

My expert opinion

Who should use it: 
TouchBistro is great for food truck owners with staff who require more in-depth management. Additionally, it’s ideal for users wanting an intuitive and easy-to-use software.

Why I like it: 
TouchBistro is incredibly user-friendly, which is a big win in the hyper-busy food truck environments. This system is self-installable and easy to set up, offering a detailed knowledge base that guides you through various configuration scenarios. Its employee management tools, such as different user permissions, make the system very approachable.

Pricing

Monthly software fees: $69/month. Additional hardware costs and fees may apply. 

• POS software includes menu management, reporting and analytics, tableside ordering, floor plan management, and staff management features.
• Back-of-house and guest management solutions are available as add-ons at custom prices. 
• TouchBistro uses a cost plus pricing model for payment processing fees. 

Standout features

• Flexible hardware: With TouchBistro, it’s 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 is 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’s 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 can 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 often serve as a starting point for a chef or a brand. 

That being said, a food truck POS needs to be affordable while still offering 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 it provides.

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 an 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 by you and your staff are crucial pieces of managing your food truck business effectively. 

How I evaluated the best food truck POS systems

When determining the best POS systems for food trucks, I evaluated vendors based on several key criteria. Price, mobility, and payment processing were considered due to the nature of a food truck business. 

I also considered food truck niche tools and ease of use. Finally, my expert score rounded out my determination of each system. 

Pricing: 20%

The presence of a free trial, a monthly software cost, and additional hardware cost all affected my pricing score. Additionally, I considered the maximum number of users and the duration of the contract required to use each service. Pricing took into account the tight margins and ever-changing sales outlook that food trucks face.

Mobility & payment processing: 20%

Regarding mobility and payment processing, the first aspect of a system I considered was the number of different processors it synced with and whether an offline mode supported payment processing. I then examined cloud access, the hardware itself, and the availability of contactless payments.

Food truck niche tools: 20%

Next for consideration were the food truck-specific tools each software provided. Ingredient-level inventory tracking, menu, and order management were all considered. Furthermore, kitchen display systems, marketing tools, and available integrations were also evaluated. 

Ease of use: 20%

Ease of use was determined based on the system’s ability to be easily self-installed, the type of training provided, customer support hours, and the nature of the customer support offered.

Expert score: 20%

Features offered, the value provided against the software’s cost, 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.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Finding a great POS system for a food truck requires time, research, and a basic understanding of the food truck business. Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about food truck POS systems.

Last bite

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 my 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.