When it comes to selecting a point-of-sale (POS) system for your business, making the right choice can significantly impact operations. With options like Toast and Clover offering unique features and pricing, it’s essential to understand what sets them apart. Whether you’re running a café, a restaurant, or a retail shop, understanding these POS systems can help you streamline processes, enhance customer experience, and boost efficiency.
What Is Toast?
Toast is a widely recognized POS system designed primarily for restaurants. Its primary focus is on foodservice businesses like full-service restaurants, quick-service eateries, and cafes. Toast offers features that cater to these industries, such as menu management, employee tracking, and kitchen display systems. One of its standout features is its ability to integrate with third-party delivery services like UberEats and Grubhub. This makes it ideal for businesses that rely heavily on food delivery and online orders.
Toast’s system also provides in-depth reporting and analytics, helping restaurant owners keep a pulse on their sales, inventory, and employee performance. For businesses that require fast and reliable service with a focus on customer interactions, Toast provides mobile POS options, such as the Toast Go handheld device. It also includes self-service kiosks, enabling customers to place orders independently, which can help speed up service during peak hours.
What Is Clover?
Clover is a versatile POS system used by various types of businesses, including restaurants, retail stores, and service-based companies. It stands out because of its flexibility in both hardware and software. Clover offers several hardware options, ranging from simple card readers to fully-featured POS stations. This flexibility allows business owners to customize their setups according to their specific needs.
For restaurants, Clover provides features like table management and order processing, while retail businesses can take advantage of its inventory management and employee tracking tools. One of Clover’s key strengths is its ability to integrate with third-party apps and systems, which allows businesses to build a customized POS ecosystem. Additionally, Clover offers a range of payment processing options, providing business owners with the freedom to choose their preferred providers.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a POS System
Choosing between Clover vs. Toast depends on several key factors. Here’s what you need to consider when deciding which POS system suits your business best:
Business Type
If you’re running a restaurant, Toast is tailored specifically for foodservice businesses with features like table management and delivery integration. For a broader range of businesses, including retail, Clover’s flexibility makes it a good fit.
Hardware Options
Clover offers more flexibility in hardware, allowing you to choose individual devices like card readers or more comprehensive POS stations. Toast, on the other hand, offers pre-built hardware kits, which are simpler but less customizable.
Cost and Contracts
Toast has a pay-as-you-go option, which allows businesses to start using the system without an upfront investment. However, this results in higher processing fees. Clover’s pricing is more transparent, with upfront costs for hardware and more reasonable monthly fees.
Payment Processing
Toast requires its proprietary payment processor, which can limit flexibility for some businesses. In contrast, Clover allows users to integrate other payment processors, offering more choice.
Ease of Use
Both systems offer user-friendly interfaces, but Toast’s setup is more straightforward, especially for restaurant-specific tasks like menu management and order tracking.
Toast vs. Clover: What Makes Them Different?
While both systems offer similar features, there are several distinct differences that can make one a better choice than the other, depending on your business needs. Let’s explore how they stack up in specific areas.
Features
Toast excels in its restaurant-focused features. It offers comprehensive menu management tools, including the ability to update daily menus and track customer favorites. Clover, on the other hand, offers a broader range of features that can be tailored to restaurants, retail shops, or service-based businesses. Its inventory management system is particularly strong, with automatic syncing across multiple sales channels.
Pricing
When comparing Toast vs Clover pricing, Clover typically provides better flexibility. It offers a variety of plans for different business types, from small retail shops to full-service restaurants. Toast, while more straightforward, requires using its own hardware and payment processor, which can drive up costs.
Integrations
Clover shines in terms of integrations. It supports a wide range of third-party apps, making it easier for businesses to customize their POS experience. Toast integrates well with delivery platforms, making it an excellent choice for foodservice businesses that rely on delivery.
Inventory
Clover’s inventory management is more robust and can be used across different business types, including retail. It allows for automatic syncing between online and offline sales channels. Toast’s inventory features are focused more on restaurants, helping track ingredient use and manage stock for menu items.
Ease of Use
Both systems are relatively easy to use, but Toast is designed specifically for restaurant workflows, which can make it a better option for those in the food industry. Clover offers a more versatile system that requires a bit more customization depending on the business.