- Assessing Your Restaurant’s Specific Needs
- How To Choose A Handheld POS For Restaurants
- Top Handheld POS Systems For Restaurants
- What Do Restaurants Miss By Not Using Handheld POSs?
Handheld POS systems have become essential tools for modern restaurants, transforming how orders, payments, and customer interactions are handled.
Over 60% of restaurants now use handheld POS terminals, a significant increase from just below 30% in 2017.
Whether you run a small café, a bustling mid-size bistro, or a large-scale restaurant chain, chances are you’re familiar with handheld POS systems or already use one.
In this article, we will explore the key factors to consider when selecting the best mobile POS system, helping you make an informed decision tailored to your restaurant’s needs.
Assessing Your Restaurant’s Specific Needs
Evaluating your restaurant’s specific operational workflow is essential before selecting the best mobile POS system for it.
Different types of service—whether full-service, quick-service, or café—will have varying needs that impact your choice of POS.
Understanding Your Operational Workflow:
- Full-service restaurants may require features like tableside ordering, split bills, and tableside payments.
- Quick-service or cafés may prioritize speed and efficiency, focusing on rapid order-taking and simple payment processing.
- Identify key pain points, such as order accuracy, communication delays with the kitchen, or managing phone orders.
Volume and Peak Hours:
Consider the number of transactions your restaurant handles daily, especially during peak times. Choose a POS system designed to process high volumes quickly and efficiently, ensuring it won’t lag or fail during rush hours.
Staff Skill Level:
Evaluate how easy the POS system is to use and how much training your staff will need. Look for systems with a user-friendly interface to minimize onboarding time and help staff get up to speed quickly.
Read Also: What Is A Restaurant Handheld POS? A Comprehensive Guide
How To Choose A Handheld POS For Restaurants
Portability and Durability
When choosing a handheld POS system, portability and durability are essential factors. The best mobile POS systems are lightweight for staff, allowing them to move quickly between tables or throughout the restaurant.
At the same time, it must be robust enough to handle the physical demands of a busy restaurant environment, including drops or spills.
A well-built POS can withstand these challenges while maintaining reliable performance.
Integration with Existing Systems
Seamless integration with existing systems is critical for the best mobile POS systems in the market.
Your POS system should work in harmony with your current POS, inventory management, and online ordering platforms.
For instance, Orders.co offers seamless integration with widely-used systems like Clover, Square, and others, allowing for a smooth workflow and preventing data silos, ensuring that orders, inventory, and payments are synchronized.
Payment Flexibility
In today’s diverse payment landscape, payment flexibility is a must-have feature.
A good handheld POS system should support multiple payment methods, including contactless payments, mobile wallets (like Apple Pay or Google Pay), and traditional cards with chip or swipe.
This flexibility improves the customer experience and helps reduce wait times by offering quick and secure payment options.
Battery Life and Connectivity
Another critical feature to assess is battery life and connectivity. The best mobile POS systems have enough battery power to last through an entire shift, ensuring uninterrupted service.
Additionally, reliable connectivity—whether through Wi-Fi or cellular networks—ensures that the device can operate effectively in different restaurant areas without losing connection, preventing delays in processing orders or payments.
Security Features
Security is a top priority when handling sensitive customer payment data. A dependable POS system must include data encryption and comply with payment industry standards, such as PCI DSS.
These security features protect customer information, help prevent fraud, and ensure the payment process is safe and secure.
Budget Considerations
Total Cost of Ownership
When evaluating the cost of a handheld POS system, the total cost of ownership must be considered.
While initial setup costs may seem high, long-term savings can be achieved through reduced order errors, faster service, and increased efficiency. Be sure to factor in the cost of hardware, software, and any potential integration fees.
Avoiding Overpayment for Unnecessary Features
It’s also crucial to avoid overpaying for unnecessary features. Identify the capabilities that add real value to your specific restaurant type, and steer clear of systems that include features you won’t use.
Focus on selecting a POS system that addresses your immediate needs and offers room for expansion.
Potential for Expansion
As your restaurant grows, your POS system should be able to scale with you.
For this case, the best mobile POS system should have the potential for expansion, allowing you to add more devices, handle more transactions, and integrate additional locations without requiring a complete system overhaul.
Evaluating Vendor Support and Reliability
Customer Service and Training
A POS system is only as good as the support behind it. Vendor support during setup and ongoing maintenance ensures your system runs smoothly.
Choose a provider that offers your staff robust customer support and training resources so they can make the most of the system’s features.
Reliability and Uptime
Lastly, assess the system’s reliability and uptime. A handheld POS is a critical part of your daily operations, so it needs to perform consistently during peak hours without frequent crashes or issues.
Ensure the vendor has a strong track record for resolving issues quickly and minimizing downtime to keep your restaurant running smoothly.
Top Handheld POS Systems For Restaurants
Orders.co
Orders.co’s Handheld POS allows your staff to take orders and process payments directly at the table using smartphones or tablets, speeding up service and reducing errors.
Key Benefits:
- Seamless Integration: Works with Clover, Square, Toast, and more.
- Flexible Hardware: Use existing devices or our dedicated handhelds.
- Multiple Payment Options: Supports tap payments, credit cards, and mobile wallets.
Improved Operations:
- Instant Order Processing: Orders go directly from the table to your POS.
- AI-Driven Delivery Management: Automatically selects the best driver for fast, efficient deliveries.
Clover Flex
- Features and Benefits: It’s a portable, all-in-one device that supports payments, inventory management, and customer data collection. The built-in printer and scanner add to its versatility.
- Ideal For: Small to medium-sized restaurants, cafés, and food trucks that require a compact solution for both front-of-house and back-of-house operations.
Square Terminal
- Features and Benefits: Known for its simplicity, the Square Terminal offers easy setup and an intuitive interface. It supports contactless payments, receipts, and built-in tipping. Seamlessly integrates with Square’s broader ecosystem, including payroll and marketing tools.
- Ease of Use: Ideal for quick setup and minimal training, making it perfect for small restaurants, coffee shops, and pop-ups with basic POS needs.
Toast Go
- Features and Benefits: It’s a handheld POS fully integrated with the Toast ecosystem, offering advanced features like real-time reporting, tableside ordering, and payment processing. It also supports menu management and loyalty programs.
- Ideal For: Full-service restaurants and multi-location operations that require robust reporting, customer engagement, and seamless integration across devices.
Lightspeed Mobile POS
- Features and Benefits: Designed for high-volume restaurants, it offers advanced features such as customizable menus, detailed inventory management, and sales analytics. Its offline mode ensures continuous operation during internet outages.
- Ideal For: Large, complex restaurants or chains that need powerful management tools, detailed reporting, and inventory tracking across multiple locations.
What Do Restaurants Miss By Not Using Handheld POSs?
Restaurants that don’t use handheld POS systems miss out on faster service, as staff must manually input orders at stationary terminals, slowing down operations and increasing wait times.
They also forgo reduced errors since handheld orders are instantly sent to the kitchen, minimizing mistakes.
Without mobile POS systems, restaurants miss opportunities for upselling, quicker table turnover, and flexible payment options, all of which enhance customer experience.
Additionally, managing takeout and delivery becomes less efficient, and valuable data insights that could optimize performance and increase revenue are lost.
Moreover, nearly half (46%) of restaurateurs want to upgrade their POS systems to improve their ability to offer a seamless omnichannel experience.
One of the best mobile POS systems, Orders.co handheld POS system enhances restaurant operations by streamlining order management, improving staff efficiency, and optimizing takeout and delivery.
To learn how Orders.co’s handheld POS can improve your service and operations, Schedule a FREE DEMO.
