Hospitality EPOS is table service software with a till attached. Ordering at the table, firing courses in sequence, splitting a bill without arithmetic and getting the right ticket to the right printer are what separate it from a shop till, and they are usually the tier boundary rather than the entry level.
The path from table to kitchen
An order taken at the table has to reach the right section in the right order: starters now, mains on a call, the dessert ticket held. That routing is a real feature with real setup work behind it, and it is where hospitality systems earn their price. Ask to see a three course table fired and modified, not a single drink sold.
Priced per register, and handhelds count
Most hospitality EPOS is licensed per register, and the handheld ordering devices that make table service work are usually licensed too. Lightspeed prices an extra register separately on its own page. A restaurant comparing a single register price against a system it will run on four devices is comparing the wrong number.
The card terminal at the table
Table side payment needs a portable terminal that receives the total from the till, which usually means taking the supplier's integrated device and its rate. On the published shelf in-person rates run from 0.79% to 1.75%, so ask what the integrated rate is before treating the integration as free. Some operators keep a separate acquirer and key the total, which is slower and cheaper.
Questions people ask about hospitality epos
What does hospitality EPOS include?
Table plans, course firing, kitchen and bar routing, split bills, staff permissions and card acceptance. Stock and multi site reporting are usually higher tiers.
Is hospitality EPOS priced per site or per register?
Usually per register, and handheld ordering devices often count as registers too. Count every device you intend to run before comparing prices.
Do I have to use the EPOS supplier's card terminal?
For table side payment with the total sent from the till, usually yes. Keying the total into your own terminal works and is slower. Compare the integrated rate against the published shelf before deciding it is worth it.