Our recommendation for most people is Toast because it offers the best value of all the POS systems for food trucks. For a single-location restaurant, you can immediately get their starter kit for $0 per month.

The Quick Sprout research team used all available resources to collect data, spent days analyzing data, crunched numbers, tested functionality, and conducted in-depth research to factor in all considerations. That’s how the Quick Sprout research team determined the best POS system for food trucks available in the market today. 

From the original pool of 20 potential top brands, we shortlisted 10. However, only five made the final cut and made it to the top list. Therefore, we can say that our top list is the product of intense analysis and data-driven decisions.

The Top 5 Best POS Systems for Food Trucks

Each brand on our list delivers valuable services to its consumers, and you can take a look at our analysis of each to decide which brand will work best for you. For most of our readers, the best POS system for food trucks is Toast, thanks to its versatile range of features, ease of use, and excellent customer support. Get a cloud-based point of sale from Toast for free right now.

• Toast – Best for streamlined operations at any size  
• Clover – Best for quick and easy setup
• TouchBistro – Best for iPad users
• Revel – Best for customizable menus
• Lightspeed – Best for inventory management 

Match Your Scenario to the Right POS System Solution

Here we break down what you should consider when selecting a POS system for your food truck. The section is structured to offer the best possible recommendations based on your intended use of a POS system. This could include the following:

• You need to operate multiple food trucks
• You need a POS system immediately
• You need a POS system compatible with an iPad
• You need 24/7 customer support
• You need an easy-to-use inventory management system 

You Need to Operate Multiple Food Trucks

Best option: Toast

Toast is an excellent mobile POS system. It can be used to manage multiple food trucks from one place. Some hardware is provided free of cost by Toast. However, additional equipment may be provided at a cost. Toast is the best POS system for most food trucks because it is easy to use and affordable for most business owners.

Another great choice: Revel

Revel can easily be installed on an iPad. One iPad can be used to manage multiple food trucks in different locations by creating a multi-device link. You can easily save data from trucks in various locations on a single iPad. In the same vein, data can be shared among different devices operating at different locations through Wi-Fi. 

If operating multiple food trucks applies to you, pay attention to the following:

• Cost: If you need a POS system for multiple food trucks, it must be reasonably priced and should be affordable.
• Location: It is crucial to be able to manage a POS system from multiple locations, especially if you are investing in one to manage multiple food trucks.
• Payment method: A business in multiple locations must accept various forms of payment to scale organically. Therefore, investing in a POS system that accepts multiple payment methods is imperative.

You Need a POS System Immediately

Best option: Clover

Clover is an easy-to-use and set-up POS system. If a food truck urgently needs a point-of-sales system, Clover is an excellent choice. Beginners can easily understand and use it. Moreover, it also provides customer engagement tools that notify the customers about the truck’s location. It also provides several space-saving hardware options.

Another great choice: TouchBistro

Since TouchBistro is an iPad-based POS system, it doesn’t require any additional hardware to be used as a functional point-of-sale system. You can easily set the software up on your iPad. Therefore, TouchBistro is also appropriate for quickly setting up a POS system. 

If you need to set up a POS system immediately, pay attention to:

• Ease of use: An easy-to-understand (and use) POS system can be set up immediately. Therefore, go for an easy-to-use point-of-sales system like Clover to avoid extra hassle.
• Customer support: As a new business, you may need excellent customer service support 24/7 to stand out from the competition. So, companies with exceptional customer support service must be considered.
• Simple hardware: If you want to set up a POS system as soon as possible, a company providing less complicated hardware should be considered. 

You Need a POS System Compatible With an iPad

Best option: TouchBistro

TouchBistro provides an iPad-based POS system that is easy to use for businesses of various sizes. Moreover, it offers a customer-facing display that can help reduce errors. Customer relationship management integrations are also easily available.  

Another great choice: Revel

Revel is another iPad-based POS system. However, more hardware options are also available for further expansion. It works well in offline mode as well and provides maximum functionality even on simple hardware.

If you need a POS system compatible with an iPad, consider the following:

• Customer-facing display: A customer-facing display can take the burden off of the employees and involve customers in the process, lessening the chances of errors. 
• Easy integration: POS systems that work well on iOS must be considered.
• Hardware expansion: It is best to invest in a POS system that works with additional hardware in case your iPad faces any technical problems.

You Need 24/7 Customer Support

Best option: Revel

Revel is an excellent iPad-based POS system. It has many features that make it ideal for food trucks. However, its distinguishing feature is 24/7 web and phone support and training options for employees. 

Another great choice: Lightspeed

Lightspeed is another POS system known for its exceptional customer service. It ensures that the clients have the best customer experience at every step of the way and are dedicated to building a loyal community of satisfied customers. 

If you need customer support 24/7, consider these points:

• Customer service: POS systems with exceptional customer service should be considered to receive uninterrupted customer support. 
• Phone and web accessibility: Companies that are easily accessible through the web or phone can efficiently provide customer support throughout the day.

You Need an Easy-to-Use Inventory Management System 

Best option: Lightspeed

Lightspeed provides an easy-to-use inventory management system. The best thing about Lightspeed is that it enables you to manage and maintain your inventory from anywhere and at any time, even without an internet connection. 

Another great choice: Toast

Toast also offers excellent inventory management services. This system helps you gain financial clarity in your inventory and control the rising costs or wasted material. Moreover, it provides value-based insights that help derive profitability.

If you need an excellent inventory management system, consider these aspects:

• Inventory management options: Consider a POS system with an advanced inventory management system or integration with an excellent inventory management system.
• Location: A POS system with good inventory management should be accessible from anywhere in the world.
• Internet connection: Internet connection should not be a requirement for managing inventory. However, real-time inventory management can only be done through a system connected to a stable internet connection.

POS Systems for Food Trucks Company Reviews

When our team reviewed the best POS systems for food trucks, we learned that the best options are the ones that offer the most value to the customer. However, there are a few more obligations that every POS system has to handle. Our recommendations meet those requirements and much more. 

Find out why these are truly the best POS systems for your food trucks, how our team analyzed the options available, and how you can choose the right POS system for your food truck based on your situation and budget.   

Toast – Best for Streamlined Operations at Any Size 

Toast was created to streamline and easily manage the day-to-day processes for owners of food-related businesses. It is an excellent POS system for food-related businesses and comes with everything they need, from payment acceptance to inventory tracking, staff management, and more. Toast provides the perfect balance of value, features, and usability.

It is our top pick in the point-of-sale systems space because it adapts so well to the modern daily duties associated with food truck management. Some of its best features include:

• Online order and delivery
• Detailed reports
• Menu updates
• Tableside orders and checkouts

What Makes Toast Great

Toast is far more flexible than its competitors. Therefore, no matter how big or small your business, Toast is an excellent option. Moreover, with changing trends and more and more customers relying on delivery, Toast is excellent for adaptation and scalability.

Food truck owners planning to streamline their day-to-day operations should consider Toast as a POS system. You can access basic hardware and a cloud-based point of sale for your food truck right now for free. 

Clover – Best for Quick and Easy Setup

Clover is another user-friendly POS system suitable for small and mid-sized businesses. It offers a wide range of software and hardware options to suit the needs of a small business. It has somewhat higher prices when compared to other POS systems. However, Clover is the perfect option for beginners because it is easy to use and set up. Some distinguishing features of Clover include:

• Easy integration with apps like Yelp, Timeclock, and more
• Reporting tools that allow managing inventory, tracking sales, and filtering data
• Collaborated with Fiserv to provide financial solutions to business owners 

What Makes Clover Great

Clover is the only intuitive POS system with excellent hardware options. Two additional unique features of Clover are Clover capital and rapid deposits. Clover capital is a repayment system in which a business with a minimum monthly transaction of $1000 can apply for Clover’s merchant cash advance program Clover capital. On the other hand, rapid deposits allow you to transfer sales transactions credited directly to your account at a processing fee of only 1%.

You can take advantage of its various solutions to check which is ideal for your team and business.

TouchBistro – Best for iPad Users

TouchBistro provides food trucks with several essential solutions on one powerful platform. It empowers businesses and allows them to connect with their customers and scale the business. Additionally, TouchBistro is easy-to-use, fast, and reliable. It is fully compatible with an iPad and doesn’t require any additional equipment or hardware. 

TouchBistro helps businesses increase sales, saving time and money, and delivers wonderful customer experiences. It has powered more than 29,000 restaurants in over 100 countries around the world.  

What Makes TouchBistro Great

TouchBistro can easily be used on an iPad and eliminates the need for any additional tools. You can even integrate it on multiple iPads. It is compatible with most iPad models. However, there are a few old models it doesn’t work well on. You can get a price quote through its website and use it with ease.

Revel – Best for Customizable Menus

Revel was the first POS system to utilize an iPad as its primary hardware. It is regularly used by thousands of vendors across the world. Revel also makes regular improvements to its cloud-native POS system. This POS system has 24/7 live support, a sleek design, and secure cloud-based backup. Other excellent features offered by Revel include customer experience software, staff and stock management, and financial management.

What Makes Revel Great

Revel offers robust software. Additionally, it provides you with the option to get professionals to set up the POS at your establishments. Therefore, Revel can be an ideal POS system for large enterprises with multiple locations or food trucks in multiple spots. Moreover, Revel offers plenty of excellent features in an affordable package. It charges zero processing fee. You can get a quote today through its website. 

Lightspeed – Best for Inventory Management 

Lightspeed has been a leading POS system for more than ten years. It has several popular clients like Goodwill, Five Guys, and KemperSports. It offers both cloud-based and browser-based systems and an app for iOS devices. 

Its defining features include 24/7 customer support and excellent inventory management. However, some of its features may be too advanced for a new entrepreneur. For beginners, much better POS systems are available at a lesser price. Therefore, only well-established food trucks should consider investing in Lightspeed. 

What Makes Lightspeed Great

Lightspeed is ideal for established businesses because it offers several advanced features, albeit charging a hefty price for them. It has ecommerce and accounting capabilities that make it perfect for national retail chains because it helps them process a large number of orders every day. Moreover, It is best for managing inventory and helps seamlessly manage stock for the products. You can access a free trial through its website immediately.

Quick Sprout POS Systems for Food Trucks Related Content

Here we break down what you should consider when selecting a POS system for your food truck. We’ve structured our guidance in this section to offer the best possible recommendations based on what you need a POS system to do:  

POS Systems for Food Trucks Comparisons

• Compare the Best POS Systems for Small Businesses
• Compare the Best Restaurant POS Systems 
• Compare the Best Point of Sales (POS) Systems
• Compare the Best Retail POS Systems

POS Systems for Food Trucks Related Top Lists

• Best Point of Sales Systems
• Best iPad POS Systems
• Best POS Systems for Small Businesses
• Best POS Systems for Coffee Shops

The Top POS Systems for Food Trucks in Summary

What’s the best POS system for food trucks?

Toast is our top overall recommendation. It has all the features required to accommodate the widest range of possible use cases at an affordable price. Moreover, it is easily understandable, and most people can use it with little to no assistance.

But with that said, there are plenty of other great options to consider. Use the recommendations and methodology described in this guide to find the best POS system for your food truck.

Source: quicksprout

Compare the Best POS Systems for Food Trucks