"How much is a POS?" has four answers — software, hardware, setup and processing — and vendors love quoting whichever one sounds cheapest. Here are the real 2026 numbers across the systems we install, all four layers included.
Software: $0 to ~$99 per month
- Square: free tier is real; the Plus plan restaurants actually use is $49/mo
- SkyTab: $29.99/mo per station — restaurant-grade, hardware included
- PAYS: all-inclusive $59 / $79 / $99 tiers with 0% dual pricing built in
- Korona: $59–$99 per register, processor-agnostic
- Quantic: $60 first station / $50 each additional (Enterprise $90/$80)
Hardware: $59 to ~$2,600 — or $0 down
- Entry: Square Reader $59, SumUp Solo $54
- Mid: Square Terminal $299, SumUp Terminal $249, Clover Flex $758
- Full stations: Square Register $899, Quantic bundles from $919, Clover Station Duo ~$2,078, Korona bundles $1,400–$2,600
- Or skip upfront entirely: SkyTab and Clover placement put hardware on the counter for $0 down — placement programs compared here
Setup: the layer nobody quotes
Menu builds, inventory imports, training, network gear. Some vendors charge four figures; our installs bundle setup with the system, and hardware ships programmed. Always ask — "free POS" quotes often earn it back here.
Processing: the layer that dwarfs the rest
A $49/month software fee is $588/year. A 2.8% effective rate on $40k/month is $13,400/year. The processing model — flat rate vs. interchange-plus vs. 0% dual pricing — moves more money than every other line combined. Price the POS and the processing together or you're not really pricing either.
Build your own number on POS Systems (every brand's expander shows accessory pricing too), or take the quiz and we'll spec it for you.