Written by Dan Barraclough Reviewed by Ruairi Shirlow Updated on 4 January 2021 On this page Lightspeed TouchBistro Impos Square Nobly POS Hike The Benefits of Takeaway POS Systems Next Steps How We Test POS Systems FAQs Expand In order for your takeaway business to deliver success, you’ll need to serve customers quickly while producing delicious food and drinks… but you already knew that. It’s the best takeaway POS systems that can really help take your business to the next level.These systems streamline the entire fast food and takeaway process – from customer orders to dishing out online discounts – while giving you a clear view of your ingredient stock levels to ensure you never display sold-out items.It gets better. You don’t need to scroll around online because we’ve done all the research for you. We’ve selected the six best takeaway POS systems in Australia, based on factors such as pricing, ease of use, features, and more. Please note all prices are in USD unless otherwise stated.Here’s a quick overview of our top picks:Takeaway POS SystemStarting PriceBest forLightspeed$100/monthOverall featuresTouchBistro$69/monthLoyalty schemesImpos$30/monthEase of useSquare$0/monthCost-conscious usersNobly POS$49/monthCustomer supportHike$59/monthProcessing orders quickly Get free quotes today and save on your takeaway POS system Get Free Quotes LightspeedBest takeaway POS system for overall features Used by over 7,000 restaurants across Australia and New Zealand, Lightspeed is fast becoming the leading light in the restaurant POS industry.Its top takeaway features include restock reminders, a live recipe margin calculator, the ability to sync your menu with delivery apps, and detailed revenue trends reports that can help you analyse where you could perform even better. PricingPrice PlanCostLightspeed Restaurant$69/month Pros Wide range of time-saving features Sales-oriented menu management 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat Cons Not the cheapest option out there TouchBistroBest takeaway POS system for loyalty schemes Treat your customers how you would your food – that’s one of the many recipes for success in the food industry. TouchBistro knows this.TouchBistro comes integrated with CRM (customer relationship management) software to help you promote exclusive offers and one-time deals to help your customers feel special and, most importantly, satisfied. PricingPrice PlanCostSolo (1 user licence)$69/monthDual (2 user licenses)$129/monthTeam (up to 5 user licenses)$249/monthUnlimited (unlimited user licences)$399/month Pros Fantastic for fostering customer loyalty Excellent staff and inventory management Offers a free trial period Cons Pricing plan is based on the number of users, making it more expensive for larger businesses Only compatible with iPads and Apple computers Compare free quotes and save on your takeaway business POS system Get Free Quotes ImposBest takeaway POS system for ease of use Impossible to ignore is the Impos takeover of Australia’s takeaway POS scene. Based in Melbourne, Impos is now used by 23 of Australia’s 100 top-rated restaurants, including MoVida and Top Paddock.The system syncs your till directly with your POS terminal and card reader, enabling you to process payments extremely quickly. You can also press one button and move immediately onto the next order, without waiting for payments to ‘process’.It’s also integrated with a range of third party delivery apps to help you reach even more customers. PricingPrice PlanCostImpos PlusAUD $30/monthImpos EnterpriseBespoke Pros Quick to process orders and easy to use 24/7 support with an average waiting time of three minutes Integrated with numerous third party delivery apps Cons No ‘notes’ section to save unique delivery instructions SquareBest takeaway POS system with free POS software Looking to get your finances in better shape? Then we’d recommend trying Square and its free software.You do pay a percentage per transaction (at least 2.6%), one-off fees for your hardware, and monthly fees for add-ons such as Square Loyalty ($25 per month), but you can’t really argue with the initial cost.As far as takeaway POS features go, we particularly like Square’s customisable menus, per-item sales tracking, and reporting tools. PricingPrice PlanCostFree$0Plus$94/monthPremiumBespoke Pros Free to install 24/7 customer support Brilliant analytics tools Cons 2.75% charge for non-card transactions Nobly POSBest takeaway POS system for customer service With award-winning support to its name, Nobly was an easy choice for our top six takeaway POS suppliers. But that’s not the only reason why it made the cut.Nobly POS and its Nobly Ordering app come with zero monthly or setup costs, charging 3% plus 20 cents per order instead.We also found the Nobly Ordering dashboard was packed full of features (it might seem overwhelming at first if you’re a tech beginner, though), enabling you to track revenue, new customer details, and your overall performance. PricingPrice PlanCostNobly POS$199/month Pros Award-winning customer support Loyalty and gift card schemes available Very affordable Cons Dashboard might be too sophisticated for tech beginners HikeBest takeaway POS system for processing orders quickly Catering specifically to online takeaway businesses, Hike believes it can help you hike up your sales using its simple-to-use, feature-heavy POS software. After our research, we don’t disagree.With Hike, you can accept all the leading payment processors including PayPal, Tyro, and iZettle, plus accept gift cards and loyalty point payments. We found the interface really intuitive, with your real-time sales figures available within a few taps of the screen. PricingPrice PlanCostStart-upAUD $59/monthOne storeAUD $79/monthMulti-storeAUD $129/month Pros Very customisable Ideal for pop-up takeaway stalls with long queues Excellent reporting and analytics Cons Customer support options could be better Save on your takeaway business POS system by comparing free quotes today Get Free Quotes The Benefits of Takeaway POS SystemsThe takeaway industry is taking over. Hungry consumers are turning to their food delivery apps now more than ever before, and dropping the high street chain sandwich for independent takeaway stalls. The Australian fast food and takeaway market is worth $20.4 billion, and it’s growing.Investing in the right takeaway POS system, or upgrading your existing one, can help your business exploit that growth and maximise profits. Here are just some of the ways a POS system can help your takeaway business:✔ Quickly process orders to keep customers happy and maximise sales✔ Boost efficiency by sending orders immediately to the kitchen✔ Reach new customers by integrating with delivery apps such as Deliveroo and UberEats✔ Create customer loyalty schemes to encourage repeat purchases✔ View real-time reports to help you make quick improvements✔ Access inventory management reports to help you restock efficiently Next StepsNow that you know the best POS system for your business, it’s time to get things cooking. By that, we mean getting an exact price for your new POS system from a trusted supplier.Think of Expert Market like a takeaway business – except swap the burrito for quick, easy, and free quotes from trusted POS suppliers.So, simply tell us what you’d like from your next POS system on our menu (it only takes a minute), and we’ll find POS suppliers that best suit your tastes and requirements.Those suppliers will then be in touch with more juicy information, and no-obligation quotes for you to compare. Remember, you won’t need to spend a dollar until you’re totally happy with what’s on the table. How We Test POS Systems for BusinessesWe tested 16 market-leading POS systems to evaluate them in terms of functionality, usability, price, features, and more so we can make the most useful recommendations to Australian businesses.Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in eight main categories of investigation and 45 subcategories – in fact, we covered 61 areas of investigation in total. We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting' to ensure the product's final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements of Expert Market readers – and that's our product testing algorithm in a nutshell!Our main testing categories for POS systems are:Till: the core functionality of the POS system, which includes the processing of sales transactions. It involves features such as item scanning, item look-up, and price calculation.Business Management: the features and tools provided by the POS system to support various aspects of running a business, such as employee management, shift scheduling, and customer management.Stock Management: the POS system's capabilities to manage inventory and track stock levels, including inventory tracking, stock alerts and transfers, and purchase order management.Business Development: the features and tools provided by the POS system to help businesses grow and improve their operations, e.g. customer relationship management, marketing integrations, and sales forecasting.Usability: how easily and intuitively the POS system can be used by the staff, including the user interface design, navigation, ease of training, and overall user experience during setup.Price: the cost associated with acquiring and using the POS system, such as the initial purchase cost, licensing fees, subscription plans, and any additional charges or ongoing costs.Help and Support: the assistance and resources available to users when they encounter issues or need guidance while using the POS system, including documentation, tutorials, or knowledge bases.Features: the functionalities and capabilities provided by the POS product. This can include dedicated restaurant and retail functionality including KDS, loyalty management, and multi employee login. Save money on your restaurant POS system by comparing free quotes Get Free Quotes FAQsWhat is a POS System?A point of sale system, or POS, is the combination of software and hardware that allows customers to make purchases through your business. The best POS systems also act as business management hubs, providing a range of features to help you track sales, restock inventory, and communicate with your customers.What are the benefits of a POS system?Modern POS systems make it easier for your staff and customers to process orders through intuitive ordering software. In turn, you’ll boost efficiency and increase sales. POS systems can provide real-time reports on your inventory, sales figures, and new customer information, helping you run your business more efficiently. Written by: Dan Barraclough Dan’s a Senior Writer at Expert Market, specialising in digital marketing, web design, and photocopiers, amongst other topics. Reviewed by: Ruairi Shirlow Business Services Researcher Ruairi uses his 3+ years of research experience to uncover insights which can help Expert Market provide the best business solutions for their users. He has done this by meeting with business owners to find out what is important to them and what challenges they face on a daily basis. Ruairi specialises in tools that can be used to grow your business and has done research for a wide range of categories on Expert Market, such as EPOS, Website Builders, and Merchant Accounts.