The Best POS Systems for Food Trucks in 2026

Square is the best POS system for food trucks, based on the latest round of testing and research. With a free POS software plan that still comes with advanced features like QR code ordering, as well as reasonably priced compact hardware options, Square is the best value system by some way.

When recommending POS systems for food trucks, we’ve focused on ones that are reasonably priced, offer compact, lightweight hardware that can be used easily in a tight space, and come with strong marketing tools so customers are motivated to come back.

Whether you’re running a small, seasonal operation or a busy food truck with plans to expand, the right POS system can help you take payments quickly, keep track of stock and build customer loyalty without eating into your profits. Below, we’ve compared the leading options to help you find the best fit for your business.

Working in the Food & Beverage Industry? Don’t miss Expert Market’s exclusive industry report exploring today’s challenges and future predictions.

Best POS Systems for Food Trucks: Quick Overview

For a quick overview of the best POS systems for food trucks, check out the table below:

1. Square: Best Value for Money

• Price: From $0/month
• Free plan: Yes
• Transaction fees: From 2.4%+ $0.15 per transaction

Square is the best value POS system for food trucks, offering free POS software, a free online store, and affordable, compact hardware – perfect for the cramped space of a food truck.

Square processes cash payments and stores offline card transactions locally, requiring an internet reconnection within 24 hours to settle funds. Other free tools include an online ordering page, which can be used for QR code ordering. This is a treat for food trucks that want in on the internet deal, but don’t want to invest in a full website.

If you upgrade to Square’s paid POS software for $49 per month, you’ll get access to more advanced reporting tools, and crucially, you’ll be able to send order-ready texts to customers. So, if your food truck is generally very busy and customers walk away while they wait for an order, upgrading to the paid plan could make your life easier.

How much does Square cost?

Square is available for $0 per month under the Square Free plan – you only have to pay transaction fees for each sale you make. Its Free plan includes essential hospitality features like item/menu management, third-party order management, orders tab, low-stock alerts, deferred sales tracking and catalog reporting.

The Square Plus plan is $49 per month. This offers everything in Free, plus more advanced tools like item availability, advanced modifiers, order guide, and the ability to bulk edit items in menus. It also adds QR code payments, order-ready texts and checking splitting/reopening, all of which are extremely useful during busy hours.

Finally, the Square Premium plan is $149 per month and offers everything in Plus, as well as the cheapest processing fees, advanced reporting and 24/7 priority support.

How much is Square’s hardware?

Square has plenty of compact hardware that can be easily installed in a food truck setting with little to no aggravation. Here’s a quick breakdown of its best hardware for food trucks, and how much it costs.

• Square Terminal ($299 upfront or $27/month for 12 months): Functions as a completely self-contained register, card reader, and thermal receipt printer running on an all-day rechargeable battery – no host iPad or smartphone needed.
• Square Reader for Contactless & Chip ($59): A pocket-sized, Bluetooth-enabled and practically weightless card reader that connects to an existing iPhone, iPad or Android phone for fast payments.
• Square Stand ($149 upfront or $14/month for 12 months): Converts an existing 10.2″ or 10.9″ iPad into a swiveling customer-facing checkout dock with an integrated tap-and-chip reader.
• Square Handheld ($399 upfront or $37/month for 12 months): A dedicated smartphone-sized terminal with a built-in barcode scanner, made specifically for staff to take orders and cards directly from customers waiting in street lines.

What are Square’s transaction fees?

Square’s transaction fees depend on which plan you choose:

• Free: 2.6% + $0.15 (tap, dip, or swipe), 3.3% + $0.30 (online)
• Plus: 2.5% + $15 (tap, dip, or swipe), 2.9% + $0.30 (online)
• Premium: 2.4% + $0.15 (tap, dip, or swipe), 2.9% + $0.30 (online)

My experience with Square

I found Square generally very easy to use. The backend was quite intuitive, and I had no trouble creating menus or listing items. I also appreciated the search function, which helped us find tools quickly.

I did run into a few annoying glitches, however, such as the table plan not appearing in the backend, and I found the process of cancelling orders and adding staff accounts overly complicated.

When it comes to hardware, I tested the Square Terminal, its portable POS device, and card machine. While it was easy to access inventory and process payments from the device, I did have issues with the physical design. The card machine was quite wide, so it wasn’t easy to hold in one hand, making it better suited to countertops than table service.

2. SumUp: Best for Marketing and Loyalty Tools

• Price: From $0/month
• Free plan: Yes
• Transaction fees: 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction

SumUp is the best POS for marketing and loyalty tools because it combines customer relationship management, targeted email promotions and rewards programs with built-in online and QR code ordering, making it easier for businesses to encourage repeat visits and build lasting relationships.

While only available with paid plans, SumUp gives you access to a customer database, where you can view their purchase history and save contact information. If you upgrade to the $268 per month Connect Plus plan, you’ll be able to set up rewards programs and send two standard email promotions per month. These get upgraded to unlimited promotions on the Connect Pro plan ($349/month).

You’ll also be able to accept online and QR code ordering on all of SumUp’s paid plans, which can speed up service on busy days, reduce lines, and give customers more flexibility when placing orders.

How much does SumUp cost?

Like Square, SumUp offers a completely free plan. This offers basic POS software, a free business account and a business Visa card, payment links, basic reporting tools, and more. You can also upgrade to the POS Plus plan for $49/month for tools like multi-device sync, cash flow management, and profit tracking.

SumUp’s more advanced paid plans include:

• SumUp POS ($99/month): Access to a full suite of POS features, SMS messaging, AutoPilot customer messaging, and multi-location management.
• Connect Plus ($269/month): Customer directory and loyalty points, AutoPilot SMS messaging, and two standard promotions per month.
• Connect Pro ($349/month): Text-to-join capabilities, Review Boost, and unlimited AI-powered promotions every month.

Processing fees for SumUp are 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person sales and 3.5% + $0.15 for online or manual entry transactions.

How much is SumUp’s hardware?

SumUp offers a range of lightweight and affordable hardware for food trucks, with costs starting from $99 upfront. Here’s what you can get:

• Terminal ($249): A fully integrated, all-in-one handheld register that rings up items, accepts tap/chip/swipe payments, and prints physical receipts directly from the device.
• Solo ($99): A minimalist, entry-level card reader designed to pair via Bluetooth to a mobile phone or tablet running the SumUp App.
• SumUp Solo Printer Bundle ($169): A pocket-sized, standalone touchscreen reader that docks magnetically into a compact base with a built-in thermal printer.

My experience with SumUp

I found SumUp easy to use when it came to basic tasks such as creating menu items and adding items to an order. This is largely thanks to the intuitive nature of its interface, which had clear signposting for the most part.

However, my biggest critique is that changes, such as to menu items, made in the backend were very slow to sync with the front end, which could slow down order taking. I also had trouble trying to use SumUp’s customer database. When processing an order, I couldn’t figure out how to add a new customer to the database.

3. Toast: Best for Established Food Trucks

• Price: $0/month
• Free plan: Yes
• Transaction fees: From 2.49% + $0.15 per transaction

Toast is the top choice for established food trucks, thanks to its advanced inventory management tools and its wide range of built-in loyalty and marketing add-ons. For example, its Mobile Order & Pay feature allows customers to scan a QR code, order, and pay via a secure webpage, which for food trucks can help reduce lines and wait times on busy days.

The QR code feature can be used in tandem with Toast’s excellent marketing and loyalty tools as a way to collect guest data to be used in targeted campaigns. These tools, all add-ons, include loyalty program building (set spending and create a points system) and gift card creation.

Other top features for established businesses with complex inventories include an advanced inventory management add-on, which features food and recipe cost management, as well as low-stock alerts. These are essential features for food truck businesses that operate more than one food truck and need help minimizing waste and optimizing logistics.

How much does Toast cost?

Toast’s pricing starts at $0 per month under its Starter Kit plan. With this, you get a range of features from the hospitality operations suite, including digital menus, offline mode, mobile payments, and guest CRM. You can also get catering and events tools, but this is only available as a paid add-on.

You can also upgrade to the Point of Sale plan for $69 per month. This gives you everything in Free, as well as more available paid add-ons, including Toast Mobile Order & Pay®, team management essentials (Toast Scheduling Pro and Toast Tips Manager), Restaurant Management Essentials and Restaurant Management Pro.

Alternatively, you can create your own plan with Toast’s Build Your Own plan, which is custom-quoted and lets you pick and choose which features you want to include in your POS.

How much is Toast’s hardware?

Toast’s hardware is largely quote-based, so you’ll only know the price when you contact Toast’s sales team. However, these are the main hardware options for food trucks:

• Toast Go ® 3: Toast’s purpose-built mobile handheld POS terminal that features an integrated card reader (contactless NFC tap, EMV chip, and magstripe swipe) alongside front- and rear-facing cameras for barcode scanning and QR payments.
• Flex 3 Countertop Terminal: Toast’s third-generation flagship countertop terminal, featuring a commercial-grade 14-inch HD capacitive touchscreen mounted on an adjustable swivel counter neck.
• Toast Mobile Kitchen Display System (KDS): A resistant, real-time kitchen display powered by Toast POS that keeps ordering moving from start to finish.

What are Toast’s transaction fees?

Like Square, Toast’s transaction fees depend on the software plan you choose. For the Free plan, these range from 2.99% to 3.09% + $0.15 per transaction for in-person sales (tap/dip/swipe). For online and keyed-in transactions, these are usually 3.09% to 3.50% + $0.15 per transaction.

When you pay for your software subscription and purchase hardware upfront, Toast provides its lower standard card processing rates, which are 2.49% + $0.15 per transaction for in-person sales.

My experience with Toast

I found Toast quite easy to use. The backend was particularly intuitive and easy to navigate, and the setup tutorial offered a clear step-by-step guide that helped me find my way around the platform.

The only task I struggled with was setting up a discount on an order. I found Toast’s wording a little confusing, since you have to click on an “Update” button to find the discount button. Lightspeed and Square both clearly label this option on the checkout screen.

Another aspect I like is that Toast’s customer service line is open 24/7, 365 days a year (that’s right, even on holidays) – this includes a phone line and a web messaging service.

4. Clover: Best for Professional Hardware

• Price: From $135/month (for 36 months)
• Free plan: No
• Transaction fees: 2.3% + $0.10

Clover is the best POS for food trucks requiring durable, professional-grade hardware, offering compact units like the Clover Flex handheld alongside low transaction fees of 2.3% + $0.10.

For example, the Clover Mini is a small countertop terminal with a built-in receipt printer and card reader, complete with a card slot. Meanwhile, the Clover Flex is an even smaller device that serves as a card machine that doubles up as a handheld POS device and is fitted with a touchscreen and receipt printer.

As for Clover’s software, it offers the most essential features of a restaurant POS, including QR code ordering, remote order firing, line busting, item modifiers and labels, real-time sales tracking, detailed sales reports, and individual employee logins and permissions.

How much does Clover cost?

Software pricing is for Clover’s “Quick-service restaurant” plans. It has separate plans for full-service restaurants.

Clover’s software plans start at $135 per month for a 36-month contract, or $849 + $89.95 per month for the Starter plan, making it significantly more expensive compared to other POS providers on this list.

The Starter plan comes with the Clover Mini hardware, plus features like QR code ordering, an online menu page, remote order firing, modifiers, item and category management, third-party menu integrations, tax reporting, and employee shift management.

Next, the Standard plan is $185 per month for 36 months (or $1,899 + $89.95 per month) and offers the Station Duo hardware (a 14″ POS with an 8″ customer-facing screen) and a cash drawer, plus added customer features including a database, promotions, loyalty programs, and gift cards (digital and physical).

Finally, the Advanced plan is $245 per month for 36 months (or $2,648 + $109.90 per month) and provides the Station Duo and Flex hardware, as well as line busting features to help staff take orders and process payments away from the main counter.

Transaction fees are 2.3% + $0.10 for card tapped, swiped or inserted, and 3.5% + $0.10 for keyed-in transactions across all plans. While these don’t decrease when you upgrade, they’re still cheaper compared to competitors like SumUp and Toast.

How much is Clover’s hardware?

While Clover offers a wide range of POS hardware, it’s relatively expensive compared with some other competitors. Here’s a breakdown of Clover’s hardware options and how much they cost:

• Clover Go (from $199): A pocket-sized portable card reader that can be paired with a smartphone device to take payments anywhere with a WiFi or cellular internet connection.
• Flex ($749): Clover’s handheld POS terminal that works as an all-in-one portable register, including a touchscreen register, secure payment terminal, built-in thermal receipt printer, and 1D/2D barcode scanner.
• Flex Pocket ($699): An ultra-slim, printerless handheld POS version of the Flex, allowing businesses to fire orders away from the main counter and send receipts via email or SMS.
• Mini ($849): An all-in-one, compact countertop POS terminal, complete with an 8″ touchscreen, built-in receipt printer, integrated card reader and real-time, 24/7 access to your business data.
• Station Solo ($1,799): Clover’s countertop POS system serving as a centralized operational hub, along with a 14″ touchscreen, heavy-duty cash drawer, and a high-speed thermal receipt printer.
• Station Duo ($1,899): A heavy-duty countertop POS system that’s built as a complete, two-screen terminal hub, with a 14″ HD display and an 8″ touchscreen for customers to pay, leave tips, and request a digital receipt

Note: You cannot purchase or use Clover hardware on its own. Any hardware must be tied to a merchant account, payment processor, or software subscription.

My experience with Clover

I found Clover much easier to use than the other POS systems I tested, because the layout of the front and back end is very straightforward. Everything is nicely spaced out, avoiding clutter, and Clover makes use of different colors to visually separate items from each other. This clarity means quick order processing, which is vital for food trucks.

There were just a few issues with unclear signposting (the language Clover uses in the menu can be vague) and a lack of confirmation messages when orders were sent to the KDS.

Clover also doesn’t have a training mode, and its support center doesn’t have as large a library of guides as its competitors, such as Square.

5. SpotOn: Best For No Upfront Costs

• Price: From $0/month
• Free plan: Yes
• Transaction fees: From 2.45% + $0.15

SpotOn is the top POS choice for zero upfront capital, providing free hardware and software on its All-In plan in exchange for a two-year contract and a transaction rate of 2.79% + $0.20.

Food trucks on a budget also won’t miss out on important features, as SpotOn offers a range of tools to help smooth operations, including an offline mode if the internet connection drops, one-tap order customizations (like “no onions”, “extra sauce”, etc.), real-time item 86-ing, and commission-free QR code and mobile ordering through SpotOn Order.

You can also get access to 24/7 customer support across all of SpotOn’s plans, whereas Square only offers this through its Premium plan ($149/month).

How much does SpotOn cost?

SpotOn starts at $0 per month for its All-In plan, which includes POS software and hardware, and comes with tools for payments, ordering, menu management and reporting.

That said, SpotOn’s All-In plan requires merchants to commit to a 24-month contract and meet unpublished monthly processing volume minimums.

Meanwhile, its POS Essentials plan is $55 per station, per month, which gives you everything in the All-In plan, plus cheaper transaction fees. While free hardware isn’t included, you can get the Station 15 and Handheld devices at a discounted price (plus implementation costs), with financing options available.

SpotOn also offers a Build Your Own plan for a custom-quoted price, which gives you a discounted custom software bundle tailored to your operations. You also get everything in POS Essentials, plus custom processing fees.

How much is SpotOn’s hardware?

SpotOn’s hardware prices are relatively affordable compared with some premium EPOS systems, with financing options available on the POS Essentials and Build Your Own Plan. Here are the current costs for SpotOn’s hardware:

• Station 10 ($415): SpotOn’s low-profile, countertop POS that’s built for tight counter spaces with a compact touchscreen and a mounted card reader.
• Station 15 ($750): A full-sized, all-in-one POS hardware terminal, complete with a 15.6″ HD touchscreen display and commercial kitchen durability (water-and-dust-resistant).
• Guest-facing display ($200): A responsive 7″ display for customers to view orders, make payments, pay tips, and select receipt types.
• Handheld ($297): A mobile POS device allowing staff to take orders and payments away from the main counter, featuring a built-in payment reader, a front-facing scanner for QR codes, and a long-lasting battery life (up to 15-18 hours).

How much are SpotOn’s transaction fees?

SpotOn’s transaction fees largely depend on which plan you choose:

• All-In: 2.79% + $0.20 for card present and 3.79% + $0.20 for keyed-in
• POS Essentials: 2.45% + $0.15 for card present (3.19% + $0.15 for Amex) and 3.45% + $0.15 for keyed-in
• Build Your Own: Custom rates

My experience with SpotOn

During testing, I found SpotOn to be one of the most intuitive POS systems to navigate. I didn’t have much trouble setting up discounts or creating menu items with variations.

However, the backend was easier to use than the frontend, mainly because the frontend required a few extra clicks to add items to an order, compared with how quickly I could do this using other POS systems like Lightspeed.

I also didn’t like the floor plan functionality, since it’s not drag-and-drop. To change the size of the tables, you have to click a bar chart button rather than drag them to make them bigger, something restaurants with large floor plans might want to consider.

How to Choose the Best POS System for Your Food Truck

Since working in a food truck means you’re operating in a small space and potentially out of reach of a reliable signal, you’ll have slightly different POS system requirements than regular restaurants or cafes.

Here’s what you should consider:

• Portability of the hardware: most food trucks don’t have space for large countertop terminals, so look for a provider that offers small, portable hardware. App-based POS systems are particularly well-suited to food trucks.
• Offline functionality: if your food truck operates in areas with unreliable Wifi or cell service, it’s vital that you choose a POS system that has offline functionality. This way, all your day’s sales will be saved, regardless of your connection.
• Marketing tools: if you’re a mobile food truck and pop up at different events, choosing a POS system with built-in marketing and loyalty tools is very valuable. It’ll help you notify customers of where you are and give them incentives to come visit you.
• Mobile and QR ordering: accepting orders online or via QR codes can really boost sales, as a lot of customers would rather come to pick up an order when it’s ready rather than wait in line. I recommend you choose a system that has these features built-in or integrates with third-party apps that facilitate them.
• Order tickets or order-ready texts: along those same lines, on busy days, customers might want to wander off and return when their order is ready, rather than wait. Choosing a system that can print numbered tickets or send texts or emails when an order is ready will make it easier for you and your customers to keep track of orders.

How We Test POS Systems for Food Trucks

The Expert Market team has tested and assessed 11 different EPOS systems to bring you this list, along with the other POS reviews you can find on our site. We’ve spent over 160 hours researching these EPOS platforms and over 20 hours testing them.

During that time, we used our learnings to evaluate how each EPOS system fared in six core areas that are important to businesses. These areas (explained in greater detail below) were broken down into around 12 subcategories each. Scores in each of these subcategories were subsequently amalgamated to arrive at an impartial, overall ranking for each provider.

Here’s what we looked at:

• Software (30%): The breadth of features included in the EPOS software and how valuable they are to the average business, including inventory management, marketing and customer engagement tools, and refund management.
• Usability (20%): User testing task completion scores, workflow speed for placing orders and splitting bills, interface navigation intuitiveness (via card sorting), and task emotion/satisfaction metrics.
• Hardware/equipment (15%): The variety of equipment available to purchase or rent, with special importance given to key items, such as physical terminals, customer displays and accessories.
• Help & support (15%): How effective and reachable the customer support teams are, with bonus points given to EPOS systems with help centres and training modes.
• Pricing (10%): The price of the system, how it compares to competitors and whether it’s good value for money.
• Reputation (10%): Aggregate user sentiment from verified review ecosystems (Reddit, Trustpilot, G2, Capterra), likelihood-to-recommend scores from hands-on testing, and brand search volume/market adoption.