Written by Tatiana Lebreton Reviewed by Oliver Simpson Updated on August 6, 2024 On this page What is McDonald's POS System Like? Does My Business Need a POS System Like McDonald's'? What POS Systems are Best for Small Quick-Service Businesses? Next Steps Expand Our site is reader-supported – by clicking our links, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral. McDonald’s uses NewPOS, also known as McDonald’s NP6, as their point of sale system.NewPOS is an EPOS system initially developed by Savista and later bought by Torex. But, to ensure the system matched its needs perfectly, McDonald’s bought its source code in 2007, and has continued to develop the system in-house for the past 18 years.This move enabled its tech team to play around with it until it could handle its daily swathes of fast food orders. In this guide, we’ll reveal everything we know about McDonald’s custom POS system – which isn’t commercially available – and the best alternative POS systems for restaurants and quick-service food businesses. What is McDonald’s POS System Like?It’s impossible to know exactly what all of the features of the McDonald’s POS system are in – it’s constantly adding new ones – but we can make a good guess based on observing workers in restaurants and our knowledge of quick-service restaurant needs.Like many POS systems for quick-service restaurants, the NP6 needs to be capable of quickly dispatching order tickets to the kitchen so customers are served as quickly as possible, and with minimal room for error. To achieve this, McDonald’s POS system hooks up to printers and KDS screens in the kitchen, so kitchen staff has their eyes on orders at all times.Of course, orders need to be processed before they get to the kitchen, so the NP6 also connects to countertop terminal and cash registers, so staff can take orders directly from customers, whether that’s at a drive-through, or face to face.The system also links up to kiosks, which are becoming increasingly common at McDonald’s locations, so that customer paying by card can self-serve. This is vital to minimize lines at busy times.Given the number of employees at McDonald’s, the system most likely has a training mode, so new staff can be onboarded quickly, and the NP6 system needs to be highly intuitive to use, so staff don’t waste time taking orders. Did You Know? In 2023, McDonald’s worldwide revenue reached $25.49 billion, growing by almost 10% from the previous year. Does My Business Need a POS System Like McDonald’s?Most businesses don’t need a POS system like the one McDonald’s has.Firstly, McDonald’s is a massive global chain, while most US businesses are small businesses, who don’t have the same requirements as a large enterprise. Secondly, since McDonald’s system is custom-made, it’s quite hard to know exactly what a features a POS system would need to be ‘like’ the NP6.What you can do, however, is use what you know about McDonald’s POS system as a way to figure out what features you want from yours. For more inspiration, take a look at example restaurant POS systems from other big chains. What POS Systems are Best for Small Quick-Service Businesses?We’ve tested and research over 15 different POS systems, and here are the ones we recommend to small businesses operating on a quick-service model: Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Square Lightspeed Restaurant Clover SumUp Price Free: $0/monthPlus: $69/monthPremium: $165/month Price Essential:$189/monthPremium: $399/month+ custom pricing Price Starter: $89.95/monthStandard: $109.90/monthAdvanced: $129.85/month Price POS Lite: $0/monthConnect Lite: $99/monthConnect Plus: $199/monthConnect Pro: $289/month Key Features Free planFree online storeWide range of affordable hardware Key Features Marketing tools + loyalty programsDelivery and contactless online orderingIngredient usage tracking Key Features Fingerprint loginIntuitive back officeTop range hardware selection Key Features Integrated marketing and loyalty toolsMobile and QR code ordering on all plansAndroid and iOS app How do we come up with our rankings? We test POS systems based on our in-house framework, which involves assessing systems across six main categories most relevant to businesses, and several subcategories. Main categories include, hardware and software offerings, ease of use, reputation among businesses, price, and support options.During our latest round of testing, we conducted 160 hours of research and 20 hours of hands-on testing. You can read more about our testing process, and discover more POS recommendations in our guide to the best restaurant POS systems in the US. ▶ Need more kit?: Checkout our pick for the best cash registers for small businesses. Next Steps If you’re set on investing in a POS system, why not check out the POS system cost for your business?Alternatively, simply fill in our free comparison tool (it only takes a minute) and we’ll match your business with POS system providers that best cater to your needs. They’ll be in touch with you with non-obligation quotes for you to compare. It’s quick, easy, and free to get started. Written by: Tatiana Lebreton Senior Grow Online & Business Software Expert Tatiana is Expert Market's resident payments and online growth expert, specialising in (E)POS and merchant accounts, as well as website builders. Reviewed by: Oliver Simpson Senior Research Executive After three years in operational B2B data analysis, Oliver became a business insight specialist in 2022 and now focuses full-time on understanding small business preferences and needs. He blends his quantitative skills, forged by his experience working as a law enforcement researcher, with qualitative exploration, to ensure robust and nuanced results.