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Clover vs Toast: a $199 reader at 2.6% + 10¢ against a $0 kit on a 2-year deal
Updated Oct 15, 2026
Clover Starter has no software fee and charges 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person sale, about $0.88 on $30, but needs a $199 Go reader and keeps table mapping and bill splitting for Restaurant Growth. Toast's Starter Kit is $0 a month with $0 hardware and includes table management, at 3.09% + 15¢, about $1.08 on $30. Toast is a 2-year agreement with $150 for each month left if you leave; Clover's terms vary by provider.
At a glance, by our score
- Lowest price
#3 Toast
Restaurants: $0 Starter Kit hardware and software at 3.09% + 15¢, on a 2-year agreement
6.4/10FairOur scoreVisit ToastOn pos.toasttab.com - Lowest pricePromotion
#4 Clover
$0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller
Offer Essentials or Services Growth (90-day free trial)Checked Sep 27, 2026 · ends Dec 31, 2026
6.1/10FairOur scoreVisit CloverOn clover.com
Side by side
| Criterion | Clover | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Overall score | 6.1/10FairOur score #4 of 8 | 6.4/10FairOur score #3 of 8 |
| Card rate (30%) | 9.3 / 10 | 5.0 / 10 |
| Monthly software fee (25%) | 10.0 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Contract (15%) | 0.0 / 10 | 0.0 / 10 |
| Cheapest card reader (15%) | 3.4 / 10 | 10.0 / 10 |
| Included on the entry plan (15%) | 2.0 / 10 | 6.0 / 10 |
| Price from | $0 / month | $0 / month |
| Best for | $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller | Restaurants: $0 Starter Kit hardware and software at 3.09% + 15¢, on a 2-year agreement |
| Visit | Visit CloverOn clover.com | Visit ToastOn pos.toasttab.com |
Who should pick which
- Clover: $0 Starter software with a $199 Go reader at 2.6% + 10¢; contract terms vary by seller
- Toast: Restaurants: $0 Starter Kit hardware and software at 3.09% + 15¢, on a 2-year agreement
At a glance
| Clover | Toast | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry plan | Starter | Starter Kit Basic, Pay-as-you-Go |
| In-person card rate | 2.6% + 10¢ | 3.09% + 15¢ |
| Fee on a $30 card sale | about $0.88 | about $1.08 |
| Monthly software fee | $0 | $0, with $0 kit hardware |
| Cheapest card reader | Go reader $199 | Toast Tap $0 in the kit ($99 alone) |
| Contract | not published; varies by provider | 2 years; $150 for each month left |
| Inventory tracking | not on Starter (Essentials, $29.95) | not in the Starter Kit |
| Online store or ordering | optional add-on | in the Core pack (3.39% + 15¢) |
| Offline payments | yes, once turned on | yes |
| Customer directory or loyalty | not on Starter (pages conflict) | Guest CRM; loyalty is an add-on |
| Employee timecards | no shift management (pages conflict) | yes (timekeeping) |
Entry plans from Clover's Go pricing page and Toast's Countertop Starter Kit page, read Sep 27, 2026.
Price
Both entry plans are $0 a month. The card rate is where they part:
- Clover Starter: 2.6% + 10¢, about $0.88 on a $30 sale. On $10,000 of card sales, the percentage part is $260.
- Toast Starter Kit Basic: 3.09% + 15¢, about $1.08 on a $30 sale. On $10,000, the percentage part is $309. Toast's starter-kits page says "3.09%" without the 15¢, but the kit's order summary shows "3.09% + $0.15"; we use the higher reading.
Hardware: Toast's kit includes a Toast Flex terminal and a Toast Tap reader at $0, paid for through the rate; the Tap is $99 on its own. Clover's cheapest device is the $199 Go reader, and its restaurant system on Restaurant Growth uses a Station Solo at $1,799 (or $179 a month for 36 months) plus $89.95 a month, at 2.3% + 10¢ (restaurant pricing).
Toast's Traditional pricing is $69 a month at 2.49% + 15¢, with the kit hardware paid up front ($1,153 for the Countertop kit).
Where they differ
- Contract. Toast's kit is "a 2 year agreement". Its merchant agreement sets the Pay-as-you-Go exit fee at "$150.00 multiplied by the number of months remaining": leave with 12 months left and that is $1,800. It then renews for one-year terms. Clover doesn't publish Starter's terms: they "can vary based on your service provider" (pricing FAQ), and its 36-month device subscriptions are non-cancelable.
- Restaurant tools. Toast's pricing chart marks table and order management Included for the Starter Kit, and its full-service page names split bills. On Clover, table mapping and bill splitting are Restaurant Growth features. Toast is on our restaurant list; Clover isn't.
- Kitchen display. Both cost extra: Toast's 14-inch Flex for Kitchen is $749 plus $35 a month; Clover's KDS is $799 (14-inch) or $899 (24-inch) plus $25 a month per device (shop).
- Online ordering. Toast's is in the Core pack, $0 a month but 3.39% + 15¢ on every card sale. Clover Starter has an online store as an optional add-on.
- Staff and support. Toast includes timekeeping and basic scheduling, and 24/7/365 support by phone or web messaging. Clover's pages conflict on shift management on Starter (we read it as not included); it offers 24/7 phone support.
Who should pick which
Pick Clover if you run a shop or a business that isn't a restaurant, want the lower card rate, and can get the contract terms in writing from your provider.
Pick Toast if you open a single-location restaurant, want table management, timekeeping and hardware without an upfront bill, and expect to stay at least two years.
See both in our POS ranking.