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SpotOn review: $0 restaurant POS at 2.79% + 20¢, on a 2-year term
Updated Oct 15, 2026 · scored under rubric v1
SpotOn suits restaurants that want a POS with table layouts and hardware at $0 upfront and 24/7 phone support. The catch: you pay through a 2.79% + 20¢ rate on a 2-year minimum term, and leaving within a year means paying the hardware's full list price.
SpotOn's entry plan for restaurants, the All-In Plan, costs $0 a station a month with POS hardware included. Card-present sales cost 2.79% + 20¢, about $1.04 on a $30 sale, with processing minimums and a 2-year minimum term. It includes table layouts, menu management, offline mode and 24/7 phone support. Online ordering, loyalty and a kitchen display cost extra.
What it does well
- $0 a month with POS hardware included on the All-In Plan.
- Table layouts, menu management and check splitting.
- Offline mode that syncs payments once you reconnect.
- 24/7 support by phone and email.
Where it falls short
- 2.79% + 20¢ per card sale on the All-In Plan.
- 2-year minimum term and monthly processing minimums.
- Online ordering and loyalty need the $50-a-month Core Bundle.
- Kitchen display costs $20 a month per station plus $500 hardware.
- No built-in inventory tracking.
What SpotOn costs
| Plan | Monthly fee | Card-present rate | Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-In Plan (restaurants) | $0 per station | 2.79% + $0.20 | hardware included; processing minimums; 2-year minimum term |
| POS Essentials (restaurants) | $55 per station | 2.45% + $0.15 | month to month; hardware bought separately |
| Terminal (small business) | $25 | 2.45% + $0.15 | $240 handheld hardware |
| Terminal + Loyalty | $90 | $240 handheld hardware |
Prices from its pricing page, read Sep 27, 2026. The Terminal plans are on its small-business pricing page.
At 2.79% + 20¢, a $30 card sale costs about $1.04 in fees on the All-In Plan. On POS Essentials it costs about $0.89, but you pay $55 a station a month and buy the hardware (Station 15 $750, Handheld $297, plus implementation). Keyed-in sales on All-In cost 3.79% + $0.20.
Over time
Total = monthly price × 12 × years, or yearly price × years, or a one-time price once. Only current plan prices; fees are listed separately. Taxes, add-ons and promotional prices are not included.
Current prices
| Plan | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|
| All-In Plan Restaurant plan, $0 per station a month with POS hardware included; card present 2.79% + $0.20, keyed 3.79% + $0.20; processing minimums apply and a 2-year minimum term. | $0 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Terminal Small-business handheld POS, $25 a month plus $240 hardware; card present 2.45% + $0.15 (Amex 3.19% + $0.15). | $25 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| POS Essentials Restaurant plan, $55 per station a month, month to month; hardware bought separately (Station 15 $750, Handheld $297, plus implementation); card present 2.45% + $0.15 (Amex 3.19% + $0.15). | $55 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Terminal + Loyalty Small-business handheld POS with integrated loyalty, $90 a month plus $240 hardware. | $90 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Build Your Own For multi-unit, enterprise and high-volume operations; custom pricing and processing rates. | See price on spoton.com | Sep 27, 2026 |
Fees and other costs
| Cost | Kind | Amount | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpotOn KDS $20 a month per station, plus $500 hardware per device and $100 installation. | Fee | $20 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| Core Bundle (online ordering, loyalty app, marketing, Profit Assist) $50 a month plus 0.20% of monthly card volume, the 0.20% part capped at $200; added to a restaurant POS plan. | Fee | $50 per month | Sep 27, 2026 |
| SpotOn Terminal hardware Hardware for the small-business Terminal plans. | Fee | $240 one-time | Sep 27, 2026 |
What you get on the All-In Plan
- $0 POS software and hardware, ordering, payments, table layouts, menu management, reporting and 24/7 support, per the plan card.
- Check splitting (casual dining page).
- Offline mode that "Automatically syncs all offline payments once your internet is back up" (restaurant POS page).
- Staff clock-ins.
Inventory tracking comes through integrations with MarginEdge and Craftable, not the POS itself.
Catches and fine print
- The contract. SpotOn's pages disagree. Its point-of-sale terms say the restaurant agreement "is on a month-to-month contract that you may cancel at any time", but the same page says that if you cancel "within one year of installation, you will be required to pay SpotOn the difference between your initial purchase amount and the full List Price of all hardware". The pricing page says the All-In Plan has a "2yr minimum term" and processing minimums. We use the worse reading: a 2-year term with a hardware fee if you leave early.
- Switching processors while keeping the system costs a $995 conversion fee.
- Core Bundle. Online ordering (SpotOn Order), a guest app with loyalty and reservations, and marketing cost $50 a month plus 0.20% of card volume, the 0.20% part capped at $200.
- Kitchen display. SpotOn KDS is $20 a month per station, plus $500 hardware per device and $100 installation (KDS page).
- "Sale" prices. Restaurant hardware is shown reduced (Station 15 from $995 to $750, Handheld from $495 to $297) with no end date.
Support
SpotOn's contact page says its teams are available "24 hours a day, 7 days a week", by phone or email. No live chat is listed.
Who it suits
SpotOn suits sit-down and casual restaurants that want table layouts and hardware without an upfront bill, and expect to stay two years or more. It is on our restaurant list, for table layouts and check splitting. Look elsewhere if you may close or switch soon, or want online ordering without a monthly add-on. Compare it in our POS ranking.
Alternatives in POS systems
| Alternative | Score | Best for | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square POS | 8.9/10Very goodOur score | A $0-a-month plan at 2.6% + 15¢ in person, no contract, and a free first magstripe reader No affiliate relationship | Visit Square POSOn squareup.com |
| Shopify POS | 8.2/10Very goodOur score | Shops that also sell online: in-person sales on the $29-a-month Basic plan, cancel anytime No affiliate relationship | Visit Shopify POSOn shopify.com |
| Toast | 6.4/10FairOur score | Restaurants: $0 Starter Kit hardware and software at 3.09% + 15¢, on a 2-year agreement No affiliate relationship | Visit ToastOn pos.toasttab.com |