POS for Restaurants: Guide to Ordering, Payment and Kitchen Display
A restaurant has different needs from a retail store: orders to send to the kitchen, bills to split, table-side payments. The right POS unifies ordering, till and payment in a single device. The table below summarises the four essential features to look for. Here's a practical guide to choosing the right system for hospitality.
Essential restaurant POS features
| Feature | Essential | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Digital ordering | Yes | Order from touchscreen → kitchen via Wi-Fi, no notepad |
| Kitchen Display (KDS) | Yes | Kitchen monitor with priority, timer, allergy notes |
| Split bill | Yes | Split by amount, by person or by dish, multiple payments |
| Table-side payment | Yes | Portable Smart POS, customer pays without getting up |
Always check integration with your management system (Toast, Lightspeed, etc.). RoxPay supports APIs and restaurant integrations.
Digital ordering: goodbye to the notepad
The first requirement is electronic ordering. The waiter takes the order on the POS touchscreen and sends it to the kitchen via Wi-Fi. No more illegible slips, no transcription errors. Dishes arrive in order of priority — starters first, desserts later — and the kitchen can mark "in progress" and "served".
The best systems also handle modifications (gluten-free, allergies) and kitchen notes. Everything tracked and synced in real time.
Kitchen Display System (KDS): the screen in the kitchen
The Kitchen Display is the monitor that receives orders in the kitchen. It replaces the thermal ticket printer. Dishes appear in order, with timers, priority and notes. Chefs can mark "ready" and the waiter gets the notification.
A restaurant POS worth the name must integrate or interface with a KDS. If you use restaurant management software (Toast, Lightspeed, etc.), check that the POS supports the integration before buying.
Split bill and table-side payment
Splitting the bill between four friends is a classic. The POS must allow splitting by fixed amount, by number of people ("split in 4") or by item ("I'm only paying for my dish"). Then each person pays with their own card on the portable terminal.
Payment must happen at the table, without the customer getting up. A Smart POS with integrated contactless reader lets the waiter bring the device and have everyone pay in sequence, without queues at the till.
Till-management integration
The POS must not be a world apart. It must talk to the till for daily reconciliation, to inventory for ingredients consumed, to the CRM for loyalty cards. RoxPay and Smart POS terminals support APIs and integrations with major restaurant software.
Always ask the provider: does this POS integrate with my management system? If the answer is no, look elsewhere. An isolated system creates double work and errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a different POS for takeaway and delivery?
Not necessarily. A good system unifies dine-in, takeaway and delivery. Orders come from different sources (table, app, Glovo) but end up in the same flow: kitchen, preparation, delivery or pickup. A single POS can handle it all.
How much does a complete restaurant POS cost?
Smart POS €400-800 purchase, or monthly fee if rented. With RoxPay: from 0.45% + Interchange, zero fixed fee.
Do I need different hardware for dine-in and delivery?
No. One POS can handle dine-in, takeaway and delivery: table orders, app, Glovo in the same flow kitchen → preparation → delivery.
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