30 questions to ask a restaurant POS sales rep

Pricing and processing

• 1. What is my exact processing rate for in-person cards, and what is it for online, keyed-in and American Express payments?Processing is most of what a POS costs, and card-not-present rates run higher. Toast reports about 2.49% + $0.15 in person on the $69 plan and about 3.50% + $0.15 online.Good: Every rate in writing, per card type, with the per-transaction fee.Bad: One blended number or "we will match your processor."
• 2. Is the quote a flat rate or interchange-plus, and what is the markup over interchange?Flat rates hide the markup. Interchange-plus shows it, so you can compare quotes.Good: A named structure and a markup in cents or basis points.Bad: "it depends on your card mix" with no number.
• 3. Do the rates change if I add online ordering, marketing or another add-on?On the Toast $0 Starter Kit, the in-person rate starts at 3.09% + $0.15 and climbs to 3.69% + $0.15 as add-ons are taken, and it applies to every transaction.Good: "No, your rate is fixed for the term," in the contract.Bad: "add-ons are priced separately" with no mention of the rate.
• 4. Can the rate go up during my contract, and how much notice do I get?Toast's agreement allows rate increases on 30 days' written notice, and it has used it (about 0.15 points in 2022, about 0.23 in 2024). On $40,000 a month, 0.23 points costs about $1,100 a year.Good: A fixed rate for the term, or a right to leave without a fee if it rises.Bad: a clause that lets the rate change and no exit.
• 5. What is my total cost for a year on my real card volume?A low monthly fee can still be the expensive quote. The $0 plan is paid for in a higher card rate, and the gap grows with volume. Use the processing fee calculator to check the answer.Good: A yearly total built from your 12 months of card sales, with software, processing, hardware and add-ons itemized.Bad: only the monthly software price.

Contract and exit

• 6. How long is the contract, and does it auto-renew?Toast runs 24 or 36 months and auto-renews. SpotOn All-In has a 2-year minimum. Square has no long-term contract, and SpotOn Essentials is month to month.Good: The term, renewal rule and cancel window stated in the quote.Bad: "most people stay on it anyway."
• 7. What does it cost to leave in month 12? In month 20?Early termination is usually the remaining software fees plus any processing commitment. Reviewers report this can run $1,000 to more than $5,000.Good: A dollar figure for each month, in writing.Bad: "we will work with you."
• 8. Do I have to use your payment processing, and can I bring my own?Toast processing is mandatory on every plan. Switching can end your current processing contract early, so check that exit cost too.Good: A clear yes or no, and what happens to your old processor's termination fee.Bad: a vague answer until the paperwork arrives.
• 9. Is there a minimum monthly processing volume or fee?SpotOn All-In has a 2-year minimum with monthly processing minimums. Ask what a month below the minimum costs.Good: No minimum, or a minimum low enough to hit in your slowest month.Bad: a minimum set from the rep's volume guess, not your statements.
• 10. What happens to my contract if I sell, close or move a location?Exit terms matter most when the business changes, and they are rarely in the sales pitch.Good: A transfer or buyout clause you can read.Bad: "the contract stays with the owner."

Hardware

• 11. What is the price of every device, as a line item?Toast does not publish a price list. Reviews report a countertop kit near $1,203 and a Go 3 handheld near $599. A 60-seat room runs about $5,100 to $7,900. See Toast hardware cost.Good: A device-by-device list in dollars, with install.Bad: a bundle price with no breakdown.
• 12. Do I own the hardware, lease it, or pay for it through my rate?The Toast $0 Starter Kit covers the first device only and is paid back through a higher rate for the whole contract. Toast Easy Pay is a 180-day lease at 0.75% of card sales. Third-party leases can cost 40% to 80% more than buying.Good: Total dollars for each option side by side.Bad: only the monthly payment.
• 13. Will it run on iPads or equipment I already own?Square and Lightspeed run on iPads. Toast and SpotOn run only on their own devices, which have no resale value if you leave.Good: A list of what you can reuse, and what you must replace.Bad: "you will want our hardware anyway."
• 14. What if a terminal breaks on a Friday night?A dead terminal during service stops sales. Replacement speed matters more than warranty length.Good: Next-day or faster replacement, and a stated rule on who pays.Bad: "submit a ticket."

Want published rates and a month-to-month plan? Get a free SpotOn quote. Or compare quotes from the systems that fit.

Features and add-ons

• 15. Which features in this quote cost extra every month?Toast lists online ordering near $75, loyalty $25 to $75, gift cards near $50 and email marketing near $75 a month. Typical add-ons total $150 to $400 a month.Good: One all-in monthly figure for the features you will use.Bad: a base price that leaves out your must-haves.
• 16. Can you run my real menu in the demo, with modifiers, combos and price levels?Menu fit is the biggest cause of rebuild pain. A scripted demo hides the awkward items.Good: The rep builds your hardest item live.Bad: a canned demo and a promise to follow up.
• 17. How do bar tabs, offline mode and split checks work?Pre-authorized tabs exist on Toast, SpotOn and Square, but offline behavior differs: Toast pre-auth needs a connection, and Square offline payments are your risk if they decline. See the POS comparison grid.Good: A walkthrough of each one, plus what stops when the internet drops.Bad: "it just works."
• 18. Is online ordering commission-free, and what are the delivery fees?SpotOn lists commission-free online ordering. Toast Delivery Services charges the restaurant flat fees per order, about $6.99 to $9.99 or more by distance.Good: Every per-order and monthly fee written down.Bad: "third-party fees are separate."
• 19. Which features are on a higher plan, and what do I need on day one?Some tools, such as multi-location menus on Square, sit on the top plan only.Good: A feature list tied to a plan name and price.Bad: a plan you must upgrade within months.

Support

• 20. Is phone support 24/7 on my plan, and who answers?SpotOn lists 24/7 phone support. Toast phones are staffed 7 a.m. to midnight Eastern every day, with chat 24/7. Square support is mostly online, and Clover and Aloha support depends on the seller or dealer.Good: The hours and channels in the contract, and whether the vendor or a reseller answers.Bad: "support is available."
• 21. What is the typical time to a live person during a Saturday dinner rush?Rush-hour support is the only support that counts.Good: A stated target and a way to check, such as references.Bad: no number.
• 22. Do I get a named account manager, and for how long?The onboarding rep is not the person you will call a year from now.Good: A named contact and a handoff date.Bad: "you will have the whole team."
• 23. Can I speak to a restaurant like mine that has used you for over a year?A sales demo shows month one. A real customer can tell you about month 14.Good: Two references of your type and size.Bad: a testimonial page only.

Data and integrations

• 24. Can I export my menu, sales, customer and gift card data at any time, and in what format?If you leave, your data is your leverage. See the POS migration checklist for what to export.Good: A self-serve export to CSV, with no fee.Bad: a request form and a fee.
• 25. Which integrations are built in, and which are third-party?Toast has native payroll, reservations and kiosks. Square and Lightspeed lean on integrations for reservations. Third-party apps have their own fees and support.Good: A list of every integration you use, marked built-in or partner.Bad: "we integrate with everything."
• 26. Do you work with my accounting, inventory and scheduling tools?A missing link means double entry every week.Good: Named connections with prices.Bad: "you can use Zapier."
• 27. What happens to gift card balances and loyalty points if I leave?Gift card liability is a legal debt. A POS-independent tool keeps online gift card sales running through a switch.Good: A full balance export with card numbers.Bad: balances are locked in the vendor.

Onboarding

• 28. What does onboarding and training cost, and what is included?Toast onboarding is reported at up to $95 an hour, and a full implementation at $500 to $2,000 or more. Toast installers do not run Ethernet cable, so new drops are a separate job.Good: A fixed price listing install, menu build and training hours.Bad: hourly billing with no cap.
• 29. Who builds my menu, and how long until I can go live?A rushed menu build means a rough first month.Good: A named builder, a timeline in weeks and a go-live date on a slow day.Bad: "you can do it yourself."
• 30. Is there a cost or penalty if the install slips?Billing that starts before you can take orders is money paid for nothing.Good: Billing starts on go-live, in writing.Bad: billing starts at signing.