How we score
Every system on this site gets a score out of 10 from the same four lines. The weights were fixed before any system was scored; the fee line reads the charge that matters for each kind of system.
The formula
| Line | Points | How it is scored |
|---|---|---|
| Prices published | 2 | All plan prices on the vendor's own site: 2. Some: 1. Price on request only: 0. |
| Entry price | 3 | No monthly fee: 3. Up to 30 a month: 2.5. Up to 80: 2. Up to 150: 1. More: 0.5. Not published: 0. |
| Fees | 2 | Each list scores the charge that matters for that kind of system. POS and kiosk lists use the in-person card rate: up to 1.5%: 2, up to 2%: 1.5, up to 2.75%: 1, more: 0.5, not published: 0. Online ordering and pre-order lists use commission on orders: 0%: 2, up to 5%: 1, more: 0.5, not published: 0, halved when the vendor does not publish all its prices, because an unpublished charge may sit beside the commission. QR order and pay and pay at table lists use what the venue pays on an order paid by phone, commission plus the online card rate: up to 1.5%: 2, up to 2.5%: 1.5, up to 4%: 1, more: 0.5, neither published: 0, halved when either part or any plan price is not published. |
| Contract | 3 | Monthly or cancel anytime: 3. 12 months: 1.5. A notice period only, or a term set in each customer's quote: 1. 24 months or more: 0.5. Not published: 0. |
Amounts are monthly, in the market's own currency, before VAT, GST or sales tax where the vendor prices that way. Ties go to the system that publishes more of its prices, then to the lower fee, then to the lower online card rate, then to the cheaper entry price. When a list's top pick won on a tie-break, the list says so.
Where the figures come from
Only from each vendor's own website: its pricing page and its terms or merchant agreement. We save a copy of every page we read with the date, and a figure is used only if it appears word for word on that page. Comparison sites, resellers and memory are never used. Every list and comparison links each figure to the vendor's page and the date we read it.
“Not published” is a finding, not a gap: it means the vendor's own page did not state the figure when we read it, and the page and date are listed. A vendor that only gives prices on request scores nothing for price, because a buyer cannot compare what is not shown.
What the score does not measure
The score rewards systems that publish clear prices, low fees and short contracts. It does not measure how easy a system is to use, how good the support is, or which features it has, because we have not used these systems ourselves and we will not guess. A large restaurant group that needs a system built around it may be well served by a vendor that prices on request and scores low here.
Read the score as a value and transparency rating, then check the features you need on the vendor's site. See also our disclosure.
Questions about the score
What does the score measure?
How clearly a system publishes its price, how cheap it is to start, what it charges per sale or order, and how easy its contract is to leave. Four lines, 10 points.
Why does a vendor that prices on request score low?
A buyer cannot compare a price that is not shown. A vendor that only quotes gets no points for prices published or entry price, whatever it might charge.
Why is the contract worth 3 points?
A long contract with automatic renewal and an exit fee can cost more than any monthly saving. Monthly or cancel anytime earns all 3; 24 months or more earns 0.5.
Which fee counts in the score?
The one that matters for that kind of system: the in-person card rate for POS and kiosks, commission on orders for online ordering and pre-orders, and commission plus the online card rate for order and pay and pay at table.
How are ties broken?
In order: the system that publishes more of its prices, then the lower fee, the lower online card rate, the cheaper entry price, then the name. A list says when its pick won on a tie-break.
Where do the figures come from?
Only from each vendor's own website: its pricing page and its terms. We save a copy of every page with the date, and a figure is used only if it appears word for word on that copy.
Do you use comparison sites or resellers?
No. Comparison sites, resellers, reviews and memory are never used for a figure.
What does "Not published" mean?
The vendor's own pricing or terms page did not state the figure when we read it. Every one names the page and the date, so you can check it yourself.
Have you used these systems?
No. Every score is built from what each vendor publishes about its prices, fees and contract, so it covers price and terms, not how a system feels to use.
Does any vendor pay to be listed or ranked?
No vendor pays us. If that changes, the disclosure page will name the vendor and what it pays before any paid link goes live, and payment never changes a score.
How up to date are these prices?
The figures on this page were read from the vendors' own websites between 9 Oct 2026 and 12 Oct 2026. Each one shows its date when you hover it, and the sources at the foot of the page list every page and date.
Why do some vendors appear on several lists?
A vendor that sells more than one product (a till and an online ordering site, say) is scored on each list for the product that list covers, from that product's own prices.