Complete Payment Solutions for Restaurants

Tableside payment lets the guest pay without handing over a card, which keeps the card in sight and shortens the time between finishing a meal and leaving the table. A handheld terminal or tablet brings the bill to the guest, prompts for a tip and prints or sends a receipt.

Tips add complexity. They can be suggested as percentages or amounts, entered by the guest, adjusted after authorization or pooled between staff. Each approach affects how the transaction is authorized, settled and reported, and local rules on tip handling and payroll vary. Ask how tips are recorded per server and shift, whether adjustments are supported after the first authorization and how tip reports feed your payroll process.

Split checks are routine for groups. A good system can split by seat, by item, by amount or evenly, and can take several payment types on one check without staff re-entering anything. Mistakes here cost time at the busiest moments and often lead to disputes.

Peak hours also expose weak points. Dinner rush or a busy brunch is when slow terminals, dropped Wi-Fi and complicated menus cause the most damage. Plan for it before you buy.

Many restaurants now take payment in three places: the table, the counter and online. Online orders and phone orders can use online payments and payment links, while dine-in uses the terminal. When these sit on the same platform, end-of-day reports show every channel together by server, shift and payment type.

That matters at close. Reconciling card sales, tips, refunds, voids and delivery orders by hand is slow and error-prone. Ask how fees are shown, how tips are separated from sales and when funds settle, since settlement timing depends on your account and region. Our guide to choosing a POS covers hardware and software costs, and Everpay POS shows how the pieces connect.