When you dine out, payment forms

[ToomuchStuff]

I am looking to move the restaurant forward. The other owner isn't coming back and doesn't have much longer left. Between that, and our register getting harder to print (faint print), I am looking at POS systems, with the capability to do both cards (CC, DC) and online ordering. Wondering about your experiences with either or both, as I have only ever dealt with cash registers, and while I was wrenching, the owner always handled the CC (I was always covered in stuff). Also, I haven't done any online ordering as the one time I tried, I fell outside of their delivery area, by a couple hundred feet.
Trying to make an informed decision, as I am old school (was taught to pay for food, or things that will be gone long before the bill, via cash), and know there are places that are plastic only (do you frequent any?).

Thanks all.

Different time of day for me to be heading into work, as this would typically be my recovery evening from Chemo, but I am set up for a scan, which I expect will bring my final round (numbers aren't quite there), and we have a end of life party, requesting my presence tonight.

[Tradd]

Please add taking contactless payments such as Apple Pay.

I use either Apple Pay or a card. Rarely cash in hand these days.

[iris lilies]

I am old so I use credit cards. I have visa, DH likes to try his Discover card first, and then he has another major credit card.

[catherine]

I could ask my server son. All the restaurants he has worked in use POS systems. Are you looking for a specific POS company that's good or specific software capabilities?

[bae]

I prefer contactless payment at the table or front cashier. I use my Apple Watch for 95%+ of my transactions now.

[ToomuchStuff]

I could ask my server son. All the restaurants he has worked in use POS systems. Are you looking for a specific POS company that's good or specific software capabilities?


First, thanks for the contactless payment request. We have and are continuing to look at several companies, the one we (or technically me, but I have an employee with both a financial and managerial background helping me with things/questions I have never known/done), are leaning towards one that does all that, as well as being able to turn on and off (so I don't end up with more then the ovens can cook), online ordering and those delivery service apps. Just to keep this non commercial, I won't mention their name.

I know the amount of people carrying cash has declined and the numbers of our customers that have to either hit the bank or atm on the way in has increased, especially since covid. Part of it is I am worried about fraud/stolen cards, etc (never dealt with being on the business end and I have no idea of the percentage of that), chargeback type of scams, etc. (still get people calling trying to say things we don't sell, they got bad and want a store credit, etc)
Part of it is me being old school. Then the thought of we have dealt with up to five generations of families in my just shy of 40 years, some fall off because of it. However taking them, should increase both the customer base and income, and hopefully the profit. (hasn't been any the last several years due to the idiot embezzling, which is why a lot of restaurants, take cash only. Heck he wasn't even good at it, as the cash register said we took more in then the cash deposits) I figure if I make it more profitable, and then something bad happens with the cancer, etc. I should have an easier time selling it in the future (or making it worth someones time to hand off to, etc). Here in my area, we had a well known restaurant that served for a long time (and tried to get me to go to work for them), that was a landmark. They are gone now, and for about 20+ years, we have been the landmark close to where Stephenson's used to be.

Thank you for the help and feedback!

[rosarugosa]

We usually pay by credit card at restaurants.

[happystuff]

Also usually pay by cc.

[Tybee]

TMS, I am primarily cash; DH is credit card payer.

[Rogar]

I'm old and mostly use cash at restaurants.

[happystuff]

As I posted, we do pay by cc, but always do the tip in cash, and mark the receipt tip line with the word "cash". Had a sibling who waited tables and told stories of how other servers decided the tip on a cc charge was not big enough and changed it. Apparently a lot of folks don't double-check their cc charges.

[Tradd]

TMS, to give you an idea how little cash I carry, I will deliberately skip places that don’t take cards.

[Tybee]

That's funny, I skip places that don't take cash!

[catherine]

TMS, here is what my son texted me about the most user-friendly POS he's had:

"Hey momma! Hands down Aloha! It’s most user friendly system I’ve worked with, there’s a couple other ones I’ve used but that is pretty much industry standard. Square is good, too."