POSApt, Impos, OrderMate, Square and Lightspeed are five established POS systems available to Australian hospitality businesses. They all process orders and payments, but their pricing structures, support arrangements and operational depth are different.

The most suitable option depends on the venue. A small coffee shop may value simple setup and low initial costs, while a restaurant, pub or multi-site group may require advanced stock control, kitchen routing and support outside normal business hours.

What Does a Hospitality POS System Need?

Hospitality POS software should match the way orders move through the venue. That includes what staff enter, where each order is sent and how the final payment is handled.

The main requirements may include:

• Counter, table and takeaway orders
• Product sizes, modifiers and dietary notes
• Table plans, transfers and split bills
• Bar tabs and scheduled promotional prices
• Kitchen printers or display screens
• Online, QR and delivery ordering
• Stock monitoring and recipe costing
• Staff permissions and transaction records
• Customer accounts, loyalty and gift cards
• Sales, product and labour reporting
• Payment and accounting integrations
• Support during the venue’s actual trading hours

Not every business needs every feature. A single-terminal takeaway should not pay for complex table management it will never use. A full-service restaurant should not select basic software simply because the starting price is low.

Hospitality POS System Comparison

Published prices may exclude hardware, payment processing and optional products. Businesses should request a complete written quotation before committing.

The Best Hospitality POS Systems in Australia

1. POSApt

POSApt provides Australian hospitality software under a fixed monthly subscription. Its $66 plan includes the core POS functions, setup, training, updates and Australian 24/7 support.

The system can be configured for different hospitality formats. Cafes can create drink sizes, milk choices and paid extras. Restaurants can manage tables, transfer orders and divide bills. Bars can maintain open tabs and schedule promotional prices, while takeaways can separate pickup, delivery and counter transactions.

Orders can be routed according to preparation area. For example, coffee orders may print at the barista station while cooked meals go to the kitchen. An optional kitchen display system can replace or supplement printed tickets.

Stock management, recipe costing, customer records, loyalty and staff activity reporting are included in the main software package. Recipe costing connects a sold menu item with the ingredients used to prepare it, helping operators review food cost and possible wastage.

The company also supplies online ordering, QR ordering, kiosks and digital signage as separate products. Businesses subscribing to its online ordering service can request a custom WordPress website designed for the venue and connected with the ordering platform.

POSApt can run on a compatible tablet already owned by the business. Complete hardware packages are also available for venues requiring terminals, printers and payment equipment.

Suitable for: Independent hospitality businesses wanting a clear subscription with broad functions and 24/7 support included.

Costs to confirm: Hardware, KDS and any customer-facing ordering or display products.

2. Impos

Impos is an Australian hospitality POS provider serving cafes, restaurants, pubs, bars, nightclubs, wineries and larger venue groups. It is aimed at businesses that need a more detailed configuration than a basic counter-payment system.

Menus and ordering screens can be arranged around the venue. Staff can record modifiers, dietary requests and table changes, while managers can control products, prices and employee access from the back office.

Inventory is a significant part of the Impos offering. Restaurants can connect sales with ingredient use, while bars and pubs can monitor beverage stock and investigate variance between recorded sales and physical stock. This level of control may be useful where food and liquor costs need close attention.

The system connects with payment, accounting, reservations, rostering, loyalty and reporting products. The available integrations and their costs can depend on the selected package.

Impos does not publish a simple monthly starting price. A quotation is prepared according to the software, hardware, installation, integrations and support required.

Support is offered in several tiers. Basic provides telephone assistance during business hours. Premium includes 24/7 phone support and broader access to integrations. Platinum adds further service and hardware benefits under its plan conditions.

A daytime cafe may find Basic sufficient, while a restaurant or bar trading at night should compare the cost of Premium or Platinum. Using the lowest support tier in the price comparison would not reflect the venue’s actual needs.

Suitable for: Established restaurants, bars and venue groups requiring detailed inventory control and a tailored installation.

Costs to confirm: The full system quotation and the support tier covering the required trading hours.

3. OrderMate

OrderMate is an Australian hospitality POS platform available across Sydney, Melbourne and other major cities. Its software can support cafes, restaurants, pubs, quick-service businesses and multi-site operators.

The product is highly configurable. A cafe can arrange its screen around coffee sizes and common modifiers. A restaurant can set up table plans, courses and detailed menu changes. A takeaway or QSR can create a shorter order flow for rapid counter service.

Order routing allows products to be sent to different preparation stations. Drinks, entrees and main meals can reach separate printers or kitchen displays without staff re-entering the order. This is particularly useful for larger venues where one transaction may contain items prepared in several areas.

OrderMate’s wider product range includes inventory, loyalty, gift cards, online ordering and integrations with other hospitality software. Reporting can be used to examine product sales and venue performance, while multi-location businesses can maintain greater consistency across their operations.

The company assists with onboarding. Its specialists can help configure menus, prices, employee records and integrations before launch. Updates are included with the subscription.

OrderMate advertises 24/7 emergency support through remote or on-site assistance. The service agreement should state which issues qualify as emergencies and whether on-site attendance creates an additional charge.

Pricing is provided by quotation. This suits businesses requiring a specific installation, although it means the monthly commitment cannot be assessed until the provider has reviewed the venue.

Suitable for: Hospitality businesses wanting a customised order process and professional assistance with setup.

Costs to confirm: Software licences, hardware, installation, integrations and the conditions applying to emergency support.

4. Square

Square is widely used by small cafes, bakeries, food trucks and takeaway businesses because its basic POS software can be used without a monthly subscription. The business pays card-processing fees and purchases only the hardware and additional software it requires.

Items can be created with variations and modifiers. A cafe may add sizes, milk alternatives and extra shots, while a takeaway can record meal changes and pickup details. Products can be organised on the checkout screen to reduce the time needed to enter frequent orders.

Square supplies its own card readers, terminals and countertop Register. This allows a small business to begin with a simple setup and expand its hardware later.

The $0 software price does not include every hospitality product. Square KDS starts at $25 per month for each display device when purchased separately. Loyalty begins at $49 per month per location, while staff and marketing products have their own pricing.

Square for Restaurants Plus costs $129 per month per location. It includes broader order-management functions, unlimited KDS devices and 24/7 support. An additional charge applies to venues using mobile POS under the applicable plan.

The free restaurant plan provides telephone support from Monday to Friday during stated Australian business hours. Businesses opening early, trading at night or operating throughout the weekend should decide whether those hours are sufficient.

Square Online also provides a free starting tier for basic online sales. Online and in-person payment fees still apply, so a high-turnover venue should estimate annual processing costs alongside the software price.

Suitable for: Small hospitality businesses seeking a low initial commitment and integrated POS hardware and payments.

Costs to confirm: Transaction fees, KDS, loyalty, advanced restaurant software and any additional staff or marketing products.

5. Lightspeed

Lightspeed offers an international hospitality platform with Australian pricing and support. It serves cafes, restaurants, bars and multi-location groups that need a structured set of operational and reporting tools.

The Starter restaurant plan begins at $79 per month for one register. It covers menu management, product modifiers, takeaway and restaurant workflows, bill splitting, loyalty, reporting, accounting connections, updates and 24/7 support.

The software can be adapted to several service formats. Cafes can build quick counter screens and detailed drink modifiers. Restaurants can handle tables and divided payments. Bar mode supports tabs and payment controls, while managers can review sales and menus across multiple locations.

Lightspeed has three main restaurant plans. Essential costs $179 per month, and Premium costs $359 per month. Higher levels include more management products, so the cheapest plan may not be the appropriate benchmark for every venue.

Some functions cost extra on Starter. Order Anywhere is advertised at an additional $59 per month. Lightspeed Inventory costs $99 per month when added separately. These products are included in selected higher plans.

The platform also provides an integrated payment service. Businesses should check the processing rate, hardware requirements and any conditions connected with the software quotation.

Lightspeed can be more expensive than a basic counter POS, but it offers clearer expansion paths for businesses adding locations or requiring more detailed management tools.

Suitable for: Established venues and hospitality groups expecting to use advanced reporting, inventory or multi-location controls.

Costs to confirm: The realistic plan level, additional registers, payment processing and optional ordering or inventory products.

How Support Costs Differ

Support should be compared by availability, channel and price. “Support included” may refer to weekday email assistance, while another package may cover urgent telephone help at any hour.

Late-night restaurants, pubs and seven-day businesses should use the cost of the required support arrangement when comparing providers. The cheapest software plan may become less competitive once extended support is added.

Check What Happens to Each Order

A POS demonstration should follow the complete journey of an order. A generic product tour may show individual functions without proving that they work together efficiently.

Ask the provider to process a realistic transaction containing:

• A dine-in meal with a dietary change
• A drink sent to a separate preparation station
• An additional item ordered later
• A table transfer
• A divided payment
• A loyalty redemption
• A refund or removed item

The demonstration should show what the cashier, kitchen, customer and manager each see. It should also reveal how many screens or taps staff must use. This is important during busy service when small delays accumulate across hundreds of transactions.

Compare the Complete Operating Cost

The monthly subscription is only one component of a hospitality POS system. A complete cost comparison should include:

• Core software
• Additional terminals and locations
• Hardware
• Installation and training
• Support outside business hours
• Payment-processing fees
• Kitchen displays and printers
• Online and QR ordering
• Loyalty
• Inventory products
• Integrations
• Contract length

Payment fees require particular attention. For a venue processing substantial card revenue, a small difference in the transaction rate can cost more than the monthly software subscription.

Businesses should request a written quotation that separates compulsory charges from optional products. Quote-based providers should also show the ongoing cost after installation.

Which Hospitality POS System Should You Choose?

POSApt suits independent venues wanting a broad package and included 24/7 support. Impos provides detailed hospitality and stock controls for established operators. OrderMate is suited to businesses requiring a customised installation. Square gives small venues a low-cost entry point, while Lightspeed provides a structured platform for more complex or multi-location operations.

The best choice is the system that fits the venue’s order process, trading hours and total budget after hardware, payments, support and add-ons are included.