SpotOn POS offers all the basic POS features needed for the restaurants and retail industries, although many advanced features and services are only available at an added cost (loyalty, marketing, or payroll support, for example). Still, the team offers strong support, with industry-average prices and one particularly attractive service, SpotOn Poynt, that offers a cheap and flexible all-in-one retail payment unit.
- Established: 2013
- HQ: San Francisco, CA
- Software and hardware
- Flexible ordering features
- 24/7 concierge-style support
SpotOn POS Summary
Merchant services company SpotOn offers a lot more than POS, although it does offer four such systems. SpotOn also sells marketing services, loyalty programs, payroll services, websites, and review management, although this review will only cover those as they relate to the company's POS systems.
SpotOn's POS systems are aimed at restaurants and retail, with hardware options ranging from an all-in-one unit to the more typical array of monitors, printers, and card readers.
One POS system, SpotOn Poynt, takes a uniquely flexible approach by allowing the hardware unit to be used as a terminal for direct sales, with no product catalog to sort through (though a catalog can be added if desired).
Another standout element is SpotOn's “concierge-style” customer support, which is available to all users. Its prices are about average for the industry, although many features are paid add-ons, which may add up to a higher price, depending on a business's needs. SpotOn's hands-on sales team will be happy to help potential customers through the entire process.
Overall, SpotOn offers a decent range of features, along with great support, average prices, and a large selection of services and features. It's a serviceable POS solution, if not quite impressive enough to make Tech.co's top rankings.
SpotOn POS Core Features
Spoton offers four different Point of Sale systems: Restaurant, a food-service POS; Register, a retail POS; Register Lite, a stripped-down version of Register; and SpotOn Poynt, a hybrid retail POS solution that can handle sales outside of a product catalog as well as operate like a traditional POS.
In this review
- SpotOn POS Summary – SpotOn's history and purpose, explained
- SpotOn POS Core Features – The main benefits and abilities of the POS
- Customer Set Up and Support – A look at the support channels and guides available
- SpotOn POS Pricing – Costs, plans, and payment methods for this service
- SpotOn POS Review Verdict – Is SpotOn POS right for your needs?
SpotOn Restaurant
SpotOn's restaurant POS is aimed at all types of food service locations: Quick service, full service, and fine dining, as well as bars, nightclubs, and pizzerias. The cloud-based POS software includes these core features:
- Sales and inventory management – servers can order from a customizable menu, automatically tracking every cent earned and ingredient used.
- Split orders – lets servers quickly and easily split bills when needed
- Table layouts – lets servers pair orders with the correct table
- Employee management – tracks each server's sales and hours
- Online ordering – lets users create a menu specifically for online orders
- Mobile manager – lets managers track approvals, voids, or discounts offered
- Reporting – custom reporting features let managers gather data by day, hour, and payment type, as well as offering fraud protection reports, cost analytics, and reports on special events like happy hours.
- Automatic software updates – no manual downloads required
- Backup router included – ensures the POS will stay online at all times
- Integrations – supported third-party integrations include Intuit Quickbooks, ItsaCheckmate, and Paycom
For the Restaurant POS, users will need to buy a hardware package for a one-time upfront cost in addition to the monthly software subscription. The package includes a touchscreen monitor, cash drawer, receipt printer, card terminal, and backup router. Users will likely also want one or more handheld POS units, for servers accepting tableside orders.
SpotOn Poynt
This hybrid POS terminal works as a retail POS with support for a product catalog, but it also lets users sell items without a product catalog at all. This is useful for sellers that have an irregular schedule or varied prices for their products, and who don't want the hassle of a full POS.
The hardware also integrates with two additional paid SpotOn services, Marketing and Loyalty, gathering customer data during checkout that can then be used to run marketing campaigns or loyalty programs. Here are the core features and abilities available to users of SpotOn Poynt:
- “Terminal mode” – lets users operate the terminal for individual transactions, without the need for a product catalog
- “POS mode” – lets users create and maintain a full product catalog for a more typical POS experience
- Granular cataloging features – lets users separate their products into multiple catalogs and categories
- “Open Items” – lets users directly add new products on the fly during checkout
- Two screens – customers can use one screen to accept their bill, while cashiers can use their own screen to make the sale
- Customizable taxes – add the correct taxes to your products, and Poynt will automatically include them during the checkout process
- Convenience fees and discounts – these features let users include the correct fees during checkout
- Varied payments – accepts cards, cash, mobile pay, and gift cards
- Built-in scanner – lets users quickly scan barcodes
- Built-in thermal printer – lets users print receipts
- Support for cash drawers and external receipt printer – if needed, users can add this extra hardware
SpotOn Register
SpotOn's retail POS includes a hardware package:
- 13.3″ 1920 x 1080 display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon Octa Core 2.0GHz processor with 3GB RAM & 32GB storage
- 1D CCD barcode scanner
- 2″ thermal printer
- Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity
- PAX SP30 pin pad for contactless or EMV payments
- Cash drawer with 4 bill trays, 5 coin compartments, 1 check slot, mechanical locking key
You'll also enjoy a range of POS features and functionality, including:
- Varied payments – accepts cards, cash, mobile pay, and gift cards
- Supports multiple locations – franchise owners will be able to operate two or more locations smoothly
- Sales and inventory management – users will get a full product catalog, with each sale tracked
- Employee management – cashiers can clock in and out, letting managers track their hours and sales
- Reporting – managers' accounts offer access to SpotOn's back office reporting features, for better data-driven decision-making
- Customizable receipts – add your own spin on each printed receipt
- Supports SpotOn Marketing and Loyalty – you'll need to pay extra for SpotOn's marketing and digital loyalty program feature sets, but if you do, they'll integrate perfectly with the Register software and hardware setup
SpotOn Register Lite
If you don't want to spring for the full Register hardware setup, you can opt for the sleeker Register Lite hardware package. It's a single hardware unit that includes everything you'll need except for an external cash drawer, although the software supports one. Here are the specs for the Lite hardware unit:
- Built-in card reader – supports EMV, Apple Pay, Android Pay, and gift cards
- 8″ merchant-facing touchscreen display
- 4.3″ customer-facing display
- Built-in receipt printer
The software features include everything in the main Register POS, including sales and inventory, employee management, reporting, and custom receipts.
SpotOn Mobile
If you're looking for a more bare bones option that can get you through without costing a bundle, SpotOn has a great option that you're likely already familiar with. SpotOn Mobile is a digital card reader that can be attached to any existing device, immediately turning it into a POS system without any hefty hardware updates.
Similar to the Square digital card reader you've likely seen out in the wild, SpotOn Mobile can accept payments, run voids, and provide refunds, all from your own iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. You'll even have access to real-time analytics right on your device, as well as customer engagement features.
Unfortunately, SpotOn doesn't provide pricing options for SpotOn Mobile on the website, but you can contact their sales team to get a quote.
Setup and Customer Support
SpotOn offers 24/7 live email and phone support to its users. It also offers concierge-style customer support, as well as an in-person installation process (although this costs an additional one-time fee).
The company's website also offers online product explainers, case studies, and tutorial videos.
Support & Training
Support options
- Phone hours: 24/7
- Email support: support@spoton.com
- Email hours: 24/7
- Live chat
Training options
- Case studies
- User guides
- Online videos
- Live installation
SpotOn Pricing and Plans
All of SpotOn's POS systems are sold on a monthly subscription basis, with no annual contracts required. They also all come with an additional payment processing charge on every sale – 1.99% of the sale, plus $0.20 on each transaction – although high-volume businesses can negotiate custom rates with the sales team.
SpotOn Restaurant Prices
SpotOn Restaurant costs $65 per month, which doesn't include the one-time hardware purchase cost.
SpotOn Register and Register Lite Prices
SpotOn Register also costs $65 per month, plus one-time setup fees. The Register Lite service, which includes a different hardware package but the same software, drops the price by $20 for a monthly recurring fee of $45 per month, plus the setup cost.
SpotOn Poynt Prices
SpotOn Poynt costs just $15 per month, after the one-time setup fee. It's SpotOn's most inexpensive service, and is also its most popular POS solution – likely not a coincidence.
The company also sells a variety of add-on services without listed prices. You'll need to contact the SpotOn sales team directly to find out how much it'll cost for the SpotOn Mobile card reader, virtual terminals for ecommerce, or conversion of your existing POS system.
SpotOn Mobile Prices
SpotOn Mobile prices are not available on their website, so you'll have to contact the sales department to get a clear picture of how much it will cost your business.
SpotOn POS vs Alternative POS Providers
SpotOn's emphasis on concierge-style support sets it apart from most other POS services, even while its features are a little underwhelming compared to the top POS vendors available.
While SpotOn offers conversions of existing POS systems at an additional cost, its hardware options aren't as flexible as TouchBistro POS, our top pick for a restaurant-focused POS, which works on a variety of hardware brands. Square POS, one of our favorite retail POS options and a great restaurant POS, also sells cheaper hardware than SpotOn.
Lightspeed and Shopify are two other viable options that provide plenty of features for whatever you might need. Clover is another great option for flexible pricing, as it offers a wide range of plans for all sizes.
Here's a quick comparison table for SpotOn alongside our top POS services, so you can easily see how they stack up.
| Best for Tech.co's verdict to help you identify the most suitable choice for your restaurant | Price from The typical lowest starting price. The lowest price available for your business will depend on your needs. | Hardware | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|  |  |  | |
SpotOn POS | TouchBistro POS | Shopify POS | Square POS | |
Businesses that need attention, due to a dedicated support and sales team, and negotiable bundling. | Helpful features for kitchen and serving staff | Best for small ecommerce businesses | Best overall for small businesses | |
$15/month | $24 per month | Free (but transaction fees apply) | ||
Broad range, packaged with software for a one-time fee. | Built for iPad. Offers Kitchen Display System and Customer-Facing Display. Works with most leading brands' hardware for other peripherals. | Sold by Shopify, but also works with iPads and Android tablets | Sold by Square, available separately or packaged with software. Works with most leading brands and has a great free trial. |
Tech.co is reader-supported. Using Tech.co's comparison form, you can receive quotes from various suppliers, tailored to the needs of your business. If you enter into a contract with a provider, we may receive a payment for the introduction. Equally, if you make a purchase through the links on our site, we may earn a commission. This helps Tech.co provide free advice and reviews and carries no additional cost to you. Most importantly, it doesn’t affect our editorial independence.