Rent it forever, or buy it once.
Square, Clover and Toast all work. That isn't the argument. The argument is that the bill never stops, and that the processing behind it isn't yours to shop. Here's what actually changes if you move — including the cases where you shouldn't.
Put your own bill in and see it.
We're not going to quote you someone else's price list. Use the number on your own statement — software and platform fees only, not card processing.
Software and platform fees only — not card processing.
Most shops keep a POS far longer than three years.
Illustration only. Core is $499 for up to three registers and Pro is $699 — both run on computers you may already have, so buying hardware from us is optional. Card processing is billed separately by whichever processor you choose.
The software is cheap because the processing isn't optional.
Square is a payments company that gives you a register. That's a real deal, and for plenty of shops it's the right one — but it means your rate is whatever Square says it is, and there is no version of Square where you bring your own processor.
What actually changes
Your processor becomes something you can shop. We're processor-agnostic through Datacap, so the same terminal on your counter can run through a different processor next year without replacing your POS.
What you keep
Your scanner, your receipt printer, your cash drawer. SnapPOS runs on standard USB hardware and on computers you probably already own.
The catch, honestly
You pay up front instead of monthly — $499 once for up to three registers. If cash flow is the reason you're on a subscription, financing exists, but it's a real difference and we're not going to pretend otherwise.
The hardware is the lock.
Clover devices are issued against the merchant account that sold them. Change processors and the box on your counter generally doesn't come with you, which is why leaving feels expensive even when the software fee looks small.
Nothing is bound to us
SnapPOS runs on ordinary Windows, Linux, macOS or Android machines. If you ever leave, you keep the computers, the scanner and the printer, and the software you bought keeps running.
Terminals you can move
Card terminals connect over your own network to a Datacap-certified path. The terminal is a device on your counter, not a licence you rent.
The catch, honestly
If you're mid-contract on your hardware or merchant account, check the exit terms before you move anything. We'd rather tell you to wait six months than sell you something you'll end up paying for twice.
If your counter cooks, you want Lite — not the retail register.
Toast is a restaurant system on restaurant hardware. If you're a full-service dining room with servers, tables and a floor plan, it does things we don't. If you're a counter, a truck or a café, most of that is weight you're paying for and not using.
Tiles, not a catalogue
SnapPOS Lite is a menu grid: tap the item, add a note, send it to the kitchen printer. Nobody scans a biscuit.
$299 once
Up to three registers, no monthly software fee. A tablet on the counter counts as a register.
The catch, honestly
No table management, no coursing, no server hand-off. If you seat guests, Toast is the better product and we'll say so on the call.
The six differences that actually matter
Swipe to see the full table →
| SnapPOS | A subscription POS | |
|---|---|---|
| Software cost | Paid once, or financed until it's finished | Monthly, for as long as you trade |
| If you stop paying | You keep using it | The register stops |
| Card processor | Your choice, and changeable later | Theirs, as a condition of the platform |
| If the internet drops | Keeps selling — it runs on your own network | Varies by platform; usually a limited offline mode |
| Hardware | Standard USB gear, and it stays yours | Often supplied and tied to the account |
| Setup | We come to the counter and do it | Ship, unbox, self-serve |
Descriptions of other systems reflect how those platforms are publicly documented to work and are general rather than quotes of any particular plan. Rates and plan terms change — check current figures with your own provider before deciding. Last reviewed 10 September 2026.
When you should stay where you are.
We'd rather lose the sale than put the wrong register on your counter. Four cases where the honest answer is don't move.
You seat and serve
Table service with servers and coursing. Buy the restaurant system.
You're mid-contract
Early termination usually costs more than waiting. Call us in six months.
You're small and mobile
A stall doing a few thousand a month with no stock to track is exactly what a free tier is for.
You want it to be someone else's problem
You own this one. We'll support it, but ownership is the trade.
Bring your statement. We'll do the math with you.
Twenty minutes on a call, or we'll come to the counter. No obligation, and if staying put is the right answer we'll tell you that.