Aloha POS

Aloha POS Review

Updated as of June, 2023

My in-depth Aloha Essentials Restaurant POS review will explore all the features and benefits available in this powerhouse POS system. If you’ve been searching the market for the perfect point of sale partner, it’s critical to understand as much as possible about each provider. Is this popular POS service right for your restaurant? Let’s explore!

Overview of Aloha POS

NCR Aloha is a cloud-enabled tech platform that helps operators embrace digital transformation to run every aspect of the restaurant, drive on- and off-premise revenue, streamline management and exceed guest expectations. With an all-in-one subscription model, core capabilities include fixed and mobile POS, contactless dining, analytics, online ordering, 3rd party delivery integrations, and more. Used in thousands of restaurants worldwide, more staff are trained on Aloha than any other POS.

Aloha POS is a titan point of sale solution provided by NCR — a large payment technology provider that first started operating over 130 years ago. Aloha POS is backed by one of the most experienced payment technology companies in the United States and serves more than 75,000 restaurants worldwide. NCR is a larger public corporation that trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

NCR Aloha Essentials was released in October 2019, which includes the best features of its signature NCR Aloha platform for fixed terminals and mobile devices. It’s an all-in-one subscription-based service that includes payments, mobile alerts, advanced reporting, takeout functionality, and centralized site management. It also includes hardware and support services, all for one monthly fee.

The system is a hybrid cloud-based solution, which means you won’t risk losing important information if something happens to your hardware. You can access vital reporting information from an offsite location. It also includes mobile POS functionality, which helps servers to increase table turns and reduce order errors.

Aloha POS also offers in-house payment processing that accepts all major forms of payment. EMV technology is also available. It’s easy to build menus and offer seasonal promotions to customers — you’ll also be able to split tabs and tips with ease. Aloha has adjusted with COVID by offering important tools like online ordering, QR code payments, and self-ordering kiosks.

With a list of hundreds of integrations, there are many ways to upgrade your POS system and improve your business. It’s time to explore the specific components of this POS platform in more detail below.

Pros vs Cons

Pricing

How much does Aloha POS cost? Unfortunately, you won’t find any publicly available information about Aloha Essentials POS pricing. You have to directly contact their sales team for a quote to find out their exact pricing structure. This is always a bit of a letdown — I believe good POS providers like Square for Restaurants typically list their pricing clearly to provide users with straightforward information.

Pricing for the traditional Aloha hospitality software is via licensing fees, which is a bit antiquated. However, the new Aloha Essentials POS for restaurants is based on a monthly subscription.

After some additional research, I’ve found that some clients report pricing at around $199 per month, per terminal, depending on the service you’re looking for. There may be lower prices that include basic apps or other ‘limited function’ platforms. Prices may also increase drastically if you need additional features and multiple terminals or multiple locations.

The bottom line is you’ll need to contact the company to get price quotes based on the number of users, terminals, and locations. This isn’t uncommon but is annoying. Larger providers sometimes will not display pricing to protect their dealers, who resell the product.

That being said, on top of software fees, programming fees, credit card processing fees, and ongoing support fees, you’ll also need to purchase NCR POS hardware from the company as well. The long and short of it is that Aloha POS is going to be expensive and better suited for enterprises that can afford this high-end product.

Aloha Testimonial Video

Key Features

If you want to know the real nuts and bolts of a POS system, it’s essential to understand its core features. In this section of my review, I’ll break down Aloha restaurant POS’s primary features. Check it out:

Data Reporting

Aloha POS allows you to access reporting data from external locations quickly. You’ll be able to break down different data sets, such as labor costs, sales, employee trends, and more. It’s a great way to access various aspects of your operations and improve your business. Here are some additional features of advanced reporting:

• • Includes 380 standard reports and an export builder that enables customization
  • Schedule reports and alerts emailed periodically
  • Integrates with many accounting packages – QuickBooks, Great Plains, Lawson, MAS 90/200, Solomon, ACCPAC, and others
  • Integrates to payroll packages including Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Millennium, and others

Best of all, you can access all your core data from your mobile phone. You’ll be able to track staff hours and a range of other data points in “real-time.” You can even set up automated alerts that notify you of certain events.

Deployment Type

Aloha offers fixed and mobile POS stations and self-service kiosks. Aloha POS pitches itself as a cloud-based platform but may also require a local onsite POS server hardware device for larger installations. So, what does this mean? Aloha POS stores all your reporting information and menu templates locally but synchronizes your data to the cloud — which means you’ll be able to access your data remotely and make customizations when you’re offsite.

In reality, because Aloha POS is physically installed on your hardware system, it’s more of a hybrid platform than an exclusively cloud-based system. This is the modern standard for many POS systems. It’s also an excellent choice because it tends to be more reliable, and it means you won’t have to worry about losing important information if your hardware is stolen or damaged. The downside is this can add complexity to your installation and more expense.

Industries Served

You can use this platform across a broad range of industries, but tons of excellent hospitality features help you customize Aloha POS depending on your type of restaurant. For example, there are features specifically for cafes, bars, and quick-service restaurants (QSR) — you can even find custom features for pizza shops.

In terms of industry size, Aloha is geared towards and markets to enterprise-level restaurants. However, the software is purpose-built for full-service, quick service, and everything in between. So I’d recommend this platform from mid-sized to large restaurants or hospitality businesses looking to scale with multiple locations.

NCR Silver is probably a better option for small restaurants or businesses that only need a few terminals and require less robust features.

Ease of Use

Aloha Essentials software is easy to use and familiar to staff — it also has a straightforward interface that makes finding items much more convenient. Most servers that have been in the business have worked with Aloha; it’s a very prevalent system in the industry. Also, the best POS platforms are those that are the easiest to use. If you’re going to invest in a new point of sale provider, it must save you time and money.

While there is plenty about Aloha POS that’s easy to work with, there are also a few complaints from users. Some clients claim that it can take too many ‘clicks’ before you’re able to take an order or perform a transaction. This may slow down how quickly you and your staff can perform transactions in the workplace — it’s essential to keep this in mind.

Hardware

Aloha POS seems to keep its cards close when it comes to hardware requirements. The company doesn’t provide any information about compatible devices — their main priority appears to be selling their own hardware systems to clients. In many cases, this means that you won’t be able to bring your own iPad or Android device with you. This may be a bit of a letdown for some business owners.

Still, Aloha POS offers its own durable hardware devices built specifically for the restaurant industry’s requirements. They offer ever-evolving NCR POS terminals that make it easy to take orders and process transactions.

They also offer proprietary mobile devices like the Orderman for table-side ordering and line busting. You can also get a Kitchen Display System (KDS) that integrates nicely with the POS.

If you want to use an iPad or Android device, there are plenty of other competitors on the market that offers this option.

So how much does NCR Aloha hardware cost? Generally speaking, you can expect to pay about $1,000 per terminal.

Integrations

Integrations and add-ons help you quickly upgrade the features available with your POS provider. Fortunately, you have a lot of integration options on offer via Aloha POS. These integrations can help you with accounting, payment processing, online ordering, and a range of other functionality.

Two popular integrations you’ll find with Aloha include Clover and Microsoft Dynamics GP. There are actually over 200 third-part integrations available at Aloha POS, but you’ll need to contact Aloha POS directly to find out more information.

Payment Processing

Aloha POS is a bit elusive about its credit card processing compatibilities. As NCR is a major provider of payment technology, it appears that Aloha POS wants you to work with its in-house solutions — though the prices of these solutions are not publicly available. This is certainly something that you’ll want to clarify with Aloha POS before you make any financial commitments.

Still, you can accept all major credit cards and EMV payments via Aloha POS — which is a distinct advantage in having all components in one solution.

Customer Service

At Aloha POS, you’ll be able to contact their customer support team 24/7 via telephone. If you run a restaurant that’s open late at night, it’s critical to have a customer support team that you can contact if something goes wrong. NCR claims to be back by 35,000 employees globally with a large force of value-added resellers (VARS).

It’s also essential to see what past customers think of Aloha restaurant POS. After searching for negative feedback about Aloha POS, I found a few things that consistently annoyed some clients. One of the most significant issues highlighted is outages on the platform — this can prove costly if you can’t perform transactions.

The other issue I noticed was the “ease of use” problem highlighted earlier in this Aloha POS review. Some users report that the screen flow can be challenging, and you have to click too many buttons to finalize an order or transaction. While not a deal-breaker, this can be a pain if you operate a busy restaurant. More importantly, there are quite a few reviews of customers having problems with response times from support.

Our Verdict

There are definitely some strong points associated with Aloha POS; they have the restaurant business down. Like Micros, it’s one of the industry’s biggest players, and they have years behind the system’s impressive list of features.

As Aloha POS is backed by one of the largest payment technology companies in the United States, there will always be some apparent benefits associated with this platform. They’ve adapted with the times by offering a cloud-based solution with tableside ordering, QR code payments, and remote reporting, plus there is an extensive list of integrations that can take the platform to the next level and help you expand locations.

Unfortunately, Aloha POS is a bit too vague about the individual components of its platform. They don’t release information on pricing or payment processing fees. This leaves me to assume the worst: this is not the best platform for restaurant owners that want a clear and transparent POS provider.

Aloha fits in the medium to large enterprise category. They provide many tools you need to provide great service and grow your business during these crazy times, but at what cost? When considering the overall price with software licenses, hardware, credit card fees, ongoing support, the price might be hard to swallow.

In my opinion, Aloha is a solution for companies that have very have specific needs and requirements, that wants to work with an industry leader, and can afford it. But you still should weigh the positives and negatives of working with a large “corporation.” The bottom line, if you need a robust solution and the cost isn’t a factor, then definitely check them out.

If you want to try out Aloha Essentials POS, contact their team directly for a demo. Always ensure that you seek clarification about costs and terms before you make any financial commitments.

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