Future POS Review: Pricing, Features & Shift4 Integration

Updated: January 2026 • Verified Q1 2026

Future POS is a hospitality-focused point of sale platform that has been serving restaurants and bars since 1998. In 2018, Shift4 Payments acquired Future POS along with POSitouch and Restaurant Manager, consolidating several legacy POS brands under one umbrella. Today, Future POS serves over 20,000 merchants across the US, including large national chains.

While Shift4 now promotes SkyTab as their primary restaurant POS solution, Future POS remains actively supported and is particularly well-suited for larger operations, multi-location chains, and businesses that prefer working with regional POS dealers. The system runs on Windows hardware (not tablets) and offers robust reporting, employee management, and inventory tracking designed specifically for hospitality.

Future POS gained visibility through its prominent placement on the TV show Bar Rescue, though Harbortouch (another Shift4 brand) now appears on current episodes. The system is currently on version 6 and benefits from access to Shift4’s Marketplace integrations and Lighthouse business intelligence platform.

Pros & Cons

Future POS Pricing

Future POS does not publish pricing publicly — you’ll need to contact Shift4 or a regional dealer for a quote. However, based on industry sources and comparison to sibling product Harbortouch, we estimate pricing in the $69-$79 per month per terminal range with hardware included.

Key Features

Order Management

• Menu Building: Create custom menus with multi-column modifiers, shortcuts, and automatic pricing
• Tab Management: Open, split, transfer, and close tabs with ease
• Ticket Splitting: Split checks by seat, item, or custom amount
• Coursing: Fire courses to kitchen at appropriate times
• To-Go Orders: Track progress and provide time estimates

Advantage Program (Dual Pricing)

Future POS now supports Shift4’s Advantage Program, which allows restaurants to implement dual pricing (cash discounting). This displays separate cash and card prices, passing credit card fees to customers who pay with cards. Options include:

• Supplemental Fee: Add fee on top of posted prices for card payments
• Cash Discount: Show discount when customers pay cash
• Dual Pricing Display: Show both cash and non-cash totals

Lighthouse Business Intelligence

• Cloud Reporting: Access sales, labor, and inventory reports from anywhere
• Multi-Location Management: View consolidated data across all locations
• Real-Time Dashboards: Monitor performance metrics live
• Automated Reports: Schedule daily sales reports to print automatically
• Export Options: Export data to QuickBooks and other accounting software

Employee Management

• Time Tracking: Clock in/out with employee activity logging
• Scheduling: Manage shifts and labor costs
• Permissions: Set role-based access for different employee levels
• Performance Tracking: Run reports on individual server performance
• Tip Management: Track and distribute tips with pre-set options

Additional Features

• Gift Cards: Sell and track gift card balances within the POS
• Loyalty Programs: Create rewards for repeat customers
• Inventory Tracking: Monitor stock levels and get low-inventory alerts
• Kitchen Display System: Send orders to KDS screens
• Digital Signage: Create and manage promotional displays
• EMV Payments: Secure chip card processing with fraud protection
• Offline Mode: Continue processing during internet outages

Shift4 Marketplace Integrations

Through Shift4’s Marketplace, Future POS now integrates with:

• 7shifts: Employee scheduling and labor management
• Menufy: Online ordering (free setup, orders flow directly to POS)
• DoorDash: Third-party delivery integration
• Uber Eats: Delivery platform integration
• Sling: Scheduling software
• Mailchimp: Email marketing
• QuickBooks: Accounting software sync

Hardware

Future POS runs on Windows-based hardware — you cannot use iPads or Android tablets. Hardware options include traditional touchscreen POS terminals and Windows tablets. The system also supports SkyTab mobile devices for tableside ordering and payments.

Hardware is included with your monthly subscription at no upfront cost. Compatible accessories include receipt printers, cash drawers, kitchen printers, barcode scanners, and customer-facing displays.

Real User Feedback

✅ What Users Like:

• “The system is easy to use, generates reports in a number of different ways, and the staff always responds quickly if we have an issue.”
• “Software has full customization, very easy to use. The updates are constantly revolving and now we have access to EMV payment through the POS.”
• “I appreciate that they offer a free online ordering website that integrates with POS, a cash discount program, greatest support over the phone.”
• “Future POS has been our system of choice for over a decade at our multi-faceted concept restaurants. The adaptability with user-friendly menu labeling allows our staff to become familiar quickly.”

❌ What Users Don’t Like:

• “The service and support is horrendous. After a full year of using this system, it still does not charge sales tax correctly.”
• “Interface design feels outdated compared to newer tablet-based systems.”
• “When we notified Future POS that we could not continue with them, they deleted all of our gift card sales information.” (Note: experience varies by regional dealer)
• “Since I began as the administrator I have wanted to switch software’s. It categorizes different sections too thoroughly.”

Future POS vs. Competitors

Who Should Use Future POS?

✅ Best fit for:

• Multi-location restaurant chains: Strong multi-site reporting and management
• High-volume operations: Handles up to 72 terminals per site
• Businesses preferring regional dealers: Sold and supported through local POS resellers
• Operators wanting traditional Windows hardware: Robust, non-tablet terminals
• Existing Future POS customers: Continued support and upgrade path available

❌ Not ideal for:

• New small restaurants: SkyTab or Toast offer better value at lower price points
• Businesses wanting iPad/tablet flexibility: Windows-only limits hardware options
• Operators who want processor freedom: Shift4 processing is required
• Budget-conscious startups: Higher monthly cost than modern alternatives

FAQ

Verdict

Future POS is a proven, enterprise-grade restaurant POS that has served the hospitality industry for over 25 years. Under Shift4 ownership, it now benefits from modern integrations via the Marketplace, cloud reporting through Lighthouse, and mobile ordering capabilities via SkyTab devices. The addition of the Advantage Program (dual pricing) gives operators a way to offset processing costs.

However, Future POS faces stiff competition from newer, more affordable systems. SkyTab — Shift4’s own flagship product — offers similar features at roughly half the monthly cost. Toast and Square provide more modern interfaces and don’t require hardware commitments. The Windows-only limitation feels increasingly dated as the industry moves toward tablet-based solutions.

The system remains a solid choice for larger operations, multi-location chains, and businesses that value working with regional POS dealers who provide hands-on support. If you’re an existing Future POS customer, there’s no urgent reason to switch — the system is reliable and well-supported. But new restaurants should seriously consider SkyTab or Toast before committing to Future POS’s higher price point.

Recommendation: Future POS is best suited for enterprise operations and existing customers. New small-to-mid-sized restaurants should consider SkyTab (same company, lower cost) or Toast for more modern alternatives. Want to work with a local dealer? Find a POS reseller in your area.

About the Author

Jason Feemster
POS systems expert and founder of POSUSA.com, a trusted industry resource since 2011. With over a decade of hands-on experience testing and reviewing point-of-sale systems, he helps business owners choose solutions that actually fit their needs.