Written by Jason Feemster, POS specialist with 15+ years of experience helping restaurants and retailers troubleshoot POS systems, payments, and hardware issues.
Sources: Toast POS Renewal FAQ · Toast Merchant Agreement · Remove a Product From Your Toast Account
Restaurants usually look this up when fees go up, support isn’t fixing an issue, or a contract is about to renew. Below is what Toast’s own support articles and Merchant Agreement say about not renewing, cancelling early and closing an account — then what to do if you’re comparing a switch.
What Your Toast Contract Actually Is
Toast says your POS contract is your order form plus the linked Merchant Agreement. After the initial term on your order, the agreement automatically renews for successive one-year periods unless you give proper notice.
| Term | What Toast publishes |
|---|---|
| Initial term | Whatever length is on your order form |
| Renewal | Automatic one-year renewals after the initial term |
| Non-renewal notice | At least 30 days’ written notice before the end of the then-current term |
| Where notice goes | Registered mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, to Toast, Inc., 333 Summer Street, Boston, MA 02210, Attn: General Counsel (Merchant Agreement §14) |
Start by finding your contract start / renewal date and whether you’re on a standard software subscription or a pay-as-you-go plan. Those details change the early-termination math.
Path 1: Don’t Renew (Cleanest Exit)
If you can wait until the end of the current term, Toast’s Renewal FAQ says you may choose not to renew by giving at least 30 days’ written notice of your intent not to renew, before that term ends.
- Confirm your term end date on your order or with Customer Care.
- Send written notice early — at least 30 days before that date. Toast’s Merchant Agreement requires notices to Toast by registered mail, return receipt requested, to the General Counsel address above.
- Keep proof: the receipt, a copy of the letter, and any confirmation from Toast.
- Follow up with Customer Care (chat in Toast Web / Toast Now, or phone) so the account, devices and final invoice are closed cleanly. Toast’s “Remove a Product” article says closing the whole account is not self-service from the Subscriptions page.
Path 2: Cancel Mid-Term (Early Termination Fee)
Toast’s Merchant Agreement (§8.4) says you may terminate after the Effective Date, but you remain responsible for fees through the termination date, plus an early termination fee (ETF), unless Toast agrees otherwise.
| Plan type | Early termination fee Toast publishes |
|---|---|
| Standard software subscription | Remaining Software Subscription Fees that would have been due for the rest of the then-current term |
| Pay-as-you-go subscription | $150 × number of months remaining in the then-current term |
| Either | Plus any applicable processing fee related to Software financing |
Ask Toast for a written payoff: remaining months, ETF amount, financing fees and the effective cancel date. Don’t rely on a verbal estimate during a rush.
Path 3: Leave Because of a Fee or Rate Increase
Under Merchant Agreement §6.2, software fees stay fixed during the Initial Term. Toast may change card processing rates and other non-software fees (and fees during a Renewal Term) with 30 days’ prior written notice.
If you don’t accept a change in card processing rates or in the fee for Toast’s monthly POS core tablet subscription, the agreement says you may terminate by giving Toast written notice before the effective date of that change. In that case, Toast says the Early Termination Fee under §8.4 does not apply (other than any processing fee for Software financing). Prepaid amounts are still non-refundable.
For other product or module fee increases, the published path is often to remove that product rather than terminate the whole agreement. Read the notice Toast sends and §6.2 against your order before you act.
Path 4: Cancel Add-Ons vs. Close the Whole Account
Toast’s “Remove a Product From Your Toast Account” article draws a clear line:
- Many add-ons and device subscriptions can be cancelled from Toast Web → My products → Subscriptions → View and manage → Request cancellation. Billing typically stops at the end of the current billing cycle after Toast processes the request.
- Your entire account (including the base software subscription for the first terminal) is not self-service. The Merchant Agreement requires written notice. Toast tells merchants who are closing permanently or migrating to another POS to contact Customer Care.
- Some lines show as “required” and can’t be removed while the contract is active (for example, base software for the first terminal). Customer Care has to discuss non-renewal or full cancellation.
What to have ready before you chat with Toast
Still billed after you cancelled an add-on?
Hardware, Leases and Financing
Toast’s published Merchant Agreement treats purchased Hardware separately from the software subscription ETF:
- Title and risk of loss for Hardware Toast ships transfer to the merchant at the point of shipment (§2.2).
- Hardware is covered by Toast’s Limited Warranty and Return Policy (linked from the Merchant Agreement), not by the software ETF formula.
- If Software was financed, §8.4 still calls out an applicable processing fee related to Software financing on early termination. §6.6 covers how financed software billing can revert later.
We are not publishing a single “hardware buyout” number. Lease, rental and third-party financing terms live on your order and lender paperwork. Ask Toast (and the lender, if any) for the payoff in writing before you schedule a switchover date.
A Practical Exit Checklist
Before you send notice
- Pull your order form, Merchant Agreement version and latest invoice
- Write down term end date, plan type (subscription vs pay-as-you-go) and device list
- Decide: non-renewal at term end, mid-term cancel, or fee-increase exit under §6.2
- Export menus, employees, sales reports and gift/loyalty data you’ll need on day one elsewhere
- Get Toast’s written confirmation of ETF / payoff if leaving early
When you leave
- Send the registered-mail notice if you’re not renewing or terminating under the agreement
- Open a Customer Care case so account closure isn’t only a letter sitting in legal
- Schedule cutover after Toast confirms the effective date — don’t pull terminals mid-service without a plan
- Confirm final invoice, deposits and any hardware return instructions in writing
Thinking About Switching After Toast?
Cancelling is only half the work. Menus, labor, online ordering and payments have to land somewhere on day one. If you want a second set of eyes on timing, ETF math and which systems fit your volume, talk to POSUSA — independent advice, no obligation.
Get free POS advice from a real expert.
Tell us where you are in your Toast term and what you need next. We’ll help you plan the exit and the switch.
Related Toast Help on POSUSA
- Toast Customer Service Number: Phone, Chat & Hours
- Toast POS Review
- Toast Not Accepting Payments
- Toast App Not Loading or Frozen
- $5,000 SkyTab switch bonus (for restaurants that qualify)
FAQ: Cancelling Toast
How much notice do I need to cancel Toast?
Is there an early termination fee?
Can I cancel Toast from the Subscriptions page?
Where do I send cancel notice?
What if Toast raises my rates?
Last checked against Toast’s published Renewal FAQ (updated Oct 7, 2026), Remove a Product article (updated Sep 21, 2026) and Merchant Agreement (updated Sep 10, 2025). Toast can update terms; always verify against your order and the live documents.
