Lavu POS
$59.00
Jason Feemster
Lavu POS Review: Pricing, Features & Pros vs Cons
Updated: January 2026 • Verified Q1 2026
Table of Contents
Lavu was founded in 2010 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, making it one of the first iPad-based POS systems on the market. The company focuses exclusively on hospitality—restaurants, bars, coffee shops, pizzerias, breweries, and food trucks. Lavu claims a presence in 90+ countries and has processed over 1.3 billion menu items.
The system runs on Apple iPads with cloud-based data storage and offline payment capability. Lavu offers extensive add-ons including kitchen display systems, online ordering (Lavu To Go), delivery management, and loyalty programs. However, pricing transparency is a recurring issue—processing fees aren’t published, contracts run 3 years, and users report surprise fees after signing up. For restaurants wanting flexibility, that’s worth careful consideration.
Pros & Cons
- Intuitive, color-coded interface
- Built specifically for restaurants
- Offline payment processing
- Extensive add-ons (KDS, online ordering, delivery)
- Tableside ordering via iPad
- Dual pricing/cash discount program
- 3-year contract required
- Processing fees not disclosed
- Hidden fees reported by users
- Mixed customer support reviews
- iPad/Apple hardware only
- Add-ons increase costs quickly
Lavu POS Pricing
Lavu has moved to a quote-based pricing model. Their website advertises plans “starting at $9.99/month” for what they call the Freedom plan, but actual pricing depends on your configuration, number of devices, and add-ons selected.
| What Lavu Says | What Third-Party Sites Report |
|---|---|
| Starting at $9.99/mo (Freedom plan) | Starter: $59-79/mo |
| Quote-based pricing | Growth: $129-149/mo |
| “Depends on configuration” | Optimize: $279-299/mo |
*Pricing varies significantly. Third-party pricing may be outdated. Contact Lavu directly for a quote. All plans reportedly require 3-year contracts.
Key Features
POS & Order Management
- Customizable menu builder with modifiers and forced modifiers
- Tableside ordering via iPad
- Visual floor plan with table management
- Bill splitting by item, seat, or percentage
- Pre-authorized bar tabs
- Offline credit card processing
Kitchen & Back Office
- Kitchen Display System (KDS) with order routing
- Real-time reporting via web dashboard and mobile app
- Inventory tracking with low-stock alerts
- Employee time clock and scheduling
- Cash tracking and drawer management
Add-Ons (Extra Cost)
- Lavu To Go: Online ordering integration
- Lavu Delivery: Driver routing and GPS tracking
- Lavu Loyalty: Customer rewards program
- MenuDrive: Third-party online ordering
- Open API access for custom integrations
Integrations
- Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero
- Inventory: MarketMan
- Online Ordering: Chowly, Checkmate
- Bar Management: Digital Pour, Beer Saver
- Payments: PayPal, Heartland, BridgePay, Square
Real User Feedback
✅ What Users Like:
- “The system is easy to navigate and training new staff takes minimal time. The big, colorful buttons help.”
- “We love the offline mode—when our internet goes down, we can still process cards and sync later.”
- “Dual Pricing is the best setup for a business owner. After the first month, we saved enough on credit fees to cover the cost of Lavu.”
- “The back office reports are easy to read and I can access them from anywhere.”
❌ What Users Don’t Like:
- “Shady business practices—my rep enrolled me in a 3-year contract without clear explanation. They’re threatening $15,000 in early termination fees.” (Note: Other users report ETFs of $2,000+ per store)
- “Not transparent on prices. You pay a yearly fee plus ‘Legacy Hosting’ charges and surcharges that appear without notice.”
- “No customer support AT ALL despite claiming 24/7 availability. They only work office hours.”
- “Was a client for 8+ years. After several unannounced price increases, it took 5 months of calls and emails to cancel.”
Lavu vs. Competitors
| Feature | Lavu | TouchBistro | Toast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | $9.99/mo (advertised)* | $69/mo | $0/mo |
| Contract | 3 years required | Annual | 2 years typical |
| Hardware | iPad only | iPad only | Toast hardware only |
| Processing Fees | Quote required | Multiple processors | 2.49%-2.99% |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Free Plan | No | No | Yes (higher processing) |
| Best For | Small restaurants, food trucks | Full-service restaurants | All restaurant types |
Who Should Use Lavu?
✅ Best fit for:
- Small to mid-sized restaurants wanting iPad-based simplicity
- Food trucks and mobile vendors needing portable hardware
- Pizzerias, coffee shops, and bars with niche feature needs
- Restaurants wanting cash discount/dual pricing to offset fees
- Operations comfortable with 3-year commitments
❌ Not ideal for:
- Businesses wanting month-to-month flexibility (try Square)
- Large restaurants or chains needing enterprise features
- Anyone uncomfortable with non-transparent pricing
- Restaurants wanting Android or Windows hardware options
- Operators who’ve had bad contract experiences before
FAQ
Does Lavu require a contract?
Yes, all Lavu plans require a 3-year contract. Early termination fees vary but can be substantial—user complaints report fees ranging from $2,000+ per store to as high as $15,000 in some cases. Read the terms carefully before signing and clarify cancellation policies with your sales rep.
What are Lavu's payment processing fees?
Lavu does not publish processing rates—you must request a quote. Their dual pricing (cash discount) program can eliminate processing fees by passing them to card-paying customers. If you don’t use Lavu Pay, expect to pay $10-20/mo extra for third-party processor integration.
Can I use my own hardware with Lavu?
No. Lavu runs exclusively on Apple iPads. You can purchase your own iPad or buy hardware bundles through Lavu, but Android tablets, Windows devices, and proprietary terminals are not supported.
Does Lavu work offline?
Yes. Lavu can process credit card payments offline and sync transactions when internet connectivity returns. This is valuable for food trucks, outdoor events, or locations with unreliable WiFi.
How is Lavu's customer support?
Mixed reviews. Lavu advertises 24/7 support, but multiple users report only reaching agents during business hours, with after-hours calls going to voicemail. Some users praise the onboarding process while others describe support as unresponsive during critical issues.
Is Lavu better than TouchBistro?
Both are iPad-based restaurant POS systems. TouchBistro offers annual contracts (vs Lavu’s 3-year) and allows multiple payment processors without extra fees. Lavu’s dual pricing program can eliminate processing costs if you’re willing to pass fees to customers. TouchBistro is generally considered more polished; Lavu is often cheaper upfront.
Verdict
Lavu offers a solid, restaurant-focused iPad POS with genuinely useful features—the intuitive interface, offline processing, and dual pricing program stand out. For small restaurants, food trucks, and niche operations like pizzerias or breweries, Lavu provides specialized tools without enterprise complexity. The pricing can be competitive if you leverage the cash discount program.
However, the 3-year contract is a significant commitment, especially given user reports of hidden fees, price increases, and difficult cancellation processes. Support quality appears inconsistent, and the lack of pricing transparency makes it hard to budget accurately before signing. These issues are common complaints across review platforms.
If you’re considering Lavu, get everything in writing—processing rates, contract terms, add-on costs, and cancellation fees. For restaurants wanting more flexibility, TouchBistro offers similar iPad-based functionality with shorter contracts. For a free starting option, Toast or Square for Restaurants provide month-to-month alternatives worth comparing.
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.
Specification: Lavu POS
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15 reviews for Lavu POS
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Ok product but don’t try it. Was a client for 8+ years and after several unannounced price increases and mediocre integration with Square tried to cancel….it has been 5 months of emailing and phone calls and they still email us that they can’t process the credit card…because we had to cancel the card to cancel their service. Try calling their Accounting Department, you can’t but feel free to try.
Overall, I’m thrilled we switched to Lavu. It’s simple to use, has made us more efficient, and wasn’t as expensive as similar systems.
I really enjoy the system. I have been using restaurant POS for over 20 years and Lavu has shown itself to be one of the best on the market. It is so user-friendly and easy to work in, that it’s a no-brainer for restaurant owners. However, it is worth the investment to pay for extended support until you or a manager knows the ins and outs of the backend. The reporting is awesome and when used the right way, you have the answers to questions you didn’t even know you needed to ask at your fingertips.
My overall experience has been good so far. We are pleased with the features that it offers. Our staff does need a while to learn how everything works, but once they get the hang of it I don’t foresee any issues.
Lavu is one of the best POS systems you can use. I have been a restaurant industry veteran on the owner’s side for over a decade. Before that, I worked in the industry for almost two decades. Ask ten restaurants what they think of Lavu, and I would bet my life that at least 9 of them will tell you how much they love it. I know three off the top of my head who switched to Lavu just because of what they heard through word of mouth.
After over a year we’re still super happy with the switch from Toast to Lavu.
Lavu system is behind the times. I’ve had lavu for 5 years with little problems with the soft ware. Last year I was looking to process payments with chip readers at the table in front of customers for security and time turning tables. I had a long wait waiting for the terminals to arrive (around 3 months.) When they came we started processing with no issues until I went to check balances with deposits to our bank. We had $30,000 missing because one of the terminals was not taking authorization codes which caused us to loose those funds. They blamed our processing company but they were the ones I got the terminals from. I switched to Toast which has been a much better Pos system for my business. Beware their customer service is horrible!
Lavu has helped my business grow exponentially. We started off small, and really needed something affordable with an easy-to-use interface. Now that we’ve grown, we’ve been able to incorporate some more of Lavu’s features like MenuDrive for online ordering, and the Cash Discount Program.
Purchase process was very easy and no pressure. I like that they show their pricing on their website, so there are no surprises. Onboarding, training and customer support have been amazing. It sounds simple, but knowing that someone will pick up the phone when I call has been a breath of fresh air.
Lavu has been an amazing pos system for my restaurant. Set up was easy and everything is super user friendly. Our employees love how simple it is to use. The best part is how helpful their customer service is. They always help me fix any problem I have.
Honestly, I couldn’t be happier with Lavu. I’m new to the food industry – I just opened a small mobile bakery – and I was really glad to see the different pricing levels so I only pay for what I actually need. I’ll probably end up upgrading to online ordering, which was nice to know could happen easily. They got me set up quickly and I’ve been able to reach customer support, who’ve answered my questions. All around, a great product and experience. Really helpful and friendly people!
Lavu is a great system, really complete and easy to use. Also, the support team is always willing to help and solve any issues.
We’ve been using Lavu for about 6 months now, but we’ve had absolutely no problems so far. We’ve had a really easy set-up process, and my staff and I were given 24/7 access to the training team and support team. Pricing-wise, it was the most affordable of all the POSs we considered, and we did really detailed research before committing.
Fantastic POS for our small business, switched from another POS because of customer support and pricing, and we were pleasantly surprised by how easy Lavu was to use.
Shady business practices my rep was pushy never gave me a option enrolled me in 3 yr contract and debit my acct. After informing them I wasn’t interested anymore they’re threatening to place 15,000 in early termination fees. I never received their equipment or conducted the agreement call as promised before moving forward. Please run from these folks.