POSitouch POS

POSitouch POS Review

This extensive POSitouch review will explore the various features available in this legacy point of sale platform. I’ll take an in-depth look at all the components that make up POSitouch and its multiple services. It’s time to delve into this modern point of sale system by Shift4.

Overview of POSitouch POS

Since 1985, POSitouch has provided turnkey POS solutions to over 50,000 restaurants and bars. The Warwick, Rhode Island-based company is owned by payment technology company Shift4, which provides a range of payment gateway systems to business owners in the United States. Shift4 first started providing payment gateway services in 1994, and Shift4 owns several other POS companies, including Harbortouch, Future POS, and Restaurant Manager.

With POSitouch, Shift4 can now offer a direct point of sale technology to restaurant owners throughout the country. Unlike many modern POS systems, this service is built specifically for the hospitality industry. You’ll benefit from a wide range of features that are perfect for bars, restaurants, cafes, pizza shops, and more.

There are specific feature lists in place for both quick-service and traditional establishments. POSitouch is well-known for being a straightforward platform to use — clients boast that it’s easy to learn and navigate. While this isn’t the most powerful touchscreen POS in the world, there are some great features for certain types of restaurants.

With various hardware options and the freedom to choose your own payment processor, there are some bright sides to POSitouch. Let’s take a deeper look at the multiple aspects of this unique service.

Pros vs Cons

Pricing

POSitouch doesn’t advertise its pricing model to the public — you’ll need to contact their sales team or a dealer to find out what they’re offering. Other sources online indicate that prices may fall between $39 and $300 per month, depending on the service you choose. If you’re also in the market for hardware, this price may increase drastically (usually a one-off fee).

It always annoys me when a point of sale provider doesn’t advertise their pricing models to the public. Many of the best providers openly display their pricing to be transparent with customers. While you might be able to find a good deal with POSitouch, the fact that they hide their pricing can sometimes be a bit of a red flag and annoying as a consumer.

Make sure to clarify all fees and charges before you make any financial commitments to POSitouch.

Top 5 Restaurant POS Systems

Key Features

It’s always important to analyze what types of features the point of sale provider offers. While many of the core features tend to be the same, it’s essential to take a closer look at what you’ll benefit from by using a specific POS system. Below, let’s look at what’s available: :

Deployment Type

POSitouch is cloud-based and locally installed — I like to call this a hybrid system. While POSitouch claims to be a ‘cloud’ solution, you still need to install the software on a hardware device to utilize it. Fortunately, the cloud takes care of all the storage and customization aspects of your POSitouch point of sale system.

If you’ve had problems with hardware in the past, you know how scary it can be if you think you’ve lost valuable information. The cloud-based storage function of POSitouch means that your information is safe if your hardware is broken or stolen – it can save you time and money in the case of an emergency — your reporting information is vital for taxes and business analysis.

Data Reporting  

One thing that POSitouch does well is data reporting. While it might not have the same level of data analysis as some major players in the industry, it has all the core features you need to build your business. POSitouch taps into Shift4’s Lighthouse business management system that provides advanced reporting capabilities to help restaurants increase sales and profit. You can access data at POSitouch via a mobile app or a desktop portal — it’s a great feature if you need off-site access to your restaurant’s information.

Once you log into your reporting account, you can find data on daily sales, hourly sales, payment types, hourly labor, and labor time. You can also download PDF reports of your data and print them — this is a unique feature you don’t find with many providers.

Industries Served

The POSitouch platform is built specifically for restaurant and bar owners. A range of industry-specific features that help you manage your restaurant and process transactions. This system is suitable for both dine-in restaurants and quick-service establishments.

Because of the wide range of quick-service features built into this platform, I primarily recommend this to quick-service business owners. Much thought has gone into the various quick-service tools on offer at POSitouch.

Because POSitouch doesn’t have as many features as some of the other major players in the industry, I’d say it’s best for small and medium-sized businesses. But you can access reporting information and back-office features from off-site locations, which means it’s not impossible to use this platform for a chain of locations.

Ease of Use

POSitouch is a straightforward platform to use — the system is well-known for its intuitive design. You can build menus, add modifications, customize your promotions, and more.

This is one of the few systems where I’ve noticed that past customers go out of their way to describe how straightforward it is. While it might not have the same high-level features as some of the major competitors in the industry, it does help you save time – this is always a benefit if you want to be able to teach your new POS system to your staff members.

Hardware

It appears that you have a bit of flexibility if you choose to work with POSitouch — you can run this system is supported on Windows and Android devices. But POSitouch also attempts to steer you towards using its in-house point of sale equipment, which isn’t a bad idea to keep things working smoothly.

The company offers a Cirro touchscreen android-based hardware device that can be fitted to your restaurant or business. The CirroTouch hardware looks exactly like Harbortouch, so I imagine it’s from the same equipment provider.

Additionally, a device called SkyTab by POSitouch allows you to take and process tableside orders. It includes a payment gateway system — it’s perfect if you want flexible payment options.

Integrations

In many cases, a point of sale system is only part of the product — integrations and add-ons can help you take your POS platform to the next level. POSitouch does offer a few great integrations, but they don’t have as extensive of a list as some of the other major players in the game. If you want to have the option to upgrade your system with third-party integrations, there are better options on the market.

POSitouch now integrates with Shift4’s lighthouse, which opens the door to more functionality with integrations like online ordering, online reservations, restaurant food delivery services, accounting, payroll, capital, loyalty, and more. You’ll also benefit from customer engagement tools, online reputations management, and social media management.

Payment Processing

Despite being owned by a payment gateway provider, POSitouch allows you to choose your own payment processor. Most POS providers backed by payment technology companies don’t allow this level of flexibility. I prefer POS providers that will enable you to choose your own processor — it means you can shop around for the best available rates.

You can also seek advice on payment processing and gateways directly via Shift4. Using in-house payment processing can sometimes be more expensive, but it can also be convenient if you get a reasonable rate.

Customer Service

POSitouch doesn’t list its customer service hours — the company has a phone number for support, as well as an online contact form and email. I prefer to work with companies that can guarantee 24/7 customer care to their clients. Because POSitouch works with a dealer network, you may be able to seek guarantees from your dealer about customer support.

It’s also important to look at some negative reviews of POSitouch’s services. After a bit of research, it’s apparent that some users complain about the current interface design — it is outdated compared to other modern providers. Other users also complain of complex refund processes that make it hard to refund money to customers.

Shift4, the parent company of POSitouch, has a presence on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) — the company is currently rated at an A+. Despite this, there are several complaints from clients on the BBB, mostly revolving around the lack of customer service the company provides. It appears the customer support department is often unresponsive when problems arise, but the complaints currently on the BBB are being answered and resolved.

There will always be a few bad reviews no matter what POS platform you research. Overall, the number of negative reviews of POSitouch is relatively low.

Our Verdict

There are some excellent core features available in the POSitouch platform, but the additional benefits on offer are pretty limited. There isn’t a long list of integrations and add-ons — it’s hard to improve or scale the platform if you’re looking for additional benefits. Also, some people do claim that the customer support team does a poor job of replying to issues.

But one thing I enjoy about this platform is its commitment to quick-service features. If you’re running a quick-service establishment that sees heavy foot traffic, there are plenty of built-in features that can help you improve efficiency. It’s a good option for those who operate in this niche. The lack of transparency on pricing is concerning, and the quote-based pricing only is a bit old-fashioned. If you’re looking for an alternative, Shift4’s Harbortouch POS is available for a minimal monthly fee, so you know the cost upfront.

Overall, it’s still important to compare this platform against others in the industry. Competitors have much more powerful features, especially for full-service restaurants. If you’d like more information about this product, or you’d like a demo of the software, make sure to get in touch with POSitouch today!