SpotOn POS Review: Pricing, Features & Pros vs Cons

Updated January 2026 • Verified Q1 2026

My SpotOn POS review will walk you through everything you need to know about this cloud-based restaurant platform — pricing, features, hardware, and what actual users are saying. A colleague who’s deployed SpotOn systems also provided input on real-world performance.

Is SpotOn POS the right choice for your restaurant? Let’s find out!

Overview of SpotOn Restaurant POS

SpotOn’s Restaurant POS platform initially operated under the name Emagine POS. In 2018, SpotOn, which was a payment processing company founded in 2017, acquired Emagine POS to expand into the point-of-sale industry.

The acquisition of Emagine POS allowed SpotOn to partner its payment processing services with a full-service POS system. SpotOn POS can be used across a broad range of restaurants, and it comes loaded with hospitality features that make it easy to run a restaurant, café, or bar.

SpotOn Restaurant POS offers a nice of range of solutions to help you get up and running quickly. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to bring your hardware with you if you choose to work with SpotOn. Still, this can mean your upfront costs are cheaper.

SpotOn POS enables you to build custom menus, take orders, process transactions, manage tabs, oversee multiple locations, and more.

Pros vs Cons

SpotOn POS Pricing

As with most POS systems, the monthly bill depends on your needs – the more your restaurant requires, the higher the bill will be. That’s the same for the SpotOn POS system.

SpotOn recently updated their pricing structure. Here’s what they’re currently offering (verified from spoton.com/pricing):

Current SpotOn POS pricing for restaurants:

• Quick Start – $0 per month | Processing: 2.89% + 25¢ | Hardware and software costs included in processing fee. Processing minimums apply.
• POS Essentials – $55 per station/month | Processing: 1.99% + 25¢ | Hardware financing available. This is their recommended plan for most restaurants.
• Build Your Own – Custom pricing | For multi-location or complex operations.

How does SpotOn compare to competitors?

The 1.99% processing rate on the POS Essentials plan is competitive with most other restaurant POS providers. If your restaurant does not require more advanced features, the free plan should be more than enough, though you’ll pay higher processing fees.

Additional costs to consider:

• Setup/Implementation: SpotOn charges for custom menu builds and on-site setup. Get a quote.
• Hardware: Stations run approximately $500–$850 each. There’s a $400 refundable deposit that gets applied to your final hardware cost.
• Backup router: SpotOn recommends a 4G backup router for their cloud-based system (extra cost).
• Add-ons: Loyalty, websites, reservations, and other modules may cost extra depending on your plan.

If you’re a current or new restaurant owner who sells high-priced items, this could be a decent option to consider for your restaurant.

Key Features

A POS system is nothing without its features. So, what does SpotOn POS allow its clients to do? Here are some of the features that I think everyone considering using SpotOn POS should know about.

Data Reporting

If you want to run a successful business in the modern world, it’s critical to have a firm understanding of your restaurant’s data. Fortunately, most modern POS systems provide you with extensive data reporting options – and the SpotOn POS system is no different.

At SpotOn POS, you’ll gain access to data and insights that you won’t find in outdated systems. You’ll be able to monitor sales, employee productivity, time-based trends, and more. You can even set up alerts that can notify you of specific issues.

Another reporting feature I really like at SpotOn is its reporting app. You can access reporting data directly from a mobile reporting application, no matter where you are!

Hardware

In my opinion, SpotOn POS’s hardware requirements are worth understanding before you commit. You cannot bring your own tablets or POS terminals – SpotOn requires their proprietary hardware.

SpotOn’s proprietary hardware is built for efficiency, reliability, and ease of use with multiple configurations. The three devices include:

• The Station – A 15.6″ countertop POS terminal with built-in payment processing
• The Counter – A 10″ compact terminal ideal for counter service with limited space
• The Handheld – A 6.5″ mobile point-of-sale for tableside ordering and payments

All hardware is IP54-rated (spill and dust resistant) and includes Wi-Fi connectivity with 4G/LTE backup. Hardware costs run approximately $500–$850 per station, with financing available. There’s also a $400 refundable deposit that gets applied to your final hardware cost.

While some operators prefer the flexibility of using their own hardware, there is an advantage to using the vendor’s equipment: you’re guaranteed that everything will work together without compatibility issues.

Integrations

There are plenty of high-end integrations and add-ons available with SpotOn POS. Personally, if a POS system doesn’t offer integrations, it’s probably not worth working with — integrations often end up providing some of the core value available with a POS.

Their integrations at SpotOn allow you to improve staffing, inventory, accounting, and a range of other components of your business. Top integrations include MarginEdge, QuickBooks, FreshKDS, and much more. You can find a current list of integrations on their website.

Payment Processing

You are allowed to use your own payment processing company with SpotOn, but it will significantly increase the service’s cost. If you want to take advantage of the lower prices, you’ll have to use SpotOn’s credit card processing.

Current processing rates (verified from spoton.com/pricing):

• Quick Start plan: 2.89% + 25¢ per transaction
• POS Essentials plan: 1.99% + 25¢ for most cards

With SpotOn merchant services, you get some handy features like marketing, reviews, and payment analytics, but loyalty and a website will cost you extra.

One thing to note: if you want to switch to a different payment processor later, there’s a $995 conversion fee and your software license cost doubles. So it’s best to commit to their payment processing if you choose SpotOn.

Contract Terms

SpotOn advertises month-to-month flexibility on their POS Essentials plan, which is a positive compared to providers that lock you into multi-year agreements. However, there are some important details from their official terms (spoton.com/legal/point-of-sale-terms) that you should understand:

• Month-to-month agreement: No long-term commitment required on the Restaurant POS agreement.
• Cancellation before one year: If you cancel within the first year, you’ll need to pay the difference between any discounted hardware price you received and the full list price.
• Cancellation after one year: You own your equipment outright and can cancel with notice.
• Switching processors: $995 conversion fee and your software license cost doubles.

I’d recommend getting your specific contract terms in writing before signing anything. What’s advertised and what ends up in your contract aren’t always identical.

Customer Service

Every restaurant owner knows that their POS provider needs to have a strong customer support team. It’s not your job to handle the technical aspects of your software; you should be able to entrust that to your POS customer support team. Fortunately, SpotOn’s customer service team is available 24/7 to help you solve problems — they have an email and phone number you can contact.

SpotOn also has a huge national dealer network, so if you’re in a large city and prefer local support, there’s a good chance there is a POS reseller near you. There is a tremendous benefit to having local support, when most POS companies rely on remote support only.

In terms of customer satisfaction, SpotOn looks to be doing well. They’re accredited with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) with an A+ rating, and they’re ranked #1 for restaurant POS on G2.

Still, like any large business, there are complaints about SpotOn from some customers. The primary issue that comes up repeatedly is billing discrepancies. For this reason, you should review your processing statements carefully every month, especially in the first few months.

SpotOn POS User Reviews

I can go on and on about my experience with SpotOn POS, but I’m just one person – so I went ahead and researched what other customers think about it, both the good and the bad.

✅ What users like:

According to one review added on GetApp:

Another one said:

❌ Common complaints:

I try to be as transparent as possible about the customer’s experience with the SpotOn POS system. While there are significantly fewer negative reviews, one thing stood out: billing discrepancies and difficulty getting them resolved. As one review said:

These billing complaints aren’t isolated incidents – they appear consistently across BBB, Trustpilot, and various user comment sections. That doesn’t mean you’ll have the same experience, but it’s common enough that I’d recommend reviewing your processing statements carefully every month.

A colleague who’s worked with SpotOn put it this way: “The feature set is strong and the hardware holds up well, but you need to watch your statements closely, especially the first few months.”

Our Verdict

Overall, SpotOn POS is a solid performer. You’ll have access to some of the best restaurant-specific features on the market — it can truly help you transform your business if you’re using an outdated system. The 1.99% processing rate on the POS Essentials plan is competitive, and the commission-free online ordering is a genuine differentiator.

The primary concerns I have are around billing transparency. The volume of complaints about charges not matching agreed rates is hard to ignore. While SpotOn has strong ratings overall, this is an area where you’ll want to stay vigilant.

If you’re considering SpotOn, my recommendation is to get everything in writing before you sign. Make sure you understand your exact processing rates, monthly fees, hardware costs, and cancellation terms. And then actually review your statements every month to make sure everything matches what you agreed to.

For restaurants that do their due diligence and stay on top of their billing, SpotOn can be a strong choice. Before you decide on any specific system, we recommend checking out some of our other restaurant POS reviews.

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.