8.7/10 (Expert Score)
Product is rated as #12 in category Restaurant POS Systems
The Upserve POS system provides you with a full restaurant management platform that improves your business’s capabilities. If you’re looking for a comprehensive system that is easy to scale, Upserve POS gives you many features, but it will cost you.
Easy to Use
9
Value
8.5
Support
8.5
Functionality
8.5
Feedback
9
PROS:
  • A robust set of features
  • Tons of add-ons and integrations
  • Compatible with iOS and Android
  • Loyalty programs, staff management, and more
CONS:
  • Expensive subscription prices
  • No flexibility on payment processes
  • Complaints about outages

Upserve POS Review


Upserve POS Review

Updated as of November, 2023

If you’re opening a new restaurant or thinking of upgrading your current POS platform, my Upserve POS review takes a more in-depth look at one of the largest tablet-based competitors in the industry. If you want a full-service restaurant management system, this is undoubtedly an effective option. Let’s examine everything on offer at Upserve POS!

Overview of Upserve POS

Upserve POS originally went by the name of Breadcrumb. In 2016, the company was purchased by Swipely, and the name was changed to Upserve POS — this was following Swipely’s attempt to make Upserve a full-service restaurant management platform rather than a simple POS system.

Upserve POS certainly offers a comprehensive service — there’s much more than payment processing available in this powerful platform. If you’re looking for a system that helps you transform how you manage your restaurant, you’ll find plenty of useful tools at Upserve POS.

You can use the Upserve app on iOS and Android devices, so it’s an excellent option if you want a touch screen POS system. Upserve POS consulted designers from a broad range of hospitality niches. The platform has been built using the input of hardworking restaurant and café professionals.

This approach to the design process doesn’t just make things easier for your staff members; it also makes things easier for you. As a business owner or manager, it’s critical to use a type of POS that is easy to learn and operate for your business environment. It helps prevent mistakes in the workplace and means you won’t waste too much time training your employees.

Upserve POS provides you with easy menu building, a full list of integrations, tons of seamless features, restaurant management tools, excellent hardware options, and more. It’s time to take a more in-depth look at the critical components of this major platform.

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Pros vs Cons


PROS:

  • A robust set of features
  • Easy to build and customize menus
  • Tons of add-ons and integrations
  • Compatible with iOS and Android
  • Three different packages
  • Hybrid software model
  • In-house credit card processing
  • Loyalty programs, staff management, and more

CONS:

  • High subscription prices
  • No flexibility on payment processes
  • Complaints about outages


Pricing

Upserve POS pricing starts at $119 per month. If you use a point of sale platform outside of your business’s budget, it can seriously eat into your profits. Fortunately, Upserve has very transparent pricing policies — you don’t have to hunt for a quote to determine if this is an affordable service for your business. Upserve POS offers its services in three distinct packages — they cover a broad range of price points.

Upserve POS Cost

  • Core Monthly – $119 (Additional terminal $60)
  • Pro Monthly – $249 (Additional terminal $50)
  • Pro Plus Monthly – $399 (Additional terminal $40)


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Core Includes: Upserve POS, Payment Processing, EMV, Sale Reporting, Labor Reporting Marketing Insights, Mobile App, Workforce

Pro Includes: Upserve POS, Payment Processing, EMV, Sale Reporting, Labor Reporting Marketing Insights, Mobile App, Workforce, Menu Optimization, Server Performance, Loyalty, Inventory, Online Ordering

Pro Plus Includes: Upserve POS, Payment Processing, EMV, Sale Reporting, Labor Reporting Marketing Insights, Mobile App, Workforce, Menu Optimization, Server Performance, Loyalty, Inventory, Online Ordering, Dedicated Success Manager, Custom Reporting, Data API Access

As you can see, the prices are quite high compared to many other large competitors in the market. You’ll need to have a decent budget to afford the premium Upserve POS options. But you can also add features to the ‘Core’ package individually if you want to upgrade partially.

There is a flat fee of 2.49% + $.15 per transaction in terms of payment processing. They also offer 0% financing on hardware, software, and implementation for qualified buyers.

Demo Video

 

Key Features

A POS’s features are the most critical component to consider when you’re deciding on a new platform — let’s take a look at what Upserve has to offer:

  • Easy to use menu builder and customizer — you can even ask Upserve staff members to help you set up your menu and interface without any additional fee
  • Check your reporting data from anywhere — you can also access reporting data from an app (Upserve Live), which makes keeping tabs on your business even more manageable
  • You can easily customize, alter, and arrange different management and menu features from Upserve HQ — this acts as a management control center for your point of sale platform
  • Customizable printing means you can send orders or receipts to any of the printers in your venue
  • Build your virtual restaurant layout to manage tables and reservations — increase the capabilities that your staff have to improve your restaurant’s seating efficiency
  • Add descriptions to different items on your menu or product list; this can help your team provide more in-depth insight into the product on offer and help improve your customers’ ability to order the meal they want
  • Use Android and iOS touch screen devices to operate your system
  • Customize to allow for online ordering if you’re looking to increase your takeaway features

Upserve POS Offline Mode

  • Send orders directly to a kitchen display system that will enable you to communicate with your chefs quickly
  • Keep track of multiple tabs, split bills, offer discounts, and accept payments
  • In-house payment processing that’s convenient to use
  • Inventory management program so you don’t lose track of what ingredient and products you have to help reduce food cost
  • Staff management tools that allow you to track hours worked and staff performance
  • A range of additional add-ons that provide the user with the ability to manage their restaurant and its key components
  • Build loyalty programs for customers who frequent your establishment
  • Tableside ordering for quick and easy order processing
  • Offline mode and hard-wired options to process orders and accept payments (including credit cards) if your internet goes down

Data Reporting

The back-office features on offer from Upserve POS are great. You can access them from any device connected to the internet — you can get a full view of your business’s performance when you’re on-the-go.

Upserve Reporting - Daily Digest

You can look at detailed sales analytics, labor reporting, campaigns, employee management, and more. You can see detailed, individualized reporting figures from individual staff members, locations, and the business as a whole.

You can view all your restaurant’s data from the Upserve HQ — a central location that retains all the information you need. You can also set up a ‘Daily Digest Email’ to send you a daily summary of your restaurant or business’s performance.

Deployment Type

It’s hard to find a point of sale system that doesn’t have a cloud computing component. You’ll find a hybrid form of point of sale if you decide to work with Upserve. While you can store and access all reporting data and information from a cloud, the offline mode means that the software will store valuable information on your hardware if the internet cuts out.

There are some limitations to Upserve’s Offline Mode; for instance, you can’t work a check on multiple iPads. If a check is changed from different iPads, it will throw off reports and payments. EMV readers will not work if you lose the internet or if your network goes down.

If you are operating in Offline Mode, you can swipe any chip card through the Upserve POS swiper. Upserve POS will encrypt the swipe and hold it securely until connectivity is restored. Once you’re connected again, Upserve sends the encrypted data to the card processor for authorization. This is a great feature most cloud-based systems don’t offer.

If you want to avoid costly data losses and you enjoy accessing reporting data from back-office locations, this form of POS system is just what you’re looking for. I’m a big fan of hybrid systems — they provide you with the best of both worlds, but it’s best to verify you have a fast and stable internet connection to eliminate as much downtime as possible.

Industries Served

You’ll be pleased to know that Upserve POS is built explicitly for the hospitality industry – this means all the tools in the platform are geared towards helps cafés, restaurants, quick-service restaurants, food trucks, bars, and a range of other hospitality-based industries.

While this platform is excellent for businesses of any size, its cost may be impractical for small venues. In many ways, I suggest that you use this platform for mid-sized to more substantial businesses — especially if you’re investing in the more premium packages.

Ease of Use

It’s hard to find a platform that prioritizes ease of use more than Upserve. As discussed previously, this platform was designed by hospitality professionals to make things much easier for business owners and staff.

Upserver POS Terminal

You’ll find that the user interface is straightforward, making it easy to navigate and see what you’re looking for. This is great for busy periods in your restaurant — your staff members will be able to process transactions quickly and build orders without wasting time.

In terms of the backend, it’s straightforward to build menus, change items, develop categories, and customize your entire POS platform to your particular needs and wants. It’s a great POS platform for those who want to avoid complications.

Hardware

Upserve Hardware

Fortunately, you can use Upserve POS on both iOS and Android devices – this gives you a much higher degree of flexibility than you’ll find with some of the other leading POS platforms. Also, it means you won’t have to purchase your hardware devices from your point of sale provider — you can source the accessories on your own! That being said, we generally recommend you get all your hardware from the POS company or provider to make sure your equipment is compatible with the software.

If you want additional hardware, such as kiosks or printers, you can purchase them from Upserve POS. These other hardware products can help you bring your system to the next level.

You’ll find that most people use iPads and Android tablets for Upserve POS. And don’t worry — you can access your reporting information from any form of device that connects to the internet – this is a feature I look for in any top POS platform.

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Integrations

As you can probably tell, there are plenty of add-ons available at Upserve. Integrations and add-ons are undoubtedly one of the key benefits associated with this software. Outside of the upgrade, you can get from purchasing the premium packages mentioned in the ‘Pricing’ section of this Upserve POS review; you can also head to the Upserve Marketplace to gain access to a broad range of add-ons.

The available Upserve POS integrations and add-ons can help you manage online orders, integrate accounting, give you a more in-depth look at your analytics, help you improve scheduling, manage reservations, issue gift cards, and a range of other benefits.

Some of the additional add-ons and integrations include GrubHub, Tock, Resy, Better Chains, Homebase, 7shifts, Orca, Shogo, KitchenSync, and more. Keep in mind that many of these add-ons will cost you extra money, so you need to factor these costs into your budget.

Still, I like the number of add-ons available through Upserve POS.

Payment Processing

Upserve credit card processing costs a flat fee of 2.49% + $.15 per transaction and is EMV ready.

Unfortunately, for seamless integration, there’s no credit card processing flexibility at Upserve POS — you’ll have to use their processing platform if you want to use Upserve. This isn’t my preferred form of credit card processing, as I think it’s a good idea to have flexibility. It’s also helpful to have the option to bring your current credit card processor with you if you’re transferring systems.

Still, this does mean that you won’t have to worry about shopping around. In some ways, it’s convenient to have your credit card processing and POS under one roof. Upserve POS also claims to price match with other credit card processors if you find a better rate.

I do like that they have a handheld POS option for tableside ordering with EMV payments. This is a great feature that very few companies seem to get right. I don’t have any feedback on how well it works yet, but I will update the review when we get more details. But here is what the Upserve Tableside device looks like:

Upserve Handheld POS

 

Customer Service

Upserve POS has an excellent customer support platform that allows you to research a variety of technical topics. If you still need to speak to a support team member, you can live chat with their customer care department 24/7. This is a great feature — I love POS providers that invest in around-the-clock customer support and live chat platforms. You can also call their hotline if you need to speak to a staff member quickly.

But it’s not just about Upserve’s customer service team; you should also consider customer feedback when you’re trying to decide on a new POS company to work with. Checking various consumer watchdog sites can help you determine if Upserve POS is the right system for you. If a company has consistent complaints about a particular aspect of its business, there’s probably a reason for it.

The primary complaint we see with Upserve POS has to do with lagging and server downtime. Additional feedback we’ve found is that the platform crashes sometimes – this is a considerable concern, given that you need your POS system to operate if you want to conduct business effectively. Some customers also complain about the price. As mentioned previously, make sure you can afford this service before you make any commitments.

Our Verdict

So, is Upserve point of sale the right platform for your business? If you’re using an outdated POS system at the moment, there are certainly some vast advantages associated with Upserve POS. This system provides you with a full restaurant management platform that allows you to improve your business’s capabilities, but the price is on the higher side of the tablet POS market.

If you’re looking for a comprehensive system that is easy to scale, Upserve POS gives you many features and options to choose from. It also allows you to use iOS and Android devices and a range of other hardware add-ons.

It’s hard to find too much wrong with Upserve POS, but the price is steep. You’ll also need to overcome customer complaints about downtime and lagging. Still, it’s hard to find a modern tablet-based POS company with a more robust feature list. If you think Upserve POS is right for you, get in touch with their team for a free demo or visit here to see more POS reviews.

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Specification: Upserve POS

Best For

Restaurants, Quick Service, Full Service, Bars

Business Size

Small, Medium

POS Type

Android, iPad POS

Software Type

Cloud/SaaS

Free Trial

Demo Only

Merchant Services

In-House Only

Pricing Model

Monthly Payment, Contract

Price Range

$$-$$$

Videos: Upserve POS

Photos: Upserve POS

2 reviews for Upserve POS

2.0 out of 5
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  1. Bryce Gerlitz

    Inventory, recipe building, reporting, and the over all back office functions of this POS system are pretty solid. There are some definite obvious tweaks that could be made however. The site used to manage your system can only be accessed through a computer so no making changes on the go. Further more it glitches out if you use a browser other than chrome and even then, it has some problems. Additionally there are some sloppy web designs on the site for instance the “chat” button that allows you to ask for help, while being extremely useful, is located on an area of the screen that gets used frequently and since you cannot hide it or turn it off, you end up accidentally opening a chat constantly.

    Their menu building itself is pretty confusing and very, VERY weak in terms of capabilities. There’s no way to create a nested modifier, or 86 a modifier. Selling something in different quantities or something that is used in multiple ingredients but sells out daily like BBQ for instance? There’s no real way to manage that in this system. The online ordering is functional however it’s manage as at the menu level instead of at the item. Meaning an entirely separate menu is required to be created and managed. Editing any menu is a cumbersome task as well. There’s no real way to make quick basic changes like pricing or name changes. If you want to change the price for something, you have to do it individually. Further more there’s no level pricing, override pricing, size pricing, or really any advance pricing structure. If you run specials, you will have to create a separate menu that contains separate copies of the items on special. You item availability is determined by its menu, you do not have the option to make items available by specific times just menus. Additionally every time you save an edit, you are re routed back to the main screen. Meaning you want to change prices for instance, you will have to return yourself to the item page every time, the system is not smart enough to realize you probably want to just stay with this list. There’s also no way to make changes without them immediately going live to your POS other systems allow you to make changes without publishing them to your terminals which allows you to accomplish tasks like creating a new menu or increasing your prices ahead of when you actually want those changes to take place. With Upserve you either need to make those changes the day you want them to take place or create copies of every item you want to change, create the new menu you want to run without assigning it to an employee, then assign it to the proper employees the day it goes live. If you have every item labeled as a copy, you will now have to change all those names there is no quick way to do like I previously mention.

    Overall this system probably is best suited for concepts with menus that rarely make large scale changes or even minor changes like different specials or features. The time it takes to create menus or make bulk changes just really makes this system poor in my eyes, we all run restaurants, time an extremely limited resource and for the most part, Upserve requires significant time.

    + PROS: Inventory system works extremely well as an assisted or automated ordering guide. Less so to determine your actual costs of goods.
    - CONS: Poor and faulty site design Outdated and confusing menu design features Very limited item management capabilities Very limited modifier capabilities No ability make bulk changes Lack of quick edit features Much more time consuming than its competitors.
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  2. CG

    Online Order functionality is extremely weak. No Layout templates, The ordering app Isn’t embedded within your own website. So customers are directed to an Upserve URL. The promo code functionality is a complete joke. If we were not locked into some lame multi-year contract with a stiff early termination penalty we would make a switch immediately to something with a more robust, modern, and customizable online ordering system. If Upserve/Lightspeed doesn’t address these deficiencies soon they will see a mass migration of their customers to POS systems with better multi-channel marketing and online ordering platform

    + PROS: All our staff like the easy Ipad functionality for in-restaurant order taking and processing.
    - CONS: Deficient online ordering capabilities. The functionality you might expect from an entry-level POS. Certainly not one with a hefty Upserve Price tag
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