How much does a restaurant POS cost in Canada? (2026 guide)

The four costs that make up a restaurant POS

Almost every restaurant POS quote is really four separate costs bundled together. Understanding them individually is the only way to compare vendors fairly.

• Software subscription — a recurring monthly fee per location (and sometimes per terminal).
• Hardware — terminals, handhelds, kitchen displays, and printers, bought outright or leased.
• Payment processing — the percentage and per-transaction fee on every card payment.
• Setup & add-ons — onboarding fees plus optional modules like online ordering, loyalty, or delivery.

What software actually costs in 2026

Published Canadian pricing in 2026 ranges widely. Entry tiers can look cheap (sometimes free) but gate the restaurant features you'll actually need behind higher plans. Full-featured restaurant platforms commonly land between roughly $69 and several hundred dollars per location per month once you add the modules most restaurants use — and many keep their real pricing quote-gated.

Waitery takes the opposite approach: a flat, public $14 CAD per location per month for the whole platform, with free setup. No quotes, no per-terminal surprises.

Hardware: buy or lease

Hardware is a real line item. A handheld, a kitchen display, a cashier tablet, and a printer add up. Look for a vendor that ships and supports its own restaurant-grade hardware Canada-wide, rather than leaving you to source generic terminals. Waitery provides its own modern smart POS terminals, server handhelds, kitchen displays, and printers, with a 1-year warranty.

On hardware, look for the option to either buy outright or lease over a defined term — Waitery lets you buy or lease over 48 months — and check that setup and onboarding are included. With Waitery, setup is free.

The fees nobody puts on the homepage

Before you sign, ask every vendor these questions in writing:

• Is pricing per location or per terminal?
• What's the contract length, and what happens if I cancel early?
• Which features are extra (online ordering, KDS, loyalty, reporting)?
• What are the all-in payment processing rates?
• Is the guest/kitchen/receipt experience available in French if I operate in Quebec?

How to compare fairly

Add the four costs together for a realistic monthly total per location, then divide by the number of covers you serve. A platform that looks expensive can be cheaper per cover if it turns tables faster — and a cheap one can cost you in lost speed and add-ons.

If transparent pricing and modern restaurant-grade hardware shipped Canada-wide matter to you, that's exactly what Waitery is built for. Book a demo and we'll price your exact setup on the spot — no quote games.