How much does a restaurant POS cost in Canada? (2026 guide)
POS pricing in Canada is famously hard to pin down — most vendors hide it behind a "book a call" button. Here's how the costs actually break down in 2026, and what to look for so you don't overpay.
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.
Related: online ordering
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.
Related: transparent Waitery pricing
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.
Related: kitchen displays
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.
Related: QR ordering · our restaurant POS buyer's guide
See Waitery on your floor.
Bilingual, on modern smart POS hardware we ship and support, $14 CAD a location with free setup. Book a 20-minute demo.
Book a demoFrequently asked questions
How much does a restaurant POS cost per month in Canada?
Full-featured Canadian restaurant platforms commonly run from roughly $69 to several hundred dollars per location per month once you add the modules most restaurants use, and many keep pricing quote-gated. Waitery is a flat, public $14 CAD per location per month for the whole platform.
Is POS setup free?
It varies by vendor — many charge onboarding or installation fees on top of hardware. Waitery's setup is free: menu import, tax configuration, and staging are included before go-live.
What's cheaper — per-location or per-terminal pricing?
Per-location pricing is usually cheaper and easier to predict, because per-terminal fees climb every time you add a device. Some vendors charge both, so always ask for the all-in monthly number per location in writing. Waitery charges one flat $14 CAD per location.