Toast POS
A restaurant-first POS with a $0-a-month starter kit and a lower card rate on the traditional plan
Rates verified October 14, 2026See pricingThe Bottom Line
- In-person card rate
- 3.09% + 15¢ (verified Oct 14, 2026). All rates and fees
Key facts
- Pay-as-you-Go: $0 a month and 3.09% + 15¢ on every card sale. Traditional: from $69 a month and 2.49% + 15¢.
- The Countertop Starter Kit is $0 on Pay-as-you-Go or $1,153 on traditional; a full rate card is not published.
- Works only on Toast-approved hardware. The software comes on a 2 year agreement that renews yearly.
Pros
- Built for restaurants: tables, orders, menus and offline mode
- A $0-a-month starter route with hardware you own
- Support is included with every software subscription, 24/7
- The card rate falls from 3.09% + 15¢ to 2.49% + 15¢ on the traditional plan
Cons
- A full rate card is not published, and a custom setup needs a quote
- Pay-as-you-Go costs 3.09% + 15¢ on every card sale, against 2.49% + 15¢ on the traditional plan
- Software only works on Toast-approved hardware
- The software is sold on a 2 year agreement, and leaving early costs $150 for each month left on Pay-as-you-Go
At a glance
Rates verified October 14, 2026- In-person card rate
- 3.09% + 15¢ (Pay-as-you-Go Basic package; 2.49% + 15¢ on the traditional plan)
- Monthly software
- Pay-as-you-Go (Starter Kit) $0, Traditional (Point of Sale, from) $69 a month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Register
- $0 (Countertop Starter Kit on Pay-as-you-Go, which you own; $1,153 on the traditional plan)
- Contract
- 2 year agreement on the software subscription (Countertop Starter Kit page). Under the Merchant Agreement it renews automatically for successive one year periods unless either side gives 30 days' written notice. Ending early costs the remaining software fees, or $150 for each month left on a Pay-as-you-Go subscription.
- Best for
- Restaurants and cafes
- Other fees to know
- American Express and card-not-present (traditional plan): 3.50% + 15¢; Payroll bundle: $69 a month plus $9 per employee
- Countries
- United States (Toast's US pricing pages)
Sources: pos.toasttab.com/pricing, pos.toasttab.com/shop/starter-kits, read October 14, 2026
Is it worth it?
About $369 a month in card fees on $10,000 of in-person sales
A small shop taking $10,000 a month in card payments, in 400 sales of $25, would pay about $369 a month in total on the Pay-as-you-Go (Starter Kit) plan: $369 in card fees (3.09% + 15¢ on 400 sales of $25) and no monthly software fee. Hardware is not included, and rates change, so the date above matters.
Read this before you sign up
- The software is sold on a 2 year agreement that renews each year. Leaving early costs $150 for each month left on Pay-as-you-Go, or the remaining software fees on the traditional plan.
- On the traditional plan, American Express and card-not-present payments (online or typed in) cost 3.50% + 15¢, above the 2.49% + 15¢ headline.
- The starting prices apply to new customers with a single location. More locations or custom setups are quoted.
- Toast's services work only on devices Toast approves, so leaving later means replacing hardware.
- Toast can change card processing rates during the term on 30 days' written notice, so check the rate on your signed order.
- Add-ons such as payroll, marketing and online ordering are priced separately.
Where these numbers come from
Every rate and price on this page was read from the vendor's own pages on the dates below. Vendors change prices without notice, so check the current figure on their site before you decide.
- Plan prices ($0 Starter Kit, Point of Sale from $69), hardware policy, support, facilitator status. Page says it was last updated August 20, 2026 Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Landing page: Pay-as-you-Go 3.09% and traditional 2.49% card fees (percentages only, no cents), hardware ownership Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Countertop Starter Kit page: Pay-as-you-Go Basic $0 a month and 3.09% + 15¢/card transaction (Core 3.39% + 15¢, Growth 3.69% + 15¢); Traditional Basic $69 a month and 2.49% + 15¢/card transaction, with 3.50% + 15¢ for American Express and for Visa, Discover and Mastercard card-not-present (pricing plan info text); kit $0 to own on Pay-as-you-Go and $1,153 due today on traditional; extras and accessories price list; 'Subscription to Toast software with a 2 year agreement' Vendor page (2026-10-14)
- Merchant Agreement section 8: renews automatically for successive one year periods unless either side gives 30 days' written notice; early termination fee is the remaining software fees, or $150 x months left for a Pay-as-you-go subscription. Card processing rates can change during the term on 30 days' written notice Vendor page (2026-10-14)
What is Toast POS?
Toast is built for restaurants, cafes, bars and food trucks, and it is the most restaurant-focused option in this list. Its pricing pages offer two ways in. With Pay-as-you-Go, the Starter Kit has no basic hardware cost and no monthly fee for the basic software, and you pay 3.09% + 15¢ on every card transaction on the Basic package (the Core and Growth packages are 3.39% + 15¢ and 3.69% + 15¢). With the traditional plan you pay for hardware up front and a monthly software fee (the Point of Sale plan starts at $69 a month), and the card fee drops to 2.49% + 15¢. Toast sells its software on a 2 year agreement that renews each year.
Toast shows its Countertop Starter Kit price up front, $0 on Pay-as-you-Go and $1,153 on the traditional plan, with extra terminals, printers and a cellular plan priced on the same page. It does not publish a full rate card, and a custom setup needs a quote. The page says its starting prices are for new customers with a single location. Toast's software only runs on hardware Toast approves, so you cannot bring your own tablet, and Toast processes payments as a payment facilitator rather than as a card processor in its own right. Support is included with every software subscription and is open around the clock.
If you run a restaurant and want one system for orders, tables, menus and payments, Toast is built for that. If you want a price for everything before you talk to anyone, Toast shows its starter kit but a custom setup still needs a quote.
Key details
Table and order managementDigital menus and offline modeIntegrated payments and surchargingStarter Kit with hardware you own24/7 support included with every software subscriptionAdd-ons for payroll, marketing, online ordering and more
Explore more
Toast POS FAQ
How much does Toast charge for card payments?
On Toast's Countertop Starter Kit page, Pay-as-you-Go Basic charges 3.09% + 15¢ on every card transaction (Core is 3.39% + 15¢ and Growth is 3.69% + 15¢), and the traditional plan charges 2.49% + 15¢. On the traditional plan, American Express and Visa, Discover and Mastercard card-not-present payments (online or typed in) cost 3.50% + 15¢. The starter kit landing page shows only the percentages. Checked on October 14, 2026.
Does Toast have a monthly fee?
Pay-as-you-Go has no monthly fee for the basic software. On the traditional route the Point of Sale plan starts at $69 a month. Toast's payroll bundle is $69 a month plus $9 per employee.
Can I use my own hardware with Toast?
No. Toast says its services work only on devices it has approved. Hardware bought in a Starter Kit is yours to keep and is not leased.
How much does Toast hardware cost?
On Toast's Countertop Starter Kit page, the kit (a Toast Flex terminal, a Toast Tap payment device and a router) is $0 on Pay-as-you-Go, and you own it, and $1,153 on the traditional plan, paid at purchase. Extras on the same page include a Toast Tap at $99, a receipt printer at $329, a cash drawer at $99, a kitchen printer at $339 and an extra 14-inch Toast Flex terminal at $749 plus $50 a month. 0% financing is available by application. Checked on October 14, 2026.
Is there a Toast contract, and what is the early termination fee?
Yes. Toast's Countertop Starter Kit page says the software subscription comes with a 2 year agreement. Toast's Merchant Agreement says it then renews automatically for one year at a time unless either side gives 30 days' written notice before the term ends. Ending it early costs the software fees left on the term, or $150 for each month left on a Pay-as-you-Go subscription. Checked on October 14, 2026.
Is Toast only for restaurants?
Toast is built for restaurants and also sells a retail POS. Its pricing pages we checked are for restaurants.
Source: pos.toasttab.com