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Best Payment Processors for Restaurants

Expert recommendations from a Marketing Lead Developer with experience at Revel Systems

What Restaurants Need in a Payment Processor

Restaurants have unique payment processing needs. From my marketing experience at Revel Systems, I understand that restaurants require:

  • Table management and order routing
  • Tip management and tip pooling
  • Kitchen display systems (KDS)
  • Split checks and payment splitting
  • Online ordering integration

Top Payment Processors for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants

★★★★☆ 4.5/5

Square offers a complete restaurant POS system with table management, menu management, and kitchen display systems. Perfect for full-service restaurants.

  • Table management
  • Kitchen display system
  • Menu management
  • Tip pooling
  • Online ordering

Clover

★★★★☆ 4.3/5

Clover's restaurant POS system includes table management, kitchen display, and comprehensive restaurant management tools.

  • Full restaurant POS
  • Table management
  • Kitchen display
  • Employee management
  • Inventory tracking

Stripe Terminal

★★★★☆ 4.2/5

Stripe Terminal works well for restaurants that need custom POS solutions or want to integrate with existing systems.

  • Custom integrations
  • Developer-friendly
  • Unified reporting
  • Online + in-person
  • Flexible setup

Restaurant Payment Processing Tips

1. Choose a Processor with Restaurant-Specific Features

Not all payment processors are created equal for restaurants. Look for table management, tip handling, and kitchen integration.

2. Consider Tip Management

Restaurants need robust tip management including tip pooling, tip distribution, and tip reporting for tax purposes.

3. Integration with Online Ordering

Make sure your payment processor integrates with your online ordering system or offers built-in online ordering.