The best POS machine for restaurants in Australia

Key takeaways

• The best POS machines for Australian restaurants are Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed Restaurant, Zeller POS, Tyro (paired with your POS software) and Epos Now – each suits a different type of venue.

• Surcharging on eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ended on 1 October 2026, so card fees now come straight out of your margin. To find the best match for your restaurant, compare the total 12-month cost, not just the monthly fee.

• Airwallex lets restaurants take online payments for takeaway, catering and deposits today, and pay overseas suppliers from a multi-currency account, with POS Payments coming soon in Australia.

The best POS machine for restaurants is the one that handles your service style – table service, counter or delivery – at the lowest total cost for your card volume. For most Australian venues, the shortlist is Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed Restaurant, Zeller POS, Tyro and Epos Now.

Getting the choice right matters more than it used to. Since 1 October 2026, you can't pass card surcharges on eftpos, Mastercard or Visa on to diners, so every fraction of a percent in processing fees hits your bottom line. This guide narrows our wider look at the best POS systems in Australia down to hospitality. It compares software, card rates and hardware, matches each option to a venue type, and works through a 12-month cost example.

Snapshot: The best POS machines for a restaurant

What is a restaurant POS machine?

A restaurant POS machine is the combination of software and hardware your venue uses to take orders, send them to the kitchen and take payment. A full setup usually includes POS system software, a card machine (EFTPOS terminal) and peripherals like a kitchen printer, kitchen display system (KDS) or cash drawer.

Some providers bundle their own card machine with their software, so you get a restaurant POS with card machine in one setup – Square, Zeller, Lightspeed and Epos Now all work this way. Others are card machines that plug into the POS you already use: Tyro integrates with 580+ POS systems.

The best restaurant POS machines in Australia compared

We assessed each POS machine for restaurants on published Australian pricing, in-person card rates, hardware costs and restaurant features, as at October 2026.

Square for Restaurants

Square for Restaurants offers a range of hardware to suit different venue sizes and types, with no hidden fees and no long-term contract. Its free plan includes table management, open bills and bar tabs, so smaller venues can get started without a subscription.

Fees

• Free plan: A$0/month

• Plus: A$129/month per location; mobile POS is an additional A$50/month per location

• Premium: Custom pricing for businesses processing A$250,000+ a year

• In-person card rate: 1.6% 

• Online, invoices and card on file: 2.2%

• Square KDS: A$25/month per device on Free; unlimited devices on Plus

• Square Kiosk Lite: A$45/month per device

• Restaurant Inventory by Marketman: +A$149/month per location (Plus and Premium)

• Hardware: Stand A$149 (iPad not included), Terminal A$329, Handheld A$349,  Register A$1,099

Pros

• Free plan includes table management, open bills and bar tabs with pre-authorisation

• No long-term contract – upgrade or downgrade at any time

• Offline payments are processed when the device reconnects; Square says they may be declined if it does not reconnect within 24 hours of the first offline payment.

Cons

• Course and seat management, close-of-day reports and 24/7 phone support need the Plus plan

• One flat 1.6% in-person rate, with custom pricing only from A$250,000 in yearly payments

Lightspeed Restaurant

Lightspeed Restaurant gives owners and teams a full set of hospitality tools on every plan, backed by onboarding help and 24/7 support. One register is available on the Basic and Plus plans, two registers on Growth, and five on Pro. You add the hardware and features your restaurant needs as you scale.

Fees

• A$40 Basic, A$120 Plus, A$220 Growth, $340 Pro 

• Additional register: A$40 additional per month

• Insights: A$40 additional per month

• Lightspeed Loyalty: From A$39/month

• Card processing rate: 1.5%

Pros

• Offline mode, bill splitting, pay at the table and bar mode with pre-auth tabs on every plan

• 24/7 support via live chat, phone and email

• Order Anywhere and Lightspeed Inventory included on Essential and Premium

Cons

• Eligible Lightspeed customers may be required to use Lightspeed Payments; using a third-party processor can trigger a separate transaction fee under the Australian service agreement.

• The feature set may make it less suitable for smaller restaurants

Zeller POS

Zeller POS is free software that pairs with Zeller Terminal, with a free kitchen display system and nightly settlement into a Zeller Transaction Account. It suits cafés, counters and food trucks that want low fixed costs.

Fees

• POS software: free, with no monthly fee or lock-in contract

• 1.2% on payments integrated with Zeller POS (terms apply)

• 1.4% standard in-person rate; 1.7% for MOTO payments

• Zeller Terminal: A$99 

• Needs an iPad or Android tablet to run the full Zeller POS app

• Custom rates may be available above A$250,000 a year in card payments

Pros

• Competitive in-person card rate for integrated payments

• Kitchen docket printing, modifiers and a free KDS

• Tabs for diners over an extended sitting

Cons

• Table mapping and inventory tracking are coming soon (as at 26 October 2026)

• Card payments in Zeller POS need a Zeller Terminal

Tyro

Tyro is a card machine that works with your existing restaurant POS, bringing payment at the table, split bills and least-cost routing to your venue. When integrated with your POS software, its Pro Series terminals can also show a custom welcome screen for your brand.

Fees

• Transaction fee: 1.0% introductory rate, including American Express, until 31 March 2027; standard rate 1.3%

• Terminal rental: Pro Touch A$29/month, Pro Key A$29/month, Pro Lite A$19/month; Tyro BYO app A$0/month

• Custom quote available if you process A$20,000+ a month

• No joining, lock-in or cancellation fees

Pros

• Integrates with 580+ POS systems

• Pay@Table and split bills (where your POS supports it)

• Tap & Save least-cost routing, plus settlement seven days a week into a Tyro Transaction Account

Cons

• Card machine only – you still need restaurant POS software

• Terminal rental adds a monthly cost once any intro offer ends

Epos Now

Epos Now packages hospitality hardware, POS software and integrated payments into one bundle with a flat card rate. It connects to delivery apps, online ordering and pay-at-table, plus an app store that includes Xero, Deputy and OpenTable.

Fees

• Complete Solution hardware bundle: A$1,199

• Bundle price requires a 12-month payments, care and support subscription, from A$78/month

• Card processing: 1.70% flat rate on Visa and Mastercard; American Express, JCB, Diners, Discover and UnionPay at a separate fixed rate (opt-in)

• Refunds: free; custom pricing for larger businesses

Pros

• Hospitality add-ons including a KDS, Order & Pay and delivery-app integrations

• Fixed card rate on Visa and Mastercard makes costs easy to budget

• 24/7 phone and email support

Cons

• Highest published in-person card rate in this list

• Bundle pricing ties you to a 12-month subscription

Which POS is best for your type of restaurant?

The best POS for your restaurant depends on how you serve: quick-service venues need speed and a kitchen display, full-service restaurants need floor plans and split bills, and food trucks need portable hardware.

Smaller cafés with simple menus often overlap with the needs covered in our guide to the best POS system for small business. For a step-by-step checklist, work through how to choose a POS system before you book demos.

How much does a restaurant POS system cost in Australia?

A restaurant POS system in Australia costs A$0 to A$350+ a month per location in software before add-ons, published in-person card rates from 1.2% to 1.7%, and hardware from A$99 to A$1,000+ per device to buy, or from A$20~ a month to rent. Your card volume usually decides which option is cheapest overall.

Your total cost comes from four buckets:

• Software subscription: monthly plan fees, charged per location or per register

• Hardware: terminals, tablets, printers and kitchen screens, bought outright or rented

• Card processing: a percentage of every card sale – see how card processing fees work

• Add-ons: KDS screens, extra registers, kiosks, inventory and online ordering

Illustrative 12-month cost at A$40,000 a month in card sales (A$480,000 a year)

What features does a restaurant POS system need?

A restaurant POS system needs to manage tables, route orders to the kitchen, handle complex menus and split payments, and keep working when the internet drops. Look for:

• Floor plan and table management: See which tables are open, seated or waiting on the bill.

• Kitchen display and ticket routing: Send each item to the right station – kitchen, bar or coffee.

• Menu modifiers: Capture sizes, add-ons and dietary changes without free-text notes.

• Split bills and pay at the table: Let groups pay their own way without a queue at the counter.

• Bar tabs with pre-authorisation: Hold an amount on a card so tabs get paid.

• Online ordering and delivery-app integrations: Bring takeaway and delivery orders into one screen.

• Offline mode: Keep taking orders and payments during an outage.

• Inventory and recipe costing: Track stock and cost of goods per dish

• Staff permissions and rostering: Control who can void, discount or refund

• Accounting integration: Sync sales to Xero to cut manual reconciliation

• Least-cost routing: Send eligible debit card payments through the cheaper network

How does the card surcharge ban affect your restaurant's POS costs?

Since 1 October 2026, restaurants can't add a surcharge for paying by eftpos, Mastercard or Visa – credit, debit or prepaid. Your card processing rate now comes out of your margin unless you build it into your prices, which makes the rate you negotiate more important than ever.

• Which cards are covered: eftpos, Mastercard and Visa ended surcharging under their own network rules, and American Express, UnionPay and PayPal have also removed surcharging.

• What you can still charge: Weekend surcharges, public holiday surcharges, booking fees and service fees aren't affected.

• What counts as a card surcharge: Calling a fee a "service fee" does not change its character. If it applies only because a diner pays by card, it remains a card-payment surcharge and may breach the applicable network rules.

• What to check: Make sure to review surcharge settings on every terminal, POS and online ordering system, and ask your provider whether least-cost routing is switched on.

How to use a POS machine in a restaurant

Using a POS machine in a restaurant comes down to six steps, from setting up your menu to closing out the day:

1. Set up your menu, modifiers and floor plan.

2. Add staff logins and permissions.

3. Open a table or order and add items.

4. Send the order to the kitchen printer or KDS.

5. Take payment at the counter or the table, splitting the bill if needed.

6. Run close-of-day reports and reconcile your takings.

How Airwallex works with your restaurant POS

Airwallex doesn't replace your restaurant POS – it handles online payments and the money side of your business, with POS Payments for in-person sales coming soon in Australia. Use it alongside the POS you choose today.

• Online payments for takeaway, catering and deposits: Send Payment Links or add Checkout to your website, from 1.65% + A$0.30 for domestic cards and 3.45% + A$0.30 for international cards.

• Pay overseas suppliers: Pay for imported wine, produce or equipment from a multi-currency business account, at 0.5% above interbank rates for major currencies.

• Staff spend: Issue up to 10 free company cards on the Explore plan.

• POS Payments (coming soon): POS Payments will bring in-store and online payments into one dashboard, using the M90 terminal or SoftPOS on compatible phones and tablets. 

Get started with Airwallex today and take your first online payment for takeaway, catering or a booking deposit.

Frequently asked questions

What POS system do most restaurants use?

There's no official data on which POS system most Australian restaurants use. Examples include Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed Restaurant and POS systems paired with Tyro card machines, which integrate with 580+ POS systems. The right choice depends on your service style and card volume.

What is the best POS system for fast food restaurants?

Square for Restaurants is an option for fast food restaurants, with a kitchen display from A$25 a month per device on the Free plan and self-serve Kiosk Lite a A$45 a month per device. Zeller POS suits simpler counters, with free software, a free KDS and a 1.2% integrated card rate.

Do I need a separate EFTPOS machine if I use a restaurant POS system?

It depends on the provider. Square, Zeller, Lightspeed and Epos Now offer card machines that integrate with their own software, so you don't need a separate one. If your POS software doesn't process payments itself, you'll need a card machine that integrates with it, such as Tyro.

What is the cheapest POS system?

Zeller POS has low published running costs in this guide: free software, a 1.2% integrated card rate and a A$99 terminal promotional price (RRP A$199). Square for Restaurants Free is another low-cost option, at A$0 a month with a qualified 1.6% in-person rate. Both need hardware to get started.

How much does a POS machine cost?

A POS machine costs about A$99 promotional to A$1,199+ to buy, or from A$19/month to rent. Zeller Terminal is A$99 promotional (RRP A$199), Square hardware runs from A$149 for Stand to A$1,099 for Register, and Epos Now’s Complete Solution is A$1,199 standard or promotional pricing from A$699. Tyro terminals rent for A$19–A$29 a month, subject to current offers.

Do POS systems have a monthly fee?

Some POS systems have a monthly fee and some don't. Lightspeed Restaurant starts at A$40 a month and Square for Restaurants Plus costs A$129 a month per location. Square for Restaurants Free and Zeller POS have no monthly software fee, but card machines can still carry rental, like Tyro's A$19–A$29 a month. 

Do restaurant POS systems have lock-in contracts?

Most of the POS systems in this guide don't have lock-in contracts. Square, Lightspeed, Zeller and Tyro all offer plans without them. Epos Now's discounted hardware bundle requires a 12-month payments, care and support subscription, so check the term before you sign.

Sources

1. https://squareup.com/au/en/point-of-sale/restaurants/pricing 

2. https://www.lightspeedhq.com/au/pos/restaurant/pricing-o/

3. https://www.myzeller.com/au/pricing

4. https://www.myzeller.com/au/pos-system

5. https://www.tyro.com/merchant-payment-costs/

6. https://www.eposnow.com/au/

7. https://www.eposnow.com/au/payment-processing/

8. https://www.rba.gov.au/payments-and-infrastructure/review-of-retail-payments-regulation/2026-03/conclusions-paper/faqs/