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10 Best Types of Cash Register for Food Trucks

The official definition of the term cash register is that it is “a business machine that usually has a money drawer, indicates the amount of each sale, and records the amount of money received.”

A cash register logs transactions that happen in the business, creates a record of the money coming in and going out. It also can calculate and add taxes, generate receipts, and offer basic sales tracking. Many major grocery stores and department stores use cash registers.

The cash register was first invented back in 1879 by whiskey, wine and cigar merchant James Ritty as a preventative measure towards employee theft. Although employee theft was a lot more common back then, it is still a huge issue for today retailers.

According to reports, employee theft is the second – most leading cause of shrinkage for retailers in the United States. Cash registers have come a long way since their early iterations in the 1880s. In this generation, we now have electronic cash registers that you commonly see in restaurants, trucks, and other retailing units.

Although the old and basic cash register is set up to handle cash transactions, newer ones have more robust options. Cash registers cost only a few hundred dollars, but if you want additional functions like credit card readers, barcode scanners or scales, then you’ll need to invest in additional hardware.

The combination of cloud – based POS with a good cash register guarantees that sales data is safe and accessible from any location 24/7. Food truck operators can update menus and employee schedules from the cab of their truck, or view detailed sales reports that match those used by brick – and – mortar businesses.

Perhaps the most valuable feature of mobile cash registers for food trucks is their simplicity. Detailed sales reports and other POS features are accessible with little effort. The food truck business can have a branded app and website for customers to use as their primary access point, placing orders and making payments with no human contact required.

Have it in mind that any business on wheels will need a mobile cash register or POS system that travels well. Coupled with managing receipts, securing locations, and tracking supplies, the business has to make sure people know where and when to find it.

Mobile POS technology and cloud connections help to make sure that you’re ready to conduct business from anywhere. They also keep customers up – to – date on your times and places of operation.

Best Cash Register for Food Truck

The best cash register for food trucks lets the operators focus on serving quality food to their customers quickly and efficiently. The food truck’s POS system also manages all back – end functions, such as billing, payments, inventory, and bookkeeping.

It aids with keeping diners happy by supporting a range of ordering and payment options, including online and contactless payments.

1. Square

Square POS is very easy to set up and use. In addition, it has no monthly fee. It comes with a free card reader, so all your truck needs to start taking orders is an iPad. This system can also process offline payments, making it the best point of sale system for small or start – up food trucks.

Square POS is one of the few food truck POS systems with free software. Also note there is 2.6% + 10 cents per transaction flat – rate payment processing with no minimums. Normally, you’ll only be paying for what you use. In addition, this system also comes with a free magnetic stripe card reader so your truck can start accepting payments right away.

Additional readers are $10 each. Hardware requirements to use Square are minimal. All you need is an iPad, iPhone, or Android Smartphone.

A new iPad costs less than $400 if you find a good deal. Other than that, chip readers are available for $49, iPad stands for $119 – $129, and several types of receipt printers for $300 to $400. You can opt for a full POS hardware kit with an iPad mini, stand, receipt printer, and contactless card reader.

2. Toast

This is a customizable, cloud – based point – of – sale and management system that runs on the Android operating system. Toast provides advanced features including inventory management, customer profiles, menu costing, and real – time analytics. Toast is pricier than other systems, but offers a deeper level of reporting.

3. Brilliant

Brilliant POS offers a food truck solution that grows with your business. Brilliant POS offers turnkey point – of – sale solutions for a wide range of businesses including food service, grocery, retail, and salons. The company’s Clover POS system offers POS components for countertops and mobile users, with add – on features such as card readers and receipt printers.

This POS platform also comes with its own hardware and software and you can mix and match components to create the best system for your needs. Note that you can get a complete hardware/software system that is ready to go, or you can run the Brilliant software a tablet or iOS or Android handheld device and accept payments using a simple card reader.

4. Dinerware

This cash system is a bit better for bigger trucks, full – service restaurants, and independent dealers. This system features EMV compliance and tablet POS. It is designed for food trucks and tableside ordering. Note that this Microsoft – based POS system was established in 2000.

In 2015, it was acquired by Heartland Payment Systems. Features include sales reporting, menu building, and table management.

It also offers different pricing structures, but most clients monthly support plans and the option to acquire or lease hardware. Admittedly, Dinerware is also more expensive than tablet – based systems, but not as much as most legacy POS systems.

It also boost of being compatible with a variety of processors including Heartland, First Data, Chase Paymentech, and Harbor Touch. Food Truck POS systems in this category cost from $30 to $300 per month!

5. Revel

Revel is an industry leader, known for its robust, feature – rich software and for developing specific apps for different facets of the foodservice industry, including pizza parlours, grocery stores, fro – yo shops, cafes, and — of course — food trucks.

Note that this POS runs on a 4G iPads, which can stand alone or be supplemented with traditional hardware printers and card swipes. Revel is so unique that you can truly do just about anything you want with it, though you will have to pay extra for add – ons, such as online ordering,  loyalty, and kiosk mode.

6. TouchBistro

This is known as one of the easiest to use food truck cash system. Nonetheless, when it comes to features, it is very complex. This system’s hardware options are enormous, and you can add options as your business grows. TouchBistro’s iPad point – of – sale system is being used by 25,000 restaurants in 100 countries.

Their touch screen POS system is used in bars, nightclubs, restaurants, quick service locations, and food trucks. This system was designed to improve the experience for food service owners, staff, and customers, the company focuses on deliver a simple POS approach that includes everything you need to run your food truck business.

They also offer credit card and digital payment processing, menu management, staff management and scheduling, inventory management, reporting and analytics, and even a customer relationship management system for customer accounts, all offered as a SaaS solution that gives you access anywhere, any time.

7. Aptito

This cash system was designed specifically for food truck owners who want to run their operation as a one – man show. Simply put, Aptito offers a self – order kiosk that allows users to place and pay for their orders for faster service. Note that this system was designed for food truck entrepreneurs looking to grow profits while minimizing the space needed to run their POS system.

Founded and situated in North Miami Beach, Aptito creates and supports its own food service POS products. The company’s signature system is a cloud – based application that includes inventory, reservations, scheduling, and payroll.

Note that they also offer digital menu systems for restaurants, quick service, bars, coffee shops, as well as food trucks, and the system can be updated anywhere, any time through an internet connection. Aptito’s food truck POS system is specifically designed to simplify operations while maximizing profits.

8. Aldelo

Aldelo Express iPad POS provides food trucks with a competitive edge in the food service industry. As a cloud – based iPad POS System, it is ideal for both mobile and stationary point of sale operations. The system is simple, user – friendly, and quite rich in features.

It takes less than 8mins to set up. Note that you don’t need any special technical skills. Aldelo supports not only food trucks, but also restaurants, bars, and retailers. It is the system that will grow with your business. Aldelo POS is free to download with Aldelo Pay. This merchant service charges you a percentage of each sale you make using this system.

If you have a small truck, this will work well for you. Also note that if you don’t want to use Aldelo Pay, the service will cost you $99 per month per device. You are prevented from adding extra iPads through the device access limit imposed.

9. ShopKeep

This is a robust point – of – sale system that includes ingredient tracking so businesses can connect individual ingredients, like rolls or eggs, to a menu item to accurately track on – hand supplies based on sales data. Starting at $69 per month, ShopKeep is a great value for food trucks wanting accurate inventory reporting. ShopKeep has a mid – range price point and allows businesses to choose their own credit card processing providers.

10. PeachWorks

PeachWorks, formerly WhenToManage, is a frontrunner in solutions for managing back – of – house restaurant operations and quick food service businesses. This next – generation food vendor operating system with a host of apps (applications) and tools simplifies everything from reporting, inventory management, employee scheduling, and POS Intelligence to recipe management.

Cloud – based anywhere, any device access makes daily tasks easier, simpler and faster for everyone from small independents to large corporate franchise restaurant groups

Conclusion

Over the years, the cash register system has become more advanced. Now, many cash terminals integrate with other retail business tools, such as inventory management, accounting or warehouse management software. Some are robust enough to act as a retail management command centre that handles everything sales, inventory and customer management.