Choosing the right point of sale system has become one of the most critical decisions restaurant owners face in 2025. With technology driving nearly every aspect of modern dining experiences, from online ordering to inventory management, your POS system can make or break operational efficiency. Industry leaders like Heartland POS and Toast continue to dominate the market, each offering compelling solutions that promise to streamline restaurant operations. The decision between these platforms goes far beyond basic transaction processing, touching on everything from customer engagement tools to long-term scalability options.
Understanding payment processing differences becomes crucial when calculating your restaurant’s long-term operational costs. Heartland operates as a direct payment processor, handling transactions directly between merchants and financial institutions without intermediaries. This direct approach often provides more stability during transaction processing and reduces the likelihood of unexpected fund holds that can disrupt cash flow during critical periods.
Toast functions as a payment facilitator, partnering with other processors to offer credit card processing services. Payment facilitators sometimes implement stricter security measures that could temporarily freeze funds during suspicious activity investigations. Additionally, Toast requires all customers to use their payment processing exclusively, regardless of subscription level, eliminating flexibility for restaurants that prefer alternative processing arrangements.
Fee structures reveal significant differences that impact profitability over time. Heartland typically charges 2.6% + $0.10 for both card-present and card-not-present transactions, maintaining consistency across all payment types. Toast’s rates start at 2.49% + $0.15 for in-person transactions on standard plans but increase to 3.5% + $0.15 for card-not-present transactions like online orders. Their entry-level plan carries higher processing fees at a 3.09% flat rate, which can significantly impact high-volume establishments.
Heartland has formalized their commitment to transparent pricing through their Merchant Bill of Rights, promising fair pricing structures tailored to specific business types and processing habits. For restaurants using Heartland’s Complete plan, there’s flexibility to integrate with third-party processors if desired, providing options that Toast’s exclusive processing model doesn’t allow.
Restaurant management features determine how smoothly your daily operations run, from order taking to inventory tracking. Heartland Restaurant POS includes comprehensive management features in all plans, including menu management, guest profiles, employee permissions, tip and tax management, graphical table layout, and detailed reporting capabilities. The system’s backend allows for real-time inventory tracking with automated stock alerts, helping kitchen staff monitor ingredient levels and prevent shortages during peak service periods.
Toast offers comparable restaurant management features, but access depends heavily on your subscription level. Advanced employee management, tip distribution, and sophisticated inventory tracking require additional modules or higher-tier plans, potentially increasing costs beyond the base subscription. Multi-location management is available only as a separate add-on product, representing additional expenses for restaurant groups managing multiple venues.
Both systems provide robust reporting tools that offer insights into sales patterns, employee performance, and inventory usage patterns. These analytics help restaurant managers make data-driven decisions about staffing schedules, menu engineering strategies, and operational adjustments that can improve profitability. Both platforms offer customizable permission settings that allow owners to control staff access to sensitive information and critical system functions.
Kitchen display integration improves communication between front and back-of-house staff, reducing errors and expediting service during busy periods. Both Heartland and Toast support kitchen display screens that automatically route orders to appropriate preparation stations based on item categories. Toast offers specialized cost control tools that help restaurants price products competitively and maintain healthy margins, particularly valuable during periods of fluctuating food costs.
While traditional POS systems handle in-house transactions and basic management functions, restaurants face a critical gap in phone-based customer service that directly impacts revenue and customer satisfaction. Loman’s AI for restaurants solution addresses this challenge by providing a 24/7 AI phone agent specifically designed for restaurant operations, ensuring every call gets answered promptly and professionally regardless of how busy your establishment becomes.
Loman integrates seamlessly with popular POS systems like Square, Toast, and Clover, creating a unified ecosystem that manages both in-person and phone-based orders without requiring staff to juggle multiple platforms. The AI agent is trained on your restaurant’s specific menu, policies, and customer preferences, delivering accurate information that matches your establishment’s standards and reducing the confusion that often occurs with untrained staff handling complex orders. This specialized training ensures consistent customer experiences whether guests order in person, online, or over the phone.
Unlike general POS solutions that focus primarily on transaction processing, Loman specifically targets the operational inefficiencies that plague restaurant phone systems. The platform reduces missed calls that translate to lost revenue, shortens wait times that frustrate customers, and provides built-in analytics that reveal calling patterns and customer preferences. With fast setup capabilities that get restaurants live in under a day, Loman scales effortlessly for single locations, chains, or franchises seeking to improve efficiency and enhance customer experience without the complexity of traditional POS system overhauls.
Digital ordering capabilities have evolved from optional features to essential revenue drivers for modern restaurants. Heartland Restaurant includes comprehensive online ordering functionality at no additional cost across all subscription plans, allowing restaurants to create branded online experiences without extra monthly fees. The platform enables custom delivery zone creation, specialized online menus that differ from in-house offerings, and seamless integration of digital orders into existing kitchen workflows.
Toast approaches online ordering differently, requiring customers to either subscribe to higher-tier plans or purchase Toast Online Ordering as separate add-ons. Alternatively, restaurants can add the Digital Storefront Suite, which bundles online ordering with Toast Delivery Services and Local by Toast, their dedicated ordering app. This modular pricing means restaurants must carefully evaluate which digital components they need and budget for additional monthly expenses.
Both systems offer QR code ordering and payment functionality that allows customers to view menus, place orders, and pay directly from smartphones. This contactless approach improves table turnover rates and reduces server workload during busy periods. However, Toast offers this as an add-on product called Toast Mobile Order and Pay, while Heartland includes scan-to-order and scan-to-pay capabilities as standard features across all subscription levels.
Each platform offers mobile guest applications that help restaurants reach customers directly on their devices. Heartland Guest enables diners to find nearby restaurants, place takeout or delivery orders, and participate in loyalty programs without requiring additional fees. Heartland restaurants can list their establishments on the app regardless of subscription level, providing immediate access to mobile customers.
Hardware choices significantly affect user experience and operational flexibility, with Heartland and Toast taking distinctly different approaches to their device ecosystems. Heartland Restaurant operates on iOS devices, giving restaurants flexibility to use Apple hardware like iPads for POS terminals. This iOS foundation allows establishments to potentially utilize existing Apple devices, reducing initial setup costs for restaurants already invested in Apple technology.
Heartland offers several hardware configurations, including countertop solutions with customer-facing displays for easy tipping and signature capture. Their self-service kiosk options empower guests to place orders directly, helping restaurants manage labor costs while reducing wait times during peak periods. The standout feature is Heartland’s Mobile POS system, which provides complete system functionality in a portable format rather than serving merely as a payment terminal.
Toast has built its platform exclusively on Android technology, offering the Toast Flex countertop terminal and Toast Go 2 handheld device. While Toast’s mobile hardware enables tableside ordering and payment processing, it functions more as an extension of the main system rather than offering the comprehensive functionality found in Heartland’s mobile solution. Toast Go 2 lacks a built-in printer, requiring servers to return to stationary printers for customers wanting physical receipts.
Hardware ownership models also differ significantly between the platforms. Toast’s hardware is proprietary, meaning restaurants must purchase all equipment directly from Toast rather than sourcing compatible devices elsewhere. Heartland offers more flexibility with iOS compatibility that allows restaurants to use certain existing devices, though they also offer purpose-built hardware options for establishments preferring dedicated POS equipment.
Toast has become more competitive with hardware costs, offering free hardware bundles with their entry-level plans to reduce upfront investment barriers. However, the proprietary nature means replacement costs and upgrade paths remain tied exclusively to Toast’s hardware ecosystem. Restaurants should consider not only upfront costs but also long-term flexibility, replacement expenses, and how chosen devices integrate with their service model and physical space requirements.
Support availability and quality can make significant differences during critical periods like implementation or urgent issue resolution during busy service hours. Both providers offer 24/7 customer care for their POS products via phone, email, and web support, recognizing that restaurants operate well beyond traditional business hours. Both maintain extensive knowledge bases and FAQ sections that allow users to troubleshoot common issues independently without waiting for direct assistance.
The systems diverge significantly in their implementation and in-person support approaches. Heartland allows restaurants to purchase systems through local dealers or relationship managers, offering valuable in-person training and technical support options. This distribution model provides face-to-face guidance during setup and ongoing operations, with local representatives who can visit restaurants, understand specific needs, and provide tailored assistance with hardware installation and software configuration.
Toast, as of late 2024, does not offer localized, in-person support at this level. Their implementation and ongoing assistance are primarily handled remotely through central support teams. While they provide comprehensive virtual training and setup assistance, the lack of on-site support options may be a consideration for restaurants preferring someone physically present during critical phases like system implementation or major menu overhauls.
The value of local versus remote support varies depending on your team’s technical comfort level and learning preferences. Restaurants with less tech-savvy staff might benefit significantly from Heartland’s in-person training options, while establishments with technically inclined personnel might find Toast’s remote support perfectly adequate for their needs.
Modern restaurants rely on multiple software systems working harmoniously to manage inventory, scheduling, accounting, and marketing functions. Both Heartland and Toast offer extensive integration capabilities, with each platform boasting 75+ integrations with third-party services including popular delivery platforms, reservation systems, accounting software, and employee scheduling tools.
Key integration categories include:
Toast maintains a marketplace approach with their Toast API, allowing developers to create customized connections between Toast and other systems. This open API strategy has fostered a vibrant ecosystem of third-party developers creating specialized solutions, though some reports suggest Toast has become more selective about approving new integrations. Heartland focuses on building robust, native integrations with key industry partners, creating a cohesive ecosystem for restaurants using multiple Global Payments products.
The quality and reliability of integrations often matters more than quantity. Restaurants should evaluate how seamlessly data flows between systems, how frequently integrations are updated, and what development resources are available for custom integration projects. Establishments with highly specific technical requirements may want to investigate the support available for custom development on each platform before making their final decision.
Understanding true pricing requires examining not just base subscription fees but also the cost of essential features, hardware, transaction fees, and contract obligations. Heartland Restaurant offers straightforward pricing with two main plans for small to midsize restaurants, plus custom enterprise options. Their Essentials plan starts at $89 per month with a comprehensive feature set suitable for single-location restaurants, while their Complete plan targets multi-location operations with more complex requirements.
Heartland’s key pricing advantage lies in including core features like online ordering, QR code ordering, and loyalty programs in base subscription prices rather than charging additional fees. This all-inclusive approach provides more predictable monthly costs and eliminates the need to calculate multiple add-on expenses when budgeting for POS system costs.
Toast’s pricing structure begins with their Starter Kit offering free software with limited functionality, and their Point of Sale plan starts at $69 per month. While Toast’s entry-level pricing appears lower initially, restaurants often need multiple modules to achieve functionality comparable to Heartland’s base offering. Features like online ordering, loyalty programs, and multi-location management require additional monthly fees that quickly increase total costs.
Contract obligations also differ significantly between providers. Toast typically requires two-year commitments and may charge early termination fees for restaurants wanting to switch systems before contract completion. Heartland generally requests longer 36-month contracts but doesn’t impose early termination penalties, offering more flexibility if business needs change or if the system doesn’t meet expectations.
Transaction fee differences complete the pricing equation, with Toast charging 2.49% + $0.15 for in-person transactions on standard plans (higher for card-not-present transactions), while Heartland typically charges 2.6% + $0.10 across all transaction types. For high-volume restaurants processing significant monthly revenue, even small percentage differences can translate to substantial monthly cost variations.
Both platforms offer sophisticated features designed to optimize restaurant operations beyond basic transaction processing. Advanced reporting capabilities help identify sales trends, peak service periods, and employee performance metrics that inform strategic decisions about staffing, menu engineering, and operational improvements.
Employee management features include:
Inventory management capabilities help restaurants control costs and reduce waste through automated tracking systems. Both platforms offer ingredient-level tracking that monitors usage patterns, identifies waste sources, and generates automated reorder suggestions based on historical consumption data. Real-time stock alerts prevent shortages during busy service periods while helping maintain optimal inventory levels.
Customer relationship management tools enable restaurants to build loyalty and increase repeat business through personalized marketing efforts. Guest profile systems track dining preferences, order history, and contact information that can be leveraged for targeted promotions and special offers. Loyalty program functionality encourages repeat visits while providing valuable data about customer behavior patterns.
Interface design and training resources significantly impact staff adoption rates and operational efficiency during busy service periods. Heartland Restaurant POS features an intuitive interface designed for iOS and Android devices, with clearly labeled buttons and customizable screen configurations that match specific restaurant workflows. Backend management functions like inventory updates, menu changes, and reporting navigation receive particular praise from operators for their logical organization and ease of use.
Toast offers a user-friendly Android-based interface featuring a search tool that helps users quickly locate specific functions during busy periods. Their system includes real-time table management updates and industry-oriented templates designed to streamline operations. Some users report that Toast’s front-end ordering screens are particularly intuitive for servers, potentially reducing training time for new staff members.
Training resource availability varies between the platforms, with both providers offering comprehensive documentation, webinars, and online learning modules. Heartland’s dealer network provides additional in-person training sessions that prove invaluable for establishments with less tech-savvy staff or those implementing POS systems for the first time. This hands-on approach allows for personalized instruction addressing specific operational workflows and restaurant requirements.
Toast relies primarily on remote training methods, including live online sessions and recorded tutorials. While comprehensive, the lack of in-person training options may present challenges for some establishments, though Toast does provide dedicated implementation teams that work closely with restaurants during initial setup phases.
The decision between Heartland POS and Toast ultimately depends on your restaurant’s specific operational priorities, budget constraints, and growth plans. Heartland Restaurant POS emerges as a comprehensive solution backed by over 25 years of restaurant industry experience, with all-inclusive pricing that eliminates surprise fees for essential features like online ordering and loyalty programs.
Toast offers an appealing entry point through its free Starter Kit option, making it attractive for new restaurants with tight budgets or single-location establishments with basic operational needs. However, accessing Toast’s full feature set requires multiple add-on modules that can significantly increase total costs beyond base subscription prices. The choice comes down to whether you prefer predictable all-inclusive pricing or flexible modular pricing that allows you to add features as needed.
For restaurants seeking maximum operational efficiency with integrated phone management capabilities, Loman provides a specialized solution that complements traditional POS systems by ensuring every customer call gets answered professionally. With seamless integration capabilities and setup times under 24 hours, Loman scales effortlessly whether you operate a single location, manage multiple restaurants, or oversee franchise operations focused on improving customer experience and operational efficiency.
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