Restaurant POS systems in Australia: Chefzi POS vs Square, Lightspeed and others
Updated 2026-10-27
A restaurant POS (point of sale) is the till your staff use to take orders and payments at the counter or table. In Australia the main choices for independents are Square for Restaurants, Lightspeed Restaurant and a handful of local systems. This guide compares them with Chefzi POS, which is included in the Chefzi plan alongside online ordering. Competitor prices were read on 27 Oct 2026 from each vendor's own pricing page and can change, so check before you sign.
What Chefzi POS does
- Browser till. Runs on a tablet, laptop or phone you already own, using the menu you set up for online ordering.
- One order system. Till orders and online orders reach the same order app, kitchen screen and printers.
- Order types. Pickup, delivery with an address and fee, and dine-in with table numbers, open tabs and courses.
- Kitchen display (KDS). Tickets from the till and from online orders on one screen, with bump, recall and colours that show how long a ticket has waited.
- Loyalty and gift cards. Points or stamps looked up by phone number; gift cards sold, checked and redeemed on the till.
- Stock and sold-out. When a stock count hits zero the item is marked sold out on the till and online menu.
- Staff and cash. PINs and roles, manager PIN for voids and refunds, opening float and an end-of-day Z report.
- Offline. If the connection drops, orders queue on the device and sync later.
What it doesn't do (yet)
- Card payments in person are taken on a separate card terminal, then recorded on the till. There is no integrated card reader.
- The kitchen display has no station routing, so drinks and food tickets show on every screen.
- If you need table-side payments on a handheld, deep inventory costing or a large multi-venue setup, Square or Lightspeed may suit you better.
Price comparison (read 27 Oct 2026)
| System | Monthly fee (AUD) | Kitchen display | Loyalty | Table bookings | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chefzi POS | Included in the Chefzi plan (Australian pricing) | Included | Included (points or stamps, gift cards) | Included | Chefzi |
| Square for Restaurants Free | $0 + processing (1.6% per in-person tap or insert) | $25/mo per KDS device | From $49/mo per location | Not listed on the page | Square AU |
| Square for Restaurants Plus | $129/mo per location + processing | Unlimited devices included | From $49/mo per location | Not listed on the page | Square AU |
| Lightspeed Restaurant Starter | $79/mo (1 register) | +$40/mo per screen | Not in Starter; included from Essential | Reservations +$69/mo | Lightspeed AU |
| Lightspeed Restaurant Essential | $179/mo (1 register) | +$40/mo per screen | Included | Reservations +$69/mo | Lightspeed AU |
| Lightspeed Restaurant Premium | $359/mo (1 register) | +$40/mo per screen | Included | Reservations +$69/mo | Lightspeed AU |
Square and Lightspeed include integrated card payments; Chefzi POS records payments taken on your own terminal, so add your terminal provider's fees when you compare. Lightspeed also lists extra registers at +$39/mo and gift cards at +$39/mo. Hardware is extra for all three.
How to choose
- Count your channels. If most of your revenue is pickup, delivery and takeaway, a till that shares one menu and kitchen screen with online ordering removes double entry.
- Price the add-ons. KDS screens, loyalty, reservations and extra registers are often extra. Add them up per month for your venue.
- Check payments. Decide whether you want an integrated reader or are happy to keep a separate terminal.
- Trial with a real service. Ring up a busy Friday's orders, print a docket and bump tickets before you commit.
Want to see Chefzi POS with your menu? Book a demo, or work out what you'd save on delivery apps with the commission calculator.
Square and Lightspeed are trademarks of their owners. Prices are as published on 27 Oct 2026, may exclude GST and can change; check each vendor before you switch.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Chefzi a POS system?
Yes. Chefzi POS is a till that runs in the browser on a tablet, laptop or phone. It uses your Chefzi menu, and till orders land in the same order system as online orders.
Does Chefzi POS process card payments?
Not on the till itself. Card payments are taken on your own separate card terminal and recorded on the Chefzi till. Online card payments run through Stripe on the card plan.
Do I need special hardware?
No. The till and the kitchen display run in a browser. Chefzi POS can print to ESC/POS receipt printers (58mm or 80mm) over Bluetooth or USB from Chrome. Test print on your own printer before service.
Is the kitchen display extra?
No. The kitchen display is part of Chefzi POS, with no per-screen fee. It does not route tickets to separate stations yet, so every screen shows every ticket.
How much does Chefzi POS cost?
It is included in the Chefzi plan, with no separate POS subscription. Australian plan prices are on our pricing page.
What is a POS monthly fee?
It is the subscription you pay to use the POS software, usually per location or per register. Card processing fees, extra screens and add-ons are often charged on top of it.
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