Clever Till vs Square: Which POS System is Better for Your Restaurant?

When deciding on a Point of Sale (POS) system for your restaurant, two names that often pop up are Clever Till and Square. They both have great features to help increase efficiencies, manage orders and provide reports to improve your business practices.

 

Decoratively described, the right choice depends on your needs, business model, and budget. In this comprehensive comparison we will discuss the core differences that set down Clever Till and Square so you can make a decision for your hospitality operation.

 

 

1. Target Market & Industry

 

 

Clever Till is a hospitality POS system specifically built for the hospitality industry, in particular restaurants, bars, cafes, and food outlets. Clever Till has functions designed for food service such as table management, print kitchen orders, split bills, and run tabs for customers.

 

Square is more universal; it is more of a general POS system and not concentrated specifically within the hospitality industry. Square will work in many business areas - cafes, retail stores, food trucks, beauty salons, and more! While Square does have tools for restaurant businesses, it tries to reach many different markets. 

 

 

2. Ease of Use & Setup

 

Both systems have easy-to-use user interfaces despite the differences in functionality.

Square is designed for small businesses first and primarily utilizes a mobile-first design. Square is often deployed through the app that you download from the app store. Many small businesses enjoy our own plug-and-play platform because they can rely on minimal hardware and simply get started.

Clever Till has onboarding too, but their onsite installation and training is a great way to ensure your staff get up to speed quickly. The Clever Till interface is built for high-pace hospitality environments and designed to reduce errors and improve speed of service

 

3. Hardware & Integrations

 

While Square has its own proprietary hardware which include card readers, Square Register, etc. Square also works with and integrates with third-party devices, but one of those devices will likely have to be purchased.

Clever Till comes as a total EPOS package which includes touchscreen till, receipt printer, cash drawer and software for a fixed price. Clever Till integrates with Deliveroo, Just Eat, Xero and many others, it is the best option for ID restaurants that appreciate seamless connection to third-party services.

 

4. Pricing Transparency

 

Square is known for it low - no monthly fees on the basic plan, but where they end up costing more is the transaction fees which can add up. Square upgrades and add-ons may also carry a higher total cost than intended.

Clever Till has an easy and straightforward pricing structure - one easy to understand cost which is £999, one time payment and no hidden charges

 

5. Customer Support & Service

 

Square offers help articles that are self-service, as well as chat/email support (plus phone support, which may be restricted by business hours and response times). 

 

Clever Till offers 24/7 customer support in the UK via phone, chat and email support, plus Clever Till includes set up, training and after sales support to ensure you always get the help you need when it isvitally important to you.

 

 

6. Scalability & Business Growth

 

 

Square is a great entry-level system and designed for microbusinesses generally. However, when your restaurant evolves and needs more capacity to use specialized features (for example multi-location management or detailed staff performance reports) the generalized degree of Square may hinder optimally running your business.

 

 

Clever Till is engineered to scale with your business, while providing capabilities for growing restaurants including real-time stock control, multi-location management, staff monitoring, etc.

 

 

Final Word: Clever Till or Square?

 

Square is a solid universal POS for many different sectors, but when it comes to hospitality, restaurants, and food service in the UK, Clever Till is the best option.

With bespoke features, no hidden fees, all inclusive hardware, and support offered around the clock, Clever Till was developed to service food service businesses. If you run a restaurant, bar or café and want a POS built for you - Clever Till is cleverer.