Restaurants are where Clover is most common and where the pricing spread between buying direct and buying from a dealer is widest. A restaurant does more transactions than almost any other business type, so the processing rate is the cost that matters. This page covers the hardware that fits each kind of restaurant, what it costs, and where Toast is the better choice.
The setup by restaurant type
| Restaurant type | Main terminal | Handhelds | Extras | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full service, 40 to 120 seats | Station Duo | One Flex per two servers | Kitchen printers or KDS, bar printer | Duo handles tips and dual pricing on the customer screen. Flex takes payment at the table and turns tables faster. |
| Quick service, counter | Station Duo or Mini | None, or one Flex for line-busting | Kiosk if lines form at peak | Kiosk takes 20% to 30% of orders off the counter at lunch. |
| Bar | Station Duo | One Flex | Bar printer | Tabs, tips and split checks on the Duo. Flex for patio. |
| Cafe, coffee | Mini | None | Printer optional | One device, small footprint, customer-facing tips. |
| Food truck | Flex | None | None | Cellular, battery, printer built in. |
TableTurn is what we add for restaurants that need reservations, waitlist and table management beyond what Clover Dining includes. It runs alongside Clover.
What it costs
Two ways to buy the same full-service setup: Station Duo, two Flex, a kitchen printer, Table Service plan. The restaurant does $60,000 a month in cards at a $38 average ticket, about 1,580 transactions.
| Cost line | Clover direct | Dealer with dual pricing |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | About $3,600 outright, or about $300 a month on a 36-month plan | $0 placement for qualifying restaurants |
| Table Service plan | $89.95 | $89.95 |
| Online ordering, KDS apps | Included on plan; third-party apps $0 to $60 | Same |
| Processing at 2.3% + 10¢ | $1,380 + $158 = $1,538 | $0 to the merchant |
| Monthly after hardware | About $1,630 | About $90 |
Annualized, the direct restaurant pays about $18,500 in processing. Under dual pricing, the card price covers it and the restaurant keeps its cash price on every check. The mechanics, what the guest sees, and how tips work are in dual pricing on Clover.
If you do not want two prices on the menu, ask for interchange-plus. For a typical restaurant card mix it comes in around 1.9% to 2.1% all-in, which still beats 2.3% + 10¢.
Clover vs Toast for restaurants
Both are good. They are built for different sizes of restaurant.
| Clover | Toast | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Station Duo, Mini, Flex, Kiosk. Android-based. Sold direct and by dealers. | Toast Flex, Toast Go, Toast Kiosk. Sold by Toast. |
| Software | $59.95 to $89.95 a month direct; dealer-set otherwise | Starter plan free; Point of Sale plan from about $69 a month; Build Your Own quoted |
| Processing | 2.3% + 10¢ direct; dual pricing or interchange-plus through a dealer | Toast processing only; rates quoted, typically 2.49% + 15¢ and up |
| Contract | No long-term processing contract direct; dealer-set otherwise | Multi-year agreements common; hardware financed through Toast |
| Back of house | Good for single locations; app-based add-ons | Deep: payroll, scheduling, inventory, multi-location reporting |
| Who it fits | Single-location restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks | Groups, complex kitchens, restaurants that want one vendor for everything |
The honest summary: Toast has the stronger enterprise product. Clover costs less to run for most single-location restaurants and lets you choose your processing, which is the difference between paying $18,000 a year in fees and paying nothing. Toast prices are from Toast’s published plans and reviews in 2026 and change often, so confirm before comparing.
What we do on a restaurant install
Menu build with modifiers, combos and happy hour pricing. Tax rules. Printer and KDS routing by station. Employee roles and clock-in. Tip pooling settings. Online ordering menu with the card price. Dual pricing signage on menus and at the register. Staff training on the floor, usually during a slow afternoon. Cutover happens between services so you never lose a ticket.
Then a cell number for the first weekend.