Lavu POS Review 2023: Best POS System for Cash Discounting
This article is part of a larger series onPOS Systems。
Lavu is an iPad/mobilepoint-of-sale (POS) systemdesigned for restaurants and niche food-service businesses. Competitively priced, it combines solid built-in ingredient-level inventory management, online ordering, and tons of third-party integrations. It also offers an in-house payment processing system and payment partnerships (which include Square and PayPal) that allow you to customize it to fit a variety of restaurant types.
These features helped Lavu earn a spot on our list ofbest restaurant POS systems, scoring 3.9 out of 5. This hospitality system’s cash discounting function also earned a special callout. Additionally, Lavu POS works well for restaurants that want to display nutritional information.
Pros
- Operates on iPads
- Downloadable from the App Store and self-installable
- Options for built-in or third-party payment processing
- Transparent, a la carte pricing for add-ons
Cons
- Lower than average customer reviews
- No free trial
- Customization and add-ons can get pricey
- Offline functionality is glitchy
Who Should Use Lavu
- 独立的餐厅需要灵活的付款processing options
- Small pizzerias on a budget
- Restaurants requiring accounting tools
- Restaurants wanting to display nutritional information
Who Should Use an Alternative
- Food trucks with weak internet access
- Restaurants with drive-thrus
- Delivery restaurants wanting a driver smartphone app
Lavu combines a high degree of customization with an affordable price point, and it frequently ranks among ourmost recommended POS systems。独立的餐厅需要灵活的付款processing options will appreciate Lavu’s all-in-one, built-in payment processor and integrations (for a fee) with other payment providers, including PayPal. Budget-conscious pizzerias may also find Lavu useful, with its pizza builder allowing for menu modifications. Food businesses of any type can add detailed and easily accessible nutritional information to each menu item directly in the POS.
The POS uniquely offers a cash discount setting, which allows you to offset your credit card processing fees by offering a discount for cash payments. Additionally, Lavu offers QuickBooks and Xero integrations in its Optimize tier. It also owns the restaurant accounting payable platform Sourcery, which supports automated invoice receiving and payments via the cloud.
Lavu isn’t the best choice for everyone, however. Lavu is a mobile POS, so if your business doesn’t have a reliable internet connection, you won’t be able to maximize its functionality. You’ll be better off with POS systems that operate on cellular data or Wi-Fi and support mobile hotspots or LTE-enabled hardware—likeSquare for RestaurantsorTouchBistro, which also store transactions for up to three days without an internet connection. Restaurants with drive-thrus may also want to choose a different system, such asRevel, which allows for drive-thru management in a cloud POS.
最后,Lavu MenuDrive函数允许你to print directions or email them to drivers, but it stops short of including a driver smartphone app with GPS tracking and automated customer messaging. If you really want Uber-like driver management with a smartphone app, you’ll be happier with Revel.
Lavu POS Deciding Factors
Supported Business Types
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Restaurants, pizzerias, bars, and other food businesses that need flexibility, affordability, and good accounting tools |
Standout Features
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|
Monthly Software Fees
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$59–$299 per month (see details in our pricing section) |
Setup and Installation Fees
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$0 |
Contract Length
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3-year subscription; cancel anytime with no early termination fee. Contract includes 0% no-interest financing on hardware for 36-month pricing.
Month-to-month or <1-year contracts are possible, but pricing and offerings will change. |
Payment Processing Options
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Lavu Pay, BridgePay, Vantiv, Evo, Heartland, PayPal, Square, Mercury |
Payment Processing Fees
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Depends on the processor; Lavu Cash Discount feature can offset credit card processing fees |
Customer Support
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24/7 |
Lavu POS Alternatives
Lavu is like a Swiss Army knife. It has every tool you need, but none of them are really best-in-class. Between built-in functions and third-party integrations, Lavu has most bases covered. There are, however, a few circumstances where you might be happier with a different POS.
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|
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Best for:Small and seasonal restaurants that want month-to-month contracts |
Best for:Small to midsize restaurants that want a POS to grow with their business |
Best for:Multilocation restaurants with drive-thru and delivery |
Monthly software fee:$0–$60+ |
Monthly software fee:$0–$165+ |
Monthly software fee:$99+ |
Lavu earned a score of 4.25 out of 5 in this category, bolstered by its multitiered and reasonably priced subscription plans and numerous options for payment processing—always an advantage for a restaurant business. A deduction was given for Lavu’s lack of a free plan.
Lavu offers its POS at three different subscription tiers: Starter, Growth, and Optimize. Starter and Growth packages include software to support one terminal, while Optimize users can get Lavu POS on two terminals. Lavu’s software pricing starts at $59 per month for a single terminal and goes up to $299 for the all-inclusive top-tier subscription for two terminals. Software for additional terminals costs $50 per terminal monthly.
Starter |
Growth |
Optimize |
|
---|---|---|---|
Monthly Software Fee
|
|
|
|
Number of Terminals Supported
|
1 |
1 |
2 |
Inventory
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
24/7 Support
|
✓ |
✓ |
✓ |
MenuDrive Online Ordering
|
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
Loyalty
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✓ (included for a limited time) |
✓ (included for a limited time) |
✓ |
QR Code Ordering
|
✕ |
✓ |
✓ |
Accounting and AP tools
|
✕ |
✕ |
✓ |
功能,如自助服务亭,DoorDash中国ations, and tableside ordering come with additional monthly fees. Starter users can also add tools that are included in Growth and Optimize packages for additional fees. These are some of Lavu’s current additional functions and their monthly fees:
- Third-party payment processing: $20 per terminal
- Gift cards: $50 (cards sold separately)
- Loyalty: $50
- MenuDrive online ordering: $99 (three months free)
- DoorDash order sync: $70
- Kitchen display system: $30
- Tableside ordering: $30 (up to five devices)
- Self-ordering kiosk: $50
- QuickBooks/ Xero integration: $30
- Sourcery AP automation: $99 (three months free—up to 100 invoices per month; $2 per invoice after)
- API access: $30
Like a lot of cloud POS systems, Lavu operates on iPads. It also runs on iPhones and iPod Touches with iOS 11 or later. Since you can download the software directly from the App Store, it is easy to use Apple devices you already own. The Lavu support website walks you through the steps to configure compatible devices. You can use iPhones or iPod Touches for tableside ordering and mobile card readers to process tableside payments.
Windfall iPad Stand |
Magtek iDynamo Card Reader |
Epson TM-U220B Printer |
---|---|---|
|
|
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$149 |
$140 |
$389 |
Low profile stand for 12.9” iPad Pro |
Lightning Port-enabled card reader for iPads and iPhones |
Two-color impact kitchen printer |
Lavu operates on industry-standard Epson printers and kitchen display systems. You may be able to use hardware you already own, but you’ll need to check with Lavu to ensure compatibility.
您可以直接购买硬件从Lavu online shop or a third-party reseller. Third-party resellers can create a complete hardware package for you and provide local technical support, but many restaurants find that a reseller is yet another intermediary who can pass the buck if the system has issues.
When you purchase hardware directly from Lavu, you have the option to lease rather than buy. The lease program can make a POS system more accessible for small restaurants, though hardware leases come with a long-term service contract. The lease contract can last up to three years and be incredibly difficult to cancel. Many negative online reviews of Lavu are from hardware lease customers who regretted enrolling in a hardware lease.
Lavu is flexible when it comes to payments. You can use Lavu Pay or opt for a third-party processor. Lavu Pay is the built-in, all-in-one option and can be fully set up and functional within two days. Additionally, Lavu integrates with popular payment gateways BridgePay, Heartland, and Square. If you encounter any problems while setting up your Lavu Pay account or processing transactions, Lavu’s in-house 24/7 customer support team can help you out.
If you are switching from another system, you can bring your existing processor with you for a fee of $20 per month. Lavu Pay says that it offers the lowest processing rates, so it is a good idea to get a quote from other processors to negotiate the best rates for your restaurant.
Users who enroll in Lavu Pay can also use Lavu’s Cash Discount function. This feature builds the cost of payment processing fees into your menu prices, then offers a discount to customers who pay with cash. So, your customers who pay with credit cards cover the cost of transaction fees. This is an excellent tool for restaurants that are switching from a cash-only model and are mindful of how credit card processing fees might affect their bottom line.
What Is a Cash Discount?
A cash discount allows businesses to offset the costs of processing credit card payments. To remain in line with card providers’ terms of use, it is a multistep process. To make a cash discount work, your POS:
- Builds the cost of credit card fees into the menu cost.
- Offers a discount (usually 3%–4%) to customers who pay in cash.
If a customer pays with cash, they receive a discount on their bill. If they pay with a credit card, the fees are covered.
You can sell open-priced or set-amount gift cards through the Lavu POS. Note that adding gift cards to your Lavu POS via Lavu Pay requires an additional monthly fee. However, you don’t have to be a Lavu Pay customer to issue and redeem gift cards, as it can accept gift cards hosted by integrated processors like Heartland.
Lavu is compatible with built-in EMV-compliant tap, dip, and swipe card readers and mobile PIN pad readers. As such, you can accept contactless near-field communication (NFC) payments and mobile wallet payments like Apple Pay. The system also supports online payments for orders placed via the MenuDrive module. Meanwhile, PayPal and Square integrations allow small restaurants to start receiving payments with a PayPal or Square merchant account.
Lavu checks the necessary boxes for basic functions in a restaurant-industry POS: ingredient-level inventory with order management, employee scheduling, gift card options (for a fee), and detailed customizable reports. With the addition of more than 100 third-party integrations, you can configure Lavu to do any imaginable restaurant-specific task. It would have scored better in this category if it offered fee-free gift cards and more advanced workforce management tools.
Lavu POS allows customizable employee permissions, logs staff hours, and has a built-in scheduling module that supports digital shift trades. This system can also automate tip pools and tip-outs based on employee roles, hours worked, or even split.
Lavu creates detailed customer profiles that track contact information, birthdays, and how customers learned about your restaurant. You can add custom fields to track additional information and set your Lavu POS to prompt servers to add a customer before beginning a check to ensure that you never miss the chance to track a transaction. Customer profiles also sync with Lavu’s built-in loyalty tools.
Lavu’s online employee portal allows your team to view their schedules and make shift trades. Searchable Server handbooks and Manager handbooks on the Lavu support site bolster your training operations.
At the Optimize level, Lavu integrates with QuickBooks and Xero for streamlined accounting. Starter and Growth users can add this feature for an additional monthly fee. Users can expand their accounts payable functionality by adding the built-in Sourcery module that manages invoices and automates vendor payments.
Like competitorsTouchBistroandLightspeed Restaurant, Lavu includes ingredient-level inventory in its baseline POS software—though Lavu’s inventory is slightly more automated than those systems. With Lavu, you can tie ingredients to recipes so your stock level updates as you sell.
Lavu’s inventory module allows you to build orders in the POS, but it cannot place orders directly with vendors. You can organize your orders in Lavu and create POs for them, but you’ll still need to contact your vendors directly to place the orders. The PO function keeps your orders organized and saves you time entering new products as you receive them. When you enter ingredients into Lavu inventory, note where they are located in your restaurant and create categories for easy inventory counting.
Additionally, you can customize the weights and units of measure to track raw ingredients the way you use them. You’ll be able to know what supplies you have on hand at any given time and thus calculate the value of your inventory. When it comes to inventory reporting, you have the option to figure your cost of goods sold (COGS) based on the average price you paid for an ingredient for a certain timeframe or set reports to calculate first in/first out (FIFO) style. FIFO calculations will use the price of the oldest stock you purchased to figure your costs even more precisely. Finally, Lavu sends notifications directly to your iPad when ingredient stocks are low.
For an affordable cloud POS, Lavu’s reporting functions are excellent. The filter and subfilter menus run along the top of the back office report screens and feature multiple dropdowns to support quick report customization. You can drill down to precisely the sales or cost data you want to see for the precise time frame you want to analyze. You can easily export reports in CSV files to share with bookkeepers or create spreadsheets for more in-depth analysis.
Lavu’s management dashboard shows sales and stock trends in dynamic charts and graphs. While it stops short of competitors like TouchBistro that allow you to set and display daily and weekly targets, Lavu’s dashboard helps you identify where to make changes that will affect your bottom line.
The navigation menu on the left side of the control panel lets you easily move to dashboards for inventory or workforce management to gather more in-depth information. You can also create POs based on your low stock alerts and adjust your employee schedule from the control panel.
You can also access shift-specific reports easily from the POS dashboard. These in-POS reports include timeclock and overtime reports, cash reconciliation, labor reports, and individual servers’ shift reports and summaries.
Managers will like the Pilot reporting app, especially the built-in schedule features. The baseline system keeps all your scheduling in the POS and also supports online shift exchanges, ensuring that your desk won’t be covered in easily lost Post-it Note requests from your team. This also allows you to access real-time labor cost reports and other performance data so you can make adjustments in enough time to impact your bottom line. Combined with the Pilot app, Lavu’s browser-based manager control panel and employee portal ensure you and your team always have what you need.
In terms of niche functions designed specifically for the restaurant industry, Lavu scored a decent 3.33 out of 5. The POS has dual cash drawer tills, online ordering and delivery management, a simple but workable system for managing and pooling tips, and more. However, points were deducted because these features lack more advanced functionality or require additional monthly fees.
使用的方便性,Lavu取得一个完美的5个中的5个。It’s got everything necessary to make the user experience as smooth as possible: 24/7 customer support, guidance for installation and onboarding, and an offline mode for many of its functions to keep your business running even if your internet connection fails.
Customer support is 24/7 via phone, email, or webchat. And Lavu also maintains a searchable online knowledge base if you just need a quick tutorial to learn a new feature. Lavu’s online staff, training handbooks, and searchable support site help you design comprehensive training programs. The ability to download the software from the App Store lets you add features when you need them without waiting for an installation team.
After assessing Lavu’s features and offerings, our team ultimately gave it an expert score of 3.13 out of 5. This POS performs well—though not exceptionally—in terms of standout features, value for money, and popularity or user reviews.
Lavu POS User Reviews
在积极Lavu POS评论,用户提到如何easy it is to get started with the system and state that they felt well-supported by Lavu’s installation team. Many also note the low cost and the incredible number of included features. Industry experts also find a lot to applaud in this system, though the user review scores are lower than many Lavu competitors.
As of this writing, Lavu earned the following scores on popular review sites:
- Finances Online:The expert-based Smartscore rating gives Lavu an8.9 out of 10, while an aggregate of Lavu user reviews rates the system as 4.3 out of 5 based on almost 30 reviews.
- G2: Lavu earns a rating of3.8 out of 5based on nearly 100 customer reviews.
- Capterra:Rated as a Noteworthy Product for 2022, Lavu earns a rating of4.1 out of 5based on about 170 user reviews.
A survey of online Lavu reviews performed by Finances Online gives the system a user satisfaction rating of 88%. This is lower than many comparable POS systems, so it’s clear that not all Lavu users are wowed. Negative Lavu POS reviews mention long wait times for customer support and some trouble with tableside digital signatures. Some users who signed hardware leases also wish they had explored Lavu more deeply before committing to a three-year contract. Other users mention a disconnect between what the Lavu sales team told them and what the system is actually capable of doing.
PROS | CONS |
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Strong setup support for new customers | Back office can take some time to learn |
POS, KDS, and kiosk software can be downloaded from the Apple App Store | Miscommunication between sales and support teams |
100+ integrations make Lavu a highly customizable system | Long-term lease contracts can be hard to cancel |
Methodology: How We Evaluated Lavu POS
When assessing the Lavu POS system, we examined essential restaurant functions like inventory management and online ordering, employee management, price, and ease of use.
Click through the tabs below for our in-depth evaluation criteria:
10% of Overall Score
Independent restaurants operate with tight budgets. With this in mind, we first considered whether Lavu offers a free plan, free trial, and entry-level software subscription under $75 per month. To help ensure restaurants can get the lowest possible prices, we give high marks to POS systems that support multiple payment processing options. Finally, we considered hardware costs and subscription length. Systems that allow restaurants to bring their own hardware or avoid long-term service contracts earned the highest marks. Lavu performed well on some of these points, but not as well on others; for instance, it allows you to bring some of your own hardware in the form of iPads, but also requires three-year hardware contracts that proved to be too much of a commitment for some users.
30% of Overall Score
Every restaurant needs to track employee hours, process contactless payments and gift cards, and quickly access sales and labor reports. Because many restaurants process tips for employees, we looked for robust tip-tracking functions when evaluating Lavu. We also considered advanced workforce management features like built-in employee scheduling and enforced clock-ins to keep costs in line. Lavu did fairly well in this category with its granular inventory management available in the baseline subscription, customizable reports, and numerous options for payment processing and integrations. This POS might have scored even better if it included a fee-free gift card feature and more advanced workforce management tools.
30% of Overall Score
When putting Lavu under the microscope, we compared the number of restaurant-specific functions that are relevant to various restaurant types. Since many restaurants operate with some type of bar, we looked for functions like cash management and credit card preauthorization. We also awarded points for customizable reports, ingredient-level inventory tracking with physical counting tools, integrated online ordering, and dynamic loyalty and marketing tools. Lavu does offer all of these at a basic level, though it missed a few opportunities for advanced features, such as systems for complex tip pooling, delivery management, and physical count tools.
15% of Overall Score
因为在早期morni不同餐厅的操作ngs, in late nights, and on weekends, we give higher scores for restaurant POS systems that offer 24/7 customer support. We also award points for hybrid installation or an offline mode, which allow a POS to still be operational if your internet connection goes out. We also considered how much installation support a POS system offers and whether it is cloud-based, enabling mobile access to management and reporting dashboards. Lavu excelled in this category, with its always-available customer service team, online knowledge base, ease of installation, and highly customizable interfaces. The intuitive and streamlined self-service kiosks and online ordering screens serve as icing on the cake, making Lavu a breeze to use for both you and your customers.
15% of Overall Score
Lastly, we evaluated Lavu’s standout features. We also considered whether the system offers good overall value for its price and judged its popularity among restaurant businesses. Then, we awarded points based on our personal experience interacting with the software and the company’s customer support representatives. Lavu has MenuDrive for online ordering and Sourcery for invoice management and accounting, and also boasts its prominent Cash Discount feature. While these offerings do have their advantages, Lavu missed out on a higher score due to features that weren’t always as advanced as they could have been, as well as some negative user reviews.
Lavu POS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is Lavu’s Cash Discount feature? How will this benefit my restaurant?
Every time you process a customer’s credit or debit card payment, a small portion of that payment goes toward a processing fee rather than into your pocket. If the credit card includes a loyalty program for the customer, you end up paying an even higher fee. This cost adds up over time, often becoming one of the largest annual expenses for many restaurants.
Lavu’s Cash Discount program addresses this by including a non-cash increase in a customer’s bill if they choose to pay with a card; this increase is fully transparent to the customer. They can choose to avoid the increase by paying with cash. Thus, this program presents a win-win opportunity: if the customer pays with cash, they save a bit of money; if they pay with a card, they cover most of your processing fee. Even better, surveys have shown that almost all customers don’t mind paying with a card and shouldering the extra expense, as they often like supporting local businesses.
I see that Lavu has some negative user reviews. What are the most common complaints from users?
Some users felt that Lavu has an overly lengthy or cumbersome process for transactions. This slowness can be a liability in many circumstances; for example, for a bar or restaurant that experiences a flood of customers during peak hours.
Despite the 24/7 customer support, some users also reported that it was difficult to actually get actionable help from the support team. And while Lavu does have an offline mode, some users also found that critical functions were not usable without an internet connection, among other technical glitches.
Bottom Line
Lavu POS offers a ton of restaurant-supporting features at a reasonable price. It is mobile-optimized and operates on iPads, iPhones, and iPod Touches. You can download the POS software directly to iOS devices from the App Store. This highly customizable system does require regular administrative attention, but if you have the time to spend, then Lavu can be an excellent addition to many different types of restaurants.