6 Best Restaurant Credit Card Processing Companies for 2023
This article is part of a larger series on支付。
The best restaurant payment processing solution will vary depending on your company’s size and business model. In general, you will want a payment processor that offers the most versatility, is compatible with multiple popular POS systems, offers chargeback protection, and has competitive rates for restaurants of all sizes.
We evaluated over a dozen providers to give you six of the best restaurant credit card processing companies for small business to date:
- CDGcommerce:Best overall restaurant credit card processor
- Square Payments:Easiest setup for small and startup restaurants
- 条纹:Best for online food ordering and delivery
- Stax:Best for midsize restaurants processing less than $500,000 annually
- Payline Data:Best for restaurants that invoice, like catering services and banquet halls
- Payment Depot:Cheapest fees for small, established restaurants
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Restaurant Payment Processors Compared
Looking for a great restaurant POS system with built-in payment processing?
Many restaurant POS systems offer their own payment processing. Square, which is on our list, is one of them. Others we recommend are Lightspeed, Toast, and TouchBistro. Check out our list ofbest restaurant POS systems。
CDGcommerce: Best Overall Restaurant Payment Processors
Pros
- Robust chargeback monitoring
- Multiple subscription types support a variety of restaurants
- Month-to-month memberships with no cancellation fees
- 24/7 year-round US-based customer service
Cons
- Locking in best rates requires paying monthly fees annually
- Amex cards incur additional fees
- Does not support businesses selling CBD products
- $25 chargeback fee (though refunded if you win the chargeback dispute)
Flexible payment processing is what makes CDGcommerce’ stand out among other restaurant payment processors in this list. This merchant services provider offers three different subscription types to support restaurants of all sizes. Mom-and-pop restaurants with low sales volumes can get simple flat-rate pricing, while high-volume restaurants can get competitive interchange-plus transaction fees.
Like Stax and Payment Depot, CDGcommerce uses TSYS as its back-end processor. This network is compatible with hundreds of POS systems, including popular restaurant systems like TouchBistro, Revel, Lightspeed, Lavu, and Aloha. However, it says its preferred system is HarborTouch, followed by FuturePOS, POSitouch, and Restaurant Manager.
Back-end processor:
One of several companies that connect credit card brands to banks. The major back-end processors in the US are TSYS, Worldpay, Chase Paymentech, Elavon, and Fiserv. Most payment processors and merchant service providers use at least one of the major back-end processors to facilitate credit card transactions.
Based on our restaurant credit card processing criteria, CDGcommerce earned 4.15 out of 5. It received high marks for its payment flexibility, month-to-month memberships, and comprehensive chargeback support. The system only lost points in pricing because it charges an extra fee for American Express transactions (which many payment processors do) and does not offer same-day deposits like Payline.
Flat Rate Plan:Best for small cafes, food trucks, and concessions that process less than $10,000 per month
- Monthly fee: $0
- In-person transactions: 2.75% + 30 cents
- Mobile transactions: 2.75% + 30 cents
- Online transactions: 2.0% + 30 cents
- Keyed-in transactions: + 0.15%
- Amex surcharge fee: + 0.25%
Interchange Plus* Plan:Best for small to medium full-service restaurants and coffee shops that process between $10,000 and $200,000 per month
- Monthly fee: $0
- Retail transactions: Interchange + 0.25% + 10 cents
- Online transactions: Interchange + 0.30% + 15 cents
- Nonprofit transactions: Interchange + 0.20% + 10 cents
*Since interchange rates are set by the card brands, your overall fees for different card types (like AmEx) will vary.
Wholesale Plan:Best for high-volume restaurants, restaurants with high check averages, or multi-unit restaurant groups
- Monthly fee: $49–$199
- Transaction fees:
- Basic ($25,000 monthly sales limit): Interchange + 10 cents
- Standard ($75,000 monthly sales limit): Interchange + 10 cents
- Plus ($200,000 monthly sales limit): Interchange + 7 cents
- Premium (Unlimited monthly sales): Interchange + 5 cents
Walker 2.0 |
DejaVoo Z11 |
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$65 |
$79/year |
Bluetooth, EMV compatible tap and chip reader for mobile |
Wi-Fi connectivity, touch screen, EMV + NFC payments, built-in printer |
Another aspect that sets CDGcommerce head and shoulders above its competitors is its chargeback monitoring tools. If chargebacks are a major concern for your restaurant, you’ll love CDGcommerce’s active chargeback monitoring and robust chargeback assistance. It also refunds chargeback fees if you win the dispute.
Did you know?
Chargebacks and “friendly fraud” have increasedas restaurants expand their ecommerce operations.
CDGcommerce’s standout features include:
- Chargeback monitoring:In case of a chargeback, CDGcommerce emails you immediately. Its customer service team will help you compose your response to the card brand to ensure you present the strongest case possible. Stripe also has chargeback monitoring, but charges extra for its advanced tools.
- Collections support:If your restaurant does private events or catering, a chargeback dispute can cost you hundreds to thousands of dollars. CDGcommerce’s collections arm will attempt to get back some of the funds, despite losing a chargeback dispute. You will receive 50% of what it collects and pay nothing. It is the only provider on this list with such a feature; however, Square simply covers chargeback disputes up to $250 per month.
- Flexible payment options:CDGcommerce offers a great range of restaurant-specific tools. It integrates with popular gateways Authorize.net, PayPal Payflow Pro, and Braintree. It also has its own mobile app for accepting payments directly (although this is not a POS system but a simple payment app). You can also create a case. Stripe offers similar versatility for payment gateways.
- Quick approvals:You can apply for a CDGcommerce account through its sales team, and approvals only take one to three business days. This is pretty fast for the industry, but if you need to start taking payments immediately, check out Square or Stripe.
- No cancellation fees:Like with most of the payment processors on our list, you can stop using CDGcommerce at any time without incurring a cancellation fee. If your business grows or slows or your needs change, you are not tied to a long-term contract.
Square Payments: Easiest Setup for Small & Startup Restaurants
Pros
- Free built-in POS and online ordering site
- No surcharge fees for different card types
- Waived chargeback fees ($250/month)
- Signup only, no approval required
Cons
- Flat-rate fees are higher compared to interchange plus or wholesale pricing
- Extra cost for same-day funding
- Chargeback support is limited
- Exclusive to Square POS users
Small businesses, including merchants just starting up their restaurant, will benefit the most from an all-in-one solution like Square. Its basic restaurant POS system is free and already comes with an incredibly easy-to-use payment processor that operates on POS terminals and mobile devices. You also get a website builder and magstripe card reader for free.
Best of all, there is no application process or approval. Small restaurants don’t need to complete invasive questionnaires or wait days for account approval; you can start accepting Square payments within the day. All you need is a card reader and a Square account that connects to your bank account.
Square earned an overall score of 4.03 out of 5 in our evaluation, with high marks for ease of use and affordability. It also offers excellent online and in-person payment processing tools, topping our list of thebest merchant services for small businesses。However, only users of Square POS and TouchBistro, plus the lesser-known SalesVu and Koomi POS, can integrate Square into their POS.
Square is a flat-rate processor, meaning that no matter the card or interchange rate, you pay the same. It’s a great choice for startup restaurants with low-volume sales, especially since there are no monthly fees, and you get basic POS, invoicing, online payments, and a virtual terminal for free.
The processing rates are:
- Monthly processing fee:$0
- In-person card payment:2.6% + 10 cents
- Invoice and online card payment:2.9% + 30 cents
- Keyed-in, card-on-file, and recurring:3.5% + 15 cents
- Buy Now Pay Later:6% + 30 cents (per card payment with Afterpay)
- Same-day funding:+1.75%
If your restaurant processes more than $250,000 annually, you can contact Square directly for a custom quote to lower those fees.
Square offers many advanced services:
- Square for Restaurants:$0–$60 per month
- Square Online:$0–$79 per month
- Invoicing:$0–$20 per month
- Square Team Management:$0–$35 per month
- Square Loyalty:$45–$105 per month (depending on loyalty visits)
- Square Marketing:
- Email: $15–$40 per month
- Text: $10 per month + $10–$125 per month
- Square Payroll:From $35 + $5 per employee monthly
Getdetailed Square pricingwith our guide.
Magstripe Reader |
Contactless & Chip Reader |
Square Terminal |
Square Stand Mount for iPad |
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Free |
$49 |
$299 or $27 x12 mos. |
$149 or $14 x12 mos. |
Mobile swipe card payments |
Mobile or on-site tap and chip reader |
Tableside card readers |
Self-service built-in card reader |
Square manages credit, debit, and mobile wallet payments directly from bank to merchant without using a back-end processor like TSYS. However, this means it’s not as compatible with other POS systems. It offers its own excellent POS system, Square for Restaurants, plus a suite of online tools and a mobile app with a full POS. You can use its own hardware or an iPad or smartphone (Android or iOS).
- POS compatibility:You can use Square Payments on the Square for Restaurants POS, which offers a free baseline system that operates on iPads or Square hardware. Square Payments is also compatible with TouchBistro and SalesVu if you prefer a different POS layout. It integrates with Koomi POS for quick-service restaurants.
- Free online ordering site:Square users get access to a free online ordering site that integrates with the Square for Restaurants POS. You can accept online orders for pickup or delivery and accept online payments for online orders. Others offer online ordering, but it may not integrate as easily as Square does to its POS.
- Free invoicing tools:Though not as affordable as Payline Data, if your restaurant does private events or off-site catering, Square lets you send professional-looking invoices for deposits and payments directly from the dashboard.
- Business services:Unlike the other payment processors on our list, Square offers a complete offering of business services, including bank accounts, loans, payroll, and even benefits. If you want to have a full fintech system that works together with ease and can grow with you, Square is a top choice.
条纹: Best for Online Orders, Delivery & Ghost Kitchens
Pros
- Free merchant account
- Extremely good for integrations
- 24/7 support
- Works with popular POS software
Cons
- Complex installation process
- No native POS
- May need an API to integrate into your POS system
- Add-on cost for some payment methods
If you run a food meal service, small catering business, or ghost kitchen that takes direct online orders (ghost kitchens that only use third-party platforms don’t need a processor), then Stripe is your best option. Stripe is a leading payment processing service that often makes our list as the best choice for online payment processing as it is highly customizable and integratable. Like Square, merchants only need to sign up and skip the approval process.
While Stripe is known for being developer-friendly, there are payment methods that don’t require coding skills. It took me only minutes to sign up for my own Stripe account, and it didn’t take me long to get a hang of creating payment links. However, if you have webmaster or programming experience, then Stripe’s powerful tools will thrill you. You can even create your own custom POS system if you wish.
Overall, Stripe earned 3.96 out of 5 on our rubric. Its pricing is transparent and competitive (though slightly more expensive than Square), and it has a great range of online tools ideal for restaurant credit card processing, including top-rate fraud monitoring and chargeback support. It also offers customer 24/7 support—something Square lacks—but lost points for limited in-person tools and ease of use.
条纹, like Square, offers flat-rate payment processing and volume discounts for larger sales. However, Stripe’s rates are more complex than most on our list because it sometimes charges additional transaction fees for services instead of monthly fees.
- Monthly fee:$0–$10
- In-person swipe, dip, touch:2.7% + 5 cents
- Online:2.9% + 30 cents
- Keyed-in fee:3.4% + 30 cents
- Instant payouts:1%
Additional tools:
- Custom domain for checkout page, billing:$10 per month
- Billing/recurring payments:0.5%
- Invoicing:0.4%
- Automatic tax calculations:0.5% (not needed if your POS does this)
- Revenue reporting:0.25% of volume
- Sigma reporting and analysis:Starting at 2 cents per charge
条纹Reader M2 |
BBPOS WisePad 3 |
BBPOS WisePOS E |
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$59 |
(Not available for US merchants) |
$249 |
条纹's newest Bluetooth-enabled card reader that accepts EMV chip, contactless, and swipe payments. |
EMV chip & contactless payments, built-in PIN pad, Bluetooth connectivity |
EMV chip and contactless payments, Wi-Fi connectivity, 5” touch screen display |
Sign up for a Stripe merchant accountto purchase card readers from the dashboard.
- Online ordering:It’s easy to accept online orders with Stripe’s customizable checkout page, which can take one-time orders or subscriptions. Combined with Stripe Billing, you can set up payments for your meal service. If you already have an ordering site, Stripe Elements lets you customize the payment section. Accept any of 18 different payment methods, for versatility that few on our list offer.
- Easy integrations:条纹integrates with over 1,000 programs, making it the most versatile of all the payment processors on our list. Unfortunately, it doesn’t integrate with many POS systems, though it works with Lightspeed, can handle online payments for Clover via an API integration, and processes e-giftcards for Toast. Nonetheless, it offers powerful APIs with excellent documentation and 24/7 support to help you connect Stripe to your software.
- Social and website selling:With Stripe Payment Links, you can add a payment page that works anywhere online. This is great for social selling, like if you want to offer catering gigs or snack boxes from your Facebook page. Payment Links requires no coding. You’re notified by email or on the dashboard when a sale is made. Square and Stax have payment link capability, but the others require a third-party service.
- Fraud Prevention:Like CDGcommerce, Stripe protects you from chargebacks; however, it does so by fighting fraud in the first place. Stripe Radar uses machine learning and the data from billions of Stripe transactions and data from other partners to detect false accounts quickly. The main program is built into Stripe and includes free with a regular account. Stripe also has ID verification tools for detecting fake accounts.
Stax:最佳中型餐厅处理更少than $500,000 Annually
Pros
- Hardware-free credit card processing
- Excellent customer service
- Stored payments and recurring billing are a good fit for meal kit programs
- Free terminal or mobile card reader
Cons
- Account approvals can be lengthy
- Not a good fit for small operations that process less than $10,000 per month
- API integration requires a Pro or Ultimate Plan
- Same-day and next-day funding with fee
Stax (formerlyFattmerchant) offers midsize independent restaurants wholesale interchange-plus pricing, with a monthly fee that includes other benefits. For businesses that process up to $500,000 annually, Stax processes card and mobile wallet payments with a small markup of 8 to 18 cents on top of interchange.
Like any traditional merchant account, Stax has an application process in place that takes 24 to 48 hours to approve on average. You need to show previous processing statements, making it harder for new restaurants to apply. For fast and easy approvals, small independent restaurants are better off with Square or Stripe.Learn more about merchant accounts。
Stax earned 3.69 out of 5 in our evaluation. We usually look for simple, transparent pricing in our list of best merchant services for restaurants (or for any industry), and Stax fits the bill with its straightforward fee structure. However, Stax could have scored higher if it offered more robust chargeback support (like CDGcommerce).
Since Our Last Update:
The Stax subscription model is now based on sales volume instead of gated access to additional functions. It has also launched a scan-to-pay feature for hardware-free mobile payment processing. Stax now also charges for same-day and next-day funding.
With Stax, merchants only pay a monthly subscription fee in exchange for wholesale interchange-plus rates on their transactions. There are no cancellation, statement, or batch fees. It does not add a percentage markup, so there is no complicated math to figure out what you’ll pay for each transaction.
Stax offers two small business plans (plus custom rates for merchants processing more than $500,000 annually), and monthly rates vary depending on sales volume. However, the transaction fees are the same for all tools and for all credit cards. It does not have an extra fee for American Express like CDGcommerce.
- Monthly fee:
- Annual sales volume of up to $250,000: $99
- Annual sales volume from $250,000 to $500,000: $199
- In-person transaction fee:Interchange + 8 cents*
- Card-not-present transaction fee:Interchange + 18 cents*
根据收到的报价*事务率;利率may vary at Stax’s sole discretion.
On the other hand, Stax charges extra for its custom branding for invoices and shopping carts (although access to one-click shopping cart setup with catalog management is now available to all plans). It also has add-ons for QuickBooks Online Pro sync, terminal protection, next-day funding, and digital gift cards.
If you qualify for Level 2 payment processing (generally for business-to-business (B2B) payments), Stax can arrange lower interchange rates. However, this is also a paid add-on. By contrast, Payline lets you automatically receive Level 2 and Level 3 data rates for qualifying transactions.
Stax’s main mobile card reader is programmed by BBPOS (usually costs $59), but it also works with several card terminals and POS hardware with built-in card readers. It’s possible to get your first card reader or terminal for free, but you will need to contact Stripe for terms and conditions. Stax can also help you reprogram one of your current card readers if you so wish.
Stax Pay Mobile Reader
The Chipper™ 2X BT is an EMV-compliant, Bluetooth-enabled swipe, dip, and tap reader for mobile or on-site payments. |
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Dejavoo Systems' countertop terminals
Countertop, POS or Wi-Fi connected card reader |
Stax’s easy pricing structure and free card reader or terminal is complemented by its ability to integrate with a wider range of restaurant POS systems (through TSYS). We especially like the Text2Pay tool for home deliveries, but if you supply larger clients, you can send invoices and even recurring payments.
- Hardware-free credit card processing:Stax mobile payments now features an option to process card payments without additional hardware attached to your mobile device. Simply use your smartphone camera to scan an image of your customer’s credit card and have them input their CVC when prompted to confirm the purchase. No other provider on this list has this feature although Stripe and Square offer a tap-to-pay method with an iPhone.
- Chargeback support:Like CDGcommerce, Stax will notify you when a customer initiates a chargeback dispute. You can organize your supporting documents and send your response to your Stax dashboard. Though these tools are less robust than what CDGcommerce offers, if chargebacks are rare in your business, they may be all you need.
- Text2Pay mobile payments:You can send payment requests to customers directly from a smartphone and receive payment via SMS text. This is another unique restaurant credit card processing feature for Stax that’s handy for delivery-heavy establishments.
- Phone payments:While Stax charges for a virtual terminal and its online solution, it does not charge more for keyed-in payments. Square, by contrast, charges almost a full percentage more than its swipe payments. If your POS or ecommerce tool already has a virtual terminal, this makes it cost-effective for phone orders.
- 附加功能:With Stax, you can pass your payment processing fees to the customer as a surcharge (where legally permitted). Stax can automate this for you for free. Keep in mind, though, that some states prohibit this practice, so check your local laws before using this feature.
Payline Data: Best for Restaurants that Invoice, Like Catering Services
Pros
- Waives the monthly fee for your first month
- No contract required
- Competitive interchange-plus fees
- Free access to Level 2 data processing for B2Bs
Cons
- Limited business management tools
- High-volume restaurants that process on-site payment can find lower rates elsewhere
- Customer support is not 24/7
- Monthly fees for merchant account and virtual terminal
Payline Data offers small businesses interchange-plus transaction rates with more affordable monthly subscription fees compared to Payment Depot and Stax. All accounts include a virtual terminal with no gateway fees for online transactions, access to level 2 data process for B2Bs, and ACH payment processing.
这使得赔付线上数据适合餐馆do a lot of off-site catering and private events. Merchants will be able to process large phone payments and accept direct bank deposits with much lower rates than you’d pay with traditional credit card payments.
The system earned a 3.64 out of 5 in our evaluation earning points for offering interchange-plus pricing with very affordable monthly plans and free ACH processing, which you don’t often find with payment processors. But while its rates are low, most high-volume restaurants will pay less with a wholesale processor like Stax or Payment Depot.
Payline Data offers simple, transparent pricing with interchange-plus rates for online and in-person sales. These come with custom reporting and a virtual terminal. Similar to Payment Depot and Stax, Payline Data customers pay a monthly subscription fee, but Payline Data’s fees are much lower.
In person |
Online |
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Monthly subscription fee |
$10 |
$20 |
Transaction fee |
Interchange + 0.4% + 10 cents |
Interchange + 0.75% + 20 cents |
Like Stax, Payline also offers you your first month for free. It’s a great, no-pressure way to try out their restaurant credit card processing service.
Ingenico iSC Touch250 |
Ingenico iSMP4 |
Ingenico iPP 320/350 |
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Electronic signature-enabled tap, swipe, dip and PIN-compatible card reader |
EMV-Compliant, Wi-Fi-enabled tap, swipe and chip card reader |
Ethernet-connected Point-to-Point Encrypted chips and swipe enabled card reader |
Contact Payline Data Sales for more hardware options and pricing
In addition to competitive interchange-plus fees, Payline integrates with several ecommerce platforms—Shopify, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Magento, and more. If you want a sharp-looking online ordering site that combines catering services, takeout and delivery orders, and merchandise, these integrations provide you with a lot more flexibility than your basiconline ordering system。
Payline’s standout features include:
- ACH payment processing:Payline Data includes ACH payment processing for free in its baseline subscription. This is great for catering companies that tend to bill customers in several lump sums. By accepting payments directly from a client’s bank account, you pay lower fees and avoid the potential for chargeback or fraud claims. (There are still some fees involved, but Payline Data says they come to less than 10 cents per transaction.)
- Website and ecommerce integrations:Payline Data integrates with a wide range of shopping cart programs, including WooCommerce—a popular free version for websites. It also offers a no-cost API. (Stripe is better known for its integration capability but, of course, has higher transaction fees.)
- Virtual terminal:Payline offers a user-friendly virtual terminal as part of its plans. It processes credit and debit as well as ACH bank transfers. It can store and tokenize customer payment information, making it easy to ring up repeat customers. This terminal is a great convenience when you take orders over the phone.
- Invoicing:If you are billing your customer, you can send invoices through the virtual terminal. It can even create recurring billing for regular customers or set up scheduled payments. This is great if you break up a catering bill into installments. Here, too, tokenization allows for better security when your customer makes a payment.
- Level 2 and 3 payment processing:Payline Data offers both Level 2 and 3 automatically. Meanwhile, Stax offers Level 2 payment processing as a paid add-on for qualifying businesses, and Payment Depot may require a higher plan. This makes Payline Data a better choice for restaurants or catering services that handle corporate events.
Payment Depot: Best for Small, Established Restaurants
Pros
- 广泛的POS集成
- No contract required
- Offers equipment reprogramming
- No markup on transaction fees
Cons
- Limited to businesses with up to $20,000 in sales volume per month
- Lacks option for same-day funding and next-day funding
- Hardware pricing requires a custom quote
- Exclusive to US merchants
收购以来,Stax restru一直缓慢cturing Payment Depot to better cater to smaller merchants. Its latest plan update leaves this provider with a single subscription fee of $79 for businesses that sell up to $21,000 per month—but with the same wholesale interchange rates and set of payment tools available to Stax. And while very limited, Payment Depot costs $20 less than Stax in monthly fees, which makes it easy for merchants to know which provider to work with to maximize their savings.
Overall, Payment Depot will be a good fit for established restaurants that have grown beyond a $10,000 monthly steady sales volume but can go without advanced tools, such as one-click shopping cart setup and advanced QuickBooks integration. It also doesn’t hurt that merchants are guaranteed a seamless migration process once your business is ready to upgrade.
In our evaluation, Payment Depot earned an overall score of 3.61 out of 5. While it offered lower subscription fees, we are looking for scalability that doesn’t require a different provider. So, the limited plan and lack of optional add-on functions for growth still affected Payment Depot’s scores. It also lacks the strong chargeback support that you could get from CDGcommerce. Payment Depot also does not offer a native POS function (see Square for that).
Since our last update, Payment Depot subscriptions have been narrowed down to a single plan and limited to a sales volume of $250,000. This matches Stax’s latest subscription plan updates, except it costs $20 more ($99/month), and Stax merchants have access to more advanced add-on features.
- Monthly fee:$79
- Annual sales volume limit:$250,000 ($21,000 per month)
- In-person transaction fee:Interchange + 8 cents*
- Card-not-present transaction fee:Interchange + 18 cents*
根据收到的报价*事务率;利率may vary at Stax’s sole discretion
SwipeSimple B250 |
SwipeSimple Terminal |
Poynt Smart Terminal |
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Mobile or Countertop Tap, Dip, and Swipe Reader |
Cloud-based tap, dip, swipe, or PIN-enabled card reader |
Mobile POS Terminal with built in card reader |
Payment Depot regularly appears on our list of thecheapest credit card processors。除了竞争interchange-only率s, Payment Depot has historically offered a 90-day money-back guarantee to new customers (call Payment Depot to confirm). Like CDGcommerce, Payment Depot supports a wide range of popular POS systems, particularly Clover.
- All-in-one pricing:你的支付宝账户包括面对面的和online payment tools for a single monthly fee. With a minimal additional markup on interchange fees, Payment Depot is the lowest-cost processor for high-volume restaurants, especially those that need to reduce the costs of processing online payments. It also reprograms your equipment for free; others like Stripe, will assist but not do this for you.
- Choice of payment gateway:Rather than providing its own gateway, like the others on our list, Payment Depot offers you a choice of popular gateways for free: Authorize.net or SwipeSimple, usually. These come with added benefits like a virtual terminal.
- 24/7 customer support:Like CDGcommerce, Payment Depot offers customer support via phone and email 24 hours a day. Customer reviews frequently mention Payment Depot’s speedy response time and supportive staff. This is great news for restaurant managers who need to resolve payment problems when sending the Saturday night credit card batch.
- Level 2 and Level 3 credit card processing:Like Stax, Payment Depot offers Level 2 data processing—something you would want in the best credit card processing for restaurants if you cater to corporate events.
How We Evaluated Payment Processors for Restaurants
We compared several popular payment processors based on what’s important to independent restaurants, including cost, chargeback protection, and compatible POS systems. We also considered our retail and restaurant experts’ personal evaluations of each software, alongside customer reviews from popular review sites.
CDGcommerce emerged as the best restaurant credit card processing company with an overall score of 4.15 out of 5. Based on our experience working in and with independent restaurant businesses that rely on payment processors, CDGcommerce is also one of the top tools that we personally recommend.
Click through the tabs below for a full breakdown of our scoring criteria:
35% of Overall Score
当谈到付款处理,成本是手-down the most important factor for restaurants. We looked for processors that offer locked-in rates, transparent pricing, volume discounts, and no or low chargeback fees. We also looked for month-to-month contracts and contracts with no cancellation fees, since a restaurant’s needs can change over time. CDG Commerce takes the lead with 4.5 out of 5.
20% of Overall Score
大多数餐馆经营交易通过POS system, so we looked for processors compatible with multiple systems. We also looked for online payment tools, tableside card readers, and the ability to process in-person payments in the field. CDGcommerce ranked first with 4.13 out of 5. While its restaurant-specific tools are not as robust as Square’s, CDGcommerce works with more integrations.
25% of Overall Score
In addition to general features like one-day deposits and chargeback monitoring, we also considered features important to restaurants, like after-hours customer support and customer data analysis. We were very discerning in this section. Stripe, with only 3.75, was the top contender.
20% of Overall Score
This score combines our judgment of price, ease of use, and feature set with the reviews of real-world users. All providers apart from Stripe did well in this criterion, scoring 4.69 out of 5. Stripe was given a score of 4.06.
Restaurant Payment Processors Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
In truth, any payment processor (or merchant account and gateway) can work for a restaurant, since it generally facilitates payment via credit, debit, and so on. However, the best restaurant payment processors integrate easily with your restaurant POS, offer competitive rates, and tools for online and phone-in ordering.
The best credit card processing for restaurants not only works with your POS and handles the specific kinds of payments often seen in food services, but also meets the other needs of a busy restaurant. For example, having a 24/7 customer support line means you can contact them in emergencies or after you close at night and still get help.
Not necessarily. Many general-use payment processors work just fine with restaurant systems. If you already have a payment processor or merchant account you are comfortable with, then you should check that it will integrate with your restaurant POS.
Several restaurant POS systems offer their own payment processing that works on their systems. We recommend Toast, Lightspeed, and TouchBistro for restaurant payment processors with their own POS system. Square, of course, has its own system, Square for Restaurants, but can also be used with other restaurant point-of-sale systems, including TouchBistro.
Established restaurants or existing restaurants expanding into new locations will benefit from shopping for the best rates. If your restaurant is high-volume or has a high check average (over $40 per person), you’ll also benefit from shopping around for the best rates.
New restaurants with no established sales history to show their sales volume and check average are usually better off using payment processors built into theirrestaurant POS。You won’t need to worry about not being approved for a merchant account. You can always shop for lower rates after your restaurant has been operating for a year.
If you start your restaurant using afree POSor one with no long-term contracts, there is little risk in switching processors and POS brands as your business grows.
A good processing rate for your restaurant is one that allows you to accept credit, debit, and mobile wallet payments while still turning a profit. Every restaurant is different, so a good processing rate for a mom-and-pop breakfast spot with low check averages will likely be higher than a good processing rate for a high-volume restaurant that serves three meals a day.
It’s important to remember that the rates you are quoted as a new business will not be the rates you pay forever. As your sales grow, you will have a documented history of your sales volume and check average, so you can negotiate lower rates with your processor or shop for a new one.
The best way to get low processing rates for your restaurant is to process as many transactions as possible in person. Avoid manually entering credit card payments. If a customer’s card is declined, avoid multiple swipes; instead, request a different form of payment. Get a signature with every transaction, and update your card readers to EMV-compliant and point-to-point encryption (P2PE) enabled readers.
After you have been open for a year, use your sales history to get rate quotes from several processors. Even if your POS contract prevents you from switching to a new processor right away, you may be able to use the documented quotes from other processors to negotiate lower rates with your current processor.
Learn more abouthow credit card processing fees work。
Bottom Line
The best credit card processing for restaurants are not always those that come built-in with POS systems. You may want better rates or need a payment processor that also works with online orders. After evaluating over a dozen payment processors, CDGcommerce emerged as the top restaurant payment processing services for its flexible payment plans and wealth of compatible POS systems. It also provides the strongest chargeback protection tools of any system on this list—an absolute must for any restaurant that accepts online or mobile payments. To find the best plan for your restaurant, contact CDGcommerce to get started.