Restaurant Technology Pricing: What Does POS, Online Ordering and Kiosk Software Cost?
What Does Restaurant Technology Cost?
For UK and Irish restaurants in 2026, here are indicative monthly cost ranges for the main technology categories:
| Technology | Monthly cost (per site) |
|---|---|
| POS system software | £50–£300 |
| POS hardware (amortised) | £50–£200 |
| Online ordering platform | £50–£250 |
| Branded mobile app | £100–£500 |
| Self-service kiosk (per unit) | £100–£400 + hardware |
| AI phone ordering | £100–£300 (or bundled) |
| AI marketing tools | £100–£500 |
These are indicative ranges. Actual costs depend on order volume, number of sites and vendor.
Why Restaurant Technology Pricing Is Hard to Compare
Most restaurant technology vendors do not publish their prices. This is deliberate — it allows vendors to price by perceived ability to pay, makes direct comparison difficult and lets bundled pricing obscure the per-feature cost.
There are also several distinct pricing models:
Subscription model. A fixed monthly fee regardless of order volume. Predictable and favours high-volume operators. Common among established platforms including Flipdish.
Transaction fee model. A percentage or flat fee on every order. Low upfront cost but expensive at scale. A 2% transaction fee on £80,000 of monthly orders costs £1,600 per month — more than most subscription models.
Commission model. The marketplace model: 25–35% of every sale goes to the platform. Just Eat, Deliveroo and Uber Eats use this model. At 30% on £60,000 of monthly sales, you are paying £18,000 per month in commission. Eliminating even a portion of this is often the single highest-return technology decision a restaurant can make.
Blended model. A monthly subscription fee plus a reduced transaction rate. Common among integrated platforms.
Understanding which model you are being offered matters as much as the headline number.
POS System Costs
A restaurant POS system breaks down into three components:
Software
Monthly subscription fees typically range from £50 to £300 per terminal per month. Some platforms price per site rather than per terminal, which can be more economical for larger venues with multiple counters.
Hardware
Touchscreen terminals, receipt printers, cash drawers and card readers. A basic setup costs £500–£1,500; a fully equipped station with customer-facing display runs £1,500–£3,000. POS hardware can be purchased outright or leased.
Kitchen display systems are typically £300–£1,000 per screen depending on specification.
Payment processing
UK card transaction rates are typically 0.7–1.5% for standard consumer cards. Business cards, international cards and premium cards attract higher rates. Clarify the rate that applies to your specific card mix before signing anything.
Watch for hidden costs: Setup fees (often £200–£1,000), training fees, minimum contract terms of 12–36 months and data migration costs are common and often omitted from the headline price.
Online Ordering Platform Costs
Online ordering platforms for direct, commission-free ordering are typically priced one of three ways:
Monthly subscription. Around £50–£250 per month for a branded ordering website. The most predictable model for budgeting.
Transaction fee. Typically 1–3% of order value. At £50,000 of monthly orders, a 2% fee costs £1,000 per month — likely more expensive than a subscription at meaningful order volume.
Marketplace commission. 25–35% of every order. The most expensive model by a large margin. Switching even a portion of orders to a direct platform substantially improves margins.
The maths are straightforward: if a restaurant is paying 30% commission on £40,000 of monthly marketplace orders, that is £12,000 per month. A direct ordering platform at £150 per month saves £11,850 monthly — if all those orders can be redirected. Even converting 50% of marketplace orders to direct ordering is transformative for the P&L.
Branded Mobile App Costs
A branded restaurant app — your name, your branding, your app icon in the App Store and Google Play — costs very differently depending on how it is built:
Platform-built app (such as Flipdish): Typically £100–£500 per month. The platform builds, hosts and maintains the app. Payment compliance, App Store submissions and updates are all included in the monthly fee. This is how the vast majority of restaurants with their own apps have done it.
Custom-developed app: £20,000–£100,000+ for the initial build, plus ongoing maintenance and compliance costs. Only viable for large groups with dedicated technical teams.
Flipdish branded apps give restaurants a fully custom-branded app without custom development complexity. All technical updates, payment compliance and App Store/Google Play requirements are handled by the Flipdish platform team.
The business case is strong. Customers who download your app and opt into notifications are among your most valuable. A targeted push notification campaign to lapsed customers costs almost nothing to send and can generate significant same-day revenue.
Self-Service Kiosk Costs
Self-service kiosks have a higher upfront cost than other restaurant technology, but the return on investment is typically fast:
Hardware: Floor-standing units typically cost £2,000–£5,000 to purchase. Leasing options are available from most vendors at £100–£300 per unit per month.
Software: Monthly software fees of £100–£300 per kiosk, often bundled within a platform subscription.
Installation: £500–£1,500 per site depending on complexity.
The ROI: Multiple studies show kiosk average order values run 15–30% higher than counter orders. At a restaurant processing 300 walk-in orders daily at an average of £9, a 20% uplift generates an additional £540 per day — over £195,000 per year. Hardware and installation costs are typically recovered within a few months.
AI Ordering and Marketing Tool Costs
AI tools for restaurants are increasingly bundled within platform pricing rather than sold standalone.
AI phone ordering: Flipdish's AI phone agent handles inbound calls automatically, converting phone orders into digital orders routed to the kitchen without staff involvement. Standalone AI phone tools typically cost £100–£300 per month; Flipdish includes this as part of the platform.
AI marketing: Flipdish AI Marketing automates reactivation campaigns, loyalty programmes and promotional timing. Standalone tools typically cost £100–£500 per month.
The Real Cost of Running Multiple Vendors
Many restaurants run separate systems for POS, online ordering, loyalty, marketing and delivery management. The aggregated cost is often higher than it appears:
- Multiple monthly fees adding up to £500–£2,000 per month
- Integration costs when systems do not communicate cleanly
- Staff time managing multiple dashboards and support contacts
- Fragmented customer data that limits marketing effectiveness
- Reconciliation effort when sales figures differ between platforms
Integrated platforms like Flipdish bundle POS, online ordering, apps, kiosks, AI and marketing into one platform. The total cost of a complete Flipdish implementation is typically lower than running comparable capabilities separately — and the operational benefit of unified data and a single support relationship is significant.
Questions to Ask Before Signing a Contract
Before committing to any restaurant technology vendor:
- Is there a setup or onboarding fee?
- What is the minimum contract term?
- Is hardware included or priced separately?
- What payment processing rate applies — and does it change by card type or volume?
- What support level is included — phone, email, on-site?
- What does leaving cost? Are there data export fees or early termination penalties?
- Are software updates included in the monthly fee?
How Flipdish Approaches Pricing
Flipdish is positioned as a complete restaurant technology platform for operators serious about growth. It covers POS, online ordering, branded apps, kiosks, AI ordering and AI marketing in one integrated stack.
For operators who want all of these capabilities, the total cost of Flipdish is typically lower than buying equivalent capabilities from multiple separate vendors. The online ordering pricing page provides starting cost indications. For a full platform quote, the Flipdish team will scope a proposal based on your specific requirements and site count.
For independent comparisons of restaurant technology costs and features, visit restauranttech.co.uk.
Want to understand what Flipdish would cost for your restaurant? Contact the Flipdish team for a quote based on your order volume and requirements.