Choosing a POS for a pizza shop: what to check

Most point-of-sale systems are built for a café: one item, one price, maybe a size. A pizza shop's menu breaks that model on the first order. Before you sign anything, ask the seller to ring up your real orders in front of you. Here's what to test.

The menu

• Half-and-half. Can you put pepperoni on the left and mushroom on the right, and is each half priced correctly?
• Topping amounts. Light, regular, extra, double: does each cost what you charge?
• Free toppings and limits. "Three toppings included, then $1.50 each" should be automatic, not mental maths at the till.
• Multi-pizza deals. "Two mediums, four toppings each, and wings" should be one button with the right price.
• The same menu everywhere. The counter, the phone and your website should use the same prices and rules, so you change them once.

Orders from every direction

• Phone orders taken now and paid at pickup.
• Online orders landing on the same screen as counter orders, without retyping.
• Changing an order before it's paid, with the kitchen told what changed.
• Scheduled orders that remind you before they're due.

The kitchen

Ask to see a kitchen ticket for a half-and-half pizza with extra toppings. Can the cook read it at a glance, halves and all? Check it works with a kitchen screen, with printers, or both, and that a new online order can't sit unnoticed.

Delivery

If you deliver, check how orders are handed to drivers, whether the delivery area and fees are enforced, and how cash collected at the door is recorded.

Money

• A card terminal that takes Interac and credit, with tips on the reader.
• Refunds, partial and full, that show up correctly in your reports.
• Cash drawer control: opening float, paid in and out, and a count at close.
• A Z-report at the end of each shift that matches what's in the drawer.

The questions to ask the seller

• Is there a commission or per-order fee on top of the monthly price?
• Who processes card payments, and at what rates?
• What hardware do I need, and can I use what I have?
• What happens when the internet goes down?
• Who owns my customer list, and can I export it?
• Who sets up my menu, and how long until I can take orders?

See how gofood handles pizza menus and the counter, or book a demo and bring your trickiest order.