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Toast suits restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders, payroll and payments, built for food service. It is a legitimate, publicly traded restaurant POS company (NYSE: TOST) based in Boston, used at about 180,000 locations as of June 30, 2026, and BBB accredited with an A+ rating. The tradeoffs: Toast does not post its card processing rates on its pricing page, so you need a written quote, and Trustpilot reviewers report payout delays, fees and slow support. Know also that the FTC has been investigating how Toast markets and runs its systems and services; Toast disputes it and no case has been filed that we found.
Your options
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Toast This review Restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders and payments, and are willing to get a full written quote.
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GoDaddy POS Alternative Small retailers and service businesses that already run their website on GoDaddy and want low-rate in-person payments in the same account.
- Company
- Toast, Inc. (NYSE: TOST), 333 Summer St, Boston, MA; founded 20114
- Scale
- About 180,000 restaurant locations and $215 billion in payment volume over the 12 months to June 30, 20262
- Software plans
- $0 (Starter Kit) to $69 a month (Point of Sale); Build Your Own from $69 plus $9 per employee, as listed October 20261
- Card processing rate
- Not shown on Toast's pricing page; quoted by sales1
- Who it's for
- Restaurants, plus food and beverage retailers such as convenience stores, bottle shops and grocery stores6
- Regulator
- FTC civil investigative demand in June 2025; FTC staff sent a draft complaint and proposed settlement in June 2026, which Toast disputes2
- BBB
- A+, accredited since July 1, 2016; 222 complaints in the last 3 years4
- Trustpilot
- 2.7 out of 5 from 1,496 reviews; 25% one star5
Pros
- Built for restaurants, with table, kitchen and online ordering tools
- Published software plans from $0 to $69 a month
- Large user base of about 180,000 locations
- BBB accredited with an A+ rating
- Publicly traded, with audited financials
Cons
- Card processing rates not published
- Contract length and termination terms not on the pricing page
- Open FTC investigation into its sales and service practices
- 2.7 Trustpilot score, with payout and support complaints
- Not a fit for general retail outside food and beverage
Best for: Restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders and payments, and are willing to get a full written quote.
Skip it if: You want published card rates and no contract before you commit, or you run a general retail store rather than a restaurant or food shop.
Toast vs. competitors
| Company | Monthly software | In-person card rate | Contract | BBB | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toast | $0 to $69, or $69 + $9 per employee | Not shown on the pricing page | Not published on the pricing page | A+, accredited, 222 complaints in 3 years | Visit site |
| Square for Restaurants | $0, $49 or $149 per location | 2.6%, 2.5% or 2.4% + 15 cents by plan | None, cancel anytime | A+, accredited, 3,146 complaints in 3 years | Visit site |
| SpotOn | $0 (All-In) or $55 per station (Essentials) | 2.79% + 20 cents (All-In); 2.45% + 15 cents (Essentials) | 2 years on All-In; month-to-month on Essentials | A+, accredited, 38 complaints in 3 years | Read review |
| Clover | $0 to $89.95 for the first device (Wells Fargo) | 2.40% to 2.60% + 15 cents (Wells Fargo) | Varies by seller | Read review |
POS systems we reviewed
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Toast This review BestGuide rating: 4.6 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Restaurants that want one system for ordering, kitchen screens, online orders and payments, and are willing to get a full written quote. -
GoDaddy POS BestGuide rating: 4.5 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small retailers and service businesses that already run their website on GoDaddy and want low-rate in-person payments in the same account. -
SpotOn BestGuide rating: 4.1 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Full-service and quick-service restaurants that want handhelds, online ordering and 24/7 phone support from one company and plan to stay at least a year. -
Square for Restaurants BestGuide rating: 4.5 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Small retailers, cafes, food trucks and service businesses that want to start selling today with no monthly fee or contract. -
Clover BestGuide rating: 4.0 out of 5. Set by our editorial team from published factors such as cost, credentials, reputation, customer experience, services and guarantees. Verified partners are scored on our partner verification program and can be listed first; they are always labeled BestGuide Partner. Best for: Retailers, restaurants and service businesses that want sturdy all-in-one hardware and are willing to compare written quotes from more than one Clover seller.
Toast pricing at a glance
Toast software plans, as listed October 20261
| Plan | Monthly software | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Kit | $0 | For eligible restaurants starting out |
| Point of Sale | $69 | Standard restaurant POS plan |
| Build Your Own | $69 plus $9 per employee | Custom bundle of add-ons |
| Card processing | Not published | Quoted by sales; get the in-person, online and keyed rates in writing |
Toast's pricing page lists software plans but not card rates or contract length. Before you sign, ask for the total monthly cost including processing, any hardware financing, the agreement's term and the early termination fee.
Toast, step by step
Get a quote
Pick a plan online or talk to sales. Ask for card rates, hardware prices, add-on fees and contract length in writing.
Sign the agreement
Read the term, renewal and early termination sections and any hardware financing before you sign.
Set up
Toast ships hardware and helps you build your menu, floor plan and kitchen routing. Plan time to train staff before you go live.
Run service and get paid
Take orders and payments on Toast; deposits from card sales go to your bank account. Check settlement reports against sales each week.
Leave or switch
Give notice as your agreement requires, and confirm any remaining fees, hardware obligations and final deposits in writing.
Toast legitimacy and licensing
Yes. Toast, Inc. was founded in 2011, is based in Boston and trades on the New York Stock Exchange as TOST. As of June 30, 2026, it served about 180,000 restaurant locations, up 22% in a year, and processed $215 billion in payments over the prior 12 months. The BBB has accredited it since 2016 and rates it A+, with 222 complaints in the last three years.
Toast’s quarterly SEC filing discloses an FTC investigation. In June 2025 the FTC sent Toast a civil investigative demand about the marketing, sale and operation of its restaurant systems and customer service offerings under the FTC Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act. In June 2026 FTC staff sent Toast a draft complaint and proposed settlement order. Toast says it strongly disagrees and is prepared to litigate. We found no filed FTC case as of October 13, 2026; an investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing.
Toast cost
As listed on Toast’s pricing page in October 2026, software runs from $0 a month on the Starter Kit to $69 a month on the Point of Sale plan, and the Build Your Own plan is $69 a month plus $9 per employee. Card processing rates are not on the pricing page, and they make up most of what a busy restaurant pays. Hardware and add-ons such as online ordering, payroll and marketing are priced separately.
Get a written quote that lists in-person, online and keyed card rates, hardware costs or financing, monthly add-ons, the agreement’s term and the early termination fee. Compare the total monthly cost, not the software price alone.
What Toast does
Toast is built for restaurants and, more recently, food and beverage retailers such as convenience stores, bottle shops and grocery stores. Per its annual report, it covers fixed POS. Point of sale, the hardware and software you use to ring up sales and take payments. Compare POS systems terminals, Toast Go handhelds and self-service kiosks, a kitchen display system, online ordering and delivery, marketing, loyalty and gift cards, reservations, Toast Payroll, inventory and recipe costing. Toast Capital offers loans through a bank partner that are generally repaid from a share of sales. Payments run through Toast, so POS and card processing come from one company.
What customers say about Toast
Recurring themes across the review sites and complaint records listed above, not individual quotes.
Common praise
- Easy to use for daily restaurant service
- Quick setup
- Strong reporting and integrations
- Responsive local reps in some cases
Common complaints
- Delayed, split or missing payouts
- Unexpected fees and billing mismatches
- Slow or inconsistent support
- Deposits not returned after cancelling
- Menu, order and hardware problems
Complaints and what customers report
Toast’s Trustpilot score is 2.7 from 1,496 reviews, and Trustpilot notes the company has not replied to negative reviews. The recurring complaints are delayed or missing payouts, unexpected fees and billing mismatches, slow or inconsistent support, and deposits not returned after cancelling. Positive reviews praise ease of use, quick setup and reporting. The BBB lists 222 complaints in three years.
Reconcile daily sales against deposits, keep every quote and promise in writing, and escalate billing issues in writing with dates.
Contracts and cancelling
Toast does not publish its contract length or early termination terms on its pricing page, so read them in your agreement before you sign. Ask whether hardware is financed and what you owe if you leave early, whether any deposit is refundable, and how much notice you must give. Business contracts like these usually don’t come with consumer cooling-off rights.
The rules that protect you
Card processing for small businesses is mostly governed by your contract and card network rules, not consumer law. If Toast misrepresented its terms or charged you fees you didn’t agree to, you can file a complaint with the FTC, your state attorney general and the BBB. Keep your signed agreement, quotes and statements.
Alternatives to Toast
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Publishes card rates, has a $0 plan and no long-term contract, which makes it easier to test and to leave.
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SpotOn
Posts its card rates and offers a month-to-month Essentials plan for restaurants.
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Clover
More hardware choices and sold through banks such as Wells Fargo with published rates.
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A free POS app with your existing card reader
A small cafe or food truck can start on a $0 software plan, such as Square Free, before committing to a full restaurant system.
Next steps
Toast reviews
Written by readers, read by our moderators, never edited by the company.
No reader reviews yet. If you have used Toast, yours will be the first.
Write a reviewHow do I know I can trust these reviews about Toast?
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- Our moderators read every review before it publishes.
- Companies can respond publicly but can never edit, hide or remove a review.
- Paying BestGuide never changes the reader rating or which reviews publish.
Frequently asked questions
Is Toast a legitimate company?
Yes. Toast, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE, serves about 180,000 restaurant locations and is BBB accredited with an A+ rating.
How much does Toast POS cost per month?
Software runs from $0 (Starter Kit) to $69 a month (Point of Sale), or $69 plus $9 per employee on Build Your Own, as listed October 2026. Card processing and hardware cost extra.
What are Toast's processing fees?
Toast doesn't post card rates on its pricing page. Ask for in-person, online and keyed rates in a written quote.
Is the FTC investigating Toast?
Yes. Toast disclosed a June 2025 FTC civil investigative demand and a June 2026 draft complaint and proposed settlement. Toast disputes the FTC's position, and we found no filed case as of October 13, 2026.
Does Toast require a contract?
Toast doesn't publish contract terms on its pricing page. Read the term length, renewal and early termination fee in your agreement before you sign.
Can you use Toast for a retail store?
Toast is built for restaurants and also sells to food and beverage retailers such as convenience, grocery and bottle shops. Other retail stores usually do better with Square, Shopify POS, Lightspeed or Clover.
Why does Toast have bad reviews?
Most negative Trustpilot reviews involve payout delays, unexpected fees, slow support and deposits not returned after cancelling.
Is Toast better than Square for restaurants?
Toast has more restaurant-specific tools. Square publishes its card rates and has no long-term contract. Get quotes from both.
Is Toast BBB accredited?
Yes, since July 1, 2016, with an A+ rating and 222 complaints in the last three years.
How many restaurants use Toast?
About 180,000 locations as of June 30, 2026, per Toast's SEC filing.
Sources (6)
Facts on this page come from company websites, government agencies and regulators, checked on the dates shown. Editorial standards
- Toast: Restaurant POS pricing and plans (accessed October 11, 2026)
- SEC: Toast, Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 (accessed October 13, 2026)
- SEC EDGAR: Toast, Inc. company filings (accessed October 13, 2026)
- BBB: Toast, Inc. business profile (accessed October 13, 2026)
- Trustpilot: Toast reviews (accessed October 13, 2026)
- SEC: Toast, Inc. Form 10-K for 2025 (accessed October 13, 2026)
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