Restaurant POS software in New Zealand for 2026 costs between NZ$0 (free tier) and NZ$300+ per month per location depending on vendor, plan and add-on mix. NZ-built options like SmakSpace (free forever for a hosted QR menu, then NZ$49–$179/mo flat once you take orders — bundled features), Bustle (~NZ$65–$195/mo plus add-ons), Lazygrid (~NZ$24–$149/mo) publish NZD pricing directly. US/AU-headquartered options like Lightspeed Restaurant, Square for Restaurants and Toast bill in USD/AUD with per-terminal or per-transaction fees that often total higher once converted. Hardware costs run NZ$0–$2,000+ depending on terminal choice. Hidden costs (KDS add-ons, loyalty subscriptions, payment-processor lock-in surcharges) are often the bigger surprise than the subscription itself.
How much does restaurant POS actually cost in NZ?
A typical NZ café running NZ$30k/month in revenue spends NZ$60–$370+ per month on POS software subscriptions, depending on vendor and add-on mix. NZ-built options (SmakSpace, Bustle, Lazygrid) publish NZD pricing in the NZ$24–$195 range. Global options (Lightspeed, Toast, Square) bill in USD/AUD with per-terminal and per-transaction fees that often land higher once converted. Payment processing fees (~2.5–3.7%) are usually the largest single cost — that\'s NZ$750–$1,100/month on a NZ$30k venue, separate from the subscription.
Published NZD pricing as of May 2026.
| Vendor | Entry plan | Pro plan | Enterprise | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SmakSpace | Free (QR menu) · NZ$49/mo to order | NZ$99/mo (flat, includes KDS + bookings + loyalty) | NZ$179/mo (10 locations, multi-location reporting) | Free QR-menu plan. No setup fee, no per-cover or per-transaction take. |
| Bustle (heybustle.com) | NZ$65/mo + GST ("Short Black") | NZ$95/mo + GST ("Flat White") | NZ$195/mo + GST ("Latte in a Bowl"); add-ons Paperless +$44, Regulr +$44 | NZ-built; Xero App Store badge; iPad-led product. |
| Lazygrid (lazygrid.digital) | NZ$24/mo Lite | NZ$59/mo Standard | NZ$149/mo Premium | Cheapest NZ POS; aggressive pricing, thin trust signals. |
| Hike | From NZ$59/mo (per public site) | Mid-tier from ~NZ$129/mo | Demo-gated for retail+hospo bundles | Retail-leaning; NZ Xero integration. |
| Eats365 NZ | Demo-gated | Demo-gated; AU pricing referenced ~A$59–A$199 | Demo-gated | HK-based; AU regional pricing applies. |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | AU$79/mo + add-ons | AU$179/mo + add-ons (Order Anywhere +A$59, KDS +A$40/screen, Reservations +A$69, Inventory +A$99) | AU$359/mo + add-ons | Operator reviews report 1.5% surcharge if not on Lightspeed Payments. |
| Square for Restaurants | US$0 (Free; 2.6%+15¢ per txn) | US$49/mo per location + payments fees | US$149/mo per location + payments fees | Not sold in NZ as of Sept 2026 — no NZ store, no NZD price list, no NZ EFTPOS certification. |
| Toast POS | US$0 Starter Kit (3.09–3.69% + US$0.15) | US$69/mo per terminal + 2.49% + US$0.15 | US$165/mo Essentials bundle; AU launched April 2026 with Toast Go 3 | Hardware spend US$5k–$15k commonly reported in operator reviews. |
| TouchBistro | US$69/mo (1 license; Pro) | US$129/mo (2 licenses; Premium) | US$399/mo (Unlimited) | iPad-only; payments processor lock-in described in many reviews. |
| Wizbang / Onetap | Demo-gated | Demo-gated | Demo-gated; 2,000+ venues across NZ/UK/Ireland/Pacific | Legacy NZ player; aged UX; opaque pricing. |
Pricing reflects publicly available vendor materials as of May 2026. USD and AUD prices are exposed to NZD FX movement. Demo-gated entries mean the vendor doesn\'t publish per-tier pricing — confirm with the vendor for your venue specifics.
Ten things that actually move the monthly bill.
Subscription tier
The headline number — typically NZ$30–$200/mo depending on vendor and venue size.
Per-terminal fees
Some vendors charge per-terminal (Toast, Lightspeed extras). For multi-terminal venues this is often the biggest cost driver after the base subscription.
Payment processing %
2.49–3.69% per transaction is the typical range. For a NZ$30k/month venue, that's NZ$750–$1,100/month just in card fees — usually the biggest single cost on the bill.
Forced-processor surcharges
Lightspeed customer reviews describe a 1.5% surcharge if you don't migrate to Lightspeed Payments. That's NZ$450/month on the same NZ$30k venue — a hidden recurring cost.
KDS / kitchen display fees
Toast, Lightspeed and Square typically charge per-screen for KDS (A$40/screen/month is the Lightspeed Restaurant range). SmakSpace bundles KDS on Professional with no per-screen surcharge.
Loyalty add-on subscriptions
Square Loyalty, Marsello and others are billed separately. For a venue running loyalty, this often adds NZ$50–$150/month on top of the POS subscription.
Booking platform fees
OpenTable and Quandoo charge per-cover (US$1–$7.50 typical). On a 1,000-cover month, that's NZ$1,500–$10,000+ on top of the monthly platform fee.
Hardware spend
Toast hardware spend of US$5k–$15k commonly reported. Lightspeed and Square sell hardware separately. SmakSpace runs on any web-capable device, including ones you already own.
Contract early-termination
Many Lightspeed and Toast contracts have annual minimums with cancellation fees described in operator reviews. Worth checking the small print before signing.
Currency exposure
USD- and AUD-priced subscriptions move with the NZD exchange rate. A NZD weakening of 5% means the same plan costs 5% more in NZ dollars.
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Defaults reflect publicly known NZ marketplace rates as of May 2026: Uber Eats Delivery plan ~30%, DoorDash NZ ~30%, Delivereasy ~22%. Individual contracts vary — adjust the rate fields to match your actual deal. The SmakSpace flat fee is the published NZD subscription on /pricing.