Restaurant

If there is one thing Americans love more than almost anything else, it’s good food. Take a look around your local town square or almost any street in a city’s downtown. Explore what’s available in neighborhood strip malls.

In every location, you’ll find restaurants, cafés, diners, pop-up eateries, and so much more. We have a love affair with food, but also with the things that are implicit in the dining experience. That is a sense of love, a connection with history and culture, relaxation, and the ability to sit and enjoy good food and good company.

While restaurants come in all shapes and sizes, specialties, and cultural traditions, they have one thing in common: the need to accept payment from their diners.

At National Processing, we understand the unique needs present in different restaurant formats, and we deliver flexible, industry-leading restaurant merchant services to help you achieve success, whatever that means to you.

Apply now

Understanding Restaurant Merchant Services and Payment Processing Systems

All businesses must be able to accept and process customer payments. However, restaurants are unique in their need for flexibility and customization. Restaurant merchant services can provide both of those benefits, as well as others, such as the ability to process mobile payments, accept both cash and credit/debit cards, and so much more.

How Does Restaurant Payment Processing Work?

Every restaurant has its own needs when it comes to restaurant merchant services and payment processing. In some restaurants, the server takes the customer’s payment (cash or card) and processes it manually. In others, the customer will pay cash or swipe their card at a central register before or after the meal. In yet others, customers may pay at the table via a mobile card processor.

There are two primary considerations in all of these situations:

The physical equipment necessary to accept whatever form of payment your customers prefer – card readers, cash registers, mobile card readers, etc.

A restaurant merchant services provider that works with you to process credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallet-based payments, SMS-based payments, and more.

The right restaurant POS system will allow your customers the freedom and flexibility to use their preferred form of payment while creating a seamless experience. But what payment method do most diners prefer?

Overwhelmingly, today’s restaurant customers prefer to pay with a debit or credit card. According to Fundera:

Most consumers today carry under $50 in cash at any time.
Many consumers today carry NO cash.
Over 80% of consumers today prefer to pay with a credit or debit card.
The average cash transaction is just $22 while the average credit transaction is $112.

However, most restaurants, diners, and other food-service industry businesses cannot afford to go completely cashless. Many customers prefer to use cash for smaller expenses – a cup of coffee and a bagel on their morning commute, for instance, while using credit or debit cards for larger purchases, such as lunch or dinner for the family.

Explore our card processing capabilities and how they can help your food business thrive.

What Makes a Great Restaurant POS System?

The right restaurant POS system provides the flexibility and customization that your business needs. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each food service business will need to create a customized system that meets their needs, but also speaks to the expectations of their customers. Some of the components that your restaurant may need include the following:

A central register or multiple stationary registers
Remote card processing stations for servers to use
Tabletop card processing stations for diners to use
Mobile processing capabilities for servers, pop-ups, food carts, and food trucks

A Note on Mobile Restaurant Payment Processing Capabilities

The fastest-growing segment of restaurant merchant services is the ability to process payments remotely via mobile technology. While fixed cash registers and card readers are still essential, particularly in traditional restaurants and diners, mobile payment processing is growing exponentially for many different reasons:

Mobile payment processing empowers servers to accept and process payments right at the table.

Mobile payment processing is essential for food trucks, food carts, pop-up restaurants, and other non-traditional food businesses.

Even traditional restaurants are finding the need to use mobile payment processing in situations ranging from restaurant-branded food trucks to event-based food sales.

Consumer expectations are changing, and more people expect the restaurants they patronize to accept payment via mobile wallets and digital cash transfers.

So, what makes a great restaurant POS? Simply put, the right restaurant payment processing system is one that works for you, your servers, and your customers. It should support mobility, ensure ease of use, and deliver a great experience for your patrons, while simultaneously making it easy and affordable to process payments.

Ready to learn more? Explore our POS system options, terminal choices, and mobile payment methods.

The Need for the Right Restaurant Merchant Services Partner

Processing anything but cash within a restaurant requires working with a restaurant merchant services partner. This partner works with you and the banks and card issuers, providing the means to move payments from customer accounts to your business’s account. The right partner is essential, though, as your choice will affect the cost of processing card-based payments, and much more.

Why Choose National Processing as Your Restaurant Merchant Services Provider?

At National Processing, we’re proud to work with food service businesses across every niche, from sit-down restaurants to classic diners, food trucks to cafés and coffee shops. We bring the same level of communication, commitment to transparency and affordability, and dedication to customer satisfaction in every relationship.

We also focus on pioneering POS technology and we’re passionate about making mobile payment processing capabilities accessible for every food service business. We invite you to get in touch with us today to learn more about our mobile and traditional POS equipment, our rates, and how we compare with others in the industry.