Choosing the right point-of-sale software is a critical decision for a restaurant: it organizes front-of-house service, communicates with the kitchen, manages inventory, and centralizes sales. But good POS software alone isn’t enough—you also need to be able to process customer payments quickly, using all the payment methods they use, including meal vouchers. That’s where choosing the right payment terminal becomes just as strategic as choosing the POS software.
Criteria for Choosing the Right Point-of-Sale Software for Your Restaurant
Before comparing solutions, here are the points you should always check:
- Seating Chart Management: Tables, Zones, Reservations
- Kitchen Link: Ticket Printing, Prep Screen (KDS)
- Inventory Management and Technical Data Sheets: Tracking Raw Materials, Stockout Alerts
- Reporting and Statistics: Revenue by Department, Best-Selling Dishes, Margin
- Mobility: Ordering via tablet, at the table
- Payment compatibility: the ability to connect the payment terminal of your choice, without any imposed restrictions
- Support and Onboarding: Assistance in French; availability in the event of an incident during service
Comparison of the Best Point-of-Sale Software for Restaurants
The Bill
A well-known French provider in the industry, L'Addition focuses on a simple interface and deep integration with the restaurant ecosystem (reservations, delivery, loyalty programs). Its openness to third-party integrations makes it a solid foundation for restaurants that want to retain the freedom to choose their own payment terminal.
Zelty
Zelty stands out for its detailed inventory and product information management, which is a real advantage for controlling margins. Its takeout and click-and-collect module is particularly well-suited for establishments that combine dine-in and online ordering.
Tiller
As a cloud-native solution, Tiller focuses on data: detailed reporting, real-time dashboards, and an integration marketplace that makes it easy to connect third-party tools, including payment processing solutions.
Lightspeed
As an international player with a presence in many countries, Lightspeed primarily targets groups and franchises that need centralized, multi-location management with consolidated reporting.
Shopcaisse
With an attractive price-to-feature ratio, Shopcaisse is aimed at small establishments and independent businesses that want comprehensive POS software without the cost of a premium solution. The core features of the service (floor plan, kitchen, inventory) are covered in a straightforward manner.
Point-of-sale software isn't everything: the challenge of payment processing
Point-of-sale software manages the service, but it isn’t necessarily the one that processes the customer’s payment. In most cases, point-of-sale software providers require—or strongly encourage—the use of a partner payment terminal, often with inflexible terms and relatively high fees: long-term commitments, high rental fees, or complex management of digital meal vouchers.
However, in the restaurant industry, payment processing has its own specific requirements: speed during peak hours, the ability to process payments at the table, acceptance of all payment methods (credit cards, contactless, mobile), and, above all, seamless handling of meal vouchers and ANCV vacation checks, which are still widely used by customers.
Easytransac, the payment processing solution that complements your point-of-sale software
Instead of relying on the payment terminal required by your point-of-sale software provider, Easytransac lets you keep your point-of-sale software—L'Addition, Zelty, Tiller, Lightspeed, or another—while choosing your own payment solution.
Our software EasyFlow accepts all payment methods, including digital meal vouchers and ANCV vacation vouchers—an aspect that is often difficult to manage with the point-of-sale systems imposed by certain software providers.
The concrete benefits for a restaurant owner:
- Independence from the POS software provider: no obligation to change your POS terminal if you switch POS software
- A single terminal for all payment methods, including meal vouchers and ANCV
- In-Restaurant Mobility: Payment at the Table, Without Having to Go Through the Central Cash Register
- Unified transaction reporting, which can be cross-referenced with data from your point-of-sale software
FAQ
What is the best point-of-sale software for a restaurant?
There is no one-size-fits-all solution: L'Addition and Zelty are well-suited for independent businesses, Tiller for establishments looking for a scalable cloud-based solution, and Lightspeed for multi-location chains. The choice depends on volume, the number of locations, and inventory management needs.
Can we use L'Addition, Zelty, Tiller, or Lightspeed at the register and Easytransac for processing payments?
Yes, and that’s actually the recommended setup: your POS software handles the service side (seating chart, kitchen, inventory) while Easytransac handles payment processing, including meal vouchers and ANCV. The two systems operate in parallel, without one depending on the other.
How can restaurants accept digital meal vouchers?
EasyFlow, our point-of-sale software integrated with the payment terminal, allows you to accept digital meal vouchers and ANCV vacation vouchers directly on the same terminal as card payments, without any additional hardware or contracts.
Do you need to switch POS systems if you switch POS software?
No, if your payment processing solution is independent of your POS software—that's precisely the advantage of using Easytransac instead of the default payment terminal.
Do you have a project in mind? Contact our team for a customized quote!
