Restaurant POS
Lightspeed Restaurant fees in 2026: what you actually pay
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
On its Canadian pricing page, Lightspeed Restaurant charges 2.6% + 10 cents for integrated payments on the Starter (CAD 89 a month) and Essential (CAD 239 a month) plans, with custom rates on Premium (CAD 499 a month). A kitchen display costs $40 per screen a month, and Lightspeed Payments charges a $15 chargeback fee.
Canadian restaurants, bars and hotel outlets on Lightspeed's restaurant POS with integrated Lightspeed Payments.
Lightspeed Restaurant rates
| Payment type | Published rate |
|---|---|
| In person (tap, dip, swipe) | 2.6% + 10¢ |
| Online or invoice link | Not published |
| Instant payout | Same-day and instant payouts offered to eligible merchants; fee not published on the payments page |
What Lightspeed Restaurant costs on your volume
Fee calculator
On Lightspeed Restaurant: $1,049 a month, $12,587 a year (2.62% effective on cards).
| Same volume on | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| SpotOn | $993 | $11,920 |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | $1,049 | $12,587 |
Uses each provider's published headline card rate and ACH terms only. Monthly software, hardware and per-feature fees are listed separately below and are not included.
Monthly and other fees
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Starter | CAD 89/month |
| Essential | CAD 239/month |
| Premium | CAD 499/month, custom payment rates available |
| Kitchen Display System | $40/screen per month |
| Enterprise | Quote |
| Chargeback | $15 per chargeback |
Lightspeed Restaurant fee traps to check
- Starter and Essential carry the same 2.6% + 10 cents rate, so paying CAD 150 more a month for Essential does not lower processing.
- Custom payment rates are only offered on Premium (CAD 499 a month) and Enterprise.
- Kitchen display screens cost $40 each per month on every plan, and third-party delivery integrations require an add-on.
- Every chargeback costs $15 on Lightspeed Payments.
- Lightspeed notes prices may vary by business type and industry, so your quote can differ from the published page.
How to lower your Lightspeed Restaurant fees
- Check you are getting Canada's small-merchant interchange cut: since Oct 19, 2024, businesses under $300,000 a year in Visa volume or $175,000 in Mastercard volume get in-store credit interchange averaging 0.95% and online interchange 10 basis points lower. On a flat rate you only benefit if the processor lowers your rate.
- At higher volume, ask for Premium or Enterprise custom rates and compare the saving with the extra subscription cost.
- In Canada, credit card surcharges have been allowed since Oct 6, 2022, capped at the lesser of your cost of acceptance or 2.4%, and Quebec merchants cannot surcharge consumers.
- Use the Code of Conduct: your processor must give 30 to 60 days' notice of fee increases or of interchange cuts it will not pass on, and you can exit without penalty within 70 calendar days after the change takes effect.
Can you pass the fee to customers?
Supported. Lightspeed Payments lists surcharging: "Easily add fees to eligible credit card transactions to offset processing costs." In Canada the surcharge is capped at your cost of acceptance or 2.4%, and not allowed for Quebec merchants on consumers.
Contract and cancellation
Not published on the pricing page; Lightspeed notes prices may vary depending on the nature of the business and the industry.
Lightspeed Restaurant vs other restaurant pos options
| Provider | In person | Online | ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightspeed Restaurant | 2.6% + 10¢ | Not published | Not published |
| Toast | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| SpotOn | 2.45% + 15¢ | Not published | Not published |
Compare fees
- Restaurant POSToast feesNot published headline rate
- Restaurant POSSpotOn fees2.45% + 15¢ headline rate
Frequently asked questions
- What does Lightspeed Restaurant charge for payments in Canada?
- Lightspeed's Canadian restaurant pricing page lists integrated payments at 2.6% + 10 cents on the Starter and Essential plans, with custom rates on Premium. Subscriptions start at CAD 89 a month.
- Does Lightspeed Payments have hidden fees?
- Lightspeed says the only extra charge to expect is a $15 chargeback fee. Add-ons such as kitchen display screens ($40 per screen a month) and delivery integrations cost extra.
- Can I add a credit card surcharge on Lightspeed?
- Lightspeed Payments lists a surcharging feature for eligible credit card transactions. In Canada you must stay at or below 2.4% and your cost of acceptance, and Quebec merchants cannot surcharge consumers.
- Can I leave my processor if it raises fees?
- Under Canada's Code of Conduct, your processor must give 30 to 60 days' notice of a fee increase, and you can exit without penalty within 70 calendar days after it takes effect.
Go deeper
- GuideToast Processing Fees: 2026 Rates and IncreasesToast processing fees in 2026: typical in-person and keyed rates, the verified 2024 and March 2026 increases, Toast Pay's keyed rate, and your exit rights.
- GuideHow to Audit a Toast Processing StatementRead a Toast processing statement line by line, calculate your true effective rate, and catch keyed misrates and increases inside Toast's 30-day window.
- GuideHow to Negotiate Toast Processing RatesNegotiate lower Toast processing rates using your contract's leverage points: rate notices, renewal and new locations. Plus flat vs interchange-plus math.
- GuideMerchant Processor Holding Funds? What to DoWhy processors like Toast freeze deposits or set reserves, what the contract lets them do, how MATCH works, and how to escape a POS or card-machine lease.
Sources
- Lightspeed: Restaurant POS pricing (Canadian page, CAD)
- Lightspeed: Payments (surcharging, payouts, chargeback fee)
- CFIB: Credit card surcharging in Canada
- Department of Finance Canada: credit card fee reductions for small business (Oct 17, 2024)
- FCAC: Merchant rights under the Code of Conduct for the Payment Card Industry
Cite this page
Pavado, “Lightspeed Restaurant Fees 2026”, https://www.pavadotech.com/fees/lightspeed-restaurant, updated 2026-09-24.