Restaurant POS
SpotOn fees in 2026: what you actually pay
Updated · Checked against primary sources
The short answer
SpotOn's POS Essentials plan costs $55 per station a month with card-present rates of 2.45% + 15 cents (Amex 3.19% + 15 cents) and 3.45% + 15 cents keyed. The $0 All-In plan includes hardware but charges 2.79% + 20 cents in person and 3.79% + 20 cents keyed, with processing minimums and a 2-year minimum term.
US full-service, quick-service and bar operators on SpotOn's restaurant POS.
SpotOn rates
| Payment type | Published rate |
|---|---|
| In person (tap, dip, swipe) | 2.45% + 15¢ |
| Online or invoice link | Not published |
| Keyed in | 3.45% + 15¢ |
| American Express, POS Essentials | 3.19% + 15¢ |
| All-In plan, card present | 2.79% + 20¢ |
What SpotOn costs on your volume
Fee calculator
On SpotOn: $993 a month, $11,920 a year (2.48% 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 |
|---|---|
| All-In plan | $0/station per month, hardware included, processing minimums, 2-year minimum term |
| POS Essentials | $55/station per month |
| Station 15 terminal | $750 each (list $995) |
| Handheld | $297 each (list $495) |
| Core software bundle | $50/month + 0.20% of monthly processing volume, capped at $200 |
| Implementation | Extra, varies by setup |
SpotOn fee traps to check
- The All-In plan pays for hardware and software through a higher rate, 0.34 points and 5 cents more per in-person card than Essentials, for at least two years.
- All-In also carries monthly processing minimums, so a slow season can still cost you.
- The Core bundle is priced as 0.20% of your monthly processing volume (up to $200) plus $50, effectively raising your card cost by 0.20 points until the cap.
- American Express costs 3.19% + 15 cents on Essentials, 0.74 points above other cards.
- You cannot use your own hardware or tablets, and implementation costs are extra.
How to lower your SpotOn fees
- Price both plans on your real volume: at $50,000 a month across 2,000 transactions, All-In costs about $1,795 in processing versus about $1,525 plus $55 on Essentials for one station, before hardware.
- Only add the Core bundle if you will use its tools; at $50,000 a month it costs $150 ($50 + $100).
- Keep keyed payments to a minimum; they cost a full point more than card-present on both plans.
- Surcharge credit cards only where legal: Visa requires 30 days' notice to your acquirer, caps the surcharge at the lower of your merchant discount rate or 3%, bans it on debit and prepaid cards, and as of Feb 15, 2024 lists Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, Oklahoma and Puerto Rico as prohibiting it.
Can you pass the fee to customers?
Supported. SpotOn's knowledge base covers surcharging and dual pricing on its Restaurant POS, Express POS and payment devices. Email RateChange@SpotOn.com at least 30 days before starting; SpotOn reviews eligibility and supplies required signage.
Contract and cancellation
All-In: 2-year minimum term with monthly processing minimums. POS Essentials is described as month-to-month. Build Your Own is custom.
SpotOn vs other restaurant pos options
| Provider | In person | Online | ACH |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpotOn | 2.45% + 15¢ | Not published | Not published |
| Toast | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Lightspeed Restaurant | 2.6% + 10¢ | Not published | Not published |
Compare fees
- Restaurant POSToast feesNot published headline rate
- Restaurant POSLightspeed Restaurant fees2.6% + 10¢ headline rate
Frequently asked questions
- What are SpotOn's processing fees?
- On POS Essentials, 2.45% + 15 cents card present (Amex 3.19% + 15 cents) and 3.45% + 15 cents keyed. On the $0 All-In plan, 2.79% + 20 cents card present and 3.79% + 20 cents keyed.
- Is SpotOn's All-In plan really free?
- There is no monthly software or hardware fee, but SpotOn says you pay for them over time through a higher processing rate. The plan also has monthly processing minimums and a 2-year minimum term.
- Does SpotOn support surcharging or dual pricing?
- Yes. SpotOn supports both on compatible devices after an eligibility review. Contact SpotOn at least 30 days before you start, and post the signage it provides.
- Can I use my own iPad with SpotOn?
- No. SpotOn says its restaurant POS runs only on its proprietary hardware, and it recommends a backup 4G router in most cases.
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
- SpotOn: Restaurant POS pricing
- SpotOn Knowledge Base: Getting started with dual pricing
- Visa: U.S. Merchant Surcharge Q and A (version Feb 15, 2024)
Cite this page
Pavado, “SpotOn Fees 2026: Rates and Hidden Costs”, https://www.pavadotech.com/fees/spoton, updated 2026-09-24.