How Much Restaurants Pay for Digitalisation?

For over 3 years, we at Places App worked with 100+ restaurants, and their tech setup is always a hot topic. Here’s a breakdown of typical costs for digital solutions like POS, delivery, HR, and more.

Point-of-Sale (POS) Systems

Modern POS systems handle sales, inventory, and CRM. Most use cloud-based systems.Costs:

Monthly fees: £50–£150 per terminal.
Hardware: £500–£2,000 for tablets, card readers, etc.
Transaction fees: 1.2%–2.5%.

Examples: Square, Lightspeed, Places App.

Pro Tip: Always negotiate POS pricing — it's a competitive market.

Delivery Platforms

Delivery is essential but costly.Costs:

Commission: 15%–35% per order.
Setup fees: £100–£300.
Integration costs: Extra fees for POS integration.

Examples: Delieroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat.

Online Ordering

Online orders increase sales and retention. Offer click & collect, table orders via QR, or kiosks.Costs:

Transaction fees: 1.4%–2.5%.
Monthly fees: £0–£100

Examples: Places App (free setup, from £0 monthly fee).

Reservation & Table Management

Systems like OpenTable or Resy manage bookings and improve service.Costs:

Monthly fees: £20–£200.
Per reservation fees: £1–£2 per customer.

Examples: OpenTable, SevenRooms, The Fork.

Loyalty Programs

Boost customer retention with digital loyalty programs.Costs:

Monthly fees: £15–£30/month.

Examples: RWRD, Places App (can be part of Branded Apps package).

Branded Mobile Apps

Growth of the brand, increase customer retention, direct marketing channel with your customers.Costs:

Monthly fees: £50–£500/month.
Additional fees: for usage and extra locations.

Examples: Places App (includes apps, website, digital loyalties, online payments, marketing tools, and dedicated support), FlipDish.

Digital Marketing & Social Media

Engage customers via social media, SEO, and email marketing.Costs:

Social ads: £0.50–£2/click; £300–£2,000/month.
Email marketing: £10–£50/month.
SEO: £300–£1,000/month.

Cloud-Based Inventory Management

Advanced systems help manage stock.Costs:

Monthly fees: £30–£200.

Examples: Mailchimp

Other Platforms

Additional services like HR or Health & Safety systems can add up to £100/month.

Overall, restaurants can expect to spend between £1,000 and £10,000 upfront on digital tools, with ongoing monthly costs ranging from £100 to £2,000, depending on the complexity of their setup. However, the return on investment (ROI) in terms of increased efficiency, higher sales, and better customer retention often justifies the initial costs.