How much does a restaurant POS cost in India?
Last reviewed 2026-08-05 · by the RetailPOS team
The sticker price of a POS is only the software line. For a restaurant you also need a kitchen printer and a way to take UPI and cards. This guide totals all of it for a single independent restaurant so you can budget the first year.
The three cost parts
1. Software (monthly, in INR). RetailPOS Starter is about ₹2,500/shop/month with every feature — kitchen tickets, recipe/food-cost, GST e-invoicing — included, and no per-transaction fee.
2. Hardware (one-off). A tablet for the counter, a kitchen printer for the line, and a card machine if you take cards. Bought once, kept.
3. Processing. UPI is generally free to accept for merchants; card payments carry an MDR percentage paid to your acquirer, not to the POS.
Worked example — one restaurant, first year
| One-off | Per month | First year | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software (RetailPOS Starter) | — | ≈ 2,500 | ≈ 30,000 |
| Counter tablet | ≈ 18,000 | — | ≈ 18,000 |
| Kitchen printer | ≈ 12,000 | — | ≈ 12,000 |
| Card machine (if taking cards) | ≈ 8,000 | — | ≈ 8,000 |
| UPI acceptance | — | usually free | ≈ 0 |
| Card processing (MDR) | — | a % of card sales | varies with volume |
| Estimated total (ex-card MDR) | ≈ 38,000 | ≈ 2,500 | ≈ 68,000 |
Hardware prices are indicative 2026 street prices. Many restaurants take UPI + cash first and add a card machine later. MDR depends on your acquirer and card mix.
What moves the total
Down: lean on UPI and cash before adding a card machine; reuse a tablet you own; stay on Starter until Pro features are genuinely needed.
Up: multiple outlets (software is per shop), premium hardware, or a bundled POS that also takes a percentage of every sale. RetailPOS avoids that last cost by keeping processing bring-your-own.
Frequently asked
- Is UPI free to accept?
- For most merchant categories UPI is free to accept in India; there is no POS fee on it in RetailPOS. Cards carry an MDR paid to your acquirer. See the UPI merchant setup guide.
- Does the price include GST e-invoicing?
- Yes — GST e-invoicing is part of the product, not a paid add-on. Whether you must issue e-invoices depends on your turnover; see the GST e-invoicing guide.
- Is it cheaper per outlet if I have several?
- Software is priced per shop, so more outlets cost more in software but share one central catalogue and cross-store reporting. The Pro plan covers up to five shops.
Open your shop in 30 seconds.
No card. Free until your first 100 sales. Bring your own Stripe; keep your hardware.