What a café POS really costs in 2026
POS pricing is rarely one number. Most quotes combine four separate costs, and the cheapest-looking option is often not the cheapest after a year. Here is how the pieces break down, with typical market prices.
1. Hardware
Terminal-based systems bundle a touchscreen till, and sometimes a receipt printer and cash drawer. Typical bundles run about S$1,400–1,600 (≈RM1,450+) upfront, or are financed into a higher monthly fee. Browser-based systems skip this entirely and run on a tablet you already own — worth checking whether receipts can be digital (QR) so a printer is optional too.
2. The monthly subscription
Published prices for popular small-business systems (from their public pricing pages, verified July 2026):
| System | Software / month | Hardware needed |
|---|---|---|
| StoreHub | from ~US$39; RM100–250 per terminal is typical in Malaysia | Yes (bundle from ~RM1,450) |
| Qashier | Lite free; Essential ~S$56 (annual billing) | Yes (terminal from ~S$1,580) |
| Square | Free–US$149 per location | Optional (readers/terminals extra) |
| Loyverse | Free; US$29 for advanced inventory | No (own tablet) |
| Nagi | S$38–138 / RM98–398 flat, every feature on every plan | No (own iPad or tablet; QR receipts, no printer) |
Prices from each provider's public pricing page, July 2026. Always confirm current pricing directly — plans change.
3. Payment processing
Systems with built-in card processing charge per transaction (commonly 1.3–3.3% depending on card and region). That is convenient, but it locks your money flow to the POS vendor. Systems that simply record the sale let you keep your existing bank terminal and rates — usually cheaper if you already have one, and switching POS later doesn't mean switching banks. “Free” POS plans usually earn their money on this processing margin.
4. Contracts and per-terminal maths
Two quiet multipliers: per-terminal pricing (a second till doubles the fee) and annual lock-ins with hardware financing. Ask what the second year costs, and what happens to your data if you leave.
Questions worth asking any vendor
- What is the total first-year cost including hardware, at my number of terminals?
- Do you take a percentage of my sales or bookings, in any form?
- Can I use the tablet and payment terminal I already have?
- Are loyalty, reports, and inventory included, or paid add-ons?
- Can I export my sales and customer data at any time?
This guide is published by Nagi, a flat-priced POS for cafés and beauty businesses that runs on the tablet you already own — so we plainly have a view. The numbers above are real either way, and the questions are worth asking us too.