Choosing a restaurant POS in India

Choose a restaurant POS by testing the work your staff do during service, then checking the records your accountant receives afterwards. A demo with your menu will tell you more than a long feature list. Include the awkward orders that currently send staff back to the billing counter.

This guide is written by Maharaj, a restaurant software company. Use the same checks with any POS company, including us. Keep a written record of what was demonstrated, what needs extra setup and what is unavailable, so the decision does not depend on what someone remembers from a call.

Use an order from your floor

Bring a short section of your menu with a size choice and an item note. Ask a member of your staff to take an order, send it to the kitchen and add another round. Watch how the table remains identifiable and how the kitchen distinguishes the later dishes.

Then cancel a dish after it has been sent. Check who can approve the change and how the kitchen learns about it. Ask to see the resulting bill and cancellation record. If your restaurant needs to divide a bill by item, demonstrate that exact job rather than accepting a broad promise about payments.

Check devices where staff use them

Tell the POS company which phones, tablets and printers you already own. Get the supported printer connection and model requirements in writing before buying equipment. Test the printed KOT from the device staff will actually carry, on the network the kitchen printer uses.

Ask what happens if the internet connection drops. Have the POS company describe what staff can still do and how work resumes. If connectivity is essential, decide how your outlet will handle an outage during service. Do not treat an unanswered question as confirmation of offline operation.

Follow a payment into the records

Ask staff to record a cash payment and a UPI payment, then find them in the day’s report. Establish whether the software collects money or only records a payment made elsewhere. Check how a correction is recorded and who can make it.

Give sample exports to your accountant before deciding. Ask them to check bill details and the basis of the sales totals, including whether a sale appears on the bill date or payment date. Confirm whether any advertised GST function prepares records or actually files returns.

Test the work beyond the counter

If food cost matters to the purchase, bring one recipe and a supplier invoice. Ask how a sold dish affects stock and what happens when the dish is cancelled. Check how unmatched menu items are handled. A stock total is difficult to trust when only part of the menu has been connected.

For meal subscriptions, use a customer who skips a lunch after paying in advance. For QR ordering, try an order that waits for staff acceptance. Choose the example that matters to your restaurant and follow it through to the records, rather than spending the demo on features you will not use.

Agree the setup work in writing

Name the person responsible for preparing the menu and checking it after upload. Confirm how staff will be trained and how they reach support during service. Ask what data can be exported if you later leave, and what can actually be moved from your existing system.

For switching to Maharaj, we offer menu CSV upload, table and QR setup, printer setup and staff training. Terminal needs a connection. Maharaj prepares GSTR files but does not file returns or provide e-invoicing; bring your accountant’s requirements to the demo.