POSApt, Impos, OrderMate, Redcat and Abacus are five restaurant POS software providers available in Melbourne. All five support restaurant transactions and order management, but they differ in pricing, kitchen workflows, online ordering, multi-site control and technical support.
Melbourne restaurants should compare the complete operating setup. Table-service restaurants need floor plans, bill splitting and course control, while quick-service venues may place more value on fast order entry, kitchen routing, kiosks and delivery integration.
What Restaurant POS Software Needs to Handle
Restaurant POS software should connect the work completed by front-of-house staff, kitchen teams and managers. Depending on the venue, this may include:
- Table and floor-plan management
- Menu items, modifiers and dietary notes
- Split bills and multiple payment methods
- Kitchen printers or kitchen display systems
- Dine-in, takeaway and delivery orders
- Stock and ingredient management
- Staff permissions and activity records
- Online and QR ordering
- Customer loyalty
- Daily sales and performance reports
- Management across multiple restaurants
The importance of each function depends on the service model. A small takeaway does not need the same configuration as a full-service restaurant with several dining areas.
Five Restaurant POS Systems Available in Melbourne
| Restaurant POS | Main strength | Published starting price | Support |
| POSApt | Core restaurant functions within a clearly priced plan | $66 per month including GST | Australian 24/7 support included |
| Impos | Detailed hospitality setup for busy and established venues | Quotation required | 24/7 support available |
| OrderMate | Custom restaurant workflows and hospitality integrations | Quotation required | 24/7 assistance available under the service arrangement |
| Redcat | Central control for restaurant groups, franchises and QSRs | Quotation required | Conditions depend on the package |
| Abacus | Flexible Android hardware and digital ordering options | Quotation required | 24/7 support advertised |
Restaurant POS software prices can exclude hardware, payment processing, installation and optional products. Ask for a written quotation showing all initial and continuing charges.
Best Restaurant POS Software in Melbourne
1. POSApt
POSApt is headquartered in Melbourne and supplies cloud restaurant POS software to independent venues and restaurant groups across Australia. Its pricing is published, with hospitality POS starting at $66 per month including GST.
The base subscription handles the main tasks completed during restaurant service. Staff can take orders, manage tables, apply menu modifiers, split bills, accept different payment methods and send information to connected kitchen printers. Management tools cover staff activity, inventory, recipe costing, customer records, loyalty, gift cards and live reporting.
Software setup and Australian-based 24/7 support are included in the monthly price. Most standard restaurant POS functions are also part of the core plan, reducing the number of separate software charges required for normal operation.
Restaurants can add a kitchen display system, self-service kiosk, QR ordering, digital signage or a customer loyalty application. These products carry additional charges. POSApt also offers an online ordering plan that can include a custom WordPress website designed for the restaurant, with orders connected to the POS.
The software can run on a compatible tablet already owned by the business. POS terminals, printers, cash drawers and other hardware can also be supplied and configured. POSApt requires an internet connection and does not provide an offline operating mode.
This restaurant POS may suit venues looking for a POS system in Melbourne that lets them see the core subscription price before choosing hardware or additional ordering products.
Check before choosing: Add the cost of KDS, online ordering, hardware and payment processing to the $66 monthly subscription.
2. Impos
Impos began in Melbourne’s hospitality sector and has supplied POS systems to Australian venues since 2006. Its software is built for restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, quick-service businesses and other food and beverage operations.
The system is particularly relevant to restaurants with detailed front-of-house requirements. Orders can be assigned to tables, seats and courses, while modifiers allow staff to record preparation instructions and menu changes. Bills can be divided between customers or paid using several payment methods.
Impos also provides stock management for restaurants wanting closer control over purchasing, usage and variance. Sales and operational reports can be accessed through its management tools, including information from more than one venue.
Its hybrid-cloud design allows core restaurant operations to continue during an internet interruption. This can be valuable for busy Melbourne restaurants where orders still need to reach the kitchen even when the external connection is unstable.
Impos supplies POS hardware and offers an integrated payment service. It also connects with a range of third-party hospitality products. The complete system is configured around the venue, so software pricing is supplied by quotation.
Technical support is available 24/7. Restaurants should confirm whether every form of support is covered by the quoted subscription and whether installation, training, hardware replacement or on-site attendance creates a separate charge.
Impos is most relevant to established restaurants wanting a hospitality-specific system with detailed configuration and offline continuity.
Check before choosing: Request separate figures for software, hardware, implementation, support, payments and each required integration.
3. OrderMate
OrderMate develops POS software specifically for hospitality and maintains a team serving Melbourne restaurants. Its system is designed around the way food and beverage venues take, prepare and complete orders.
Restaurant layouts can be configured in the POS so staff can open tables, move orders and monitor the progress of service. Orders may be organised by seat or course, and changes can be sent directly to kitchen printers or displays. Quick-payment options and tabs can be configured for venues using different service styles within the same premises.
The system also handles takeaway and delivery orders. Restaurants can connect online ordering, table ordering, reservations, accounting, rostering, payments and other hospitality services through available integrations.
OrderMate Portal gives owners access to current sales information away from the restaurant. Multi-site operators can compare venue performance, while stock and staff controls provide more detail about what occurred during each trading period.
The company supplies touch terminals, tablets and handheld devices, although compatible customer-owned hardware may be considered. Planning, configuration and training form part of the wider implementation process.
OrderMate does not display a standard restaurant POS software price. A quotation is prepared according to the venue, hardware and integrations selected. The company advertises 24/7 support through phone, online and other channels, but the costs and exact conditions are set by the customer’s service agreement.
OrderMate may suit a restaurant that requires a POS configuration built around table service and an existing collection of hospitality software.
Check before choosing: Confirm maintenance fees, on-site support charges and third-party subscription costs within the proposed system.
4. Redcat
Redcat is a Melbourne-founded hospitality technology provider with a strong focus on restaurant groups, quick-service brands and franchises. Its platform combines POS, digital ordering, kitchen management, loyalty and central business controls.
The key distinction is the way Redcat manages several sales channels and locations. Menus, prices and promotions can be maintained centrally and distributed across participating restaurants. Head-office teams can view performance across the group while individual venues continue handling their daily operations.
Orders may enter the system from a staffed POS terminal, online ordering platform, customer application or self-service kiosk. Kitchen management tools direct each order to the correct preparation area. This structure can reduce the need to maintain separate menu information across each channel.
Customer accounts, rewards and marketing functions can also be connected with transaction data. These tools are useful for restaurant groups that want one loyalty program to operate across several locations or brands.
Redcat provides hardware options for counter service and self-ordering. Its product range is broader than a basic restaurant till, so the provider assesses the required platform before preparing a price.
Software, hardware and support costs are not presented as one public entry price. A Melbourne restaurant should request an itemised quotation covering implementation, POS licences, ordering channels, loyalty, kitchen products, integrations and continuing support.
Redcat is best aligned with restaurant groups and QSR operators requiring central menu control across multiple locations and ordering channels.
Check before choosing: Identify which platform components are essential at launch and which can be added later, as each part may affect the total contract value.
5. Abacus
Abacus is an Australian POS platform used by restaurants, cafés and takeaway businesses in Melbourne. Its current hospitality range includes Android-based restaurant POS software, online ordering, QR table ordering, kiosks and kitchen displays.
The Android setup provides more hardware choice than a system restricted to one type of tablet or proprietary terminal. Restaurants may be able to reuse compatible cash drawers and receipt printers, although the complete hardware arrangement should be assessed before installation.
Abacus covers dine-in, pickup and delivery workflows. Menu changes can be managed centrally and applied to connected ordering channels. Orders from the POS, online store or QR menu can then be directed to the appropriate kitchen printer or display.
The system also supports table maps, customer-facing displays, waiter devices, stock management and order-status screens. Available integrations cover delivery platforms, reservations, accounting and several Australian payment providers.
Offline operation is available for core functions, allowing the restaurant to continue taking orders during an internet interruption. Abacus also advertises 24/7 support through phone, live chat, email and online resources.
Pricing depends on the software, hardware and payment arrangement selected. Some Abacus offers link discounted software or digital ordering to a nominated payment service. Restaurants should compare the merchant rate and transaction charges with the cost of purchasing the POS software separately.
Abacus may work well for a Melbourne restaurant seeking Android hardware, multiple digital ordering methods and a choice of payment integrations.
Check before choosing: Examine any payment conditions attached to the offer and confirm whether support, setup, online ordering and integrations are included.
How These Restaurant POS Systems Differ
The five systems overlap in their core functions, so the clearest differences appear in how they are sold and configured.
Published or Quotation-Based Pricing
POSApt publishes a $66 monthly hospitality price including GST. Impos, OrderMate, Redcat and Abacus generally prepare quotations based on the restaurant’s installation.
Quotation-based pricing is not necessarily more expensive. It does, however, require a detailed cost breakdown before two systems can be compared fairly.
Single Restaurants or Multi-Site Groups
POSApt and Abacus can cover independent restaurants while allowing additional products to be added. Impos and OrderMate provide deeper configuration for established hospitality operations. Redcat’s central management structure is particularly relevant to franchises, QSR brands and larger restaurant groups.
Cloud Access and Offline Operation
POSApt is a cloud system that requires an internet connection. Impos uses hybrid-cloud architecture, while Abacus advertises offline operation. Restaurant owners should ask exactly which functions remain available offline, especially card payments and external ordering integrations.
Online and Customer Ordering
All five providers can support digital ordering in some form. The difference is how it is delivered. POSApt can combine online ordering with a custom restaurant website. Redcat connects several ordering channels across restaurant groups. Abacus provides online, QR and kiosk ordering, while Impos and OrderMate connect with hospitality ordering partners.
Support Costs
POSApt includes Australian 24/7 software support in its subscription. Impos, OrderMate and Abacus advertise round-the-clock assistance, although restaurants should confirm the services covered by their individual agreement. Redcat support conditions should be included in its quotation.
On-site visits, hardware repairs, additional training and third-party software assistance may carry separate charges even when general POS support is included.
Questions to Ask Before Selecting Restaurant POS Software
A restaurant should test the software against its actual service process before signing an agreement.
Ask each provider:
- Can staff split a table’s bill by item, seat and amount?
- How are courses and preparation notes sent to the kitchen?
- Can the restaurant continue operating without internet?
- Does the quoted price cover every terminal?
- Are software updates and 24/7 support included?
- What does an on-site support visit cost?
- Can the system use existing hardware?
- Which payment processors can be connected?
- Do online orders enter the POS automatically?
- Are KDS, loyalty and inventory included or charged separately?
- Does pricing increase for additional restaurants?
- What is the minimum contract period?
A live demonstration should use the restaurant’s own menu and typical orders. This shows whether the proposed workflow is practical during service.
Which Restaurant POS Software Is Best in Melbourne?
POSApt provides published pricing and included 24/7 support. Impos offers detailed hospitality configuration and hybrid-cloud operation. OrderMate suits restaurants requiring customised table service and extensive integrations. Redcat is structured for restaurant groups and franchises, while Abacus provides flexible Android hardware and several digital ordering options.
The best restaurant POS software in Melbourne is the system that matches the venue’s service model at a clearly documented total cost. Compare the software, payments, support, hardware and optional products together before making the final selection.