Best POS Systems for Mobile Coffee Trucks
The Authority on Coffee Shop POS Systems
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from our partner links on Coffee Shop Startups. Commissions do not affect our evaluations.
Better Business for Coffee Trucks & Coffee Trailers
Most mobile coffee business owners are innovative problem solvers. They are always on the move and require all their coffee equipment to keep up with them.
This includes a versatile cash register system. A robust POS system isn't a luxury for mobile coffee operators; it's a requirement.
If you want to start a coffee truck or coffee trailer business, you'll have a lot of potential to be profitable. However, choosing the right coffee equipment that maximizes your profit margins and the ability to make better decisions is essential. Your chosen POS system is a big part of that.
Therefore, in this post, we will look at the Square POS system and assess just how effective the POS system can be for mobile coffee operators.
Skip ahead and see Square POS features & prices.
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Square Features for Mobile Coffee Trucks
Square POS offers coffee shop owners everything they could imagine – at an affordable cost. In summary, they include the following features:
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| Easy Pricing Breakdown | Easy to Use | Multi-channel and Multi-location Options | Inventory Management |
| Marketing Preferences | Fully Integrated Payment | Real-Time Reporting | Manage Taxes |
| Manual Discounts | Easily Process Refunds | Customer History | Staff Management |
What Mobile Coffee Business Owners Need:
A Point-of-Sale System for Their Mobile Coffee Business
If you own a coffee truck, you'll need a flexible POS system willing to grow alongside your mobile business.
Whether you make $100 a day or $10,000, you need a coffee shop POS that will process transactions securely and affordably on the road and in various conditions.
Working with a flexible and affordable POS company that understands the mobile coffee business is key.
Out-of-touch banks and credit card processors have a nightmare of the recent past. Independent coffee entrepreneurs can now compete with anyone thanks to innovative POS products like Square.
Understanding the ebbs and flows of working in the mobile coffee or food truck is essential.
For example, you may be unable to work your trailer year-round due to seasonality or weather conditions. If so, you do not need to make ongoing monthly payments to maintain your POS contract.
As a mobile coffee business owner, you may work in locations without excellent cellular or Wi-Fi signals, including city parks, festivals, outdoor weddings, and other areas. Therefore, you must utilize a POS system that can work online and offline.
Mobile coffee owners need a POS system that is:
- Affordable
- Grows with them
- Only charges when they are working
- Can work online and offline
- Understand the mobile coffee and food truck industry
CSSU Advisers Tip:
As a coffee truck business owner, we strongly recommend that you choose a mobile coffee POS system that does not charge you per month (since you may not operate year-round). The unnecessary expense when you are not working can siphon away your money. Square only charges you when you get paid. No monthly costs. No hidden fees.
| Square Reviews (Third Party) | |
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"Square POS was practically made for Coffee Trucks!" | Learn More: Get Started Free |
Best POS for Coffee Trucks
Affordable POS for Mobile Coffee Trucks
Mobile coffee truck owners need a reliable, secure, affordable POS system. Direct costs, no hidden fees, and long-term contracts are the elements you should use to select your POS system.
Coffee truck owners want:
- Simplified fees
- No contract
- No hidden fees
- Product support
>See Square's POS features for Coffee Business Owners
Square POS is also an excellent option for coffee shop owners too. We deep dive into the POS systems for coffee shops here, analyzing the costs, features, and advantages of owners utilizing Square POS to grow their coffee business.
Best POS Systems for Mobile Coffee Trucks
Your Mobile Coffee POS System Options
What are the Best POS Systems for Coffee Trucks?
If you are planning to start a mobile coffee business or are already operating a coffee truck or trailer (and are thinking about switching to Square POS), you'll want to know what kind of hardware you'll be working with.
Let's look at some hardware you might want for your mobile coffee truck.
Skip to See Square's Pricing and features
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 Square POS Highlights:
| Recommended Coffee Shop POS: |
Best POS for Coffee Trucks
Best POS Systems for Mobile Coffee Trailers
Square POS Hardware Options
Square Terminal
When you operate a coffee truck, you'll need an all-in-one credit card processing device to take payments and issue receipts. With Square's sleek terminal, you can get this affordably. It's perfect for coffee trucks and trailers who need to maximize their space.
Square Terminal advantages:
- Secure
- Reliable
- Encrypted
- No chargeback Fees
Explore the Square Terminal Here
Square Reader (R12)
Square Terminal R12
Square makes it simple to accept chip cards and contactless payments with the Square R12 reader. Versatile and inexpensive, it processes payments quickly and easily from your coffee truck or trailer.
Mobile coffee operators will love the simplicity of this POS reader. It's also a space saver!
Advantages:
Super easy and secure – Handy for any type of mobile coffee business as Square's reader allows you to accept numerous types of chip cards, contactless cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay anywhere.
Small size – With a mobile coffee business, you are always hard-pressed on space, where every inch and every pound matters.
This Square reader makes it a snap to connect to your Apple or Android device via Bluetooth (no need for wires!). You can easily charge it all night and be ready for a full day of transactions.
Explore More of the Square Reader Here
Square Reader (R4x)
If you are thinking of dipping your toes with Square, You can always start with this free Square reader.
Square POS is the most inexpensive, no-risk POS system in the world.
With Square's free reader, you can accept credit cards anywhere you park your coffee truck. It is perfect for farmer's markets, espresso trikes, coffee trailers, and trucks working on the street, parks, or events.
Advantages:
Easy to set up. With no commitments and no contracts, you can get started quickly. Sign up, and Square will mail you a free card reader.
The Square POS app works with iOS or Android.
Sign up and get your free Square Reader.
Square Register
This beautifully designed Square register is perfect for coffee shops and restaurants, but this POS register can also work in mobile coffee trucks.
With this Square register, you can accept various payment options – tap, dip, swipe.
This has two displays – one for you and one for your customer- making processing coffee transactions a snap, sleek, and easy.
The great thing about Square is that it is affordable, easy, and only charges when you work.
Explore More of the Square Register Here
The Square POS Stand
Square POS also offers another possible option usually reserved for coffee shops, but it's good to point out as a viable mobile option. This stand was designed to house an iPad, but it has a built-in card reader and makes transactions simple and quick.
Download the Square app onto your iPad and go through the setup to get started.
Square POS Pricing & Features
What mobile coffee owners value is having a straightforward pricing table that is only in effect when you are making transactions. While many other POS systems charge $79 to $129 monthly or more before transactions occur, Square POS is free.
That's right: It costs $0 monthly.
The only time Square makes money is when you make money. They take a nominal percentage (as do other POS companies) for every purchase.
Typically, Square's fee for each transaction is 2.6% plus 10¢. This fee is for payments that are contactless, swiped, or inserted. Payments that are manually placed (such as taking an order over the phone have a fee of 3.5% and 15¢ for each transaction.
Best POS Systems for Mobile Coffee Trucks
Available Square POS Add-Ons
Not every coffee truck or trailer is the same. Every business will have its own needs. Paying for additional marketing services – if that is what you need – is also an option for Square POS users.
Square POS makes certain add-on features for coffee retailers, including marketing email marketing, at reasonable monthly rates.
Our Coffee Shop POS analysis rated the following:
| Feature | Square's Result | CSSU Assessments |
|---|---|---|
| Easy to Use | Yes | Easy to train |
| Reliable | Yes | Reliable software |
| Various Payments Accepted | Yes | Multiple payments accepted |
| Low Cost | Yes | Zero monthly, Affordable rates |
| Inventory management | Yes | Manage everyone in one centralized hub |
| Works online and offline | Yes | Works when the internet goes down, outside |
| Security | Yes | Square has invested in end-to-end encryption security. |
| Marketing | Yes | Coupons, text messages, customer data collection |
| Management | Yes | Clock in/Clock out / Real-time access |
| Customer support | Yes | Email, chat, or phone support |
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Best POS for Coffee Trucks
As a coffee trailer owner, you can decide whether to have drip coffee, decaf coffee, or offer muffins. However, you can't opt for having an unreliable point-of-sale system.
Fortunately, you have options like Square POS, which was practically made for mobile coffee shop businesses. With no contracts, ongoing monthly fees, or hidden costs, Square offers the coffee business owner a worthwhile point-of-sale option.
Our CSSU Advisor Analysis
Square offers mobile coffee business owners the reliability and flexibility that they deserve.
Since all equipment elements are manufactured in-house, Square can better control security and ensure that every piece of equipment is seamless. This makes Square a solid choice for any coffee retailer.
In addition to its features, it's affordable.
By all accounts, Square is among the most affordable POS systems available. But this affordability doesn't compromise on its quality of equipment and support.
Skip to See Square POS features.
Best POS Systems for Mobile Coffee Trucks
Why We Like Square POS
Square POS for mobile coffee businesses provides an affordable, robust, secure option to take your customers' payments. No strange pricing, hidden fees, no contracts, and no monthly service charges make it an option to consider strongly. In a world of high fees and random charges, mobile coffee owners appreciate this transparent price structure Square offers.
Affordable
We've mentioned this before, but it cannot be overstated. Square is among the most competitively priced POS systems for coffee shop owners.
You Get Your Money Fast
No need to wait. Coffee retailers also get your money deposited quickly – usually overnight. There are options to get your money quicker for a small fee.
Chargeback Coverage
If you are a retailer, you know how chargebacks sap money away from your account. Square offers chargeback protection. This will be a lifesaver when you occasionally get that expensive chargeback notification. With Square POS, those days are gone.
Multiple Payment Options
Square offers a reliable way to take multiple forms of payments, offers low transaction charges, and provides seamless data with Quickbooks.
As a mobile coffee operator, I know I can't easily run my business during the coldest and worst months. Therefore, having a POS system that only charges you when you get paid is nice.
Works Offline and Online
As a mobile coffee trailer retailer, your internet access is sometimes spotty or non-existent – no need to worry with Square POS as you can take offline orders. Simply work the transaction as you normally would, and then your transactions will process securely when you are in Wi-Fi range and reconnected to the internet.
Benefits of Square POS for Mobile Coffee Trucks
SQUARE PROS
Running a mobile coffee is fun and profitable. But when one piece of essential equipment stops working, everything stops. That's why having a reliable POS system for your mobile coffee business is so important.
And that's why we like Square POS:
- Square's POS streamlines your ordering efforts
- It's easy to start – Simply start with the free package and move your way up to more options
- Square's app is always free
- Personalized customer experience – track customers – get feedback for every experience
- No contracts, no tiny small print
- Check out your growth – real-time sales trends
Best POS Systems for Coffee Trailers & Trucks
Related Questions:
What is the most popular POS for mobile coffee?
Square POS is among the most popular POS systems for cafes in the U.S. and Canada. There is a reason for it: Over the last decade, Square has proven itself a reliable partner with small- to medium-sized businesses like coffee shops and mobile coffee trucks. If you operate a mobile coffee business or intend to open a coffee truck, we recommend Square POS.
What is the best POS for drive-thru coffee stands?
Like coffee shops and coffee trucks, drive-thru coffee stands require a reliable POS system. While they may have access to better Wi-Fi, this is not always the case. That is why it's critical for coffee retailers to have a POS system that can work offline and online.
Is Square's Point-of-Sale System also good for cafes, coffee shops, and bistros?
Square POS has various hardware options that work perfectly in coffee shops or café. Whether you have a full kitchen, a bar, or an espresso stand business, Square's POS system can provide the right hardware to make your transactions a snap.
Best POS Systems for Mobile Coffee Trucks
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Square POS Highlights:
| Recommended Coffee Shop POS: |
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How to Start Your Mobile Coffee Business
Starting a coffee trailer is an incredible opportunity to create a profitable business and impact your community.
It can be a fun and challenging life endeavor. However, it can be especially tough if you don't know where to start. That's why we've written a helpful guide to help you get your mobile coffee trailer started.
Our 270+ page coffee trailer guide will help prepare you to launch your business, discuss building out your coffee trailer, and how to position yourself for future success.
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