POS companies love to brag about integration counts. But 99% of those integrations you'll never touch. Let's focus on the ones that actually matter for bars and restaurants.
Essential Integrations
Third-Party Delivery (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub)
If you do delivery, this is non-negotiable. Orders should flow directly into your POS, not a separate tablet. Reduces errors and consolidates reporting.
Accounting (QuickBooks, Xero)
Sales data flowing automatically to your books saves hours of manual entry. Look for daily sync at minimum.
Online Ordering
Native is usually better than third-party here. Make sure online orders hit your kitchen like regular orders.
Nice to Have
Reservation Systems (OpenTable, Resy)
Useful for full-service restaurants. Connects guest profiles to spending data.
Loyalty Programs
Only if you'll actually run a program. Built-in is usually better than integrated.
Scheduling (7shifts, HotSchedules)
Connects labor data with sales forecasting. More useful for larger operations.
Usually Overhyped
Marketing Platforms
Sounds great, rarely used well. Most bars just need email collection, not full marketing automation.
"AI" Anything
Usually buzzword marketing. Your POS doesn't need AI. It needs to be fast and reliable.
Integration Red Flags
- - "Integrates" means you install their tablet separately
- - Integration requires expensive middleware
- - Only available on highest-tier plans
- - Listed as "coming soon" for over a year
Questions to Ask
- "Is this a native integration or middleware?" Native is almost always better.
- "What data actually syncs?" Some integrations only sync sales totals, not item-level detail.
- "Is there an extra monthly fee?" Some integrations cost $30-100/month on top of your POS fees.
- "How do updates work?" When the integration partner updates, does it break your connection?
Need Help Evaluating Integrations?
Tell me what tools you use and I'll tell you what will actually work together.
Let's Talk Integrations