The verdict
- Pick Toast if you want the lowest upfront cost. Toast’s Pay-as-you-Go Starter Kit is $0 a month with no upfront hardware cost. Toast says the 3.09% per sale “covers all costs, except for shipping and taxes.”
- Pick Clover if you want every in-person price listed. Clover publishes 2.3% + 10¢ per sale on its restaurant bundles, and lists each bundle’s price. Toast publishes only percentages, with no word on a fixed per-sale fee.
- Toast’s Pay-as-you-Go cost less in both our examples, once Clover’s bundle price is counted. That holds only if Toast has no fixed per-sale fee, which it doesn’t publish.
- Both tie you in. Toast runs only on Toast hardware. Clover rents its bundles over 36 months, and the term extends unless you act.
| Feature | Toast Checked Oct 19, 2026 | Clover Checked Oct 19, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Flat or custom | Flat or custom |
| In person | 2.49% | 2.3% + 10¢ |
| Online | By quote | By quote |
| Keyed in | By quote | 3.5% + 10¢ |
| Monthly cost | Plans from $0 | Plans from $16 |
| Contract | Not published for restaurants; retail requires 12 months | 36-month hardware subscription option; terms vary by reseller |
| Payouts | Not published | Not published |
| True cost: first year at $10K/month | Not calculable from published prices | Not calculable from published prices |
| Visit | Visit Toast | Visit Clover |
The Toast in-person rate in the table is its Traditional rate (2.49%), where you buy hardware and pay monthly for software. The Clover rate is for its Growth software bundles.
What a month costs
These are estimates. They assume one location and every payment made in person by card. Toast’s figures use only the percentages it publishes, with no fixed fee, since Toast doesn’t publish one. Toast’s Traditional option adds hardware and a monthly software fee that Toast doesn’t list for that option. Clover’s figures use Clover.com’s Restaurant Starter bundle (Station Solo with Restaurant Growth software).
Example 1: a small restaurant, $10,000 a month, 400 payments.
- Toast Pay-as-you-Go: 3.09% × $10,000 = about $309 a month, with no upfront hardware cost.
- Toast Traditional: 2.49% × $10,000 = about $249 a month, plus hardware up front and a monthly software fee.
- Clover, rented for 36 months: 2.3% × $10,000 = $230, plus 400 × 10¢ = $40, plus $179. About $449 a month.
- Clover, hardware bought for $1,799: $230, plus $40, plus $89.95 software. About $359.95 a month, after $1,799 up front.
Example 2: a busy restaurant, $30,000 a month, 1,200 payments.
- Toast Pay-as-you-Go: 3.09% × $30,000 = about $927 a month.
- Toast Traditional: 2.49% × $30,000 = about $747 a month, plus hardware and software.
- Clover, rented: 2.3% × $30,000 = $690, plus 1,200 × 10¢ = $120, plus $179. About $989 a month.
- Clover, hardware bought: $690, plus $120, plus $89.95. About $899.95 a month, after $1,799 up front.
Clover’s per-sale rate gets closer to paying off as sales grow. If Toast does charge a fixed fee per sale, these Toast figures will be too low, so ask for one before you compare. Run your own month in the fee calculator.
Differences that matter beyond rates
Hardware. Toast says its services “may only be used on approved Toast hardware,” and it doesn’t publish hardware prices. Clover lists its hardware, from the $199 Clover Go to the $1,899 Station Duo.
Bundles and devices. Toast’s Starter Kit covers one location with up to two terminals, and Toast says “additional charges apply for subsequent devices.” Its restaurant Point of Sale plan starts at $69 a month. Clover’s restaurant bundles rent for $179, $239 or $354 a month over 36 months. A Clover kitchen display adds $25 a month per device, plus $799 or $899 for the screen.
Contracts. Clover’s subscriptions run 36 months and extend “at the same monthly charge” unless you buy or return the equipment. You need to tell Clover at least 30 days before the end. Toast doesn’t publish a restaurant contract term.
Who sells it. Clover is also sold by banks and more than 3,000 financial institutions. Clover says its listed prices “are only available on Clover.com,” and that termination fees vary by who sells it to you.
Payouts. Neither publishes standard payout timing on its pricing pages. Clover’s Rapid Deposit, with funds in minutes, costs 1.75%.
Who processes the payment. Toast says it “is not a payment card processor, but it is a payment facilitator that partners with processors.” Clover’s pricing page says eligibility for its offers is “determined solely by First Data Merchant Services LLC.”
Pick Toast if
- You want to open with no upfront hardware cost and $0 a month.
- You want software built for restaurants. Toast says its processing is “built specifically for restaurants.”
- You’re fine with Toast-only hardware.
Pick Clover if
- You want a published per-sale rate and listed bundle prices before you talk to sales.
- You process enough that 2.3% + 10¢ beats Toast’s rate on your own month.
- You’re buying from Clover.com and can commit to a 36-month term.
More on each: our full pages on Toast pricing and Clover pricing. See also Square vs Toast, Square vs Clover and our restaurant POS page.
Common questions
Is Toast cheaper than Clover?
It depends on your sales and how you pay for hardware. Toast's Pay-as-you-Go Starter Kit is $0 a month at 3.09% per sale. Clover's Restaurant Starter bundle is $179 a month for 36 months at 2.3% + 10¢. In our examples, Toast's Pay-as-you-Go costs less at $10,000 and $30,000 a month, before any Toast fixed fee, which Toast doesn't publish.
Do Toast and Clover lock you into their hardware?
Toast does, in its own words: its services "may only be used on approved Toast hardware." Clover rents its bundles over 36 months, and Clover says the term extends at the same monthly charge unless you buy or return the equipment. You must tell Clover at least 30 days before the term ends.
Which has a longer contract, Toast or Clover?
Clover's hardware subscriptions run 36 months, and its hardware promotion requires a 3-year contract. Clover says termination fees vary by who sells it to you. Toast doesn't publish a contract term for restaurants on the pages we checked. Its hardware offer terms say retail customers sign up for at least 12 months.
What do Toast and Clover charge for online orders?
Neither publishes a separate online card rate on its pricing pages. Clover lists typed-in cards at 3.5% + 10¢. Toast doesn't publish its keyed-in rate either. If online or phone orders are a big part of your sales, get both rates in writing before you sign anything.