Payments and POS for your new Orlando restaurant or cafe

A practical guide to the equipment, paperwork, and decisions that come before your first ticket. Covers what to plan for, what to have ready, how long things usually take, and what to ask any processor before you sign.

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What to get right

Tips and table turns that work the way your service does

If you run table service, decide early whether servers will tip-adjust after the guest signs or present a handheld device at the table so guests pay and tip in one step. Pay-at-table can help turns on busy nights, and it keeps the card in the guest's sight. Whatever you choose, make sure the system handles tip pooling or tip-outs the way you plan to run them and gives you clean end-of-shift reports for each server.

A POS built around your menu and kitchen

Restaurants and cafes live on modifiers: milk substitutions, temperatures, sides, no onions. Plan your menu structure in the POS before opening so orders reach the kitchen printer or kitchen display clearly. Think about how many stations you need, where the kitchen and bar tickets go, and how you will handle split checks, comps, and voids, with manager permissions on the last two.

Fast counter service and every way guests want to pay

A cafe line moves only as fast as checkout. Plan for contactless and mobile wallet payments alongside chip cards, and a customer-facing screen for tips at the counter. Orlando sees a steady flow of visitors, so expect a mix of cards from out of state and abroad, and confirm your setup accepts the card types you are likely to see.

Pricing you can actually read

Processing costs are an ongoing expense on every sale, so understand the pricing model before you commit. TouchSuite uses interchange-plus pricing: you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin. If you want to eliminate processing cost, a cash discount program is also available. If you have run a business before, send us your most recent processing statement and we will show you, line by line, what you are paying and beat it, or tell you honestly that we cannot.

How it works

Get your business paperwork in order. A merchant account application generally asks for your business entity documents, your EIN, a business bank account for deposits, and a government-issued ID for each owner. Have your business name and address finalized, since they should match across documents. Licensing and health inspection requirements for food service depend on the state, city, and county, so check with the local offices in Orlando and Orange County for what applies to you and how long it takes.
Plan your setup with us. Talk through how your restaurant or cafe will run: counter or table service, number of stations, kitchen printing or display, online ordering, and how you handle tips. We will recommend terminals and POS hardware to match. Qualifying merchants receive free terminals and POS hardware, no upfront cost. Our ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee with a TouchSuite merchant account.
Apply and get approved. Submit your application with the documents above. Approval timing varies with how complete your paperwork is, so apply well before your planned opening rather than the week of. Most merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours of approval.
Build your menu, train, and test before opening. Load your menu and modifiers, set up employee logins and permissions, and run test transactions, refunds, tip adjustments, and an end-of-day close. A soft opening or friends-and-family night is a good time to find gaps in your workflow while the stakes are low.

Questions to ask a processor

What pricing model do you use, and can you show me exactly what I will pay?

Ask any processor to explain their pricing in writing so you can compare. TouchSuite uses interchange-plus pricing, which means you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, and that structure shows up on your statement. If you already have a processing statement, we will go through it line by line and either beat it or tell you honestly that we cannot.

Am I locked into a contract?

This is one of the most important things to ask before signing. TouchSuite is month-to-month, and you can cancel anytime with no fees. With any processor, read the agreement for term length and cancellation terms before you commit.

How does the system handle tips, split checks, and server reports?

For a restaurant this matters daily. Ask to see how tip adjustments work, whether guests can tip at the table or counter, how checks are split by seat or item, and what each server's end-of-shift report looks like. Make sure it matches how you plan to pay out tips.

Will it connect to my online ordering, accounting, and other tools?

Ask which integrations are available and whether they carry extra monthly charges. With a TouchSuite merchant account, our ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee.

What is a cash discount program, and is it right for a restaurant?

A cash discount program is a way to eliminate processing cost, and TouchSuite offers one if you want it. Whether it fits depends on your customers and how you want pricing to feel at the table or counter. Rules around how these programs are presented can vary, so ask your processor how it is set up and check any requirements that apply in Florida.

How soon can I start taking payments?

It depends mostly on how complete your application is. Have your entity documents, EIN, bank account, and ID ready to avoid delays. Most TouchSuite merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours of approval, so build in time before your opening date to set up and test.

Get your Orlando restaurant or cafe ready to take payments

Tell us how you plan to run service, and we will help you choose the right setup and walk you through the application. If you already have a processing statement, send it over and we will review it line by line.

Book a call

TouchSuite · 800-793-3250 · Month-to-month, cancel anytime, no fees.