Payments and POS for your new bar or brewery in West Palm Beach

Running tabs, tips, busy weekend rushes, cans and merchandise to go. Here is what to plan for before you open, what to have ready when you apply for a merchant account, and what to ask any processor before you sign.

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What to get right

Tabs and tips that do not slow the bar down

Bar service runs on open tabs. Look for a POS that lets bartenders start a tab with a card on file, transfer tabs between bartenders or to a table, split checks, and close out quickly at last call. Tips should be easy to add on screen or on the receipt, and the system should handle tip pooling or tip-outs the way you plan to pay your staff. Ask how tabs left open at closing are handled so you are not chasing walkouts the next morning.

Equipment built for a crowded room

Plan for at least one fixed station behind the bar, and consider handheld terminals if you have a patio, tables, or a taproom floor where guests would rather not walk to the counter. You will also want a cash drawer, receipt printers, and, if you serve food, a kitchen printer or display. Ask whether the system keeps taking cards if your internet drops during a busy night, and how those payments are sent once you are back online.

Inventory that tracks pours, kegs, and merchandise

A brewery or bar sells by the pour, the flight, the pitcher, the crowler, and the case, often alongside shirts, glassware, and gift cards. Your POS should let you set up modifiers and sizes without clutter, track stock as it sells, and show you which items move on which nights. If you also sell kegs or packaged product to other businesses, ask how invoicing and those larger payments fit in, and whether the system connects to your accounting or e-commerce tools. TouchSuite's ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee with a TouchSuite merchant account.

Pricing you can actually read

With high transaction counts and lots of small tickets, how you are charged matters. Ask for interchange-plus pricing, where you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, so you can see what each part of a transaction costs. If you would rather eliminate processing cost, TouchSuite offers a cash discount program; check Florida and card network rules on signage and disclosure, and ask us to walk you through how it works at the register.

How it works

Get your business paperwork in order. Before you apply for a merchant account, have your business entity formed, your EIN from the IRS, a business bank account, and a government-issued ID for each owner. Licensing for alcohol sales comes from the state as well as the city and county, and requirements and timing vary, so check with the state alcohol licensing authority and the City of West Palm Beach or Palm Beach County early. Processors may ask about your license status, so start this well ahead of your opening date.
Talk through your setup with us. Tell us how your bar or taproom will run: number of stations, whether you will have tables or a patio, food service, to-go sales, events, and online orders. If you already process cards at another location, 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.
Apply and get approved. Submit your application with the documents above. Once you are approved, most merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours. Qualifying merchants receive free terminals and POS hardware with no upfront cost.
Set up, train, and test before opening night. Load your menu, pour sizes, modifiers, and merchandise, set up staff logins and tip settings, and run test transactions, including opening and closing tabs, splits, refunds, and voids. A soft opening or friends-and-family night is a good time to find gaps before the room is full.

Questions to ask a processor

How exactly will I be charged for each card transaction?

Ask for the pricing model in writing. With interchange-plus, you pay the card networks' actual cost plus a fixed margin, which makes your statement easier to check. Be cautious of any quote you cannot trace line by line on a sample statement.

Am I locked into a contract, and what happens if I want to leave?

Ask about term length and any cancellation fees before signing. TouchSuite accounts are month-to-month, and you can cancel anytime with no fees.

How does your system handle open tabs, preauthorizations, and tips?

For a bar this is one of the most important questions. Ask to see how a tab is opened with a card, how tips are added after the fact, what happens to a tab left open at close, and how tip reports come out for payroll. Have a bartender try it if you can.

What happens to payments if the internet goes down on a busy night?

Ask whether the system can store transactions offline and send them later, what limits apply, and what risk you take on if a stored card is later declined. Knowing the answer ahead of time helps you set a policy for staff.

How soon can I start taking payments, and what do you need from me?

You will typically need your business entity, EIN, business bank account, and owner ID. Approval timing depends on your application, but once approved most TouchSuite merchants are processing within 24 to 48 hours. Leave room in your opening schedule in case anything needs follow-up.

Will the POS connect to the other tools I use?

Ask which accounting, inventory, online ordering, and e-commerce systems it works with, and whether integrations cost extra. With a TouchSuite merchant account, our ERP, CRM, and e-commerce integrations are included at no monthly fee.

Planning a bar or brewery in West Palm Beach?

Tell us how your space will run and we will help you plan the payments and POS setup that fits it. If you already process cards, send us your most recent statement and we will show you what you are paying, line by line.

Book a call

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