Compare · vs Toast
The Toast alternative for more than restaurants
Toast built a genuinely good restaurant system and priced it like a captive ecosystem. Merch FinTech runs restaurants, caterers, event spaces and dozens of other industries on one platform, with commission-free online ordering and processing that can cost you nothing.
Commission-free online orderingZero-cost programRestaurant + catering + events
SoftwareToast: from $0/mo, add-ons extra · Ours: Basic $99/mo, credited back while you process with usCard feesToast: not published · Ours: interchange plus one disclosed margin, or a compliant dual-pricing programOnline orderingToast: per Toast's terms · Ours: commission-free from your own pageMerchant accountToast is the processor · Ours: your own, in your nameYour numbersSend a statement; we show the math
Toast terms from pos.toasttab.com/pricing as of October 2026; verify current terms. Dual-pricing programs are subject to card-brand rules and state law.
Fair is fair
Where Toast is a fine choice
A large, complex kitchenMany stations, kitchen display screens, coursing and handhelds on a busy floor. Toast's depth in a high-volume full-service kitchen is real and we do not pretend otherwise.
A multi-location group on Toast's ecosystemIf you already run payroll, scheduling and financing through Toast across many sites, the switching cost is high and the integrated stack has value.
You want a restaurant-only support benchToast's support staff talk to restaurants all day. Ours serve 150 ready-made editions across many industries. If that specialization matters more than the cost, it is a fair reason to stay.
Where we win
150 ready-made editions, not one industry, and no commission on orders
If you run a restaurant, we match the workflows most independents use and take the processing cost down. If you run a caterer, a hall or anything else, Toast was never an option.
The software is includedBasic is $99 a month, credited back on your processing statement while you process with Merch FinTech: CRM, online booking and reservations, invoicing, two-way texting, forms, a website and a client portal. Pro adds marketing, loyalty automation and the AI receptionist.
Zero-cost processing, on the menu and the receiptCompliant dual pricing shows the cash and card price on the menu, the terminal and the receipt, within the card-brand and state caps, so the card covers its own cost. Or take interchange-plus and save on card fees versus flat-rate pricing; send a statement and we show the math.
Commission-free online orderingOrders come from your own branded page and QR codes, straight into the kitchen and the CRM. No per-order commission, no marketplace between you and your regulars.
Restaurant, catering and events on one accountDeposits, contracts, balance-due reminders and headcount changes for private events and catering, next to the dining room's sales, with one customer list.
Your own merchant accountToast is the processor and the software, so leaving one means leaving both. With us your merchant account is in your own name with our processing partner, and your stored cards and customer records move with you as tokens and exports if you ever leave.
AI that fills quiet nightsThe AI receptionist takes reservations by text and phone, confirms the day before, asks for a review after the meal and texts regulars who have not been in for 30 days.
Head to head
Merch FinTech vs Toast, row by row
| Row | Merch FinTech | Toast |
|---|---|---|
| Industries | Restaurants, caterers, event spaces and the rest of 150 ready-made editions | Restaurants and food service only |
| Software fee (public) | Basic $99/mo, credited back while you process with us; Pro $299/mo | From $0/mo (first terminal); add-ons and further devices extra |
| Processing rate (public) | Interchange plus one small, disclosed margin, or a compliant zero-cost program | See provider pricing page; Toast is the processor |
| Hardware | Countertop, handheld and kiosk devices you choose; purchase terms per order | Toast devices; pay upfront, or Toast Easy Pay at 0.75% of card sales for 180 days (US lease) |
| Online ordering | Commission-free, from your own page and QR codes | Toast's ordering products; fees per Toast's terms |
| Zero-cost program | Built in, compliant, on screen | Not a published program |
| Merchant account | Your own, in your name | Toast is the processor |
| CRM, marketing and AI | CRM and texting in Basic; email, SMS, reviews and AI receptionist in Pro | Add-ons |
Toast software "from $0/month" and Easy Pay terms from pos.toasttab.com/pricing and pos.toasttab.com/pricing-payment-options as of October 2026; processing rates are not published there, so none are quoted. Verify current terms. Toast is a trademark of its owner; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Switching
What moving from Toast involves
- Free migration. Menus, modifiers, customers, gift card balances and loyalty points export from Toast and load into the platform with our team.
- Parallel run. We go live on a slow night with the old system still running. Toast is switched off only after a full week of service on the new one.
- Cards on file. Where the current processor allows a token export, stored cards for catering clients and house accounts move with the customer. Where it does not, we run a short re-enrollment campaign.
- Hardware. Toast devices are proprietary, so your proposal quotes replacement terminals and handhelds and shows the payback month.
- Contracts. Send your agreement with your statement. We put any remaining term next to your savings and give you a plain answer.
FAQ
Merch FinTech vs Toast questions
Does Merch FinTech cover restaurant features like Toast?
We cover what most independents use daily: countertop and handheld POS, commission-free online ordering from your own page, reservations and standby lists by text, gift cards, loyalty and marketing. Large multi-station kitchen display setups are Toast's specialty, and we say so. For single and small multi-location independents, caterers and event spaces, our bundle usually wins on total cost.
What does switching from Toast cost?
Toast hardware is proprietary, so plan on replacement terminals and handhelds, which we quote in your proposal against the fees you stop paying. Menus, modifiers, customers and gift card balances migrate with our team. Your proposal shows the payback month from your own statement.
Can my restaurant also run catering and an event space on it?
Yes. Restaurant, caterer and event-space editions run under one account with shared customers and consolidated reporting. Deposits, contracts and balance-due reminders for events are built in, which a restaurant-only system does not do.
Is dual pricing allowed in restaurants?
Yes, with the right disclosures. Compliant dual pricing shows the cash and card price on menus, the terminal and the receipt. Surcharges are capped at the lesser of 3% or your actual cost of acceptance, 2% in Colorado and Oklahoma; surcharging is not permitted in CT, MA, ME or PR; debit cards are never surcharged. Dual pricing posts both prices up front and is available more widely.
See your numbers side by side
Send a recent Toast statement and we'll show you a line-by-line comparison within one business day. Free, no obligation.
305-954-7362 · hello@merchfintech.com