Clover POS pricing for restaurants: the plans, the card rates and what a month really costs
Clover's restaurant software plans are quoted at $79 a month (Starter), $149 (Standard) and $189 (Advanced) per location, plus a card rate of about 2.3% + 10¢ for in-person payments and 3.5% + 10¢ for online or keyed-in ones, plus hardware that runs from a few hundred to about $1,900 [1] [2]. Sources disagree on the monthly part, and resellers set their own quotes, so treat every figure below as a range to check on a written quote. The card rate is the bigger bill for most places.
If you only need a menu page that takes pickup orders, you can build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu and skip the POS bill. Below: the plans, the rates, the hardware, the add-ons, a month worked out at three sizes, how it compares with Square, and what to ask a Clover rep before you sign.
Clover plans and monthly prices for restaurants
| Plan | Monthly software fee | In person | Online or keyed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $79 | 2.3% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ |
| Standard | $149 | 2.3% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ |
| Advanced | $189 | 2.3% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 10¢ |
These are the numbers UpMenu lists, and business.com gives the same two card rates [1] [2]. Other pages show something else: one quotes plans from $14.95 a month, another a range of $135 to $180 for full-service restaurants, and another bundles hardware into a monthly payment [3] [4]. The gap is real. Clover is sold through banks, payment companies and resellers, and each one can set its own plan price, rate and contract. That is why two owners in the same town report different bills.
One thing the sources agree on: the card rate does not fall as you move to a more expensive plan. On Square, the higher plans buy a slightly lower rate. On Clover as quoted above, the higher plans buy features, such as more tools for tables, staff and reports, not a cheaper rate. So moving up a tier only makes sense if you need what it adds.
What each plan gives you
Starter is a counter-service setup: ring up items, take cards, run a basic menu and print receipts. Standard and Advanced add what a sit-down room leans on, like table and floor tools, a kitchen screen setup and more reports. The exact feature list changes with the reseller, so ask for it in writing [1] [5]. A rough rule from the review sites: Starter fits a café, a bakery or a food truck, and Standard fits a restaurant with servers and a kitchen.
Is there a free Clover plan?
One source says Clover does not offer a true free restaurant plan [3]. If a rep says "free", ask what the software, the processing and the hardware each cost. "Free" often means the cost moved to the card rate or to a payment plan on the hardware.
Clover hardware prices
Clover is hardware first. You cannot run the restaurant plans on a laptop. Typical 2026 prices from UpMenu [1]:
- Clover Flex (handheld): $499 to $699.
- Clover Mini: $699 to $899.
- Clover Station Solo: $1,399 to $1,799.
- Clover Station Duo (a second screen for the guest): $1,599 to $1,899.
- Receipt printer: $200 to $350. Kitchen display: $300 to $900. Cash drawer: $150 to $250.
A counter with a Station Duo, a receipt printer and a cash drawer lands between about $1,950 and $2,400. Spread over 36 months that is roughly $54 to $67 a month, on top of the software fee. Some resellers lease the hardware instead; one older comparison lists restaurant bundles at $1,349 plus $74.95 a month, but that page may be out of date [3]. A lease turns a one-time cost into a monthly one, and you pay it whether or not the sales come.
Add-ons that raise the bill
Clover's app market sells extras by the month. Ranges from UpMenu [1]:
- Loyalty program: $25 to $70.
- Employee scheduling and management: $10 to $30.
- Marketing and email tools: $15 to $40.
- Online ordering apps: $20 to $50, and the online card rate applies on top.
Other fees to look for: instant deposit at about 1.75% of the amount moved, and chargeback or dispute fees [3]. None of these is large alone. Together, three add-ons can cost as much as a plan upgrade.
A month at three sizes
We worked a month of in-person card sales at an average ticket of $25, so the fixed 10¢ is charged on 400, 1,000 and 2,400 sales. Software fee is the $79 Starter plan; hardware, add-ons and online orders are left out to keep the table honest.
| Monthly card sales | 2.3% of sales | 10¢ × sales | Plan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (400 sales) | $230 | $40 | $79 | $349 |
| $25,000 (1,000 sales) | $575 | $100 | $79 | $754 |
| $60,000 (2,400 sales) | $1,380 | $240 | $79 | $1,699 |
Add the hardware at $54 to $67 a month and the $10,000 month becomes about $403 to $416. On Standard at $149 the same three totals are $419, $824 and $1,769.
What the table says
A small place pays most of its bill to the card network, not to Clover's software fee. At $25,000 a month the software is about 10% of the total on Starter. So the useful question is not "which plan", it is "what is my card rate, in writing, and is it fixed". If a rep quotes a lower rate with a long contract, do the same sum with their rate.
Clover vs Square: the same month
From our Square for Restaurants pricing sums, the same in-person months cost these amounts on Square's Free plan:
| Monthly card sales | Square Free | Clover Starter | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | $320 | $349 | Square $29 cheaper |
| $25,000 | $800 | $754 | Clover $46 cheaper |
| $60,000 | $1,920 (Plus: $1,909) | $1,699 | Clover about $210 cheaper |
Clover's lower percentage wins as volume grows. Square's lack of a monthly fee wins at the low end. Hardware shifts it back: Square can start on a phone or tablet with a small reader, while Clover needs its own devices. For the full side-by-side on the other big system, read Toast vs Square for restaurants and Toast pricing.
Online orders on Clover
Online and keyed-in payments run at 3.5% + 10¢ in the sources above. On a $30 pickup order that is $1.05 + $0.10 = $1.15. That is not a commission: Clover does not take a cut of the order the way a delivery app does. But the online-ordering app costs $20 to $50 a month on top, and the higher card rate applies to every online order [1]. Our guide Clover online ordering for restaurants covers the setup and what the add-on does not do. If your goal is a commission-free way to take orders, commission-free online ordering compares the options.
Weighing it against Toast? Read Toast vs Clover for restaurants, or price Lightspeed Restaurant the same way.
Questions to ask a Clover rep
- Who is the processor? Clover is sold by many companies. The processor sets the rate and the contract.
- Is the rate fixed or "interchange plus"? A fixed 2.3% + 10¢ is easy to check. A pass-through rate moves every month.
- How long is the contract, and what is the early termination fee? Ask for both in writing.
- Is the hardware bought or leased? A lease can be hard to exit.
- What is the online rate, and is the ordering app included?
- How fast are deposits, and what does a next-day or instant deposit cost?
Who Clover fits, and who should look elsewhere
Clover fits a place that wants real hardware at the counter, a clear in-person rate and the option to grow into tables, a kitchen screen and staff tools. It fits best when the owner has a written quote with a fixed rate and a short contract. It fits less well for a small place that mainly takes pickup orders, because the online rate (3.5% + 10¢) is higher than the in-person one, and the ordering app costs extra. It also fits less well for an owner who wants to try a system for a month: hardware and contracts make that harder than on a phone-based system.
Before you sign, put your last three months of card sales next to the table above and do the sum with your own average ticket. A $15 average ticket makes the fixed 10¢ count for more; a $60 ticket makes it nearly disappear. Then ask the same questions of one other provider, such as Square or Toast, and compare the totals, not the plan names.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Clover cost per month for a restaurant?
Quoted at $79, $149 or $189 a month for software, plus card fees, hardware and add-ons. Resellers vary [1] [3].
What does Clover charge per transaction?
About 2.3% + 10¢ in person and 3.5% + 10¢ online or keyed in [1] [2].
Is there a Clover monthly fee besides the software?
Add-ons are billed monthly ($10 to $70 each in the ranges above), and a hardware lease adds a monthly payment.
Is Clover cheaper than Square?
At low volume Square's free plan is usually cheaper. Past about $20,000 a month in card sales the lower percentage helps Clover, before hardware.
Does Clover have a contract?
It depends on the reseller. Some are month to month, some have terms of years. Ask before you sign.
Do I need a POS to take online orders?
No. A menu site that takes pickup orders does not need one. You can build yours free from a photo of your menu. More answers are in all our guides.
The head-to-head, with Clover Standard and Square Plus too: Square vs Clover for restaurants. Another quote-based system: Revel POS pricing.
Sources
- Clover POS Pricing Breakdown: Fees & Hidden Costs (2026), UpMenu, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026 (a rival of Clover's; plan, hardware and add-on figures).
- Clover vs Toast, business.com, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026 (card rates).
- Clover POS Review (2026) and other review pages in search results Nov 11, 2026: plan ranges, no free restaurant plan, bundles, instant deposit.
- All Clover Plans & Pricing, CostBench, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026.
- Clover POS Review 2026, business.org, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026.
Prices change and resellers differ. Confirm on clover.com and on your own written quote.