Lightspeed Restaurant pricing: the plans, the card rate and what a month really costs
Third-party sites list Lightspeed Restaurant at about $69 a month (Starter), $189 (Essential) and $399 (Premium) in the US, with custom pricing for larger groups, plus card processing reported at 2.6% + 10¢ for in-person payments and extras such as kitchen display screens at about $30 a screen a month [1] [2] [3]. One guide says most small restaurants land at $300 to $700 a month once processing and extras are counted [2]. Prices vary by country and the sources disagree on the Starter plan ($69 in some, $89 in others), so confirm on a written quote.
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, what each adds, add-ons, processing, a month at three sizes, how it compares with Toast, Clover and Square, and the questions to ask before you sign.
Lightspeed Restaurant plans and monthly prices
| Plan | US monthly price (third-party) | Australia (official page) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | About $69 | AUD $79 |
| Essential | About $189 | AUD $179 |
| Premium | About $399 | AUD $359 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Lightspeed lists its own prices by country, and the figures differ. The Australian page shows $79, $179 and $359 in Australian dollars; one review lists UK plans at £69, £129 and £219; and one listing shows a Canadian top tier at 499 CAD [1] [3]. For the US the plan prices come from review and listing sites, not from a page we could read in full. That is a reason to treat the table as a range and ask for a quote that names the plan, the number of registers and the term.
The plan fee is per location, and extra registers cost extra. On the Australian page an additional register is listed at $39 a month, and an order pickup screen at $19 [1]. A two-register restaurant on Essential, on those add-on prices, is closer to $228 than $189.
What each Lightspeed plan gives you
Starter is a basic counter system: ring up items, take cards, print receipts. Essential and Premium add what a sit-down room leans on, such as floor plans, course firing, more reports and more integrations. The exact feature list changes by country and over time, so ask for it in writing [1]. A rough guide from the review sites: Starter fits a café or a small counter place, Essential a restaurant with servers, and Premium a busier place that wants deeper reporting and inventory.
Is there a free Lightspeed plan?
None of the sources lists a free restaurant plan. If a rep offers a "free" trial or a discount, ask what the monthly fee, the card rate and the hardware become after it ends.
Add-ons and extras that raise the bill
- Kitchen display screens: about $30 a screen a month on the US page, and $40 on the Australian one [1].
- Additional registers: $39 a month each, as listed in Australia [1].
- Order pickup screen: $19 a month, as listed in Australia [1].
- Online ordering, loyalty and payroll integrations: priced by the module and the partner; ask for each.
- Hardware: separate, with a range from a tablet setup to a full counter with printers and a drawer. Ask for a quote, because the sources we read did not agree.
These are small alone. Two kitchen screens ($60) and a second register ($39) make about $99 a month on top of a plan, which is nearly the price of the Starter plan again.
Card processing on Lightspeed
One guide cites 2.6% + 10¢ for each card-present transaction [2]. That is above Clover's reported 2.3% + 10¢ and slightly above Toast's 2.49% + 15¢ on the paid plan, though near both. Processing is separate from the software fee, and, like every system here, the rate may depend on volume and on who the processor is. Online and keyed-in payments cost more. Ask for the in-person and online rates, the deposit speed, and the chargeback fee.
The fixed part matters on small tickets. A $10 coffee costs 36¢ at 2.6% + 10¢; a $60 dinner costs $1.66. The percentage barely moves between them, which is why the monthly total tracks your sales and not your plan.
A month at three sizes
We worked a month of in-person card sales at a $25 average ticket, so the fixed 10¢ applies to 400, 1,000 and 2,400 sales. Software is Starter ($69) at the smallest, Essential ($189) in the middle and Essential at the largest; hardware, add-ons and online orders are left out.
| Monthly card sales | 2.6% of sales | 10¢ × sales | Plan | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 (400 sales) | $260 | $40 | $69 | $369 |
| $25,000 (1,000 sales) | $650 | $100 | $189 | $939 |
| $60,000 (2,400 sales) | $1,560 | $240 | $189 | $1,989 |
At $25,000 a month with two kitchen screens and a second register the total becomes about $1,038. On Premium at $399 the same month is $1,149.
What the table says
The card rate is again the biggest line: at $25,000 a month processing is $750 of the $939. The plan fee is about 20%. So the right comparison is not plan against plan, it is the full month against the same month on another system.
Lightspeed vs Toast, Clover and Square, same month
From our other guides, the same $25,000 month of in-person sales at a $25 ticket costs:
| System | Plan used | Month total |
|---|---|---|
| Square (Free plan) | $0 | $800 |
| Clover | Starter $79 | $754 |
| Toast | Point of Sale $69 | $842 |
| Lightspeed | Essential $189 | $939 |
Lightspeed is the highest here, partly because we used the plan that fits a restaurant with servers, and partly because its rate is a bit higher than Clover's. What you get for it is a system known for deeper reporting, inventory and multi-location tools [2]. If you will not use those, you are paying for them. Read Toast pricing, Clover POS pricing, Square for Restaurants pricing and Toast vs Clover for each side. For more names to price, see Toast alternatives for restaurants.
Costs that are easy to miss
Four lines tend to be left off a first quote. Setup and training: some systems charge once for installing the menu and training staff; ask for the number. Network gear: a router, cabling or a second printer for the kitchen is rarely in the hardware price. Support level: a plan may include phone support only in business hours, which matters on a Friday night. Currency and tax: the dollar sign on a price page may be Australian or Canadian dollars, and a US price may be shown without sales tax on software.
Add them to the sum before you compare. A system that is $60 cheaper a month but needs $800 of setup is only cheaper after 14 months.
Questions to ask a Lightspeed rep
- Which country price and plan is this quote for? Dollar signs on a page are not always US dollars.
- What is the in-person and online card rate, and is it fixed?
- How long is the term, and what does leaving cost?
- How many registers and screens are in the price?
- Is the hardware bought or leased, and can it run another processor later?
- What is the onboarding or setup fee?
- Can I export my menu and sales history if I leave?
Who Lightspeed fits, and who should look elsewhere
Lightspeed fits a full-service or multi-location restaurant that wants reporting, inventory and a system that scales, and that will use the tools the higher plans add. It fits a venue that wants a long-term system and will sign for it.
It fits less well for a small place that mainly takes counter sales and pickup orders. There the card rate decides the bill, and cheaper systems or a free ordering page cover what you need. It also fits less well if you want a website and online ordering in one: for that look at commission-free online ordering.
How to price it for your own restaurant
- Write down last month's card sales and the number of sales. Divide for the average ticket.
- Multiply sales by the rate you are quoted, and the count by the fixed fee.
- Add the plan, the extra registers and the screens.
- Spread the hardware over 36 months and add it.
- Repeat with one other provider's quote, and compare the totals, not the plan names.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Lightspeed Restaurant cost per month?
US listings put it at about $69, $189 and $399 for Starter, Essential and Premium, plus card fees and add-ons. Prices vary by country [1] [3].
What does Lightspeed charge per transaction?
One guide cites 2.6% + 10¢ for card-present payments [2]. Ask for your own rate in writing.
Is there a Lightspeed setup fee or contract?
Sources did not list one clearly. Ask for the term, the setup fee and the cancellation fee.
Is Lightspeed more expensive than Toast?
On our sample month, yes, by about $100 on Essential against Toast's paid plan. It depends on the plan and add-ons.
Do I need a POS to take online orders?
No. You can build a free menu site with pickup ordering from a photo of your menu, and more answers are in all our guides.
Sources
- Lightspeed Restaurant pricing (Australia), Lightspeed, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026 (plan prices in AUD, add-ons).
- Lightspeed POS Pricing for Restaurants: Fees & Hidden Costs (2026), UpMenu, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026 (a rival; US plans, processing, typical monthly total).
- All Lightspeed Restaurant Plans & Pricing, CostBench; Capterra; and a UK review, as shown in search results Nov 11, 2026 (US, UK and Canada listings).
Prices change and differ by country. Confirm on lightspeedhq.com and on your own written quote.