Guide to POS costs
Restaurant POS software price in India, and what drives it
Updated · 9 min read · By the AirQR team
There is no single restaurant POS software price in India. Published prices we found range from a monthly fee per outlet to a bundle price whose billing period is not stated, and the real bill also includes GST, hardware, setup, add-ons, payment fees and any aggregator commission. This guide breaks the cost into parts, shows the published figures with their dates, and gives you a list to add up before you buy.
- Every cost part, in plain words
- Published vendor prices, dated
- A list to compare quotes fairly
How much are restaurant POS systems in India?
The honest answer is that it depends on four things. These are how the vendor charges (monthly, yearly or by licence), how many outlets you have, which modules you switch on, and what hardware you already own. Two quotes with the same headline number can end up far apart once you add tax, add-ons and equipment.
The published software prices we checked on 10 October 2026 show the spread. Restrofi shows Rs 699 per outlet per month, excluding GST. Petpooja shows indicative bundle prices from Rs 12,000 excluding tax, without saying whether that is monthly or yearly. DotPe, Restroworks and UrbanPiper show no prices on their home pages that we could find. These are examples, not a market average, and prices change.
AirQR shows its plan prices on its pricing page, and every account starts with a 28-day free trial of everything. We do not repeat the numbers here because plans change, so check the page for today's prices.
What goes into the cost of restaurant billing software
Use this table as a checklist. Each row is a place where a quote can hide extra cost.
- Software subscription
- What it isThe right to use the billing, KOT, reports and other modules
- How it is usually chargedPer outlet, per month or per year, or as a bundle
- Licence
- What it isA longer agreement, sometimes hosted by the vendor or installed on your own servers
- How it is usually chargedA yearly or multi-year amount agreed with the vendor
- GST on the software
- What it isTax added to the vendor's invoice. A business that has a GSTIN can claim it as credit
- How it is usually chargedAdded on top of the listed price at the applicable rate, often 18%. Check the rate on the quote
- Extra outlets
- What it isEach new branch or counter
- How it is usually chargedA per-outlet charge, sometimes cheaper after the first few
- Add-ons and modules
- What it isQR ordering, kitchen display, inventory, WhatsApp messages, loyalty, delivery
- How it is usually chargedIncluded in a bundle or priced one by one
- Hardware
- What it isTablets or a computer, thermal printers, cash drawer, kitchen screens, barcode scanners
- How it is usually chargedA one-time purchase from a hardware seller, or sold by the vendor
- Setup and training
- What it isMenu entry, printer setup, staff training and on-site visits
- How it is usually chargedFree, included in a plan or charged per visit
- Payment fees
- What it isWhat you pay when guests pay by card or through a payment gateway
- How it is usually chargedA percentage per payment, set by your bank or gateway
- Aggregator commission
- What it isWhat Swiggy, Zomato and similar platforms charge you per order
- How it is usually chargedA percentage of the order, agreed in your contract with the platform
- Support and renewals
- What it isPhone or chat help and the price when your term ends
- How it is usually chargedIncluded, or charged as an annual maintenance fee
Hardware, payment fees and aggregator commission are not paid to your billing software vendor. They still belong in your total.
Published billing software prices in India, October 2026
These are the figures each company shows publicly. They are dated, they may have changed, and they are not a ranking.
- AirQR
- What it publishesPlan prices on its pricing page, plus a 28-day free trial
- What is not statedWe do not repeat the numbers here, see pricing for current prices
- Restrofi
- What it publishesRs 699 per outlet per month for 1 to 5 outlets. Rs 6,999 per outlet in year one on yearly billing, then Rs 8,388. Chain plan Rs 9,999 a month for up to 5 outlets. Excludes GST
- What is not statedAdd-ons cost extra, such as Rs 599 a month for stock automation and Rs 299 for WhatsApp messaging, per outlet
- Petpooja
- What it publishesIndicative prices from Rs 12,000 (Base Plan) to Rs 40,000 for larger bundles, excluding tax. On its table, QR ordering and the kitchen display are in the Operations Manager bundles
- What is not statedWhether prices are monthly or yearly, and whether they are per outlet
- DotPe
- What it publishesA demo or callback is offered
- What is not statedPrices are not published
- Restroworks
- What it publishesA demo is offered. It positions itself for chains
- What is not statedPrices are not published on its home page
- UrbanPiper
- What it publishesQuotes by scale and order volume. It connects aggregators to a POS
- What is not statedPrices are not published
Sources are each company's public pages, checked on 2026-10-10 and listed at the end. Confirm any price with the vendor before you buy.
Monthly subscription or yearly licence?
A subscription is the usual model for cloud billing software. You pay a fee for each outlet each month, or a bit less if you pay for the year. It spreads the cost, and you can stop when you no longer need it. Restrofi, for example, shows a lower yearly price in the first year than twelve monthly payments.
A licence is a longer agreement. It can be hosted and looked after by the vendor under your own brand, or installed on your own servers. Licences are common for larger groups and are priced by agreement. They can make sense for chains, and they usually need a clearer exit plan.
Whichever model you choose, ask three questions. What does the price cover, what happens at renewal, and can I leave and take my data. AirQR's owner can request a cancellation, keeps access until the paid period ends, and can download data for 30 days after. See exporting your data.
Illustrative maths, from a sticker price to a real bill
This example is illustrative. The software price is a made-up round number, not any company's price, and GST is assumed at 18%. It shows how outlets, tax and the billing period change the total.
Say a quote reads Rs 1,000 per outlet per month, excluding GST, and you have two outlets. That is Rs 2,000 a month, or Rs 24,000 over twelve months before tax. With 18% GST added, the year comes to Rs 28,320. If the same Rs 1,000 were a yearly price, the year would be Rs 2,360 for both outlets with tax. The same headline number can mean very different bills, so always ask whether a price is monthly or yearly, and per outlet or for all.
Next, add one-time costs such as a printer for each station, a tablet for the kitchen screen and any paid setup visit. Then add running costs that are not paid to the software company, such as card machine fees and the aggregator's commission on app orders. The software line is often only one part of the year's total.
Restaurant billing machine price, printers and screens
Owners often search for a restaurant billing machine price. In most cloud setups you do not buy a single billing machine. You use a computer, tablet or phone as the billing screen, add a thermal printer for bills and kitchen tickets, and optionally a cash drawer, a barcode scanner and a screen in the kitchen. Prices for these vary by brand and size, so get written quotes from a hardware seller rather than a number from a blog.
Check what the software needs. AirQR runs in the browser on a laptop, tablet or phone and prints to standard 58 mm and 80 mm thermal printers, so many restaurants start with devices they already own. See printing overview and devices. If a vendor sells its own hardware, ask whether you can use any printer instead.
- A billing screen, which can be a tablet, phone or computer
- One thermal printer for bills, and one per kitchen station if you want separate KOTs
- A cash drawer that opens from the bill printer
- A tablet, TV or computer for the kitchen display
- A reliable router, because cloud billing needs the internet
Payment fees and aggregator commission
Two costs sit outside the software bill. The first is payment fees. Card machines and payment gateways charge a percentage per payment, set by your bank or the gateway. AirQR does not collect payments. Guests pay your UPI ID or bank account directly, and AirQR charges no gateway fee, though you must check that the money has arrived before you record it. See recording payments.
The second is aggregator commission. Swiggy, Zomato and similar platforms charge a percentage of each order, agreed in your contract. We do not quote a figure because it varies, so read your own agreement. Orders from your own link do not carry that commission, which is why many owners move regular guests to their own ordering. See zero commission online ordering.
How to compare billing software quotes fairly
Do this with every vendor, using the same list. It takes an hour and can save you from a surprise bill.
- 01
Write down what you need
Billing and KOT, QR ordering, kitchen display, online ordering, inventory, GST reports and the number of outlets. Ask for prices for exactly that list.
- 02
Ask for the period and the tax
Is the price monthly or yearly, per outlet or for all, and does it include GST. Get it in writing.
- 03
Add hardware and setup
List what you must buy, what you already own, and whether setup and training are free or charged per visit.
- 04
Add fees outside the software
Include payment fees and the aggregator commission you already pay, so the full cost shows.
- 05
Test before you pay
Use a free trial or demo on your own menu. AirQR offers 28 days with every feature on.
Cheapest restaurant billing software, and when cheap costs more
A low sticker price is a fine place to start, but it is not the whole story. A cheap plan that leaves out QR ordering, a kitchen display or GST reports can cost more once you add them. A plan with a long term, no data export or paid hardware can cost more in the year you decide to leave.
So compare the full first-year cost against the features you will actually use. Our buyer's guide to restaurant POS software in India lists what to check, and the AirQR and Petpooja comparison shows how a side-by-side looks in practice. Understand the basics first with what a restaurant POS is.
Questions
How much does restaurant POS software cost in India?
It depends on the vendor, the number of outlets and the modules you switch on. Published examples we checked include Restrofi at Rs 699 per outlet per month excluding GST, and Petpooja's indicative prices from Rs 12,000 excluding tax with the billing period not stated.
What is the cost of billing software for one outlet?
Add the software fee, GST on it, any add-ons, hardware you must buy, setup and training, and payment fees. Ask each vendor for that full first-year number in writing.
Is there a billing software price list I can rely on?
Only the vendor's own current price page is reliable, because prices and plans change. Use the table above as a snapshot dated 10 October 2026, and check AirQR's pricing page for its latest plans.
What is the restaurant billing machine price?
There is no single price. Most cloud setups use a tablet or computer plus a thermal printer and optional cash drawer, and prices vary by brand and size. Get written quotes from a hardware seller.
Which is the cheapest restaurant billing software?
The lowest sticker price is not always the lowest total cost. Compare the full first-year cost for the features you need, including tax, hardware, add-ons and the cost of leaving.
Does AirQR charge a fee on UPI payments?
No. AirQR does not collect the money, so guests pay your UPI ID or bank account directly and there is no gateway fee from AirQR. Your bank or card machine provider may charge for card payments.
Is there a free trial so I can test before paying?
Yes. Every AirQR account starts with a 28-day free trial of everything. Petpooja's pages offer a free demo, and Restrofi says it has no free trial, so confirm with each vendor.
Sources
- Restrofi pricing page · checked 10 October 2026
- Petpooja pricing page (India view) · checked 10 October 2026
- SoftwareSuggest listing for Petpooja (GST rate) · checked 10 October 2026
- DotPe home page · checked 10 October 2026
- Restroworks home page · checked 10 October 2026
- UrbanPiper Hub page · checked 10 October 2026
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