Last reviewed: 2026-05-07
TL;DR. A QR code ordering system in 2026 costs $0–$50/mo for standalone tools, $0–$30/mo bundled with a real POS, or 1.5–3% per order on standalone QR-only platforms. Hardware: just QR codes printed on table tents (cents to print) — no terminals required. Setup: same day. Below: every QR ordering option, what's free, what's not, and what's actually different between them.
Where most restaurants land, what they get, and who each tier actually fits.
$0/mo
Restaurants that just want to replace the printed menu — no ordering, no payment.
$0/mo additional (included in POS subscription)
Most restaurants — QR ordering should ride on top of your POS, not as a separate vendor.
$30–$300/mo or 1.5–3% per order
Standalone makes sense when you can't change POS but want QR ordering. Otherwise, POS-bundled is cheaper and cleaner.
The complete cost breakdown — software, processing, hardware, setup, and the line items vendors don't lead with.
| Cost item | Range | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| QR code generation | $0 | QR codes themselves are free. Tools like QR-code-monkey, Canva, or your POS's built-in generator do the job. |
| Printing QR codes (table tents, stickers) | $5–$50 one-time | Plastic table tents at ~$2/each from VistaPrint or your local printer. Refresh every 6–12 months as menu items change. |
| Software (POS-bundled QR ordering) | $0/mo (in Fleksa Bundle), $0–$30/mo (Toast, Square add-on) | Cheapest option for restaurants already on a POS that supports QR. Some POS charge extra; Fleksa includes it. |
| Software (standalone QR platform) | $30–$300/mo per location | GoTab, Sunday, Qlub, MyCheck, others. Per-location pricing scales linearly across multi-unit groups. |
| Per-order fees on standalone platforms | 1.5–3% per order | Some platforms charge per-order instead of monthly. On 50 QR orders/day at $30 ticket: ~$675–$1,350/month at 1.5–3%. |
| Card processing on QR orders | 2.4–2.9% + $0.10–$0.30 per transaction | Standard card-not-present rates apply. With Fleksa you choose your own processor; with Square Online QR you pay 2.6% + 30¢ locked. |
| Setup | $0 | Most QR ordering systems are self-serve, same-day live. No professional setup needed. |
Sourced from each vendor's published pricing where available, otherwise from sales-quoted norms. Prices change — confirm before signing. Last reviewed 2026-05-07.
| Vendor | Monthly software | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fleksa QR ordering | $0 additional (in Bundle $199/mo) | Native to Fleksa POS. Orders flow to KDS automatically. Choose your own processor. |
| Toast Mobile Order & Pay | $0 add-on (Toast subscription required) | Bundled with Toast. Per-order fee on online portion. Locked to Toast Payments. |
| Square Online QR | $0 add-on, 2.6% + 30¢ per order | Bundled with Square. Per-order processing fee on every QR order. Locked to Square Payments. |
| GoTab | ~$1.99 per check or per-location subscription | Standalone QR/pay-at-table platform. Strong split-bill UX, less restaurant-specific. |
| Sunday | 0.5–1.5% per order (replaced flat fee) | Originally pay-at-table; expanded to ordering. Strong tipping flow. |
| Qlub | Per-transaction fee, varies | MENA-region focus, expanding. Pay-at-table with QR. |
Line items that rarely appear in the marketing material but show up on the first invoice. Ask about each before signing.
Fleksa's QR ordering is included in Bundle ($199/mo) at $0 additional. QR codes are generated in your dashboard, point to a branded ordering page that uses your menu and photos, orders flow to your KDS automatically, and payment runs through your chosen processor at standard card-not-present rates. No per-order platform fee. No separate kitchen ticket. No middleware. The QR table tents are yours to print however you want.
Bundled with a POS: typically $0 additional (Fleksa Bundle includes it; Toast and Square offer it as included add-on). Standalone: $30–$300/month per location or 1.5–3% per order. Free QR-menu-only (no ordering): $0 — generators like Canva or QR-code-monkey are free.
A QR code that points to a static digital menu is free. QR ordering with payment, kitchen integration, and table-side service costs either bundled into your POS subscription or through a per-order/monthly fee on standalone platforms. The QR codes themselves are always free to generate.
On total cost of ownership, POS-bundled QR ordering is cheapest because it adds $0 to your existing POS bill. Fleksa Bundle includes QR ordering at $199/mo total (POS + ordering + KDS + reservations + website). Standalone QR-only platforms can look cheaper monthly but add up to more once you include the POS.
No. The customer's phone is the hardware. You only need printed QR codes on table tents — plastic tents from VistaPrint are about $2 each. No tablets, no terminals, no scanners required at the restaurant end.
Either pay-in-app (Apple Pay, Google Pay, card stored in browser) or pay-at-counter when staff brings the food. Pay-in-app is faster for the table; pay-at-counter is faster to set up. Most modern QR systems support both modes.
Same day. Generate QR codes in your dashboard (5 minutes), print table tents (1 day with VistaPrint or your local printer), test with one table (5 minutes). Most restaurants are live within 48 hours of deciding.
It depends on the system. POS-bundled QR (Fleksa, Toast, Square) integrates natively — orders flow straight to KDS, payments to the same processor. Standalone platforms (GoTab, Sunday, Qlub) often print a separate kitchen ticket and may require paid middleware for full POS integration.
Yes for most full-service and quick-service restaurants. Average ticket goes up 10–15% with QR ordering (customers add items they wouldn't ask a server for), labor cost on order-taking goes down, and table turn rate improves slightly. The math is positive at almost any volume.
Yes — QR ordering platforms include configurable tip prompts (15%, 18%, 20%, custom). Tip flow varies by system: most route through your POS settlement, some standalone platforms (Sunday) settle separately on their own schedule.
Works as long as your venue has reasonable cell signal or wifi for guests. For events with poor connectivity, fall back to standard POS ordering — QR ordering depends on customer phones reaching the internet.