Toast is everywhere in DC restaurants. Great POS, great kitchen display system, solid online ordering. We're not here to trash Toast — the software is genuinely good.
But the payment processing? That's a different conversation.
What Toast Charges
Toast's standard card-present rate is 2.49% + 15¢ per transaction. That 15¢ per transaction is especially painful for restaurants with lots of small checks — a $15 lunch adds up to a 3.5% effective rate when you include the per-transaction fee.
And here's the thing: Toast bundles processing with their POS. You can't use Toast software and process payments elsewhere. It's a package deal.
The Bundle Problem
When processing is bundled, you can't shop for a better rate. Toast knows this. They don't have to compete on price because you're locked into their ecosystem the moment you install their hardware.
Compare that to a restaurant using a standalone POS (like Revel or TouchBistro) with a separate processor — they can switch processing any time without touching their POS. Competition keeps prices honest.
What This Actually Costs You
A restaurant doing $50K/month on Toast: ~$1,325/month in processing fees. That same restaurant on interchange-plus with a separate POS: ~$1,050–$1,150/month. Difference: $2,000–$3,300/year.
What to Consider
If you love Toast's software and the convenience is worth $200+/month to you, stay. No judgment. But if that money matters — and for most independent DC restaurants, it does — it's worth exploring alternatives.
PAYHERO works with any terminal and most POS systems. You get interchange-plus pricing, local support, and no lock-in. Reach out and we'll run the numbers for your specific setup.