B
Biyo POS
4.5 /5
Rated #1 in Customer Support
All-in-one POS with loyalty and gift cards built in, for growing hospitality and retail
- Software
- $0–$97 per month
- In-person rate
- 2.4%–3%
retailrestaurantqsr
Boston, MA · Full-service restaurants
Lightspeed for full-service restaurants in Boston
Lightspeed can work for full-service restaurants in Boston, but it isn't our first pick for this segment (#4 of 5).
Running the numbers in Boston: The combined sales-tax rate in Boston is about 6.25%. State law prohibits adding a surcharge to credit-card payments. A cash-discount program — a lower advertised price for cash — is the compliant alternative here. 20% at restaurants is standard; Massachusetts adds a 0.75% local meals tax in Boston. Lightspeed's pricing — $109+ per month software and 2.6% + 10¢ (Lightspeed Payments) in person — is the same wherever you are; these local rules are what change your take-home per ticket.
What a full-service restaurant needs from a POS
Full-service restaurants need table and coursing management, a kitchen display or printer routing, tips and tip pooling, and 86ing that syncs everywhere.
- Table layout, coursing and seat-level ordering
- Kitchen display or printer routing
- Tip handling, tip pooling and payroll export
- Menu changes and 86ing that sync instantly
Where Lightspeed fits
- Scores well on features — the areas that matter most for full-service restaurants.
- Best-in-class inventory: variants/matrices, purchase orders, vendor catalogs
- Strong retail and hospitality editions with genuine multi-location control
- Good reporting and accounting integrations out of the box
Watch-outs
- Higher starting price than Square or Shopify POS
- Annual billing is standard; month-to-month is the exception
- More configuration and onboarding time before it pays off
Lightspeed pricing at a glance
- Software
- $109+ per month
- In-person rate
- 2.6% + 10¢ (Lightspeed Payments)
- Commitment
- 3-year contract
How Lightspeed compares for full-service restaurants in Boston
Rankings don’t change by city — among the 5 platforms we review that serve full-service restaurants, Lightspeed ranks #4 for this use case (4.3/5 overall). What a local operator should weigh on top is city tax and tipping, covered above. See the full ranking in our best POS for full-service restaurants guide .
Our top pick for full-service restaurants
Frequently asked questions
Is Lightspeed a good POS for a full-service restaurant in Boston?
Lightspeed can work for full-service restaurants in Boston, but it isn't our first pick for this segment (#4 of 5). Scores well on features — the areas that matter most for full-service restaurants. On the local side, the combined sales-tax rate in Boston is about 6.25%, and state law prohibits adding a surcharge to credit-card payments. A cash-discount program — a lower advertised price for cash — is the compliant alternative here.
How much does Lightspeed cost for a Boston full-service restaurant?
Pricing is the same nationwide: software $109+ per month, in-person processing 2.6% + 10¢ (Lightspeed Payments), commitment 3-year contract. What changes locally is tax and tipping — the combined sales-tax rate in Boston is about 6.25%, and 20% at restaurants is standard; Massachusetts adds a 0.75% local meals tax in Boston. Run a real month of Boston card volume through our processing-fee calculator.
Can a Boston full-service restaurant add a credit-card surcharge?
State law prohibits adding a surcharge to credit-card payments. A cash-discount program — a lower advertised price for cash — is the compliant alternative here. Lightspeed and most POS systems can run a compliant surcharge or cash-discount program where it's allowed — see our cash-discount vs surcharge calculator.
What is the best alternative to Lightspeed for full-service restaurants in Boston?
Biyo POS is the closest alternative we'd shortlist (4.5/5). Compare them on our Lightspeed vs Biyo POS page.
Opening a full-service restaurant in Boston?
Tell us your setup and volume — we’ll come back with real pricing and the closest alternatives.