Find the Right Payment Processor for Your Restaurant
Restaurant credit card processing is an incredibly specialized industry addressing a wide variety of merchant needs. From one-register food trucks to national chains, the diversity of restaurant payment processing means that there is no single best provider for all restaurant types. Some locations may need a single iPad POS, while others might require hundreds of traditional countertop terminals. The sheer number of possibilities can make it tough for you to settle on a single option for your business.
Here Are Our Top Recommended Options
To help with your search, we’ve compiled the following list of the best restaurant credit card processors. These providers offer restaurant POS software and hardware in addition to fair, transparent pricing and positively reviewed customer service. Some of them are ideal low-cost choices for small mom and pop locations, while others offer scalable options for large and growing food service enterprises. Be sure to check out each company’s product and service offerings before giving them a call to make sure they’re the best fit for you.
Best Merchant Accounts for Restaurants
Host Merchant Services
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Fast approval for most industries
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No contract or cancellation fees
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Highly rated customer support
Host Merchant Services is a Newark, Delaware-based merchant account provider that is well-suited for most business types, including restaurants. The company’s products and services include point-of-sale solutions, online marketing tools, mobile credit card processing, gift and loyalty programs, and merchant cash advance. Host Merchant Services also offers a wide array of e-commerce solutions for restaurants that cater to special events.
Host Merchant Services has received only positive feedback on public forums, with most reviewers singling out the company’s customer service for praise. The company offers interchange-plus pricing with no early termination fees to all of its merchants, meaning that users will enjoy the most transparent pricing model and can cancel service without penalty. The BBB gives Host an “A+” rating, and CPO also gives the company an “A+.”
For more information, visit the Host Merchant Services website or call (888) 727-4538.
PaymentCloud
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Fast approval for numerous "high-risk" industries
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Broad product and service offering
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Highly praised customer support
Based in Woodland Hills, California, PaymentCloud is a merchant account provider that specializes in serving restaurant businesses of nearly any type. This includes “high-risk” dining establishments such as new and experimental restaurants. The company’s products and services include point-of-sale solutions, mobile phone swipers, an online payment gateway and virtual terminal, EMV-compatible terminals, and merchant cash advances. PaymentCloud provides a dedicated account rep to all new merchants for the life of the account.
The company has not received any negative complaints on consumer forums, and it customizes its pricing according to each merchant’s business type and processing history. The BBB does not maintain a profile for PaymentCloud at this time, but CPO gives the company an “A.”
For more information, visit the PaymentCloud website or call (888) 506-7859.
CDG Commerce
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Specialized services for most industries
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Simple and transparent rates
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350+ technology integrations, including Quickbooks
Based out of Port Orange, Florida, CDG has consistently ranked as one of our top choices for nearly a decade. The company has simple, straight-forward, transparent Interchange pricing for larger businesses. This makes it an excellent choice for restaurants that want affordable and transparent rates. CDG offers a wide range of payment products including wireless and e-commerce processing solutions, and it even has its own payment gateway and virtual terminal called the Quantum.
They also allows restaurants to choose from a wide selection of point of sale software to integrate with. Unlike large corporate credit card processors where you call into a call center and speak with a virtually anonymous customer service representative among countless others, with CDG Commerce you have the same person available to you for your customer service calls.
For more information, visit the CDG Commerce website or call (888) 393-1079.
Additional Options
National Processing
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Top-rated choice for businesses that want Clover POS
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Fast approval and next day deposits
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Quick equipment deliver and 24/7 support
National Processing offers several restaurant credit card processing options and can assist restaurant owners with identifying the right POS systems for their needs. The company offers two pricing options: one an interchange-plus program or a “zero-fee” program, both of which offer competitively priced rates.
National Processing has a clean reputation with just one complaint filed in the last three years, which is not concerning in nature. Our independent review finds National Processing to be a solid option for most restaurant businesses.
For more information, visit the National Processing website or call (385) 777-1235.
