Restaurant POS hardware lease vs buy 2026
Buy outright if cash allows. Toast 0% financing is close to neutral. Clover 36-48 month lease compounds to 2x-3x cash and ties you to Fiserv.
Toast hardware: $1,300/terminal cash vs $39/mo for 36 months ($1,404 total). Near-neutral. Clover Station Duo: $1,500 cash vs $3,000+ over 48 months at typical reseller APR. Buy if cash allows. Lease only if cash position requires it.
Toast 0% financing
Toast bundles published at 0% APR over 36 months Toast hardware · 2026-06-20. Cash equivalent approximately $1,300/terminal. Financed $39/mo × 36 = $1,404. Markup is approximately $104 over the term, embedded in the bundle.
Clover 36-48 month lease
$1,500 Station Duo financed for 48 months at typical reseller APR exceeds $3,000 paid. Combined with Fiserv processor lock-in, your exit cost is the lease residual plus the new vendor onboarding. Clover pricing · 2026-06-20
SpotOn HaaS
SpotOn offers Hardware-as-a-Service in select markets SpotOn hardware · 2026-06-20. Per-month hardware cost depends on bundle. Cheaper monthly than ownership but no asset at the end.
When leasing makes sense
Three conditions: cash position tight, lease term shorter than operational hardware life (most POS terminals last 4-6 years), no processor lock-in attached. If any of those fails, buy.