Ask a dealer in Hafeez Centre or Saddar for a "POS machine" and you'll be shown an all-in-one touch terminal with a printer and a cash drawer, often sold with software on a yearly licence. It works, but it's rarely the cheapest way to start, and for many restaurants it's more machine than they need.
Here's what the parts cost in 2026, and what you can skip.
Prices below are typical ranges from Pakistani dealers and POS vendors' own guides in 2026. They vary a lot by brand, city and import timing, so get two or three local quotes before you buy.
What a "POS machine" is made of
A POS setup has three parts, and you can buy them separately:
| Part | What it does | Typical 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| Screen (terminal) | Where staff ring up the order | Rs 25,000 to 85,000 for a basic or Android terminal; Rs 90,000 to 250,000 for an all-in-one touch terminal |
| Receipt printer | Prints the bill and kitchen tickets | Rs 9,000 to 35,000 for an 80mm thermal printer |
| Software | The menu, orders, tax and reports | Commonly Rs 1,500 to 10,000 a month, or a one-off licence |
A cash drawer, barcode scanner or customer display adds more, but a restaurant usually only needs the first three. For card payments you use your bank's card machine, which the bank provides.
What a restaurant actually needs
Most of the price of an all-in-one terminal is the screen. A good Android tablet or an old laptop does the same job if the software runs in a browser:
- At the counter: a tablet on a stand, or a laptop.
- In the kitchen: a second tablet showing orders as they arrive, or a kitchen printer if your cooks prefer paper.
- On the floor: waiters take orders on their own phones.
- At the table: a QR code, so guests order and pay from their phone and nobody has to take the order at all.
That's why a restaurant can often start on hardware it already owns and spend money only on a receipt printer.
Questions to ask before you buy
- Does the software only work with the vendor's own printer? Some systems lock you to a branded printer that costs much more than a standard one.
- Is the licence yearly or monthly? A cheap machine with an expensive yearly licence isn't cheap.
- Does it handle card and cash tax at different rates? In Punjab, card and digital bills are taxed at 8% and cash at 16% (how the two rates work).
- Can it report to PRA? If you're registered for sales tax in Punjab, each sale has to reach the Punjab Revenue Authority (what PRA e-invoicing means for a restaurant).
- What happens when the internet drops? Ask whether the till can still take cash.
- Can guests pay by Raast or JazzCash? More guests pay from their phones every year.
The Café QR way: use what you have
Café QR runs in a browser on any tablet, phone or laptop, so there's no machine to buy. Add a Star or Epson network printer if your kitchen wants paper tickets. The till takes cash, Raast, JazzCash and card on your bank's machine, applies the card or cash tax rate to each bill, and sends each paid bill to PRA with the PRA number and QR code printed on it.
Plans start at Rs 4,999 a month for QR ordering and the kitchen screen. The full POS with the staff till and waiter app is Rs 6,000 a month, and the first month is free. See the Pakistan pricing or read what hardware works.