Considering Markt POS and Toast Retail for your grocery store? We can help.
Both platforms offer a modern, user friendly, cloud-based point of sale system, but they vary in pricing, industry focus, and support options.
Use this comparison to evaluate which platform best fits your operational needs and long-term goals.
Let’s take a look at what makes Markt POS the top choice for grocers like you.
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Hardware Cost
A well-equipped grocery checkout counter usually includes a touchscreen PC, self-checkout, a scaling system, a receipt printer, a handheld barcode scanner, a cash drawer, and a payment device.
Markt POS offers grocery hardened hardware, including a touchscreen PC, receipt printer, barcode scanner, cash drawer, and payment device with seamless built-in scale integration. The system supports VESA mounted customer displays and also allows you to bring your own compatible hardware.
Toast provides various hardware kits, including handheld devices, countertop terminals, and self-service kiosks. Toast does not offer built-in support for weighing scale integration, which may be a limitation for grocery retailers.
Software Cost
POS software providers generally use a tiered pricing structure with basic features included in the lowest cost option and more advanced features included in the higher cost option.
Markt POS offers three clear pricing tiers tailored for grocers. The most affordable option costs $49/month, and their premium tier is $149/month with no long-term requirements.
Toast Retail starts at a base price of $240/month. Key features like gift cards, loyalty programs, and email marketing are bundled in a $185/month optional add-on. Online ordering and e-commerce are included in the $149/month Digital Storefront Pro. More add-ons, such as payroll, are an additional cost. Minimum 1 year contract.
Payment Processing Rates
Credit card processing fees can be a major line item in your business’ expenses, so choosing a plan that fits your budget is crucial.
Toast offers a variety of payment processing options, including a flat rate or an interchange plus pricing model of .10% + $0.05 per transaction, which equals a rate of less than 2%. Rates can vary based on volume, to meet your budget.
Toast offers Interchange Plus plans. Variable rates based on plan and volume.
Easy Setup and Onboarding
A stress-free setup and onboarding process is essential for getting your new POS up and running with minimal snags.
Markt POS supports new customers with a dedicated customer success manager (CSM) to guide them through setting up POS hardware and provides free software training for employees.
Toast offers a guided in-person or remote setup for an additional cost.
Inventory Input and Setup
Importing your existing inventory to a new system is one of the most crucial (and often one of the hardest) parts of migrating to a new system.
Markt POS offers a grocery-friendly inventory setup that makes it easy to import thousands of products, including supplier data like pricing and quantities.
Toast Retail uses a bulk CSV import mainly for menu items, while retail product descriptions and images are modern. More advanced inventory features are typically accessed through third-party apps.
Helpful Support Team
A trustworthy support team can help you make the most of your POS system and resolve issues whenever they arise.
Markt POS' support team is known for its highly responsive, personalized support. With a grocery-focused team. Users often deal directly with knowledgeable reps, 24/7 support, onboarding assistance, and fast response times, which many users highlight in their reviews.
Toast offers 24/7 support, and often routes users through a larger, tiered support structure. Some users report slower response times and difficulty resolving issues quickly. While Toast does provide extensive online resources, users may experience delays in reaching specialized help.
Software Availability
Software either runs on-premises (installed on a local computer) or in the cloud. Cloud-based systems let you manage and monitor your store from anywhere, at any time.
Markt POS can be accessed from any laptop or mobile device, allowing you to make changes on the go.
Toast's software can be accessed from an Android device or any browser. They also have an offline mode that lets you store data and process transactions if you lose internet access.
Purchase Orders and Vendor Management
Markt POS stores vendor information and detects when products are running low. You can set alerts and create purchase orders. Orders can be received against an invoice and automatically added to inventory.
Toast offers basic purchase order features, like auto-generating POs and emailing them to suppliers, but these are usually available only through add-ons or higher-tier plans, and they may require integration with tools like xtraCHEF.
Age Verification
Markt POS includes automatic age verification with advanced ID scanning technology, ensuring compliance and reducing liability risks.
Toast only offers manual age verification or ID scanning with limited hardware support, which may not meet compliance needs for liquor or tobacco sales.
Customer Loyalty and Promotions
Built-in customer loyalty and promotion features can help you attract new customers and keep existing customers coming back for more.
Markt POS includes a built-in loyalty program with all plans at no extra cost. It's fully integrated and designed for grocery and retail businesses that want an easy, effective way to reward repeat customers without additional fees or setup.
Toast POS offers a feature-rich loyalty program with customizable point rewards, integrated marketing tools, and customer sign-up options through credit cards or mobile. It’s a paid add-on and requires using Toast’s payment processing.
Advanced Reporting
In the world of running a grocery store or specialty store, knowledge is power, and that’s where your POS system’s sales reports come in.
Markt POS includes advanced reporting tools across all pricing tiers. Users can track inventory performance, monitor low stock items, analyze vendor sales, and view real-time sales dashboards without needing additional software. Markt POS is more tailored to the operational needs of grocers.
Toast Retail offers solid reporting features like daily sales summaries, labor tracking, and product-level performance, but more advanced insights often require upgrading to higher-tier plans or integrating with add-on tools like xtraCHEF. Toast reporting is well suited for restaurants and retail hybrids.
Open API
An Open API in POS software lets businesses easily connect third-party tools like e-commerce, accounting, or custom apps. Unlike a closed API, it gives customers more flexibility and control, helping them build a solution that fits their unique needs without being locked into one vendor.
Markt POS features a true open API, allowing seamless integration with third-party tools like e-commerce platforms, accounting software, and custom apps. This gives businesses the flexibility to build a tailored system, automate workflows, and scale without being locked into a single vendor.
Toast has a closed API, meaning it only works with approved partners or custom integrations through their network. This can limit your options, making it harder and often more expensive to connect the tools you actually want to use.
E-Commerce
E-commerce helps expand your customer base and boost sales, but to sell online, you need a POS system with e-commerce integration to handle payments and keep your inventory updated.
Markt POS offers integrated e-commerce capabilities designed specifically for grocers. It supports online ordering, product syncing, and inventory integration across in-store and online channels. Features include multi-store support, API access, and customizable e-commerce integrations.
Toast's e-commerce includes online ordering, menu management, and order routing features tailored to restaurants and foodservice businesses. It supports digital sales, but the tools are primarily built around restaurant workflows rather than grocery needs.
Subscription Sales
Subscription sales allow customers to sign up for recurring orders like weekly produce boxes or meal plans billed automatically. The system handles payments, tracks subscriptions, and organizes fulfillment, making it easy to offer convenience and improve customer retention.
Markt POS makes it simple to offer subscriptions without extra tools or workarounds. It handles recurring billing, tracks customer plans, and manages renewals automatically, so you can focus on building revenue.
Toast isn’t built for subscription sales out of the box. Some businesses find workarounds using third-party tools or manual processes, but there’s no built-in way to handle recurring billing or memberships.
QSR Feature
QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) features in grocery store POS systems are helpful for departments like delis, bakeries, or prepared foods. They support quick order entry, item customization (like sandwich or salad modifiers), kitchen printing, and combo pricing, making it easier to handle made-to-order items efficiently while keeping service fast and accurate.
Markt POS' QSR feature offers order management, modify food order and kitchen printing designed specifically to support grocerant operations.
Toast’s system integrates retail and quick service operations seamlessly, offering a kitchen display system for efficient prep. Its unified backend for menu and inventory management supports smooth operations and gives Toast the edge.
Hardware Cost
A well-equipped grocery checkout counter usually includes a touchscreen PC, self-checkout, a scaling system, a receipt printer, a handheld barcode scanner, a cash drawer, and a payment device.
Markt POS offers grocery hardened hardware, including a touchscreen PC, receipt printer, barcode scanner, cash drawer, and payment device with seamless built-in scale integration. The system supports VESA mounted customer displays and also allows you to bring your own compatible hardware.
Toast provides various hardware kits, including handheld devices, countertop terminals, and self-service kiosks. Toast does not offer built-in support for weighing scale integration, which may be a limitation for grocery retailers.
Software Cost
POS software providers generally use a tiered pricing structure with basic features included in the lowest cost option and more advanced features included in the higher cost option.
Markt POS offers three clear pricing tiers tailored for grocers. The most affordable option costs $49/month, and their premium tier is $149/month with no long-term requirements.
Toast Retail starts at a base price of $240/month. Key features like gift cards, loyalty programs, and email marketing are bundled in a $185/month optional add-on. Online ordering and e-commerce are included in the $149/month Digital Storefront Pro. More add-ons, such as payroll, are an additional cost. Minimum 1 year contract.
Payment Processing Rates
Credit card processing fees can be a major line item in your business’ expenses, so choosing a plan that fits your budget is crucial.
Toast offers a variety of payment processing options, including a flat rate or an interchange plus pricing model of .10% + $0.05 per transaction, which equals a rate of less than 2%. Rates can vary based on volume, to meet your budget.
Toast offers Interchange Plus plans. Variable rates based on plan and volume.
Easy Setup and Onboarding
A stress-free setup and onboarding process is essential for getting your new POS up and running with minimal snags.
Markt POS supports new customers with a dedicated customer success manager (CSM) to guide them through setting up POS hardware and provides free software training for employees.
Toast offers a guided in-person or remote setup for an additional cost.
Inventory Input and Setup
Importing your existing inventory to a new system is one of the most crucial (and often one of the hardest) parts of migrating to a new system.
Markt POS offers a grocery-friendly inventory setup that makes it easy to import thousands of products, including supplier data like pricing and quantities.
Toast Retail uses a bulk CSV import mainly for menu items, while retail product descriptions and images are modern. More advanced inventory features are typically accessed through third-party apps.
Helpful Support Team
A trustworthy support team can help you make the most of your POS system and resolve issues whenever they arise.
Markt POS' support team is known for its highly responsive, personalized support. With a grocery-focused team. Users often deal directly with knowledgeable reps, 24/7 support, onboarding assistance, and fast response times, which many users highlight in their reviews.
Toast offers 24/7 support, and often routes users through a larger, tiered support structure. Some users report slower response times and difficulty resolving issues quickly. While Toast does provide extensive online resources, users may experience delays in reaching specialized help.
Software Availability
Software either runs on-premises (installed on a local computer) or in the cloud. Cloud-based systems let you manage and monitor your store from anywhere, at any time.
Markt POS can be accessed from any laptop or mobile device, allowing you to make changes on the go.
Toast's software can be accessed from an Android device or any browser. They also have an offline mode that lets you store data and process transactions if you lose internet access.
Purchase Orders and Vendor Management
Markt POS stores vendor information and detects when products are running low. You can set alerts and create purchase orders. Orders can be received against an invoice and automatically added to inventory.
Toast offers basic purchase order features, like auto-generating POs and emailing them to suppliers, but these are usually available only through add-ons or higher-tier plans, and they may require integration with tools like xtraCHEF.
Age Verification
Markt POS includes automatic age verification with advanced ID scanning technology, ensuring compliance and reducing liability risks.
Toast only offers manual age verification or ID scanning with limited hardware support, which may not meet compliance needs for liquor or tobacco sales.
Customer Loyalty and Promotions
Built-in customer loyalty and promotion features can help you attract new customers and keep existing customers coming back for more.
Markt POS includes a built-in loyalty program with all plans at no extra cost. It's fully integrated and designed for grocery and retail businesses that want an easy, effective way to reward repeat customers without additional fees or setup.
Toast POS offers a feature-rich loyalty program with customizable point rewards, integrated marketing tools, and customer sign-up options through credit cards or mobile. It’s a paid add-on and requires using Toast’s payment processing.
Advanced Reporting
In the world of running a grocery store or specialty store, knowledge is power, and that’s where your POS system’s sales reports come in.
Markt POS includes advanced reporting tools across all pricing tiers. Users can track inventory performance, monitor low stock items, analyze vendor sales, and view real-time sales dashboards without needing additional software. Markt POS is more tailored to the operational needs of grocers.
Toast Retail offers solid reporting features like daily sales summaries, labor tracking, and product-level performance, but more advanced insights often require upgrading to higher-tier plans or integrating with add-on tools like xtraCHEF. Toast reporting is well suited for restaurants and retail hybrids.
Open API
An Open API in POS software lets businesses easily connect third-party tools like e-commerce, accounting, or custom apps. Unlike a closed API, it gives customers more flexibility and control, helping them build a solution that fits their unique needs without being locked into one vendor.
Markt POS features a true open API, allowing seamless integration with third-party tools like e-commerce platforms, accounting software, and custom apps. This gives businesses the flexibility to build a tailored system, automate workflows, and scale without being locked into a single vendor.
Toast has a closed API, meaning it only works with approved partners or custom integrations through their network. This can limit your options, making it harder and often more expensive to connect the tools you actually want to use.
E-Commerce
E-commerce helps expand your customer base and boost sales, but to sell online, you need a POS system with e-commerce integration to handle payments and keep your inventory updated.
Markt POS offers integrated e-commerce capabilities designed specifically for grocers. It supports online ordering, product syncing, and inventory integration across in-store and online channels. Features include multi-store support, API access, and customizable e-commerce integrations.
Toast's e-commerce includes online ordering, menu management, and order routing features tailored to restaurants and foodservice businesses. It supports digital sales, but the tools are primarily built around restaurant workflows rather than grocery needs.
Subscription Sales
Subscription sales allow customers to sign up for recurring orders like weekly produce boxes or meal plans billed automatically. The system handles payments, tracks subscriptions, and organizes fulfillment, making it easy to offer convenience and improve customer retention.
Markt POS makes it simple to offer subscriptions without extra tools or workarounds. It handles recurring billing, tracks customer plans, and manages renewals automatically, so you can focus on building revenue.
Toast isn’t built for subscription sales out of the box. Some businesses find workarounds using third-party tools or manual processes, but there’s no built-in way to handle recurring billing or memberships.
QSR Feature
QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) features in grocery store POS systems are helpful for departments like delis, bakeries, or prepared foods. They support quick order entry, item customization (like sandwich or salad modifiers), kitchen printing, and combo pricing, making it easier to handle made-to-order items efficiently while keeping service fast and accurate.
Markt POS' QSR feature offers order management, modify food order and kitchen printing designed specifically to support grocerant operations.
Toast’s system integrates retail and quick service operations seamlessly, offering a kitchen display system for efficient prep. Its unified backend for menu and inventory management supports smooth operations and gives Toast the edge.
Hardware Cost
A well-equipped grocery checkout counter usually includes a touchscreen PC, self-checkout, a scaling system, a receipt printer, a handheld barcode scanner, a cash drawer, and a payment device.
Toast provides various hardware kits, including handheld devices, countertop terminals, and self-service kiosks. Toast does not offer built-in support for weighing scale integration, which may be a limitation for grocery retailers.
Software Cost
POS software providers generally use a tiered pricing structure with basic features included in the lowest cost option and more advanced features included in the higher cost option.
Toast Retail starts at a base price of $240/month. Key features like gift cards, loyalty programs, and email marketing are bundled in a $185/month optional add-on. Online ordering and e-commerce are included in the $149/month Digital Storefront Pro. More add-ons, such as payroll, are an additional cost. Minimum 1 year contract.
Payment Processing Rates
Credit card processing fees can be a major line item in your business’ expenses, so choosing a plan that fits your budget is crucial.
Toast offers Interchange Plus plans. Variable rates based on plan and volume.
Easy Setup and Onboarding
A stress-free setup and onboarding process is essential for getting your new POS up and running with minimal snags.
Toast offers a guided in-person or remote setup for an additional cost.
Inventory Input and Setup
Importing your existing inventory to a new system is one of the most crucial (and often one of the hardest) parts of migrating to a new system.
Toast Retail uses a bulk CSV import mainly for menu items, while retail product descriptions and images are modern. More advanced inventory features are typically accessed through third-party apps.
Helpful Support Team
A trustworthy support team can help you make the most of your POS system and resolve issues whenever they arise.
Toast offers 24/7 support, and often routes users through a larger, tiered support structure. Some users report slower response times and difficulty resolving issues quickly. While Toast does provide extensive online resources, users may experience delays in reaching specialized help.
Software Availability
Software either runs on-premises (installed on a local computer) or in the cloud. Cloud-based systems let you manage and monitor your store from anywhere, at any time.
Toast's software can be accessed from an Android device or any browser. They also have an offline mode that lets you store data and process transactions if you lose internet access.
Purchase Orders and Vendor Management
Toast offers basic purchase order features, like auto-generating POs and emailing them to suppliers, but these are usually available only through add-ons or higher-tier plans, and they may require integration with tools like xtraCHEF.
Age Verification
Toast only offers manual age verification or ID scanning with limited hardware support, which may not meet compliance needs for liquor or tobacco sales.
Customer Loyalty and Promotions
Built-in customer loyalty and promotion features can help you attract new customers and keep existing customers coming back for more.
Toast POS offers a feature-rich loyalty program with customizable point rewards, integrated marketing tools, and customer sign-up options through credit cards or mobile. It’s a paid add-on and requires using Toast’s payment processing.
Advanced Reporting
In the world of running a grocery store or specialty store, knowledge is power, and that’s where your POS system’s sales reports come in.
Toast Retail offers solid reporting features like daily sales summaries, labor tracking, and product-level performance, but more advanced insights often require upgrading to higher-tier plans or integrating with add-on tools like xtraCHEF. Toast reporting is well suited for restaurants and retail hybrids.
Open API
An Open API in POS software lets businesses easily connect third-party tools like e-commerce, accounting, or custom apps. Unlike a closed API, it gives customers more flexibility and control, helping them build a solution that fits their unique needs without being locked into one vendor.
Toast has a closed API, meaning it only works with approved partners or custom integrations through their network. This can limit your options, making it harder and often more expensive to connect the tools you actually want to use.
E-Commerce
E-commerce helps expand your customer base and boost sales, but to sell online, you need a POS system with e-commerce integration to handle payments and keep your inventory updated.
Toast's e-commerce includes online ordering, menu management, and order routing features tailored to restaurants and foodservice businesses. It supports digital sales, but the tools are primarily built around restaurant workflows rather than grocery needs.
Subscription Sales
Subscription sales allow customers to sign up for recurring orders like weekly produce boxes or meal plans billed automatically. The system handles payments, tracks subscriptions, and organizes fulfillment, making it easy to offer convenience and improve customer retention.
Toast isn’t built for subscription sales out of the box. Some businesses find workarounds using third-party tools or manual processes, but there’s no built-in way to handle recurring billing or memberships.
QSR Feature
QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) features in grocery store POS systems are helpful for departments like delis, bakeries, or prepared foods. They support quick order entry, item customization (like sandwich or salad modifiers), kitchen printing, and combo pricing, making it easier to handle made-to-order items efficiently while keeping service fast and accurate.
Toast’s system integrates retail and quick service operations seamlessly, offering a kitchen display system for efficient prep. Its unified backend for menu and inventory management supports smooth operations and gives Toast the edge.
Grocery stores require a POS system that can handle complex inventory, specialized pricing, and support for various payment types commonly used in retail.
Toast Retail is known for its ease of use in restaurants, but its retail tools are limited. Since its platform was built with restaurant workflows in mind, it lacks key retail capabilities like dual pricing, EBT Cash support, split-package pricing, and robust inventory controls such as built-in scale integration and vendor tracking.
Markt POS is built specifically for grocers and retailers. It offers tools like purchase order management, and custom pricing strategies (e.g., 3 for $5 or mix and match deals). Its retail functions make it a more capable solution for grocery businesses needing depth and flexibility.
Hidden fees and long-term commitments can significantly impact the overall cost of a POS system.
Toast Retail requires at least a 12-month contract and starts with a high base price. Many key features such as loyalty programs, gift cards, online ordering, and email marketing are not included in the basic plan and must be added through paid add-ons like Marketing Essentials. Hardware and installation often come with additional one-time fees, further increasing startup costs.
In comparison, Markt POS offers month-to-month pricing with no long-term contracts. Grocery specific features like vendor tracking, mobile inventory, customer displays, and age verification are included in each tier. This transparent pricing helps grocers stay in control of their budget.
