The short answer
Countertop terminals suit fixed tills with reliable ethernet or WiFi and the lowest failure rate. Wireless terminals suit table service, queue-busting, kerbside and delivery. Long-range 4G terminals suit markets, events and field work where no local network exists.
Pay at table pays for itself
Bringing the terminal to the table typically removes several minutes per cover. In a busy restaurant that is measurable additional turns, which dwarfs any hardware cost difference.
Battery and charging discipline
Wireless units fail at the worst moment because nobody docked them. Buy a spare battery or a second unit; the cost is trivial against a failed Friday service.
Key takeaways
- Match format to where the customer decides to pay
- Pay-at-table generates measurable extra turns
- Always have a charged spare for wireless units
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