Comparison
QR order & pay vs a handheld POS terminal.
Both let a guest pay at the table. The difference is who does the work, what hardware it needs, and what it costs per transaction.
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The short answer
With a handheld POS terminal a server walks a device to the table to take the order or the payment. With TabbPay the guest does both from their own phone by scanning a QR code, with no terminal to carry and no app to install, and it forwards to the POS you already run. You keep your POS and your payment provider. What changes is that ordering and paying move to the guest, and the per-transaction fee is smaller than the ~1%+ a handheld terminal typically adds.
Side by side
| TabbPay QR order & pay | Handheld POS terminal | |
|---|---|---|
| Who places the order | The guest, from their phone | A server, on the device |
| Hardware to buy | None — guest and staff phones | A terminal per server |
| Platform fee per transaction | Small, set per venue | Typically ~1% or more |
| Split the bill | By item or equally, by the guest | Manual, at the terminal |
| Tipping | In-app at checkout, attributed to the shift | On the terminal prompt |
| Table turn | Guest pays the moment they are ready | Waits for a free device and a server |
| Languages | Greek and English, per item | Depends on the server |
| Your POS & kitchen | Forwards to symPOSium / HIT, ticket unchanged | The terminal is the POS |
| Returning guests & loyalty | Built in — enrol at payment | Usually separate or none |
| Setup | Upload menu, connect Viva or Stripe, print QR | Procure and provision devices |
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What stays the same
TabbPay sits in front of your operation, it does not replace it. Your POS keeps running and printing kitchen tickets exactly as it does today, your payments still settle through Viva Wallet or Stripe, and your fiscal flow through AADE is unchanged. You can keep a handheld terminal for the cases that need one and let the guest self-serve the rest.
Common questions
- Is QR ordering cheaper than a handheld POS terminal?
- On the platform fee, usually yes: TabbPay’s per-transaction fee is set per venue and kept smaller than the roughly 1% or more a handheld terminal typically adds on top of interchange. The bank interchange fee and the Viva Wallet or Stripe processing fee are separate in both cases and depend on the card.
- Do I have to replace my POS to use QR ordering?
- No. TabbPay forwards orders to the POS you already run (symPOSium or HIT POS, and others via your vendor at onboarding). The kitchen ticket prints the way it does today.
- Can I use QR ordering and a handheld terminal together?
- Yes. Many venues let guests order and pay by QR for most tables and keep a terminal for the cases that need one. The two settle independently.
- Does the guest need to download an app?
- No. The whole flow runs in the phone browser — the guest scans the QR code and the menu opens, with no app and no account required.