See Why Small Businesses Choose VMS over Toast for Long-Term Success
Learn MoreCheaper Processing
Better Support
Scalable Solutions
Payment Processing That Puts Small Business First.
★★★★★
“VMS has been with our family since I was a kid. Their customer service is honestly the best I’ve ever experienced. Anytime we needed help, they were right there. We trust VMS with all our restaurants, and I would never switch.”
Ferris A.
Owner at Tandoor Al Badia
★★★★★
“We’ve been processing with VMS for about eight years, and honestly, they’ve become part of our team. I wasn’t expecting the level of support we’ve received — Sarunas is always there for us, and he’s played a big role in helping us grow. When we wanted to launch our Jack’s Bar-B-Que app, he made the whole process easy. VMS has truly stepped up for us every time we’ve needed them.”
Skip Smith
CFO at Jack’s Bar-B-Que
★★★★★
This product has completely transformed our workflow. The attention to detail and customer support are outstanding. We’ve seen a 40% increase in productivity since implementing this solution.
Sarah Johnson
CEO at TechStart
VMS vs Toast at a Glance
| Category |  |  |
| Core Model | Merchant services provider (VMS) + Clover POS for restaurant, retail, grocery & hybrid businesses | All‑in‑one restaurant software platform with proprietary hardware & built‑in payment processing |
| Primary Focus | Small & mid‑sized businesses across food, retail, grocery, salons, smoke shops & more | Restaurants & food/beverage retailers of all sizes, from QSR to full service |
| POS hardware | Clover Kiosk, Station/Duo, Mini, Flex, KDS, etc. Best for multi‑location and mixed concepts. | Toast Flex terminals, handhelds, kiosks, KDS, etc., built specifically for restaurant environments. |
| Pricing Approach | Custom merchant pricing + cash discount / dual pricing options to recoup most processing fees | Published plans (including $0/mo Starter) with Toast‑only processing; add‑ons for online ordering, loyalty, payroll, etc. |
| Contract Structure | Traditional merchant services relationship via VMS; terms can be tailored by business & volume | Typically 1–3 year contracts with early termination fees if you cancel early. |
| EBT / SNAP / RMP | Deep EBT expertise, USDA application help, Restaurant Meal Program support, hardware configuration end‑to‑end. | Newer EBT support via Forage integration; helps retailers/restaurants accept SNAP EBT at POS, with Toast handling onboarding. |
| Online Ordering & Marketing | Online ordering, loyalty, and marketing options via Clover apps & VMS services; flexible mix‑and‑match approach. | Very strong built‑in suite: online ordering, delivery, branded web/app, loyalty, email marketing, and guest CRM. |
| Best Fit For | Restaurants and hybrids that care about fees, EBT, flexibility, and multi‑vertical expansion | Restaurants that want one tightly integrated stack and are comfortable with contracts & Toast‑only processing |
PRICING & FEES
Pricing & Contracts: Flat Fees vs Flexible Merchant Services
Toast’s pricing is straightforward… until you add everything you actually need to run a busy restaurant.
Toast Pricing Snapshot
- Starter / Pay‑As‑You‑Go: $0/mo software with higher processing rates — good for very small or new restaurants.
- POS plan: starts around $69/month for core point of sale, with hardware purchased separately and numerous add‑ons (online ordering, delivery tools, loyalty, payroll, inventory, etc.).
- Independent breakdowns show full‑service restaurants often paying $400–$800+/month in Toast software/add‑ons plus $600–$1,200+ in processing, depending on volume.
On top of that, most Toast plans involve:
- 1–3 year contracts, and
- Early termination fees if you leave early (e.g., remaining software fees or $150/month for each remaining month on some plans).
VMS + Clover Pricing Snapshot
VMS uses the classic merchant account model:
- Pricing customized by volume, concept, and risk rather than one flat rate.
- Access to Clover merchant pricing models (including interchange‑plus and lower in‑person rates on restaurant plans, per third‑party reviews).
- Ability to add cash discount / dual pricing via VMS’s #1‑ranked Cash Discount app on the Clover Marketplace, which is explicitly designed to offset most or all card fees while keeping checkout smooth.
You’re not locked into “our rate or nothing.” VMS’s whole shtick is optimizing what you pay on cards instead of shrugging at a flat rate.
Pricing & Fee Structure Comparison
| Pricing Factor | | |
| Base Pricing Model | Custom merchant pricing; interchange‑aware rates | Published tiers with Toast‑only processing |
| Fee Optimization Tools | Full cash discount / dual pricing stack, plus traditional pricing if you prefer | None equivalent; you negotiate but still pay Toast’s processing |
| Contract Style | Merchant services agreement via VMS; terms can be tailored | Typically 1–3 year terms with early termination fees if you cancel |
| Hardware Ownership | Clover hardware usable with many merchant service providers that resell Clover’s processing stack | Proprietary Toast hardware; locked to Toast payments |
| Best For Your Wallet When… | You’re processing serious volume and want to drive your effective rate down | You prefer predictable, simple pricing and are okay paying for a tightly bundled stack |
DAILY OPERATIONS
POS & Daily Operations: Restaurant‑First vs Restaurant‑Plus‑Everything‑Else
| Device | | |
| Core POS Focus | Restaurants and non‑restaurant businesses (retail, grocery, service) | Restaurant and food/beverage only |
| KDS & Routing | Clover KDS with routing rules and app‑based enhancements | Very strong, restaurant‑specific KDS and routing; widely praised in reviews |
| Self‑Order Kiosks | Dedicated Clover Kiosk options for QSR/fast casual | Toast kiosks and QR/mobile order & pay across quick service and fast casual |
| Multi‑Location & Hybrid Concepts | Designed to handle multiple locations and cross‑vertical operations (restaurant + retail + grocery, etc.) | Multi‑location restaurant groups, but still focused on food/bev; not ideal if you’re adding full retail or grocery footprints |
Online Ordering, Delivery & Guest Marketing
Toast: The Integrated Restaurant Growth Machine
Toast’s biggest flex is its digital storefront and marketing stack:
- Built‑in online ordering, Toast Delivery Services®, and integrations with DoorDash, Uber Eats & Grubhub.
- Loyalty, gift cards, email marketing, guest CRM, reservations and table management (Toast Tables).
- Smart upsells and order throttling for online orders, which reviewers call out as a key Toast advantage.
If you want one login for POS + online ordering + loyalty + email + delivery dispatch, Toast is honestly hard to beat.
VMS + Clover: Flexible Stack Without the Lock‑In
With VMS, you still get:
- Online ordering and web solutions that tie into your Clover menus and POS.
- Access to Clover’s app market for loyalty, marketing, delivery integrations, and niche restaurant tools (including several popular “best Clover apps for restaurants” highlighted by VMS).
- The ability to plug in third‑party tools more freely without Toast‑style processing lock‑in.
| Area | | |
| Online Ordering | Provided via VMS and Clover apps; integrated with POS menus | Native Toast Online Ordering with deep KDS & dispatch integration |
| Delivery | Mix‑and‑match approach via Clover apps and third‑party tools | Toast Delivery Services®, delivery partner integrations, Order with Google, Local by Toast |
| Loyalty & Gift Cards | Clover apps + VMS loyalty tools; flexible vendor choice | Tight loyalty & gift card suite built directly into Toast’s platform |
| Email & Guest CRM | Third‑party tools via Clover marketplace & VMS support | Full guest CRM, email, ads, and marketing suite native to Toast |
Payments, EBT, and Restaurant Meal Program
Take Orders Where Your Customers Already Are
| EBT / SNAP | | |
| SNAP Retailer Application Help | Yes – dedicated specialists handle the paperwork & process with you | Offered via partner integration (Forage) and documentation flows for retailers; more self‑serve |
| Restaurant Meal Program (RMP) | Yes – guidance and EBT‑ready restaurant systems to accept hot meals on EBT. | Not a major public focus; SNAP support mainly surfaced around retail & grocery use cases |
| Card Processing Lock‑In | Clover can be deployed through different merchant service providers like VMS, giving more choice over rates and relationships. | Clover can be deployed through different merchant service providers like VMS, giving more choice over rates and relationships. |
Support & Relationship
Turn Your Processing History Into Smart Capital
| Area | | |
| Support Style | Relationship‑driven, in‑house, 24/7 support specific to small businesses & Clover/EBT users | Large‑scale SaaS support: help center, forums, and tiered phone support |
| Onboarding | Hands‑on help with hardware, menus, EBT, and fee programs | More standardized onboarding; great resources but less white‑glove by default |
| Contract Flexibility | Terms negotiated via VMS; Clover hardware usable with multiple merchant providers | Standardized contracts with early termination penalties and proprietary hardware |
