Migration guide
How to switch from Toast POS to Square for Restaurants
A step-by-step playbook for migrating your pos data, team, and workflows from Toast POS ($0/mo) to Square for Restaurants (Free).
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Why teams switch from Toast POS to Square for Restaurants
Toast POS is strong on restaurant-only focus and strong online ordering, but teams often hit limits on locked-in hardware. Square for Restaurants addresses this — it's best for new restaurants, cafés, and quick-service concepts.
From
Toast POS
$0/mo
To
Square for Restaurants
Free
7-step migration plan
- 1
Export your data from Toast POS (contacts, jobs, invoices, payments) as CSV files.
- 2
Sign up for Square for Restaurants — most teams use the free trial to test the migration safely.
- 3
Clean your CSVs: dedupe contacts, standardize phone numbers, fix date formats.
- 4
Import customers and historical jobs into Square for Restaurants. Match custom fields carefully.
- 5
Run Toast POS and Square for Restaurants in parallel for 1–2 weeks so your team can validate data.
- 6
Train your office staff and field crews on the new Square for Restaurants workflows.
- 7
Cancel Toast POS once you've confirmed all reporting and integrations work.
What you'll gain with Square for Restaurants
- Free plan available
- Easy hardware setup
- Predictable processing fees
Ready to switch?
Start a free trial of Square for Restaurants — most teams run it alongside Toast POS for 1–2 weeks before fully cutting over.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to switch from Toast POS to Square for Restaurants?+
Most teams complete migration in 1–3 weeks: data export, import/cleanup, team training, and a parallel-run period. Larger teams (10+ users) typically need 4–6 weeks.
Can I import my Toast POS data into Square for Restaurants?+
Square for Restaurants accepts CSV imports for contacts, jobs, and invoices. Export from Toast POS, clean the file, then import. Custom field mappings may require their support team for accounts >5,000 records.
Why switch from Toast POS to Square for Restaurants?+
Common reasons: new restaurants, cafés, and quick-service concepts. Plus better pricing fit (Free vs $0/mo) and feature differences in pos.
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Read more reviews: Toast POS · Square for Restaurants