Choosing a POS system in Davao: what to check and what it costs

The right POS system in Davao depends on three things: whether you serve at a counter or at tables, whether the POS has to print your BIR invoices, and who will set it up and answer the phone when something breaks. Software for a café or small restaurant runs from free to a little over ₱2,000 a month for an entry plan, before hardware. Here is what to check, what the main options cost, and who sells them locally.

Six things to check

1. How you serve. A counter needs orders by name and a clear queue. A dine-in floor needs a code per table, a kitchen screen, and a bill you can split. Many systems are built for one and bend awkwardly to the other.
2. Whether it prints your BIR invoices. If the POS will issue the invoices your guests receive, the machine has to be registered with your BIR district office before you use it, and the software supplier has to be accredited. If your POS isn’t, you keep issuing invoices from your registered booklet, as many small shops already do. Ask your Revenue District Office (113A or 113B in Davao City) before you buy.
3. Whether guests can order from their own phone. Some systems have it built in, some sell it as an add-on, and some only offer an online store for takeout.
4. Hardware. Some run on a tablet or phone you already own. Others sell a terminal bundle, which is simpler but costs more up front.
5. Payments. Some POS companies process card and e-wallet payments and take a percentage. Others never touch the money and only record how the bill was paid.
6. Who helps you in Davao. A POS gets used hardest on your busiest night. Find out who sets it up, who trains your staff, and who you call when it stops.

What the main options cost

These are the cheapest plans each vendor publishes for food businesses. They aren’t like for like: some prices include BIR accreditation work or payments, and some systems are QR ordering rather than a full POS. Tap a bar to see what the price covers.

Two names you may see in foreign reviews, Square and Toast, don’t operate in the Philippines. For the full cost over a year, with hardware and payment fees, see how much a restaurant POS costs in the Philippines.

Setting it up in Davao

Several companies sell and install POS systems in Davao City. From their own pages (we haven’t used them):

• LAP I.T. Solutions sells terminals, printers, cash drawers and software, with installation and training.
• E-POS Plus has a Davao page and says it offers a free demo, setup and training.
• Posbang is based in Davao City and lists restaurant POS and kiosk products.
• Bismac is a national distributor of POS machines and cash registers with a Davao branch.

Whoever you talk to, ask the six questions above, and ask for the price in writing with VAT shown. If you’re starting a new shop, our guide to opening a cafe in Davao City covers the permits that come before the POS.

Where Desk Axes fits

Desk Axes is built in Davao for the ordering side: guests scan a code at the counter or table and order from their own phone, staff confirm, and the kitchen sees it. It runs on a phone or tablet you already have, it never processes payments, and it isn’t a BIR-accredited POS, so shops keep issuing invoices the way they do today. We set it up in person around Davao and the first month is free. See the plans.

The short version

Decide how you serve, find out whether your POS has to print BIR invoices, and add up a year of software, hardware and fees before you compare. The cheapest monthly price isn’t always the cheapest year, and the best system is the one your staff can run on a full Saturday.

Sources

• Pricing pages: Loyverse, Kassly, Nom, Qashier, StoreHub, UTAK, Mosaic
• Loyverse online ordering apps and StoreHub QR Order & Pay
• Qashier: Philippines guide to BIR POS registration
• BIR RMO 9-2021 (registration of sales machines)
• Square: countries it operates in

Prices as listed on each vendor’s site on 28 Sep 2026. They change; check before you buy. This is general information, not tax advice.