Heartland: A Customizable All-in-One POS System

Heartland POS Overview

Founded in Oklahoma City, US, in 1997, Heartland is an all-in-one cloud-based, user-friendly point-of-sale (POS) system that incorporates customer loyalty programs and mobile ordering to turn your casual diners into regulars. Heartland's POS systems have many advanced features, including order, inventory, and employee management. The system targets various industries and business sizes, from quick service to fine-dining environments. Heartland serves many sectors with customized solutions rather than a "one size fits all" approach. Heartland's flexible pricing options allow companies to select the plan that suits their requirements. However, they do not publicly provide detailed pricing structures but advise interested parties to request quotes based on individual business needs.

Their features utilize iPad hardware and are suitable for various types of businesses. They specifically cater to full-service restaurants, quick-service restaurants, bars, cafes, food trucks, and retail shops. The platform simplifies operations from front to back to make it easier for such business owners to manage and grow their businesses. The Heartland Secure system is designed to safeguard customers' data by providing advanced security features such as PCI-compliant technology, EMV-enabled hardware, tokenization elements, and end-to-end encryption. The system offers advanced security measures to protect customers' data during transactions. If your data is compromised, Heartland's tokenization replaces sensitive data with tokens that render the original data useless. In addition, their end-to-end encryption ensures that unencrypted data is not stored anywhere in the system.

While Heartland is not rated, Heartland Payroll Solutions has an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Heartland also have a very good reputation in their industry, having received the Leader award in the Point of Sale (POS) Software Awards 2023 and the 2023 Data Quadrant Gold Medalist.

Heartland POS Features

Heartland POS has many features for operating your establishment, with various options and specific features catering to the types of locations served. Read through the following main features to learn more:

• All-in-one interface: They have a straightforward and intuitive cloud POS system that is meant to be easy to learn and use, even without extensive training. They have customizable menu screens that enable staff to quickly find and select items, speeding up the ordering process
• Payment processing integrations: Heartland payment processing can integrate different types of payments, including online payments, Automated Clearing House (ACH), debit and credit cards, payment gateways, and digital wallets such as PayPal and Apple Pay, among others. Heartland charges competitive rates for payment processing, with a flat rate of 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions
• Menu management: The Heartland system allows for quick addition, removal, and editing of menu items, as well as customization of the floor plan. You can modify the menu items, update the prices with their cloud-based menus, and sync with your different locations and online channels
• Employee management tools: Heartland's POS systems facilitate managing and scheduling your employees and tracking labor costs. The system allows you to track your team shifts, attendance, etc.
• Order management: Heartland's POS platforms manage your orders efficiently. It also syncs servers and the kitchen to help you improve the customer experience in real time.
• Loyalty programs: The system provides tools to track customer purchases and offers built-in loyalty features, like gift cards
• Analytics and reporting: Heartland offers a dashboard for customer intelligence, providing data reporting and analytics using customer data from anywhere that will offer you insights to make more profitable business decisions
• Integrations and add-ons: They offer seamless third-party integrations with accounting software such as QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage, as well as various plug-ins and integrations for different business needs, including various delivery services, which enhance functionality and efficiency
• Handheld devices: Heartland provides mobile devices for taking orders and accepting contactless payments
• Printers: Heartland offers printers for printing kitchen orders and receipts

Heartland POS Plans & Pricing

Heartland POS offers a range of pricing plans for its POS systems, tailored to different budgets and business types, with POS terminals, diverse integrations of 75+, proficient reporting and inventory management, and equipped with CRM for loyalty programs. 

• The Essential plan: This is available for both Heartland restaurant POS and retail POS systems and starts at $89 monthly. The plan allows you to process payments securely for online and in-store orders. You can accept various payment options such as tap, dip, scan, swipe, debit, gift cards, NFC, and online payments. You can also offer promotions and generate receipts. This plan includes a 10” iPad, enclosure and stand, a mobile payment device, and a receipt printer
• The Complete plan: This offers additional third-party payments, integration, and multi-location management, plus all the features of the Essential plan. The Complete POS system includes all the Essential hardware, Portico mobile POS system, external payment processor, and wired and WIFI-enabled kitchen video with iPad. However, they don't advertise their pricing methodology for this plan; instead, they encourage potential customers to contact Haeartland's sales team for a quote based on their business needs

Heartland POS offers a variety of add-ons to enhance your operations, such as a cash drawer, Bluetooth barcode scanner, and remote kitchen receipt printer. While Heartland doesn’t require long-term contracts, they have an early termination fee of $295 per location. Heartland's payment processing fees are 2.6% + 10 cents for in-person transactions, and their Payroll service fees start at $89 per month for companies with 1-5 employees. 

Heartland POS Advantages

• Customizable platform features: Their system is designed to be customizable, which means that you can tailor it to your business's specific needs. Their menu screens are also customizable, helping your team to quickly find and select items, thus speeding up the ordering process. Their system can, therefore, be made very user-friendly, with an intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate. The layout is simple and straightforward, making it easy for restaurant and bar staff to learn how to use the system without requiring extensive training
• Comprehensive options: Their system is relatively customizable for businesses in the retail and restaurant industry, offering a range of features that make it an all-in-one solution for businesses, including inventory management, employee management, as well as in-store, mobile, and online order management. The Heartland Retail and Restaurant POS systems allow such businesses to tailor it to their precise needs and create a unique customer experience
• Robust security standards: Heartland POS is designed to be secure, with advanced security measures that protect your data during transactions. Heartland POS is also PCI-compliant and comes paired with EMV-enabled chip card technology. If data is compromised, their tokenization replaces sensitive data with tokens that make the original data useless. In addition, their end-to-end encryption prevents unencrypted data from being stored anywhere in the system
• Always-available support: They provide their customers with consistent service and assistance— via live chat, phone, or email follow-ups— around the clock
• Industry-specific solutions: Heartland POS offers tailored solutions rather than a generic "one size fits all" approach. The system is scalable, as you can start with a basic plan and upgrade to the complete plan as your business grows
• Payment processing integration: Heartland POS offers payment processing services
• Customer loyalty tools: The system provides tools to track customer purchases, and offers gift cards and other loyalty features

Heartland POS Disadvantages 

• Costs may add up: The monthly cost of the system is not very expensive, but the add-ons and hidden costs can increase quickly, making it more pricey than some other POS systems
• Expensive termination fees: Heartland's contracts tie customers to the company for three years, and early termination incurs a fee of $295 per location
• Lack of transparent pricing: Heartland does not advertise all of its pricing plans and instead encourages potential customers to contact its sales team for a quote based on their unique business needs

The Customer Experience at Heartland

The customer service received mixed feedback, with some users praising it and others expressing dissatisfaction. Heartland receives mixed customer reviews online. Heartland holds a low rating of 2.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot, bearing in mind the few reviews available. They also receive a 3.3 out of 5 on Capterra and a rating of 2.6 out of 5 on G2. As formerly stated, while Heartland POS is not rated, their Payroll Solutions page has an A+ rating on the BBB. 

When evaluating the customer experience of Heartland POS, it's essential to consider the range of feedback as reported by different users.

Positive reviews

Some users online have applauded Heartland customer service, mentioning that the representatives are friendly and helpful. Other users have noted that the pricing is fair, the Heartland POS system is all-in-one, and you can accept payments on your phone. Certain users found the product easy to use.

Critical feedback

However, some users expressed dissatisfaction with the support received, particularly during the cancellation process and in dealing with specific issues. Some reviewers mentioned outdated software and overwhelming online experiences. For Heartland Restaurant Software, some have expressed issues with certain features and the subscription cost.

Overall, the reviews indicate a range of experiences with the Heartland POS, with some users being satisfied and others encountering challenges with the software and customer support.

The Customer Support at Heartland

The available customer support channels for Heartland POS include dedicated 24/7 customer service by live chat or by filling out a contact form on their support page. You can reach them by calling 800-285-0005 or by dialing one of many account- and service-specific numbers found on that webpage. You can also log in to your account for support.

The company also offers online resources for support, including knowledge bases, FAQs, and troubleshooting guides.

The Final Verdict

Heartland POS is a cloud-based platform that offers a versatile range of systems and payment solutions with extensive features and benefits, which makes it a popular choice for businesses of all sizes and industries. Once you set up your restaurant with the Heartland POS system, you will gain an easy-to-use interface, third-party integrations, scalability, state-of-the-art Heartland Secure, a comprehensive approach to protecting customer data, and 24/7 customer support. 

If you want to expand your business, Heartland can be a solid choice for restauranteurs with all-in-one solutions for monitoring sales in real-time, payment processing, inventory management, order management, and employee management. However, enterprises should consider the costs and contract terms before committing to the system. Heartland lacks pricing transparency, and termination fees can be expensive.

Whether you own one cafe or a chain of restaurants, there are many POS providers. Visit our reviews page to learn about other great POS systems, like Toast, and then compare your favorites against each other. If you need help understanding industry-specific standards, we have many articles on our blog that you may find helpful. Our purpose is to simplify choosing the POS that fits your business needs.

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