Lavu Inc. point of sale (POS) review

Like many of the best POS systems on the market, Lavu POS provides the software and hardware needed to manage restaurant transactions. In this Lavu Inc. POS review, we’ll dive into the service’s pricing, features, interface, support, and security to help you decide if it’s a good fit for your business. 

As a point of sale (POS) service provider for restaurants, bars, and other businesses in the hospitality sector, Lavu Inc. POS employs a mobile iPad-based system to handle payment processing and a whole host of features that come along with it.

Lavu POS: Plans and pricing

Lavu offers three different pricing plans that can be tailored to your specific needs. At $69/month (billed annually), the Single Lavu Terminal plan allows you to take and manage orders on a single device. 

For business owners who require multiple terminals or have establishments at various locations, Lavu offers custom pricing plans in the form of multiple-terminal plans and enterprise plans. You’ll have to contact Lavu directly to work out a quote based on your business needs. 

All plans come with features like access to real-time labor and sales reports as well as menu, employee, customer, and inventory management tools. Additional software and hardware, like kitchen display systems, digital menu boards, and loyalty and gift card programs, can be purchased at a fee. 

With Lavu, you’ll also be charged payment processing fees. How much you pay is dependent on your location as well as your transaction volume.

Lavu POS: Features

Lavu’s POS system boasts over 300 features. We’ll take a look at some here.

It is important to know how much inventory you have left so that you’re always prepared to meet your customers’ demands. Lavu keeps track of your inventory in real time, and you have the option to automate your stock orders when your items are running low. You can even place orders with your vendors directly from your POS terminal, which is very convenient. 

Lavu’s menu management features help you to create menus that set you apart from your competitors. You can customize your menu by creating groups, associating different menu items with deals and discounts, assigning modifiers, and even color-coding. 

Lavu also has a combo builder feature for you to create combinations from existing menu items. This useful feature makes it easier for your employees to take orders and more efficient for those working in the kitchen.

Lavu’s real-time reports help you to gain insights on everything from labor to sales to business activity so that you can understand how your business is performing. The provider even has a free app, Lavu Pilot, on the Apple App Store for you to track payments, labor, menu items, trends, and other data anytime and anywhere, as long as you’re connected to the internet. 

Lavu has a page dedicated to the apps that the provider integrates seamlessly with. You’ll find apps for accounting, scheduling, menu management, delivery and more. Some examples include QuickBooks, TableUp, Postmates, and Wisely. It’s also great to see that there are several apps, like UberEats, that fall under the category of Coming Soon to keep users excited. 

Lavu POS: Interface and in use

Lavu POS system sports a modern interface that offers features like color-coding and categorization that encourage ease of use. You can also customize the layout of the menu to improve the navigation and suit your preferences.

Lavu's backend dashboard’s interface is intuitive too. Essentials like restaurant management, data reporting, custom access levels, inventory tracking, and more are easily accessible on the left menu.  

Lavu POS: Support

Lavu's support team is available 24/7 via live chat, email, or phone. There's also a customer support escalation form that you can fill out if there are any issues you need to bring up to Lavu’s management team. 

The service's site features a Lavu help center with self-help articles for troubleshooting. You'll also find a community forum and blog, both of which are active. 

Lavu’s team replied to our email in under three hours, which is impressive. On our search, however, we found that some users had to wait for weeks for a response. Those requiring immediate assistance should therefore make use of Lavu’s 24/7 helpline instead.  

Lavu POS: Security

Lavu’s POS system relies on Apple iOS, which uses 256-bit AES encryption to safeguard user data from data breaches. The operating system is also equipped with malware detection capabilities to prevent you from installing and running potentially malicious software.

The system’s advanced payment devices also feature PCI-validated point-to-point encryption, EMV chip card technology, and tokenization to protect your customers’ data and sensitive information. They even have a handy guide on defending your business against Cybercrime. 

The competition

Lavu is a great option for restaurant owners and those in the hospitality industry. Although, igf you are looking for a more modern, slightly more user-friendly crowd-pleaser try Toast POS. Toast provides a specialist experience for restaurant POS services and was awarded best restaurant POS service in 2020 by Finances Online. Its prices start at $79 per month for each terminal.

Additionally, if you’re turned off by Lavu’s lack of transparent pricing, Shopify POS' straightforward and upfront pricing may be attractive to you. With Shopify POS, you can start selling with a subscription from as little as $9 per month with Shopify Lite. 

Final verdict

With custom solutions, a host of useful features, 24/7 support, and an intuitive interface that you can personalize, Lavu Inc. presents itself as a powerful POS service provider for businesses in the hospitality industry. 

While we do wish that the pricing plans offered by Lavu were more transparent, we feel that the versatility, flexibility, and comprehensiveness of the POS service provider more than make up for this minor drawback.