SkyTab vs Clover: we sell both, so here is when we recommend each
This is the comparison we run most often in Arkansas, because we sell both. The deciding factors are station count, whether you want to own the hardware, and the rate.
SkyTab, now Shift4 Dine, publishes $29.99 per month per station with hardware included and no published card rate. Clover publishes restaurant bundles from $135 to $354 per month on 36 month terms plus 2.3% and 10 cents per card present sale. SkyTab fits full service rooms wanting everything bundled. Clover fits counters wanting a published rate.
| SkyTab (Shift4 Dine) | Clover | |
|---|---|---|
| Software and hardware | From $29.99 per month per station, $0 upfront | Full service bundles $179 to $354 per month for 36 months |
| Buy outright instead | Not offered | $849 to $4,447 plus $89.95 to $129.85 per month |
| Card present rate | Not published | 2.3% + $0.10 |
| Keyed in rate | Not published | 3.5% + $0.10 |
| Hardware warranty | Lifetime warranty, replaced at no charge | Varies by plan and by provider |
| Contract | Not published | Subscriptions non cancelable, terms vary by seller |
“We are not mosquitoes. You will not be swatting us away. But we are not disappearing after the install either.”
The published numbers, side by side
Shift4 publishes Dine from $29.99 per month with $0 upfront hardware, and says that fee covers software and updates, hardware with a lifetime warranty, 24/7 support and cloud back office reporting.
Clover publishes more. Quick service bundles run $135, $185 and $245 monthly for 36 months, full service $179, $239 and $354, or $849 to $4,447 outright plus software.
Only one of them publishes a card rate
Clover lists 2.3% plus 10 cents for cards tapped, swiped or inserted, and 3.5% plus 10 cents for keyed entry, on its own site. Shift4 publishes no rate for Dine and negotiates instead.
Neither approach is dishonest. A published rate is easier to check. A negotiated rate can go lower for a high volume room. Ask us for both in writing.
Do you want to own the hardware?
Clover lets you buy the equipment outright and keep it. That suits an owner expecting to stay in the same building for a decade who dislikes recurring equipment charges.
SkyTab does not sell hardware outright. Equipment stays inside the monthly fee, with free replacement for life. That suits a room where a dead terminal on Friday is the real risk.
A real person calls you back within two hours, Monday to Saturday, 8am to 7pm Central.
How the paperwork differs
Clover states subscriptions are non cancelable and ineligible for refunds, and that terms and termination fees vary by whichever selling institution wrote your agreement.
Shift4 publishes no term length for Dine. It does publish a risk free trial and says equipment can be returned. Either way, get the term and the exit route in writing.
Why the rate outranks both software prices
Card processing usually costs a restaurant several times what POS software costs. That is why we ask for statements before quoting either system.
Put your effective rate, meaning total fees divided by total card volume, against both offers. Then add software and hardware across three years. The honest winner is often not the cheaper monthly.
Our recommendation, stated plainly
Choose this one when
- You run several stations and want per station pricing rather than a fixed bundle.
- You want hardware replaced at no charge for as long as you run the system.
- You want online ordering, loyalty and reservations with no per feature fees.
Choose the other when
- You want a card rate you can read on the vendor's own site before anyone calls you.
- You would rather buy equipment outright than pay for it monthly for three years.
- You need one compact counter device, where a full platform rollout is overkill.
- You already bank with an institution that sells Clover and want it in one relationship.
The weak spots in both, because we sell both
We have no reason to hide either list. These objections come up in real quotes.
What works
- SkyTab: $0 upfront and a lifetime hardware warranty.
- SkyTab: online ordering, loyalty and reservations at no extra fee.
- Clover: a published card present rate of 2.3% plus 10 cents.
- Clover: the option to buy the hardware outright and keep it.
What does not
- SkyTab publishes no processing rate and no contract term.
- SkyTab requires Shift4 processing, so the rate cannot be shopped later.
- SkyTab equipment cannot be bought outright, so the fee never ends.
- Clover subscriptions are non cancelable and ineligible for refunds.
- Clover terms and termination fees vary by whichever institution sold it.
- Clover 36 month bundles total more than buying the same system outright.
Questions restaurant owners ask
Which one do you sell more of?
It depends entirely on the room. Full service restaurants and bars with several stations usually land on SkyTab, because per station pricing and included hardware suit them. Counters, bakeries and small quick service lines often land on Clover for the published rate.
Can I get SkyTab hardware without a monthly fee?
No. Shift4 publishes $0 upfront cost and folds hardware into the monthly fee, which also covers software updates, the lifetime warranty, 24/7 support and cloud reporting. If owning equipment matters, Clover publishes buy outright prices starting at $849 for a quick service starter.
Is the 2.3% Clover rate what I will pay?
It is what Clover publishes for cards tapped, swiped or inserted when you buy on Clover.com. Keyed entry is published at 3.5% plus 10 cents. Rates from bank resellers differ, and card network assessments and monthly account fees sit on top. Read the full schedule.
How do I decide without guessing?
Pull twelve months of processing statements, divide total fees by total card volume, and use that effective rate as your yardstick. Then add software and hardware for each system across three years. The winner is usually obvious once both quotes are written down.
Vendor pricing and tax rates change without notice. Confirm current figures with the vendor, the city or your accountant before you rely on them. Not tax, legal or accounting advice.
Every number on this page traces to a primary source
- Shift4 Dine (formerly SkyTab) POS pricing starts at $29.99 per month with $0 upfront cost for software and hardwaredine.shift4.com / pricing
- Shift4 Dine monthly fee includes POS software and future updates, POS hardware with a lifetime warranty, 24/7 support, cloud back office reporting and a mobile app; third party Marketplace integrations carry additional fees; a risk free trial allows the equipment to be sent backdine.shift4.com / pricing
- SkyTab is now branded Shift4 Dine and skytab.com resolves to dine.shift4.com. Marketing and loyalty, reservations and waitlist, QR code ordering and a website builder are listed as included at no extra cost, hardware carries a lifetime warranty and support is 24/7dine.shift4.com
- Clover full service restaurant systems: Starter $179 per month for 36 months or $1,799 plus $89.95 per month; Standard $239 per month for 36 months or $2,548 plus $109.90 per month; Advanced $354 per month for 36 months or $4,447 plus $129.85 per month. Transaction fees 2.3% + $0.10 for cards tapped, swiped or inserted and 3.5% + $0.10 for card information typed in. Prices shown are only available on Clover.comclover.com / restaurant
- Clover quick service restaurant systems: Starter $135 per month for 36 months or $849 plus $89.95 per month; Standard $185 per month for 36 months or $1,899 plus $89.95 per month; Advanced $245 per month for 36 months or $2,648 plus $109.90 per month, with the same 2.3% + $0.10 and 3.5% + $0.10 transaction feesclover.com / quick service restaurant
- Clover states subscriptions are non cancelable and ineligible for refunds but can be paid off at any time or broken during a buyout or upgrade; at the end of the term you may purchase or return the equipment; contract terms and any termination fees vary by service provider, including Citi, PNC, Wells Fargo and more than 3,000 other financial institution partners that sell Clover in the USclover.com / pricing