Hey @Smasheville, I agree with much of what @Sam_400º said, except, when you're just starting out and want to go easy on your startup cash, I'd say go with an iPad and and get a SQUARE READER FOR CONTACTLESS PAYMENT or two (backup) - that's their little Bluetooth-enabled, NFC tap-and-go card and chip reader. Ours also came with the separate little magstrip reader that plugs into a headphone jack too.
One big pro to Square is that they have decent free apps for the POS that work on iOS and Android. So, we have used them on iPhones and a Samsung Galaxy phone as well as the tablet. You simply download the apps and log in. Yes, you can use your personal devices, but, yes, better to get at least one device (recommend tablet just for the larger view) dedicated to your business (which doesn't mean only for Square, we use it for all the other apps used by food trucks, too) - include it in your business expenses for tax reporting.
Thus, you don't need to buy the SQUARE STAND - get yourself a long-arm iPad holder with a clamp so you can get it up off your precision little prep surface! 😄 Plus, your truck window may likely be too high up to make any use of the swivel feature. If you want to take tips, you can just flip your tablet around and show it to the customer.
Oh, pro tip, we often have one person outside the food truck taking orders while 1 or 2 others are cooking/serving inside. We got a rubberized iPad case with a shoulder strap and a hand strap that swivels - much like this one . That made it safe and easy for the person outside to handle and show to customers while also freeing up hands to pass out the food.
• IPad-10-2-Inch-Case-Heavy-Duty-Shockproof-Protective-Rugged-Case-Pencil-Holder-Hand-Strap-Kickstand-...-7th-2/122630477
Anyway, you've probably figured all of this out by now, but maybe others will find it useful. I would love to have one of these Communities focus on food trucks or mobile food vendors - I keep searching.
Happy Trucking! 🍛🚛🧑🏽🍳
Process $1,000 without fees when you activate a Square account with my link: https://squareup.com/t/f_referrals/dt_android?route=i/MEXITRACHO.
