Complete Revel POS Review: Features, Pros & Cons, Pricing Plans

Revel POS is a well-known name in the retail and hospitality space, often positioned as a powerful system for growing and multi-location businesses. Many operators consider it for its iPad-based setup, advanced reporting, and strong inventory controls. But does it truly live up to its reputation in real-world operations?

This article delivers a straightforward, no-frills Revel POS review. It evaluates core features, pricing, system reliability, and everyday usability across retail and restaurant environments. 

If you want clear answers before committing to a long-term POS investment, you’re in the right place. Let’s break down ConnectPOS and see whether it actually supports efficiency, scalability, and long-term business growth.

Highlight: 

• Combining a hybrid cloud architecture that ensures continuous operation and offline processing with sophisticated inventory and reporting tools, Revel POS provides the high-level reliability and data depth required by complex, high-volume businesses.
• The system requires a significant upfront financial commitment, including a mandatory, high implementation fee and substantial hardware costs. 

Overview of Revel POS

Revel Systems was one of the first companies to launch a cloud-based, iPad point of sale system, effectively revolutionizing the industry. The company has since matured into a powerful, hybrid platform designed for high-volume, complex operations.

Revel is a full business management platform. It offers a sophisticated feature set that excels in two primary markets:

• Restaurants: Full-service restaurants (FSR), quick-service restaurants (QSR), bars, pizzerias, coffee shops, and delivery/takeout concepts.
• Retail: Specialty retail stores, grocery stores, and multi-location businesses.

The system is built on an iPad interface for the front-end, making it modern and intuitive, while its hybrid architecture assures reliability with an “Always On” mode that can process transactions even during an internet outage.

Key Features of Revel POS Review

The true value of any POS system lies in its ability to streamline operations and provide actionable insights. Revel POS stands out by offering a powerful suite of management tools integrated into its platform.

Advanced Inventory Management

Revel’s inventory capabilities are a core strength, moving far beyond simple stock counts. For restaurants, this feature is transformative.

• Ingredient-Level Tracking: This is where Revel shines for restaurants. The system allows you to define recipes and menus, tracking inventory consumption down to the raw ingredient level (e.g., milliliters of milk, ounces of ground beef). This capability is significant for accurately calculating the real-time food cost for every single menu item.
• Matrix Inventory (Retail): For retail businesses, complex product variants (such as size, color, material, or style) are managed effortlessly. The matrix structure simplifies input and tracking, confirming accuracy across thousands of SKUs.
• Purchase Orders & Vendor Management: The system transforms the procurement process. You can create, manage, and track full purchase orders directly within Revel, confirming items received match items ordered. It maintains a centralized vendor directory and allows you to track vendor performance, streamlining the entire supply chain.
• Low Stock Alerts: Maintaining ideal stock levels is automated. You can set specific par levels and low-stock thresholds for critical items. When inventory dips below these set points, the system generates automatic notifications, guaranteeing you can restock proactively and avoid costly operational downtime or lost sales.
• Stocktake Functionality: Revel simplifies the arduous task of physical inventory counting. Managers can use the system or a dedicated mobile app to conduct efficient, accurate physical counts, reducing manual errors and saving significant labor time

Robust Reporting & Analytics

Data is king, and Revel provides real-time access to crucial business intelligence via its Management Console (web backend) and the Revel Insights mobile app.

• Real-Time Data: View sales, labor, product mix, and payment data as it happens, from anywhere in the world.
• Customizable Reports: Generate detailed reports filtered by product, category, employee, payment type, and time period.
• Theoretical vs. Actual Reporting (Restaurants): Compare your theoretical ingredient usage (based on recipes) with your actual inventory usage to pinpoint shrinkage and waste.
• Labor vs. Sales Tracking: Revel allows you to see a direct comparison between labor costs and sales volume minute-by-minute. This vital metric helps managers optimize scheduling, ensure adequate staffing during peak hours, and avoid overspending on labor during slow periods.

The ability to make data-driven decisions using Revel’s real-time sales analytics tools has led to an average revenue increase of 15% for businesses utilizing these features.

Employee Management Tools

Revel provides a built-in suite to manage your team effectively, decreasing the need for separate software.

• Time Clock & Scheduling: Employees utilize the POS terminal itself for quick and easy clocking in and out. Managers can manage schedules, track breaks, and generate reports that seamlessly integrate with popular third-party payroll systems.
• Role-Based Permissions: Set granular access levels to restrict sensitive functions (e.g., voids, refunds, discounts, report access) based on an employee’s role.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor employee sales performance to identify top sellers and areas for improvement.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Building customer loyalty is significant for growth. Revel’s native CRM tools help you capture data and encourage repeat business.

• Customer Database: Customer data (name, email, phone) is captured automatically during transactions, particularly when digital receipts or loyalty sign-ups are processed. This builds a valuable database for future marketing.
• Built-in Loyalty Programs: Create custom loyalty programs that reward customers for points or dollars spent.
• Digital Receipts: Offer eco-friendly digital receipts that double as a way to capture customer contact information.
• Customer Display System (CDS): A customer-facing screen that promotes transparency, shows order totals, and facilitates digital tipping and signatures.

Read more: Customer POS Loyalty Program Software

Seamless Payment Processing

Revel guarantees flexibility in how you accept payments, supporting modern payment methods.

• Revel Advantage: Revel’s own integrated payment processing solution, which often includes dedicated support and is tied to the best software rates.
• Flexible Payment Types: The system is designed to accept all major credit and debit cards, secure contactless payments (NFC like Apple Pay and Google Pay), integrated gift cards, store credit, and customizable payment methods (e.g., check, house account).
• Offline Credit Card Payments: Thanks to its hybrid architecture, the “Always On” mode is critical for payments. It allows you to continue accepting credit cards offline. These transactions are securely stored and automatically processed as a batch once connectivity is reliably restored, securing you never miss a sale due to internet issues.

Offline Functionality

A major selling point for any reliable Revel POS review is its hybrid architecture. Unlike purely cloud-based systems that stop working when the internet drops, Revel runs a local server on-site (the iPad itself).

• “Always On” Mode: The POS continues to function for order entry, inventory tracking, and sales reporting, even without internet access.
• Secure Offline Transactions: You can continue to accept credit card payments, which are stored securely and processed automatically when the network connection returns.

Revel POS Pricing Plans & Costs

Unlike some competitors, Revel’s pricing is not completely transparent and typically requires a direct quote, as costs are highly customized based on your business size, industry, and contract length.

Here is a breakdown of the typical cost components:

Cost Component	Description	Typical Estimate
Software Subscription	The monthly fee for the POS software and back-end management access.	Starts at $99 per month per terminal* (Requires a 3-year Revel Advantage contract and a minimum of two terminals, billed annually.)
Payment Processing	The fee charged for every credit card transaction.	Requires a custom quote (Revel Advantage is the in-house processor). Rates are typically flat-rate or interchange-plus.
Implementation Fee	A one-time fee for setup, configuration, menu programming, and training.	Starts around $674 (This is mandatory and can be higher for complex setups).
Hardware Costs	The price of physical equipment (iPads, stands, printers, cash drawers, routers).	Varies significantly. A single terminal setup (iPad, stand, printer, cash drawer) can cost $1,800 – $2,500+.
Add-On Features	Extra monthly costs for specialized services like Online Ordering XT, Delivery Management, or advanced reporting tools.	Custom quote.

Revel POS Integrations

A truly comprehensive POS acts as a hub, and Revel Systems excels at integrating with best-in-class third-party software. This assures you can build a connected ecosystem tailored to your exact needs.

Key integration categories include:

• Accounting: QuickBooks, Xero
• Payroll & Scheduling: Homebase, 7shifts, HotSchedules
• E-commerce: Shopify, Magento (via API), ConnectPOS (often via shared e-commerce platforms or third-party middleware)
• Delivery & Logistics: DoorDash, Uber Eats (via third-party integrators)
• Marketing & Loyalty: Mailchimp, various gift card providers

This flexibility is a significant benefit, allowing businesses to continue using their preferred accounting or workforce management tools while leveraging Revel’s powerful POS features.

Read more: POS Review: ConnectPOS vs Square POS

Pros and Cons of Revel POS

A balanced Revel POS review must present both sides of the coin. Here are the system’s key advantages and disadvantages.

Pros of Revel POS

• Hybrid Cloud Architecture: The “Always On” mode offers unparalleled reliability, protecting your ability to transact and track data during internet disruptions.
• Enterprise-Grade Features: Provides advanced functionality (e.g., ingredient-level inventory, recipe management, multi-location control) significant for growth and large-scale operations.
• Highly Scalable: The system is built to grow with you, easily adding terminals, locations, and users without performance degradation.
• Deep Reporting & Analytics: Exceptional reporting suite that provides deep insights into food cost, labor efficiency, and sales performance.
• iPad Interface: Modern, user-friendly, and intuitive for staff training and daily use.

Cons of Revel POS

• High Upfront Cost: The mandatory implementation fee and the cost of proprietary hardware require a significant initial investment.
• Commitment Required: The best pricing often requires a multi-year contract (e.g., 36 months) with Revel Advantage (their payment processor).
• Setup Complexity: Initial setup and configuration are known to be complex and often require assistance from a Revel Professional Services team.
• Customization Overload: The sheer depth of customization options can be overwhelming for smaller or less tech-savvy business owners.
• Vague Pricing: Transparent, à la carte pricing is not readily available on their website, forcing businesses to engage with a sales representative for a quote.

ConnectPOS: Excellent Alternative to Revel POS

While Revel excels in high-volume, complex operations (especially in food service), ConnectPOS stands out as a powerful, cloud-based alternative specifically built for omnichannel retailers who need deep, real-time integration between their physical stores and e-commerce platforms.

ConnectPOS offers a seamless solution for businesses using platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and more.

• Omnichannel Sync: Provides real-time synchronization of inventory, orders, and customer data across online and offline channels, enabling features like Click-and-Collect (BOPIS) and Buy Online, Return In-Store (BORIS).
• E-commerce Focus: Built with native, deep integrations for major e-commerce platforms, offering a unified backend for product catalog and order management.
• Pricing Transparency: Offers more straightforward, tiered pricing plans (e.g., Standard starting around $49/register/month) compared to Revel’s required quotes, multi-year contracts, and mandatory implementation fee
• Flexibility & Tech: Utilizes modern PWA (Progressive Web App) technology, often supporting a wider range of hardware and providing advanced features like a PWA Consumer App for self-checkout.
• Multi-Store & Warehouse Management: Effortlessly manage multiple locations and warehouses from a single dashboard. Staff can check real-time stock at other locations and arrange inter-store transfers to prevent lost sales.
• AI-Powered Personalization: Features like AI Facial Recognition allow staff to instantly see a customer’s shopping history and preferences as they walk in, enabling highly personalized product suggestions.
• Unified Loyalty Programs: ConnectPOS allows customers to earn and redeem rewards seamlessly across all channels. Whether they earn points online or in-store, their balance is updated instantly everywhere.
• Advanced Checkout Options: Support for complex transactions including split tenders, partial payments (layaways), and custom sale items that aren’t yet in the official system.

Read more: POS Review: ConnectPOS vs Lightspeed POS

FAQs: Revel POS Review

1. Is Revel POS suitable for small businesses?

Revel’s feature set and pricing structure, which includes a high mandatory implementation fee and often requires a multi-year contract and a minimum of two terminals, make it generally less suitable for small businesses (single-terminal, low-volume) looking for a simple, budget-friendly solution. It is best for businesses that are high-volume, complex, or plan to scale quickly.

2. Can Revel POS work offline?

Yes. A major selling point is its Hybrid Cloud Architecture with “Always On” mode. The POS terminal can continue to process orders, manage inventory, and securely store credit card transactions (swipe/dip) which are then automatically processed when the internet connection is restored.

3. What payment methods are supported?

Revel supports all major credit/debit cards, contactless payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay), gift cards, store credit, and customizable payment methods (e.g., check, house account). They strongly encourage using their in-house processor, Revel advantage, for the most seamless integration and best software rates.

Wrap Up

In short, Revel POS review ultimately lands on this verdict: Revel Systems is a powerful, highly scalable, and feature-rich POS solution built for businesses that demand reliability and sophisticated management tools. It excels in inventory control, detailed reporting, and multi-location management, particularly in the restaurant and specialty retail sectors.

If you are looking for a POS system that supports omnichannel sync, pricing, tech, and flexible workflows across various retail formats, ConnectPOS is a strong option to consider. You can reach out to us for guidance tailored to your business.