Ready2Order

Ready2Order is a cloud-based point-of-sale system founded in 2015 and headquartered in Vienna, Austria. Originally created to serve the needs of Austrian hospitality businesses, the platform has since expanded across Europe, becoming one of the leading POS solutions for restaurants, cafes, retail shops, and food trucks throughout the DACH region and beyond. With its deep focus on European fiscal compliance, intuitive interface, and robust feature set, Ready2Order has positioned itself as a compelling European alternative to American POS giants like Square, Toast, and Clover. The company has raised significant venture capital funding and serves tens of thousands of businesses across multiple European countries.

Austrian Origins and European Vision

Ready2Order was born out of the Austrian startup ecosystem in Vienna, a city increasingly recognized as a hub for European technology innovation. The founders identified a gap in the market for a modern, cloud-based POS system that understood the unique requirements of European businesses, particularly the complex fiscal regulations that vary from country to country across the continent. Unlike American POS providers that often treat European compliance as an afterthought, Ready2Order built fiscal compliance into the core of its product from day one.

The company's Austrian heritage gives it a natural advantage in understanding the European business landscape. From the start, Ready2Order was designed to handle multiple currencies, tax rates, and regulatory frameworks. This European-first approach has allowed the company to expand organically into Germany, Switzerland, France, and other EU markets, each time ensuring full compliance with local fiscal laws before launching. The result is a POS system that European business owners can trust to keep them on the right side of tax authorities without the headaches that often come with adapting US-centric software to European requirements.

Cloud-Based POS System

At its core, Ready2Order is a fully cloud-based POS system, which means all transaction data, product catalogs, and business analytics are stored securely in the cloud and accessible from anywhere. The system runs on iPads, Android tablets, and smartphones, making it highly flexible and affordable compared to traditional POS terminals that require expensive proprietary hardware. Businesses can set up a complete POS station with just a tablet and a receipt printer, significantly reducing the upfront investment needed to get started.

The cloud architecture also means that software updates are delivered automatically, ensuring businesses always have access to the latest features and security patches without any manual intervention. Owners and managers can monitor sales, track inventory, and review reports from their smartphone or laptop even when they are not physically present at the business location. This remote access capability proved especially valuable during the pandemic, when many business owners needed to manage operations from a distance. The system also includes offline functionality, allowing transactions to continue even when the internet connection is temporarily unavailable, with data syncing automatically once connectivity is restored.

Fiscal Compliance Across European Countries

One of Ready2Order's strongest differentiators is its comprehensive fiscal compliance across multiple European jurisdictions. In Austria, the system is fully compliant with the RKSV (Registrierkassensicherheitsverordnung), the country's strict cash register security regulation that requires all transactions to be cryptographically signed and linked in a tamper-proof chain. Ready2Order handles this automatically, generating the required QR codes on receipts and maintaining the legally required data export formats for tax auditors.

In Germany, Ready2Order is certified compliant with the TSE (Technische Sicherheitseinrichtung) requirements, which mandate that all electronic cash registers must be equipped with a certified technical security device. The system supports both cloud-based and hardware-based TSE solutions, giving German businesses flexibility in how they meet this regulatory requirement. Ready2Order also handles the complex German split VAT rates and generates DSFinV-K compliant export files for fiscal audits. In France, the system meets the NF 525 certification requirements, and in Switzerland, it complies with local cantonal regulations. This multi-country fiscal compliance makes Ready2Order one of the few POS systems that can genuinely serve businesses operating across European borders.

Hospitality Features

Ready2Order has invested heavily in features tailored to the hospitality industry, making it particularly popular among restaurants, cafes, bars, and catering businesses. The table management system provides a visual floor plan where staff can see at a glance which tables are occupied, which orders are pending, and which bills are ready to be settled. Tables can be easily configured to match the actual layout of the venue, including outdoor seating areas and private dining rooms.

The system supports split bills, allowing guests to pay separately or divide the total evenly among the group. Course management enables kitchen staff to receive orders in the correct sequence, ensuring starters, mains, and desserts are prepared and served at the right time. The kitchen display system (KDS) can replace traditional paper ticket printers, showing orders on a screen in the kitchen with color-coded priority indicators and timing information. For bars and quick-service venues, Ready2Order offers a streamlined ordering mode that prioritizes speed, allowing bartenders to process drinks orders with minimal taps.

Ready2Order also supports modifiers and extras on menu items, so staff can easily add customizations like extra toppings, side dishes, or special preparation instructions. The system handles happy hour pricing, daily specials, and time-based menu changes automatically, reducing the administrative burden on managers. Tip management features allow tips to be tracked and distributed among staff according to configurable rules, supporting both individual and pooled tipping models that are common in European hospitality.

Retail Features

While Ready2Order is often associated with hospitality, it also offers a comprehensive set of retail-focused features. The product catalog supports unlimited items with variants such as size, color, and material, each with their own barcode, price, and stock level. The built-in barcode scanner support allows for rapid product lookup at the checkout, and the system can generate and print barcode labels for products that do not already have them.

Inventory management is built into the platform, providing real-time stock tracking across all locations. When stock levels fall below configurable thresholds, the system can automatically generate alerts or even create purchase orders for suppliers. The inventory system tracks stock movements including sales, returns, transfers between locations, and manual adjustments, providing a complete audit trail. For retail businesses that also sell online, Ready2Order integrates with popular e-commerce platforms, ensuring that online and in-store inventory stays synchronized and preventing overselling.

Hardware Options

Ready2Order takes a flexible approach to hardware, supporting a wide range of peripherals rather than locking businesses into proprietary equipment. The system works with standard Bluetooth and USB receipt printers from manufacturers like Epson and Star Micronics, as well as cash drawers, barcode scanners, and customer-facing displays. Ready2Order also offers its own branded hardware bundles that include everything a business needs to get started, pre-configured and ready to use out of the box.

For payment processing, Ready2Order integrates with leading European payment terminal providers, allowing businesses to accept card payments, contactless payments, and mobile wallet payments through their preferred payment partner. The system supports integration with SumUp, Zettle, and other European card terminals, giving businesses the freedom to choose the payment processing rates and conditions that best suit their needs. This open approach to hardware and payment processing is a significant advantage over closed ecosystems like Square or Clover, where businesses are often tied to specific hardware and payment processing rates.

Online Ordering Integration

Recognizing the growing importance of digital ordering channels, Ready2Order offers integration with popular online ordering and delivery platforms. Orders placed through these platforms flow directly into the POS system, appearing alongside in-house orders on the kitchen display or ticket printer. This eliminates the need for staff to manually enter online orders into the POS, reducing errors and saving time during busy service periods.

Ready2Order also offers its own online ordering module, allowing businesses to set up a branded ordering page where customers can browse the menu, place orders for pickup or delivery, and pay online. This is particularly valuable for restaurants and cafes that want to offer online ordering without the high commission fees charged by third-party delivery platforms like Uber Eats or Deliveroo. The online ordering page is mobile-responsive and can be customized with the business's branding, colors, and logo, providing a professional and cohesive customer experience.

Reporting and Analytics

Ready2Order provides comprehensive reporting and analytics tools that give business owners deep insight into their operations. The dashboard displays key metrics including total revenue, number of transactions, average order value, and top-selling products in real time. Detailed reports can be generated for any time period, broken down by product category, payment method, employee, or location. These reports can be exported in standard formats for import into accounting software or for sharing with accountants and tax advisors.

The analytics features go beyond basic sales reporting. Staff performance tracking shows how much revenue each employee generates, their average transaction value, and their void and discount rates, helping managers identify training needs and reward top performers. Product mix analysis reveals which items are driving revenue and which are underperforming, supporting data-driven decisions about menu engineering and product assortment. Time-based analysis shows peak hours and slow periods, enabling better staff scheduling and inventory planning. For multi-location businesses, comparison reports allow owners to benchmark performance across venues and identify best practices that can be replicated.

Multi-Location Support

Ready2Order supports businesses operating multiple locations from a single account. Owners and managers can view consolidated reports across all venues or drill down into individual location performance. Product catalogs, pricing, and promotions can be managed centrally and pushed to all locations simultaneously, or customized on a per-location basis for businesses that need regional flexibility. Employee access rights can be configured at the location level, ensuring that staff only have access to the data and functions relevant to their role and venue.

The multi-location capability is particularly valuable for growing restaurant groups, retail chains, and franchise operations. Inventory can be tracked and transferred between locations, and purchasing can be centralized to take advantage of volume discounts. The central management dashboard provides a bird's-eye view of the entire business, making it easy for owners to spot trends, identify issues, and make strategic decisions based on data from across their entire operation.

GDPR Compliance and Data Protection

As an Austrian company operating under EU jurisdiction, Ready2Order is fully GDPR compliant. All customer and transaction data is stored on European servers, ensuring that business data never leaves EU territory. The company's privacy policy is transparent about how data is collected, processed, and stored, and Ready2Order offers a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) for businesses that need formal documentation of their data processing arrangements with third-party providers.

Ready2Order implements industry-standard security measures including encryption of data in transit and at rest, regular security audits, and strict access controls. Employee accounts can be secured with individual PINs or passwords, and the system maintains a complete audit trail of all transactions and configuration changes. For businesses handling customer loyalty data or collecting personal information through online ordering, Ready2Order provides the tools needed to manage consent, handle data access requests, and comply with GDPR requirements for data portability and the right to be forgotten.

Pricing Plans

Ready2Order offers straightforward pricing that scales with the size and needs of the business. The entry-level plan starts at 29 euros per month and includes the core POS functionality, basic reporting, and one register. Higher-tier plans unlock advanced features including table management, kitchen display system, inventory management, multi-location support, and premium reporting. All plans include automatic software updates, cloud data storage, and access to customer support.

The pricing model is transparent with no hidden fees or long-term contracts, though annual billing offers a discount compared to monthly payments. Additional registers can be added for a per-device fee, and optional add-ons like online ordering and advanced analytics are available for businesses that need them. Compared to US-based competitors, Ready2Order's pricing is competitive and does not include the payment processing markups that platforms like Square and Toast build into their pricing. This separation of POS software fees from payment processing costs gives businesses more control over their total cost of ownership.

Comparison with Competitors

When compared to American POS solutions, Ready2Order stands out in several key areas. Unlike Square POS, which was designed primarily for the US market and treats European fiscal compliance as a bolt-on feature, Ready2Order was built from the ground up for European businesses. The system's native support for Austrian RKSV, German TSE, and French NF 525 regulations gives it a significant compliance advantage. Compared to Toast, which is focused exclusively on the US restaurant market, Ready2Order offers comparable hospitality features while being available across multiple European countries. And unlike Clover, which locks businesses into proprietary hardware and payment processing, Ready2Order's open approach to hardware and payment integration gives businesses more flexibility and better control over costs.

Among European competitors, Ready2Order differentiates itself through its combination of hospitality depth and fiscal compliance breadth. While some European POS systems focus narrowly on either retail or hospitality, Ready2Order serves both verticals effectively. The platform's continued investment in new features, regular compliance updates, and expanding geographic coverage make it a strong choice for any European business looking for a modern, cloud-based POS system that truly understands the European market. With its Austrian roots, GDPR compliance, and commitment to European data sovereignty, Ready2Order represents the best of European fintech innovation applied to the everyday needs of small and medium-sized businesses.