Guide

Clover for cafés, counters and food trucks in Canada.

If people order at a counter, Clover's plan is Counter Service, and it comes in three setups. Here's what each one leaves out, which fits your shop, and how QR codes, kiosks and bad signal change the choice.

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Reviewed by the CleverPays payments team · Last reviewed

A customer paying on a compact counter terminal in a cafe.

The short answer

  • One till and a small counter: the Starter setup, a Mini with a built-in printer.
  • A customer-facing screen: the Standard setup, a Station Duo.
  • A line out the door: the Advanced setup, a Station Duo and a Flex. It's the only one of the three that lists line busting.
  • Want a customer list? Clover's table doesn't include a customer database on Starter.
  • Food truck? Clover names food trucks on its Mini page. Plan your connection before you plan anything else.

Which setup suits your shop

These are our starting points, based on what Clover puts in each setup.

Your shopStart withWhyCheck first
Small café, one tillMini (Starter)8-inch screen and printer in a small footprintYou give up the customer database
Coffee bar with a morning lineStation Duo and Flex (Advanced)One person works down the line on the Flex while the station keeps goingWhether you have the staff to spare at the rush
Bakery or deli with pick-up ordersStation Duo (Standard)Customers tip and pay on their own screen, and online orders print at the counterPrinter placement for online orders
Food truck or market standMini or FlexBoth list LTE. The Flex runs on a battery and has a built-in printerSignal where you park, and how you'd power a Mini
Busy counter, English-language location outside QuebecAdd a KioskCustomers order and pay without a cashierCard payment only, and not offered in Quebec
Dining room with serversThe table service planTable maps and tabs live thereWhether people really stay seated

Clover's Canadian case study on Maison Rolland, a Montreal bakery, describes a Flex and a Station working together, with staff taking mobile payments anywhere in the shop to keep lines moving. That's Clover's customer and Clover's telling, but it's a good picture of the Advanced idea.

What's different between the three

The plan is the same on all three. The hardware changes, and with it a couple of features.

StarterStandardAdvanced
DevicesMini, 8 inStation Duo, 14 in + 8 inStation Duo and Flex
Line bustingNot listedNot listedYes
Customer databaseNot listedYesYes
QR orderingYesYesYes
Remote firing to the kitchenYesYesYes
Online ordering, no added Clover feeYesYesYes
Invoices or recurring paymentsYesYesYes

A cheaper way to try line busting: Clover says Tap to Pay on iPhone works through its Clover Go app and needs no extra hardware, and it mentions line busting as a use. It takes contactless cards and wallets, and Clover warns that transaction limits may apply, so ask what staff do with a chip card or a PIN.

How QR ordering really works

Clover calls it Scan to Order. A customer scans a code, orders and pays by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Three details from Clover's help pages are worth knowing before you print anything:

  • Print codes from the dashboard if you want table numbers on orders. Codes printed from the Register app show the customer's name instead.
  • Tips go to whoever printed the code. If you pool tips or share them by shift, sort that out first.
  • You can pause it. Online ordering can be turned off or paused for a set time when the kitchen falls behind, and it restarts on its own when the time is up.

Should you get a kiosk?

A kiosk suits a counter with a clear menu, steady volume and customers who pay by card. Clover lists tap, chip, swipe and debit PIN on it, and no cash.

Skip it if you have a Quebec location, since Clover doesn't offer it there, or if your customers need French, since it's English only. QR ordering is the closest alternative that works in both cases, as long as your customers don't mind using their phones.

See the Clover Kiosk

Food trucks and market stands

Signal first

Clover's pages disagree on offline payments. Its Canadian help describes an option for up to 7 days, with limits, and you carry the risk if a card later declines. Its developer page says Canadian merchants can't do it. Don't plan your summer around it until you've tested it on your own device.

Battery and power

Clover rates the Flex at 8 hours or more for a typical small business, and that's less than a long festival day. Clover gives no battery figure for the Mini, so ask how you'd power one on the truck. Bring a charger and a backup plan.

Tipping on the screen

Any Quebec merchant that suggests tips must work out the percentages before GST and QST and offer a choose-your-own option. We couldn't find how Clover calculates its suggestions, so run a test sale.

Receipts

Mini and Flex both print. If you take a Flex Pocket to save weight, it has no printer, so receipts go by text or email.

In Quebec

A Quebec restaurant has to bill through a system on Revenu Québec's certified list, and that includes counters and food trucks. Two systems built for Clover are on it, and both list counter, bar and food truck service: Clover MEV Connect from Pulsar informatique Inc and Clover MEV Web from 15535743 Canada inc. Read on 1 October 2026, and it can change.

See every certified system

Clover also says its Gift Cards app isn't available in Quebec or in French.

Common questions

What's the best Clover for a coffee shop?

A Mini if you have one till and little room. A Station Duo if you want customers to tip and pay on their own screen. Add a Flex if a morning line is costing you sales.

Can Clover run a food truck?

Clover names food trucks on its Mini page, and the Mini and Flex both list LTE. In Quebec, the certified system also has to list food truck service. Test your signal where you park before you commit.

Is there a fee for online orders?

Clover says online ordering has no added subscription or commission fee on the Counter Service plan. Normal transaction fees still apply, and online orders carry card-not-present interchange, a different fee type from a tap at the counter.

Does online ordering work on any Clover?

Clover says it needs a Station Duo, Mini or Flex connected to a printer, and a Counter Service or Table Service plan. It isn't included on its Payments Plus or Register Lite plans.

Can I offer loyalty or a customer list on Starter?

Clover's table doesn't list the customer database on Starter. If you want to track repeat customers, ask about Standard or an app before you buy.

Sources

Setting up a counter?

Tell us how you sell, how long your line gets and what you use now. We'll check which setup fits and what to ask for in a quote.

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