Clover Online Ordering

Overview

Clover Online Ordering is a restaurant ordering service that sends digital orders into Clover POS. It is best suited to restaurants already using compatible Clover hardware that want to handle takeout, curbside pickup, delivery and dine-in orders in one workflow. The strongest case is the no-subscription-fee option for takeout, curbside pickup and dine-in; delivery fees and hardware and software-plan constraints can change the calculation.

Clover creates an ordering webpage that also appears in its mobile app, with online orders routed to the kitchen team and Clover POS. Menu and operating-detail changes sync automatically after setup, which helps keep the ordering experience aligned with the restaurant's current offering. Guests can order and pay from their phones using Scan to Order and Scan to Pay for dine-in, while scheduled pickup lets customers select a later time within a merchant-set advance-order window.

Curbside customers can share vehicle information to help staff identify them. Clover processes delivery orders in POS and dispatches them through DoorDash; Grubhub can also be integrated. That integration brings Grubhub orders into Clover without a separate tablet and syncs the Grubhub menu with Clover's online-ordering menu.

Key features

POS and kitchen routing: Orders reach Clover POS and the kitchen team, keeping digital tickets in the restaurant's Clover workflow rather than a separate order-management setup.

Multiple ordering modes: Takeout, curbside pickup, delivery and dine-in make the service useful across different service patterns, though delivery fees may apply.

Scheduled pickup and curbside identification: Customers can choose a later pickup time, subject to the merchant's advance-order window, and share vehicle information for curbside handoff. These options help coordinate pickup but depend on the restaurant's own settings and staff process.

Menu synchronization: Menu and operating changes sync automatically after setup; the Grubhub integration also syncs that channel's menu with Clover's ordering menu.

Customer engagement: The Clover mobile app supports rewards, promotions and perks alongside ordering, giving restaurants a way to connect repeat-ordering with customer offers.

Security and support: Clover says its hosted platform meets applicable PCI DSS requirements, validated by a Qualified Security Assessor, and advertises telephone, chat and email support 24/7. Clover handles compliance and script management for its hosted service; merchants using their own domains, APIs or iframe integrations are responsible for their own PCI compliance.

Pricing

Clover Online Ordering: free. There are no setup or subscription fees for takeout, curbside pickup or dine-in. Delivery fees may apply. This is most compelling for Clover merchants who need those ordering modes and already have the required hardware and an eligible software plan.

The free option is not a standalone route around Clover's POS requirements: it requires a Clover POS device connected to a printer, specifically a Station Solo, Station Duo, Mini or Flex. It is unavailable on Payments Plus and Register Lite software plans. Restaurants on those plans, or without a compatible printer-connected device, should account for the cost and plan eligibility before treating the zero subscription price as the full cost of adoption. Clover's broader pricing model is paid, with pricing on request.

Platforms

Clover lists Android, iOS and web support. The service supports delivery orders and POS integration, and its ordering channels are website and app. It does not offer a branded mobile app, so restaurants should not choose it expecting a distinct restaurant-owned app experience. Multi-location support, gift card reporting, email and SMS campaign channels, audience segmentation, automated campaigns, loyalty and review requests are also supported.

Who it's for

Clover Online Ordering is a sensible fit for restaurants already operating Clover POS on a compatible device and software plan, particularly those that want online orders to land with the kitchen and POS while supporting several pickup and dine-in patterns. Restaurants that need a separate branded app, lack the required Clover hardware, or use Payments Plus or Register Lite should look elsewhere or resolve those constraints first.

Pros and cons

Pro: Online orders route to Clover POS and the kitchen team, consolidating order management for existing Clover operations.

Pro: The free plan has no setup or subscription fees for takeout, curbside pickup and dine-in.

Pro: DoorDash dispatch and optional Grubhub integration cover delivery workflows, with Grubhub orders handled in Clover without another tablet.

Con: The plan requires a printer-connected Clover Station Solo, Station Duo, Mini or Flex and excludes Payments Plus and Register Lite.

Con: Delivery fees may apply, so the free plan does not make every ordering channel cost-free.

Con: There is no branded mobile app; its app presence is through the Clover mobile app.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison of restaurant gift-card tools, see Restaurant Gift Card Software; for other ordering platforms, see Restaurant Online Ordering Software; and for tools focused on promotions and retention, see Restaurant Marketing Software.

Choose Lunchbox if you want a freemium alternative with free plans for one or two locations, including an SMB plan with zero sign-up and commission fees. Choose GoTab if QR and online ordering with flexible hardware options matter more than Clover's printer-connected device requirement; its Basic plan is $15 a month per location.

For a gift-card-focused alternative, GiftFly has a free plan with 5,000 promotional emails free per month. Loopz Gift Cards is another gift-card option, with a Lite (US Clover) plan at $8 a month and a 2% transaction fee on gift card activation. Cadeau offers a free Pay As You Go plan with a 3% transaction fee. Gift Up! is a paid gift-card alternative with a pay-as-you-go option and no monthly fee. Wrapped is another paid gift-card option, with a Basic plan at $49 a month. Restaurants comparing a broader POS system can consider Lightspeed Restaurant, whose Starter plan is $69 a month and includes a customizable POS, menu manager, floor plans, advanced insights, offline mode and 24/7 support.

Verdict

Choose Clover Online Ordering if you already run an eligible Clover POS device and want website and app orders, pickup and dine-in ordering to feed the same POS and kitchen workflow without a setup or subscription fee for those channels. Look elsewhere if you cannot meet the hardware and software-plan requirements, need a branded app, or require delivery without potentially applicable fees.