Toast Payroll review

Toast Payroll ranks first for restaurants that already ring sales on Toast, because tips never leave the system that recorded them. Hours and tips flow from the POS into payroll, and the tip pooling engine splits pools across front of house, back of house or any custom rule you set. Toast also calculates overtime across locations and job types, handles employees who work several roles at different rates, and applies tip makeup to minimum wage. Before a run, it flags auto clock-outs and unapproved tips, and Auto Payroll can process the cycle once those flags are cleared. Toast files federal, state and local payroll taxes and says it will cover fines up to $4,000 if your first quarterly filing is not accepted, with terms. The published entry point is a POS and payroll bundle at $69 a month plus $9 per employee. The catch is lock-in: payroll is built for Toast POS customers, so a restaurant on another register should look elsewhere on this list.

Who it is for

Restaurants already running Toast POS that pool tips across front and back of house.

Price

POS and payroll bundle from $69 a month plus $9 per employee; payroll sold to Toast POS customers.

$69/month + $9 per employee/month
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 10, 2026.

Key features

• Hours and tips sync from Toast POS into payroll with no manual upload
• Automatic tip pooling and distribution across FOH, BOH or custom splits
• Overtime across locations and job types, plus multiple pay rates per employee
• Tip makeup to minimum wage and flags for auto clock-outs and unapproved tips
• Auto Payroll that can run the pay cycle once flagged shifts are fixed

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Tip pooling rules run on the same data that rang up the checks
• Strength: Federal, state and local payroll taxes and quarterly and annual filings are handled
• Strength: Guided first payroll and support seven days a week by chat or phone
• Weakness: Payroll is tied to the Toast POS, so it does not suit other registers
• Weakness: The published bundle price includes POS software you may not need from Toast
• Weakness: Benefits and applicant tracking sit on the higher Payroll Pro tier

Key facts

• Bundle price: $69 a month plus $9 per employee
• Tip pooling: Automatic, by configured FOH, BOH or custom rules
• Tax filing guarantee: Covers fines up to $4,000 if the first quarterly filing is not accepted, terms apply
• Accounting sync: Labor costs to QuickBooks Online after each pay run

Where it ranks

Toast Payroll is No. 2 in our Best Payroll Software for Restaurants verdict.