Union is a hospitality point of sale built for venues where tabs, tables, staff movement, check ownership, payments, and closeout are central to how service actually works.
Depending on the setup, Union can support open tabs, table service, mobile POS, to go orders, employee permissions, offline operating workflows, reporting, and end of day procedures.
We start with how the venue operates when it is busy. Then we decide whether Union's hospitality focus solves something the current POS does not.
Union is not trying to be a generic point of sale for every business.
Its strongest case is hospitality where open tabs, tables, employee ownership, mobile service, payments, permissions, and end of day work all have to stay organized while the venue is busy.
Union is built around tabs, tables, to go orders, check ownership, and the permissions employees and managers need to work across an active hospitality operation.
It becomes worth evaluating when open checks are central to how the venue actually runs.
Union Pocket can put supported Union POS and payment functions on a compatible iPhone so staff can work away from a fixed register.
Depending on the setup, staff can work with orders, checks, splits, payments, and other supported hospitality functions from the floor.
Union includes an offline mode designed to help the POS continue operating during certain connectivity interruptions.
The venue should understand how transactions, tips, reporting, end of day procedures, and reconnection work for its specific Union and payment setup before relying on offline operation.
Union provides workflows for closing checks, handling walked checks, entering tips, employee checkouts, reconciliation, and the applicable end of day process.
The value is giving managers a defined closeout workflow rather than leaving the night scattered across open checks and employee activity.
Union can control employee access to tabs, tables, adjustments, payments, refunds, drawers, reports, and other applicable POS functions. Scheduled pricing events can also change selected menu item prices during configured dates and times.
Configure access and pricing rules around how the venue actually operates.
If the business mainly needs straightforward checkout and card acceptance, Union may be more system than necessary.
Its specialization matters when tabs, tables, mobile staff, employee ownership, payments, and end of day operations are genuinely difficult to manage.
The harder the hospitality workflow gets, the more important product fit becomes.
Union can use different hardware for different parts of the hospitality workflow instead of forcing every employee to work from one fixed register.
A venue may use fixed POS stations, Union Pocket on compatible iPhones, configured payment acceptance, kitchen equipment, printers, cash drawers, network hardware, and other supported peripherals.
Phase 3 confirms the exact equipment and the role each device will play before the venue approves the setup.
The fixed service station
Union can run on supported iPad POS terminals configured for the bar, service counter, wall, or another fixed hospitality position.
The terminal size, stand, printers, cash drawers, payment hardware, and other accessories should match the position it serves.
Mobile POS for the floor
Union Pocket runs on compatible iPhones and can support mobile hospitality workflows away from a fixed register.
Depending on the approved setup, staff can work with orders, checks, splits, payments, and other supported Union functions from the floor.
How the guest pays
Union can support configured card readers, Tap to Pay on compatible iPhones, and other approved payment workflows depending on the venue and processing setup.
Choose the payment method with the Union configuration and processor relationship rather than treating it as a separate hardware decision.
The hardware around service
Depending on the venue, the Union setup may also include Kitchen Display System hardware, kitchen printers, receipt printers, cash drawers, network equipment, mounting hardware, and other supported peripherals.
Add equipment because the service workflow requires it, not because it happens to be available.
A busy bar may need fixed stations plus mobile POS. A restaurant may need table service, kitchen hardware, mobile staff, and several payment positions.
Another venue may need far less.
The right Union setup puts hardware where the work actually happens.
Product photography supplied by Union.
Union becomes more relevant when the business operates around hospitality service rather than straightforward checkout.
The venue type gives us context. The actual tabs, tables, staff movement, kitchen flow, payments, and closeout procedures determine whether Union fits.
Pricing is a separate decision based on the merchant's actual payment numbers and approved setup.
Union is worth evaluating when open tabs, bartender ownership, transferred checks, adjustments, payments, permissions, and closeout are central to how the venue operates.
The actual bar workflow should determine whether Union earns the recommendation.
See the restaurant and bar workflow →
Union can support tables, service areas, checks, employee ownership, splits, payments, permissions, and other front of house restaurant workflows.
Before replacing the current POS, confirm that Union supports the restaurant software, kitchen workflow, integrations, and operating requirements the business cannot afford to lose.
See the restaurant and bar workflow →
Union Pocket can make Union worth evaluating when servers, bartenders, or other staff need to manage orders, checks, and payments away from a fixed POS station.
Mobile POS should solve a real service problem, not simply give every employee another device.
See if Union fits →
Union can support to go workflows and online ordering for applicable venue configurations. The menu, payment, kitchen, fulfillment, and online ordering setup should be reviewed together before adding it to the operation.
Online ordering should fit the venue workflow rather than become a separate system nobody manages consistently.
See if Union fits →
Two restaurants can need completely different POS systems. Union earns the recommendation when its tab, table, mobile service, payment, permission, and closeout workflows solve problems the venue actually has.
Specialization only matters when the venue needs the specialty.
The cost of a Union setup depends on how the venue is actually being configured.
Software, fixed POS stations, Union Pocket, payment devices, kitchen and venue hardware, optional Union products, and processing can all affect the complete setup. Put the applicable pieces in front of the merchant clearly before anything is approved.
The applicable Union software and venue configuration should reflect the hospitality workflows the business actually needs.
Do not assume every venue uses the same Union products, functions, or commercial structure.
Fixed Union terminals, compatible iPhones used with Union Pocket, payment readers, stands, and other service devices can change the cost of the setup.
The merchant should understand which devices are included, who provides them, and what commercial terms apply.
Printers, cash drawers, Kitchen Display System hardware, network equipment, mounting hardware, and other supported venue peripherals can become part of the total setup when required.
If the implementation needs it, the merchant should see it on the quote.
Union offers additional hospitality products and services beyond the core POS that may become part of the venue setup when they solve a specific requirement.
Add them because the operation needs them, not because they appeared in the demo.
Processing cost depends on the approved processor, payment mix, transaction volume, average card transaction, pricing structure, and Union payment configuration.
Compare the economics using the venue's actual payment numbers.
A venue with several fixed stations, Union Pocket, printers, kitchen equipment, network hardware, and additional Union products is not the same setup as a smaller operation with one or two service positions.
Put the configuration that will actually go live on the quote.
Union products, hardware, additional services, processing relationships, and commercial terms can change over time. Phase 3 confirms the current configuration and applicable costs before the merchant approves it.
Union can make a lot of sense when the hospitality workflow needs its specialized tools. If the venue does not need that specialization, compare a simpler setup before adding cost and complexity.
Union provides the hospitality platform. The venue setup still has to connect the service flow, devices, payments, menu configuration, employee access, kitchen workflow, and other technology around the real operation.
Phase 3 helps define that configuration, coordinate what gets implemented, and give the merchant a clear place to start when the payment or equipment side needs attention.
We start with tabs, tables, service positions, employees, payments, menu structure, kitchen workflow, to go orders, mobile service, and the systems the venue already uses.
The Union configuration should follow the operation.
Phase 3 helps determine where fixed POS stations, Union Pocket, payment devices, printers, kitchen hardware, and other supported equipment belong.
More devices are not automatically a better implementation.
The payment devices, processor relationship, pricing structure, and Union configuration need to work together.
Phase 3 reviews the venue's actual payment requirements before recommending the setup.
Phase 3 coordinates the implementation work that applies to the approved Union setup so the venue knows what needs to be configured, tested, and ready before launch.
The exact scope depends on the venue and systems involved.
Payment and equipment support is available 24/7 from a US based team.
If the issue involves Union software or another technology in the setup, Phase 3 can help identify the appropriate next step.
Phase 3 can also build and manage the public business website and provide ongoing search and advertising services through Phase 3 Digital.
Digital stands on its own. Union and payment processing are not required.
Website$99 a month with Phase 3 processing$199 a month as Standalone Digital
The value is choosing the Union software, devices, payment setup, and operating tools the venue actually needs and leaving out what it does not.
If the venue needs less, the setup should get smaller.
Union is intentionally specialized around hospitality.
That can be a real advantage when the venue needs its tab, table, mobile, and service workflows. It can also be more system than another business needs.
Do not replace it simply because Union exists.
Start with what the current system does well and what is actually failing the venue.
If the current POS handles the service model well, keeping it is a valid outcome.
No. Union supports broader bar and restaurant workflows including tabs, tables, to go orders, mobile service, employee permissions, reporting, and other hospitality functions.
The better question is whether those hospitality workflows matter enough to justify a specialized system.
Union has an offline mode designed to help the POS continue operating during certain connectivity interruptions.
The venue should understand how transactions, tips, reports, end of day procedures, and reconnection behave in the specific Union and processing configuration before relying on it.
No. Union can use fixed POS terminals as well as Union Pocket on compatible iPhones.
The right mix depends on where employees work, how they take orders, where customers pay, and whether mobile service actually improves the operation.
That depends on the current system, the Union configuration, the employee's role, and how much of the workflow is changing.
Training should cover what each employee actually does rather than assuming every staff member needs to learn every Union function.
Union earns its place when the hospitality workflow justifies it. If the current POS already handles the venue well, changing systems may not be worth the disruption.
Union being built specifically for hospitality does not mean every hospitality business needs Union.
Before replacing anything, identify what the current POS already handles well, what is actually creating problems during service, and whether Union solves those problems well enough to justify changing systems.
If the current system already handles tabs, tables, payments, employees, kitchen flow, and closeout well, do not replace it merely because Union is built for hospitality.
Changing less can be the better recommendation.
Union becomes more compelling when open checks, bar service, table service, mobile staff, permissions, payment flow, and closeout create real operating problems for the venue.
If the current POS already handles those workflows well, Union may not create enough value to justify the switch.
Union includes an offline mode designed to help the POS continue operating during certain connectivity interruptions. Before relying on it, understand what continues working, how offline transactions are handled, what changes during the interruption, and what happens when connectivity returns.
Offline capability is a contingency tool, not a guarantee that internet or payment risk disappears.
If the real need is card acceptance, invoices, payment links, recurring billing, remote payments, or another straightforward payment workflow, replacing the POS may solve the wrong problem.
A simpler payment setup may be the better answer.
Sometimes Union is the right answer. Sometimes another POS fits better. Sometimes the current system should stay and only the payment setup should change.
The recommendation should follow the problem, not the product being sold.
Do not leave Union simply to choose a more familiar logo.
First identify what the venue needs that Union is not providing. Then compare the POS or payment options that actually solve that problem.
If Union still handles the operation well, keeping it is a perfectly good outcome.
Broader POS ecosystem
Worth comparing when the business wants a broader family of countertop, handheld, customer facing, kiosk, app, and operating options beyond Union's hospitality specialization.
Clover gives the business more ways to expand the POS. Make sure those additional options solve something the operation actually needs.
Explore Clover →
Simpler place to start
Worth comparing when the venue wants a lighter starting point and Square already covers the checkout, payments, software, devices, and hospitality functions it actually needs.
Simple is a strength when simple still does the job.
Explore Square →
Configurable restaurant
and retail workflows
Worth comparing when the venue needs a different combination of restaurant, retail, hardware, display, kiosk, payment, or operating workflows than the Union setup provides.
Define the requirement first, then confirm the Quantic configuration that would solve it.
Explore Quantic →
Deeper inventory and operating control
Worth comparing when product management, inventory, replenishment, locations, employee permissions, ticketing, admissions, or other operating controls matter more than Union's hospitality specialization.
Define the operating requirement first, then verify whether KORONA actually solves it.
Explore KORONA POS →
Lighter checkout
Worth comparing when the business mainly needs straightforward checkout or payment acceptance and does not need Union's deeper hospitality workflows.
Do not pay for hospitality specialization the business will not use.
Explore SumUp →
If the real need is card acceptance, invoices, payment links, recurring billing, remote payments, or another straightforward payment workflow, replacing Union with another full POS may solve the wrong problem.
Compare the payment options before replacing the system that already runs the business.
Name the requirement Union is no longer meeting. Then compare the systems that actually solve that problem.
If Union still does the job well, keep it.
Clover is a trademark of Fiserv, Inc. Square is a trademark of Block, Inc. Quantic, KORONA POS, Union and SumUp are trademarks of their respective owners. Product photography is supplied by Union and the respective manufacturers and remains their property. Phase 3 Payments is an authorised reseller. Product names are used descriptively and do not imply endorsement.
Union is specialized around hospitality workflows.
Before choosing it, understand how tabs, tables, mobile service, offline operation, hardware, payments, implementation, and support fit the venue that will actually use the system.
Union is built specifically around hospitality workflows such as open tabs, tables, employee ownership, check management, mobile service, permissions, payments, and closeout.
That specialization becomes valuable when those workflows are central to how the venue operates. If the business does not need that depth, compare a simpler POS.
Union supports opening, managing, closing, and reopening applicable tabs and checks within the POS workflow.
Permissions and employee ownership can also be configured around who is responsible for the check and who can manage it.
Union provides check management and employee permission workflows that can support transferring or managing checks across staff when the appropriate access is configured.
The exact permissions should match how the venue handles check ownership, management access, payments, tips, and closeout.
Union includes an offline mode designed to help the POS continue operating during certain connectivity interruptions.
The venue should understand how transactions, tips, reporting, closeout, and reconnection work for its specific Union and payment setup before relying on offline operation.
Yes. Union Pocket supports applicable Union POS and payment workflows on compatible iPhones.
Depending on the setup, staff can work with orders, checks, splits, payments, and other supported hospitality functions away from a fixed register.
It depends on the venue. A Union setup can include supported fixed POS stations, compatible iPhones with Union Pocket, payment devices, printers, cash drawers, kitchen hardware, network equipment, and other supported peripherals.
Phase 3 confirms the equipment required for the approved venue configuration before launch.
Yes. Union supports applicable table service, tab, check, and to go workflows.
The restaurant should still review service areas, employee ownership, kitchen flow, payments, fulfillment, and other operating requirements before configuring the system.
Union offers online ordering capabilities for applicable venue configurations.
The menu, payment, kitchen, fulfillment, branding, and online ordering setup should be reviewed before it becomes part of the live operation.
Union can be used by hospitality operators with more than one venue, but the exact current tools for reporting, menus, permissions, management, and cross venue operations should be verified for the group being considered.
Phase 3 should confirm the current Union capabilities before promising a centralized multi venue workflow.
The total depends on the venue configuration. Applicable costs can include Union software, POS and mobile devices, payment hardware, printers, kitchen equipment, network hardware, additional Union products, processing, and other services involved in the setup.
Phase 3 should show the applicable pieces before the venue approves the quote.
Possibly. Availability depends on the approved Union configuration, processing relationship, merchant setup, customer experience, and the requirements of the pricing program being considered.
Phase 3 should review the merchant's actual payment numbers and approved setup before recommending dual pricing or another pricing structure.
It depends on what is changing. A straightforward venue setup is different from an operation using several terminals, Union Pocket, complex menus, employee permissions, kitchen workflows, online ordering, integrations, or other implementation work.
Phase 3 reviews the actual project and defines the implementation plan before anything changes.
Phase 3 payment and equipment support is available 24/7 from a US based team.
If the issue involves Union software or another technology in the setup, Phase 3 can help identify the appropriate next step and support path.
Yes. Phase 3 Digital can provide the managed Website service separately from Union.
Website pricing is $99 a month with Phase 3 processing or $199 a month as Standalone Digital.
Phase 3 Digital also offers ongoing search work and paid advertising management through the applicable Digital plans.
Union and payment processing are not required to use Phase 3 Digital.
Tell us what you are trying to fix or improve. We will tell you what should stay, what is worth changing and where Phase 3 can help.
Sometimes the honest answer is nothing.