Cafe ordering comparison
The PoppinPay alternative for cafes: Crate
Your own Square cafe app for one flat price across up to five locations, not a price per location.
By the Crate teamUpdated
The short answer
- Pick Crate if you want a branded Square cafe app without paying for every location.
- Crate is $80/month for up to five locations with rewards and push offers included.
- PoppinPay's pricing page lists $200 to $300 per location per month, plus setup fees on two plans.
Why pick Crate
- One price for five locations. $80/month covers up to five locations. PoppinPay lists $200, $250 or $300 for each location every month, so three locations on its lowest plan are $600 before any multi-location discount. Source
- Push offers included. Send offers from your dashboard to customers who opted in, in the $80 plan. PoppinPay lists marketing push notifications as a $20/month add-on. Source 1 Source 2
- Rewards you own. Crate stamps or points are in the plan, so you do not need a Square Loyalty subscription. PoppinPay's rewards run through Square Loyalty. Source
- A price you can read. Crate's price is one line. PoppinPay's pricing page offers 'Save 30%' on yearly billing, but its yearly Starter price works out to $180 a month, 10% off, and the yearly Plus and Pro prices match the monthly ones. Source
Where PoppinPay may still fit: if you already run Square Loyalty and want it in the app as it is, or want curbside pickup notifications and a first-download coupon from one Square-only vendor.
What it costs as you add locations
| Locations | Crate | PoppinPay |
|---|---|---|
| One location | $80/month | Starter: $200/month. Plus: $250/month plus a $400 setup fee. Pro: $300/month plus a $450 setup fee. |
| Three locations | $80/month | Starter: $600/month before a multi-location discount, which its site offers for three or more locations without a price. |
| Push marketing | Included | $20/month add-on, all locations included. |
Crate and PoppinPay, side by side
| Topic | Crate | PoppinPay |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | Cafe app: $80/month for up to five locations. | Starter: $200, Plus: $250, Pro: $300 per location/month. Discounted pricing for three or more locations, price not listed. Source 1 Source 2 |
| Setup fee | None listed on the Crate pricing page. | Plus: $400 one time. Pro: $450 one time. None listed on Starter. Source |
| Fee on each order | No Crate fee on orders; Square processing is separate. | No transaction fees and no added processing fees; Square processes payments. Source 1 Source 2 |
| Push marketing | Push offers to opted-in customers, included. | Marketing push notifications as a $20/month add-on. Source 1 Source 2 |
| Rewards and gift cards | Crate stamps or points included. Real Square gift cards, once we switch them on, with no Crate fee. | Square Loyalty points and rewards; eGift and physical gift cards. Source |
| Delivery | Pickup orders, sent into Square. | In-store and curbside pickup; delivery listed as coming soon. Source 1 Source 2 |
| Merchant terms | One flat monthly price. | Its site publishes terms for app users, effective 2018, but no merchant subscription terms. Source |
| POS | Square today. Clover is coming soon. | Square. Source |
What your cafe gets with Crate
An app designed around your brand, rewards included with no separate Square Loyalty subscription, and pickup plus shipping of beans and merchandise to US addresses.
Weighing more than two options? See Per Diem alternatives for Square cafes, with prices side by side.
Questions
- How much does PoppinPay cost?
- PoppinPay's pricing page lists Starter at $200, Plus at $250 and Pro at $300 per location per month, with a $400 setup fee on Plus and $450 on Pro, and marketing push notifications as a $20/month add-on. Crate is $80/month for up to five locations with rewards and push offers included.
- Does PoppinPay charge a fee on each order?
- No. Its home page says no transaction fees, and its features page says it adds no processing fees; Square processes the payments. Crate has no fee on orders either. The difference is the subscription: PoppinPay charges per location, Crate charges one price for up to five.
- Is Crate cheaper than PoppinPay?
- Yes on list prices. One location is $80/month on Crate and $200 to $300/month on PoppinPay, plus a setup fee on two of its plans. Three locations are $600/month on PoppinPay Starter before its multi-location discount, and still $80 on Crate.
Sources
Published by Crate from PoppinPay's published information, not a hands-on test. No affiliation or endorsement is implied.
Other comparisons
See Crate with your menu
Your own iOS and Android app with rewards, from your Square or Clover menu, for $80/month.