Reviews

Toast Payroll Review 2025: Restaurant-Specific Payroll & HR Solution for Tip Management

Rajat Chauhan
Published By
Rajat Chauhan
Updated Jun 19, 2025 4 min read
Toast Payroll Review 2025: Restaurant-Specific Payroll & HR Solution for Tip Management

Toast Payroll is an integrated payroll and team management platform designed exclusively for the hospitality industry. Built to complement the Toast POS ecosystem, it streamlines everything from tip tracking and wage calculations to employee onboarding and compliance, helping restaurants reduce admin time and simplify labor law adherence.

How Does Toast Payroll Streamline Restaurant Payroll?

Toast Payroll’s unique features include:

  • Seamless POS Integration:
    • Syncs directly with Toast POS, pulling in employee hours, overtime, tip distributions, and shift data—eliminating manual uploads and reducing payroll errors by over 90%.
  • Fast Payroll Processing:
    • Most operators can run payroll in under 10 minutes, with automatic calculations for gross wages, tip adjustments, and tax obligations.
  • Restaurant Scheduling & Shift Management:
    • Drag-and-drop shift planning, auto-scheduling, overtime warnings, and real-time POS syncing—reducing schedule creation time by 30–40%.
  • Employee Onboarding & Documentation:
    • Digital onboarding, e-signatures, secure document uploads, and background check integration—all stored in a central HR vault.
  • HR Compliance & Resources:
    • Custom handbooks, compliance checklists, time-off tracking, and termination protocols—all designed for restaurant labor laws.

What Is Toast Payroll’s Pricing for 2025?

Cost TypePrice
Base Platform$69/month (Toast POS required)
Per Employee Fee$9/month per active employee

Includes: Payroll, onboarding, scheduling, and compliance tracking.
Mobile access: Supported via browser, with self-service tools for staff.

Toast Payroll Pricing

Step-by-Step: Running Payroll and Managing Teams

Scenario: A mid-sized bistro automates payroll and scheduling.

1- Onboard Employees:

  • New hires complete digital forms and upload documents.

2- Schedule Shifts:

  • Use drag-and-drop scheduling or auto-schedule based on demand.

3- Track Time and Tips:

  • Employees clock in/out via Toast POS; tips and hours sync automatically.

4- Run Payroll:

  • Toast calculates wages, tips, and taxes—run payroll in under 10 minutes.

5- Compliance and Reporting:

  • Generate payroll tax filings and access real-time analytics.

Real-World Success Stories: Time Savings and Error Reduction

Restaurants using Toast Payroll have reported impressive operational improvements:

Restaurant/CaseTime SavingsError ReductionKey Features Used
Quick-Service ChainPayroll time cut from 45 to 12 minutesEliminated manual errorsAutomated payroll, tip tracking
Mid-Sized Bistro30% time saved on schedulingReduced payroll disputesPOS-synced timesheets, scheduling
The Crack Shack (QSR)Saved 100+ hours/month on tip managementZero payroll errorsAutomated tip reconciliation

Key Takeaway: Automation of payroll, scheduling, and tip tracking through seamless POS integration reduces administrative workload dramatically while minimizing costly payroll errors. This enables restaurant managers to focus more on team development and guest experience.

What Users Love About Toast Payroll

“Toast Payroll makes payroll and HR management so much simpler and easier. I love how intuitive it is and the customer support is always available when I need them. An investment, but worth every penny.” — Capterra review

“We reduced the time spent on payroll runs by up to 60 percent. In addition, we streamlined onboarding and eliminated paperwork so our front-line managers can focus on developing their teams and delivering a great guest experience.” — Protein Bar & Kitchen

See the review given by Hengam Stanfield- Co-Founder of Mattenga Pizzeria

Pro Tips & Advanced Hacks

  • Use Auto-Scheduling:
    • Save time by letting Toast suggest schedules based on demand and availability.
  • Leverage Digital Onboarding:
    • Reduce paperwork and errors with digital forms and secure document storage.
  • Monitor Compliance Alerts:
    • Stay ahead of labor law changes with built-in checklists and alerts.

Toast Payroll vs. Gusto vs. Square Payroll

Feature / ToolToast PayrollGustoSquare Payroll
Industry FocusRestaurants with tip trackingSmall to mid-size businessesSmall businesses using Square
POS IntegrationNative Toast POS syncThird-party POS connectorsNative with Square POS
Tip ReportingYes — directly from POSManual entry or add-on appsYes, limited
Onboarding FeaturesBuilt-in digital onboardingFull HR suiteBasic
Scheduling ToolsBuilt-in for restaurantsVia integration onlyThird-party required
Pricing (2025)$69 base + $9/user$40 base + $6/user$35 base + $5/user

Security & Compliance

  • SOC 2-compliant infrastructure
  • Two-factor authentication
  • End-to-end encryption for payroll and tax data
  • Audit trails and permission-level access controls
  • Labor law compliance by state/region

Recent Updates & What’s Next

  • Expanded Benefits Support (Coming Q3 2025):
    • Enhanced support for employee benefits management.
  • Ongoing Compliance Updates:
    • Regular updates to keep up with changing labor laws.

Get free demo now

Visual Resources & Further Reading:

  1. Toast Payroll Official Site
  2. User Reviews on Capterra
  3. Case Study: Protein Bar & Kitchen
Rajat Chauhan

Rajat Chauhan

Msc Machine Learning in Science UoN | Founder rainaiservices.com