Toast vs. SpotOn vs. National Business Systems: Why Seattle Restaurants Are Choosing Local Over National POS Giants
Seattle and Puget Sound restaurant operators are some of the most resilient in the country. They navigate high labor costs, strict regulations, and intense competition — all while trying to deliver unforgettable dining experiences. What they shouldn’t have to navigate is a POS provider quietly raising fees once they’re locked in.
Yet that’s exactly what many restaurants experience with national POS companies like Toast and SpotOn.
National Business Systems (NBS) offers a fundamentally different model — one built on transparency, local accountability, and long-term partnership. Here’s how the three stack up, especially when it comes to the issue hurting restaurants most: credit card processing rate hikes.
1. Credit Card Processing Rates: The Silent Profit Center
Toast
Toast has become widely known for raising credit card processing rates after restaurants are fully onboarded. Operators across the PNW report the same pattern:
- Rates start competitive
- Then they increase — sometimes multiple times
- Restaurants have no ability to negotiate
- And no way to stop the increases
Why? Because Toast controls both the POS and the payment processing. Once a restaurant is locked into their ecosystem, Toast can adjust rates at will. And because the contract ties hardware, software, and processing together, restaurants can’t opt out without paying steep penalties or replacing their entire system.
In other words: once you’re in, you’re stuck — and Toast knows it.
SpotOn
SpotOn also uses processing as a major revenue driver. While their increases may be less publicized, operators still report:
- Variable processing rates
- Sudden changes in monthly fees
- Limited transparency about how rates are calculated
SpotOn’s model still ties restaurants to long-term agreements that make switching costly and disruptive.
National Business Systems
NBS takes the opposite approach:
- Transparent, stable processing rates
- No surprise increases
- No forced processing contracts
- No “gotcha” clauses that trap restaurants
Restaurants stay with NBS because they’re supported — not because they’re locked into a payment contract they can’t escape.
2. Support: Local Accountability vs. National Call Centers
Toast
- Remote-only support
- Long wait times during peak hours
- No local technicians to show up when hardware fails
SpotOn
- Mix of remote support and limited field reps
- Hardware issues often require shipping equipment back and forth
National Business Systems
- Local, on-site technicians across Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Everett, and the entire Puget Sound
- Fast response times
- Real relationships with operators
When your kitchen printer dies at 6 p.m. on a Friday, a call center isn’t going to save your dinner rush. NBS will.
3. Contracts and Flexibility
Toast
- Long-term contracts
- Auto-renewal clauses
- Early termination fees
- Hardware and software tightly bundled
This is why restaurants can’t stop Toast from raising rates — the contract structure gives them all the leverage.
SpotOn
- Multi-year agreements
- Early termination penalties
- Bundled features that make switching difficult
National Business Systems
- Flexible agreements
- No predatory contract terms
- No forced processing
- No penalties designed to trap restaurants
Freedom matters — especially in a market as dynamic as Seattle.
4. Understanding the PNW Restaurant Landscape
Toast & SpotOn
- National companies with national priorities
- Limited understanding of Washington labor laws, Seattle service models, or local compliance requirements
- One-size-fits-all approach
National Business Systems
- 40+ years serving the Pacific Northwest
- Deep knowledge of local regulations and workflows
- Systems configured correctly the first time
Local expertise isn’t a bonus — it’s essential.
5. Long-Term Partnership vs. Short-Term Revenue
Toast & SpotOn
- Venture-backed
- Growth-driven
- Dependent on increasing processing revenue
National Business Systems
- Family-owned
- Community-rooted
- Focused on long-term relationships, not squeezing merchants
Seattle restaurants value partners who show up, stand behind their pricing, and treat them like neighbors. That’s NBS.
The Bottom Line: Seattle Restaurants Deserve Better Than Rate Hikes They Can’t Stop
Toast and SpotOn offer slick marketing and national branding — but their business models rely on locking restaurants into long-term contracts and raising rates once switching becomes too painful.
National Business Systems offers something fundamentally different:
- Transparent, stable pricing
- No forced processing
- Local accountability
- Real relationships
- A team that shows up when you need them
In a region built on independent restaurants, creativity, and community, NBS is the POS partner that reflects those values — not exploits them.
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