Lightspeed lets guests pay from a QR code on the printed check

Based on Lightspeed's Oct. 22 announcement, its help articles and its restaurant pricing and payments pages. Details as of Nov. 5, 2026.

What happened

Lightspeed, which makes point-of-sale (POS) systems for restaurants and retailers, announced changes to two ways restaurant guests pay on Oct. 22, in a product announcement:

• Scan to Pay. Guests scan a QR code (the square code a phone camera reads) printed on their check, then view the bill, split it, add a tip and pay from their own phone.
• Pay at Table. A new version of Lightspeed's Pay at Table app lets servers pull up checks, split bills and take payment at the table on Lightspeed Payments Smart Terminals. Lightspeed says it is "currently in Beta."

Scan to Pay isn't brand-new. Lightspeed listed it as new in its August 2026 release notes for Lightspeed Restaurant (K-Series). The Oct. 22 announcement calls both features "enhancements."

Why it matters to you

Picture a six-top on a Saturday that wants six separate payments. Splitting the check, running six cards and walking the terminal back and forth all take server time while the next party waits. Both features aim at that moment: one puts the split on the guests' phones, the other puts it on a terminal at the table.

How Scan to Pay works

According to Lightspeed's Scan to Pay help article:

• What the guest does. The guest scans the code on the printed check and taps to pay the full bill, or to split it by picking the items they had or entering an amount. No payment terminal or app download is needed.
• Splits. "Only one payment is processed at a time." If the balance changes while a guest is paying, that guest sees the updated amount before going on. At a six-top, guests can each pay their share from their own phones, one payment after another.
• Tips. Guests can add a tip. Tips go to the staff member assigned to the table.
• Fees on the bill. Any service charge or discount on the bill shows before the guest pays.
• Closing out. Once the bill is paid in full, the table closes on its own, and the POS gets a notice that the table is settled.
• Receipts. Guests can get an emailed receipt for the full bill only. Receipts for partial payments "aren't supported at this time."
• Payment methods. Card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and other methods, depending on your region.
• If the internet drops. "If the POS is offline, the payment can't be completed," and the guest sees an error.

Lightspeed says tables turn over faster because guests pay when they're ready, and that "built-in tip prompts encourage higher tips." Those are Lightspeed's claims; the help article doesn't publish data behind them.

What you need for Scan to Pay

• A Lightspeed Payments account.
• QR codes turned on for printed checks, a setting in the Back Office, then a reload of POS devices.
• An order started in Table Service mode.

You don't need Lightspeed's Order Anywhere ordering or separate table QR codes, the help article says.

How the new Pay at Table works

According to Lightspeed's Pay at Table 2.0 help article:

• It's a beta you ask for. Pay at Table 2.0 "must be enabled by your account manager."
• What you need. A Lightspeed Payments account, version 26.32 or newer of the Lightspeed Restaurant app, a Smart Terminal or Smart Terminal with Printer, and a stable internet connection for the main POS.
• Splits. On the terminal, a server can split a check equally or by custom amounts, then hand the terminal to each guest in turn to tip and pay. Lightspeed recommends splitting at the POS, by seat or by cover, "for the most customization."
• Finding the check. Servers pick the table from a list, search for it, or scan the QR code on the guest's check.
• Old and new. The older Pay at Table app and version 2.0 run separately, so a restaurant can test the new one with part of its staff.
• Connection. Terminals can take payments over a cellular network when Wi-Fi is down. The main POS still needs a stable Ethernet or Wi-Fi connection.

Lightspeed's restaurant payments page lists a different terminal, the Verifone V400m, in its Pay at Table FAQ. Ask Lightspeed which terminal applies to your account.

What it costs

Lightspeed doesn't list a separate charge for Scan to Pay or Pay at Table on its restaurant pricing page, as of Nov. 5, 2026. The page doesn't publish a card-processing rate either. It shows integrated payments as "Default" on its Starter plan and "Custom" on its Essential and Premium plans. Both features need Lightspeed Payments, so the processing rate in your Lightspeed agreement is the number to check.

What else Lightspeed announced

The same announcement included an 8-inch customer-facing display with built-in payments, "currently available to select Lightspeed customers," and Reserve with Google for Lightspeed Reservations, which lets guests book from Google Search and Maps.

What Lightspeed says

"Businesses don't need more disconnected tools, they need technology that turns complexity into clear business value," Dax Dasilva, Lightspeed's founder and CEO, said in the announcement.

Questions to ask Lightspeed

1. What's my processing rate on Scan to Pay and Pay at Table payments?
2. Is Scan to Pay available in my country, and which payment methods will my guests see?
3. Can I get into the Pay at Table 2.0 beta, and which terminal do I need?
4. How do partial-payment receipts work for guests who need one for expenses?

Details may change; we'll update this piece as Lightspeed updates its pages.