Think of KioskBuddy as a "bring your own hardware" concept. You're free to customize your self-serve kiosk setup until it's perfect for your business's operations. We don't sell any equipment directly at KioskBuddy, but this guide contains a list of recommendations to help you get started.
To turn your tablet into a kiosk, you'll need, well... a tablet!
Right now, we’re compatible with the following 10.2" and 10.5" iPads, including:
iPad (9th generation 2021)
iPad (8th generation 2020)
iPad (7th generation 2019)
iPad Air (3rd generation 2019)
iPad Pro 10.5”
If you serve between 0 to 400 customers per day, we recommend 1 tablet. If you serve between 500 to 3,000, we recommend 1 or 2 tablets. Anything over 3,000 daily customers we recommend 3+ tablets.
Depending on your business's setup, you may need to pass the customer's order to someone in the kitchen, bar, or back room. You can do this digitally via a kitchen display system (KDS) or physically via a receipt printer. You can connect KioskBuddy to as many printers or KDS screens as you want. It all depends on your setup!
We work with the following Star Micronics brand printers:
TSP100III (thermal printer)
SP700 (impact printer)
TSP100IIIB - This is a Bluetooth model (aka TSP143III)
TSP100IIILAN - This is an Ethernet model (aka TSP143III)
TSP100B - This is a Bluetooth model (aka TSP100 - note: this is the older version of the above models)
TSP143IVUW SK - This is a USB and WLAN sticky label printer model (aka TSP143IV SK)
SP700LAN - This is an Ethernet model (aka SP742)
MC-Print3 - This is an Ethernet and Bluetooth combo model (aka MCP31)
TSP654IISK - This is an Ethernet model specifically designed for sticky paper (labels)
If you’d like to connect a USB printer, you can do this by sending your orders to Square POS. There are just a couple extra steps you’ll have to follow, which we outline in this article.
KioskBuddy has its own in-house KDS included with your subscription. To use KioskBuddy KDS, you’ll just need a second iPad for the kitchen and to download the KioskBuddy app. Once you sign in, you’ll simply press “START KDS MODE” in the top left corner of the screen. From here, you can mark orders as complete or text customers when their orders are ready.
To learn more about KioskBuddy KDS, you can checkout this article.
We also integrate with Square KDS and Fresh KDS. These are third-party kitchen display systems from other companies.
KioskBuddy is compatible with the Square Stand and the Square Reader. You'll need this to take credit card payments from customers.
You can also use the cheaper magstripe readers from Square that connect via the audio or power jack, but we recommend a more permanent solution like the Square Stand or Square Reader. Magstripe readers can be inconsistent when swiping cards and can easily be removed from the device.
If you want a more secure option, we’d suggest picking up the Square Stand with VESA Mount (also called Square Kiosk). It has multiple mounting configurations including a free-standing floor stand.
If you have a Square Card Reader or prefer a different option, check out these alternative stands.
Still deciding how you'd like to mount your kiosk? No problem! Check out our customer stories, here or our Instagram account.
If you're a farm, grocery, or candy store, or maybe even a self-serve salad bar, you might want your customers to weigh items at check out for pricing. We currently offer a direct integration with Star Micronics Weight Scales, specifically the following that can be found on this page. Once you purchase a scale, the set up is super simple. Just follow the instructions here.
If you'd like to provide your customers a way to scan barcodes to quickly add items to their cart, that's possible - no additional equipment is required for this one! While we don't yet work with physical barcode scanners, your customers are able to scan items using the front facing camera on your iPad. Here’s a step-by-step article on how to enable barcode scanning.