Shisu vs Clover

Shisu vs Clover: one clear bill, or a reseller's mystery?

Clover is sold through banks and resellers, so your rate, your contract, and your support depend on the dealer you signed with — often a 3–4 year lock-in, stacked junk fees, and hardware locked to your processor. Shisu is one published price, no contracts, with AI staff built in.

The short version

Why restaurants pick Shisu over Clover

Published price vs reseller roulette. Shisu's rates are the same for everyone; Clover's are whatever your dealer decides — two restaurants can pay very different rates for the same Station.
No 3–4 year lock-in, no junk fees. No contracts, vs Clover contracts where leaving early means paying the remaining balance — plus PCI, statement, and per-terminal fees that quietly stack.
AI staff, not an app store. Clover bundles online ordering, but KDS, loyalty and marketing are paid third-party apps — and there's no native AI. Shisu builds in an AI host, shift coverage, hiring and inventory.
Line by line

Shisu vs Clover, in full

Every figure is real and public. Clover terms vary by reseller.

Best valueShisu$0–$299/mo Clover$60–$90+/mo
Pricing & fees
Plans & monthly software$0 · $129 · $299Starter · Growth · Autopilot~$60 · ~$90+Counter · Table Service, +$15/device
Free $0 plan to startno free tier
Pricing you can read without a sales callsame for everyoneReseller-setvaries by dealer
Card-present ratefrom 2.2% + 15¢2.3–2.6% + 10¢+ reseller markup
Online / keyed ratefrom 2.9% + 30¢3.5% + 10¢
Hidden monthly feesNonePCI + statement + per-terminal
Contract & lock-in
TermNo contract3–4 years
Early-termination feeNoneRemaining balance
Hardware locked to your processorNo lock-inCan brick if you leave
Free on-site setup & menu buildwe fly out, freeReseller-dependent
Hardware
Counter terminal$500financing available$1,799–$1,899Station Solo / Duo
Compact terminal / handheld$375$699–$849Flex / Mini
Kitchen display (KDS)$250 oncePaid app + hardware
Self-order kiosk$700$3,499
Who you buy fromDirect, one priceBanks & resellersthousands of agents
Restaurant-grade POS
Coursing, floor plans & check splittingTable Service plan
Native reservations & waitlistvia App Market
Self-order kiosks & offline mode
Online ordering, marketing & team
Your own website + online orderingincludedincluded in restaurant plans
Loyalty + email & SMS marketingincluded on GrowthPaid apps
Scheduling, timekeeping & payrollpayroll $25–39 + $5–8/empPaid / third-party apps
New-hire onboarding & careers page
Inventory & multi-locationvia apps
AI that runs the shift Only on Shisu
AI phone host books tables & cateringthird-party apps only
Multilingual voice Chinese · Spanish · English
AI shift coverage
AI inventory & auto-ordering
AI hiring & screening
AI staff training
AI Google review response
All AI working together across the whole shift
Shows its work full audit trail
Support & language
24/7 supportevery planReseller-dependent
Chinese-language supportvoice + menus
Book a Demo

Clover pricing and terms vary by reseller; compiled from clover.com and public reviews (Merchant Maverick, CardPaymentOptions, KoronaPOS) as of June 2026 and subject to change — confirm with your dealer.

The three that matter

Where the gap is widest

Who you're buying from

Same hardware, wildly different rates

Clover is Fiserv hardware resold by thousands of merchant-services agents. Two restaurants can pay very different rates for the same Station. Shisu sells direct — one price, for everyone.

The fine print

Junk fees on a 4-year lock

Clover bills commonly add PCI, statement, and extra-terminal fees that quietly stack $100–$200/mo, on a 3–4 year contract where leaving means paying the balance. Shisu's bill is the plan plus the add-ons you switched on — nothing else.

What you get on top

Cheaper hardware, plus AI staff

A Clover Station Duo runs ~$1,899 and KDS, loyalty and marketing are paid apps. Shisu Terminal is $500 with financing — and you get an AI host, shift coverage, hiring and training that Clover's app market can't match.

Shisu vs Clover, answered

Clover is Fiserv hardware sold through banks and thousands of independent resellers, each of whom sets your rate, contract, and fees. Two restaurants with the same Station can pay very different prices. Shisu sells direct, with one published rate for everyone.
Clover is usually sold on a 3–4 year processing agreement with auto-renewal; leaving early typically means paying the remaining balance. Shisu has no contract and no termination fee.
Beyond the monthly plan, Clover bills commonly include PCI compliance, statement, per-terminal, and gateway fees — and rates can rise on 30 days' notice. Shisu's bill is the plan plus the add-ons you turned on, nothing else.
Often yes — Clover hardware is frequently provisioned and locked to the processor that sold it, so switching can mean buying new equipment. Shisu Terminal is $500 with financing and isn't tied to a contract.
No native AI — any AI phone or automation comes from paid third-party apps in the Clover App Market. Shisu builds in an AI phone host, shift coverage, hiring, inventory and review response that work together and show their work.
Clover has a huge third-party app marketplace, a durable hardware lineup, and is sold by local banks everywhere — so you can often get running fast through a relationship you already have, and online ordering is bundled. If you'd rather have transparent, direct pricing and AI staff than an app store and a reseller, Shisu is the better home.
Where Clover is strong

Clover has a huge third-party app marketplace, a durable hardware lineup, and is sold by local banks everywhere, so you can often get running fast through a relationship you already have — and online ordering is bundled into restaurant plans. If you'd rather have transparent pricing, no reseller in the middle, and AI staff than an app store, Shisu is the better home.

See Shisu run a shift
on your real numbers.

People and AI, working the same shift.