Software solution

Square Kitchen Display System

Keep every order visible from prep to handoff

Square Kitchen Display System gives a restaurant’s back of house a live, digital view of incoming orders instead of relying on paper tickets. It can receive orders from Square Point of Sale, Square Online, Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, and supported third-party ordering and delivery platforms, then route work to prep or expeditor stations.

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Built for your day-to-day

How it fits your business

Teams can tune ticket layouts, columns, text size, timers, sounds, modifier colors, sorting, and staggered prep times around the way their kitchen actually works. It is a practical fit for quick-service restaurants, food trucks, bakeries, bars with food service, and multi-station kitchens that need clearer handoffs during rushes.

Key capabilities

What you can do

One live queue for every order source
Bring orders from Square POS, Square Online, Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, and connected third-party ordering or delivery platforms into the kitchen workflow, so staff are not switching between separate ticket streams.
Separate prep and expeditor work
Create Prep stations for focused production and Expo stations for final assembly and handoff. Completion can be synchronized across stations or limited to the device where the action was taken, which is useful when grill and garnish teams work independently.
Make rush priorities obvious
Use ticket timers, yellow and red alerts, configurable sounds, ticket layouts, four-to-ten-column views, text sizing, and modifier colors to make urgent or highly customized orders easier to spot in a loud kitchen.
Coordinate item timing and counts
Staggered item prep times can release items according to their catalog prep times, while All Day counts show the quantity of each item across open orders. Separate fired and held counts are available when the kitchen needs that distinction.
See how the kitchen is performing
Square describes performance reporting and prep-time insights that can help an operator identify slow stations and adjust the process after service, rather than relying only on anecdotal feedback.

Explore the details

Product details

Plans, subscription, and setup

Square KDS is an add-on priced per device. The current U.S. pricing page lists $30 per month per KDS device with Square Plus and $20 per month per device with Square Premium; Square KDS is not available on Square Free. Square’s support article also describes access for Square for Restaurants Plus and Premium subscribers, Square KDS subscribers, or Plus/Premium sellers who add advanced restaurant capabilities, so the exact account path should be confirmed in Dashboard before purchase. Setup uses a Dashboard device code, a Prep or Expeditor assignment, and the Square KDS app from Google Play.

Android hardware and kitchen environment

Square’s prioritized devices include MicroTouch displays in 10.1-inch, 15.6-inch, and 21.5-inch sizes plus a VESA mount. For another Android device, Square recommends at least 3 GB of RAM, Google Play Store enabled, and Android 9 or newer, but does not guarantee how KDS will appear and prioritizes bug support for the listed devices. Kitchen-grade displays are recommended for grease or heat. The listed 21.5-inch touchscreen is Wi-Fi/LAN enabled, runs Android 13 with GMS, does not support cellular connectivity, and ships without a mount.

Important migration and workflow limits

Square KDS is currently Android-operated. Sellers using KDS on iPads must migrate hardware and software to continue access. Staggered prep timing depends on prep times being set in the item catalog, and those item prep times do not sync across devices. An optional arm mount or appropriately rated 100 x 100 mm VESA mount is separate from the 21.5-inch display.

Plan details

Pricing, fees & eligibility

Explore pricing

U.S. Square KDS software is billed per device in addition to the Square plan: $30 per month per device with Square Plus or $20 per month per device with Square Premium. The current listed 21.5-inch Square KDS touchscreen is $899.00 one-time, with an optional $99.00 wall mount. Square Plus and Premium also have their own per-location monthly fees and payment-processing rates; KDS does not eliminate those charges.

Upfront hardware (USD)$899

Monthly software (USD)$20

Fees & eligibility

Square KDS app on Square Plus
Current U.S. restaurant pricing page; paid Square Plus plan required and not available on Square Free.
$30/month per KDS device
Square KDS app on Square Premium
Current U.S. restaurant pricing page; paid Square Premium plan required and not available on Square Free.
$20/month per KDS device
21.5-inch Square KDS touchscreen
Current U.S. Square Shop list price; mount sold separately.
$899 one-time
Optional wall mount
Current U.S. Square Shop add-on price for the compatible wall mount.
$99 one-time
In-person card processing on Square Plus
Applies to tap, dip, or swipe card-present payments on the Square Plus plan; not a KDS fee.
2.5% + 15¢ per payment
In-person card processing on Square Premium
Applies to tap, dip, or swipe card-present payments on the Square Premium plan; not a KDS fee.
2.4% + 15¢ per payment

Requirements

A U.S. Square account with Square Plus or Square Premium, or an eligible Square for Restaurants subscription/advanced restaurant capability path; Square Free does not support KDS.
One additional KDS app subscription fee for each KDS device.
An Android device with Google Play Store enabled; Square recommends Android 9 or newer and at least 3 GB RAM.
Internet connectivity through Wi-Fi or LAN; the listed 21.5-inch display does not support cellular connectivity.
A Google Play installation of the Square KDS app and a Dashboard-generated KDS device code.
A suitable VESA-compatible mount or optional wall mount if the display will be mounted.

Pricing and availability were checked against official Square U.S. pages on 2026-10-27 and can change.

Square’s current U.S. pages show Plus and Premium KDS pricing; an older 2021 U.S. press page describes historical standalone and unlimited-device terms that should not be used as current pricing.

Square does not guarantee the KDS display quality on unlisted Android hardware and prioritizes bug support for its listed devices.

Sellers using KDS on iPad must migrate to Android to continue access.

The $899 hardware figure is the one-time list price for the 21.5-inch display, not a complete installed kitchen system; mount, taxes, delivery choices, and any financing qualification are separate.

Processing rates are plan- and payment-method-specific. The rates shown here are official published U.S. examples for card-present payments and are not a promise of every seller’s negotiated or custom pricing.

No image is marked approved because no marketing-use license evidence was established from the official product pages.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I use Square KDS with an iPad?

Square’s current setup documentation says KDS is Android-operated and that sellers currently using KDS on iPads need to migrate their hardware and software to continue access. For the best-supported path, use one of Square’s listed Android kitchen displays or an Android device meeting the stated minimums.

What does a small restaurant need to budget for one KDS station?

At the current U.S. list prices, budget $20 per month for the KDS app on Square Premium or $30 per month on Square Plus, plus the underlying plan and payment-processing costs. A listed 21.5-inch Square KDS touchscreen is $899 before any separate mount, tax, shipping choice, or financing qualification.

Can KDS show online and delivery orders as well as POS orders?

Yes. Square says KDS can connect with Square Point of Sale, Square Online, Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail, and third-party ordering and delivery platforms. The exact third-party connection and routing behavior depends on the supported integration and the seller’s account setup.

Sources & product information

Information as of 2026-10-27. Product details date: 2026-10-27.

Ready when you are

Talk through the options for your business.

Contact Sales Create Free Account

Keep every order visible from prep to handoff

How it fits your business

What you can do

One live queue for every order source

Separate prep and expeditor work

Make rush priorities obvious

Coordinate item timing and counts

See how the kitchen is performing

Product details

Plans, subscription, and setup

Android hardware and kitchen environment

Important migration and workflow limits

Pricing, fees & eligibility

Fees & eligibility

Requirements

Frequently asked questions

Explore related solutions

Recommended hardware

Accessories — Kitchen Displays

Accessories — Networking

Accessories — Stands, Docks, and Mounting

Related software

Square Restaurant POS

Square Point of Sale

Square Online Ordering

Square Payments

Related business types

Quick Service

Full Service

Bars & Breweries

Food Trucks

Bakeries

Coffee Shops

Pizzeria

Talk through the options for your business.