What Smile POS does

Smile POS (SmilePos, LLC) is a privately held, founder-led POS and restaurant technology provider that builds cloud-based point-of-sale systems specifically for Thai restaurants operating in the United States. Founded circa 2007 and headquartered in Lynnwood, Washington, the company combines bilingual Thai/English software with purpose-built hardware (the TP6 all-in-one terminal, kitchen and receipt printers, EMV chip readers, biometric time clocks, and pole displays) to serve independent Thai restaurants and small chains across more than 25 US states. The company reports 800+ installed restaurants, of which 500+ also use its payment processing partner Gravity Payments, and positions itself as the #1 Thai-specialist POS vendor in the US.

The core SmilePOS platform handles order entry, multi-language kitchen printing (Thai or English with adjustable fonts and short-phrase templates), menu management with unlimited items and food sets, real-time cloud-based reporting, customer directory with Google Maps–driven delivery routing, table reservations, and split-check/order-modification workflows. The product surface has expanded into adjacent modules: Smile Dining (commission-free direct online ordering), Smile on Table (QR-code table-side ordering), third-party delivery platform aggregation (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub), and physical and e-gift card programs. Revenue is generated primarily from one-time hardware package sales (Package 1 up to 30 seats, Package 2 up to 60 seats, custom builds), payment processing referral/share via Gravity Payments, and ancillary fees from gift card programs; notably, the company charges no monthly or annual software license fees, a deliberate pricing choice for low-margin independent restaurants. Go-to-market is sales-led via bilingual outside representatives who prospect Thai restaurant owners directly, supplemented by community-led engagement (Thai festivals, TGAA golf tournaments, the Smile POS Cup 2025), organic social and YouTube content (Smile Talk series), and a self-serve product website.

Name

Smile POS

Legal name

SmilePos, LLC

Website

https://smilepos.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Smile POS is a cloud-based point-of-sale and restaurant management platform purpose-built for Thai restaurants in the United States, offering bilingual Thai/English software, integrated payment processing with Gravity Payments, and modular add-ons for online ordering, QR-code table service, and gift cards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wausau

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of POS hardware packages including terminals (TP6), receipt printers, kitchen printers, cash drawers, EMV chip readers, and card readers. Packages are customizable based on restaurant size (up to 30 seats, up to 60 seats).
2. Payment Processing/Merchant Services: Integrated payment processing services through partnership with Gravity Payments, supporting all major credit cards including VISA, MASTER, AMEX, DISCOVER, DINNER'S Club, JCB, and contactless payments (Apple, Google, Samsung Pay).
3. Gift Cards: Physical gift cards and e-gift cards for restaurants to increase sales. E-gift cards delivered via email or text, usable as marketing tool on social media.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SmilePOS is a cloud-based point-of-sale system designed specifically for Thai restaurants in the United States, offering Thai/English bilingual interface, multi-language kitchen printing, integrated payment processing, customer directory with Google Maps delivery routing, real-time reporting, table reservations, and employee management. The platform is sold as customizable hardware-plus-software packages and is supplemented by the Smile Dining commission-free online ordering platform, Smile on Table QR code ordering, third-party delivery platform aggregation, gift card and e-gift card programs, and merchant processing through Gravity Payments.

Product overview

SmilePOS is a unified restaurant management ecosystem built specifically for Thai restaurants in the United States. The core offering consists of the SmilePOS point-of-sale system (the central platform handling order entry, kitchen printing, payment processing, customer management, reservations, and real-time reporting), supplemented by multiple integrated modules: Smile Dining (commission-free online ordering), Smile on Table (QR code table-side ordering), Online Order Integration (delivery platform consolidation), Gift Card and E-Gift Card programs, and Merchant Processing services. The system is designed as a bilingual Thai/English solution with hardware components including the TP6 Terminal all-in-one touchscreen, printers, biometric time clocks, and pole displays. The company positions itself as a complete restaurant solution provider rather than just a POS system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Smile Dining: Online ordering platform with no commission fees for restaurants
• Smile on Table
• Gift Card & E-Gift Card

Products and services

• SmilePOS Cloud-based point-of-sale system designed specifically for Thai restaurants in the United States, featuring Thai/English bilingual language support, menu management, order entry, kitchen printing, payment processing, customer directory with Google Maps delivery routing, reservation system, employee management, and real-time reporting accessible from any device.
• Smile Dining Commission-free online ordering platform integrated with SmilePOS that allows customers to order food online directly to the restaurant's POS system with no third-party delivery commissions and includes free website maintenance.
• Smile on Table QR code-based ordering system that allows customers to scan codes at their table using mobile devices to view menus, place orders, and pay without physical menus, receipts, or pens, reducing contact and operational costs.
• Online Order Integration Third-party delivery platform aggregation system that consolidates orders from all major delivery services (DoorDash, UberEats, Grubhub, etc.) into a single SmilePOS terminal automatically, eliminating the need for separate tablets.
• Gift Card Physical gift card program that enables restaurants to increase sales, track purchase and redemption through web reports, features no expiration date, reusable functionality, and reduces gift voucher fraud.
• E-Gift Card Digital gift card delivered via email or text message, serving as an additional marketing channel on social media platforms with purchase and redemption tracking in web reports.
• TP6 Terminal All-in-one touchscreen POS computer built with aluminum construction, 3-year hardware warranty, commercial-grade durability, maximum configurability, and optional wall mounting for space efficiency.
• Biometric Time Clocks Fingerprint scanning hardware that prevents buddy punching among employees, providing efficient and accurate time tracking to protect restaurant profitability.
• Pole Display Customer-facing price display unit that facilitates transactions at over-the-counter, food court, and food truck establishments.
• Merchant Processing Integrated credit card processing service with competitive merchant rates, EMV chip reader connectivity, and PCI compliance coverage coordinated with payment processors, supporting all major credit cards including VISA, MASTER, AMEX, DISCOVER, DINNER'S Club, JCB, and contactless payments (Apple, Google, Samsung Pay).

Quantifiable outcome

• Server errors decreased dramatically after implementing SmilePOS system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gravity PaymentscoreTechnology or IntegrationGravity Payments is the payment processing partner for SmilePOS. Gravity sets up merchant accounts and SmilePOS prepares and installs equipment. The partnership enables SmilePOS to offer integrated credit card processing services to Thai restaurants. Gravity handles the credit card processing while SmilePOS provides the POS hardware and software. Over 500 restaurants use the combined SmilePOS and Gravity Payments services.
• TGAA (Thai Golfers Association in America)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmilePOS has been a major sponsor of the Thai Interstate Golf Tournament for multiple years (50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd, 55th). The tournament brings together Thai community members and Thai restaurant owners, providing brand exposure and relationship building opportunities within the target market.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SpotOn: Restaurant and SMB POS platform combining hardware, software, and integrated payments. Comparable business model and target market segment as SmilePOS.
• Toast: Leading cloud-based restaurant POS platform serving SMB and chain restaurants in the US. Directly comparable to SmilePOS in core POS functionality (order management, payments, kitchen display, online ordering), though Toast serves the broad restaurant market rather than specializing in Thai cuisine.
• TouchBistro: iPad-based POS system purpose-built for restaurants, offering floor plan management, menu management, and payment processing. Direct competitor in the SMB restaurant POS space with a comparable vertical focus.
• Lightspeed Restaurant: Cloud-based POS for full-service and quick-service restaurants with table management, online ordering, and integrated payments. Direct competitor with similar SMB restaurant focus.
• Clover (Fiserv): POS and business management platform from Fiserv serving SMBs including restaurants. Comparable in hardware-plus-software model and integrated payment processing, though broader than restaurant-only.
• Square for Restaurants (Block): Square's restaurant-specific POS offering with integrated payment processing, online ordering, and kitchen tools. Comparable in business model (POS + payments bundle) but targets the general restaurant market.
• Revel Systems: iPad-based POS platform for restaurants with integrated payment processing, inventory, and customer management. Direct competitor in the restaurant POS space.

Others

• Gravity Payments: Payment processor and SmilePOS's strategic partner for merchant services. Included as a peer given the deep integration and mutual customer relationships, though not a direct POS competitor.
• Resy (American Express): Restaurant reservation and guest experience platform owned by American Express. Adjacent rather than direct competitor, but serves the same SMB restaurants with complementary technology.

Broad incumbents

• Aloha by NCR Voyix: Long-established restaurant POS system from NCR serving full-service restaurants and chains. Broader portfolio player with deeper enterprise focus; relevant as a benchmark for restaurant POS capabilities and incumbent scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_myqCMTjYgV8_GVI4Dez5Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmilePOS
• Instagraminstagram.com/smilepos
• Xx.com/prsmilepos

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Smile POS