Hardware

Bring your own tablet.
No proprietary lock-in.

Tavo runs in a browser on a standard tablet and works with off-the-shelf Epson, Star, and Valor hardware — so you're not forced to buy an expensive, locked-down system.

Card data stays on the certified Valor terminal — never on Tavo. That keeps your PCI scope small and your customers' cards safe.
Start here

Starter kit — every merchant

A single, reliable checkout station. Roughly $700–1,000 plus your payment terminal.

📱

Tablet

iPad (10th gen, ~$350) for best reliability, or a mid-range Android tablet to go cheaper. Runs the Tavo register in the browser. Reuse one you already own to start near $0.

💳

Valor payment terminal

VL100 countertop for a fixed counter, or VL500 Android handheld for table service. Chip + tap, PCI-certified, talks directly to Tavo. Supplied by your processor — often bundled or low-cost.

🧾

Receipt printer

Epson TM-m30III (~$250) — charges the tablet and provides wired network over one cable. Star TSP143IV is a great alternative.

💵

Cash drawer

Any printer-driven drawer (APG or generic, ~$100–130). Plugs straight into the receipt printer.

🧱

Tablet stand

A locking stand or enclosure (~$60–120) keeps the tablet secure and swivels to the customer.

📶

Networking

A solid router; hardwire the printer and terminal where possible. Keep a phone hotspot as backup — Tavo rings up sales offline, but card auth needs internet.

Restaurants

Kitchen & service add-ons

  • Kitchen printer — an impact printer (Epson TM-U220) holds up better than thermal in hot, greasy kitchens.
  • Kitchen display (KDS) — skip paper and run Tavo's live kitchen screen on a cheap Android tablet or monitor.
  • Customer-facing display — a second inexpensive tablet shows the order, tip prompt, and approval.
Retail

Shop add-ons

  • Barcode scanner — a 2D USB/Bluetooth scanner (Zebra DS2208 ~$60, or a budget Tera/Inateck ~$30) works with Tavo's retail register.
  • Label printer — optional, for shelf and product labels.
  • Scale — selling by weight works via manual entry today (direct scale integration is on the roadmap).
Two rules of thumb

Keep it simple

🎯

Standardize on one printer model

Pick a single receipt printer across your locations so setup and support stay simple.

💸

Reuse the tablet

Most merchants already have an iPad or Android tablet. Starting there drops the upfront cost close to zero.

Not sure what you need?

Tell us about your business and we'll spec the exact kit for you.

Get a hardware recommendation See pricing

Models and prices are typical 2026 figures and may change — confirm current pricing with the retailer and your payment processor. The Valor terminal is supplied through the processor you board with.