TL;DR
Qashier has real strengths — clean all-in-one hardware terminals, strong SG/MY presence, and a genuinely free tier for basic retail. But the free tier locks table management, pricing tiers and invoicing behind paid add-ons: a working restaurant setup on Qashier is not free. LOOP is software-first on your existing devices and includes AI operations at the entry tier.
LOOP vs Qashier — Honest 2026 Comparison for SG & MY F&B
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PEKO ecosystem
LOOP runs the venue. PEKO brings the customer back. Two products, one company.
PEKO — the AI customer-retention platform (heypeko.com) from the same company as LOOP. PEKO handles retention; LOOP handles operations.
| LOOP — operations | PEKO — retention |
|---|---|
| Inventory & recipes | Churn prediction |
| Shift & staff management | Automated win-back |
| Table layout | Member portal |
| Kitchen display (KDS) | Loyalty tiers |
| E-invoice (TT78) | Receipt OCR enrolment |
| Aggregator queue (GrabFood / ShopeeFood / Be) |
LOOP and PEKO each work on their own. Run both and the data syncs into one single AI brain, so nothing is entered twice. PEKO is not a POS and does not replace one — it also runs alongside any other POS.
Choose LOOP if
- ✓You run 2+ outlets and want one operator who can speak commands instead of clicking.
- ✓You want AI demand forecasting per daypart (target MAPE 14–22%), not gut-feel.
- ✓You're on SEA payment rails (VietQR, PromptPay, QRIS, DuitNow, PayNow, QR Ph).
- ✓You're already on PEKO loyalty (or planning to) — 50% lifetime LOOP discount.
Choose Qashier if
- →You want a single physical terminal that bundles POS + card reader + printer in one device.
- →SG/MY payment rails (NETS, PayNow, DuitNow, cards) integrated in-hardware matter more than software depth.
- →You are a takeaway or counter-service operator that doesn't need table management or split bills.
- →You already own Qashier terminals and switching hardware is not on the table.
| Feature | LOOP | Qashier |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware & devices | Mobile-native — full POS runs on any iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet you already own. No proprietary terminal. | Terminal-first — Qashier ships and pairs its own all-in-one hardware; no first-party phone app for the full POS. |
| AI voice / text operation | Included — voice or text commands run the outlet | Not available |
| Staff training needed | ~10 minutes — voice-first workflow | Half a day on the terminal UI; dashboard for menu/reports learned separately |
| AI daily brief | Every morning across sales, stock and staffing | Not available |
| AI inventory forecast | 7-day per-SKU forecast | Not available — inventory is stock-take + low-stock alert |
| F&B depth (modifiers, kitchen printing, recipe inventory) | Modifiers + KDS + recipe deduction built-in | Modifiers and kitchen printing yes; full recipe-level inventory requires Pro F&B upgrade |
| Free tier & what it includes | Free tier: full POS + KDS + 50 AI prompts/month for 1 outlet | Free 'Starter' tier is genuine but excludes table management, pricing tiers and invoicing — restaurant-grade config requires paid tiers |
| Real monthly cost for a restaurant | US$0 (Free) or flat per-outlet on Growth/Business | Paid F&B tier + add-ons for tables, invoicing, advanced inventory — the 'free' setup is not the restaurant setup |
| Add-on pricing transparency | Flat per-outlet; AI + aggregators bundled | Modular add-ons per feature; hardware sold separately |
| Setup time (single outlet) | ~10 minutes remote on existing iPad or Sunmi | Hardware-first: terminal must ship and be paired before onboarding — typically 3–7 days |
| Multi-outlet | Central menu, pricing, inventory from Growth up | Supported; strongest as a multi-terminal single-brand setup in SG/MY |
| Loyalty depth | Bundled PEKO — 34% second-visit vs 19% baseline | Basic points/stamps; no closed-loop AI retention layer |
| Retention AI (via PEKO pairing) | PEKO paired: churn scoring + auto win-back | Not offered — pair a 3rd-party CRM |
| Best for | F&B operators who want AI operations at software-first prices | SG/MY takeaway or counter operators who want an all-in-one hardware terminal |
Bottom line
Choose Qashier for a clean hardware terminal bundle with SG/MY payments in-box. Choose LOOP if you're running a real restaurant and want AI operations at the price Qashier reserves for its 'Pro F&B' bundle.
Why teams pick LOOP
- Mobile-native and hardware-agnostic — start from the phone in your pocket, add iPad/Sunmi/Android tablets only where you want them. No terminal bundle.
- Runs on iPad, Sunmi or Android tablets you already own — no hardware order to place.
- AI daily brief, forecast and voice ordering included at Free/Growth, not gated behind Pro tiers.
- PEKO pairing adds AI retention without a hardware or POS switch.
Which one is right for you?
SG/MY takeaway or counter-service
Qashier is a fair pick
The all-in-one terminal with NETS/PayNow/DuitNow in-box is a genuinely tidy answer when you don't need tables, splits or AI ops.
Full-service restaurant with tables and modifiers
Choose LOOP
The restaurant configuration is included, not an upsell — and voice-run service + AI briefs meaningfully reduce daily labour.
Frequently asked
- Is Qashier really free?
- Yes for the Starter tier and basic retail. For a working restaurant — table management, pricing tiers, invoicing and advanced inventory — you move to a paid F&B tier with add-ons, so budget for the real monthly cost, not the free-plan headline.
- Do I have to buy Qashier hardware?
- Practically yes — Qashier is hardware-first. LOOP runs on iPad, Sunmi or Android tablets you already own, which is why setup lands in about 10 minutes.
- Can I keep Qashier and just add PEKO for retention?
- Yes. PEKO integrates with Qashier's customer data via API and adds an AI retention layer, churn scoring and win-back automation without touching the POS.
- Does LOOP include loyalty?
- LOOP handles operations. For AI-driven customer retention, PEKO is the sibling product from the same company — it runs alongside LOOP or alongside any other POS. Together they cover operations and retention.
- Can PEKO handle inventory and staff scheduling?
- No — PEKO is the retention layer. LOOP covers inventory, recipes, shifts, table management and kitchen display in the same ecosystem.