TL;DR
TouchBistro is a polished iPad-only F&B POS with strong table-management UX. It is iPad-locked, US/CA-priced, and has no SEA aggregator or HĐĐT support. LOOP runs on cheaper Android, in local currency, with native SEA delivery and e-invoice.
LOOP vs TouchBistro: Better iPad POS for SEA Restaurants?
Last updated:
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.
PEKO loyalty: no app download for customers; they snap the receipt to earn points, and it works with the POS you already use. Free up to 300 members.
Choose LOOP if
- ✓You run 2+ outlets and want one operator who can speak commands instead of clicking.
- ✓You want AI demand forecasting per item per hour, 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). PEKO customers get 50% off LOOP POS paid plans.
Choose TouchBistro if
You need TouchBistro-specific capabilities and don't need AI operations.
| Feature | LOOP POS | TouchBistro | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware | Android (₫3–6M devices) | iPad only (~₫12M+) | Not published |
| SEA aggregators | Unified | Not available | Not published |
| AI demand forecasting | Native | Not available | Not published |
| Local payment rails | VietQR/QRIS/PromptPay/DuitNow | Stripe/Square (limited SEA) | Not published |
Not ready to switch POS? Keep TouchBistro and add PEKO
- Receipt Scan loyalty: customers snap the receipt, so it works with TouchBistro without any integration. No app download for customers.
- Group Check-In: every guest at the table joins, not just the payer.
- AI Agent: win-back, birthday and rebooking campaigns from one message.
PEKO is free up to 300 members and works with the POS you already use.
Why teams pick LOOP
- Half the hardware cost of iPad-only.
- Native SEA aggregator + payment + e-invoice.
- AI included on Growth and Business plans.
When neither is right
- You run one outlet with a fixed menu and only need receipts, a free tier from either vendor is enough, and paying for a mid tier changes nothing.
- You need something neither LOOP POS nor TouchBistro publishes support for (full payroll, table timers), buy that tool separately and keep the till simple.
- Your format is still changing, settle the business model first; switching POS twice costs more than waiting.
Frequently asked
- Is TouchBistro available in Vietnam?
- Technically yes (web signup) but with no local support, no HĐĐT and no GrabFood integration, it is rarely adopted in VN F&B.
- Can I keep TouchBistro and still run loyalty?
- Yes. PEKO works alongside TouchBistro with no integration: customers scan the receipt to earn points. LOOP is only needed if you also want a free AI POS.
- Does LOOP include loyalty?
- LOOP handles operations. For loyalty and AI-driven customer retention, PEKO is the sibling product from the same company: no app download for customers, they snap the receipt to earn points, and it works with the POS you already use: LOOP or any other. PEKO is free up to 300 members.
- 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.
Sources
- TouchBistro pricing , checked
- LOOP POS pricing , checked
Disclosure: LOOP POS is our own product. Competitor details come from each vendor's published material on the dates listed; where a vendor publishes nothing the cell reads “not published” and we make no claim.
