Restaurant POS Software in Nairobi
Tax-ready billing, kitchen tickets, inventory and multi-outlet reports for Nairobi food businesses, with a plain guide to eTIMS invoices and M-Pesa for the register.
Short answer
TasteIQ is a restaurant POS system for Nairobi cafés, restaurants and cloud kitchens. It handles billing, kitchen tickets by station, split bills, inventory and multi-outlet reports on devices you already own. It costs $108 per outlet per year after a 14-day free trial with no card. KRA eTIMS invoice transmission is not published yet, so check how you will issue eTIMS invoices before you choose it.
TasteIQ in Nairobi at a glance
| Price | $108 per outlet per year |
|---|---|
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no card |
| Setup | Remote, about 15 minutes, on devices you already own |
| VAT and eTIMS | eTIMS invoices: KRA requires businesses to generate and transmit invoices through eTIMS, whether or not they are VAT-registered, unless exempted. |
| Licensing bodies | Nairobi City County (unified business permit); KRA (eTIMS) |
| Support | Monday–Saturday, 7:30 AM – 3:30 PM East Africa Time (10:00 AM – 6:00 PM IST), by phone and WhatsApp |
How Nairobi food businesses run, and what that means for a POS
Nairobi eats across very different settings: office-district lunch counters in the CBD and Upper Hill, café and restaurant strips in Westlands, Kilimani and Karen, nyama choma grills, and the busy food streets of Eastleigh. Lunch and after-work peaks are sharp, and traffic can make delivery windows unpredictable.
Mobile money is how most customers pay, so how M-Pesa receipts are matched to bills decides how much reconciliation your staff do at close. A POS that records the payment mode on the bill at least keeps cash, card and mobile money visible in the daily report.
On the tax side, KRA expects invoices to go through eTIMS. That makes the question of how a sale becomes an eTIMS invoice a day-one decision rather than something to sort out at filing time.
Who permits and taxes a Nairobi restaurant
A Nairobi restaurant deals with the county for its business permit and health certificates, and with the Kenya Revenue Authority for tax invoices through eTIMS.
| Where | Who | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Business permit | Nairobi City County (unified business permit) | Consolidates county licences. For food businesses it includes a health certificate and a food hygiene certificate, and it runs for the calendar year. |
| Staff health and food handling | County public health office | Staff who handle food need valid medical and food-handler certificates. Officials announced enforcement in Eastleigh in late 2025, so check whether your area is covered. |
| Tax invoices (eTIMS) | Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) | Businesses generate and transmit invoices through eTIMS. A valid receipt shows the supplier's PIN, a QR code and the total. |
Check the county's e-payment platform for current permit fees and renewal dates, and the KRA site for current eTIMS notices, because both change.
County health and food hygiene certificates, staff medical and food-handler certification, and KRA tax registration are separate, so confirm each with the issuing office. We do not quote fees because they change.
Comparing options? See our pricing.
eTIMS invoices and your till
KRA has required businesses to generate and transmit invoices through eTIMS since September 2023, and later regulations extended the obligation to businesses whether or not they are VAT-registered. Small non-VAT businesses can use the simplified eTIMS Lite platform; other access routes include the portal, client software and system integration.
TasteIQ has not published a KRA eTIMS integration yet. If your till needs to issue eTIMS invoices, use KRA's own eTIMS channels alongside TasteIQ, and ask us for the current status.
M-Pesa at the counter
M-Pesa payments are recorded as a payment mode on the bill, but there is no automatic till or paybill reconciliation yet. If that matters, test how you would reconcile at close in the free trial.
Pick the route that matches your Nairobi outlet
Restaurants and cafés
The full guide: billing, KOT by station, split bills, inventory and multi-outlet reporting.
Hotel F&B
Hotel outlets that want rooms, F&B and channel sync in one system.
Pricing
One flat plan per outlet, with a 14-day free trial.
What you get for $108/yr per outlet
One plan, the same in every city: $108 per outlet per year, after a 14-day free trial, no card. There is no setup fee and no AMC, and no hardware you are required to buy. It runs on Android and iOS phones and tablets, plus Windows and Mac, with standard receipt and kitchen printers.
- Tax-ready invoices with configurable VAT rates and tax-inclusive or tax-exclusive menu pricing
- Service charge as a percentage, set per outlet
- Billing currency set per outlet
- Kitchen order tickets (KOT) by station
- Split bills, modifiers, discounts and table transfers
- Inventory deduction with low-stock alerts
- Daily sales, item and payment-mode reports
- Multi-outlet dashboard with menu sync
- Branded online ordering
How setup works
- Start the free trial. Create your outlet in the app. No card, no setup fee.
- Add your menu. Upload photos of your menu or type items in. AI reads items and prices; you confirm them.
- Connect printers and test. Pair the receipt and kitchen printers you already have and print a test bill and KOT.
- Go live. Train staff on real orders during the trial. Most outlets are billing in about 15 minutes.
Where TasteIQ may not be the right fit
We have not published a KRA eTIMS integration. eTIMS applies to businesses generally, so if you rely on your POS to issue eTIMS invoices, ask us for the current status and use KRA's own eTIMS channels alongside TasteIQ until then.
M-Pesa payments are recorded as a payment mode on the bill, but there is no automatic till or paybill reconciliation yet. If that matters, test how you would reconcile in the free trial.
Orders from delivery apps are entered under the delivery or other order type rather than imported automatically. If automatic import is essential, ask us for the current status and test the exact workflow in the free trial first.
Onboarding is remote, over phone and WhatsApp, on devices you already own. TasteIQ's hardware partner network supplies hardware in India; elsewhere, plan to use devices and printers you already have or buy locally.
Restaurant POS in Nairobi: common questions
KRA requires businesses carrying on business to generate and transmit invoices through eTIMS, whether or not they are VAT-registered, unless exempted. A valid eTIMS receipt shows the supplier's PIN, a QR code and the total.
About this page
Published by TasteIQ (MPYG Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore). We sell restaurant POS software, so read this as a vendor's guide rather than independent advice.
Facts and links last checked on . Tax, licensing and e-invoicing rules change by notification: this page points you to the right office and does not replace its advice or legal advice. If something is out of date, email founders@tasteiq.in and we will correct it.
Sources
Start billing in Nairobi this week
14-day free trial, no card. Live in about 15 minutes. Keep the hardware you already own.
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