What can come over from Lightspeed
Every restaurant is different, so treat this as a planning map, not a promise. Where a row says “Confirm with your rep,” we could not verify it on a primary Shift4 source.
| What | How it usually moves | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Menu items and prices | Export, then import | Export from the old system, review it, and load it through Shift4 menu programming. Expect a review pass. |
| Modifiers (add-ons and choices) | Export, then import | Export from the old system, review it, and load it through Shift4 menu programming. Expect a review pass. |
| Employees, jobs, and permissions | Rebuild by hand | Jobs, pay rates, and permissions are entered from your records. PINs move through a secure method. Nobody gets broader access than you approve. |
| Customer records | Confirm with your rep | Customer data moves only with your consent and a scope you approve. Ask your rep what can be loaded. |
| Gift card balances | Confirm with your rep | Balances are money you still owe customers. Export the balance report and ask your rep whether and how they carry over. |
| Loyalty points | Confirm with your rep | Points programs rarely map one for one. Decide how existing points are honored and confirm what can move. |
| Reporting history | Export and keep a copy | Past sales and tax reports stay with the old system. Export the ones you need for taxes and audits. |
Menu items and prices
Export, then import
Export from the old system, review it, and load it through Shift4 menu programming. Expect a review pass.
Modifiers (add-ons and choices)
Export, then import
Export from the old system, review it, and load it through Shift4 menu programming. Expect a review pass.
Employees, jobs, and permissions
Rebuild by hand
Jobs, pay rates, and permissions are entered from your records. PINs move through a secure method. Nobody gets broader access than you approve.
Customer records
Confirm with your rep
Customer data moves only with your consent and a scope you approve. Ask your rep what can be loaded.
Gift card balances
Confirm with your rep
Balances are money you still owe customers. Export the balance report and ask your rep whether and how they carry over.
Loyalty points
Confirm with your rep
Points programs rarely map one for one. Decide how existing points are honored and confirm what can move.
Reporting history
Export and keep a copy
Past sales and tax reports stay with the old system. Export the ones you need for taxes and audits.
What to gather before you switch
- Your contract end date and any early termination fee in the current agreement
- A recent processing statement (the monthly bill from your card processor)
- Who owns the hardware: bought outright, leased, or financed, and what happens to it if you leave
- Every integration in use: accounting, payroll, reservations, delivery apps, and loyalty
- Your online ordering setup and the web addresses customers use today
- Gift card liability: the total balance customers still hold, and how it is tracked
- Which Lightspeed product you use (restaurant or retail) and which add-ons you pay for
- Any inventory or recipe data you want to keep tracking
Typical timeline from Lightspeed (planning estimate, varies by setup)
Step 1. Gather your records: About 1 week
Exports, screenshots, statements, and contract dates. Varies with how organized they are.
Step 2. Map and approve: 1 to 2 weeks
Match old settings to the new system and approve taxes, pay rates, permissions, and prices. Varies with menu size.
Step 3. Configure and test: 1 to 2 weeks
Shift4 programs the system, then you run test tickets, payments, printers, and reports. Varies with Shift4 scheduling and hardware delivery.
Step 4. Parallel run: A few days to 1 week
Run slower shifts on the new system while the old one stays available. Varies.
Step 5. Cutover day: 1 day
Pick a slow day, freeze changes in the old system, and switch. Plan for hiccups.
Step 6. First weeks live: 2 to 4 weeks
Watch reports, tips, and payouts against the old system and fix gaps. Varies.
Inventory-heavy menus take longer to review. Leave room in the map step.
These ranges are Norvet planning estimates, not Shift4 commitments. Your timeline depends on Shift4 scheduling, hardware delivery, your menu size, and how quickly decisions get made.
Risks and how to reduce them
Something does not work on the first busy night
Run a parallel period on slow shifts, keep the old system available until the new one is accepted, and write down who to call.
Cutover day goes badly
Pick a slow day, freeze menu changes the day before, and have the old system export ready as a fallback.
Staff are not ready
Train the people who use the register on their real jobs, such as server, bartender, and manager, before the cutover date.
Gift card and card-on-file balances get stranded
Get the balance reports first, decide how each balance is honored, and confirm with Shift4 what can move before you cancel anything.
Specific to this switch
Inventory counts and costs may not carry over cleanly. Decide whether to start fresh.
Who this switch tends to suit, and who it does not
Business types that often fit: Counter service, Full service, Bar. This is a starting point, not a verdict. A statement review tells you more.
Often a good fit
- Restaurants that want one restaurant-first system with payments and support in one place.
- Owners who are comparing total monthly cost on a real statement.
- Shops with a menu simple enough to review item by item.
Probably not a fit if
- You rely on Lightspeed retail or inventory depth that you have not matched.
- Your contract term or fees make now the wrong time.
- Your current setup works and no review shows a reason to move.
What needs to be compared before you leave Lightspeed
A POS switch is a business-process migration. The safe sequence is source capture, field mapping, owner approval, target configuration, testing, cutover, and acceptance. Do not cancel the source system until the records and workflows you need have been accounted for.
- Menu, modifiers, taxes, and inventory
- Employee roles and permissions
- Kitchen routing, printers, and KDS
- Online ordering, loyalty, and gift cards
- Accounting and payroll connections
Export this before canceling Lightspeed
- Menu, modifier, and inventory exports
- Employee and permission references
- Customer data you are permitted to retain
- Sales, tax, and settlement reports
- Gift card and loyalty balances
- Hardware and contract documents
Watch-outs
Lightspeed offers restaurant and retail products. Make sure you export from the one you use.
Inventory and recipe data may need reshaping before it loads.
Hardware compatibility must be confirmed, not assumed.
Integrations need individual checks.
Conversion-path note
Lightspeed was not listed as a supported conversion source in the Shift4 material Norvet reviewed. Confirm any conversion path with your Shift4 rep.
Questions owners ask about leaving Lightspeed
Can I export my menu from Lightspeed for SkyTab?
Plan on exporting menu and modifier data, then loading it through Shift4 menu programming after review. Ask your rep whether your file can be read directly.
What happens to my Lightspeed inventory data?
It may need reshaping, or you may choose to start fresh. Decide before cutover and keep an export for your records.
Can I keep my Lightspeed hardware?
Do not assume so. Ask Shift4 which devices work with SkyTab.
Is there a trial period if I switch to SkyTab?
Trial periods and agreement lengths can vary by offer and by partner. Ask your rep to confirm the trial period and the agreement length in writing before you sign, and ask what it costs to leave early.
Who does what
Norvet is a Trident Merchant Solutions partner. Trident partners with Shift4 (the parent company of SkyTab). Shift4 provides SkyTab and the card processing, and Shift4 programs and installs the system. Norvet helps gather and check your information and coordinates with the partner team.
Also useful: the restaurant processing cost calculator and the POS lock-in test.
Sources
- Norvet POS Migration Extraction Playbook, reviewed 2026-09-13 (Shift4 onboarding form conversion sources)
- Norvet research on Shift4 Dine, 2026-10-07 (pages on shift4.com were not machine-readable that day, so unconfirmed items are marked)
Last reviewed 2026-10-11.