What can come over from Another POS
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 | Confirm with your rep | Depends on your system. Ask your rep whether a conversion path exists, or whether you need to export and load. |
| Modifiers (add-ons and choices) | Confirm with your rep | Depends on your system. Plan for a review pass either way. |
| 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
Confirm with your rep
Depends on your system. Ask your rep whether a conversion path exists, or whether you need to export and load.
Modifiers (add-ons and choices)
Confirm with your rep
Depends on your system. Plan for a review pass either way.
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
- The name and version of your current system, and who supports it
- A list of every export your system can produce
Typical timeline from Another POS (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.
With an unknown path, build in the longer end of each range.
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
An unknown source can hide surprises. Start the gather step early.
Who this switch tends to suit, and who it does not
Business types that often fit: Counter service, Full service, Bar, Quick service (QSR). This is a starting point, not a verdict. A statement review tells you more.
Often a good fit
- Independent restaurants and bars whose current agreement is ending.
- Owners who want a restaurant-first system with payments and support in one place, after a real statement comparison.
- Operators who can plan and test a cutover.
Probably not a fit if
- A franchisor or corporate office sets your POS.
- You rely on custom integrations with no tested replacement.
- A large early termination fee outweighs the benefit of moving now.
What needs to be compared before you leave Another POS
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 pricing
- Employees, jobs, and permissions
- Rooms, tables, and kitchen routing
- Online ordering, delivery, loyalty, and gift cards
- Accounting and payroll connections
Export this before canceling Another POS
- Every export your system offers
- Screenshots of settings that do not export
- Employee and permission references
- Sales, tax, and settlement reports
- Gift card and loyalty balances
- Contract and hardware documents
Watch-outs
Do not assume your system has a conversion path. Ask.
Document taxes and pay rates in writing for owner approval.
Every integration needs its own check.
Keep your own copy of every export.
Conversion-path note
Shift4 names a short list of supported conversion sources. If yours is not on it, confirm with your Shift4 rep and plan on a manual rebuild.
Questions owners ask about leaving Another POS
My POS is not listed. Can I still switch to SkyTab?
Often yes, as a manual rebuild. Ask your Shift4 rep whether your system has a supported conversion path.
What should I do first?
Find your contract end date and any early termination fee, then export everything your system allows.
How do I know it is worth switching?
Compare your real monthly statement and your daily workflows against the proposal. Use the processing cost calculator and the lock-in test linked on this page.
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.