POS - Pre-Shift Notes
The right information, delivered at the right time, is everything. That’s why we’ve renamed and expanded Shift-at-a-Glance to Pre-Shift Notes. These new capabilities transform pre-shift chaos into confident readiness for your team:
- Easily Access Low Stock Visibility: When enabled in Toast Web, staff now see out-of-stock and low-stock items the moment they clock in. It’s a little thing that prevents wasted trips to the kitchen and eliminates the kind of guest disappointment that kills momentum.
- Superpowered Shift Alignment: If an employee misses the pre-shift meeting, no sweat. They can review those critical notes—specials, policies, section assignments—right on all POS devices and the Toast Now app. Every team member starts with a level playing field of knowledge.
- Pinpoint Messaging: Managers can now schedule notes to drop when a staff member clocks in. Deliver a happy hour update or a crucial reservation alert at the precise moment it’s needed.
With this level of detail, your team can stop troubleshooting system challenges and focus on the relationship between staff and guests.
Download Toast Now to start using Pre-Shift Notes, available on iOS and Android. Want to learn more? Check out this Toast Central article on sending messages to employees using staff notes.
Note: ToastNow version 2.95 is required to access this feature.
POS - Menu Upsells
The holidays are here, and your focus should be on your guests, not on troubleshooting. That's why we're bringing you an update designed to make those extra holiday dollars roll in effortlessly.
You can now easily manage, configure, and optimize your Menu Upsells across all of your locations!
This is precision in action: We've made it simple to set up custom prompts across several of your point of sale devices—Guest Facing Display, Toast Flex, and Handhelds - to help drive revenue. We’ll focus on the small things so you can focus on the big picture.
Plus, we’re leveling up your superpowers with even greater access: Menu Upsell performance data and suggestions are now available directly in Toast IQ!* This feature is built with the goal of giving you the information you need to have more control over your revenue, just in time for the busiest season of the year.
Start using Menu Upsells now in Toast Web. Want to learn more? Check out this Toast Central article on getting started with menu upsells. Or, if you’re already using Menu Upsells and want to see how they’ve performed and get recommendations, click here to ask Toast IQ!
Note: Mobile version 2.96 is required to access this feature. *Menu Upsell action-based tasks in Toast IQ are anticipated to be available in early 2026.
POS - Guest CRM Menu Item Filtering
You can now filter your Guest CRM lists by menu item to find and message guests based on what they order using Toast Marketing tools. Bring back fans of your signature dish, introduce new items to guests who've ordered similar dishes, or reward your most loyal customers with personalized promotions that drive repeat revenue. Guest CRM is included with your core POS subscription at no additional charge, and available now via the Guests tab in Toast Web. Interested in adding Toast Marketing to your account? Check out Toast Marketing Essentials on Toast Shop.
Test Kitchen - Toast Away Mode for Off-Site Operations
Prep your handhelds for off-site service — quickly adjust menus, configure order routing, and disable printers.
Away Mode helps make it effortless to take your Toast devices off-site. Whether you’re running a food truck, pop-up, or festival booth, Away Mode helps you go mobile quickly — no tech calls, no reconfiguration. Easily adjust menus, disable printers and cash drawers, and optimize your setup for off-premise service.
Get instant access to Toast Away mode for handhelds.
Test Kitchen - Toast Guest Advisory Group
Join the Guest Advisory Group to influence how Toast builds products that help diners discover, support, and return to local restaurants.
We’re inviting Toast customers to help shape the future of our guest-facing products and brand. The Guest Advisory Group is a venue for restaurant owners, managers and employees to share feedback on how Toast should build products that provide value for Toast restaurants’ patrons through services and products such as the consumer app (Local by Toast).
By participating, you’ll have early input into how we design and shape guest experiences. Our goal is to ensure that our objectives (whether helping diners discover Toast restaurants, book Toast tables, or fill seats at off-peak times) align with yours. Your perspective will help us refine our messaging, roadmap, value propositions, and future plans around how we build meaningful connections between restaurants and guests.
There’s no formal beta product, but you will receive occasional surveys and have the ability to communicate with the team that’s working on guest products. By providing feedback and making your voice heard, you can help influence the next generation of Toast’s guest offerings. Together, we can ensure Toast’s guest products reflect the needs and values of the restaurant community we serve.
Join the Toast Guest Advisory Group waitlist.
Test Kitchen - Toast Tables Cancellation Fees
Cancellation fees through Toast Tables allow restaurants to collect credit card information at the time of booking for customizable cancellation fees for reservation no-shows to mitigate revenue loss when customers don't show up.
No-shows are more than just an annoyance; they're a direct hit to a restaurant's bottom line. Cancellation Fees for Toast Tables is our new tool to help restaurants fight back. This feature allows restaurants to set up customizable policies and collect credit card information at booking, giving them a way to mitigate revenue loss when customers don't show up.
The value is twofold: it helps restaurants recoup lost money from a no-show and actively reduces the frequency of no-shows, leading to more predictable attendance and fewer empty tables.
We’ve built this with the precision and flexibility restaurants need. From the Toast Web Dashboard, operators can configure detailed, shift-level rules, set custom fee amounts, define timing rules, and choose whether to apply fees at the party or per-cover level.
Here are the key details you need to know:
- It's Manually Triggered: This is not automated. We're putting control in the restaurant's hands.
- How to Charge: To apply a fee, a reservation must be marked as "Cancelled" or "No Show". They have up to 3 days after the reservation to manually trigger the charge from the web dashboard or Host App.
- Flexibility is Key: Hosts can easily waive or choose not to charge a fee, giving them full discretion.
- Guest Experience: After booking, the guest receives a simple text or email to securely add their credit card information. If they don't add their card within the allotted time, their reservation is canceled.
Get instant access to Toast Tables Cancellation Fees.
Note: You must have Toast Tables to sign up for this Test Kitchen instant access beta.
Test Kitchen - Payroll Success Team
Get peace of mind with account managers who know your business. Leverage direct access to your dedicated payroll experts — who you’ll know by name. Available exclusively to select customers.
Managing payroll is easier when you have a trusted partner by your side. The Payroll Success Team is a dedicated pod of four payroll experts who get to know your business inside and out. Instead of reaching a general care line, you’ll connect directly, by name, with one of your own payroll specialists for more personalized support.
What you’ll get:
- Direct access to your pod of four (4) payroll experts via email or scheduled Zoom
- A proactive approach that anticipates issues before they arise
- Trusted guidance from a team that understands your unique business
Join the Payroll Success Team waitlist.
Note: You must have Toast Payroll to sign up for this Test Kitchen beta waitlist. Available exclusively to select customers.
Test Kitchen - Digital Bill
Digital Bill lets guests scan a QR code on their table to view their check and pay when they’re ready — no waiting for a server to drop the bill or process a card.
Digital Bill gives your guests the freedom to pay on their own time. With a quick scan of a QR code on the table, guests can see their check in real time, split it however they’d like, add a tip, and pay — all from their phone. No waiting for a server to drop the bill or run a card.
For restaurants, Digital Bill helps speed up table turns, reduce payment friction, and keep staff focused on hospitality instead of handling transactions. Guests enjoy a faster, more convenient way to pay and leave satisfied, while operators benefit from improved efficiency and smoother service flow.
Key Benefits:
- Guests can view, split, and pay their check right from their phone — no waiting for staff
- Speeds up table turns and increases efficiency during busy service periods
- Frees up staff to focus on hospitality rather than payment handling
- Secured with Toast’s trusted payment platform for a seamless checkout experience
Join the Digital Bill waitlist.
Questions or feedback for the Product team? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below! 👇
