Is your restaurant in need of new curbside pickup software? I evaluated the top seven curbside pickup tools so you don’t have to.
During the pandemic, nearly every restaurant and retail business switched to curbside pickup-only. Now, even with the option to dine in and shop in-store, people are opting for curbside pickup for the sheer convenience it provides.
In fact, the demand for curbside services is so high that Target recently announced it’ll offer Drive Up Returns so customers can return items from their cars. (As someone who visits Target too often and is an introvert, this aligns with my interests).
To make your curbside pickup program run smoothly, you need an organized software system that notifies customers when their order is ready.
Keep reading for the top seven curbside pickup software solutions, according to customer reviews and my thorough research.
While many POS solutions for retail and restaurants include curbside pickup features, you may want a third-party service that gives you more control.
But to choose the best curbside pickup software for your business, you’ll need to sift through pages of features, price points, and customer reviews.
I narrowed the options down to seven of the leading solutions and condensed their details to help you start your search (you’re welcome). Here’s what I learned.
What it is: SWIPEBY is a convenient solution for a first-class curbside pickup experience, with geofenced arrival notifications and a customer-facing app.
How you use it: When you register with the app, you can add menu items, photos, descriptions, and other information about your products.
SWIPEBY’s location technology allows you to track a customer’s proximity to your location and, in return, you can send push notifications to them regarding their order status.
How your customers use it: Customers download the app just as they would any popular meal delivery app (like DoorDash or Uber Eats). They’ll find your restaurant, place their order, and arrive for pickup at a designated parking spot for SWIPEBY customers.
What else? All transactions occur directly through the app, including online ordering. So, there’s no need to purchase additional software if your restaurant doesn’t already have a way to order online.
Starting price: $0.99 per order (the transactional cost can be passed to the customer) or $58/month.
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What it is: SimpleTexting (that’s us!) is a leading SMS marketing and business texting platform. Our text message software gives restaurants the ability to send messages when orders are ready, share delivery updates, provide one-on-one customer service, and more.
How you use it: When a customer places an order, you’ll collect their phone number and get their permission to text order updates. Then, when the order is ready, you’ll send a text message notification that it’s ready for pickup. Simple as that.
In addition to sending curbside delivery notifications, customer contact information is stored in the platform and remains available for future marketing messages to help you continually drive business.
To save time, you can also integrate with your POS to automate order update texts.
How your customers use it: They’ll receive a text when their order is ready, and they can ask questions or send you information about who’s coming to pick it up.
Starting price: Plans start at just $29 a month and scale up depending on how many messages you plan to send per month.
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What it is: FlyBuy’s goal is to cut customer wait times for curbside pickup with its advanced location technology.
How you use it: When a customer places an order, FlyBuy shares the customer’s ETA and real-time location with staff preparing the order. As the customer is arriving, your staff will receive a notification that the order can be delivered to the customer’s vehicle.
How your customers use it: The customer will receive an email or text message when the order is ready. Then, they’ll let you know when they’re on their way in the app, which will share their exact location. They’ll get updates on their order and can save their vehicle information for their next curbside pickup order.
Starting price: Pricing available upon request
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What it is: British retail technology Zapiet is a complete store pickup and local delivery solution for Shopify. This retail technology is known for its product availability control, Shopify POS integration, live multi-location inventory, fraud prevention, and tools for organizing orders.
How you use it: Mark products in your inventory for pickup, delivery, and shipping. You can also view and manage your orders from the platform.
How your customers use it: When Zapiet is integrated with your POS system, customers can choose to pick up their orders or have them delivered locally. They’ll receive an email when their order is ready.
Price: Starts at $20/month and increases depending on the number of locations and orders you have.
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What it is: Unlike some of the other solutions in the market that want you to connect to your eCommerce or your BOPIS (buy online, pick up in-store) solution, Curbspot allows you to run your business like you always have. They simply give you a way for your store associates and your customers to connect.
How you use it: Their curbside fulfillment management software allows you to see all your customer orders and inform them through email that their orders are ready, and alerts you when your customers are outside.
How your customers use it: They’ll receive an email or SMS notification when their order is ready for pickup.
Price: Starts at $79/month.
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Curbside pickup services are here to stay, and it’s essential for businesses to embrace them and incorporate them into the services they provide.
Offering this type of convenience to customers, especially when connected with the power of SMS marketing tools like SimpleTexting, can be a very effective factor in your marketing campaigns. Try us free for 14 days to see how easy curbside pickup notifications can be.
This article was updated on March 4, 2023, since some of my original recommendations are no longer in service or are no longer highly rated.
Meghan Tocci is a content strategist at SimpleTexting. When she’s not writing about SaaS, she’s trying to teach her puppy Lou how to code. So far, not so good.
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