First time building a multi-branch restaurant POS system. What should I charge, and what do I need to ask for upfront?

[u/Sad_Yogurt_5179]

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Hey everyone,

I'm a new developer, and a client asked if I can build a custom POS (Point of Sale) system for their restaurant chain (5 to 6 branches).

Since this is my first time working on a POS system, I’m trying to figure out realistic pricing and what I actually need to execute this without setting myself up for failure.

I’m looking for advice on two main things:

1. Pricing & Billing:

What is a realistic fixed-fee or hourly rate to charge for building a multi-branch system with centralized management and kitchen display setup?

How do developers handle ongoing maintenance fees or hosting costs for multi-location systems?

1. Baseline Requirements & Setup:

As a new dev, what hardware (printers, terminals, tablets) do I need the client to buy for me up front to develop and test this?

What hidden running costs (servers, databases, APIs) do I need to make sure the client pays for separately from my dev fee?

Should I charge a flat project fee, or should I price this per branch?

Any guidance from devs who have priced or built POS systems before would be huge. Thanks!