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POS Integration

Clover + DirectOrders

Clover is the bank-distributed POS from Fiserv, with a clean REST API and an App Market model for integrations. Keep your Clover Station, Mini, and Flex for in-store payments, and add a fully branded, commission-free ordering channel that goes well beyond the basic Clover Online Ordering app, with Voice AI and courier-cost delivery.

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How a Clover integration reaches your restaurant

The App Market path, not a private key

Stage 1

Build the app

A partner builds against the Clover REST API in the developer sandbox.

Stage 2

Publish to App Market

The app is listed in the Clover App Market for merchants to find.

Stage 3

Merchant installs

The restaurant installs the app onto its Clover account.

Stage 4

OAuth grants access

Clover issues a scoped, revocable token for that merchant's data.

Why Clover restaurants add DirectOrders

  • Keep all Clover hardware (Station, Station Duo, Mini, Flex, Kiosk) for in-store POS and payment processing
  • Launch a branded ordering website that goes beyond the Clover Online Ordering app's marketplace style page
  • Capture customer emails and phone numbers from every online order for direct SMS and email marketing
  • Offer delivery through Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive with no per-order marketplace commissions
  • Add Voice AI to answer phone orders automatically, even during rush hours when staff cannot pick up the phone
  • Operate without disturbing the bank or processor contract that bundles your Clover hardware

The Clover REST API surface

Resources we map to, and how

Clover exposes a REST API documented at docs.clover.com, scoped per merchant via OAuth 2.0. These are the resources that matter for a restaurant ordering integration.

GET/v3/merchants/{mId}/orders

Read orders and their line items.

DirectOrders: Roadmap: surface direct and Voice AI orders next to Clover orders. Today they print to your Epson.

GET/v3/merchants/{mId}/items

Read the inventory and menu items.

DirectOrders: Speeds the initial menu import from Clover, with live sync on the roadmap.

POST/v3/merchants/{mId}/orders

Create orders on the merchant account.

DirectOrders: Roadmap: write direct orders into Clover so the kitchen sees one unified queue.

POSTecommerce / charges

Clover Ecommerce API for online card payments.

DirectOrders: DirectOrders runs its own gateway, so direct online economics are not tied to your Clover processor.

EVENTApp Market webhooks

Notifies your app of inventory and order changes.

DirectOrders: Roadmap: keep the direct menu and 86 list fresh as you edit items in Clover.

Today: DirectOrders runs as a separate channel alongside Clover with no Fiserv approval cycle and no change to your processor contract. The REST sync above is the build target.

Clover-specific limitations to know

Distribution runs through the App Market

A Clover integration is not a private key you drop in. You build an app, publish it to the Clover App Market, and the merchant installs it, at which point OAuth grants access. Public App Market apps also share revenue with Clover.

Payment economics are set by your bank or ISO

Clover is resold by thousands of banks and ISOs, so your in-store processing rate is set by whoever sold you the hardware. DirectOrders processes direct online payments on its own gateway, independent of that rate.

The native Online Ordering app is intentionally basic

Clover Online Ordering ships with the higher Service Plans as a simple takeout page, not a full direct ordering platform. It lacks deep modifiers, multi-zone delivery, Voice AI, and a portable customer database.

Step by step

Going live alongside Clover

Most Clover restaurants can run DirectOrders alongside Clover in under two weeks. The short version: keep Clover for in-store payments and tableside, import your existing Clover menu into DirectOrders, configure delivery and Voice AI, point your domain at the new ordering site, and route printing to your existing Epson kitchen printer. There is no Clover firmware change and no Fiserv approval cycle.

1

Keep Clover in place for in-store payments

Your Clover Station, Mini, Flex, or Kiosk stays exactly as configured. Card-present payments, tableside ordering on the Flex, and the bank's processor contract are all untouched. DirectOrders only handles the online and phone channels.

2

Import your menu into DirectOrders

The DirectOrders team takes your existing Clover menu (categories, modifiers, prices, photos) and rebuilds it inside the DirectOrders dashboard. You can keep online prices identical to your Clover menu, or offer different online-only pricing for items that need it.

3

Configure delivery, hours, and Voice AI

Set delivery zones, pickup hours, prep times, and tip configuration. Turn on Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive as your delivery courier. Activate Voice AI on your existing restaurant phone number so calls during rush hours are answered automatically.

4

Point your ordering domain at DirectOrders

Update DNS so your branded ordering URL (for example, order.yourrestaurant.com) points at DirectOrders. If you do not have a domain yet, DirectOrders provides one as part of onboarding.

5

Wire DirectOrders to your Epson kitchen printer

DirectOrders connects over your local network to your existing Epson TM-T88 or TM-T20. Online and Voice AI orders print on the same thermal tickets your kitchen already uses for Clover dine-in orders.

6

Optionally retire the Clover Online Ordering app

Most restaurants leave Clover Online Ordering on for the first two weeks as a fallback, then turn it off once DirectOrders is fully live. You can run both indefinitely if you want a head-to-head comparison.

Typical go-live: Restaurants typically go live in 7 to 14 days from kickoff, including menu import, branding, Voice AI configuration, and kitchen printer wiring.

Clover Online Ordering vs DirectOrders

This table compares Clover's native Online Ordering app, which ships with the higher Service Plans, against running DirectOrders as your direct ordering channel alongside a Clover POS. The Clover device itself (Station, Mini, Flex) stays in either case.

DimensionClover Online OrderingDirectOrders
Commission per direct online orderNo marketplace commission, but per-transaction processing rate is set by the bank or ISO that resold your Clover hardwareZero per-order commission. Flat monthly subscription plus standard card processing on the DirectOrders gateway.
Who owns the branded ordering pagePage is hosted by Clover with limited branding optionsFully branded ordering experience on your own domain, with your photos, menu structure, and reorder flow
Customer data (email, phone, history)Lives inside the Clover account, limited export, tied to Fiserv's ecosystemFirst-party database owned by the restaurant, exportable, usable in SMS, email, and loyalty tools
Phone order channelNo Voice AI. Phone orders depend on staff being able to answerVoice AI answers calls 24 by 7, takes orders conversationally, handles menu questions, prints tickets to the kitchen
Ordering channels beyond a websiteSingle endpoint on Clover's platform15+ channels including Google Search and Maps, Instagram, WhatsApp, Apple Maps, ChatGPT search, and SMS
Delivery fulfillmentNo native driver dispatch; rely on a third-party app from the Clover App MarketUber Direct and DoorDash Drive integrated at courier cost, no marketplace commission
Payout timing on online order revenueFollows the bank or ISO's standard processor scheduleSame-day payouts available so direct online order revenue is not stuck in a deposit queue
Setup and contractBundled with higher Clover Service Plans and a processor contract held by a bank or ISOMonth-to-month subscription, no separate hardware contract, no processor lock-in on the direct online channel

What Clover actually is, and why so many restaurants run it

Clover started as a tablet point of sale company and was acquired by First Data in 2012. When Fiserv merged with First Data in 2019, Clover became part of Fiserv's Merchant Acceptance segment, where it is now one of Fiserv's most strategically important growth assets. That ownership matters for restaurant operators: Clover is sold and supported through a very wide network of banks, ISOs, and merchant service providers, which is why a Clover Mini or Clover Flex often shows up in a restaurant as part of a credit card processing contract with the local bank rather than as a standalone POS purchase.

On the hardware side, Clover offers a recognizable countertop family. The Clover Station and Station Duo sit as the main checkout terminal, the Clover Mini fits in tight counter setups, the Clover Flex is a handheld for tableside ordering and pay-at-table, the Clover Go is a mobile reader for off-premise events, and the Clover Kiosk handles self-order in quick service. On the software side, Clover ships a base operating system and then layers a Service Plan, plus optional apps from the Clover App Market for inventory, loyalty, gift cards, online ordering, employee management, and reporting.

Clover's strengths are well understood. The hardware is reliable. Card-present payments, tabs, splits, and cash drawer flows all work well. The setup is fast for an operator who already had a payment processor relationship, because the bank handles the boarding paperwork. For a small quick service restaurant that needs a working register on the counter and a card reader that the bank already supports, Clover is one of the easiest answers in the market.

Where Clover's native online ordering hits its limits

Clover's Online Ordering app ships with the higher Service Plans (currently bundled with Counter Service and Table Service tiers). For restaurants that want a simple takeout page tied to their Clover menu, it works. But it was designed to be a quick add-on to a payments device, not a full direct ordering platform, and that shows up in a few places that matter for growth.

The customer-facing storefront is a Clover-hosted page with limited branding. There is no deep modifier group builder for combo flows, half-and-half pizza style modifiers, or scheduling rules for catering and large orders. Multi-zone delivery and delivery fee logic are minimal. There is no built-in Voice AI for phone orders, no native distribution to Google, Instagram, or WhatsApp, and no first-party customer database that the restaurant can export and use in outside SMS or email tools.

On the back of house side, online orders flow through Clover's ecosystem and trigger printing on Clover-supported printers. That is fine for an existing Clover setup, but it does not give the operator any independent control of payment economics on online orders, since the processing rate is set by whichever bank or ISO resold the Clover hardware. For a restaurant whose online ordering volume is growing past the level where Clover Online Ordering was designed to operate, that combination (limited branding, no Voice AI, no multi-channel distribution, ecosystem-locked customer data, and processor-set economics) becomes the ceiling.

How DirectOrders fits next to a Clover deployment

DirectOrders does not touch the Clover device. It runs as a separate, fully branded online ordering platform on your own domain. The Clover Station or Mini stays on the counter for in-store payments. The Clover Flex stays in servers' aprons for tableside. The Clover Online Ordering app can either stay live for the first few weeks as a fallback or be turned off the moment the DirectOrders site is launched.

Online orders placed through DirectOrders print on the same Epson kitchen printer your line already uses for Clover dine-in tickets, so kitchen staff sees the same ticket format, the same expediter flow, and the same modifier formatting they are used to. Voice AI takes phone orders during rush, with the resulting ticket printed in the same queue. Delivery is dispatched through Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive at courier cost. Every direct online customer's email, phone, and order history is captured in a database you own and can use for SMS marketing, email campaigns, and loyalty.

Because the integration is by-the-side rather than embedded, there is no Clover firmware change, no Fiserv approval cycle, and no risk to the merchant processing contract that the bank holds against the Clover hardware. The two systems live in parallel and complement each other.

What Clover does not do, and DirectOrders does

Clover's native Online Ordering app is intentionally basic

Clover Online Ordering ships with the higher Service Plans, but it is built as a quick add-on to a payments device, not a full direct ordering platform. It lacks deep modifier groups for combo builders, scheduled and catering orders, multi-zone delivery, and a customer-facing brand experience that competes with Toast or DoorDash. DirectOrders is built end to end for restaurant direct ordering.

No branded ordering domain or storefront

Clover Online Ordering points customers at a Clover-hosted page. DirectOrders gives you a fully branded ordering experience on your own domain with your photos, your menu structure, and your reorder flow, so customers come back to your brand instead of a Clover URL.

No Voice AI for phone orders

Clover has no AI phone answering in its app marketplace. DirectOrders adds Voice AI that picks up during rush hours, takes orders conversationally, answers menu questions, and routes the resulting ticket to the same kitchen printer as your Clover dine-in orders.

Multi-channel ordering is not native to Clover

Clover Online Ordering is one endpoint on Clover's platform. DirectOrders distributes your menu across 15+ channels including Google Search and Maps, Instagram, WhatsApp, Apple Maps, ChatGPT search, and SMS, so orders come in from where customers already are.

Customer data stays inside Clover's ecosystem

Customer details collected through Clover Online Ordering live in Clover's account, not yours, and are not easy to export for outside marketing tools. DirectOrders consolidates every online customer's email, phone, and order history into one database you own, export, and use across SMS, email, and loyalty.

No integrated delivery fulfillment

Clover does not dispatch delivery drivers itself. DirectOrders integrates Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive at courier-cost pricing so you can offer delivery without managing a fleet or paying marketplace commissions.

Processor lock-in limits payment economics on online orders

Many restaurants pay Clover processing rates set by the bank that resold the hardware. DirectOrders processes online payments separately, so the rate on direct online orders is set by DirectOrders, not by whichever processor your Clover came bundled with.

No same-day payouts for online order revenue

Clover funding follows the merchant's processor schedule, which is typically next day or longer for online orders. DirectOrders offers same-day payouts so direct online order revenue does not sit waiting in a deposit queue.

By the numbers

  • Fiserv reports that Clover's annualized gross payment volume has exceeded 300 billion dollars in recent quarters, making it one of the largest restaurant and merchant POS distributors in the United States. That scale is why Clover hardware shows up so often through community banks and ISOs.

    Source: Fiserv Investor Relations

  • Third-party marketplace delivery commissions typically range from 15 percent to 30 percent of order subtotal. Routing volume from marketplaces toward a direct, commission-free channel is the single largest lever a Clover restaurant can pull to improve takeout and delivery margin.

    Source: U.S. House Small Business Committee report on online food delivery platforms

  • U.S. restaurant industry sales were forecast at roughly 1.1 trillion dollars in 2024, with off-premise (takeout and delivery) now a structural share of restaurant revenue rather than a pandemic spike. A direct, branded ordering channel is now table stakes, not optional.

    Source: National Restaurant Association State of the Industry

  • Clover's hardware family (Station, Station Duo, Mini, Flex, Go, Kiosk) is documented on Clover's official site, alongside the App Market that supplies third-party online ordering, loyalty, and gift card extensions.

    Source: Clover.com official product pages

Common questions about Clover + DirectOrders

Does DirectOrders replace Clover?+

No. DirectOrders does not touch your Clover device. Clover stays in place for in-store payments, tableside ordering on the Flex, and your card-present processor relationship. DirectOrders runs as a separate branded online and phone ordering channel, so you keep Clover for everything it is good at and add a direct channel for everything it is not built for.

Can I keep all my Clover hardware (Station, Mini, Flex)?+

Yes. DirectOrders works alongside all current Clover hardware: Clover Station, Clover Station Duo, Clover Mini, Clover Flex, Clover Go, and Clover Kiosk. Because DirectOrders runs as a separate online ordering platform, it does not require any firmware change, app install, or configuration change on the Clover device.

Does DirectOrders replace Clover's Online Ordering app?+

It can. Most Clover restaurants replace Clover Online Ordering with DirectOrders because they want a fully branded ordering experience on their own domain, Voice AI phone ordering, multi-channel distribution to Google and Instagram, and zero per-order commissions. You can also run both in parallel for a few weeks as a head-to-head comparison before turning Clover Online Ordering off.

How do online orders reach my Clover device and my kitchen?+

Online orders do not need to flow into the Clover device itself. DirectOrders sends order notifications through its own dashboard and routes the kitchen ticket to your existing Epson kitchen printer (TM-T88, TM-T20, or similar). Your kitchen staff sees the same thermal ticket format they already use for Clover dine-in orders, so the line workflow stays consistent across dine-in, online, and Voice AI phone orders.

I got my Clover through Bank of America (or Wells Fargo, PNC, Chase, etc.). Can I still add DirectOrders?+

Yes. Many restaurants receive Clover hardware through their merchant services provider or local bank. Adding DirectOrders does not affect your bank's processor contract or your card-present processing rates, because DirectOrders runs online payments on its own gateway. The Clover device continues to settle through the bank, and the direct online channel settles through DirectOrders.

Can I manage one menu across Clover and DirectOrders?+

You manage your online menu through the DirectOrders dashboard. During onboarding, the DirectOrders team rebuilds your existing Clover menu (categories, modifiers, prices, photos) inside DirectOrders so you do not start from scratch. Ongoing, you can either mirror your in-store Clover menu or offer different online-only pricing or items where it makes sense (online-only combos, takeout-only specials, larger family bundles).

Does DirectOrders work for Clover restaurants on the Counter Service plan vs Table Service plan?+

Yes. DirectOrders is independent of your Clover Service Plan. Whether you run a quick service Clover on Counter Service or a full-service restaurant on Table Service with the Flex for tableside ordering, DirectOrders sits next to the Clover device and handles online and phone channels. You do not need to change your Service Plan to add DirectOrders.

How does DirectOrders handle delivery for Clover restaurants?+

DirectOrders integrates Uber Direct and DoorDash Drive directly. When a customer orders delivery through your DirectOrders site, the kitchen ticket prints on your Epson printer and a courier from Uber Direct or DoorDash Drive is dispatched at courier-cost pricing, not at marketplace commission pricing. You can also use your own in-house drivers if you prefer. Either way, you keep the brand and the customer relationship, instead of handing them to a marketplace.

What is the typical go-live timeline from signing up to taking online orders?+

Most Clover restaurants go live within 7 to 14 days from kickoff. The work is split between menu import (DirectOrders team), branding and domain setup (you provide the assets, DirectOrders configures), Voice AI configuration on your phone number, and wiring the Epson kitchen printer. There is no Clover firmware change and no Fiserv approval cycle.

Will I lose the Clover analytics I already use?+

No. Clover continues to track everything that flows through the Clover device: in-store sales, tableside orders on the Flex, tabs, splits, and card-present transactions. DirectOrders has its own analytics dashboard for the online and Voice AI channels: revenue, repeat order rate, customer database growth, and channel performance. Together, you get a complete view across in-store, online, and phone.

Keep reading

DirectOrders features

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Add direct ordering to Clover

Book a demo and we will rebuild your Clover menu in DirectOrders, set up Voice AI on your existing number, and route printing to your Epson. Your Clover hardware and processor contract stay untouched.

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