What to buy
Tablets and card readers that work well on a truck · Updated October 14, 2026
The short version
- One tablet per kiosk and one per kitchen screen. Any recent iPad or Android tablet with Google Play works, because StreetKiosk runs in the web browser. There's nothing to install.
- Kiosk: 10 to 11 inches is the sweet spot. Kitchen screen: 11 inches or bigger.
- Good default: the standard iPad (11-inch). Budget: a Samsung Galaxy Tab A-series 11-inch. Rough use: a rugged tablet like the Galaxy Tab Active5.
- Cards: a Square Terminal for each kiosk that takes cards (or share one per truck). Check you have the newer v2, see below. Cash works without one.
Tablets
What matters
- A current browser. Safari on an iPad that still gets iPadOS updates, or Chrome on Android. A tablet that no longer gets system updates will eventually stop running modern web pages well.
- Screen size. The kiosk shows two big columns of menu photos at 10 to 11 inches; smaller works but feels cramped. Kitchen screens show several tickets side by side, so bigger is easier to read from across the truck.
- It stays plugged in. Battery size barely matters on a truck; a charger that reaches the mount does.
- Heat and sun. No consumer tablet is made for direct sun. Shade the kiosk if you can; tablets dim or shut off when they overheat.
- Wi-Fi is enough. Use the truck's Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot. A cellular tablet is only worth it if you'd rather not run a hotspot.
Picks
| Tablet | Size | About | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad (standard, A16 chip) | 11" | from $349 | The easy default for kiosks and kitchen screens. Guided Access locks it to the kiosk; long software support. |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ | 11" | about $250 | Budget kiosk or kitchen screen. Chrome, app pinning, and Stay awake (see the setup guide). |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (older model) | 11" | often under $200 on sale | Lowest-cost Android that still works well; check it's still getting updates when you buy. |
| Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 (rugged) | 8" | about $550 | Drops, splashes and dust (IP68). Can run straight from USB-C power with the battery out, which helps in a hot truck. Small for a kiosk; better as a window or kitchen station screen. |
| A refurbished iPad | 10"+ | varies | Fine if it still gets iPadOS updates. Avoid models Apple no longer updates. |
A laptop or phone works for the admin page and the sales dashboard. A phone also works as a backup kiosk at the window: tap View Order at the bottom to see the order.
Skip these
- Amazon Fire tablets: no Chrome or app pinning, and we haven't tested them.
- Tablets without Google Play (off-brand ones with a stripped-down Android): browser support is hit or miss.
- Anything that no longer gets system updates.
Card payments: Square Terminal
StreetKiosk sends card payments to a Square Terminal, Square's handheld card machine with its own screen. The customer taps, inserts or swipes on the Terminal, and the money goes straight to your own Square account. You can share one Terminal between several kiosks on a truck (one payment at a time), or give each kiosk its own.
- Get the newer version (v2). Square stopped software updates for the original Square Terminal (1st generation, v1) on September 1, 2025, and recommends the v2. New Terminals sold today are v2.
- Check the one you have: in your Square Dashboard, go to Settings → Device Management → Devices and open the Terminal: its details show the version. On the device itself, the 16-character serial number is on the bottom (or on the Terminal: Settings → General → About); on a US v2 it includes S149.
- A v1 still takes payments for now, but with no more updates from Square, plan to replace it.
- Not supported (yet): Square Reader, Square Stand, Square Kiosk and Square Register can't be driven from a web page, so they don't work with StreetKiosk today. Tell us if you need one.
Square Terminals are sold by Square and by stores like Best Buy. Pair yours in StreetKiosk: Admin → Tablets → Square Terminals.
Mounts and stands
- Kiosk: at a customer's chest height, angled up a little, out of direct sun. A locking tablet enclosure keeps it from walking off.
- No drilling: a weighted floor or counter stand with a locking enclosure, or a clamp mount that grips a counter or window ledge.
- Kitchen screen: at eye level where the cooks look up, away from the fryer and grill splatter.
- Power: plan the cable route to an outlet first; the tablet runs plugged in all service.
Next
Set the tablets up with the tablet setup guide (lock them to the page, keep the screen on), or try everything first in the live demo. Questions? Ask 💬 Help, or email [email protected].