Compare / Pagers
The restaurant pager, without the pagers.
Coaster pagers and buzzers do one thing: vibrate in one guest's hand. You buy a stack of them, charge them, wipe them, and replace the ones that walk out the door. Pickup Signal does the same job on a screen the whole line can read: nothing to hand out, and it runs on a TV you already own.
A puck in one hand, or a screen for the room.
Pager prices vary by brand and set size; the ranges above are typical street prices for a starter base-and-coaster kit and single replacement pucks, and change over time.
The screen does the pager's job, and a bit more.
No pucks to buy in bulk, sanitize between guests, keep charged, or chase across the parking lot. A browser-equipped TV or a cheap HDMI stick shows the board, and there is nothing at the counter to lose or replace.
A pager tells one person. The board answers "is mine ready?" for everyone waiting at once. Customers keep their own phones, there is no range limit, and the screen is also your shop's name and colors up on the wall.
Asked by shops weighing pagers.
Are restaurant pagers worth it for a small counter?
For a coffee, bakery, or boba counter where customers wait nearby, a pager is often more hardware than the job needs. Most of the line never leaves the shop, so a screen they can all read does the same work without a puck in every hand.
How much do coaster pagers cost?
A starter kit with a charging base and a set of coasters is commonly a few hundred dollars up front, and individual replacement pagers run roughly $30–60 each. Prices vary by brand and set size. Pickup Signal is $19.99 per month per location, with a 30-day free trial and no card to start.
Do customers prefer a pager or a screen?
Both remove the guesswork. A pager works well when guests scatter to far tables; a screen works well when the crowd is near the counter, because everyone can see their place in line at once instead of watching a single coaster.
Can I use Pickup Signal without any pagers at all?
Yes. Pickup Signal replaces the pagers rather than adding to them. Staff mark an order Ready on the same page they already use, and the name or number moves to the Ready side of the screen. Connect Square to bring eligible orders in automatically, or add them by hand on any register. See manual entry →
Replace the pucks with a screen the whole line reads.
Pair a TV, hand your staff one link, keep every phone in every pocket.