Payment processor · reference
Shift4
Shift4 (formerly Shift4 Payments and Lighthouse) is a hospitality-specialist payment processor with deep integrations into hotel POS and PMS platforms. Particularly strong in US hospitality.
Target segment
US-headquartered independent hotels and chains (50+ rooms) wanting hospitality-specialist payment processing with terminal-plus-online coverage.
Pricing
Pricing is quote-based with merchant-services structure; typically combines per-transaction fee with monthly platform fee.
Source: Shift4 pricing
Strengths
Hospitality-specialist
Purpose-built for hospitality with POS plus online checkout coverage.
Strong US presence
Used by major US hotel brands and chains.
Terminal-plus-online in one contract
F&B POS terminals plus online booking-engine processing handled by one vendor.
Trade-offs
Less European footprint
For European independents, Stripe and Adyen are more standard.
Quote-based pricing
Cost comparison requires direct quote rather than published rates.
When to choose
Choose Shift4 for US-headquartered hotels with significant F&B operations where terminal-plus-online payment is operationally important.
When to avoid
Avoid Shift4 for European or APAC independents where Stripe or Adyen are more standard.
Common integrations
Opera PMS, Cloudbeds, Toast POS, Lightspeed POS, US hospitality CRM platforms.
Editorial disclosure
This site is operated by Maciej Dudziak, founder of Guestivo. Guestivo is guest-journey software (not a payment processor) and is intentionally absent from /payment-processors/ recommendations.