Guide · Updated 2026
Restaurant CRM — operational CRM or AI retention CRM?
There are two kinds of CRM for F&B operators. Pick the wrong one and you spend money without lifting repeat visits. This page helps you choose in 5 minutes.
Quick facts
- Definition
- A restaurant CRM stores guest profiles, visit history, and spend so you can bring guests back.
- Two main types
- Operational CRM (iPOS, Sapo — order management, unified data) and AI retention CRM (PEKO — churn prediction, auto win-back).
- Runs on your existing POS
- PEKO does. iPOS/Sapo require their own POS. CNV usually ships a branded customer app.
- Starting price
- PEKO: free up to 300 guests. iPOS/Sapo: bundled with POS plan. CNV Loyalty: from ~US$1,000 for the app build. TechRes: contact sales.
- Deployment time
- PEKO: 15 minutes. iPOS/Sapo CRM: 1–3 days (with POS). CNV: 4–8 weeks. TechRes: 2–6 weeks.
- AI churn prediction
- Only PEKO ships this out of the box. Others don't expose a churn model.
What is a restaurant CRM?
A restaurant CRM (Customer Relationship Management system) stores guest profiles and visit history so you know who your regulars are, who's about to leave, and whose birthday is this month. Unlike a POS (which processes orders), a CRM is about people rather than tickets.
In Vietnam and Southeast Asia in 2026, the market splits into two camps. The first grew out of POS vendors (iPOS CRM, Sapo F&B CRM, MISA CukCuk CRM) — strong on order data and multi-outlet reporting. The second is retention-first platforms (PEKO, CNV Loyalty, TechRes) — strong on marketing automation, loyalty, and messaging.
Which type fits depends on whether you already run a POS and how you want to grow revenue: better order management, or bringing guests back more often.
Two types of restaurant CRM
Operational CRM — iPOS, Sapo, MISA
Bundled with a POS. Captures a guest profile at the point of billing, unifies data across outlets, exports revenue reports. If you haven't chosen a POS yet, this is a clean bundle.
Strengths
- Order data and guest data in one system
- Local support teams, Vietnamese-language coverage
- Multi-outlet out of the box
Weaknesses
- You must run their POS — won't sit on a different POS
- No AI churn prediction
- Marketing automation is basic (SMS blast, not per-cycle personalisation)
AI retention CRM — PEKO
Sits on top of the POS you already run. No POS swap, no staff retraining. Focused on one job: predict who's about to leave 3–7 days ahead and auto-send a Zalo/SMS message that brings them back.
Strengths
- Runs on KiotViet, iPOS, Sapo, MISA — no POS change
- AI churn precision 68–74% (measured across 1,200+ venues)
- Auto-personalises message by name, favourite item, channel
- Free up to 300 guests; 15-minute setup
Weaknesses
- Not a POS — you still need a POS to take orders
- Needs ≥14 days of history for AI to hit target precision
Detailed comparison — PEKO vs iPOS vs Sapo vs CNV vs TechRes
The 12 criteria that matter most when choosing a CRM for an F&B venue. Numbers current for 2026, sourced from public pricing and vendor sales collateral.
| Criterion | PEKO | iPOS CRM | Sapo F&B CRM | CNV Loyalty | TechRes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRM type | AI retention CRM | Operational (POS-bundled) | Operational (POS-bundled) | Loyalty + branded app | Enterprise chain CRM |
| AI churn prediction | Yes — 68–74% precision | No | No | No | Not disclosed |
| Personalised auto win-back | Yes — auto-writes by name/item/cycle | Segmented SMS blast | Segmented SMS blast | App push + broadcast | Yes (manual scenarios) |
| Runs on your existing POS | Yes — KiotViet, iPOS, Sapo, MISA… | No — requires iPOS POS | No — requires Sapo POS | Yes (CSV/API) | Depends on stack |
| Requires a branded customer app | No — Zalo miniapp / SMS | No (membership card) | No (membership card) | Yes — branded app | Project-dependent |
| Messaging channels | Zalo OA · ZNS · SMS · Email · Miniapp · Push | SMS · Email | SMS · Email · Zalo (add-on) | App push · Email · Zalo | SMS · Zalo · Email |
| Zalo miniapp available | Yes | No | No | Yes | Project-dependent |
| Starting price | Free up to 300 guests · from US$29/mo | Bundled with iPOS POS plan | Bundled with Sapo POS plan | From ~US$1,000 for the app + retainer | Contact sales |
| Deployment time | 15 minutes | 1–3 days (with POS) | 1–3 days (with POS) | 4–8 weeks | 2–6 weeks |
| Multi-outlet | Yes (Professional+) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes — chain-focused |
| LTV / RFM reporting | Yes — cohort retention | Basic | Basic | Yes | Yes |
| Vietnamese-language F&B support | Yes — VN team | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Which one — by situation
You don't have a POS yet and want order management + guest data in one contract
→ iPOS CRM or Sapo F&B CRM
Bundled with the POS, single vendor, local support teams familiar with VN F&B operations.
You already run a POS (any POS) and want more repeat visits
→ PEKO
Runs alongside your existing POS, no swap, AI churn auto-brings guests back in a 15-minute setup.
You want a branded customer app with your logo and have a ~US$1,000+ budget
→ CNV Loyalty
Specialised branded-app builder for F&B; fits established brands that need their own app presence.
You run a 20+ outlet chain and need enterprise deployment with internal IT
→ TechRes
Enterprise positioning, deep customisation, best for large chains with in-house IT teams.
Chat, don't click. The AI Agent configures PEKO for you — you just approve.
Every other loyalty tool asks you to click through 10 buttons and dropdowns to make one change. PEKO ships an embedded AI Agent that lives inside the product and takes actions for you. Tell it what you want in plain language; it drafts the change in the same screen you'd normally configure by hand. You review and click Approve — nothing goes live without you.
Create a voucher
Old way: 10+ clicks across name, type, value, cap, eligibility, schedule, channel and audience.
With the AI Agent: New way: “Give 20% off bún bò to regulars who haven't ordered in 3 weeks, Zalo only, cap 500 redemptions.” Agent drafts it. You click Approve.
Build a customer segment
Old way: pick attributes, chain filters, preview, save, name, share — one dropdown at a time.
With the AI Agent: “Show me VIPs from District 1 who spent over 2M last quarter and haven't visited in 10 days.” Agent builds the segment and lets you Approve.
Launch a win-back campaign
Old way: brief a marketer, write copy, pick channels, schedule, wire the offer, wait days.
With the AI Agent: “Win back the at-risk regulars this week on WhatsApp with a free-drink offer.” Agent picks the audience, writes the message, sets the send time. You Approve.
- Works across every PEKO module — vouchers, segments, campaigns, loyalty rules, menus, points.
- Flat learning curve: staff who can chat can operate the product from day one.
- Removes daily config toil — the Agent handles the busywork so you focus on customers.
- Approval-gated by design. The Agent proposes, you decide. Nothing ships without your click.
Ask, review, approve.
Describe the voucher you want in one sentence. PEKO's AI Agent drafts the full configuration; you approve it with one click — no 10-step form.
Your request
Or try one of these:
Proposed voucher
Copy a prompt, paste it into the AI Agent, watch the setup happen.
Battle-tested prompts for vouchers, membership, and segmentation. Paste them into the Try the AI Agent widget above to watch the Agent draft the config, then click Approve.
Draft a voucher in one sentence. The Agent fills every field — value, cap, audience, timing, channel — and waits for your approval.
Weekday lunch drive
Create a 20% off voucher on pasta and rice bowls for weekday lunch (11:00–14:00), Mon–Fri. Target lapsed diners we haven't seen in 30 days. Cap 1 redemption per customer, push via app and Zalo.
What the Agent does
Drafts a percentage voucher scoped to two menu categories, sets the weekday time window, builds the 30-day lapsed segment, sets per-customer limit, and prepares an app + Zalo push.
BOGO for top spenders
Buy-1-get-1 on all bubble tea items during weekday happy hour 14:00–17:00 for our top 100 spenders in the last 90 days. One redemption per customer, valid two weeks.
What the Agent does
Ranks customers by 90-day spend, targets the top 100, drafts a BOGO rule on the bubble tea category, and sets the two-week validity window.
New-signup welcome
Give new members who signed up this month a $5 off voucher on any order above $30. Valid two weeks from signup. Send by app push + SMS at 10:00 the day after signup.
What the Agent does
Builds a rolling new-member segment, drafts a fixed-amount voucher with a $30 minimum, schedules a delayed send the day after signup, and picks app + SMS channels.
Free-dessert brunch
Free dessert with any main course on Saturday and Sunday brunch 10:00–13:00. One per table, limit 200 redemptions this weekend.
What the Agent does
Drafts a free-item voucher tied to a mains condition, sets weekend day-part rules, adds table-level and total-redemption caps.
Birthday treat
For every member whose birthday is next week, send a 25% off voucher valid for 14 days starting on their birthday. Push through Zalo, then SMS fallback if unread after 48 hours.
What the Agent does
Runs a birthday query for next week, drafts a personalized voucher per member, schedules the primary Zalo push, and configures the 48-hour SMS fallback.
FAQ — restaurant CRM
How is a restaurant CRM different from a POS?
A POS processes orders and prints tickets. A CRM stores guest profiles, visit history, and spend, and automates outreach to bring guests back. Many Vietnamese POS platforms (iPOS, Sapo, MISA) ship a bundled CRM module, but it's operational CRM — no AI churn prediction.
Is PEKO a CRM?
Yes. PEKO is an AI CRM focused on retention. Unlike operational CRMs (iPOS, Sapo) that centre on order management, PEKO predicts who's about to leave and auto-messages them via Zalo, SMS, and miniapp.
Do I have to drop my current POS to use PEKO?
No. PEKO runs alongside KiotViet, iPOS, Sapo, MISA CukCuk, and other common POS systems. Your POS still prints receipts; PEKO reads them via API or OCR and adds the retention layer on top.
How does PEKO's pricing compare to CNV Loyalty?
PEKO is free up to 300 guests and starts at US$29/mo for ≤2,000 guests. CNV Loyalty charges from ~US$1,000 to build a branded app plus an ongoing retainer. PEKO has no branded native app but ships a Zalo miniapp tied to your OA.
How accurate is PEKO's churn prediction?
Measured across 1,200+ Vietnamese F&B venues: 68–74% precision, 60–66% recall. The model needs at least 14 days of history to hit this range.
Can I run two CRMs at once?
You can, but it's not recommended. The common Vietnamese setup: POS + bundled operational CRM (iPOS/Sapo) for operations, plus PEKO on top for the AI retention layer. Avoid running two systems that both message guests.