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Toast, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • ARR and locations grew: Annualized recurring run-rate reached $2.2 billion, up 26%. Total Locations rose 22% to about 171,000, and the company added about 7,000 net new Locations in the quarter. Source
  • Recurring gross profit grew 27%: Non-GAAP subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit was $529 million, up from $415 million. GAAP gross profit in these lines was $520 million, up 32%. Source
  • Net income and EPS increased: Net income was $126 million against $56 million. Warrant liability fair value change added $8 million, against $3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Free cash flow rose to $115M: Net cash from operating activities was $132 million against $79 million. Capital expenditures were $17 million against $10 million, leaving free cash flow of $115 million. Source
  • Share repurchase cash rose: Cash paid to repurchase Class A common stock was $323 million, against $17 million in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Shift toward an agentic platform: Management said Toast IQ Grow, with its first AI agent, advances the company's move from providing software to an agentic platform that does the work for customers. Source

“In Q1 we grew recurring gross profit 27%, expanded GAAP Operating Income margin to 21%, and added approximately 7,000 net locations,”

Toast CEO Aman Narang

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Non-GAAP subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit Sourcesecond quarter 2026$565 million to $575 million (22-24% growth compared to Q2 2025)New
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcesecond quarter 2026$185 million to $195 millionNew
Non-GAAP subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit Sourcefull year 2026$2,290 million to $2,320 million (21%-23% growth compared to 2025)Raised from $2,270 million to $2,300 million (20-22% growth compared to 2025)
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefull year 2026$790 million to $810 millionRaised from $775 million to $795 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year non-GAAP subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit range raised from $2,270 million to $2,300 million to $2,290 million to $2,320 million. Source
  • Guidance raised: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA range raised from $775 million to $795 million to $790 million to $810 million. Source
  • New guidance: Second-quarter 2026 guidance was given for the first time, covering non-GAAP subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit. Source
  • New: Toast IQ Grow, a reimagined consumer app with a Marketing Agent, was introduced in the Spring release. Source
  • New: Toast Drive-Thru was launched for quick-service restaurants, aimed at the more than 140,000 U.S. drive-thru locations. Source
  • New: Hungry Howie's, a pizza chain with about 500 locations, selected Toast to modernize systems and support franchisees. Source
  • New: Preferred Hotels & Resorts partnership makes Toast available at member properties in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Canada. Source
  • New: The company description now names restaurants and retail businesses; the prior release described a platform built for hospitality. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • ARR and locations grew: Annualized recurring run-rate reached $2.2 billion, up 26%. Total Locations rose 22% to about 171,000, and the company added about 7,000 net new Locations in the quarter. Source
  • Recurring gross profit grew 27%: Non-GAAP subscription services and financial technology solutions gross profit was $529 million, up from $415 million. GAAP gross profit in these lines was $520 million, up 32%. Source
  • Gross payment volume rose 22%: Gross Payment Volume reached $51.3 billion, up from $42.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA and operating income rose: Adjusted EBITDA was $179 million against $133 million. Operating income was $110 million against $43 million in the first quarter of 2025. Source

Revenue lines and segments

  • Total revenue rose: Total revenue was $1,630 million against $1,337 million. Financial technology solutions revenue was $1,323 million against $1,082 million. Source
  • Subscription revenue increased: Subscription services revenue was $268 million, up from $209 million. Hardware and professional services revenue was $39 million, down from $46 million. Source
  • Payments gross profit increased: Payments financial technology gross profit was $261 million, up from $204 million. Non-payments financial technology gross profit was $51 million, up from $47 million. Source
  • Hardware gross loss was larger: Hardware and professional services gross loss was $72 million against $47 million. Non-GAAP hardware and professional services gross loss was $68 million against $41 million. Source

“AI is helping us both build faster and drive more impact for our customers.”

Toast CEO Aman Narang

Costs, margins and earnings

  • Operating expenses rose: Total operating expenses were $337 million against $303 million. Restructuring expenses were nil, compared with $7 million in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Financial technology costs rose: Financial technology solutions costs of revenue were $1,011 million against $831 million, the largest cost line in the statements. Source
  • Non-GAAP operating expenses rose: Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses were $141 million against $117 million. Non-GAAP research and development was $73 million against $61 million, and non-GAAP G&A was $69 million against $63 million. Source
  • Net income and EPS increased: Net income was $126 million against $56 million. Warrant liability fair value change added $8 million, against $3 million a year earlier. Source

Products and customers

  • Reservations added to consumer app: Toast Local shows reservation availability at more than 20,000 locations through Resy and Toast Tables, along with loyalty programs and offers. Source
  • Spring release added product updates: The Spring release also brought more than 20 product updates in marketing, payroll, inventory, and operations, as the release described. Source
  • Hospitality partnerships continued: Toast continued building partnerships with hospitality brands, including Alinea Group in Chicago, which operates Alinea, Next, The Aviary and The Office. Source

“I've never been more confident in our ability to scale this business.”

Toast CEO Aman Narang

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Free cash flow rose to $115M: Net cash from operating activities was $132 million against $79 million. Capital expenditures were $17 million against $10 million, leaving free cash flow of $115 million. Source
  • Credit loss expense increased: Credit loss expense was $27 million against $22 million in the prior-year quarter. Source
  • Loan purchases held for investment: Net purchases of loans classified as held for investment were $23 million, against none in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Cash and securities balances: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,098 million, against $1,353 million at December 31, 2025. Marketable securities were $672 million, against $638 million. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Share repurchase cash rose: Cash paid to repurchase Class A common stock was $323 million, against $17 million in the first quarter of 2025. Source
  • Year-to-date repurchases disclosed: The company repurchased 14 million shares for $378 million from the start of the year through May 6, 2026. Source
  • Repurchase authorization increased: The Board increased the existing repurchase authorization by $500 million on February 10, 2026, as reported in the prior release.

Strategy and AI platform

  • Shift toward an agentic platform: Management said Toast IQ Grow, with its first AI agent, advances the company's move from providing software to an agentic platform that does the work for customers. Source
  • Built For Busy brand campaign: The brand campaign celebrates business owners and includes a New York City out-of-home activation turning restaurant windows into billboards. Source
  • Integrated platform description: The company describes its platform as combining software, agentic AI, payments, financial technology solutions, and hardware with a broad partner ecosystem. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total annualized recurring run-rate (ARR) Source$2,151 million, up 26% year over year
Subscription ARR Source$1,125 million, up 27% year over year
Payments ARR Source$1,026 million, up 24% year over year
Total Locations Sourceapproximately 171,000, up 22% year over year
Net new Locations added in quarter Sourceapproximately 7,000
Gross Payment Volume (GPV) Source$51.3 billion, up 22% year over year

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management lists factors that could cause ARR to decline or fluctuate, including customer satisfaction, pricing, competition, economic conditions and guest spending. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: The prior release said the company intends to repurchase shares opportunistically; this release reports repurchase activity but does not state the status of that intent.
  • Not stated: Prior guidance was $505 million to $515 million non-GAAP gross profit and $160 million to $170 million Adjusted EBITDA; reported figures were $529 million and $179 million. The release does not state whether guidance was met.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.