The Top 5 EPOS Systems
A Guide to the Best EPOS Till Systems for UK Businesses. A Guide to the Best
The Top 5 EPOS Systems
A Guide to the Best EPOS Till Systems for UK Businesses.
Your business must be equipped with the right tools to drive sales, boost your profits, and take you to the next level. This is why we have put together a list of some of the best EPOS systems in the UK.
Whether you’re just starting out or are looking to switch to an EPOS system that better suits your industry, we’ve got something for you!
What is an EPOS System?
An EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) system is an electronic upgrade on the traditional manual tills that businesses have relied on for decades. They combine customisable hardware with cutting-edge software to help streamline tasks like sales, reporting, inventory management, staff management, and customer relationship management.
They’re designed to be user-friendly and can accept multiple payment types, including cash, card, contactless, and via online channels. Some even allow you to sell directly through online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon and social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This allows you to tap into different revenue streams and access new customer markets.
EPOS systems consist of two primary components: hardware and software.
Hardware
Hardware is the physical part of your system. The basic setups typically include touch screens for navigation, barcode scanners, card machines to take payments, and secure cash drawers. You can also include more specialised and industry-specific equipment, such as scales, kitchen display units, self-service kiosks, and RFID scanners.
What Are the Benefits of an EPOS System?
Boost Productivity
EPOS systems automate manual tasks like calculating totals, printing receipts, and processing payments, saving time for staff and customers. End-of-shift cash-ups are also simplified, boosting overall efficiency.
Increase Sales
With faster transaction processing, staff can handle more sales, increasing profits. EPOS systems can also unlock new revenue streams through integrations with delivery apps and e-commerce platforms, with upsell prompts to drive higher-value sales.
Better Inventory Management
Real-time inventory updates make stock management easier, alerting you when items run low. Some systems even automate reordering, reducing the hassle of stock tracking and ensuring you’re always prepared.
Increase Customer Loyalty
EPOS systems link with tools like Mailchimp for personalised marketing and digital loyalty programs, replacing traditional stamp cards. Reward repeat customers and build stronger connections with targeted offers and messages.
Gather Essential Data
EPOS systems provide valuable insights into sales trends, peak hours, and slow-moving inventory. This data helps with staffing, stock decisions, forecasting, and creating effective promotions.
Streamline Staff Management
With unique logins, track hours worked, staff performance, and accountability for errors. Integrated scheduling and clock-in/out features simplify payroll and ensure efficient staffing during peak times.
Improve the Customer Experience
Automated processes let staff focus on enhancing customer interactions. Portable systems, multiple payment options, and faster service improve satisfaction and offer an elevated experience.
Reduce Errors
EPOS systems minimise errors with automated calculations, eliminating costly mistakes and improving overall accuracy.
Scalability and Flexibility
EPOS systems are easy to scale, whether adding new systems, linking multiple venues, or upgrading to enterprise solutions, making them suitable for businesses of all sizes.
What industry are you in?
Please select the industry that you trade within. This information allows us to tailor your quote.
How To Choose The Right EPOS System
As you will see in our list that’s coming up, although all providers offer a similar service, some are more suited to your business than others.
A few quick questions you can ask yourself before making your decision are:
- “What is my budget?”
Remember that just because it’s a cheap EPOS system doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worse than others, and it could actually be more suited to your business. - “What industry is my business in?”
As you will see in our upcoming list, some providers are more geared toward specific industries than others. - “What is the size of my business?”
Although one provider may seem great on paper, if you are looking to expand soon, you may wish to look elsewhere and find one to meet your ambitions.
Top 5 UK EPOS Systems: Our Verdict
OK, so here we are, the Top 5 UK EPOS Systems.
The terms “best” and “worst” are subjective. What works for you might not work for someone else, so we won’t be ranking EPOS systems in a specific order. Instead, we have selected five different EPOS providers and described how each can help a particular business.
We’ll let you know who they’re best suited for, the prices, why we think they’ll be a great fit for you, and any pros and cons associated with these providers.
Right, let’s get started.
| System Name | Starting Price | Hardware Cost |
|---|---|---|
 | Free (basic) | From £19 (basic) to £419 + VAT |
 | £109/month | Flexible |
 | £199 | Varies by system |
 | £59/month (first license) | Varies |
 | £9/month | Average £485 + £348/terminal |
| System Name | Key Features | Ideal For |
|---|---|---|
| 100+ app integrations, multi-venue capability, handheld/tablet options, free onboarding | Retail & e-Commerce |
| Mobile systems, drag-and-drop menus, 250+ integrations, 24/7 support, split-bill capabilities | Bars, Restaurants, Hospitality |
| 100+ app integrations, multi-venue capability, handheld/tablet options, free onboarding | Scaling Businesses |
| Takeaway-specific features, real-time tracking, table-side ordering, in-house and takeaway hybrid | Takeaway-focused Restaurants |
| Affordable software, detailed reporting, QR barcodes, staff clock-in/out, offline mode | Small/New Businesses |
Why We Think It’s Great
Square is mostly known for its high-quality payment solutions, and its EPOS systems follow this trend.
Because the basic software package is free, if you already have compatible hardware, this is a cost-effective solution for retail and e-Comm businesses just starting out. Hardware starts from as little as just £19, again offering a more affordable start.
However, if you want to get kitted out with all of Square’s hardware, it will set you back at least £419 + VAT. Card fees are also between 1.75% for card payments and 2.5% for virtual terminals and invoices, which isn’t the cheapest available. If you process over £200,000 in annual card sales, then you qualify for custom enterprise pricing.
Even if you have an established retail or e-Comm business, Square could be your perfect EPOS system. This is because it has retail-centric features, such as barcoding and stock management, one package, and the ability to integrate with e-Comm software. You can even reach a wider audience than before with the ability to sell directly through social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, eBay and Amazon.
- Pros
- Retail-centric features
- Free plans available
- Integrated payment solution
- Online & offline capabilities
- Sell directly through online channels, including social media.
- Cons
- More expensive card fees
- Expensive if you want Square’s hardware
Why We Think It’s Great
When it comes to hospitality, nobody’s EPOS systems come anywhere near those from LightSpeed!
Convenience is unmatched, with customers able to order from their seats or online. It also comes with the ability to split bills up to 99 ways, enhancing the customer experience and streamlining the ordering process.
Simple drag-and-drop options allow you to modify menus and floor plans in seconds, meaning that any last-second changes can be handled with minimal fuss. With the ability to facilitate online reservations and integrate with apps such as kitchen display units, the evening rush has never been so under control.
Flexibility is one of Lightspeed’s greatest assets. You can opt for a hardware package or cherry-pick the kit you want. Their pricing ranges from £69 – £349 and includes custom enterprise pricing, making them a suitable option for all budgets. If you run into any problems with your system, Lightspeed offers 24/7 customer support, so you will be back up and running even during the busiest of rushes.
- Pros
- 14-day free trial
- 24/7 customer support
- Integrated payments
- Offline mode
- Cons
- Some Android and Chrome devices are not compatible
Why We Think It’s Great
Norwich’s own EPOS Now comes packed to the brim with features that will help your business if you’re looking to expand. They are multi-channel ready and have the ability to connect to over 100 apps, granting you easy access to new revenue streams.
If you’re looking to open another outlet, then you can simply link new systems with existing ones, which allows you to maintain pricing and allow repeat customers to activate loyalty schemes no matter where they’re shopping with you.
Perhaps you want to offer increased portability or turn your business mobile? EPOS Now offers tablet systems in both Apple & Android devices and a handheld system doubling as a card reader.
Complete EPOS systems, industry-specific EPOS systems, and portable EPOS systems are all priced differently, allowing you to customise them to your specific needs. Regardless of what system you choose, you will always benefit from free 1-1 onboarding and 24/7 support.
- Pros
- 24/7 Support
- 100+ integrations
- Award-winning EPOS systems
- Multi venue capability
- Cons
- You may have to pay extra for a care and support package
- No in-house payment processing
Why We Think It’s Great
For obvious reasons, during the pandemic, restaurants began to utilise takeaway options to keep their business running, with many still offering this option. It’s still growing today, with the UK market predicted to be worth £63.1 billion by 2029.
Touch Bistro’s features enhance the running of in-house dining and takeaway businesses. For example, like Lightspeed, Touch Bistro offers table-side ordering, table management, split billing, speeding up service, and making sure that your seating plan is up to date.
But Touch Bistro also has dedicated takeaway service features such as a separate delivery payment as well as the ability to connect to third-party apps so customers can track their order in real-time. There are menu display options for customers, the ability to link to self-serve kiosks, and the entire process from ordering to your customers receiving their food, which can be handled online, which is perfect for a takeaway environment.
If you only offer in-house service, then Lightspeed is the superior option.
(Yes, we know earlier that we said we wouldn’t officially ‘rank’ different providers, but in this case, we’re making an exception.)
But if you primarily serve takeaway or want to make that a focus of your more traditional restaurant, Touch Bistro is the absolute daddy.
- Pros
- Takeaway specific features
- Easy-to-use interface
- Numerous customisable add-ons
- One system can be used if you offer both in-house and takeaway dining.
- Cons
- If you offer only in-house dining, there are better options
- Not the best customer support
Why We Think It’s Great
If you already have a device that can run the SumUp software, you can get up and running for as little as £9 per month, making it extremely affordable for newer businesses and those on a smaller budget.
With this comes some great features beneficial to numerous industries.
If you’re in hospitality, you can split bills (but only equally and on selected items), and the in-depth reports will even include the amounts of an item down to the ingredient level.
For retail and eCom, you can create QR barcodes and add products to your system instantly.
If you’re solely offline, then that’s no worry either, as SumUp offers full offline capabilities.
This is all well and good, but if you want to get your hands on all of SumUps’ hardware, it’s going to cost an average of £485 and then a further £348 per terminal number. This might not be suitable for those on a tighter budget and may not be the best option if your business is looking to scale quickly.
- Pros
- Affordable software
- Wasteage reports
- Detailed reporting
- Staff clock in/out
- 13 purpose-built software add-ons
- Cons
- Expensive hardware costs
- Not scalable without really paying for it
How Can I Get an EPOS system?
Now that you know which system could be the perfect fit for you and your business needs, it’s time to choose one.
All you have to do is tap below to use our FREE, simple form to provide us with a few bits of key information, and we will source a range of quotes bespoke to your business for you to compare.
FAQs
What is the most straightforward EPOS system?
For simplicity, we recommend Square as it’s easy to get to grips with and grow with your business.
What is the best EPOS system for restaurants?
We believe that Lightspeed would be the best choice for restaurants.
This is because it has many restaurant-focused features that will help keep service running smoothly.
What is the best EPOS system for small businesses?
SumUp is perfect for smaller and newer businesses because it’s simple to set up and affordable to get started.
How much does an EPOS system cost?
The cost of an EPOS system depends on your business needs, specific industry, and the additional hardware and software you require. Small setups for basic functions cost less than more advanced systems with multiple terminals and advanced integrations.
The best way to find out is to use our FREE EPOS comparison service, which allows you to compare multiple quotes from some of the UK’s leading providers.
