Best EPOS Systems for Hospitality UK 2026: Top Picks for Restaurants, Cafés & Bars Quick answer
The best hospitality EPOS system in the UK depends on your venue type, service style, order volume, payment setup and whether you need table management, kitchen printing, online ordering, delivery integrations, stock control or multi-site reporting.
For small cafés, pop-ups, food trucks and simple hospitality businesses, Square, SumUp and PayPal POS are good low-cost options because they are quick to set up and work well for card payments, basic menus and sales reporting.
For restaurants, pubs, bars, takeaways and growing hospitality venues, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover, TouchBistro, Zonal, ICRTouch and Tevalis are stronger options because they can support table service, kitchen workflows, tabs, staff permissions, reporting, delivery integrations and more advanced stock control.
Best overall for low-cost hospitality EPOS: Square
Best for simple hospitality payments: SumUp
Best for PayPal-linked payments: PayPal POS, formerly Zettle
Best for growing hospitality businesses: Epos Now
Best for restaurants and reporting: Lightspeed Restaurant
Best for all-in-one EPOS and payments: Clover
Best for table-service restaurants: TouchBistro
Best for pubs, bars and hospitality groups: Zonal
Best for takeaways and fast food: ICRTouch
Best for larger hospitality groups: Tevalis
Hospitality EPOS systems can cost from £0/month for basic POS software to £50–£150+ per month for more advanced systems, before hardware, payment terminals, kitchen printers, card processing, installation, support and integrations are included.
Compare hospitality EPOS quotes to find the best system for your venue, budget and service style.
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Contents
Best EPOS Systems For Hospitality Providers
Other EPOS Systems For Hospitality Providers in the UK
How much does hospitality EPOS cost in the UK?
Key Considerations for Choosing an EPoS System
Having an On-Premise EPOS System for Your Hospitality Business
How do we work?
Transparent, impartial, and data‑driven reviews made by a team of expert humans, never AI generated – here’s exactly how Compare Your Business Costs helps you find the best deals from trusted UK providers: click here
Authored by: Ally Cox (Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist 10+ Years’ Experience)
Reviewed by: James Ward (Telecoms Specialist, 12+ Years Experience)
Last Updated: May 2026
Key Takeaways
Hospitality EPOS systems should be compared by service style, not just provider name.
Small hospitality businesses may only need simple POS software, a card reader and basic reporting.
Restaurants and cafés should prioritise fast order entry, modifiers, kitchen printing, stock and reporting.
Pubs and bars should prioritise tabs, split bills, drink stock, staff logins and integrated payments.
Takeaways should prioritise kitchen workflows, online ordering and delivery integrations.
Multi-site hospitality groups need central reporting, permissions, stock visibility and strong support.
Card processing fees can cost more than software subscriptions for high-volume venues.
Compare total cost, including software, hardware, payment fees, support, integrations and contract terms.
What is a hospitality EPOS system? A hospitality EPOS system is an electronic point-of-sale system designed for businesses such as cafés, restaurants, bars, pubs, hotels, takeaways and event venues, and unlike a basic cash register or card machine, a hospitality EPOS system can help manage:
food and drink orders
table service
bar tabs
split bills
kitchen printing
kitchen display screens
online orders
delivery app orders
menu modifiers
staff permissions
stock control
card and contactless payments
cash payments
receipts and refunds
reporting
customer loyalty
multi-site operations
For a small café or pop-up, a simple card reader and POS app may be enough. For a restaurant, pub or multi-site hospitality group, a more advanced EPOS system is usually worth comparing.
What makes an EPOS system hospitality-ready?
Feature
Why it matters in hospitality
Fast order entry
Helps reduce queues and keep service moving
Menu modifiers
Handles sizes, extras, allergens, substitutions and meal deals
Integrated payments
Reduces rekeying and payment mistakes
Table management
Essential for dine-in restaurants and food-led pubs
Bar tabs
Useful for pubs, bars and casual dining
Split bills
Helps with groups and table service
Kitchen printing
Sends orders clearly to food prep areas
Kitchen display system
Improves visibility in busy kitchens
Staff logins
Tracks orders, discounts, refunds and performance
Stock control
Helps manage food, drink, wastage and best sellers
Loyalty tools
Online ordering
Useful for takeaway, click and collect and direct orders
Delivery integrations
Helps reduce manual rekeying from delivery platforms
Offline mode
Helps keep trading if internet drops
Multi-site reporting
Useful for groups and operators with more than one venue
Best hospitality EPOS systems: quick comparison
EPOS provider Best for Typical hospitality fit Pricing style Main strengths
Square Low-cost hospitality EPOS
Cafés, pop-ups, food trucks, small restaurants
Free plan; paid restaurant plan available
Simple setup, payments, basic hospitality tools
SumUp Simple payments
Mobile food businesses, coffee carts, small cafés
Low-cost hardware plus transaction fees
Easy card payments and low upfront cost
PayPal POS PayPal-linked payments
Small cafés, pop-ups, mobile sellers
Card reader/app-based setup
PayPal connection and simple POS tools
Epos Now Growing hospitality SMEs
Cafés, bars, pubs, takeaways, restaurants
Hardware/software packages
Stock, reporting, payments and integrations
Lightspeed Restaurant Restaurants and reporting
Restaurants, cafés, growing hospitality venues
From £79/month for first terminal
Reporting, inventory, order flows and integrations
Clover POS All-in-one EPOS and payments
Cafés, bars, quick-service venues, small restaurants
Hardware and payment package
Till, payments, apps and staff tools
TouchBistro Table-service restaurants
Restaurants, brunch cafés, casual dining
Subscription/quote-based
Table service, menus, staff and order workflows
Zonal Pubs, bars and hospitality groups
Pubs, bars, hotels, multi-site hospitality
Quote-based
Hospitality ecosystem, bookings, loyalty, stock
https://icrtouch.com/ Takeaways and fast food
Takeaways, quick-service, fish and chips, pizza
Quote/package based
Fast order entry, kiosks, kitchen workflows
Tevalis Larger hospitality groups
Multi-site restaurants, bars, hotels, venues
Quote-based
Advanced hospitality EPOS and integrations
Cloud EPOS vs on-premise EPOS for hospitality Most modern hospitality EPOS systems are cloud-based, but some businesses still compare on-premise or hybrid systems.
EPOS type Best for Pros Watch outs
Cloud EPOS
Most cafés, restaurants, bars and takeaways
Easier updates, remote reporting, scalable, lower upfront cost
Needs reliable internet and good provider support
On-premise EPOS
Some venues wanting local control
Can offer strong offline control and customisation
Higher upfront cost, local maintenance and backup responsibility
Hybrid EPOS
Busy venues needing cloud tools and offline resilience
Combines remote access with some local reliability
May cost more and needs careful setup
When cloud EPOS is usually better
Cloud EPOS is usually better if you want:
remote access to reports
regular software updates
lower upfront costs
easier multi-site management
simpler integrations
scalable add-ons
When on-premise EPOS may still suit
On-premise EPOS will suit businesses that:
want more local control
have unreliable internet
need bespoke setup
prefer a one-off purchase model
have in-house technical support
For most small and medium-sized hospitality businesses in 2026, cloud or hybrid EPOS systems are usually the better comparison starting point.
Benefits of hospitality EPOS systems A good hospitality EPOS system can help improve service speed, reduce errors and give managers better control over sales, stock and staf, and the main benefits include:
faster order entry
fewer order mistakes
smoother kitchen communication
quicker payments
easier table and tab management
better stock visibility
clearer staff permissions
improved sales reporting
easier end-of-day reconciliation
support for delivery and online ordering
loyalty and customer tools
better multi-site visibility
less manual admin
Which hospitality EPOS system is best for your venue?
Venue type Best providers to compare What to prioritise
Small café
Square, SumUp, PayPal POS, Clover
Low setup cost, fast payments, simple reporting
Coffee shop
Square, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover
Modifiers, loyalty, stock, fast service
Restaurant
Lightspeed, TouchBistro, Epos Now, Clover
Table service, kitchen printing, split bills
Pub
Zonal, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover
Tabs, stock control, staff permissions
Bar
Lightspeed, Epos Now, Clover, Zonal
Speed, tabs, drink stock, reporting
Takeaway
Epos Now, ICRTouch, Lightspeed, Square
Kitchen printing, online orders, delivery integrations
Food truck
SumUp, Square, PayPal POS
Portable payments and low upfront cost
Hotel restaurant/bar
Zonal, Tevalis, Lightspeed, Epos Now
Multi-department reporting and hospitality tools
Multi-site hospitality group
Zonal, Tevalis, Lightspeed, Epos Now
Central reporting, stock, permissions, support
Event venue
Zonal, Tevalis, Clover, Lightspeed
Fast payments, flexible tills, reporting
How much does hospitality EPOS cost in the UK? Hospitality EPOS costs vary depending on your venue type, number of tills, payment terminals, kitchen printers, software features, delivery integrations, support needs and contract terms.
As a broad 2026 guide:
Hospitality EPOS cost Typical UK cost
Basic POS software
£0/month, plus transaction fees
Simple card reader
Around £19-£100+ upfront
Tablet-based POS setup
Around £100-£500+ upfront
Full EPOS terminal
Around £300-£1,000+ upfront
Receipt printer
Around £100-£300+
Kitchen/bar printer
Around £150-£300+
Kitchen display screen
Around £200-£800+
Cash drawer
Around £40-£150+
Basic EPOS software
£0-£50/month
Advanced hospitality EPOS
£50-£150+/month
Multi-site hospitality EPOS
£100-£300+/month
Card transaction fees
Often around 1.5%-2.5%+ depending on provider and payment type
What affects hospitality EPOS pricing?
Cost factor Why it matters
Number of tills
More tills usually increase hardware and software costs
Venue type
Restaurants, pubs, cafés and takeaways need different workflows
Payment terminals
Integrated card terminals may be bundled or charged separately
Kitchen/bar printers
Important for food and drink order routing
Kitchen display systems
Useful for busy kitchens but adds cost
Handheld ordering
Speeds up table service but adds device costs
Online ordering
May be included, add-on or third-party integration
Delivery integrations
Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat connections may cost extra
Stock control
Food, drink and ingredient tracking may need higher-tier plans
Staff accounts
Larger teams may need permissions and reporting
Support level
Evening and weekend support may be essential
Contract length
Check minimum term, renewal rules and cancellation fees
Transaction fees
These can outweigh monthly software fees for busy venues
Other EPOS Systems For Hospitality Providers in the UK The UK market offers a variety of EPoS systems tailored for the hospitality industry. These systems range from basic till solutions to comprehensive back-office management platforms, but remember that they can also differ in terms of being software-based versus hardware-inclusive solutions. We’ve put together a list of some of the most common hospitality EPoS systems you might encounter or already use:
A-Z List of Common Hospitality EPoS Systems
Aloha Epos
Beanstore
Birch Street
Comtrex
Dot Pos
EPOS Now
FnB Shop
Fourth
Gardiff Epos
Intelligent Golf
Kobas
Lightspeed Pos
Market Man
Micros
Point One
Polaris
Procure Wizard
Stock Link
Tevalis
Vennersys
Zonal
How to choose the best hospitality EPOS system Before choosing a hospitality EPOS provider, ask:
What type of venue do you run?
Cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaways need different workflows.
Do you need table management?
Dine-in venues should compare table plans, split bills and tabs.
Do you need kitchen printing or KDS?
Food-led venues need clear order routing and kitchen visibility.
Do you use delivery platforms?
Check whether Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat integrations are supported.
How complex is your menu?
Menus with modifiers, meal deals and allergens need fast, easy setup.
What payment fees will you pay?
Transaction fees can cost more than EPOS software for busy venues.
What hardware do you need?
Consider tills, card readers, printers, cash drawers, kitchen screens and handhelds.
What support is available during trading hours?
Hospitality businesses need support when they are open, including evenings and weekends.
Can the system work offline?
Ask what happens to orders, tabs and payments if your internet drops.
What contract are you signing?
Check minimum term, cancellation fees, hardware ownership and renewal terms.
Having an On-Premise EPOS Sytem for Your Hospitality Business On-premise EPoS (Electronic Point of Sale) systems are installed locally on the hardware servers of a hospitality establishment. This setup typically involves a one-time purchase of both the software and associated hardware, such as terminals, printers, and cash drawers.
These systems are managed and maintained internally by you (or your business), including handling software updates and data backup, and since all EPoS software is installed on-site, all data is stored within the premises.
A significant advantage of on-premise EPoS systems is their ability to operate offline, allowing businesses to continue processing transactions during internet outages.
Benefits :
On-premise EPoS solutions can be highly tailored to meet your individual needs, such as menu items, pricing, and workflows.
These systems can function without an internet connection, ensuring continuous operation.
YOu have greater control over the system, including security and data privacy, as everything is managed in-house.
Limitations:
On-premise EPoS solutions often require a significant initial investment in hardware and software licenses.
The business is responsible for system management, including software updates and backups.
These systems are fixed to the physical location where they are installed, which may limit their use for off-site events such as food festivals.
Why trust our hospitality EPOS reviews? At Compare Your Business Costs, we review EPOS systems from a UK small business and hospitality buyer’s perspective, which means we focus on:
who each system is best for
who should compare alternatives
likely pricing and contract considerations
card processing fees
hospitality-specific features
order and kitchen workflows
hardware and support requirements
alternatives worth comparing
We do not recommend choosing a hospitality EPOS system based only on brand name or headline price. The right system depends on your service style, order volume, payment setup, stock needs, support requirements and budget.
Our verdict: what is the best EPOS system for hospitality?
For small cafés, food trucks, pop-ups and simple hospitality businesses, Square, SumUp and PayPal POS are good options to compare first because they are simple, low-commitment and payment-friendly.
For growing restaurants, cafés, pubs and takeaways, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover and TouchBistro are usually stronger because they offer better order management, stock tools, reporting and staff features.
For pubs, bars and larger hospitality operators, Zonal, Tevalis and Lightspeed are stronger options to compare because they offer more advanced hospitality workflows and multi-site control.
For fast food and takeaway businesses, ICRTouch, Epos Now and Lightspeed are worth comparing because kitchen workflows and order speed matter so much.
Bottom line:
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FAQs: hospitality EPOS systems What is the best EPOS system for hospitality in the UK?
The best hospitality EPOS system depends on your venue. Square is good for low-cost setup, Epos Now is useful for growing hospitality businesses, Lightspeed is strong for restaurants and reporting, TouchBistro suits table-service venues, Zonal is strong for pubs and larger hospitality groups, and ICRTouch is useful for takeaways and fast food.
How much does a hospitality EPOS system cost?
A hospitality EPOS system can cost from £0/month for basic POS software to £50–£150+ per month for more advanced software. Hardware, card readers, kitchen printers, payment fees, support and integrations can increase the total cost.
What is the cheapest hospitality EPOS system?
Square, SumUp and PayPal POS are often good low-cost options for small hospitality businesses. They are best for simple payments and basic reporting rather than advanced table, kitchen or multi-site workflows.
What features should hospitality EPOS include?
Important features include fast order entry, integrated payments, staff logins, table management, kitchen printing, stock control, reporting, delivery integrations, loyalty tools and offline functionality.
Do hospitality EPOS systems work offline?
Some hospitality EPOS systems offer limited offline functionality, but this varies by provider. Ask what happens to orders, tabs, kitchen tickets, card payments and reporting if your internet connection drops.
Is cloud EPOS better than on-premise EPOS?
Cloud EPOS is usually easier to scale, update and manage remotely. On-premise EPOS may offer more local control and offline resilience, but it can involve higher upfront costs and more maintenance responsibility.
Is Square good for hospitality businesses?
Square can be a good option for small cafés, pop-ups, food trucks and quick-service venues that want simple EPOS and payments. Larger restaurants, pubs or hospitality groups may need more specialist systems.
Is Lightspeed good for hospitality?
Lightspeed Restaurant can suit growing hospitality businesses that need stronger reporting, stock control, integrations and order management. Its UK plans start from £79/month for the first terminal.
Is PayPal POS the same as Zettle?
PayPal POS is the current name for what was previously known as Zettle by PayPal. PayPal says its POS is no longer called Zettle, though existing accounts continue to operate in the same way.
Should I compare hospitality EPOS quotes before choosing?
Yes. Hospitality EPOS costs vary depending on software, hardware, card fees, support, kitchen tools, delivery integrations and contract terms. Comparing quotes helps you avoid overpaying and find the best fit for your venue.
Related EPOS Guides If you’re researching EPOS systems, the guides below cover costs, business types, providers, hardware and future trends in more detail.
EPOS costs & pricing
Understand how EPOS pricing works in the UK, including rental, software fees and hidden charges:
EPOS by business type
Different industries need very different EPOS features. These guides focus on sector-specific requirements:
EPOS hardware & technology
Learn how EPOS hardware, devices and system architecture affect performance and cost:
EPOS providers & software (full reviews)
Detailed, provider-specific reviews are covered separately to keep comparisons unbiased:
Integrations, data & advanced use
For businesses needing deeper integrations and reporting:
EPOS comparisons & future trends
Understand how EPOS systems are evolving and how to compare options fairly:
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Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.
