Best EPOS Systems for Restaurants in the UK 2026 Guide: Features, Costs & Top Providers Quick answer
The best EPOS system for a restaurant in the UK depends on your service style, order volume, payment setup and whether you need table service, kitchen printing, delivery integrations, stock control or multi-site reporting.
For small cafés, quick-service restaurants and simple food businesses, Square, SumUp and Epos Now are good options to compare because they are relatively easy to set up and can support simple payments, menus and reporting.
For full-service restaurants, pubs, bars and growing hospitality businesses, Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro, Clover, Epos Now and Zonal are stronger options because they offer more hospitality-specific tools such as table management, staff permissions, kitchen workflows, handheld ordering and reporting.
Best overall for low-cost restaurant EPOS: Square
Best for growing restaurants: Lightspeed Restaurant
Best for table-service restaurants: TouchBistro
Best for pubs, bars and hospitality groups: Zonal
Best for retail and hospitality SMEs: Epos Now
Best for simple card payments: SumUp
Best for all-in-one EPOS and payments: Clover
Best for PayPal-linked payments: PayPal POS, formerly Zettle
Restaurant EPOS systems can cost from £0/month for basic POS software to £50-£150+ per month for more advanced hospitality systems, before hardware, card processing, kitchen printers, handheld devices, installation and add-ons are included.
Square for Restaurants has a free plan and a Plus plan at £69/month per location after trial, with UK in-person processing listed at 1.75%. Lightspeed Restaurant says its UK plans begin at £79/month for the first terminal.
Compare restaurant EPOS quotes to find the best system for your venue, budget and service style.
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Contents
What is an EPOS System?
EPOS Systems For Restaurants Providers
How much does a restaurant EPOS system cost in the UK?
Benefits of EPOS Systems for Restaurants
Epos Systems For Restaurants Pricing
Finding the Right EPOS System for Your Restaurant
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
Restaurant EPOS systems need more than basic payment processing.
The right system depends on whether you run a café, takeaway, quick-service restaurant, full-service restaurant, pub, bar or multi-site venue.
Table management, kitchen printing, split bills, tabs and staff permissions are essential for dine-in restaurants.
Delivery integrations, kitchen display systems and online ordering are more important for takeaways and quick-service venues.
EPOS software may start from £0/month, but hardware, card fees, printers, handheld devices and add-ons can increase the real cost.
Compare restaurant EPOS by total cost, not just the monthly software fee.
Avoid choosing the most advanced system if you only need a simple till and card payments.
Best restaurant EPOS systems: quick comparison
EPOS provider Best for Typical restaurant fit Pricing style Main strengths
Square Point of Sale
Low-cost setup
Cafés, quick-service, small restaurants
Free plan; Plus plan available
Simple setup, payments, basic restaurant tools
Lightspeed Restaurant
Growing restaurants
Restaurants, cafés, hospitality groups
From £79/month for first terminal
Reporting, inventory, integrations, table service
TouchBistro
Table-service restaurants
Casual dining, full-service restaurants
Quote/subscription based
Restaurant workflows, table management, menu tools
Epos Now
Hospitality SMEs
Restaurants, cafés, takeaways, pubs
Promotional hardware/software packages
Broad EPOS features, stock, reporting, payments
Clover POS
All-in-one EPOS and payments
Cafés, small restaurants, quick-service venues
Hardware/payment package
Integrated payments, apps, hardware options
Zonal
Established hospitality venues
Pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, multi-site groups
Quote-based
Hospitality ecosystem, bookings, loyalty, order & pay
SumUp POS
Simple payments
Small cafés, food stalls, pop-ups, simple takeaways
Low-cost hardware plus fees
Easy payments, low setup cost
PayPal POS
PayPal-linked payments
Small cafés, pop-ups, mobile food businesses
Card reader/app-based setup
PayPal connection and simple selling
Tevalis
Larger hospitality venues
Restaurants, bars, hotels, multi-site groups
Quote-based
Hospitality EPOS, integrations, reporting
ICRTouch
Fast food and hospitality
Takeaways, pubs, quick-service venues
Quote/package based
Hospitality workflows, kiosks and integrations
Which restaurant EPOS system is best for your venue?
Restaurant type Best providers to compare What to prioritise
Small café
Square, SumUp, Epos Now, Clover
Fast checkout, simple menu, receipts, card payments
Coffee shop
Square, Clover, Epos Now, Lightspeed
Loyalty, modifiers, staff logins, stock reports
Quick-service restaurant
Square, Epos Now, Clover, ICRTouch
Speed, kitchen printing, order flow, payments
Takeaway
Epos Now, ICRTouch, Lightspeed, Square
Delivery integrations, kitchen printing, online ordering
Casual dining
Lightspeed, TouchBistro, Epos Now, Clover
Table management, split bills, staff permissions
Fine dining
Lightspeed, TouchBistro, Zonal, Tevalis
Course timing, table service, reporting, integrations
Pub or bar
Zonal, Epos Now, Clover, Lightspeed
Tabs, stock control, staff permissions, fast payments
Multi-site restaurant group
Zonal, Lightspeed, Tevalis, Epos Now
Central reporting, permissions, loyalty, integrations
Food truck or pop-up
SumUp, Square, PayPal POS
Mobile payments, low upfront cost, simple setup
What is an EPOS System For Restaurants? A restaurant EPOS system is a specialised point-of-sale solution designed for hospitality environments. Unlike retail EPOS systems, restaurant EPOS platforms manage:
Table and floor plans
Kitchen Display Systems (KDS)
Split bills and tips
Course timing and order routing
Stock linked to recipes and ingredients
This makes restaurant EPOS systems essential for improving service speed, accuracy and profitability.
How much does a restaurant EPOS system cost in the UK? Restaurant EPOS costs vary depending on your venue size, number of tills, payment terminals, kitchen printers, handheld ordering devices, software plan, integrations and support package.
Restaurant EPOS cost Typical UK cost
Basic POS software
£0/month, plus transaction fees
Restaurant POS software
£50-£150+/month
Advanced hospitality EPOS
£100-£300+/month
Basic card reader
Around £19-£100+ upfront
Main EPOS terminal
Around £300-£1,000+ upfront
Receipt printer
Around £100-£300+
Kitchen printer
Around £150-£300+
Kitchen display screen
Around £200-£800+
Handheld ordering devices
Varies by device and provider
Installation/training
£0-£500+ depending on setup
Card processing fees
Often around 1.5%-2.5%+ depending on provider and payment type
Square for Restaurants is one of the clearest low-cost benchmarks, with a free plan and a Plus plan priced at £69/month per location after the trial period. Epos Now currently promotes complete POS system offers from £249, although promotional pricing and package details should be checked before signing.
What affects restaurant EPOS pricing?
Cost factor Why it matters
Number of tills
More terminals usually increase hardware and software costs
Number of sites
Multi-site reporting and permissions can cost more
Payment terminals
Integrated payments may be bundled or charged separately
Kitchen printers
Needed for many cafés, takeaways and restaurants
Kitchen display system
Useful for busy venues but adds hardware/software cost
Handheld ordering
Speeds up table service but may increase device costs
Online ordering
Often included only in higher plans or as an add-on
Delivery integrations
Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat connections may cost extra
Stock control
Ingredient-level stock usually requires a more advanced plan
Support level
Evening/weekend support may be more important for restaurants
Contract length
Check minimum term, renewal and cancellation charges
Benefits of EPOS Systems for Restaurants By automating many manual processes, EPOS systems free up staff to focus on delivering excellent customer service thanks to much faster order processing and payment that reduce wait times and can improve your table turnover.
EPOS systems reduce the risk of human error in order-taking and payment processing, minimising disputes and enhancing your customer satisfaction.
Real-time inventory tracking helps prevent stockouts and overstock situations, and comprehensive reporting provides valuable insights into your restaurant’s performance.
Next, it won’t matter whether you’re opening new locations or expanding your menu; if you choose a quality EPOS system, it will be able to adapt to your changing needs.
EPOS Systems For Restaurants: Finding the Right One Selecting the right EPOS system is crucial for ensuring smooth operations and delivering an exceptional customer experience in your restaurant. The best choice will depend on the size and type of your restaurant, your specific needs, and your budget. Here are our top recommendations tailored to different types of dining establishments:
Cafes and Coffee Shops
Epos Now – they have intuitive solutions for menu customization and customer management, ensuring a smooth and personalised cafe experience.Lightspeed – they offer tailored systems offering quick order processing and loyalty programs, ideal for enhancing customer retention in cafés.
Casual Dining Restaurants
Lightspeed – they are known for its user-friendly interface, efficient order management, and customizable menus, making it suitable for casual dining.SumUp – For their intuitive systems designed for easy table management and mobile ordering, ensuring quick and seamless service.
Fine Dining Restaurants
Epos Now – because they offer sophisticated solutions with table management and extensive reporting capabilities, ideal for maintaining an upscale dining experience.Lightspeed – they offer advanced features such as tableside ordering and reservation management, perfect for high-end dining environments
Fast Food Restaurants
Epos Now – as they deliver fast and efficient order processing with integrated payment solutions, essential for high-volume, quick-service environments.ICR Touch – as they offer robust systems featuring self-service kiosks and real-time reporting, ideal for streamlining operations in busy fast-food settings.
Pubs
Epos Now – they have a comprehensive systems equipped with bar tab management and stock control, perfect for managing busy pub environments.Power Epos – for their robust POS solutions featuring tableside ordering and efficient inventory management, ensuring smooth operations in pubs.
Takeouts
ICR Touch – t hey are a simple and effective solutions for takeouts, with mobile payments and inventory tracking, perfect for food trucks and pizzerias.Mealzo – because they offer a versatile POS system tailored for online ordering and delivery management, ensuring efficient takeout operations.
What features should restaurant EPOS include?
Feature Why it matters
Table management
Helps manage covers, tables, seating and service flow
Kitchen printing
Sends orders directly to the kitchen or bar
Kitchen display system
Reduces paper tickets and improves kitchen visibility
Split bills
Useful for groups and table-service restaurants
Tabs
Essential for pubs, bars and casual dining
Menu modifiers
Handles extras, allergens, sides and substitutions
Staff logins
Tracks orders, discounts, refunds and performance
Integrated payments
Reduces errors between bill and card terminal
Tips and service charge
Helps manage hospitality payments accurately
Stock control
Tracks ingredients, menu items and wastage
Delivery integrations
Connects orders from delivery platforms
Online ordering
Helps manage takeaway, click and collect or direct orders
Reporting
Shows sales, best sellers, peak times and margins
Loyalty tools
Supports repeat visits and customer retention
Multi-site reporting
Useful for hospitality groups and growing operators
Why restaurant EPOS matters A good restaurant EPOS system can help improve speed, accuracy and profitability and having the right system can help you:
take orders faster
reduce order errors
send orders directly to the kitchen
manage tables and covers
handle split bills and tips
reduce manual rekeying
track staff performance
monitor popular dishes
reduce stock waste
manage delivery and takeaway orders
improve reporting
support future growth
For busy restaurants, the biggest benefit is usually not just taking payments. It is making service smoother from order to kitchen to bill.
Our verdict: what is the best EPOS system for restaurants?
For smaller restaurants, cafés and quick-service venues, Square, SumUp and Epos Now are good systems to compare first because they can offer simple setup, payments and core EPOS features without unnecessary complexity.
For growing restaurants and full-service venues, Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro, Clover and Epos Now are usually stronger because they offer better table, kitchen, staff and reporting tools.
For pubs, bars, hotels and multi-site hospitality businesses, Zonal, Lightspeed and Tevalis are stronger options to compare because they offer more advanced hospitality workflows.
Bottom line: the best restaurant EPOS system is the one that fits your service style, kitchen workflow, payment needs, hardware setup and budget.
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FAQs: restaurant EPOS systems What is the best EPOS system for restaurants in the UK?
The best EPOS system depends on the type of restaurant. Square is strong for smaller venues and low-cost setup, Lightspeed is good for growing restaurants, TouchBistro suits table-service restaurants, Epos Now is useful for hospitality SMEs, and Zonal is better for established pubs, bars and multi-site hospitality venues.
How much does a restaurant EPOS system cost?
Restaurant EPOS software can range from £0/month for basic software to £50-£150+ per month for more advanced systems. Hardware, card processing fees, kitchen printers, handheld devices, installation, support and add-ons can increase the total cost.
What is the cheapest restaurant EPOS system?
Square is one of the clearest low-cost options because Square for Restaurants has a free plan. SumUp and PayPal POS may also suit small food businesses that mainly need simple payments. More advanced restaurant features usually cost more.
Does Square work for restaurants?
Yes. Square for Restaurants can work well for cafés, quick-service venues and smaller restaurants. Its Plus plan costs £69/month per location after trial, while the free plan may suit simpler venues.
Is Lightspeed good for restaurants?
Yes. Lightspeed Restaurant is a strong option for growing restaurants that need reporting, inventory, integrations and hospitality workflows. Lightspeed says restaurant 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, although the system still operates in a similar way.
Do restaurant EPOS systems work with Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat?
Many restaurant EPOS systems can integrate with delivery platforms, but this varies by provider and plan. Check whether Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat integrations are included or charged separately.
Can restaurant EPOS systems handle table service?
Yes. Restaurant EPOS systems can support table plans, tabs, split bills, tips, course timing and tableside ordering, depending on the provider and package.
Do restaurants need kitchen display screens?
Not always. Small cafés may only need a receipt or kitchen printer. Busier restaurants, takeaways and quick-service venues may benefit from a kitchen display system because it can improve order visibility and reduce errors.
Can EPOS systems track restaurant inventory?
Yes. Many restaurant EPOS systems track stock, ingredients, wastage and product sales. More advanced stock control is usually included in higher-tier plans or specialist hospitality systems.
Can restaurant EPOS work offline?
Some systems offer limited offline functionality, but this varies. Ask what happens to sales, orders, kitchen tickets and card payments if your internet connection drops.
Should restaurants compare EPOS quotes before buying?
Yes. Restaurant EPOS costs vary significantly depending on software, hardware, payments, support, integrations and contract terms. Comparing quotes helps you find the right system and avoid paying for features you do not need.
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.
