Best Café EPOS Systems UK 2026: Costs, Features & Providers
Quick Answer
The best EPOS system for a café depends on how busy you are, how complicated your menu is and what happens after the order is taken.
A small coffee cart may only need:
a card reader
a simple menu
basic sales reporting
A busy café may need:
fast order entry
drink modifiers
kitchen printing or KDS
stock control
staff permissions
loyalty
online ordering
delivery integrations
Café type What we would compare first
Coffee cart/pop-up
Square, SumUp, PayPal POS
Small independent café
Square, SumUp, Epos Now
Busy coffee shop
Lightspeed, Epos Now, Square Restaurants
Café with food/kitchen
Lightspeed, Epos Now, TouchBistro, Square Restaurants
Brunch/table-service café
TouchBistro, Lightspeed, Square Restaurants
Multi-site café group
Lightspeed, Zonal, Tevalis
Our view: for cafés, speed at the till matters more than having the longest feature list.
The best café EPOS should make this workflow faster:
order → modifier → payment → preparation → collection / table → reporting
Compare Café EPOS Quotes
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare UK EPOS providers
How Do We Work?
Our comparisons are researched and reviewed by the Compare Your Business Costs editorial team using provider information, pricing data and UK business buying criteria. See how Compare Your Business Costs works .
Authored by: Ally Cox – Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist, 10+ years’ experience.
Reviewed by: James Ward – Telecoms Specialist, 12+ years’ experience.
Last Updated: September 2026
Key Takeaways
Small cafés can start with EPOS software from £0/month.
Square currently offers Square for Restaurants Free at £0/month.
Square for Restaurants Plus currently costs £69/month per location.
SumUp currently offers free POS software, POS Plus at £39/month and POS Pro from £49/month.
PayPal POS currently has no monthly POS fee, with card readers from £29 ex VAT.
Busy cafés should prioritise order-entry speed and modifiers before advanced reporting.
Card-processing fees can cost far more than EPOS software over time.
Kitchen displays and printers matter only where orders need to move from front-of-house to preparation.
Loyalty can be valuable for cafés because repeat visits are frequent.
Offline capability and broadband resilience matter if the till cannot trade without internet.
What Is a Café EPOS System? A café EPOS system is the software and hardware used to manage café sales and related workflows and can include:
order taking
card payments
cash payments
drink sizes
milk alternatives
syrups
extras
food modifiers
receipts
refunds
staff logins
stock
loyalty
online ordering
delivery
reporting
The best café EPOS is designed around speed and repetition.
A customer ordering: large oat flat white + extra shot + syrup
should not require staff to move through six slow screens during the morning rush.
Our View: Modifier Speed Is One of the Most Important Café Features Cafés often have deceptively complex orders and a single drink could involve:
size
milk type
extra shots
decaf
syrup
temperature
Before buying a system, ask the provider to demonstrate:
“Show me how quickly a new member of staff can enter our five most common customised drinks.”
That demo can tell you more than a 50-feature brochure.
How Much Does Café EPOS Cost? Café EPOS pricing can range from free software to advanced hospitality systems with monthly subscriptions, multiple devices and kitchen tools.
Setup Current pricing style
Basic app-based POS
From £0/month
Advanced SME POS
Around £39–£69+/month
Hospitality POS
Subscription/package pricing
Large multi-site EPOS
Usually custom quote
Then add:
hardware
payment processing
printers
KDS
loyalty
online ordering
delivery integrations
Current Café EPOS Pricing Examples
Provider Current example
Square Restaurants Free £0/month + processing
Square Restaurants Plus
£69/month/location
SumUp POS Free £0/month
SumUp POS Plus £39/month ex VAT
SumUp POS Pro
From £49/month
PayPal POS
£0 monthly POS fee
PayPal Reader
£29 ex VAT for first eligible reader
Provider prices and promotions can change. Always check current pricing before purchase.
Our View: Stop Using One Generic “£50-£150 Café EPOS” Range There are now several distinct buying models:
free software + transaction fees
paid POS subscription
hardware bundles
managed hospitality packages
The real question is what is the total monthly cost of running the café through the system?
Best Café EPOS Systems UK 2026
Provider Best for Why compare it
Square
Small / growing cafés
Free plan, payments and wider hospitality ecosystem
SumUp
Simple cafés and coffee carts
Low setup cost and flexible POS tiers
PayPal POS
Small cafés and mobile sellers
Free POS software and simple payments
Epos Now
Growing cafés / bakeries
Hospitality features, kitchen tools and integrations
Lightspeed
Busy food-led cafés
Strong restaurant workflows and reporting
TouchBistro
Table-service cafés
Hospitality-first workflows
Zonal
Large café groups
Multi-site hospitality ecosystem
Tevalis
Complex hospitality groups
Advanced multi-site management
Square for Cafés Square is one of the strongest starting options for cafés because its current Restaurants Free plan costs:
£0/month
with payment-processing fees applying.
Core restaurant functionality includes:
order entry
menus
open bills
table management
multi-location tools
online ordering
Its current in-person UK payment rate is:
1.75%
Square Restaurants Plus
Current price:
£69/month per location
Plus adds features including:
advanced reporting
live sales reports
course management
Team Plus
additional restaurant workflows
Square Hardware
Current examples include:
Square Reader: £19 + VAT
Square Stand: £99 + VAT
Square Terminal: £149 + VAT
Square Handheld: £169 + VAT
Square Register: £699 + VAT
Our View on Square
Square is the strongest all-round starting point for many independent cafés.
It lets a business start simply and then add:
restaurants
loyalty
online ordering
KDS
staff tools
without immediately moving platforms.
See our Square EPOS review .
SumUp for Cafés SumUp currently offers:
Free POS: £0/monthPOS Plus: £39/month ex VATPOS Pro: from £49/month
POS Plus adds functionality such as:
floor plans
accounting integration
barcode scanning
POS Pro includes hospitality functionality such as:
table management
open tabs
split bills
delivery and click & collect
reservations
stock
offline functionality
Payments
SumUp currently charges:
1.69% PAYG in person0.99% on eligible domestic cards with Payments Plus at £19/month
Our View on SumUp
SumUp is particularly interesting for cafés because the business can independently choose:
payment pricing
POS software level
A busy café should therefore model the transaction fees as carefully as the POS subscription.
See our SumUp POS review .
PayPal POS for Cafés PayPal’s POS product, formerly Zettle, currently has:
no monthly POS subscription fee
for its basic product.
Current hardware pricing includes:
first eligible Card Reader: £29 ex VAT
additional readers: £69 ex VAT
Terminal: £149 ex VAT
Terminal with barcode scanner: £199 ex VAT
Current card-present transaction fee:
1.75%
Our View on PayPal POS
This remains a useful low-cost option for:
small cafés
pop-ups
coffee carts
But a busier food operation should compare its hospitality workflow with Square, SumUp, Lightspeed and Epos Now.
Epos Now for Cafés Epos Now is more relevant once the café needs:
stock management
kitchen workflows
multiple printers
delivery integrations
staff permissions
more sophisticated reporting
Its current hospitality proposition includes:
one-touch ordering
payments
kitchen management
online orders
delivery integrations
stock control
Our View on Epos Now
Epos Now is a stronger comparison once a café behaves more like a small restaurant or bakery operation.
Make sure the quote clearly separates:
hardware
software
support
payments
integrations
See our Epos Now review .
Lightspeed for Cafés Lightspeed is best compared where the café has more demanding hospitality requirements.
We would shortlist it for:
busy coffee shops
food-led cafés
brunch venues
multi-site operators
particularly where:
reporting
inventory
order workflow
integrations
are more important than having the lowest possible software subscription.
See our Lightspeed review .
TouchBistro for Cafés TouchBistro is more relevant for cafés with meaningful table service.
Examples include:
brunch cafés
food-led coffee shops
casual dining cafés
where staff need:
tables
tabs
split bills
order routing
Our View
A counter-service coffee shop should not automatically buy a table-service system just because it has more hospitality features.
See our TouchBistro review .
Which Café EPOS Features Matter Most? 1. Fast Order Entry
The morning rush is the café equivalent of a stress test.
Staff should be able to:
find the product quickly
add modifiers quickly
take payment quickly
send the order to preparation quickly
Every additional tap matters when there is a queue.
2. Drink Modifiers
Test:
sizes
milk alternatives
decaf
extra shots
syrups
food substitutions
Do not assume “supports modifiers” means the interface is actually fast.
3. Integrated Card Payments
Integrated payments automatically send the till total to the card terminal which helps reduce:
manual typing
payment-entry errors
reconciliation differences
4. Kitchen Printing or KDS
A small coffee-only café may not need this.
It becomes much more useful where the café serves:
hot food
toasties
brunch
cakes prepared to order
large takeaway orders
Orders can move automatically from the till to:
barista station
kitchen printer
kitchen display
Our View: Don’t Buy a KDS for a Problem You Don’t Have
A kitchen display can be valuable for a high-volume operation, but for a tiny café preparing five food orders an hour, a printer may be cheaper and simpler.
5. Stock Control
Café stock is harder than ordinary retail inventory because ingredients can be:
consumed across several menu items
perishable
wasted
prepared in advance
Examples include:
coffee beans
milk
alternative milks
syrups
food ingredients
cups
packaging
Our View: Decide How Much Stock Accuracy You Actually Need
A small café may only need:
item-level counts
low-stock alerts
A bakery or larger food operation may need:
ingredient-level stock
purchase ordering
wastage
recipe costing
6. Loyalty
Cafés are particularly suitable for loyalty because customers may visit several times a week and options include:
digital stamps
points
offers
customer profiles
Square Loyalty, for example, currently starts at £25/month/location.
Our View
Calculate whether loyalty actually generates enough repeat spend to justify the monthly fee.
7. Online Ordering & Click and Collect
This is useful where customers regularly:
pre-order lunch
collect coffee on the way to work
place group orders
Integrated ordering prevents staff from having to re-enter online orders into the till.
8. Delivery Integrations
If you use:
Deliveroo
Uber Eats
Just Eat
ask whether orders:
enter EPOS automatically
update stock
flow to kitchen displays/printers
and whether the integration has an additional fee.
9. Staff Permissions
Useful controls include:
staff PINs
manager approval
refund permissions
discount permissions
void reporting
10. Offline Mode
Ask exactly what still works if broadband fails.
Can staff still:
enter orders?
print kitchen tickets?
take card payments?
open tabs?
EPOS offline mode and card-payment offline mode are separate questions.
Card Processing Can Cost More Than EPOS Software This is particularly important for cafés because:
transaction volume can be high
average order value can be relatively low
Example
A café processes:
£25,000/month
At 1.75%, card processing costs:
£437.50/month.
A £50 or £70 software subscription is therefore much smaller than the payment-processing bill.
Our View: Compare EPOS and Payments Together Do not ask: “Which café EPOS costs £20 less per month?”
without also asking: “What will we pay to process £25,000 of cards?”
See our Card Processing Fees guide .
Best Café EPOS by Business Type Coffee Cart
Start with:
You probably do not need:
table plans
KDS
advanced multi-site reporting
Small Independent Café
Compare:
Prioritise:
modifiers
integrated payments
staff logins
loyalty
Busy Coffee Shop
Compare:
Square Restaurants
Lightspeed
Epos Now
SumUp POS Pro
Prioritise:
queue speed
multiple order devices
kitchen/prep routing
reporting
Bakery Café
Stock becomes more important.
Look for:
ingredient/product inventory
wastage
low-stock alerts
purchase orders
barcode tools for retail products
Brunch/Table-Service Café
Compare:
TouchBistro
Lightspeed
Square Restaurants
Epos Now
Prioritise:
table plans
tabs
split bills
kitchen workflow
Multi-Site Café Group
Compare:
Lightspeed
Zonal
Tevalis
advanced Epos Now configurations
Prioritise:
central menu control
cross-site reporting
permissions
stock
loyalty
pricing updates
Café EPOS Hardware A café may need:
counter touchscreen
tablet
card terminal
receipt printer
cash drawer
kitchen printer
KDS
handheld device
Our View
Buy hardware around the physical café layout.
A tiny counter may work better with:
than a large traditional till.
One Till or Multiple Devices? A second device can be useful where:
one member of staff takes orders
another serves tables
queues build at peak periods
Check whether your EPOS subscription charges:
per till
per device
per location
Support Hours Matter More for Cafés A café might be open:
early morning
weekends
bank holidays
Ask:
Is phone support available before 8am?
Is weekend support included?
Is premium support extra?
Square Restaurants Free, for example, currently lists weekday 09:00–17:00 support, while Plus includes 24/7 support.
EPOS and Business Broadband A modern cloud EPOS setup can depend on internet access for:
payments
online orders
delivery integrations
reporting
cloud synchronisation
Businesses where a broadband outage would stop trading should consider:
reliable business broadband
mobile backup
tested offline functionality
See our Business Broadband comparison .
Common Café EPOS Mistakes
buying a restaurant system for a simple coffee cart
choosing the cheapest software but expensive payments
not testing drink modifiers
buying a KDS when a printer would do
ignoring peak-time queue speed
assuming stock control handles ingredients
adding loyalty without checking ROI
not checking delivery-integration fees
ignoring support hours
assuming offline EPOS means offline payments
What to Ask During a Café EPOS Demo
Enter a large oat latte with an extra shot and syrup.
Change one modifier after the order is entered.
Refund one item from an order.
Apply a staff discount.
Split a payment between cash and card.
Send one item to the kitchen and one to the barista station.
Show a Deliveroo/Uber Eats order entering the system.
Show today’s best-selling drinks.
Show a low-stock alert.
Show what happens when the internet fails.
If these everyday tasks are awkward in the demo, they will be worse at 8:30am with ten people in the queue.
How to Compare Café EPOS Quotes Ask each provider for:
software fee
hardware cost
card-payment rate
terminal cost
KDS/printer costs
loyalty fee
online-ordering fee
delivery-integration fee
support cost
contract length
exit charge
Then compare the full annual cost.
Our Verdict: What Is the Best Café EPOS? There is no single best café EPOS system because a coffee cart, neighbourhood café and multi-site brunch group need very different technology.
Our starting recommendations are:
Coffee cart / pop-up: Square, SumUp or PayPal POSSmall café: Square or SumUpGrowing café: Square Restaurants, Epos Now or SumUp POS ProBusy food-led café: Lightspeed, Epos Now or Square RestaurantsTable-service café: TouchBistro, Lightspeed or Square RestaurantsMulti-site group: Lightspeed, Zonal or Tevalis
The most important buying criteria are:
order-entry speed
modifier workflow
payment costs
kitchen/prep workflow
stock requirements
support
total annual cost
The best café EPOS is the one staff can use quickly during the busiest ten minutes of the day.
Compare UK Café EPOS Systems
Frequently Asked Questions What is the best EPOS system for a café?
Square is a strong starting option for many independent cafés, while Lightspeed, Epos Now and TouchBistro become more relevant as food, stock and table-service requirements become more complex.
How much does café EPOS cost?
Basic café POS software can start from £0/month. More advanced hospitality plans commonly have monthly subscriptions, with hardware, payment processing and add-ons charged separately.
Is Square good for cafés?
Yes. Square offers a free Restaurants plan, integrated payments, online ordering and a broad range of hardware. Larger cafés may need its paid plan or more specialist alternatives.
How much is Square for Restaurants?
Square for Restaurants Free currently costs £0/month, while Plus costs £69/month per location plus payment-processing fees.
Is SumUp good for cafés?
Yes. SumUp can suit coffee carts and small cafés on its free POS tier, while POS Plus and POS Pro add more advanced retail and hospitality features.
How much does SumUp POS cost?
SumUp currently offers Free POS at £0/month, POS Plus at £39/month ex VAT and POS Pro from £49/month.
Is PayPal POS still Zettle?
PayPal says its POS product is no longer called Zettle, although existing accounts continue to operate in broadly the same way.
Do cafés need kitchen displays?
Not necessarily. They are useful where significant food preparation or order volume makes paper tickets difficult to manage. Small cafés may be better served by a simple printer.
Can café EPOS manage milk alternatives and modifiers?
Yes, many systems can. The important issue is how quickly staff can apply modifiers during busy periods.
Can café EPOS connect to Deliveroo and Uber Eats?
Many hospitality systems support delivery-platform integrations directly or through partners. Check both availability and any additional subscription cost.
Do café EPOS systems work offline?
Some do, but functionality varies. Check separately whether order entry, kitchen workflow and card payments continue during an internet outage.
What matters most when choosing café EPOS?
For most cafés, prioritise checkout speed, drink modifiers, integrated payment cost, kitchen workflow, stock requirements and support.
Related EPOS Guides 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.
