Café EPOS Systems UK 2026 | Best Providers, Costs & Features Quick answer
The best EPOS system for a café in the UK depends on your order volume, menu complexity, payment setup, stock needs and whether you offer takeaway, delivery, loyalty or table service.
For small independent cafés, coffee carts, food trucks and pop-ups, Square, SumUp and PayPal POS are good low-cost options because they are simple to set up and work well for fast card payments, simple menus and basic sales reporting.
For busier cafés, coffee shops, bakeries and growing hospitality businesses, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover and TouchBistro are stronger options because they can support stock control, staff permissions, kitchen printing, loyalty, reporting, online ordering and multi-site management.
Best overall for low-cost café EPOS: Square
Best for simple café payments: SumUp
Best for PayPal-linked payments: PayPal POS, formerly Zettle
Best for growing cafés: Epos Now
Best for café stock and reporting: Lightspeed Restaurant
Best for all-in-one EPOS and payments: Clover
Best for cafés with table service: TouchBistro
Best for café chains or larger hospitality groups: Lightspeed , Zonal or Tevalis
Café 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, receipt printers, kitchen printers, loyalty tools, online ordering and support are included.
Compare café EPOS quotes to find the best system for your venue, budget and payment setup.
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Contents
What is an EPOS System For Cafes?
EPOS Systems For Cafes Providers
Benefits of EPOS Systems for Cafes
Best café EPOS by budget
Epos Systems For Cafes Pricing
What features should café EPOS include?
Finding the Right EPOS System for Your Cafe
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
Café EPOS systems should be compared by checkout speed, payment fees, stock control, loyalty and online ordering.
Small cafés may only need a simple POS app, card reader and product menu.
Busy cafés should prioritise fast order entry, modifiers, kitchen printing, staff logins and reporting.
Coffee shops with lots of drinks, milk options and extras should check how easy modifiers are to use.
Bakeries and food-led cafés should compare stock, wastage and kitchen/order routing features.
Card processing fees can cost more than monthly EPOS software for busy cafés.
Compare total cost, including software, hardware, payment fees, support, contract terms and add-ons.
What is an EPOS System For Cafes? A café EPOS system is an electronic point-of-sale system designed to help cafés, coffee shops and food businesses manage orders, payments, menus, stock, staff and reporting, and unlike a basic card reader or cash register, a café EPOS system can help manage:
coffee and food orders
menu items
drink sizes and modifiers
milk alternatives and extras
takeaway orders
table orders
loyalty schemes
card and contactless payments
cash payments
receipts
refunds and discounts
staff permissions
stock control
sales reporting
online ordering
delivery orders
multi-site café operations
For a small coffee cart, a simple POS app and card reader may be enough. For a busy café with food, staff and stock to manage, a fuller EPOS system is usually better.
Best café EPOS systems: quick comparison
EPOS provider Best for Typical café fit Pricing style Main strength s
Square Low-cost café EPOS
Small cafés, coffee carts, pop-ups, quick-service venues
Free plan; paid restaurant plan available
Simple setup, payments, basic café tools
SumUp Simple café payments
Coffee carts, small cafés, mobile food businesses
Low-cost hardware plus fees
Easy card payments and low setup 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 cafés and bakeries
Cafés, coffee shops, bakeries, hospitality SMEs
Hardware/software packages
Stock, reporting, payments and integrations
Lightspeed Restaurant Busy cafés and coffee shops
High-volume cafés, growing food businesses
From £79/month for first terminal
Reporting, inventory, order flows and integrations
Clover POS All-in-one EPOS and payments
Cafés, bakeries, quick-service venues
Hardware and payment package
Till, payments, apps and staff tools
TouchBistro Cafés with table service
Brunch cafés, food-led cafés, casual dining
Subscription/quote-based
Table service, menus, staff and order workflows
Zonal Larger hospitality groups
Café groups, hotels, leisure venues
Quote-based
Hospitality ecosystem and multi-site visibility
Tevalis Larger café chains
Multi-site cafés, restaurants, venues
Quote-based
Advanced hospitality EPOS and integrations
How much does a café EPOS system cost in the UK?
Café EPOS costs vary depending on your provider, number of tills, payment terminals, kitchen printers, software plan, support package, online ordering and stock tools.
As a broad 2026 guide:
Café 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+
Cash drawer
Around £40-£150+
Kitchen printer
Around £150-£300+
Customer display
Around £100-£400+
Basic EPOS software
£0-£50/month
Advanced café/hospitality EPOS
£50-£150+/month
Multi-site café EPOS
£100-£300+/month
Card transaction fees
Often around 1.5%-2.5%+ depending on provider and payment type
What affects café EPOS pricing?
Cost factor Why it matters
Number of tills
More tills usually increase hardware and software costs
Payment terminals
Integrated card terminals may be bundled or charged separately
Receipt printers
Useful for customer receipts and order slips
Kitchen printers
Important if you prepare hot food or send orders to a kitchen
Product modifiers
Useful for milk options, syrups, extras, sizes and substitutions
Loyalty tools
Can help increase repeat visits but may cost extra
Online ordering
May be included, add-on or third-party integration
Delivery integrations
Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat connections may cost extra
Staff accounts
Larger teams may need permissions and reporting
Stock control
Food, drink and packaging stock may need higher-tier plans
Support level
Weekend and early-morning support can matter for cafés
Contract length
Check minimum term, renewal rules and cancellation fees
Transaction fees
These can outweigh monthly software fees for busy cafés
Benefits of EPOS Systems for Cafes
a good pos system can streamline order processing and payment, reducing wait times and improving the overall customer experience. By automating order-taking, POS systems reduce the risk of human error, ensuring that customers receive exactly what they ordered, every time. POS systems provide real-time inventory management, helping you avoid stockouts and overstock situations (ultimately saving you money!) POS systems give you valuable insights into your café’s performance, (including sales trends, peak hours, and popular menu items etc . ) As your café grows, whether by expanding your menu or opening new locations , a quality POS system can grow with you .
EPOS Systems For Cafes: Finding the Right One We suggest asking yourself the following questions when trying to find the right fit for you, as everyone has different needs and what suits the place next door may not be the right call for you!
How easy is the epos system to use? Do you need it to integrate with existing software, and if so, does it? Does the provider offer reliable support? Can you customise the settings to suit your needs?
What features should café EPOS include?
Feature
Fast order entry
Helps reduce queues during busy mornings and lunchtimes
Product modifiers
Handles sizes, syrups, milk alternatives, extras and substitutions
Integrated payments
Reduces mistakes between till and card terminal
Contactless payments
Speeds up service for coffee and small-ticket purchases
Staff logins
Tracks discounts, refunds, voids and sales activity
Receipt printer
Useful for customers and order slips
Kitchen printing
Helps manage food orders and hot drinks during busy periods
Stock control
Tracks coffee, milk, food, packaging and retail products
Low-stock alerts
Helps avoid running out of key items
Loyalty tools
Encourages repeat visits and customer retention
Online ordering
Useful for click and collect or delivery
Delivery integrations
Helpful if you use delivery platforms
Reporting
Shows best sellers, peak times, wastage and margins
Offline mode
Helps keep trading if internet drops
Accounting integrations
Reduces bookkeeping admin
Multi-site tools
Useful for café groups and chains
Best café EPOS by budget
Budget Best options What to expect
Lowest setup cost
Square, SumUp, PayPal POS
Simple payments and basic POS tools
Under £75/month
Square, SumUp, PayPal POS, some basic packages
Suitable for coffee carts, pop-ups and small cafés
£75-£150/month
Lightspeed, Epos Now, Clover, TouchBistro
Better order management, stock and reporting
£150+/month
Zonal, Tevalis, advanced Lightspeed/Epos Now setups
Better for busy, multi-site or complex café groups
Quote-based
Zonal, Tevalis, larger hospitality packages
More tailored but needs careful comparison
Best café EPOS by feature
Feature you need
Free or low-cost POS software
Square
Simple card payments
Square, SumUp, PayPal POS
Fast counter service
Square, Epos Now, Clover, Lightspeed
Drink modifiers
Square, Lightspeed, Epos Now, Clover
Loyalty tools
Square, Lightspeed, Clover, Zonal
Kitchen printing
Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover, TouchBistro
Online ordering
Square, Lightspeed, Epos Now, Zonal
Delivery integrations
Lightspeed, Epos Now, Square, Zonal
Stock control
Epos Now, Lightspeed, Zonal, Clover
Multi-site reporting
Lightspeed, Zonal, Tevalis, Epos Now
Table service
TouchBistro, Lightspeed, Epos Now, Clover
Accounting integrations
Epos Now, Lightspeed, Clover, Zonal
Limitations of café EPOS systems EPOS systems can be extremely useful, but not every system is right for every café.
limitation What to check
Setup cost
Ask about hardware, installation, printers and training
Ongoing fees
Check software, support, integrations and payment fees
Menu complexity
Make sure modifiers are quick for staff to use
Internet reliance
Ask what happens if broadband drops during service
Kitchen workflow
Check order tickets, food routing and prep visibility
Staff training
Ask how easy it is to train new staff
Contract length
Avoid being locked into a system that does not fit
Support hours
Cafés may need early morning and weekend support
Data export
Ask whether menu, customer and sales data can be exported
Scalability
Check whether you can add tills, devices and locations later
Why trust our café EPOS reviews? At Compare Your Business Costs, we review EPOS systems from a UK small business and hospitality buyer’s perspective.
That means we focus on:
who each system is best for
who should compare alternatives
likely pricing and contract considerations
card processing fees
café-specific features
order and kitchen workflows
hardware and support requirements
alternatives worth comparing
We do not recommend choosing a café EPOS system based only on brand name or headline price. The right system depends on your order volume, menu complexity, payment setup, support requirements and budget.
Our verdict: what is the best EPOS system for cafés?
For small cafés, coffee carts, pop-ups and simple quick-service venues, Square, SumUp and PayPal POS are good options to compare first because they are simple, low-commitment and payment-friendly.
For busier cafés, bakeries and growing food businesses, Epos Now, Lightspeed and Clover are usually stronger because they offer better order management, stock tools, reporting and staff features.
For cafés with table service or more advanced food operations, TouchBistro, Lightspeed and Epos Now are worth comparing.
For café groups and larger hospitality operators, Zonal, Tevalis and Lightspeed are stronger options to compare because they offer more advanced hospitality workflows and multi-site control.
Bottom line: the best café EPOS system is the one that fits your order volume, menu complexity, payment setup, hardware needs and contract preferences.
Compare EPOS Systems & Save Up To 40%
FAQs: café EPOS systems What is the best EPOS system for cafés in the UK?
The best café EPOS system depends on your café size and service style. Square is good for low-cost setup, SumUp is useful for simple payments, Epos Now suits growing cafés, Lightspeed is strong for busy coffee shops and Clover can work well for all-in-one EPOS and payments.
How much does a café EPOS system cost?
A café EPOS system can cost from £0/month for basic POS software to £50-£150+ per month for more advanced hospitality software. Hardware, receipt printers, payment terminals, support and transaction fees can increase the total cost.
What is the cheapest EPOS system for a café?
Square, SumUp and PayPal POS are often good low-cost options for small cafés, coffee carts and pop-ups. They are best for simple payments and basic reporting rather than advanced stock or kitchen workflows.
Do cafés really need an EPOS system?
Most cafés benefit from an EPOS system because it can speed up service, reduce order errors, take payments, track sales and help monitor stock. Very small coffee carts may only need a simple card reader and POS app.
What features are most important for café EPOS?
Important features include fast order entry, card payments, product modifiers, staff logins, stock control, receipts, reporting, loyalty tools and online ordering.
Can café EPOS systems handle milk alternatives and drink modifiers?
Yes. Many café EPOS systems can manage modifiers such as drink sizes, milk alternatives, syrups, extras and substitutions. Check how quickly staff can add these during busy periods.
Can café EPOS systems integrate with Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat?
Many café EPOS systems can integrate with delivery platforms, but this varies by provider and package. Always check whether these integrations are included or charged separately.
Are iPad EPOS systems good for cafés?
Yes. iPad and tablet-based EPOS systems can be a good fit for cafés because they are usually compact, easy to use and suitable for counter service.
Can an EPOS system help reduce food waste?
Yes. Stock reports can help cafés monitor ingredients, packaging, best sellers and slow-moving items. This can help reduce over-ordering and waste.
Can café EPOS systems support loyalty schemes?
Yes. Many café EPOS systems support loyalty tools, customer records or integrations. This can be useful because cafés often rely on repeat customers.
Is Square good for cafés?
Square can be a good option for small cafés, pop-ups and quick-service venues that want simple EPOS and payments. Larger cafés needing advanced stock, kitchen workflows or multi-site reporting may need a more specialist system.
Is Lightspeed good for cafés?
Lightspeed can suit busy cafés and coffee shops that need stronger reporting, stock control, integrations and order management.
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 café EPOS quotes before choosing?
Yes. Café EPOS costs vary depending on software, hardware, card fees, support, kitchen tools, loyalty features and contract terms. Comparing quotes helps you avoid overpaying and find the best fit for your business.
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.
