Square EPOS Review 2026: Pricing, Features, Pros, Cons & Best for Small UK Businesses Quick answer
Square is one of the best EPOS and payment systems for UK small businesses that want a simple setup, free POS software, transparent transaction fees and no long-term contract, making it great for cafés, small shops, salons, pop-ups, market traders, mobile sellers, food trucks, quick-service businesses and service-based businesses that want to start taking payments quickly without a complicated EPOS contract.
Square is less likely to be the best fit for larger retailers, busy restaurants, pubs, bars or multi-site operators that need advanced stock control, complex reporting, deep hospitality workflows or bespoke payment pricing.
Best for: small businesses, cafés, pop-ups, salons, market traders, mobile sellers and simple retail or hospitality setups.Not for: large restaurants, stock-heavy retailers, pub groups, multi-site operators or businesses needing advanced customisation.Pricing: Square Reader costs £19 + VAT, standard in-person payments are 1.75%, Square for Retail Plus costs £49/month per location, and Square for Restaurants Plus costs £69/month per location.
Compare Square EPOS quotes and alternatives before choosing the best system for your business.
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Contents
Benefits of Square
Downsides of Square
What Does Square Offer?
Square Pricing
Square Decision Making Guide
What Other People Think of Square
What Do Staff Think of Square?
Our Verdict on Square
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: January 2026
Square EPOS At a Glance
Feature
Best for
Small businesses wanting simple EPOS and payments
Typical users
Cafés, shops, salons, pop-ups, markets, mobile sellers, food trucks and service businesses
Core features
POS software, card payments, online store, invoices, retail POS, restaurant POS and appointments
Basic POS cost
£0/month, plus payment processing fees
Reader cost
£19 + VAT
Standard in-person fee
1.75%
Retail Plus
Restaurants Plus
Strengths
Easy setup, transparent pricing, no long-term lock-in, good hardware range
Watch outs
Fees can add up at higher turnover; advanced EPOS features may be limited
Alternatives to compare
SumUp, PayPal POS, Clover, Epos Now, Shopify POS, Lightspeed
Our verdict
One of the strongest low-cost EPOS starting points for UK small businesses
Key Takeaways
Square is one of the easiest EPOS systems for small UK businesses to start with.
The basic Square Point of Sale app has no monthly software fee.
Square Reader costs £19 + VAT, with 1.75% per in-person payment.
Square for Retail Plus costs £49/month per location and includes advanced inventory tools, barcode label printing and automatic purchase orders.
Square for Restaurants Plus costs £69/month per location after trial.
Square is strongest for small businesses that value ease of use, simple pricing and flexible setup.
High-turnover or more complex businesses should compare Square with Clover, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Shopify POS or Zonal.
Square may offer custom pricing for businesses processing £200k+ in card sales.
Is the Square EPOS Right For Your Business?
Square could be right if…
You want free POS software and simple card payments
You process high card volumes and need lower custom rates
You run a small shop, café, salon or pop-up
You need advanced stock, purchasing or multi-site tools
You want no long-term EPOS contract
You run a large restaurant, pub or hospitality group
You need a card reader, tablet POS or basic till setup
You need deep table management, kitchen workflows or bar tabs
You want to sell in person and online at a basic level
You already use Shopify heavily and need omnichannel retail
You need invoices, appointments or simple online ordering
You need a fully bespoke EPOS system
You want transparent, easy-to-understand pricing
You want a traditional merchant account with negotiated pricing
Not sure whether Square is the best fit? Compare EPOS quotes based on your turnover, hardware needs and business type.
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Square EPOS Pricing Square is relatively transparent compared with many EPOS providers. Its entry-level appeal is simple: you can use basic POS software with no monthly fee and pay when you take payments.
Square cost Current UK guide
Square POS basic software
£0/month
Square Reader
£19 + VAT
Standard in-person payments
1.75%
Square for Retail Free
£0/month + processing fees
Square for Retail Plus
£49/month per location
Retail Plus in-person rate
1.60%
Square for Restaurants Free
£0/month + processing fees
Square for Restaurants Plus
£69/month per location
Manually keyed transactions
2.50%
UK online card transactions
1.4% + 25p
Non-UK online card transactions
2.5% + 25p
Square’s Retail Plus pricing page lists £49/month per location, with discounted 1.6% in-person processing, while Square Reader is listed at £19 + VAT with 1.75% per in-person payment.
What affects Square’s total cost?
Cost factor Why it matters
Card turnover
Transaction fees can add up as sales grow
Hardware
Readers, stands, terminals, printers and cash drawers may add upfront cost
Business type
Retail, restaurant and appointment features may use different plans
Paid plan
Retail Plus or Restaurants Plus adds monthly cost
Online payments
Online, invoice and keyed transactions can cost more than in-person payments
Staff and reporting needs
Advanced tools may require a paid plan
Multiple locations
Paid plans are usually charged per location
Add-ons
Loyalty, marketing, payroll or other tools may cost extra
Custom rates
Higher-volume businesses may qualify for tailored pricing
What Is Square EPOS in 2026? Square is best described as a POS-led EPOS system, which means:
Payments are the core
EPOS tools are modular
You only pay for what you use
Square works best for businesses that value speed, flexibility, and predictable costs, rather than deeply customised workflows, so it sits between:
a simple card readers (like SumUp)
Full-scale EPOS platforms (e.g. Lightspeed, TouchBistro)
Benefits of the Square EPOS 1. Free POS software for basic use
Square’s basic POS software is one of its biggest advantages. Small businesses can start selling without paying a monthly EPOS subscription, which is particularly useful for:
sole traders
start-ups
cafés
market traders
mobile sellers
salons
pop-ups
small retailers
food trucks
early-stage hospitality businesses
2. Clear, transparent pricing
Square is easier to understand than many traditional EPOS or merchant account providers. The standard in-person fee is 1.75%, and Square Reader costs £19 + VAT.
3. Simple setup
Square is designed for businesses that want to start quickly. You do not need a complex installation process for basic use.
4. Good for mobile and flexible selling
Square works well for businesses that sell from different places, including pop-ups, food trucks, markets, events and mobile services.
5. Useful range of hardware
Square can start with a simple card reader but also scale into a more complete counter setup using terminals, stands, registers, printers and accessories.
6. Better POS tools than a basic card reader
Compared with basic payment-only options, Square gives more useful POS features, including products, receipts, inventory, customer records, invoices and reporting.
7. Good fit across several business types
Square is flexible enough to support simple retail, cafés, salons, quick-service food businesses and appointment-led companies.
What Does Square Offer Square offers a mix of EPOS, payment and business tools for small businesses.
Square product or feature Best for
Square Reader
Square Terminal
Countertop payments and receipts
Square Stand
Square Register
Square Point of Sale
Free POS app for general small businesses
Square for Retail
Retail stock, barcode and reporting tools
Square for Restaurants
Cafés, food service and restaurant workflows
Square Appointments
Salons and service businesses
Square Invoices
Sending invoices and payment requests
Square Online
Basic online selling and ordering
Tap to Pay
Taking payments on compatible devices
Gift cards
Customer gifting and repeat purchase
Loyalty and marketing
Team management
Staff permissions and time tracking
Square Pricing & Plans (UK) Square Point of Sale
Square Point of Sale is the standard free POS app. It can suit small businesses that need simple products, payments, receipts, basic reporting and customer records.
Best for Watch outs
Small sellers, cafés, salons, pop-ups and mobile businesses
May be too basic for advanced stock or hospitality workflows
Square for Retail
Square for Retail is designed for shops and retailers that need more inventory tools.
The free plan can work for simple retail, while Retail Plus adds advanced inventory tools, barcode label printing, automatic purchase orders, cost of goods sold reporting and staff time tracking.
Best for Watch outs
Small shops, boutiques, gift shops, lifestyle retailers and growing retail businesses
Stock-heavy or larger retailers may still want to compare Lightspeed, Shopify POS or Epos Now
Square for Restaurants
Square for Restaurants is designed for food and drink businesses. The free plan gives basic restaurant functionality, while Restaurants Plus adds more advanced tools and is priced at £69/month per location after trial.
Best for Watch outs
Cafés, quick-service venues, food trucks and smaller restaurants
Larger pubs, bars and table-service restaurants may need Lightspeed, TouchBistro, Zonal or Epos Now
Square Appointments
Square Appointments can suit service businesses such as salons, barbers, beauty therapists, clinics and appointment-led businesses.
Best for Watch outs
Salons, beauty, wellness and service businesses
Businesses with complex rota, CRM or membership needs may need more specialist software
Square vs other EPOS systems
Provider Best for Typical positioning Consider if…
Square
Small businesses and low-cost EPOS
Free POS software with integrated payments
You want simple setup and transparent fees
SumUp
Simple card payments
Payment-first, low-commitment setup
You mainly need a card reader
PayPal POS
PayPal-linked selling
Simple POS and PayPal payments
Clover
EPOS and payments together
All-in-one hardware and payment package
You want a more managed till setup
Epos Now
Retail and hospitality SMEs
Full EPOS setup with support
You need more stock, reporting and integrations
Shopify POS
Online and in-store retail
Omnichannel retail POS
You sell through Shopify and physical locations
Lightspeed
Growing retail and hospitality
Advanced stock, reporting and operations
You need deeper EPOS features
TouchBistro
Restaurants
Restaurant-focused iPad POS
You need table service and restaurant workflows
Zonal
Pubs, bars and hospitality groups
Hospitality EPOS ecosystem
You run a larger hospitality operation
How to Purc hase Square EPOS
You can find their machines and reviews on Amazon here .
Or via their website here .
You can also find them on Argos here
Who should choose Square EPOS?
want free POS software
need a low-cost card reader
run a small shop, café, salon or pop-up
sell at markets, events or mobile locations
want no long-term contract
prefer simple, transparent fees
want card payments, invoices and basic online selling
do not need complex stock, reporting or integrations
want to start quickly and upgrade later
Who should avoid Square EPOS?
process high card turnover and need custom merchant pricing
run a large restaurant, pub or bar
need advanced kitchen workflows, tabs or complex table service
manage several locations with detailed reporting needs
need advanced stock, purchasing or warehouse-style inventory
want a fully bespoke EPOS system
require deep third-party integrations
prefer a traditional managed EPOS provider
In these cases, compare Square with Epos Now, Lightspeed, Shopify POS, Clover, TouchBistro, Zonal or a traditional merchant account provider.
What do customers think of Square EPOS? Common positive themes include:
easy setup
simple interface
clear pricing
no long-term contract
useful mobile POS
good for small businesses
flexible hardware options
Common concerns to check include:
transaction fees at higher turnover
account reviews or holds
support expectations
limits of advanced EPOS features
paid plan costs
whether Square fits complex hospitality or retail needs
Why trust our Square EPOS review? At Compare Your Business Costs, we review EPOS systems and payment providers from a UK small business buyer’s perspective, which means we focus on:
who each provider is best for
who should compare alternatives
likely pricing and payment fees
hardware and setup costs
business-type fit
contract and support considerations
alternatives worth comparing
We do not recommend choosing a payment or EPOS system based only on brand name or headline fees. The right choice depends on your sales volume, business type, hardware needs, payment setup and growth plans.
Our verdict: is Square EPOS worth it? Square EPOS is worth considering if you run a small UK business and want a simple, flexible and low-commitment way to take payments and manage sales.
It is one of the strongest starting points for cafés, small shops, salons, pop-ups, food trucks, mobile sellers and service businesses because the basic POS software is free, the card reader is low-cost and the pricing is easy to understand.
However, Square is not the best fit for every business. If you process high card volumes, need advanced stock control, run a busy restaurant, manage several sites or need deep reporting, compare Square with Epos Now, Lightspeed, Shopify POS, Clover, TouchBistro or Zonal before committing.
Bottom line:
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FAQs: Square EPOS Is Square EPOS free to use in the UK?
Square’s basic POS software has no monthly fee. You still pay card processing fees when you take payments, and you may need to buy hardware such as the Square Reader.
How much does Square Reader cost?
Square Reader costs £19 + VAT in the UK, with a standard 1.75% fee per in-person payment.
What are Square’s transaction fees?
Square’s standard in-person transaction fee is 1.75%. Square for Retail Plus lists a discounted 1.6% in-person fee, while manually keyed transactions are listed at 2.5%.
How much does Square for Retail cost?
Square for Retail has a free plan, while Square for Retail Plus costs £49/month per location and includes advanced inventory tools, barcode label printing, automatic purchase orders, COGS reporting and staff time tracking.
How much does Square for Restaurants cost?
Square for Restaurants has a free plan, while Square for Restaurants Plus costs £69/month per location after the trial period.
What businesses is Square EPOS best for?
Square is best for small retailers, cafés, salons, pop-ups, market traders, mobile sellers, food trucks, service businesses and startups that value simple setup and flexible pricing.
Is Square good for cafés?
Yes. Square can be a good option for small cafés and coffee shops because it supports quick payments, simple menus, receipts and basic sales reporting. Larger cafés may need more advanced stock or hospitality tools.
Is Square good for retail shops?
Square can work well for small retail shops. Stock-heavy retailers may prefer Square for Retail Plus, Lightspeed Retail, Shopify POS or Epos Now.
Is Square good for restaurants?
Square can work for smaller restaurants and quick-service venues, especially through Square for Restaurants. Larger restaurants, pubs and table-service venues should compare Lightspeed, TouchBistro, Epos Now and Zonal.
Does Square EPOS work offline?
Square offers offline payment functionality in some circumstances, but businesses should check exactly which payment types, devices and POS functions are supported offline before relying on it.
Are Square transaction fees expensive?
Square’s fees are simple and competitive for many low-to-medium volume businesses. Higher-turnover businesses may be able to negotiate better rates elsewhere or with Square custom pricing if they process enough card sales.
Does Square have long-term contracts?
Square is generally known for flexible, no long-term contract pricing. You should still check the terms for any paid plans, hardware finance, add-ons or custom arrangements.
Is Square better than SumUp?
Square is usually better if you want broader POS tools as well as card payments. SumUp may be better if you mainly need simple, payment-led card acceptance with minimal EPOS features.
Is Square better than PayPal POS?
Square usually offers deeper POS functionality, while PayPal POS may appeal to businesses already using PayPal. The better choice depends on your payment preferences and EPOS needs.
Is Square better than Shopify POS?
Square is often simpler and cheaper for small in-person businesses. Shopify POS is usually better for retailers that already sell through Shopify and need online/in-store inventory sync.
Should I compare Square before signing up?
Yes. Square is a strong low-cost EPOS option, but the right choice depends on your sales volume, hardware needs, business type, transaction fees and whether you need advanced EPOS features.
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:
Compare EPOS systems Ready to narrow down your options?
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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.
