EPOS Costs UK 2026: How Much Does an EPOS System Cost? Quick Answer
EPOS systems in the UK can cost anywhere from £0/month for basic POS software to £100s per month for more advanced retail, hospitality or multi-site systems.
The total cost usually includes:
software
hardware
card processing
setup/installation
support
add-ons
contract or rental charges
A very small business can start with free POS software + a low-cost card reader
while a restaurant, retailer or multi-site business could need multiple tills + printers + stock tools + kitchen displays + integrations + support.
EPOS setup Typical cost structure
Free POS app
£0/month + payment fees
Basic card-reader setup
From around £19–£100+ upfront
Small business EPOS
Often £0-£80+/month
Retail/h0spitality EPOS
Often £50-£150+/month
Multi-site/advanced EPOS
Often £100-£300+/month or quote-based
Full hardware setup
Often £300-£2,000+ upfront
Our view: never compare EPOS systems using the monthly software fee alone.
Compare:
first-year cost + payment processing + total contract cost.
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How Do We Work?
Our comparisons are researched and reviewed by the Compare Your Business Costs editorial team using provider information, official UK guidance and 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
EPOS costs are usually split between software, hardware, payments, setup, support and add-ons.
Some POS software is genuinely free to use, but payment-processing fees still apply.
Hardware can start with a low-cost card reader or run into £1,000s for full till setups.
Card-processing fees can cost more than the software subscription at higher turnover.
Retailers usually need stock, barcode and ecommerce tools.
Restaurants often need table management, kitchen printing, handheld ordering and integrated payments.
Rental reduces upfront costs but can increase total long-term spend.
Add-ons such as loyalty, bookings, delivery, accounting and advanced reporting can materially increase monthly costs.
Always calculate cost over the full minimum contract.
The cheapest headline plan is not always the cheapest EPOS system overall.
EPOS Costs at a Glance
Cost area Typical UK cost guide What affects it
POS software
£0-£200+/month
Features, users, locations, provider
Basic card reader
£19-£100+ upfront
Reader type and connectivity
EPOS terminal
£150-£1,000+ upfront
Screen, specification and provider
Receipt printer
£100-£300+
Thermal/kitchen/Bluetooth
Cash drawer
£40-£150+
Size and build
Barcode scanner
£40-£250+
Basic vs advanced scanning
Kitchen display
£200-£800+
Hardware and software setup
Setup / installation
£0-£500+
Self-setup vs managed install
Training
£0-£500+
Staff numbers and complexity
Card processing
Usually percentage-based
Provider, card type, turnover
Add-ons
£5-£100+/month
Bookings, loyalty, delivery, stock, reporting
What Is Included in EPOS Pricing? An EPOS quote is rarely just one number.
Cost What it covers
Software
Till, stock, reports, products, staff, customer tools
Hardware
Terminal, tablet, printer, drawer, scanner, kitchen screen
Payments
Card transaction processing
Setup
Configuration, menu/product setup, data migration
Training
Staff onboarding and system use
Support
Telephone, chat, priority or out-of-hours help
Add-ons
Loyalty, bookings, delivery, accounting, advanced reporting
Contract costs
Rental, lease, cancellation or renewal fees
Our View: Calculate the Total Cost, Not the Headline Price The most common EPOS pricing mistake is comparing £0/month vs £29/month vs £79/month without considering:
transaction fees
hardware
number of tills
support
required add-ons
contract length
A £0 software plan can cost more overall than a paid system if payment processing is more expensive.
Current EPOS Pricing Examples Square
At the time of writing, Square currently offers:
POS software: £0/monthSquare Reader: £19 + VATstandard UK in-person payments: 1.75%
Square for Retail Plus currently costs £49/month per location with a reduced eligible in-person processing rate.
Square for Restaurants Plus currently costs £69/month per location.
Our View Square demonstrates how EPOS pricing can shift from:
free basic software → paid specialist retail / restaurant software.
See our Square EPOS review .
Epos Now Epos Now currently promotes full hardware packages through varying promotional offers and their current public site advertises complete systems from promotional prices such as:
around £299 upfront
depending on the package and offer.
Its published terms also show that software, payments and support can be bundled into monthly propositions.
Our View With bundled EPOS, always ask for a line-by-line breakdown of:
hardware
software
payments
support
minimum term
See our Epos Now review .
EPOS Software Costs
Software type Typical monthly cost Best for
Free POS
£0
Basic sellers
Basic paid EPOS
£10-£50/month
Small shops/cafés/salons
Standard EPOS
£50-£100/month
Growing retail/hospitality
Advanced EPOS
£100-£200+/month
Complex businesses/multi-site
Enterprise
Quote-based
Chains/larger organisations
What Makes Software More Expensive?
multiple locations
advanced inventory
restaurant tables
staff permissions
kitchen systems
customer loyalty
accounting integrations
online ordering
advanced analytics
EPOS Hardware Costs
Hardware Typical cost
Card reader
£19-£100+
Tablet stand
£30-£150+
EPOS terminal
£300-£1,000+
Receipt printer
£100-£300+
Kitchen printer
£150-£300+
Cash drawer
£40-£150+
Barcode scanner
£40-£250+
Label printer
£100-£300+
Customer display
£100-£400+
Kitchen display
£200-£800+
Full till bundle
£500-£2,000+
EPOS Card Processing Fees Payment processing can be the largest ongoing EPOS cost, and providers typically charge:
a percentage per transaction
a percentage + fixed amount
different rates by card type
Current Square Example
Square currently charges:
UK card-present: 1.75%Virtual Terminal/manually entered: 2.5%UK online: 1.4% + 25pnon-UK online: 2.5% + 25p
Why Payment Fees Matter More at Higher Turnover
Monthly card sales 1.0% fee 1.5% fee 1.75% fee
£5,000
£50
£75
£87.50
£10,000
£100
£150
£175
£25,000
£250
£375
£438
£50,000
£500
£750
£875
Our View
A £50/month software subscription is often far less important than a 0.5 percentage-point payment-fee difference once card turnover becomes substantial.
EPOS Cost Example: Small Business Example:
free POS software
£19 card reader
£5,000/month card turnover
1.75% processing
Monthly processing £87.50
Annual processing £1,050 plus hardware.
Our View
For a small business, card-processing cost can dwarf the upfront hardware price within a few months.
EPOS Cost Example: Growing Retailer Example:
£49/month retail software
£500 hardware
£20,000 monthly card turnover
1.6% processing
Monthly processing £320
Monthly software £49
First-year software £588
First-year processing £3,840
plus £500 hardware.
First-Year Total
£4,928
Illustrative example only.
EPOS Costs by Business Type Small Business A sole trader or very small business could only need:
POS app
card reader
basic reporting
Typical structure:
£0-£50/month software
low-cost reader hardware
payment processing
Retail EPOS Costs Retailers often need:
stock control
barcode scanning
returns
product variants
customer accounts
ecommerce integration
Typical software around £50-£150+/month depending on scale and integrations.
Extra Retail Hardware
barcode scanner
label printer
customer display
See our Retail EPOS guide .
Restaurant EPOS Costs Restaurants could need:
table management
split bills
kitchen printing
handheld ordering
online ordering
service charges
booking integrations
Restaurant EPOS commonly costs £50-£200+/month before all hardware and processing costs are included.
Square Restaurants Plus currently costs £69/month per location.
See our Restaurant EPOS guide .
Café EPOS Costs Cafés often need:
fast checkout
product buttons
modifiers
receipts
staff logins
loyalty
A small café can often start with free or low-cost software + simple hardware.
Busier cafés could need:
kitchen printers
advanced reporting
integrated loyalty
See our Café EPOS guide .
Pub & Bar EPOS Costs Pubs and bars might need:
tabs
table service
staff permissions
stock control
multiple tills
handheld ordering
The main cost drivers are:
number of terminals
staff licences
payments
stock features
See our Bar EPOS guide and Pub EPOS guide .
Takeaway EPOS Costs Takeaways may need:
kitchen printing
delivery integrations
caller ID
online ordering
menu management
driver management
These extras can push costs beyond a simple POS subscription.
See our Takeaway EPOS guide .
EPOS Charges & Hidden Fees EPOS charges are not always limited to the monthly software fee, so before signing, ask specifically about:
Charge What to ask
Setup
Is installation included?
Training
Is staff training extra?
Migration
Will product/menu upload cost extra?
Support
Is weekend/priority support extra?
Payment integration
Must you use one processor?
Extra tills
Does each terminal need another licence?
Extra users
Are more staff accounts charged?
Add-ons
Are loyalty, bookings or stock extra?
Cancellation
What does early exit cost?
Renewal
Does pricing change automatically?
Hardware warranty
Who pays for replacement?
PCI compliance
Are there additional payment-compliance charges?
Setup & Installation Costs Simple systems can often be self-installed.
More complicated systems may require:
configuration
menu upload
stock migration
on-site installation
staff training
Setup can range from £0 to several hundred pounds depending on complexity.
EPOS Support Costs Some providers include support.
Others charge extra for:
premium support
24/7 support
priority support
on-site repair
Our View
A hospitality business trading evenings and weekends should value support very differently from a Monday–Friday retail business.
EPOS Add-On Costs Common extras include:
loyalty
bookings
online ordering
accounting integration
staff rotas
advanced reports
delivery integration
CRM
These can add £5-£100+ per month depending on provider and feature set.
Buying vs Renting EPOS Hardware
Buying Renting
Upfront cost
Higher
Lower
Long-term cost
Usually lower
Can be higher
Ownership
You own hardware
Provider / finance company may own
Replacement
Your responsibility unless warranty applies
May be included
Flexibility
Higher after purchase
Contract-dependent
When Buying Makes More Sense
you have the cash available
you want lower long-term cost
your hardware requirements are stable
you want to avoid finance agreements
When Renting Makes More Sense
you want low upfront costs
you are opening a new venue
you need several tills
replacement/support is bundled
See our EPOS Rental guide .
First-Year EPOS Cost Use (monthly software × 12) + processing + hardware + setup + support + add-ons to calculate first-year cost.
Total Contract Value Then calculate monthly recurring costs × minimum contract term
plus:
hardware
setup
known extras
Our View
“£49/month” is not a useful comparison if one provider requires 36 months and another allows monthly cancellation.
EPOS Provider Cost Comparison
Provider Pricing style Best for
Square Free core POS + processing
Small business/retail/hospitality
SumUp Low-cost hardware + payment processing
Micro-businesses/SMEs
PayPal POS PAYG payments + POS
Small sellers/PayPal users
Epos Now Hardware + software packages
Retail/hospitality
Lightspeed Paid specialist software
Advanced hospitality/retail
Clover Hardware + payments + POS
SMEs
Shopify POS Commerce + POS subscription
Omnichannel retail
TouchBistro Restaurant-focused subscription
Table-service hospitality
Zonal Quote-based
Complex hospitality/multi-site
Is Free EPOS Really Free? Sometimes the software genuinely costs £0/month.
But your business can still pay for:
payment processing
hardware
online payments
premium features
advanced stock
team tools
marketing
additional locations
Our View
Free EPOS is often a very good starting point.
It becomes less attractive once your business needs:
advanced operations
lower payment fees
specialist workflows
See our Free EPOS Software guide .
How to Reduce EPOS Costs 1. Avoid Overbuying Hardware
Do not buy:
printers
scanners
customer displays
extra tills
unless they solve a real workflow problem.
2. Compare Payment Fees
This is particularly important once card turnover becomes substantial.
3. Start With Core Features
Add:
loyalty
advanced reports
bookings
when you genuinely need them.
4. Check Contract Length
A lower monthly fee can be misleading if the commitment is much longer.
5. Compare Buy vs Rent
Calculate total cost rather than initial payment.
6. Negotiate at Higher Turnover
Businesses processing larger card volumes may qualify for:
custom card rates
hardware discounts
reduced software cost
7. Compare Multiple Quotes
The same business can receive materially different pricing from different providers.
What Should You Ask Before Signing?
What is the monthly software fee?
How many tills are included?
What hardware is included?
Who owns the hardware?
What payment rate applies?
Does the rate vary by card type?
What does setup cost?
Is training included?
What support hours apply?
Which integrations cost extra?
What is the minimum term?
What happens at renewal?
What does early cancellation cost?
What is the total first-year cost?
What is the total contract value?
Our Verdict: How Much Should You Budget for EPOS? Very small businesses can start for under £100 upfront with free or low-cost POS software and a basic reader.
A typical small shop, café or salon could spend around £25-£100+/month plus hardware and payment processing.
Restaurants, pubs and growing retailers might spend £50-£200+/month
depending on:
number of tills
software features
payments
hardware
integrations
Multi-site businesses often move into custom pricing.
The most important comparison is not monthly software cost. It is the total cost of running the system over the full contract.
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Frequently Asked Questions How much does an EPOS system cost in the UK?
EPOS can cost from £0/month for free POS software to £100s per month for advanced systems. Hardware, payment processing, installation, support and add-ons increase the total cost.
What is the cheapest EPOS system?
The cheapest setups usually use free POS software with a low-cost card reader. This can work well for small businesses, but card-processing costs still apply.
Is EPOS software free?
Some providers offer genuinely free core POS software. Square, for example, currently offers free standard POS software and charges when payments are processed.
How much does EPOS hardware cost ?
A basic reader can cost under £100, while a full till setup with printer, drawer, scanner and customer display can cost £500–£2,000+.
How much does restaurant EPOS cost?
Restaurant EPOS often costs around £50-£200+ per month depending on table management, kitchen systems, handheld ordering and integrations.
How much does retail EPOS cost?
Retail EPOS often costs around £50-£150+ per month depending on stock, barcode scanning, ecommerce, loyalty and reporting requirements.
Do EPOS systems charge transaction fees?
Many do. Payment-processing fees vary by provider, card type and payment method.
What are the hidden costs of EPOS?
Common hidden costs include setup, migration, support, extra tills, additional users, payment integration, add-ons, cancellation and hardware replacement.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy EPOS?
Buying is often cheaper over the long term, while renting reduces upfront cost and may include replacement or support.
What costs more: EPOS software or payment processing?
At higher card turnover, payment processing can cost substantially more than the monthly software subscription.
Should I choose free EPOS software?
Free software can be a good starting point for simple businesses. Growing businesses may need paid plans once stock, reporting, permissions and integrations become more complex.
Do I need EPOS or just a card machine?
If you only need to accept payments, a card machine may be enough. If you need products, stock, reports, staff, tables, receipts or integrations, EPOS is usually more suitable.
Can EPOS costs be negotiated?
Yes. Higher-turnover, multi-site or multi-terminal businesses may be able to negotiate processing, hardware and software pricing.
What should I compare between EPOS quotes?
Compare software, hardware, processing, setup, support, add-ons, contract length, cancellation terms, first-year cost and total contract value.
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.
