Best EPOS Systems UK With Integrated Card Payments (2026)

An EPOS system is the till, the stock book and the sales report rolled into one. When the card machine is built into it, the total goes straight to the terminal, nobody retypes amounts, and every sale lands in the same report. That's what "integrated card payments" means, and it's the single biggest time saver for most shops, cafés and salons.

This guide compares the main UK options, from free apps to full hospitality setups, with prices from each provider's official UK website, checked October 2026.

What an EPOS system is

EPOS stands for electronic point of sale. In practice it's software running on a tablet, a till screen or a smart card terminal, which:

• Lists your products or services with prices
• Adds up orders and handles discounts, refunds and tips
• Sends the amount to a card machine, or takes the payment itself
• Tracks stock and tells you what's selling
• Produces end of day, VAT and staff reports
• Often links to online ordering, bookings or an online shop

A standalone card machine just takes the amount you type in. An EPOS knows what was sold.

Top options compared

Prices exclude VAT where the provider quotes them that way.

1. Square Point of Sale

Square's free plan covers most of what a small business needs: item library, stock counts, reports, customer profiles, invoices, a virtual terminal and an online store. Plus plans for restaurants, retailers and appointment based businesses start at £29 a month and add features such as advanced stock tools, kitchen display support and staff permissions.

Card fees are 1.75% in person on UK cards, 1.4% + 25p online on UK cards and 2.5% for manually keyed payments and invoices. Square Terminal costs £149 ex VAT and the Reader £19, and there are bigger till setups too. Payments must go through Square.

Pros

• Genuinely useful free plan
• Online store and in person sales share one stock list
• No contract, cancel any time

Cons

• You can't use another card provider
• Flat rate gets expensive at higher volumes
• Advanced hospitality features need a paid plan

Our Square card reader review goes into more detail.

2. SumUp POS

SumUp's app includes basic POS features at no monthly cost, with 1.69% per in person payment. POS Plus at £39 a month adds advanced hospitality, retail and bookings tools such as floor plans and accounting sync. If you take £3,000 or more a month, Payments Plus at £19 a month cuts in person fees on domestic consumer cards to 0.99%.

Pros

• Low card fees with Payments Plus
• Payouts by 7am next day, every day
• Free business account included

Cons

• Advanced POS tools cost £39 a month
• Payments only through SumUp

3. PayPal Point of Sale (formerly Zettle)

Zettle is becoming PayPal Point of Sale. The app is free and covers products, stock, gift cards, staff tracking and sales reports. Card payments cost 1.75% on all major cards, including Amex. The PayPal Terminal is £149 ex VAT, with a barcode scanner version sold separately.

Pros

• Same rate on every major card
• Money arrives in your PayPal Business account, usually within minutes
• Good integrations with ecommerce tools

Cons

• Payment links were temporarily unavailable for new sellers when we checked
• Fewer hospitality features than specialists

4. Lightspeed Retail

Lightspeed is a step up for retailers with large catalogues, several branches or complex stock. Its UK retail pricing page lists Basic at £75 a month, Core at £149 and Plus at £189, each with one register included. Integrated payments, stock management and supplier catalogues are standard, with ecommerce, loyalty, advanced reports and accounting integrations on higher tiers. Lightspeed notes that prices can vary and additional fees may apply depending on your business.

Pros

• Strong stock control for big catalogues
• Built for multi location retail
• Online and in store sales in one system

Cons

• Monthly cost is much higher than free apps
• Payments pricing is quoted, so compare carefully

5. Epos Now

Epos Now designs packages around your business, with countertop tills, its own card machines through Epos Now Payments and an app store of integrations. Pricing is by quote, so you'll need to talk to its team. It's popular with pubs, cafés and retailers who want hardware, software and payments from one company.

Pros

• Wide range of hardware
• Lots of integrations
• One supplier for till and payments

Cons

• No published prices
• Check contract length and hardware finance terms carefully

6. Shift4 SkyTab

SkyTab is a hospitality EPOS from Shift4, with handheld ordering, table management and kitchen displays. It's aimed at restaurants, pubs and bars rather than shops. Pricing is quoted. See our Shift4 SkyTab review.

Pros

• Built for table service
• Handheld ordering at the table

Cons

• Quoted pricing
• More than a small shop needs

What does an EPOS system cost?

There are three costs to add up.

Software. From free (Square, SumUp, PayPal) to £75 to £189 a month for Lightspeed Retail, and quoted prices for Epos Now and SkyTab. Extra registers and locations usually cost more.

Hardware. A card reader from about £19, a smart terminal around £135 to £149, and full countertop tills with cash drawers and printers costing several hundred pounds. Some providers offer hardware on monthly finance.

Card fees. Flat rates of 1.69% to 1.75% on free systems, or quoted rates on bigger systems. This is often the largest cost of all.

Worked example: a café taking £12,000 a month by card

Assumes UK consumer cards, before hardware. Amex, premium and overseas cards can cost more on some plans.

For quoted systems such as Epos Now, Lightspeed Payments or SkyTab, ask for the same breakdown on your real figures so you can compare like for like.

Integration with card payments

There are two ways an EPOS and card machine work together.

All in one. The EPOS company is also your payment provider: Square, SumUp, PayPal and, by default, Lightspeed. Setup is simple and support is one phone call. The catch is that you can't shop around for cheaper card rates without changing your till.

Integrated with a separate provider. Some EPOS systems connect to card machines from other providers, such as Dojo, Worldpay or Elavon. You get more choice on rates, but you need to check the integration works properly and know who to call when it doesn't.

Questions to ask

• Does the total go to the card machine automatically?
• Do refunds and tips sync both ways?
• Will end of day reports match my bank deposits?
• What happens if the internet drops?
• Can I take payments on a handheld at the table or in the queue?

Smart card terminals blur the lines further, because many run the EPOS app on the terminal itself. Our guide to Android card terminals explains how they work, and our PDQ machines guide covers traditional countertop terminals.

Key considerations by business type

Retail. Barcode scanning, variants such as size and colour, stock alerts and an online shop. Square, PayPal and Lightspeed are strong here.

Cafés and quick service. Fast item buttons, modifiers, kitchen printers and online ordering. Square and SumUp suit small cafés; Epos Now and SkyTab suit busier ones.

Restaurants and pubs. Table plans, tabs, split bills, tips and handheld ordering. Look at SkyTab, Epos Now, Square for Restaurants or SumUp POS Plus.

Salons and services. Bookings, deposits and reminders. Square Appointments and SumUp Bookings both connect bookings to payments.

Market traders and events. A phone app or handheld terminal with offline mode. Square, SumUp and PayPal work well.

Pros and cons of an integrated EPOS

Pros

• No retyping totals, so fewer mistakes
• Live stock and sales data
• Easier VAT and end of day reconciliation
• Faster service

Cons

• Locked into one payment provider on all in one systems
• Monthly software fees on bigger systems
• More to set up at the start

Hardware checklist

Not every business needs every piece. Here's what's typical:

Ask whether hardware is bought outright, financed or rented. Bought hardware is yours, but rented kit may need returning when you leave.

Switching from an old till

Moving to a new EPOS is easier than most people expect, but plan it.

• Export your products from your old system as a spreadsheet, then import them.
• Pick a quiet day to switch, such as a Monday morning.
• Run both for a day if you can, so staff can practise.
• Check your card contract before cancelling an old card machine, in case of exit fees. Our guide to merchant account providers explains typical terms.
• Train staff on refunds, voids and end of day. These cause the most mistakes in week one.

Common mistakes

• Choosing on software price alone, when card fees are the bigger cost.
• Signing a long contract for hardware you could buy outright.
• Not checking that the EPOS and card machine really talk to each other.
• Paying for advanced features you'll never set up.

How to choose

1. List the features you need now, and in a year.
2. Work out your monthly card takings.
3. Get total costs (software, hardware and card fees) from three providers.
4. Ask about contract length, cancellation and hardware ownership.
5. Try the software. Most free apps can be tested before you commit.
6. Check support hours. Weekend support matters for hospitality.

Next steps

If you're a small business taking under £10,000 a month, start with a free system such as Square or SumUp and upgrade when you outgrow it. If you're a bigger retailer, get quotes from Lightspeed and Epos Now. If you run a restaurant or pub, compare SkyTab and Epos Now with Square for Restaurants.

FAQs

What's the best EPOS system for a small business in the UK?

For most small businesses, Square Point of Sale, thanks to its free plan, online store and simple setup. SumUp is a strong alternative if card fees are your main concern.

Do I need a separate card machine with an EPOS system?

Not always. Many systems work with their own readers or smart terminals, or run on the terminal itself. Bigger setups usually pair a countertop till with one or more card machines.

Is there a free EPOS system?

Yes. Square, SumUp and PayPal Point of Sale all offer free POS software. You pay card fees on each payment and buy your own hardware.

Can I use my own card machine provider with an EPOS?

With some systems, yes. All in one systems such as Square, SumUp and PayPal only take payments through their own service. Others integrate with several providers, so ask before you commit.

How much is an EPOS system per month?

From £0 for free apps up to £75 to £189 a month for Lightspeed Retail's published plans, plus card fees and hardware. Hospitality systems are usually quoted.

What's the difference between EPOS and POS?

Nothing much these days. EPOS just means the point of sale is electronic. In the UK, people use both terms for the same thing.

Do EPOS systems work offline?

Many do for a while, storing sales and syncing later. Card payments offline are more limited, so check each provider's offline payment rules.

Will an EPOS system help with Making Tax Digital?

It can make it easier, because every sale is recorded and categorised automatically. Many systems export to accounting software such as Xero or QuickBooks, which then handles the digital records and submissions. Check that your chosen EPOS has an integration with the accounting tool you use.