EPOS Systems for Hospitality: A UK Buyer's Guide (2026)

A hospitality EPOS system is the till your whole venue runs on. It takes orders and payments, sends tickets to the kitchen and bar, keeps track of tables and tabs, and tells you at the end of the day what you took and what sold. Retail tills can scan a barcode and print a receipt. Hospitality needs more: courses, modifiers, split bills, service charge, table plans and a kitchen that needs to know what to cook next.

This guide is for owners of UK cafés, restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaways choosing their first EPOS or replacing an old one. It covers what to look for by type of venue, the questions to ask before you sign, and where the costs hide.

What a hospitality EPOS system should do

Whatever kind of venue you run, these are the basics:

• Fast order entry with modifiers ("oat milk", "no onions", "medium rare") and allergen notes that reach the kitchen.
• Kitchen and bar tickets, either on a printer or a kitchen screen, split by station so drinks go to the bar and food goes to the pass.
• Card payments that link to the till, so the amount is sent to the card machine and nobody types it twice.
• Tables, tabs and split bills for anywhere guests sit down.
• Cash-up and end-of-day reports that match what is in the drawer and the bank.
• Staff logins so you can see who rang what, and stop staff seeing reports they don't need.
• Menu changes in minutes, including marking a dish sold out on every screen at once.
• VAT handled properly, including the different rates for eat-in and takeaway food. See our guide to VAT on takeaway food.

What different venues need

Cafés and coffee shops

Speed at the counter matters most. Look for a quick till layout, a barista screen so drinks are made in order, and a digital loyalty card so regulars come back. QR ordering helps at busy times because seated guests can order without joining the queue. See POS for cafés.

Restaurants

You need a floor plan, courses, a waiter app or handhelds, and kitchen screens by station. Table bookings in the same system save you paying for a separate diary. Split bills and service charge should take seconds, not a calculator. See restaurant POS.

Pubs and bars

Open tabs, quick drink buttons and a fast bar screen come first. If you serve food, the kitchen needs its own tickets with the table number. QR ordering from the beer garden cuts the walk to the bar on busy days. See pub and bar POS.

Takeaways

Collection times, an online ordering page you own, and orders from delivery apps landing in one place. Look closely at commission: a 0% fee on your own ordering page keeps far more of each order than a marketplace. See takeaway POS.

Groups with more than one site

One menu you can push to every site, stock and recipes, central reports and a link to your accounting software. Check how the price grows with each extra venue.

Questions to ask before you sign

1. How long is the contract? Many providers tie you in for 12 months or more, especially when the hardware is discounted. Ask what it costs to leave early.
2. Which card machines does it work with? Some systems only work with their own payment service, at their own rates. Others let you use your own card machine or choose your provider.
3. What is included in the monthly price? A kitchen screen, QR ordering, table bookings or a second till are often add-ons. Get the price for the setup you will actually run.
4. Is there a fee per order? Some QR and online ordering services take a percentage of every order on top of card fees.
5. What hardware do I have to buy? Some systems run on any tablet or phone you already own. Others need their own terminals and printers.
6. What happens if the internet drops? Ask what keeps working and what doesn't. Our guide on whether a POS needs internet explains what to check.
7. Who answers the phone when it breaks on a Saturday night? Ask about support hours and whether you get a person or a ticket.
8. Can I export my data? Your sales, menu and customer list should be yours to take with you.

What a hospitality EPOS costs

Costs come in four parts:

• Software: a monthly fee per venue, and sometimes per till or per device.
• Add-ons: kitchen screens, QR ordering, online ordering, bookings, stock control or loyalty.
• Card fees: a percentage of each payment, sometimes plus a few pence per transaction.
• Hardware: tablets, card machines, printers and cash drawers, bought outright or leased.

Two systems with the same headline price can end up very different once add-ons and card fees are counted. Add up a typical month for your venue before you compare. Our UK EPOS system price list works through real monthly bills, and our EPOS cost comparison puts the main providers side by side.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Choosing on hardware looks. A smart terminal is nice, but the contract and fees matter more over three years.
• Ignoring the kitchen. If tickets don't reach the right station in the right order, the till is not saving you anything.
• Paying for features twice. Separate apps for bookings, loyalty and online ordering each cost a monthly fee and don't share data.
• Not asking staff. Get the people who use the till every day to try it before you sign.
• Signing a long lease for kit you already own. Many systems run on the iPad or Android tablet you have.

Where Café QR fits

Café QR is a hospitality EPOS built for independent UK cafés, restaurants, pubs and takeaways. It runs on tablets and phones you already own, with no contract.

• Order & Pay, £9.99 a month: QR ordering at the table and counter, straight to the kitchen.
• POS, £39 a month per venue: the till, waiter app, tabs, floor plan, table bookings, kitchen screens, self-order kiosk, online ordering and cash-up.
• Multi-site, £59 a month plus £29 for each extra venue: everything above, plus stock and recipes, insights and accounting links.

There is no Café QR fee on QR or online orders, and the first month is free. See pricing for the full list.