EPOS and POS systems for UK businesses
Quick Reference
Direct Answer
A POS (point of sale) or EPOS (electronic point of sale) system is a card machine plus till software: it takes payments and also records sales, tracks stock, manages staff and reports on takings. A plain card machine only takes the payment. A shop, café or restaurant usually needs an EPOS; a mobile trader or market stall usually needs only a card machine.
Summary
UK POS and EPOS systems combine card acceptance with till software. Smart terminals (Square Terminal, the PAX A920 behind Dojo, BBPOS behind Stripe) run both on one device from about £149 hardware. Software is £0 to £75+ a month, plus a 0.8% to 1.95% card rate.
This Page Covers
What POS and EPOS systems are, how they differ from a plain card machine, the smart terminals that run both, and UK costs in 2026.
Not Covered Here
Detailed per-terminal reviews (see the reviews hub), online-only checkout gateways, and bespoke enterprise POS estates.
Card machine vs POS / EPOS system
The difference is software. A card machine moves money. A POS or EPOS system moves money and also runs your counter: what sold, what is in stock, who served it, and what you took today. Here is the like-for-like.
| Card machine | POS / EPOS system | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A device that takes card payments only | Card payments plus till software: sales, stock, staff, reporting |
| Takes card payments | Yes | Yes (built in or paired) |
| Records sales and items | No (amount only) | Yes, line by line |
| Stock and inventory | No | Yes |
| Staff logins and shifts | No | Yes |
| Reporting and analytics | Basic (transaction list) | Full (sales by item, hour, staff) |
| Typical cost | £0 to £229 hardware, then a rate per transaction | Hardware plus £0 to £75+ monthly software, then a rate |
| Who needs it | Mobile trades, market stalls, low item counts | Shops, cafés, restaurants, salons with menus or stock |
Smart terminals that run both
An Android smart terminal runs POS software directly on the card machine, so one device does both jobs. For most small UK businesses this is the simplest and cheapest route to an EPOS, with no separate till to buy.
Square Terminal
All-in-one Android terminal with a built-in printer that runs the free Square POS. The simplest route to an EPOS for an independent shop or café, no separate till to buy.
Dojo (PAX A920 hardware)
Android smart terminal that runs the Dojo app plus EPOS integrations (Dojo works with many hospitality POS systems). Its lower rate pays back the £25 a month machine payment against SumUp at 1.69% from about £5,100 a month.
Stripe Reader S700 (BBPOS hardware)
Touchscreen Android reader for businesses already on Stripe, with custom POS apps via the Stripe Terminal SDK. The case is the developer ecosystem rather than the rate.
For costs, the best picks by trade and how to choose, see the full EPOS systems guide. Compare every device in the card terminal hub, weigh up the plain card readers if you only need to take payment, find the cheapest card machine in the UK, or model the all-in cost with the fees calculator.
The three EPOS setups, and who each suits
Nearly every UK EPOS is one of three shapes: a smart terminal that runs the till on the card machine itself, a tablet till, or a full counter setup. The right one depends on how many tills you run, how much stock or menu you hold, and whether you want the software free or feature-rich.
| Setup | Hardware | Software | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart terminalSquare Terminal, PAX A920 (Dojo) | £149 to £229 | £0 to £75+ / month | A single counter that wants till features on one device, no separate till to buy |
| Tablet EPOSiPad or Android tablet + POS app + card reader | £200 to £600 (tablet, stand, reader, printer) | £0 to £75+ / month | Cafés and small shops wanting a bigger screen and menu or stock layout |
| Full counter EPOSTouchscreen, printer, cash drawer, scanner | £400 to £1,500+ | £25 to £75+ / month per till | Busy shops, restaurants and multi-till sites with stock and staff to manage |
New to the idea? Start with EPOS vs a plain card machine. If you only need to take payment, compare the card readers or the full card terminal hub, or model the all-in cost with the fees calculator.
EPOS by business type
The right EPOS is decided by how you sell, so we compare the market per business type, on each vendor's real published UK prices:
Weighing a dedicated till against these? Read the full Epos Now review, the biggest name in UK dedicated EPOS.
EPOS questions, answered
What does EPOS mean?
EPOS stands for electronic point of sale: the till system a business uses to ring up sales, take payment and record what sold. In UK usage EPOS and POS mean the same thing (POS, point of sale, is the more common term in the US and in software names). An EPOS system is the combination of till software plus the hardware it runs on, whether that is a smart terminal, a tablet or a full counter setup.
It is not the same as a plain card machine, which only takes payment, or a PDQ machine, which is simply an older UK name for a card terminal.
EPOS vs card machine: what a card machine isHow much does an EPOS system cost in the UK?
An EPOS system in the UK costs from about £149 for a single smart terminal with free software, up to £400 to £1,500+ for a full counter setup (touchscreen, printer, cash drawer, scanner). Software runs from £0 (Square, SumUp) to £75+ a month per till for hospitality-grade systems, and on top sits the card-processing rate, usually 0.8% to 1.95% per transaction. For a small shop, a Square Terminal at £149 + VAT with free software is the cheapest credible EPOS.
See the full card machine and EPOS cost breakdownWhat is the best EPOS system for a small shop or retail?
For a small UK shop, the best EPOS is usually a smart terminal or tablet till that handles stock, barcodes and sales reporting without a big monthly fee. A Square Terminal (£149 + VAT, free POS software) covers most independents on one device; a tablet EPOS with a scanner suits shops with a larger product range. The deciding factors are stock depth, number of tills and whether you want the software free or feature-rich.
Get quotes for a retail EPOS setupWhat is the best EPOS system for a café or restaurant?
Hospitality needs an EPOS that handles menus, table plans, modifiers and tips, so cafés and restaurants usually run a tablet or full-counter EPOS rather than a plain smart terminal. Software is where hospitality systems earn their monthly fee (£25 to £75+ per till).
Dojo pairs with many hospitality POS systems and suits venues past about £5,100 a month (where its rate beats SumUp at 1.69% after its fee); a tablet EPOS suits a smaller café. Match the till software to your service style first, then the card rate.
Browse card and EPOS setups by tradeWhat is the cheapest EPOS system?
The cheapest credible EPOS in the UK is a smart terminal running free POS software: a Square Terminal at £149 + VAT hardware with the free Square POS and no monthly fee, paying only the card rate per transaction. Free software (Square, SumUp) keeps the running cost to the processing rate alone, whereas hospitality-grade systems add £25 to £75+ a month. Cheapest on hardware is not always cheapest overall once card volume and software features are counted.
See the cheapest card machines comparedDo I need an EPOS or just a card machine?
Take a card machine if you sell a small number of items, trade mobile, or only need to take payment (taxis, plumbers, market stalls). Take an EPOS if you run a counter with a menu or stock and want to see what sells, manage staff and reconcile takings (shops, cafés, restaurants, salons). Every EPOS includes card acceptance, so an EPOS replaces a card machine rather than sitting alongside it.
Card machine vs EPOS, compared in fullCan a card machine work as an EPOS?
A smart terminal can. Android smart terminals (Square Terminal, the PAX A920 used by Dojo, the BBPOS hardware behind Stripe Reader S700) run POS apps directly on the device, so one piece of hardware does both jobs for a small business. A basic card reader (a plain SumUp or Zettle reader) only takes payments and pairs to a separate POS app on your phone or tablet if you want till features.
Compare plain card readersIn one sentence
Card machine to take payment. EPOS to run the counter. A smart terminal does both on one device.
If you only need to take card, a reader is enough. If you want to see what sells, hold stock and manage staff, you want an EPOS. MerchantHQ compares the whole UK market, and one enquiry can bring you 2 to 3 tailored quotes for your trade and volume.
Get quotes in 2 minutesFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between a POS system and a card machine?
A card machine takes card payments and records the amount only. A POS (point of sale) or EPOS (electronic point of sale) system adds till software on top: it records what was sold line by line, tracks stock, manages staff logins, and reports on sales by item, hour and staff member. Every EPOS includes card acceptance; not every card machine is an EPOS. A market trader needs a card machine; a shop or restaurant with a menu or stock usually needs an EPOS.
Do EPOS and POS mean the same thing?
In UK usage, yes. POS stands for "point of sale" and EPOS for "electronic point of sale". They are used interchangeably for the combined till-and-payments system a shop, café or restaurant runs at the counter. "Till system" is the same thing in plainer language.
How much does a POS or EPOS system cost in the UK?
Hardware ranges from a single smart terminal (£149 to £229, e.g. Square Terminal) up to a full counter setup (screen, printer, cash drawer, scanner) of £400 to £1,500+. Software is £0 (Square, SumUp) to £75+ a month per till for hospitality-grade systems. On top sits the card-processing rate, usually 0.8% to 1.95% per transaction. For a small shop, a Square Terminal at £149 + VAT with free software is the cheapest credible EPOS.
Can a card machine work as an EPOS?
A smart terminal can. Android smart terminals (Square Terminal, the PAX A920 used by Dojo and others, the BBPOS hardware behind Stripe Reader S700) run POS apps directly on the device, so one piece of hardware does both jobs for a small business. A basic card reader (a plain SumUp or Zettle reader) only takes payments and pairs to a separate POS app on your phone or tablet if you want till features.
Do I need an EPOS or just a card machine?
Take a card machine if you sell a small number of items, trade mobile, or just need to take payment (taxis, plumbers, market stalls). Take an EPOS if you run a counter with a menu or stock and want to see what sells, manage staff, and reconcile takings (shops, cafés, restaurants, salons). Either way, send a quote enquiry for 2 to 3 tailored quotes.
MerchantHQ is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd, directed by Oliver Mackman. Last updated: