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Best POS Systems for Restaurants in the UK (2026)
Square POS is the default for independents: free, with tables, modifiers and split bills included. Lightspeed and TouchBistro handle bigger sites.
BusinessExpert may earn a commission when you sign up through links on this page. Square and SumUp are affiliate partners. Our editorial recommendations are based on verified pricing, features, and operational fit, not commission rates.
All figures verified against provider websites, May 2026. Processor-agnostic providers (TouchBistro, YumaPOS) do not set card rates, your transaction fee depends on the acquirer you choose.
Monthly fees and transaction rates verified against provider websites, May 2026. TouchBistro and YumaPOS use processor-agnostic models, card rates depend on your chosen acquirer. Always confirm current terms with providers before committing.
Best restaurant POS picks by type
These picks are organised by the operational context most likely to drive the decision. Each comes with an explicit condition for when it is the wrong choice.
Best restaurant POS overall
Square POS. The free plan includes table management, open tabs, modifiers, split bills, and a kitchen display option without a monthly software fee.
Most independent restaurants taking fewer than £8,000/month in card sales will pay less on Square’s 1.75% flat rate than on any plan-based alternative, once the subscription is factored back in.
Not right if: you run more than 80 covers or need native delivery app integration without third-party middleware. At that point, Lightspeed or TouchBistro’s deeper hospitality feature set starts to matter.
Lightspeed Restaurant K-Series. The Lite plan at £49/month gives a full floor plan, integrated kitchen display, and native connections to Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat.
The 1.49% + 20p transaction rate on Lightspeed Payments is lower than Square’s flat 1.75% above around £6,000/month in card volume.
Not right if: you are a single-site independent with straightforward service flow. The licencing cost and onboarding complexity are justified by multi-terminal operations, not a café with four tables.
TouchBistro. The processor-agnostic model means you bring your own acquirer, Barclaycard, Worldpay, Stripe, whoever already gives you the best card rate.
At £59/month per iPad licence, it is the only system in this guide where the POS cost and the payment cost are genuinely independent. Useful for operators who already have a negotiated rate.
Not right if: you are starting from scratch with no existing acquirer relationship. You will spend time shopping for card rates before the POS is even live.
YumaPOS. Native integrations with Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat, plus a kitchen display and self-service kiosk option, at a starting price of £40/month.
The processor-agnostic model applies here too: YumaPOS charges 0% commission on transactions, so your payment costs are entirely down to the acquirer you choose. The strongest fit for dark kitchens and delivery-heavy independents.
Not right if: you need a table-service floor plan as your primary workflow. YumaPOS is built around counter service and delivery, not a full sit-down restaurant floor layout.
SumUp POS Lite. £0/month, 1.69% per transaction, and basic order management for a counter-service operation that needs to track sales without paying for hospitality features it will not use.
The ceiling is low, no table layout, no kitchen display, no delivery integration, but for a small café or food stall, that ceiling is not the problem.
Not right if: you have table service, split bills, or modifiers. SumUp POS Lite is not designed for sit-down hospitality.
Best for: Cafes and casual venues that want a free POS with table, tab and modifier support and a flat 1.75% on every card — no monthly fee, no contract.
Watch out: The 1.75% flat has no volume discount, so it gets pricey once card sales clear roughly £8,000 a month; the kitchen display is a paid add-on.
Not ideal if: You run a high-volume, full-service kitchen — a system with a negotiated rate and native delivery links will fit better.
Transaction fee1.75% flat (all cards incl. Amex)
Monthly feeNone
Hardware cost£19 +VAT
SettlementNext working day (1–2 days standard)
ContractNo lock-in
Amex acceptedYes: same 1.75% rate
Eligibility: UK businesses — sole traders, partnerships and limited companies; account holders must be 18 or over. Custom rates are available above roughly £200,000 processed a year. Some categories are restricted under Square’s Acceptable Use Policy.
No monthly fee and no contract: zero downside risk while testing card acceptance
Free POS app usable from day one: most owners taking payments within an hour
Amex accepted at the same 1.75% rate: no surcharge or separate policy needed
Software ecosystem (online store, invoices, appointments) on the same account, no extra fees
1.75% flat becomes expensive above roughly £6,000/month in card takings
Settlement is 1–2 working days unless you pay extra for instant transfer
Bluetooth-to-phone means a flat battery or dropped app stops checkout
Square POS free plan: inventory, CRM, analytics and team management included from day one
Offline mode: accepts payments for up to 24 hours without internet
Hardware range from £19 Reader to £699 Register: scalable as the business grows
Payment links, invoices and online store included: all feed into the same Square account
SumUp Air
Best for Startups
Best for Startups
SumUp Air
The right reader for a sole trader who wants the lowest-commitment start.
Best for: Counter-service spots — coffee shops, kiosks, takeaways — that want the lowest entry cost and a simple 1.69% pay-as-you-go rate.
Watch out: No table layout, no kitchen display and no direct delivery integration, so it suits a counter rather than a busy dining room.
Not ideal if: You run table service or need a KDS and delivery links — a hospitality-built system (Lightspeed, TouchBistro, YumaPOS) will serve you better.
Transaction fee1.69% flat (0.99% on Payments Plus plan)
Monthly fee£0 or £19/month (Payments Plus)
Hardware cost£15 +VAT
SettlementNext day at 7am
ContractNo contract
Amex acceptedYes
Eligibility: UK businesses — sole traders, partnerships and limited companies; account holders must be 18 or over. No minimum turnover or credit check for the standard account, though SumUp’s acceptable-use rules exclude certain high-risk categories.
£15 hardware price is the lowest entry point on the market
Next-day 7am settlement is faster than Square’s standard 1–2 working days
Payments Plus at 0.99% is a credible upgrade path above £4,000/month
Amex accepted at the flat rate, no separate premium-card policy needed
Hardware battery degrades in cold weather, unreliable on winter outdoor markets
Bluetooth-to-phone fails if the phone dies on a busy shift
Payments Plus break-even is £3,800/month, most small users should not subscribe
SumUp Air reader at £19, one of the cheapest card readers available in the UK; pairs with the free SumUp app on iOS and Android
Free SumUp POS app, sales reports, item library, basic inventory and team management included with no subscription
Next-day settlement at 7am on every plan, or instant payout to a SumUp business account at no extra cost
Payments Plus subscription at £19/month drops the per-transaction rate to 0.99%, best for businesses processing above £3,300/month
Accepts all major debit and credit cards including Amex, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay, at the same flat rate
Best for: Multi-site and full-service restaurants wanting a full floor plan, an included kitchen display and native Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat links, with integrated payments at 1.49% + 20p.
Watch out: Plans start at £49 a month (Lite) and climb with add-ons; the best card rate needs integrated Lightspeed Payments, and tiers carry a commitment.
Not ideal if: You run a single small café on a tight budget — you’d pay for multi-site depth you never use.
Monthly feeFrom £49/month (Restaurant Lite) or £75/month (Retail Basic)
Hardware costNot published: quote required
SettlementNot published: contact Lightspeed to confirm
ContractAnnual or monthly billing available
Amex acceptedYes
Eligibility: UK hospitality and retail businesses of any size, though it earns its keep for multi-site operators. No published turnover minimum; custom and enterprise plans are quote-only. Lightspeed Payments is subject to standard merchant underwriting.
Deeply integrated POS, payments and eCommerce on one platform: no third-party bridge needed
Multi-location inventory management from a single back-office with stock transfers between sites
1.49% flat rate for Lightspeed Payments: no variation by card type
100+ integrations including Xero, QuickBooks, Deliverect and Uber Eats
Cloud-based with offline mode: continues processing if internet connectivity drops
Monthly fees from £49 rising to £199/month: higher entry cost than standalone card reader options
Hardware prices not published: a quote is required before knowing total setup cost
Settlement timing not confirmed on the UK site: verify before committing
Annual contracts have unclear early termination terms: check before signing
UK transaction rates sourced from third-party reviews: not directly published by Lightspeed UK
Unified POS, payments and eCommerce: in-person and online sales on one platform
Multi-location inventory with transfers, reorder automation and supplier management
Built-in eCom on all Retail plans: multichannel selling to Amazon, eBay, Instagram, TikTok
Advanced reporting with staff commission tracking and forecast replenishment mode
Best for: Sit-down restaurants, pubs and cafes that already have a card acquirer and want robust table management and ingredient-level inventory without being tied to one processor.
Watch out: There is no bundled card rate, so you must already hold (or go and negotiate) an acquirer deal; the kitchen display is a paid add-on.
Not ideal if: You are starting from scratch with no acquirer relationship — you’ll be shopping for card rates before the POS is even live.
Card processingProcessor-agnostic (bring your own acquirer)
Transaction feeYour acquirer’s negotiated rate (not set by TouchBistro)
Software feeFrom £59/month per iPad licence
SettlementDetermined by your acquirer
Table managementYes, full table layout
Kitchen displayAvailable as an add-on
Eligibility: UK hospitality businesses — sit-down restaurants, pubs and cafes. Sold per iPad licence from £59/month. Because TouchBistro is processor-agnostic, card acceptance depends on you holding (or opening) a separate merchant account with an acquirer, which is underwritten separately.
Processor-agnostic: keep your existing acquirer and negotiated card rate instead of being locked to one processor
Strong table management and ingredient-level inventory built for sit-down service
Local network architecture keeps the floor running when the broadband drops
Delivery integrations for Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat
From £59/month per iPad licence, so costs rise with each additional iPad
No bundled card rate — you must already have, or negotiate, an acquirer deal
Kitchen display is a paid add-on rather than included
Less suited to quick-service or counter-only setups than a flat-rate app
Processor-agnostic payments: bring your own acquirer (Barclaycard, Worldpay, Stripe, and others)
Full table layout and floor-plan management with open tabs and split bills
Ingredient-level inventory with menu and modifier management
Local network architecture: keeps taking orders during a broadband outage
Delivery integrations (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat); kitchen display available as an add-on
Best for: Restaurants and cafes wanting an out-of-the-box bundle with table service, a 1.5% Visa/Mastercard rate and a deep back office for stock and staff reporting.
Watch out: A 12-month minimum term and a £54-a-month care plan; kitchen display and delivery run through paid third-party integrations, and the card rate is now quoted individually.
Not ideal if: You want to walk away inside a year, or need native delivery links rather than third-party add-ons.
Transaction fee1.5% flat (Visa/Mastercard via Epos Now Payments)
Monthly feeFrom £54/month (care plan with bundle) or £25/device/month
Hardware costFrom £249 (complete POS bundle with 12-month subscription)
SettlementNext working day (same-day available as paid upgrade)
Contract12-month minimum, auto-renewing annually
Amex acceptedYes: at 2.5% (opt-in)
Eligibility: UK businesses — sole traders, partnerships and limited companies. No published turnover or credit minimum, but Epos Now Payments is underwritten by its acquiring partner. The 12-month minimum term runs from signing.
1.5% flat rate for integrated Epos Now Payments: no variation by card type (Amex excepted)
Full POS bundle from £249: terminal, cash drawer and printer included in one price
Cloud back office with real-time inventory, staff management and multi-location reporting
100+ app integrations including Xero, QuickBooks, Shopify and Deliveroo
Hospitality add-ons include KDS, table management, online ordering and tableside payment
12-month minimum contracts auto-renew annually: missing the 30-day notice window locks you in for another year
Some bundles carry 36-month contracts with heavy early termination penalties
Add-on costs stack up: accounting, loyalty and online ordering each add £15–£25/month
Amex charged at 2.5%: significantly higher than the standard 1.5% card rate
Trustpilot and Reddit complaints cite aggressive sales practices and difficult cancellation
Complete out-of-box POS bundle: terminal, cash drawer, printer and software included
Cloud back office with real-time inventory, staff management and multi-location reporting
Hospitality add-ons: KDS, table management, order and pay (Yoello), online ordering
100+ app integrations: accounting, eCommerce, delivery and loyalty tools
Best for: Delivery-first and quick-service venues — takeaways, fast food, cafes — wanting native Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat links, a kitchen display and bundled hardware from £40 a month.
Watch out: The card rate runs through an unpublished third-party processor and the agreement is governed by US law, so you can’t see the full cost before a sales call.
Not ideal if: You want every number on the page before deciding — quote-only pricing moves that homework onto you.
Transaction fee0% commission (card rate via third-party processor: quote required)
Monthly feeFrom £40/month (primary EPOS licence)
Hardware costIncluded in subscription: no upfront cost published
SettlementNot confirmed: verify before signing
Contract30 calendar days notice to cancel
Amex acceptedNot confirmed: verify before signing
Eligibility: UK businesses, aimed at food and hospitality. No published turnover or credit minimum, but pricing and card processing run through a third-party acquirer and are settled on a sales call. The agreement is governed by US law — worth reading before you commit.
0% commission on transactions: card processing cost is the only variable charge
Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo integrations built in: no middleware required
Hardware bundled within the subscription: no large upfront outlay on terminals
Full add-on suite: waiter app, kitchen display, self-serve kiosk and customer app on one platform
30-day notice to cancel: no long minimum contract term published
Card processing rates not published: the cost of taking payments requires a direct enquiry
Settlement timing not confirmed on the primary source: check before signing
Amex acceptance not confirmed: businesses with corporate customers should verify
Contract governed by US law despite UK operations: legal recourse may be more complex
Fewer published independent reviews than larger EPOS rivals
Native integrations with Just Eat, Uber Eats and Deliveroo: no middleware needed
Waiter app, kitchen display and self-serve kiosk available as modular add-ons
0% platform commission on transactions: no revenue share on sales volume
YUMAPay standalone terminal: 4G, WiFi and Bluetooth in one device
What a restaurant POS needs that a card reader does not
A card reader processes the payment. A restaurant POS manages the order before it ever reaches a card terminal. The gap between the two is where most operational problems in hospitality actually live.
Table management
A table plan lets front-of-house staff assign orders to seats, track table status (occupied, reserved, needs clearing), and split a bill by seat or item. Square, Lightspeed, TouchBistro, Epos Now, and YumaPOS all include it. SumUp POS Lite does not.
Modifiers and course management
Modifiers allow a diner to specify “no sauce” or “add extra cheese” at the point of ordering. Without modifier support baked into the POS, the instruction has to travel by word of mouth to the kitchen, which is where errors begin. All table-service systems in this guide handle modifiers at order entry.
Kitchen display system
A kitchen display system (KDS) replaces paper tickets with a screen that shows each order, flags time elapsed, and allows kitchen staff to mark courses complete.
Lightspeed and TouchBistro include it (or offer it as an add-on); Square and Epos Now offer optional KDS hardware. SumUp does not support KDS.
Delivery app integration
Delivery aggregator orders (Deliveroo, Uber Eats, Just Eat) arriving separately from the POS create two order queues that kitchen staff have to reconcile manually.
Native integrations, available on Lightspeed, TouchBistro, and YumaPOS, route aggregator orders directly into the POS kitchen queue, removing the manual merge step.
Split billing and open tabs
Splitting a bill by item, by seat, or equally is a standard hospitality requirement that a basic card reader cannot support. Square handles it in the free POS app. All table-service systems in this guide do.
Restaurant POS cost comparison
The honest cost comparison for a restaurant POS has three layers: software fee, transaction rate (if integrated payments), and hardware. They need to be read together, not as three separate decisions.
Software fee
Square and SumUp charge nothing at the free tier. Lightspeed starts at £49/month, TouchBistro at £59/month, Epos Now at £54/month, YumaPOS at £40/month.
For a business doing £10,000/month in card sales, a £49/month software fee is a 0.49% effective overhead, it only makes financial sense if the feature set justifies it.
Transaction fee
Square and SumUp charge a flat rate on every sale. Lightspeed and Epos Now offer integrated processing with published rates.
One caveat on Square’s flat rate: it applies to UK cards. Cards issued outside the UK carry an extra 1.5% surcharge in person, taking a non-UK card to 3.25%.
TouchBistro and YumaPOS are processor-agnostic, which means your transaction rate is whatever your chosen acquirer charges, potentially lower if you have volume, potentially higher if you accept it from a provider who bundles a worse rate into the pitch.
Hardware
Square sells a Reader for £19 and a Terminal (standalone touchscreen) for £149. SumUp’s Air reader is £15.
Lightspeed and Epos Now typically require a tablet, stand, and receipt printer, hardware bundles from £300 to £1,000+. TouchBistro runs on iPad; you supply the hardware. YumaPOS supports a range of Android terminals.
Our Verdict
For most independent restaurants, Square POS is the one to beat: a free plan with table management, open tabs, modifiers, split bills and an optional kitchen display, plus a flat 1.75% that works out cheaper than any plan-based rival up to roughly £8,000 a month in card sales. It only loses its edge at higher volume or once you need native delivery links.
From there it is about how your kitchen runs. Lightspeed Restaurant earns its £49-a-month Lite plan once you run several terminals or sites, with a full floor plan, included kitchen display and native Deliveroo, Uber Eats and Just Eat links at 1.49% + 20p. If you already have a sharp card rate, TouchBistro’s processor-agnostic model lets you keep it and pay only for the POS. For delivery-first kitchens, YumaPOS bundles the delivery integrations and hardware from £40 a month, while SumUp is the cheapest way to put a counter live if you do not need table service.
The bottom line: start with Square unless a specific need rules it out — Lightspeed for multi-site service, TouchBistro to keep your own acquirer, YumaPOS for delivery-first kitchens, and SumUp for a simple counter. Match the system to how you actually serve, not the headline monthly fee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free restaurant POS system in the UK?
Square POS on the free plan is the strongest option at no monthly cost. It handles tables, modifiers, open tabs, and split bills without a subscription. SumUp POS Lite is also free but lacks table management and is better suited to counter service than sit-down restaurants.
Do I need a separate card reader if I have a restaurant POS?
It depends on the POS. Square’s POS uses a Square Reader (£19) connected via Bluetooth. Lightspeed Payments uses integrated terminal hardware. TouchBistro and YumaPOS require a separate card terminal from your chosen acquirer. Epos Now offers its own payments integration or accepts third-party terminals.
What does a restaurant POS cost per month in the UK?
Between £0 (Square free plan, SumUp Lite) and £199/month (Lightspeed Restaurant Pro). The midpoint for a single-site independent is roughly £49–£59/month for a hospitality-grade system with table management and kitchen display. Hardware is an additional upfront cost.
Can I use my own payment processor with a restaurant POS?
Yes, if you choose a processor-agnostic system. TouchBistro and YumaPOS both allow you to bring your own acquirer. Square and SumUp require you to use their own payment processing. Lightspeed and Epos Now offer proprietary integrated payments but can sometimes accommodate third-party processors at enterprise tier.
Does a restaurant POS handle Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat orders?
Lightspeed, TouchBistro, and YumaPOS all offer native delivery aggregator integrations. Square supports third-party middleware (e.g., Deliverect, Uber Eats Manager) but does not have a native aggregator integration at the free plan tier. SumUp POS Lite has no delivery integration.
What about the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023?
The Act, in force from October 2024, requires employers to pass 100% of tips to workers and maintain a written tips policy. Your POS system does not enforce compliance, but a system with tip reporting, Square, Lightspeed, TouchBistro, will give you the audit trail you need. Keep the POS report as evidence of how tips were collected and distributed. We checked tip-reporting functionality across all providers in this roundup.
How we reviewed Best POS Systems for Restaurants in the UK
Ranking criteria. We ranked providers on cost, eligibility, features, and ease of access. Cost and protection carry the heaviest weight because these matter across every business type and rarely change with reader preferences.
Data sources. Every provider’s pricing page, terms, and product docs were checked directly in May 2026. No comparison sites, no press releases, no affiliate material. FCA register cross-checked for regulatory status.
Update cadence. We re-verify every provider on this page at least monthly, and whenever a provider changes pricing, eligibility, or terms. The verification date on the page reflects the most recent full review. Some links on this page are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.
Square ReaderTop Pick
SumUp AirBest for Startups
Lightspeed Payments
TouchBistro POS
YumaPOS