What Is Integrated EPOS and Payments?
An integrated EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) and payments system connects your till software directly to your card terminal. When a customer pays, the amount flows from the EPOS to the terminal automatically — no manual re-entry, no mismatch risk. The transaction result comes back to the EPOS, which updates stock, prints receipts, and logs the sale.
The alternative is two separate systems: an EPOS for stock and sales management, and a standalone card machine the operator keys amounts into manually. This is cheaper to set up but introduces keying errors and makes reconciliation harder.
Integration is available at two levels. Semi-integration connects the EPOS to a payment terminal via an API call — the terminal handles the payment and returns the result. Full integration uses a single piece of hardware (like a Square or Clover device) where the EPOS software and payment processing run on the same machine.
Integrated EPOS and Payments Providers Compared
| Provider | Integration type | Monthly software cost | Transaction fee | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | Full (own hardware) | Free–£69+ | 1.75% | Small retail, hospitality, beauty |
| Lightspeed | Full + semi (third-party terminals) | From £69 | Varies by plan | Multi-location retail and restaurants |
| Epos Now | Semi (Dojo, SumUp, others) | From £25 | Via payment partner | Retail and hospitality with existing terminals |
| Dojo Go | Semi (integrates with EPOS via API) | £20–£25 terminal rental | From 1.2% | Adding fast terminals to existing EPOS |
| Clover | Full (own hardware) | From £14.95 | Via acquiring partner | US-familiar merchants, flexible hardware |
Costs correct as of May 2026. Lightspeed payment rates depend on plan and volume.
Integrated EPOS and Payments Options
Square: Best All-in-One for Small Businesses
Square offers the most complete out-of-the-box integration: its EPOS software and payment hardware are designed as a single system. The free Point of Sale app covers basic retail, the Square for Retail plan (from £49/month) adds inventory management and purchase orders, and Square for Restaurants (from £69/month) adds table management and course-based ordering.
All Square transactions use Square’s own payment processing at 1.75% per card-present transaction. There is no choice of acquirer — you accept Square’s rate or you use a different system. For businesses processing under £20,000 per month, the flat rate is straightforward and competitive. Above that threshold, a negotiated-rate acquirer becomes worth comparing.
Hardware runs from the £19 Square Reader (Bluetooth, pairs with a phone) up to the Square Register (a dual-screen countertop unit at around £600). All hardware is purchased, not rented.
Lightspeed: Best for Multi-Location and Complex Operations
Lightspeed offers deep EPOS functionality for retail and restaurants, with native integrated payments via Lightspeed Payments (where available) and semi-integration with Dojo, Stripe Terminal, and other providers. Multi-site stock management, purchase orders, and centralised reporting across locations are standard on paid plans.
Software starts at £69 per month. Hardware is iPad-based — Lightspeed sells compatible stands, cash drawers, receipt printers, and card readers. For a business with two or more sites that needs centralised inventory visibility, Lightspeed’s multi-location architecture is harder to match among the options in this comparison.
Epos Now: Best for Existing Terminals and Flexibility
Epos Now provides EPOS software that semi-integrates with a range of payment terminals including Dojo, SumUp, and Paymentsense devices. If you already have a card terminal you are happy with, Epos Now can connect to it without forcing you to change acquirer. Software starts at around £25 per month.
Epos Now’s app marketplace has over 100 integrations covering accounting (Xero, QuickBooks), loyalty, online ordering, and delivery platforms. It is a good choice for businesses with complex integrations requirements who want EPOS software that is payment-agnostic.
Dojo Go: Best for Adding Fast Terminals to Existing EPOS
Dojo Go semi-integrates with Lightspeed, Epos Now, and several other EPOS platforms. It is not a standalone EPOS — it is a payment terminal that connects to an existing system. The terminal receives the bill total from the EPOS, the customer pays, and the result returns to the EPOS automatically. No re-keying required.
Dojo’s transaction processing is fast (under one second for contactless) and the terminal is built for sustained high-volume use. Monthly rental is around £20–£25; transaction rates start around 1.2% for businesses processing £10,000 or more per month. For a restaurant or retailer already using a good EPOS that wants to upgrade its payment terminals, Dojo integration is one of the lowest-disruption options.
Clover: Best for US-Familiar Merchants and Flexible Hardware
Clover is a full integrated EPOS and payments platform from Fiserv, widely used in the US and available in the UK. Hardware ranges from the Clover Go (a Bluetooth reader) to the Clover Station (a full countertop unit with customer display). Software plans start at £14.95 per month. Payment processing is through Clover’s acquiring partner — rates are quoted based on business type and volume.
Clover’s app market provides additional functionality including loyalty programmes, advanced reporting, and inventory tools. It is a solid option but less prominent in the UK market than Square or Lightspeed — third-party integrations and support resources are less abundant than for those providers.
Do You Need Integrated EPOS and Payments?
Integration adds genuine value in specific scenarios. It removes the risk of keying errors at the terminal (a significant source of reconciliation problems for busy counters), speeds up the payment process, and makes end-of-day reporting cleaner because every transaction is logged in one system.
The scenarios where it matters most:
- High transaction volume. A coffee shop taking 200 payments a day cannot afford staff keying wrong amounts into a standalone terminal. Integration eliminates that risk.
- Stock management. If you need inventory to update in real time when a sale is made, you need your EPOS and payments connected.
- Multi-tender splits. If customers sometimes pay part by card and part by cash, voucher, or gift card, an integrated system manages the split automatically.
- Detailed reporting. Integrated systems give you a single data source for sales, payments, and stock — making VAT returns and management reporting significantly easier.
Where it matters less:
- Low volume. A market stall taking 20 payments a week can manage with a standalone reader and a manual till. The cost and complexity of integration outweighs the benefit.
- Service businesses. A plumber or decorator invoicing clients remotely does not need a card machine at all — let alone an integrated EPOS.
Semi-Integration vs Full Integration: What Is the Difference?
Full integration means the EPOS software and payment processing run on the same hardware or are designed by the same vendor. Square and Clover are examples. The advantage is simplicity — one system, one support number, one price. The disadvantage is you cannot mix and match: you accept the vendor’s payment rates, and you are locked into their hardware ecosystem.
Semi-integration means the EPOS software sends a payment request to a separate terminal via an API. Dojo with Lightspeed or Epos Now is a typical example. The advantage is flexibility: you can choose your EPOS and your acquirer independently, potentially getting better rates by negotiating with the acquiring bank separately. The disadvantage is more complexity — two vendors, two support relationships, and more configuration to get right initially.
For most small businesses, full integration is simpler and cheaper overall. For businesses processing over £20,000 per month, the ability to negotiate payment rates separately via semi-integration can generate meaningful savings.
Integrated EPOS and Payments: Costs to Consider
EPOS software. Ranges from free (Square basic POS) to £200+ per month for enterprise Lightspeed plans. Most mid-tier plans covering stock management and reporting fall in the £49–£100 per month range.
Hardware. A basic setup (tablet, stand, receipt printer, card reader) from Square costs around £300–£500 purchased outright. A full Clover or Lightspeed countertop setup with customer display and cash drawer runs £700–£1,500. Dojo Go is rented at £20–£25 per month.
Payment processing. Flat-rate providers (Square, SumUp) are easiest to budget. Acquirer-based providers (Dojo, Paymentsense) offer negotiated rates that may be lower at volume but harder to predict.
Integration fees. Some EPOS vendors charge for third-party payment integrations as an add-on. Check whether your chosen EPOS includes the payment terminal integration you need in the standard plan or as a paid extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. Full integration (Square, Clover) requires the provider’s own hardware. Semi-integration requires a specific API connection between the EPOS and the terminal — not every EPOS works with every terminal. Check the integration documentation before purchasing. Epos Now, Lightspeed, and most major EPOS platforms publish lists of compatible payment terminals.
In many cases, yes — the upfront hardware and software costs are higher. But reconciliation time, keying errors, and the labour cost of manual stock management all have a real value. For businesses taking more than 50 transactions per day, the operational savings typically outweigh the extra cost within the first year. For lower-volume businesses, separate systems may be the better value choice.
It depends on what EPOS you have. Modern cloud-based EPOS systems (Lightspeed, Epos Now, Square) actively maintain integration partnerships with payment terminal providers. Older legacy EPOS systems may not support semi-integration at all, or may require a costly bespoke development. Contact your EPOS provider and your intended terminal provider to confirm compatibility before committing.
With full integration systems (Square, Clover), switching payment provider means switching EPOS too — the two are inseparable. With semi-integration, you can switch the payment terminal without changing your EPOS, provided the new terminal is compatible. Your EPOS data (products, stock, sales history) stays in the EPOS system regardless. Always export a data backup before switching any component of an integrated system.
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