Running a pub or bar in 2026 means you're dealing with fast-moving orders, tab management, late-night service, and customers who expect quick payments. Your POS system needs to keep up with the pace whilst handling everything from pint orders to complex cocktail tabs.
We've tested the three most popular systems for UK pubs and bars: Toast, EPOS Now, and SumUp. Each has its strengths, but they're designed for different types of venues. Let's break down which one's actually worth your money.
Quick Comparison: Toast vs EPOS Now vs SumUp
Here's how they stack up at a glance:
| Feature | Toast | EPOS Now | SumUp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | £0/month (basic) | £25/month | £0/month |
| Best For | High-volume bars, multiple locations | Traditional pubs, full-service venues | Small bars, pop-ups, mobile service |
| Hardware Cost | £999+ (proprietary) | £499+ (proprietary) | From £29 (card reader) |
| Tab Management | Excellent | Excellent | Basic |
| Offline Mode | Yes | Yes | Limited |
| Contract Length | 12-36 months | 12 months typical | None |
| Payment Processing | Locked in | Choice of provider | SumUp only |
Toast POS: The American Heavy-Hitter
Toast landed in the UK with a reputation built on serving high-volume American bars and restaurants. It's a comprehensive system that's genuinely impressive if you're running multiple venues or planning to scale.
What We Like:
Toast excels at handling the chaos of busy bar service. The Android-based terminals are quick and responsive, which matters when you've got a queue three-deep at the bar. The tab management is brilliant: you can open tabs with a card swipe, split bills easily, and transfer items between tabs without hassle.
The kitchen display system (KDS) integration is particularly useful if you're serving food alongside drinks. Orders flow seamlessly from the bar to the kitchen, reducing mistakes during rush periods. We also love how Toast handles stock management for bars: you can track kegs, bottles, and spirits down to the measure.
The Downsides:
Toast requires proprietary hardware, which means you're looking at around £999+ per terminal. That's a significant upfront investment. The monthly costs can also creep up quickly once you start adding features like online ordering, payroll, or advanced reporting.
There's also the contract length to consider. Toast typically ties you in for 12-36 months, and early termination fees apply. You're committing long-term, which isn't ideal if you're unsure about your requirements.
Pricing Reality:
Whilst Toast advertises a £0/month starter plan, most pubs will need the paid tiers starting at £69/month per terminal. Add in payment processing (which you can't opt out of), and you're realistically looking at £100-150/month for a single-terminal setup.
Best For: Bars with multiple locations, high transaction volumes, or ambitious growth plans. If you're doing 300+ transactions daily, Toast makes sense.
EPOS Now: The UK Hospitality Specialist
EPOS Now has been serving UK pubs and bars for over a decade, and it shows. The system is designed around how British venues actually operate: from handling complex rounds to managing age verification requirements.
What Works Well:
The interface feels intuitive for bar staff, which means less training time when you're onboarding new team members. You can set up your entire drinks menu with modifiers (ice, no ice, specific spirits, etc.) in about an hour. The tab management is robust, allowing you to keep multiple tabs open and easily add items throughout the evening.
EPOS Now integrates with most major payment providers, so you're not locked into their processing. This flexibility can save you thousands annually in transaction fees. The reporting is detailed enough to spot trends: you'll know exactly which cocktails sell on Friday nights versus Sunday afternoons.
Stock control is genuinely useful for pubs. You can set par levels for kegs and popular spirits, getting alerts when you're running low. This helps prevent the nightmare of running out of Guinness on match day.
The Limitations:
EPOS Now requires their proprietary hardware, though it's more affordable than Toast at around £499+ for a terminal. The system can feel slightly dated compared to newer cloud-first competitors, though it's been improving with recent updates.
Customer support quality varies: you'll get decent help during business hours, but late-night assistance can be hit or miss. For a pub closing at 2am, that's worth considering.
Pricing Breakdown:
Plans start at £25/month, with most pubs paying £35-45/month for the features they actually need. Hardware is an additional upfront cost, but you own it outright. There's typically a 12-month contract, though month-to-month options exist.
If you'd like to see exactly how EPOS Now handles real pub scenarios, check out our detailed EPOS Now till system review with screenshots and pricing breakdowns.
Best For: Traditional pubs, venues serving food and drinks, anywhere needing reliable UK-focused support and established integrations.
SumUp: The Budget-Friendly Contender
SumUp has grown from a simple card reader into a legitimate POS system for small bars and pubs. It won't replace a full hospitality system, but for certain venues, it's surprisingly capable.
What's Impressive:
The price is unbeatable. You can start with just a card reader at £29 and add the POS software for free. There are no monthly fees, no contracts, and transaction fees are transparent at 1.69% for card payments. For a small bar doing modest volumes, the cost savings are significant.
The system is genuinely portable. If you're running a bar with outdoor service, festival pop-ups, or multiple service points, you can use tablets or phones with SumUp. It's flexible in ways the bigger systems aren't.
Setup is remarkably quick: you can be taking payments within an hour of unboxing. The interface is clean and simple, which works brilliantly for straightforward operations.
The Reality Check:
SumUp's tab management is basic. You can open tabs, but the functionality is limited compared to Toast or EPOS Now. If you're running a busy pub where customers run complex tabs all evening, you'll find it restrictive.
Stock management is minimal. You can track inventory at a basic level, but there's no automatic deduction or sophisticated par level alerts. Reporting is adequate but not detailed: you'll get sales figures, but not the deep analytics the other systems provide.
The offline mode is limited, which is concerning for any venue. If your internet drops, you can still take chip and PIN payments, but you lose most POS functionality.
Pricing Truth:
Whilst there's no monthly fee, the 1.69% transaction rate adds up. On £10,000 monthly card sales, you're paying £169 in fees. With EPOS Now or Toast, you might negotiate better processing rates, potentially saving money at higher volumes.
Best For: Small bars, mobile bar services, pop-up venues, or anywhere that prioritizes flexibility and low upfront costs over advanced features.
Feature Deep-Dive: What Actually Matters for Pubs
Tab Management:
Toast and EPOS Now are leagues ahead of SumUp here. Both handle complex tab scenarios effortlessly: splitting bills, transferring items, keeping multiple tabs open per table. SumUp works for basic tabs but struggles with the complexity of a busy Friday night.
Age Verification:
EPOS Now has Challenge 25 prompts built into the UK version, which helps with legal compliance. Toast has added this feature but it's less prominent. SumUp requires manual verification: there's no system prompt.
Integration with Cellar Management:
If you're serious about tracking keg yields and wastage, EPOS Now integrates with systems like Optimum. Toast offers similar capabilities through third-party apps. SumUp doesn't really play in this space.
Staff Management:
Toast's built-in scheduling and payroll is excellent if you're managing 10+ staff members. EPOS Now requires third-party integrations (like Deputy or Rota). SumUp offers basic staff accounts but limited scheduling features.
Loyalty Schemes:
Toast's marketing suite is comprehensive, allowing you to build customer loyalty programmes and send targeted promotions. EPOS Now offers loyalty through their AppStore. SumUp's loyalty features are basic at best.
Which System Should You Actually Choose?
Choose Toast if: You're running multiple locations, processing 300+ daily transactions, and need enterprise-level features. The investment makes sense when you're operating at scale.
Choose EPOS Now if: You're running a traditional UK pub or bar that serves food, needs reliable tab management, and wants the flexibility to choose your payment processor. It's the sweet spot for most medium-sized venues. We'd definitely recommend reading our full EPOS Now review before making a decision: there are specific packages for pubs that aren't obvious on their website.
Choose SumUp if: You're operating a small bar, just starting out, or running a mobile/pop-up service where flexibility trumps features. It's ideal for testing a concept without major financial commitment.
The Honest Recommendation
For most UK pubs and bars reading this in 2026, EPOS Now offers the best balance of features, cost, and UK-specific functionality. It's designed around how British venues operate, and the ability to shop around for payment processing saves money long-term.
Toast is brilliant if you've got the budget and ambitions to match: but it's probably overkill for a single-site operation. SumUp is fantastic for getting started cheaply, but you'll likely outgrow it within 12-18 months if your venue succeeds.
The best approach? Get demos from all three. Most providers offer free trials or money-back periods. Test them during an actual service shift and see which system your staff prefer. The POS system they'll actually use effectively is worth more than the one with the most features on paper.
Your venue's unique, and what works for a cocktail bar in Manchester won't necessarily suit a traditional pub in Cornwall. Take the time to assess your actual needs: transaction volume, tab complexity, food service requirements: before committing to any system.
For more detailed comparisons of POS systems across different business types, check out our complete guide to the best POS systems for UK businesses.