If you're running a hospitality business in the UK right now, you'll know that every penny counts. Between rising energy costs, ingredient prices that seem to climb weekly, and wage pressures, finding ways to trim your overheads isn't just smart, it's essential for survival.
Your EPOS system (or point of sale system, if you prefer) is one area where you've got some control. Choose the wrong one, and you could be haemorrhaging money on monthly fees, transaction charges, and hidden costs. Pick the right one, and you'll save thousands over the year whilst actually improving how your business runs.
So let's cut through the marketing fluff and look at the real costs of three popular systems: EPOS Now, SumUp, and Toast. We'll show you which one genuinely saves UK hospitality businesses the most money in 2026.
The Quick Pricing Breakdown
Before we dive deep, here's what you're looking at in terms of basic monthly costs:
| System | Starting Price | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| EPOS Now | £25/month | Pubs, bakeries, pizza shops, independent restaurants |
| SumUp | £49/month | Small cafés, quick-service spots, food trucks |
| Toast | £80/month | Full-service restaurants with complex needs |
At first glance, EPOS Now looks like the clear winner, right? It's less than half the price of Toast. But as with most things in hospitality, the headline figure doesn't tell the whole story. Let's dig into what you're actually getting, and what you're not.
EPOS Now: The Budget-Friendly Workhorse
EPOS Now has built a solid reputation in the UK hospitality scene, and it's easy to see why. At £25/month, it's the cheapest option on our list, which is brilliant news if you're watching every expense.
What makes it worth considering:
The system is genuinely flexible. You can use it for table service, bar tabs, takeaways, or a combination of all three. It's got cloud-based reporting, so you can check your sales figures from your phone whilst you're at home or on holiday (not that hospitality owners ever take those, we know).
Inventory management is included, which means you can track stock levels, set reorder points, and get alerts when your Pinot Grigio is running low. For pubs and restaurants, this feature alone can save you money by preventing over-ordering and reducing waste.
The UK presence is a big plus too. Support is based in Britain, so you're not dealing with time zone issues when something goes wrong at 7pm on a Saturday night.
The downsides:
Payment processing fees aren't included in that £25 price tag. You'll need to factor in transaction charges on top, which can vary depending on the payment provider you choose. This is where things get interesting cost-wise, and we'll come back to this shortly.
Some users report that customer support can be hit-and-miss. The Trustpilot score sits at 4.5 out of 5, which is decent but not perfect. You might occasionally wait longer than you'd like for help.
[Want to see the full feature breakdown? Check out our complete EPOS Now till system review for all the details.]
SumUp: The Startup Favourite
SumUp has made waves in the UK market by targeting smaller operators and solo traders. At £49/month, it's mid-range on price but offers a really straightforward setup.
Why small businesses love it:
The learning curve is practically flat. You can get up and running in an afternoon, which is perfect if you're opening your first café or operating a food stall. The interface is clean and uncomplicated, your staff will pick it up in minutes.
Hardware costs are generally lower than competitors. SumUp's card readers and tablets are reasonably priced, so your initial outlay isn't eye-watering.
Where it falls short:
Here's the problem: SumUp doesn't scale brilliantly. If you're planning to open a second location or expand your operation significantly, you might outgrow it quickly. That means switching systems down the line, which is both expensive and disruptive.
The feature set is more limited too. You'll get the basics sorted, but if you need sophisticated inventory management, detailed costing reports, or complex menu engineering, you might feel constrained.
For a full breakdown of what SumUp offers, take a look at our SumUp POS system review.
Toast: The Full-Service Option
Toast is the heavyweight here, and the £80/month price tag reflects that. It's built specifically for restaurants and comes loaded with 103 features designed to handle every aspect of running a food business.
What you're paying for:
Everything and the kitchen sink, basically. Online ordering integration, detailed kitchen display systems, advanced reporting, labour management tools, menu engineering capabilities, it's all there. If you run a busy restaurant with multiple sections and complex operations, Toast can handle it.
The system is particularly strong on back-of-house functionality. You can manage recipes, calculate food costs down to the ingredient level, and track margins in real-time. For restaurants with tight margins (which is most of them), this level of detail can genuinely improve profitability.
The catch:
Beyond that £80 monthly fee, you're looking at transaction fees on payments, potential charges for additional features, and a steeper learning curve for staff. It's a lot of system, which is brilliant if you need it all but overkill if you don't.
Customer support experiences seem mixed, with some praising the help they've received and others frustrated by response times. At this price point, you'd expect consistently excellent support.
Our Toast EPOS for restaurants review goes into more detail if you're considering this option.
The Hidden Costs That Matter More
Here's where we need to talk about the elephant in the room: payment processing fees. Your monthly subscription is one thing, but the charges you pay every time a customer taps their card often dwarf it.
The reality of transaction fees:
If you're processing £50,000 a month in card payments (which isn't unusual for even a modest café), a 1.5% transaction fee costs you £750 monthly. A 1.75% rate costs £875. Over a year, that's a £1,500 difference, far more than the gap between EPOS Now's and Toast's subscription fees.
Some systems bundle payment processing with better rates. Others let you choose your own payment provider. The cheapest monthly fee means nothing if you're locked into expensive transaction charges.
Integration and add-on costs:
Need online ordering? Delivery platform integration? Accounting software connection? Advanced reporting? These features might cost extra depending on which system you choose. A £25/month system that requires £30/month in add-ons isn't actually cheaper than a £49/month all-inclusive option.
Hardware expenses:
Don't forget the upfront costs. Tablets, card readers, receipt printers, kitchen display screens, these add up quickly. Some providers offer deals on hardware packages, whilst others let you use your existing equipment.
So Which Actually Saves You the Most Money?
Right, let's get practical. The answer genuinely depends on your specific situation.
Choose EPOS Now if:
- You're running an independent pub, café, or restaurant with straightforward needs
- You want solid functionality without paying for features you won't use
- You're comfortable shopping around for payment processing to get the best rates
- You value UK-based support and a system that can grow with you
The EPOS Now till system offers the best balance of cost and capability for most UK hospitality businesses. At £25/month, you're getting a proper restaurant POS system without the premium price tag.
Choose SumUp if:
- You're just starting out with a small operation
- Simplicity matters more than advanced features
- You're a sole trader or running a food truck, market stall, or pop-up
- You don't plan to expand to multiple locations
Choose Toast if:
- You run a full-service restaurant with complex operations
- You need every possible feature and integration
- Your business is already established with healthy margins
- The extra £55/month over EPOS Now is easily absorbed by your turnover
The Smart Money Move for 2026
For most UK hospitality businesses watching their costs in 2026, EPOS Now represents the sweet spot. You're getting a capable, flexible restaurant pos system at the lowest monthly price, leaving you free to negotiate competitive payment processing rates separately.
That said, don't just take our word for it. It's definitely worth getting demos of each system to see how they'd work in your specific operation. What saves money for a busy city restaurant might not suit a village pub, and vice versa.
The best POS system isn't necessarily the cheapest or the most feature-packed: it's the one that fits your business model whilst keeping costs under control. In 2026's challenging hospitality environment, that balance matters more than ever.
Looking to make the switch or finally invest in a proper EPOS system? Start by checking out our detailed EPOS Now review to see if it's the right fit for your business. Your bottom line will thank you.