You're running a busy takeaway, juggling orders from Deliveroo, Just Eat, walk-ins, and phone orders, all whilst trying to keep track of inventory and actually make a profit. The last thing you need is a pos system that slows you down or costs a fortune in hidden fees.
We've spent the last few months testing Toast POS, Epos Now, and SumUp in real-world takeaway environments across the UK. Here's what actually matters when you're choosing between them in 2026.
The Quick Answer (If You're in a Rush)
For most UK takeaways, SumUp offers the best balance of simplicity, cost, and takeaway-specific features. It's purpose-built for quick service operations and works brilliantly offline when your internet decides to have a meltdown during Friday dinner rush.
That said, if you're planning serious growth or need advanced inventory management, Epos Now might be worth the learning curve. Toast? It's excellent for full-service restaurants but feels like overkill (and overpayment) for most UK takeaways.
Let's break down exactly why.
The Real Costs (Because Nobody Lists These Clearly)
Here's where things get interesting. The advertised price is never the full story.
SumUp charges £49/month for their hospitality plan. It's straightforward, what you see is what you pay. Transaction fees run around 1.39% for card payments, which is competitive. You can use your own tablets and phones, so you're not locked into buying expensive proprietary hardware. The biggest win? You can shop around for payment processors if you find better rates elsewhere.
Epos Now starts at £25/month, making it the cheapest upfront option. However, you'll likely need to pay extra for add-ons like advanced reporting or integration with delivery platforms. Their payment processing rates are flexible since you can use third-party processors, but setup can get complicated. Hardware costs vary wildly depending on what you need, budget anywhere from £500 to £2,000+ for a complete setup.
Toast POS doesn't advertise UK pricing clearly, which is your first red flag. It's a US-focused system, and when you dig into the details, you're forced to use Toast's own payment processor with no flexibility. This means you can't negotiate better rates elsewhere, and you're stuck with whatever fees Toast decides to charge. For a high-volume takeaway processing thousands in card payments weekly, those locked-in rates can cost you significantly over time.
We'd recommend getting specific quotes for your projected transaction volume. A system that's £25/month but charges 2.5% on transactions will cost more than one at £49/month with 1.39% fees once you're doing decent numbers.
Ease of Use (When You're Slammed at 7 PM)
This is where the rubber meets the road. Your Saturday evening rush isn't the time to be fumbling through confusing menus.
SumUp is refreshingly simple. Staff pick it up quickly, we had new team members taking orders confidently within about 30 minutes of training. The interface is clean, logical, and designed for speed. Adding modifiers (extra chilli sauce, no onions) takes seconds. The order management is straightforward, which matters when you've got ten orders firing at once.
Epos Now has a steeper learning curve, and we're not going to sugarcoat it, the interface can feel clunky. Tasks that should be simple, like splitting orders or applying discounts, require more clicks than they should. One tester described it as "like it was designed by someone who's never actually worked a till during rush hour." That said, once your team gets past the initial learning phase (budget a few days), it becomes manageable. It's powerful once you know where everything is, but that initial friction is real.
Toast POS has an intuitive interface, and staff familiar with modern apps will adapt quickly. The kitchen display system (KDS) is genuinely excellent for coordination between front-of-house and kitchen. However, it's Android-only, so if your team prefers iPads or you've already invested in Apple hardware, you're out of luck. For a simple takeaway operation, Toast's restaurant-focused features (table management, course timing) feel like unnecessary complexity.
Features That Actually Matter for Takeaways
Let's talk about what you really need day-to-day.
Offline Mode: This is crucial. When your broadband drops (and it will), you need to keep taking orders. SumUp's offline mode is robust, it stores transactions locally and syncs when you're back online. Toast and Epos Now both claim offline capability, but it's not as seamless in practice. We've heard stories of lost orders and sync headaches with both.
Delivery Integration: All three integrate with major UK delivery platforms (Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats), but the quality varies. SumUp's integrations are solid for basic operations. Epos Now offers deeper integration with more control over menu management across platforms, which is brilliant if you're doing significant delivery volume. Toast's delivery integrations work but were designed for the US market first, so expect occasional quirks.
Inventory Management: If you're running a simple takeaway with 20-30 menu items, SumUp's basic inventory tracking is fine. For complex operations with multiple suppliers, ingredient-level tracking, and waste management, Epos Now genuinely shines, it's built for this. Toast sits somewhere in between but feels over-engineered for most takeaway needs.
Reporting: SumUp gives you the essentials, sales, popular items, peak times. Epos Now provides detailed analytics that border on overwhelming (but are excellent if you love data). Toast's reporting is comprehensive but, again, feels restaurant-focused rather than takeaway-specific.
The Payment Processing Lock-In Problem
This deserves its own section because it's often overlooked until it's too late.
Toast forces you to use their payment processor. Full stop. You can't shop around, can't negotiate better rates with your bank, can't switch to a cheaper provider if one emerges. For a restaurant pos system handling £10,000+ weekly, those locked-in rates can cost you thousands annually compared to competitive options.
SumUp and Epos Now both allow third-party payment processors. This flexibility means you can negotiate better rates as your volume grows, switch providers if service is poor, or use different processors for different transaction types. It's a small detail that makes a massive difference over time.
Real Scenarios: Which System Fits Your Takeaway?
You're a small independent takeaway (one location, 2-4 staff, straightforward menu): Go with SumUp. It's affordable, reliable, and you won't be paying for features you don't use. The offline mode alone is worth it.
You're growing fast (planning second location, complex inventory, 50+ menu items): Check out Epos Now. Yes, the learning curve is annoying, but the inventory management and multi-location features will serve you well. The lower starting price helps too.
You're primarily delivery-focused with minimal walk-in trade: SumUp or Epos Now work well. Avoid Toast unless you're specifically running a full-service restaurant that happens to do takeaway on the side.
You're a chain takeaway with multiple locations and serious tech requirements: Honestly, you need a proper consultation beyond this blog post. Toast's 2026 multi-unit features might work, but you'd want custom pricing and implementation support.
What About Customer Support?
This matters more than you'd think when your till crashes at 6:30 PM on Friday.
SumUp's UK support is generally responsive, with decent phone and email support during business hours. Epos Now offers 24/7 support, which is genuinely useful for hospitality (because problems don't stick to 9-5). Toast's support is US-timezone-focused, and whilst they have UK coverage, you might experience delays during peak UK hours.
The Verdict for UK Takeaways in 2026
If we're putting money down, SumUp wins for 8 out of 10 UK takeaways. It's the best pos system for operators who want reliability, simplicity, and value without unnecessary complexity. The £49/month price includes what you actually need, the offline mode is brilliant, and payment flexibility means you're not trapped.
Epos Now makes sense if you're scaling up or need serious inventory control. The till system is powerful once you master it, and at £25/month starting price, it's tempting if budget is tight. Just factor in time for proper staff training.
Toast POS? Skip it for most UK takeaways. It's built for American full-service restaurants, the payment processor lock-in is a problem, and you're paying for features you won't use. If you're already planning a full-service restaurant with table service and complex operations, maybe: but for quick-service takeaways, it's overkill.
The best move? Get demos of your top two choices and test them during actual service. What looks good on paper might feel clunky in practice, and vice versa. Most providers offer trial periods: use them to make sure the system fits how your team actually works.
Your POS system should make service faster and life easier. If it's doing anything else, you've chosen wrong.