What is Epos Now?

Epos Now sells point of sale products for retail and hospitality. On its UK website, it offers Countertop 2 bundles and describes reporting, inventory and integration features. It also states that it serves more than 80,000 locations globally. That is a provider-reported scale figure, not evidence that every small business will find it suitable.

Think of the POS as the record of what you sell and the payment terminal as the way you collect card payments. Integrating the two can reduce the need to type the same amount twice, but you still need to check how refunds, cancellations and daily reports behave.

A café owner may care most about getting an order to the right preparation station. A retailer may care about finding the last item in a particular size. Both need a reliable checkout, but they should not buy based on the same generic demonstration.

The advertised price needs its conditions alongside it

On 11 September 2026, Epos Now advertised a Countertop 2 bundle from £299. Its homepage footnote stated that the discounted Complete Solution requires a 12-month payments, care and support subscription starting at £54 per month. The optional customer-facing screen was listed at an additional £79 plus VAT. Confirm the VAT treatment of every quoted component and the separate transaction charges. Source: Epos Now UK offer and footnotes.

Using those displayed starting amounts, £299 + 12 × £54 = £947, before transaction fees, any applicable VAT and other extras. This is an illustration of the advertised components, not a personalised quote or a claim that every business can buy at that price.

It is a much more useful starting point than treating £299 as the cost of a year's trading. Ask what happens after the first 12 months, whether the subscription renews and how payments, support and equipment are contracted.

Retail: will it fix the problems at your counter?

Epos Now's retail product page describes inventory and business-management tools. Use those as topics to test, not a substitute for checking your own setup.

Bring five awkward products to the demonstration. Include something with sizes, something sold by weight if relevant, a multipack, a discounted item and an item you also sell online. Ask the representative to receive stock, sell it, return it and produce the reports you would use at closing time.

The return is particularly revealing. Can a member of staff find the original sale quickly? Can you control who approves a refund? Does returned stock become available in the right place? If the customer exchanges an item, can your records show what actually happened without a handwritten note?

For a small shop, these details can matter more than a sophisticated dashboard. Every workaround takes time and creates another chance for stock or cash figures to drift. Ask staff to try the tasks themselves before you agree to a full rollout.

Hospitality: build the demonstration around service

The hospitality product page presents tools for taking orders and managing service. Your test should begin with your actual menu, station layout and payment process.

For a café, try a takeaway order with an alternative milk, an extra shot and food sent to a separate preparation area. For a pub, try moving a table, adding another round and splitting the bill. Ask what happens if an item is unavailable after the order has been entered.

Do not stop when the sale goes through. Check how the order is cancelled, how the reason appears on the report and who has permission to do it. A simple mistake should not require the owner to leave the kitchen every time.

If you need kitchen screens, handheld ordering or printers at several stations, have each item listed in the quote. Also ask who configures the routing. Buying the equipment and making it fit your service are separate jobs.

Integrated payments: useful, but check the complete arrangement

Epos Now's payment-processing page describes payments connected to its POS. Ask for the exact terminal, the acquiring arrangement and the pricing schedule that will apply to your business. Check whether the bundle discount relies on taking that payment service.

A useful demonstration starts with the till sending the sale amount to the terminal. It ends with the correct payment status appearing in the POS, including what happens if the customer cancels or the connection drops. Staff should not be left guessing whether to charge someone again.

Ask how an integrated refund works and whether it can be linked to the original sale. Confirm where processing charges appear, when takings reach your bank and who handles a missing payout. Keep our merchant acquiring guide handy if the quote contains unfamiliar terms.

If you want to keep your existing payment provider, request written compatibility confirmation. It should name the POS version, terminal model and provider. Also establish whether that choice changes the software price, available functions or support responsibility.

What a small monthly difference means over a year

Here is a separate hypothetical comparison, not an Epos Now tariff. Imagine two complete quotes for a shop taking £15,000 a month in eligible card sales:

The calculation is equipment plus 12 months of fixed costs and processing. It excludes VAT, per-transaction charges, refunds and all other fees, and assumes identical card eligibility and features. Quote B costs £300 more initially but £120 less over the first year in this example.

That does not automatically make it better. If Quote A provides support you need or avoids a costly integration, the comparison changes. Use the table to force a like-for-like conversation rather than to pick a winner from invented numbers.

For seasonal businesses, repeat the calculation month by month. Fixed subscriptions continue during a quiet period unless your agreement says otherwise. An average can hide the months when the bill feels hardest to pay.

Setup: the work you should allow time for

Prepare your product or menu data before the equipment arrives. Agree names, prices, categories and staff permissions. If you are migrating stock, keep a backup of the original data and decide exactly when the opening count is taken.

Run a small sample import first. A mistake across ten products is quick to fix; the same mistake across several thousand can delay launch. Check tax settings with your bookkeeper rather than copying an example configuration without understanding it.

Existing gift vouchers, deposits, open orders and customer balances need separate attention. Ask how each will be carried into the new system and how staff will recognise an older purchase. A fresh till should not make it harder to honour something you have already sold.

Train at least two people on refunds, closing reports and basic troubleshooting. A system that only the owner can operate is a fragile arrangement, especially when the owner is away buying stock or covering another role.

Support, internet problems and replacement equipment

Ask which support plan your quote includes and whether someone will answer during your actual opening hours. A restaurant trading late needs a different arrangement from an office-based showroom. Establish how urgent faults are escalated and what happens if the payment terminal, printer or main till fails.

Request a clear explanation of offline operation for both the POS and payments. Recording an order without internet access does not necessarily mean the card payment has been authorised. Staff need a written procedure for interruptions and for checking incomplete transactions before retrying.

Place devices where staff can use and charge them without blocking the counter. Test Wi-Fi in the areas where orders or payments will happen. A signal beside the router tells you little about the far end of a dining room.

Keep contact details, equipment serial numbers and your merchant information somewhere staff can access if the POS itself is unavailable. That small preparation can make a support call much easier.

Alternatives worth comparing

3 A standalone payment setup if you do not need a new till

Sometimes the till is fine and the card arrangement is the problem. In that case, replacing everything may create unnecessary work. Compare card machines and check compatibility before committing to a wider system change. A provider such as myPOS belongs in a payment-service comparison, rather than being treated as the same product as a complete Epos Now installation.

Check the contract before paying a deposit

Put the order form, subscription terms and payment agreement together and make sure they describe the same purchase. Write down the minimum term, renewal process, cancellation notice and equipment-return arrangements. Check who owns each device and what happens if you close the business.

If a salesperson promises an integration, installation date or particular feature, ask for it to appear in the written proposal. An expectation discussed on a call is difficult to test later if nobody recorded it.

Also ask how to export your products and reports if you leave. You do not need to plan an immediate switch, but you should understand how your business records remain accessible after cancellation.

Frequently asked questions

Is the £299 offer the total cost?

No. It is an advertised starting bundle amount with subscription conditions. Your full cost also depends on payments, applicable VAT, accessories and any additional services. Get an itemised quote and calculate both the first year and the renewal year.

Is Epos Now suitable for one small café?

Potentially, if the workflow and complete cost fit. Test your menu, modifiers, receipts and closing routine. A small café with a simple counter service should compare a lighter POS too, rather than assume it needs every available feature.

Can I use my existing printer or card machine?

Ask for model-specific confirmation. A similar connector or familiar brand is not enough. Compatibility can depend on the software, device configuration and payment provider, and reusing hardware may affect support arrangements.

How quickly can I switch?

The equipment delivery date is only part of the timetable. Allow for data preparation, configuration, staff training and checking payments. Choose a quieter trading period and keep a fallback until the new setup has completed a sale, refund and reconciliation successfully.

Should you shortlist Epos Now?

Yes, if you want a complete POS proposal and can demonstrate a need for better order, stock or payment handling. Ask Epos Now and an alternative to price the same working setup, then compare the contract and the first-year total. Choose the arrangement that makes your day easier without creating a monthly commitment you cannot justify.