WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
An EPOS machine replaces the old cash register with a touch screen till that records every sale and talks to your card machine. Here is what the main UK options cost, read 26 October 2026.
Published rates from every major UK card machine provider, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own takings.
The short answer
An EPOS machine, short for electronic point of sale, is a touch screen till that records sales, tracks stock and links to a card machine. Square Register costs £699 + VAT or £59 + VAT a month for 12 months, Square Stand £99 + VAT, Clover Station Duo £30 + VAT a month and Flatpay POS Pro £1,495 for onboarding and installation, read 26 October 2026.
Published prices read 26 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | In-person card rate | Monthly fee | Card machine | Contract | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Source | 1.75% UK cards; +1.5% non-UK cards | £0, or Plus £29+ | Reader £19; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None, cancel anytime | Next day free; instant for 1.95% |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| Clover Source | Quote only | Rental only | Flex Pocket £15, Mini £20, Station Duo £30 a month + VAT | Not published | Next business day |
| SumUp Source | 1.69% pay as you go, or 0.99% on Payments Plus (domestic cards) | £0, or £19 on Payments Plus | Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 (ex VAT), bought outright | None, cancel anytime | Next day, 7am, weekends included |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
| Barclaycard Source | Quote only (example 0.7% + 3p, representative) | £16 to £29 + VAT service fee | Smartpay Anywhere £29 + VAT | 12 to 18 months, or none for Anywhere | Next day |
| Teya Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | No lock-ins stated | Next day, weekends included |
| Revolut Source | From 0.8% + 2p (UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) | £0 for the reader | Reader £49; Terminal £169 + VAT | None | Within 24 hours |
VAT is excluded where the provider states it. Rates are for in-person UK consumer cards unless stated. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We compare the whole market, including the providers that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your takings and the right machine. You keep a named account manager who looks after you after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
A cash register records sales and holds cash. It does not track stock or connect to anything else. An EPOS machine does the same job on a screen, but it also keeps a stock count, shows sales reports, manages staff logins and can send orders to a kitchen. A card machine takes the card payment.
These can be separate devices or one. In a standalone set-up, staff type the amount into the till and again into the card machine. In an integrated set-up, the till sends the amount to the card machine for the customer to pay, so there is no retyping and fewer mistakes. Integrated EPOS terminals, sometimes called integrated EFTPOS terminals, the Australian term for card machines, are now normal in busy shops and restaurants.
You can also run EPOS software on an iPad or a smart card machine. Square's point of sale app starts at £0 a month, and SumUp's free app includes basic point of sale features. Revolut offers a point of sale app for iPad, with its ePOS fee listed as none.
Prices exclude VAT where the provider says so. Clover's card rates are quote only.
A shop takes £15,000 a month by card, £180,000 a year, at an average of £25. Year-one cost of card fees plus the till, at published prices read 26 October 2026, before VAT on hardware.
These are close, so the choice usually comes down to the till software and how it suits your stock and staff. At this size, the published rate is also not the final word. SumUp offers bespoke fees from £10,000 a month, Square says custom rates may be available above £200,000 a year, and Dojo and Clover quote. A quote at this level can save more than the difference between the tills.
Many businesses like their till but pay too much for card payments. You do not always have to replace both. Teya states it has more than 200 ePOS integrations, meaning its card machines can link to many existing tills. Other providers link to fewer, or only to their own software.
Before you switch, ask the new provider three questions. Does its card machine integrate with your exact till software and version? Who sets up the link, and is there a charge? What happens to your sales reports and end-of-day totals? If the answer is unclear, you can still run the card machine standalone, typing amounts in twice, while you decide.
Going the other way, an all-in-one system such as Square, Clover or Flatpay's POS packages puts the till and card payments with one company. That is simpler to support, but it ties your till to that provider's card rates, so moving later means changing both.
Used tills and cash registers are widely sold online, and a second-hand screen or cash drawer can save money. Card machines are different. A card machine is usually linked to one provider's account and security keys, so a second-hand machine may not work with a new account, and rented machines, such as Clover's, belong to the provider.
If you buy used, check four things. Will the till software still be updated and supported? Can it link to the card machine you want to use? Is any software licence transferable to you? And does the hardware, such as a receipt printer, barcode scanner or weighing scale, work with your chosen software? A scale linked to the till matters for delis, greengrocers and farm shops that sell by weight.
For most small businesses, new software on a tablet with a stand, plus a new card machine on the best rate available, costs less over three years than a used all-in-one till.
A till lasts years, but the card rate behind it is what you pay every day. We compare the whole UK market, including Dojo, SumUp, Teya, Flatpay, Paymentsense, Square, Worldpay and others, check which card machines work with your EPOS, and negotiate the rate with the provider for you. Where a provider only quotes, we request the quote for you. If your till does not link to the cheapest card machine, we tell you what the link would cost and whether it is worth it.
We handle the switch and the link to your till, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after setup. If you replace your till later, we check the card machine still fits. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
EPOS stands for electronic point of sale. An EPOS machine is a touch screen till that records each sale, tracks stock, shows reports and links to a card machine. Square Register, Clover Station Duo and Flatpay's POS Pro are examples sold or rented in the UK.
Square Register costs £699 + VAT, Square Stand £99 + VAT for an iPad till, Clover Station Duo rents at £30 + VAT a month and Flatpay POS Pro costs £1,495 for onboarding and installation, read 26 October 2026. Software can be free or a monthly fee.
A cash register records sales and holds cash. An EPOS till also tracks stock, manages staff, reports sales and can link to your card machine, so the amount goes straight to the customer's card without retyping.
Often, yes. Teya states it has more than 200 ePOS integrations. Ask any new provider whether its card machine links with your exact till software, who sets it up and at what cost. If not, you can run the card machine standalone.
A used screen, cash drawer or printer can save money, but check the software is still supported and links to your card machine. Second-hand card machines are usually tied to a provider's account, and rented machines such as Clover's belong to the provider.
Many EPOS systems link to a weighing scale, so goods sold by weight are priced automatically. Check that your chosen software supports your scale model before you buy either, and ask whether the scale needs a separate licence.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.