POS systems for pubs and bars – which are the best in the UK?

When you’re running a bar or pub, everything has to work. That means no interruptions to your point of sale (POS) system, smooth service and fast payments. In today’s coronavirus-world (not Corona, ahem…), it’s also important for many to link the point of sale with online ordering and remote payments.

Thankfully, there are quite a few bar POS software options specifically for hospitality businesses – pubs and bars included. However, many of them have a limited reputation and lack of pricing transparency so it’s a little hard to identify the best ones.

We’ve done the work for you and researched the options. Here are six of the best bar and pub EPOS systems in the UK.

Full review

Lightspeed Restaurant is a very adaptable bar till system. It has more features than most other iPad POS systems, and more settings to consider at the beginning such as employee permissions.

It’s relatively intuitive to use, but may need some guidance with some functions if you’re unfamiliar with advanced bar operations. The POS app is only compatible with iPad, but works offline.

Lightspeed Restaurant can connect with different online ordering options.

Bar features include tabs, split bills and a highly customisable product menu with modifiers. You get a good amount of analytics, but cannot set timed promotions like happy hour deals. The table order functions are comprehensive and the app interface easy on the eye, the dark theme blending in perfectly with a dimmed bar. For advanced inventory management, you do need to integrate the system with other software, though.

Customer support can be reached 24/7 by phone or email and you get a free one-on-one onboarding session at the start to get you started with the system. There’s no minimum contract, but choosing to pay monthly is the most expensive option, while annual plans cost less.

Lightspeed offers add-ons including online ordering through Uber Eats or Deliveroo, and ecommerce options (extra costs apply). You can also set up touch-free ordering through QR codes, making this a viable – and affordable – EPOS system for socially distanced times.

Lightspeed Restaurant works with the contract-free Zettle Reader and SumUp Air readers, but also with traditional card machines from Paymentsense with a long-term contract.

Payment integrations: Zettle Reader, Paymentsense, SumUp

Can you try before subscribing? The app has a limited demo account to test – otherwise, you can contact Lightspeed for information.

Full review

Photo: Epos Now

Epos Now equipment bundle with iPad.

Best for: User experience

Pricing: £49+/mo per till

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: Good range of features, not too expensive, offline functionality

Cons: No Android compatibility, customer loyalty extra cost, 1 year’s commitment

Full review

Photo: TouchBistro

TouchBistro works on iPad, which we recommend you get a tablet holder for.

Best for: Busy bars on a budget

Pricing: £0-£69+/mo

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: Built for speed, online ordering features, many payment tools, no contract

Cons: Could be more advanced, no offline mode, no Android support, limited to Square payment system

Full review

Square for Restaurants is a hospitality-focused POS system for iPad. Despite the name, the software is also ideal for bars and pubs with multiple tills or a kitchen. The system is user-friendly with plenty of customisation options, order management, product settings, payment methods and integration with ecommerce – without any contractual commitment.

Photo: Square

Square for Restaurants works well for busy bars requiring a full till setup with payments included.

With Square, there’s a choice between a free Restaurants subscription with some food-and-drink features, and Plus for £69 + VAT monthly with the full range of POS features for one location and unlimited tills. Since you only pay per location, this could be a cheap alternative for several checkouts compared to POS systems that charge per till. There is also a Premium plan, but this is mainly for getting a better deal on an ecommerce setup.

Square for Restaurants integrates with a free online ordering page through Square Online, a Deliverect integration (costs apply) for Uber Eats and Deliveroo, and other software to supplement your in-person service and manage your business. You can even print QR codes so customers can order on their phones from their table. This makes Square a good place to start, with a later view on expanding the business with more complicated systems.

Square restaurant features include table, order and employee management, service charge and tipping, communication with other tills and a kitchen printer, conversational modifiers, open bills, dark and light mode of software, fast order entry, shift reports, kitchen display system, and much more.

When setting up for the first time, you do spend some time customising settings of your till setup, but this pays off when using the till as the interface and settings will then be totally relevant to your processes. There is no offline mode, so you do rely on a good WiFi setup in your bar or pub.

On the Free plan, you only get customer support between 9am and 5pm on weekdays. The Plus plan gives you 24/7 access to support. Square generally gets good customer reviews for its software and payment system, but some users report problems with payments that Square flagged as suspicious.

Square for Restaurants integrates with Square’s own card readers. Square Reader and Terminal payments cost a standard transaction fee of 1.75%. You can benefit from next-day payouts, Instant Transfers (for a 1% extra fee per transaction), virtual terminal for over-the-phone payments, invoicing, payment links and more for no extra monthly fees.

Payment integration: Square

Can you try before subscribing? Yes, you can get a 30-day free trial of the Plus plan or just use the Free plan without monthly costs indefinitely.

Full review

Most people know iZettle – or “Zettle by PayPal”, as it’s called now – for the card readers, but the company’s Zettle Food and Drink EPOS is great for bars and pubs. The software is an iPad-only app for food and drink with back office analytics, staff management and inventory features. It comes with an additional app that can track sales from a phone. There’s no long-term commitment, i.e. you can cancel the subscription any time.

Photo: Mobile Transaction

Zettle Reader and Zettle POS at The Grapes pub, London.

Features include product variants, eat-in versus take-out VAT distinction, product variants, modifiers and user accounts with differing permissions. You can analyse wastage, popular products, and other sales details, generate X- and Z-reports, and connect with Xero or QuickBooks for in-depth accounting features.

There is no offline mode with Zettle, so you need a stable WiFi connection to ensure transactions can be processed at all times. The software integrates with Zettle Reader for in-person payments at a fixed 1.75% per transaction. Payment link transactions cost 2.5% each.

There are no seating plan features, ingredient tracking or the kind of complex features required in a full-service restaurant. This is a system for simpler pubs or bars requiring a fast, extremely user-friendly system built to reduce complexity. The software lacks the option to integrate with online ordering functions, but this is due to be added soon.

Customer support is included in the subscription, although it can take a while to get a response for non-urgent queries. You can reach customer service by email or phone every day, between 8am-8pm on weekdays or 9am-6pm on weekends.

Payment integration: Zettle Reader

Can you try before subscribing? It differs what kind of deal is on – get a tailored offer from Zettle.

Best for: Customer service and tailored EPOS

Pricing: From £5k per site incl. hardware, software, training, installation etc.

Compatibility: PC, iPad

Pros: Personalised approach, good customer service, choice of software modules

Cons: Expensive, no support between 12am-8am, not for tablets-only

You don’t see Zonal advertised everywhere, but most pub goers will have set their eyes on their colourful till display while they wait to pay for a drink. Zonal is a family-owned company that has existed for 40 years, and its branded Aztec EPOS was first launched in 2003. Both small and large UK hospitality businesses are using Aztec, including Wetherspoons, Be At One and Pizza Express.

Photo: Zonal

The Aztec software looks a bit retro, but it works smoothly.

Given the higher price tag, you can expect a premium customer service from Zonal. The company makes an effort to work with the merchant to find ways to increase revenue and decrease costs through the software modules offered. Phone support is available 7 days a week every day of the year between 8am-12am.

Payment integrations: Verifone, many merchant service providers

Can you try before subscribing? There’s no trial, but Zonal can provide a live demo at your premises.

Summary