Quick answer: To choose an EPOS system for a UK restaurant, check eight things: it keeps billing when the internet drops, sends orders straight to the kitchen, tracks stock down to recipe level, brings Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats orders into one screen, works with your card terminal, keeps VAT records that fit Making Tax Digital, gives you live reports on your phone, and comes on terms you can leave. Book demos with two or three providers and test each one against your busiest service.
Your EPOS (electronic point of sale) system is the till, the order pad, the kitchen ticket printer and the back office all in one. Get it right and a Friday night runs smoothly. Get it wrong and you are re-keying orders, chasing missing tickets and guessing at your stock. This guide walks through what matters most for UK restaurants, cafés and pubs in 2026, with a checklist you can take into any demo.
Key takeaways
- Card payments now dominate: UK Finance reports that cash made up only around 8% of UK payments in 2025, so your EPOS and card terminal must work together without double entry.
- Offline mode is not optional. If your broadband drops on a busy night, you should still be able to take orders and payments.
- VAT-registered businesses must keep digital records and file VAT returns through software that is compatible with Making Tax Digital.
- A kitchen display system (KDS) and recipe-level stock control usually save more money than any discount on the till itself.
- Avoid long lock-in contracts until the system has proved itself in your own venue.
1. Start with how you actually serve
A quick service counter, a 120-cover fine dining room and a village pub need different things. Before you look at any brochure, write down how an order moves through your venue: who takes it, where it is entered, how it reaches the kitchen or bar, and how the bill is settled. Then look for a system that matches that flow rather than forcing you into a new one.
- Table service: you need a table plan, seat numbers, course firing and easy split bills. See our guides for fine dining and casual dining.
- Counter and takeaway: speed matters most. Look for one-tap items, modifiers and fast card payment. See quick service restaurants.
- Bars and pubs: open tabs, happy-hour pricing and staff permissions. See bars, pubs and nightclubs.
2. The 12-point EPOS checklist
Use this table in every demo. Ask the provider to show each point live, on a real device, rather than on slides.
| # | What to check | Ask the provider |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Offline mode | “If I unplug the router now, can I still take orders and payments, and what happens when it reconnects?” |
| 2 | Kitchen routing | “Can drinks go to the bar and food to the right kitchen station automatically?” |
| 3 | Kitchen display (KDS) | “Can chefs see order timers and bump orders on a screen instead of paper?” |
| 4 | Delivery platforms | “Do Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats orders arrive in the same system, without extra tablets?” |
| 5 | Card payments | “Which card terminals and payment providers do you integrate with, and is the amount sent to the terminal automatically?” |
| 6 | Stock and recipes | “Can I set up recipes so each sale deducts the right ingredients?” |
| 7 | VAT and MTD | “How do sales and VAT data get to my accountant or MTD software?” |
| 8 | Live reporting | “Can I see today’s sales, labour and best sellers on my phone?” |
| 9 | Staff controls | “Can I limit voids, discounts and refunds by role, and see who did what?” |
| 10 | Multi-site | “If I open a second site, can I manage menus and prices centrally?” |
| 11 | Support | “Who answers at 9pm on a Saturday, and how?” |
| 12 | Contract and data | “What is the minimum term, and can I export my data if I leave?” |
3. Make sure it keeps working when the internet doesn’t
Many modern EPOS systems are cloud-based, which is great for live reports and remote access. The risk is a broadband outage in the middle of service. A good system stores orders and payments locally and syncs when the connection returns, so tickets still reach the kitchen and you can still close bills. Ask to see this in the demo, not just read about it.
4. Connect the till to the kitchen
Every order that is written down and then re-typed is a chance for a mistake. Your EPOS should send each item to the right place, such as the grill, the pass or the bar, the moment it is ordered. A kitchen display system goes a step further: chefs see orders on screen with timers, can bump them when ready, and you get data on how long each dish really takes.
5. Bring delivery orders into one place
If you sell through Deliveroo, Just Eat or Uber Eats, a separate tablet for each one quickly becomes a mess on the counter. Look for delivery platform integration that sends those orders straight into your EPOS and kitchen, and updates your menu and stock across every channel.
6. Payments: built for a card-first country
According to UK Finance, cards accounted for around 64% of UK payments in 2025 and contactless for around 39%, while cash had fallen to about 8%. That makes the link between your till and your card terminal one of the most important parts of the setup. The bill amount should go to the terminal automatically and the payment should come back to the till, with no manual keying.
Card security matters too. The PCI DSS v4 security standard’s newer requirements became mandatory after 31 March 2025, so ask your provider how their payment setup keeps card data out of your systems and supports your compliance.
7. Stock control that starts with the recipe
Counting cases of tomatoes tells you what you had. Recipe-level stock control tells you what you should have. When each menu item is linked to its ingredients, every sale deducts the right quantities, and the gap between expected and actual stock shows you waste, over-portioning or theft. This is usually where an EPOS pays for itself. See how WebStocks handles purchasing, goods received and recipe costing.
8. VAT and Making Tax Digital
Since April 2022, all VAT-registered businesses in the UK have had to keep digital records and submit VAT returns using software that is compatible with Making Tax Digital (MTD). The VAT registration threshold is currently £90,000 of taxable turnover. Your EPOS does not have to file the return itself, but it should produce clean, itemised sales and VAT data that flows into your accounting software without re-typing. Check the official list of MTD-compatible software on GOV.UK and ask your accountant which format they prefer.
9. Reports you will actually use
You should be able to see today’s sales, average spend, best and worst sellers and labour cost from your phone, without waiting for an end-of-day report. If you run more than one site, compare them side by side. A dashboard app turns the numbers your till already collects into decisions about menus, rotas and ordering.
10. Contracts, costs and support
Compare the total cost over two or three years, not just the monthly fee. Include hardware, card processing, extra devices, integrations and support. Read the minimum term and notice period carefully, and check that you can export your sales, menu and customer data if you leave. Finally, find out who you will speak to when something goes wrong at peak time.
How to run a good demo
- Send the provider your real menu, including modifiers and set menus, before the demo.
- Ask them to process your busiest order type end to end: order, kitchen ticket, split bill, card payment, refund.
- Unplug the internet and repeat the order.
- Ask for the end-of-day report and a VAT summary.
- Get the full price and contract terms in writing.
If you would like to see how Sanguine POS handles each point on this checklist, book a free demo or start a free trial.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between EPOS and POS?
POS means point of sale, the place where a customer pays. EPOS is electronic point of sale: software and hardware that record orders, take payments and track sales and stock. In the UK the two terms are usually used to mean the same thing.
Does a restaurant EPOS need to work offline?
Yes. Broadband can drop at any time, and a system that stops taking orders during service costs you money and goodwill. Choose one that stores orders and payments locally and syncs automatically when the connection returns.
Is my EPOS system responsible for Making Tax Digital?
Not usually on its own. MTD requires VAT-registered businesses to keep digital records and file VAT returns through compatible software. Your EPOS should provide accurate digital sales and VAT records that feed into that software without manual re-entry.
Should I get a kitchen display system or keep printers?
Printers are cheaper to start with and work well in small kitchens. A kitchen display system adds order timers, station routing and bump screens, which help busier kitchens keep track of every order and measure ticket times.
How long does it take to set up a new restaurant EPOS?
A simple single-site setup can be ready in a day once your menu is loaded. Larger venues with stock, recipes, delivery platforms and several sites usually need a planned rollout over a few weeks, including staff training.
Sources
- UK Finance, UK Payment Markets Report 2026: summary
- GOV.UK, Find software that’s compatible with Making Tax Digital for VAT
- GOV.UK, Register for VAT
- PCI Security Standards Council, Guidance on PCI DSS requirements effective after 31 March 2025