5 Best Pub & Bar EPOS Systems

We tested several hospitality EPOS providers to find the best for pubs and bars and landed on Square as our top pick. It’s got a free software plan as well as a paid plan that costs just £69 per month, which is quite a bargain for the industry. Plus, Square card readers start from just £19 per device.

Despite its low price point, Square still has the tools your business needs to speed up service on busy nights, such as QR code ordering, and prescheduled discounts for happy hours. No system is perfect though. Square is missing useful tools like ingredient usage tracking, and cost vs profit management analysis, which are essential for large establishments.

Runners-up Clover and Lightspeed make up for what Square lacks and might be a better option for some established restaurants working across lots of different locations. Read on for a full of the six best EPOS systems for pubs and bars.

1. Square for Restaurants: Best Overall System for Pubs and Bars

Square for restaurants is the best overall EPOS system for pubs and bars. It offers compact and reasonably priced portable hardware, an integrated KDS and a dark mode, the latter of which is perfect for low-light settings.

Why we recommend Square

Square offers some of the best free EPOS software out there, which is a great option for small pubs and bars looking to save money. While it doesn’t have quite the same level of functionality as Square’s paid software, you can still do quite a lot, like apply service charges to orders, set customised and prescheduled discounts, and integrate with Square’s KDS (although this will cost you £15 per month).

If you already own an iPad, you don’t need to invest in much hardware, and can just get the Square Reader for £19. We do, however, recommend that pubs and bars purchase the £99 iPad stand (2nd gen) with a built-in card reader and a swivel stand to allow customer-facing transactions or Square’s £149 handheld EPOS devices and card machines. These lightweight options give you the most flexibility to take orders on the go.

The free plan also allows you to create an online ordering website, and give customers the possibility to order drinks and food from the table via a QR code.

For businesses that have the budget, upgrading to Square’s £69 per month Plus plan is well worth it. It gives you access to all of Square’s EPOS features, including the ability to reopen closed bills (a must on busy nights), and gives you access to a full suite of reporting features. You’ll be able to view reports by shifts, time of day, section (tables vs bar for example), and even track sales.

Square also has an array of add-on products that you can access regardless of whether you’re on the free or paid version of the EPOS software. The one we recommend most to pubs and bars is Square Shifts. It’s free for up to five employees, and beyond that costs just £3 per month, per employee. With this, you can schedule and track shifts breaks, and overtime, access labour costs reports, and even automate tip pooling.

Where Square falls short

While Square is a great system overall, it does have a few shortcomings. For one, you can’t fully customise your floor plan on the free plan, and this has to be done from the back end. So, if staff frequently move tables around for guests, you might be better off with Epos Now, which allows for full customisation from both the front and back end.

And, although Square has some great reporting tools, it’s missing concrete cost and profit management and ingredient tracking features. For those, you’ll have to look to Lightspeed Restaurant or Clover.

2. Clover: Best for Professional and Sleek Hardware

Clover has some of the best hardware on the market, from full countertop systems with a fingerprint login system to portable devices with built-in receipt printers. All its devices have a sleek modern appearance that can elevate the look of your establishment.

Why we recommend Clover

Clover offers tailored EPOS solutions for a variety of hospitality businesses, including pubs and bars.

You can take orders from the bar, table, in the crowd, or even outside, with its Clover Flex device, a portable card machine that syncs with the main EPOS system, and from which you can access Clover’s full EPOS dashboard. Clover’s main countertop solution, the Clover Station Pro comes with a fingerprint login, enabling easy access to staff during busy times, and speeding up order taking.

Your ability to take orders from anywhere is enhanced by the fact that Clover works offline, so even orders logged in the furthest corner of your pub’s garden will get logged. Opening a bar tab is also made easier with the ability to pre-authorize credit cards.

With a Clover EPOS system, you can also create custom floor plans, manage staff, streamline payments, and customise orders. You can track sales in real time and run reports on the Clover dashboard or via its app with a tablet or smartphone.

Clover’s EPOS system is designed to be built to fit your unique needs, so it has a large app store that includes not just third-party integrations, but Clover’s own products too, many of which are available for free. Ones we particularly recommend to pubs and bars are Clover Happy Hour, which lets you schedule discounts on drinks for certain hours and days, and Clover Shifts, which lets you manage staff hours and cash tips. Both apps are available for free.

Where Clover falls short

Clover’s software only runs on Clover hardware, which means the initial cost can be fairly expensive. While Clover doesn’t advertise its prices in the UK, it does in other regions, and based off those prices, we can tell you that its hardware comes at a premium price. The fact that Clover’s pricing is opaque might also put off some business owners. So, if you’re looking for affordable hardware and crystal-clear pricing, we’d recommend Square.

Clover also doesn’t offer automated tip management, even with its Shift add-on app, so if that’s a necessity for your staff, we’d again recommend choosing Square, and getting Square’s Shift add-on, which is more comprehensive than Clover’s.

3. Lightspeed Restaurant: Best for Driving Repeat Businesses

Lightspeed Restaurant is the best EPOS system for pubs and bars looking to drive repeat business, thanks to its wide array of marketing and loyalty tools.

Why we recommend Lightspeed Restaurant

Lightspeed’s customer loyalty features include email and SMS marketing, loyalty programs, and automated marketing, all of which can entice customers to return. There’s also an optional Order Anywhere feature, which allows you to give your customers more ways to order, such as online, or via a QR code.

The system is also equipped to manage multi-location pubs and bars, allowing businesses to create separate menus and floorplans, and track sales by location. Its reporting features can include real-time reporting, supplier management, and analytics related to employee performance, marketing, and sales.

On the bar front, you’ll be able to create combo items for your most popular orders, speeding up to order process, and your staff will be able to split bills, and open tabs with Lightspeed’s card pre-authorisation feature.

Lightspeed Restaurant is also one of the few systems on this list that comes with a training mode for employees. This is very useful if you experience high turnover (a common problem in the industry), or hire seasonal employees.

In the kitchen, you can use Lightspeed’s integrated KDS system to manage orders, and, you’ll get access to ingredient usage tracking, cost vs profit breakdowns for menu items, and automated resupply orders.

Where Lightspeed Restaurant falls short

Lightspeed Restaurant’s EPOS system is purely app-based, which means the provider doesn’t sell physical terminals. It also only runs on iOS, and you can’t purchase iPads from Lightspeed. The same goes for its KDS, which means you’d have to purchase at least two separate tablets, which can rack up costs.

If you’d prefer a supplier with more hardware options, we’d recommend Clover or Epos Now, both of which sell physical terminals, as well as a wide range of accessories. It’s also easier to edit and customise your floorplan with Epos Now than it is with Lightspeed.

4. Epos Now: Best for Managing Complex Operations

Epos Now is the best EPOS system for pubs and bars with complex operations, such as chains, or large establishments with multiple floors. It has advanced menu and floorplan management tools, and great reporting and expenses management.

Why we recommend Epos Now

Epos Now offers dedicated pub and bar EPOS software, which, much the same as TouchBistro, comes with a one-tap ordering function to speed up service.

Floorplans can also be fully customised and edited from the front end of the software, making it easy for staff to adapt to customers’ needs. And, like all pub and bar POS systems worth their salt, EPOS Now has flexible billing features, including tab openings, bill splitting and even bill combining.

It’s a great system for large or multi-location establishments thanks to its advanced stock control features, which include ingredient tracking and real time inventory updates. You can also generate cost vs profit reports, monitor sales in real time, and view employee performance.

On the marketing side, EPOS Now lets you build a customer base and create loyalty programs and special offers, such as free food or drinks. This is a key tool to engage regulars. It also integrates with a large number of third-party apps, like Loyaltyzoo.

On the hardware front, Epos Now offers bundles that include a spill-resistant touchscreen terminal and the Air card reader, a portable device that syncs with the main POS system.

Where Epos Now falls short

Epos Now doesn’t have an automated tip-sharing function and doesn’t have integrations that can fill in this gap. So, if your pub or bar has a tip-sharing policy, you might want to go for Square.

It’s also not the easiest system to use. Epos Now was the system we struggled the most with during testing, especially when it came to the backend. That’s something to keep in mind if you or your staff don’t have much experience using a POS. We’d recommend TouchBistro if you’re looking for a simple solution, or Lightspeed, since it has a training mode.

5. SumUp: Best for Small Businesses

SumUp is the best EPOS system for small pubs and bars. It has a completely free software plan, and its paid plan has cheaper monthly fees than all competitors, making it the most affordable option.

Why we recommend SumUp

Like Square, SumUp offers free EPOS software, although personally don’t recommend it to pubs and bars, since, unlike Square, we don’t think it has enough features to be a viable system. Instead, we recommend the £49 POS Pro plan. It’s SumUp’s most expensive pricing tier and it’s cheaper than both Square’s £69 paid plan and most competitor’s starting plans.

Plus, there’s plenty included in SumUp’s paid plan that typically comes at an extra cost with competitors. One example is marketing and loyalty tools. You’ll be able to create customised loyalty programmes for regulars, and create physical and digital gift cards and vouchers. Also included as standard with SumUp is staff shift tracking, so you can know exactly how many hours each employee has worked.

Plus, for an inexpensive EPOS system, SumUp actually has some decent reporting tools, allowing you to monitor wastage, track your stock levels, and get insights into what items sell best.

When it comes to core pub and bar features, SumUp has an open tab function as well as discount scheduling for happy hour and QR code ordering. Plus, it has extremely light and compact card readers, offering your staff a lot of mobility.

Where SumUp falls short

Although SumUp has some great features, large establishments will find it a little limiting. You’ll find a larger variety of tools with competitors Clover and Lightspeed, who both have EPOS systems targeted at larger businesses.

SumUp also doesn’t have any built-in reservation tools and only integrates with one third-party reservation app, SimpleERB. If you’re a reservation-based business, we recommend TouchBistro.

6. TouchBistro: Easiest EPOS System to Operate

TouchBistro was one of the easiest-to-use EPOS systems that we tested. The layout of both the front end was highly intuitive, and we encountered very little unnecessary steps for basic tasks like taking an order or splitting a bill.

Why we recommend TouchBistro

TouchBistro has an EPOS system designed for bars and pubs, with features that can streamline ordering. For example, there’s a “Fast Bar” mode for the register, which allows staff to take orders in two taps, speeding up service even further.

Besides its ease of use, TouchBistro’s software includes features vital to pubs and bars. The system supports tabs, so customers can run up a bill and pay at the end of the night, as well as bill splitting and table transfers.

If you serve food, TouchBistro can help streamline your Sunday Roast Rush with its integrated KDS. It costs an extra $19 a month, but we think it’s worth it. Kitchen staff will be able to see the time orders were submitted at and prioritise accordingly, and they’ll be able to clear completed orders with one tap.

Other software add-ons include marketing and reservation tools, which can get very expensive. Luckily, all key functions are included in TouchBistro’s basic package, including staff management. It allows staff to clock-in and out, provide labour cost reports, and help with payroll by logging staff hours. This is often a paid add-on, or only available through integrations in other EPOS systems.

Where TouchBistro falls short

Like Lightspeed Restaurant, TouchBistro’s EPOS system is only app-based and requires an iOS tablet (it’s not compatible with Android). This can get expensive, which isn’t helped by the fact a lot of TouchBistro’s key features come as paid add-ons, and not cheap ones either.

If you’re looking for a provider with a physical terminal, Clover has a few options for you to choose from. And, if you’re looking for a less expensive but still powerful solution, we recommend Square.

Lastly, TouchBistro is also one of the few providers on this list that doesn’t do QR code ordering, so if you’re relying on this to speed up your service, you can go with Square, Lightspeed, or SumUp.

Buying Guide: How to Choose an EPOS System

When choosing an EPOS system for your pub or bar, you should first define your specific needs. These will vary depending on the size of your establishment, if and how you serve food (do you do table or service, are you a gastro pub, or do you just offer a few bar snacks), and the number of locations you have.

Here’s what to consider when evaluating your choices:

Pricing

Consider the upfront costs of an EPOS system, its monthly fees, as well as what’s included in them. Is it both software and hardware, or one and not the other? Make sure to include the added cost of integration, training, and transaction fees in your budgeting.

Realistically plan for any projected growth as well. Choosing a system that can accommodate your expected future needs will prevent you from having to switch systems later down the line.

Software

Make a list of must-have and nice-to-have features based on your pub or bar’s operations to get a clear picture of what kind of system you genuinely need.

These could include:

• Inventory management: To help you keep on top of your ingredients and prevent you from running out of something unexpectedly
• Inventory and ingredients management: This can help you track usage and help you plan ahead for busy times, so you never run out of your regulars’ favourite drinks
• Reservation management: If you serve sit-down meals like a roast, or are a bar that does table bookings, this feature will make managing customers easier, and is also a tool to gather customer data
• Staff management: So you can stay on top of employee shifts, reward your best employees, and identify those that need further training
• Online and QR code ordering: Letting your customers order food or non-alcoholic drinks independently can free up your staff to focus on customers at the bar
• Analytics and reporting: So you can learn which meals are most popular, which staff members are processing the most transactions, and more
• Customer loyalty programs: Rewarding your regulars shouldn’t be overlooked since they’re the old faithfuls that keep your business running

It’s also worth being aware that if you prioritise features that help automate your workflows and prevent manual work, you may be able to reduce your labour costs.

Hardware

Think about the important pieces of hardware that your business needs, and how many of them you need – from EPOS terminals and card machines to receipt printers, kitchen printers, and cash drawers.

Not all providers automatically provide you with card machines, for example. They’re sometimes replaced with a tablet or terminal that can take payments. However, if you need your staff to do table service, you’ll need an EPOS provider that can supply you with mobile card readers.

If you have existing hardware and want to save yourself having to buy everything new, find an EPOS system that’s compatible with your existing equipment. Most EPOS providers appreciate that you might be switching to them from another supplier and that you won’t necessarily want a complete overhaul of all your hardware.

Add-ons and integrations

You should also pay attention to the software that your chosen EPOS system can integrate with.

If you already use software, such as accounting software, make sure the EPOS system you choose has a ready-made integration for it, as this will help you streamline operations.

It’s also a good idea to check what other add-ons or apps are available via an EPOS system. Some providers offer advanced marketing or reporting features as add-ons, usually for an extra fee – but if these seem particularly valuable to your business, they could be worth the extra spend.

Our Methodology: How We Test Pub and Bar EPOS Systems