Epos Now Pricing for Restaurants: What Does It Really Cost?
What does Epos Now cost restaurants?
Epos Now pricing for restaurants typically starts with a hardware and software bundle, with monthly software subscription fees varying by plan and features. Hardware packages — terminal, card reader, cash drawer, and receipt printer — are sold separately or as bundles. Epos Now frequently runs promotional pricing, so the advertised cost changes regularly; always check their website for current rates.
The total cost is not just the headline monthly fee. Payment processing, third-party integration costs, and features not included in the base plan all contribute significantly to what a restaurant actually pays. This article breaks down the full picture so you can compare accurately.
Epos Now pricing structure
Epos Now offers two main ways to pay for its software:
Monthly subscription. A rolling or annual subscription that covers POS software, basic support, and core features. Pricing varies by plan.
Upfront purchase. Some packages include a one-time payment for software access over a defined period, often bundled with hardware.
Epos Now has historically offered heavily discounted promotional packages — sometimes significantly below their standard list price. These promotions are worth checking directly on their website. Always clarify what the price includes, how long any discounted rate lasts, and what the renewal cost is.
What is not included in the base plan
The base Epos Now subscription covers core POS functionality: order entry, payments, basic reporting, and staff management. Additional features — online ordering, loyalty, advanced integrations — are typically available through the Epos Now app marketplace, each with its own monthly cost.
For a restaurant that needs online ordering (which is most restaurants today), that means a separate subscription on top of the Epos Now base fee.
Hardware costs
Epos Now sells its own branded hardware and supports some third-party devices. A typical restaurant setup includes:
| Hardware item | Approximate cost |
|---|---|
| Touchscreen terminal | £300–£700 |
| Card reader / payment terminal | £100–£300 |
| Receipt printer | £100–£150 |
| Cash drawer | £50–£100 |
| Kitchen display screen | £150–£400 |
A complete countertop setup with kitchen display typically costs between £700 and £1,500. Epos Now offers bundled packages that reduce this cost, particularly during promotional periods.
Unlike some POS providers, Epos Now does not use entirely proprietary hardware, which means some existing equipment may be compatible. Always confirm compatibility before purchasing.
Payment processing
Epos Now has its own payments product (Epos Now Payments), but many restaurants also use third-party card terminals alongside Epos Now POS, depending on the integration and contract terms.
Transaction fees on card payments in the UK typically range from 1.5% to 2.5% for small to mid-size restaurants, depending on card type, processing volume, and provider. Epos Now's specific rates are available on application.
Payment processing is often the largest ongoing cost in a POS deployment and the most variable between providers. For a restaurant with £40,000 in monthly card sales, a 0.5% difference in rates is £200 per month — £2,400 per year. Understand exactly what rate you will pay before committing to any platform.
The total cost: what to account for
Most operators who regret their POS choice did not fully account for all costs upfront. Use this checklist when evaluating Epos Now:
1. Software subscription Monthly or annual. Does the price include all features you actually need, or are key functions in paid add-ons?
2. Hardware Upfront cost, amortised over your expected use period (typically three to five years). Factor in potential replacements.
3. Payment processing Apply your expected processing rate to your annual card sales. This is usually the largest ongoing variable cost.
4. Online ordering Epos Now does not provide built-in online ordering. Budget for a third-party online ordering platform separately — typically £50–£200 per month, plus setup.
5. Integrations Accounting (Xero, QuickBooks), delivery aggregator connections, loyalty platforms — each carries its own monthly fee through the app marketplace.
6. Support tier What level of support is included? Priority and extended-hours support cost more.
7. Contract length Is there a minimum term? What are the exit costs if you need to switch?
Adding these up typically reveals a total annual cost significantly higher than the monthly headline figure suggests.
What Epos Now does well
Epos Now is a broadly capable POS for straightforward hospitality operations. Its strengths:
- A clean, familiar interface most staff can learn quickly
- A large app marketplace with connections across accounting, payments, delivery, and more
- Flexible hardware options — less lock-in than some proprietary alternatives
- UK-based company with local support
- Competitive pricing at entry level, particularly during promotional periods
For a small café, pub, or single-site quick-service restaurant that needs a reliable till and basic reporting, Epos Now covers those requirements well.
Where Epos Now has limitations for restaurants
No native online ordering. Building a direct ordering channel requires a third-party platform, a separate contract, and an integration that may not be seamless. Online ordering data sits outside the Epos Now system unless the integration is deep.
No kiosk offering. Self-service kiosks are not a native Epos Now product. For QSRs reducing queue pressure and growing average order value, this is a gap.
No AI phone ordering. Restaurants with significant phone order volume have no automated solution within the Epos Now platform.
Basic multi-location management. Epos Now supports multiple sites, but centralised management, cross-site menu control, and group-level analytics are not as capable as platforms designed specifically for chains.
Fragmented customer data. When online ordering, loyalty, and POS are on separate platforms, customer data is fragmented. You cannot easily see that the same customer orders online twice a week and visits in person once a month.
Epos Now pricing vs Flipdish: a real comparison
The Epos Now monthly fee is not the right number to compare against Flipdish. The right comparison is full-stack cost.
A restaurant using Epos Now and also needing online ordering, loyalty, and basic marketing automation needs:
- Epos Now subscription
- Online ordering platform subscription
- Loyalty tool (or the Epos Now marketplace equivalent)
- Any other add-ons
Flipdish brings POS, online ordering, kiosks, AI phone ordering, loyalty, and marketing into a single platform. For restaurants pricing out the complete Epos Now stack, the cost difference is often narrower than the headline subscription comparison suggests — and the operational benefits of a single integrated system are significant.
What Flipdish includes that Epos Now does not:
- Branded online ordering via website and app as a native product
- Self-service kiosks with full platform integration
- AI phone ordering that captures orders without staff
- AI marketing using actual order data
- Deep multi-location management for chains and groups
Other alternatives to Epos Now
Lightspeed Restaurant
Designed for table-service environments. Strong floor management and reservations. Less suited to QSRs or takeaways.
Square for Restaurants
Available in the UK with a free entry-level option. Well-suited to very small operations but limited on multi-location features.
Toast POS
A US-based platform not practically available for UK and Ireland restaurant operators. Review our full Toast POS pricing guide for more detail.
Should you choose Epos Now?
Epos Now makes sense if:
- You need a reliable, competitively-priced POS for a small to mid-size single-site operation
- You are comfortable sourcing and managing online ordering and loyalty tools separately
- You want flexible hardware without full vendor lock-in
- The current promotional pricing makes it the most cost-effective option for your immediate needs
Epos Now is less suited if:
- Growing direct online orders is a priority
- You need or are considering kiosks
- Phone orders are a significant revenue channel
- You operate or plan to operate multiple locations
- You want a single unified system for all ordering channels and customer data
Why Flipdish is the stronger choice for growing restaurants
Flipdish is built specifically for restaurants with growth ambitions — more direct orders, more locations, lower operational complexity, and deeper customer relationships.
The Flipdish platform eliminates the need to manage separate vendors for POS, online ordering, kiosks, phone ordering, and loyalty. That consolidation reduces both cost and complexity. It also gives you a complete, unified picture of your business that fragmented tools simply cannot provide.
For operators evaluating their restaurant technology over a three-to-five-year horizon, the case for an integrated platform like Flipdish becomes stronger the more channels and locations you operate across.
Request a demo and pricing at flipdish.com.
Summary
Epos Now pricing is competitive at entry level, particularly during promotional periods. The total cost — once payment processing, online ordering (not included), integrations, and support are accounted for — is considerably higher than the headline monthly fee.
For restaurants focused on growth, direct ordering, and multi-channel management, Flipdish is the more complete platform. For straightforward single-site operations, Epos Now covers the basics well — provided you factor in the full cost of ownership before committing.