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Best UK POS Systems

Are you a small business owner in the United Kingdom shopping for a worthy point of sale system? Check out our top POS choices available in the UK.

    Matt Sherman
  • Last updated onUpdated

  • Shannon Vissers
  • REVIEWED BY

    Shannon Vissers

    Lead Staff Writer

Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.

Small business owners need a healthy point of sale system that is easy to use, affordable, and full of features.

It can be hard to know which POS system is the best, but luckily, businesses in the UK have a wide variety of options to choose from.

Let’s explore the best UK POS systems and discover the top option that best fits your small business needs.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

CompanyBest ForNext StepsBest For
Square POS

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  • Best Free POS
  • Pricing starts at £0/mo
  • Offers Square analytics, inventory management, eCommerce capabilities, and payment protection
  • Best Free POS
  • Pricing starts at £0/mo
  • Offers Square analytics, inventory management, eCommerce capabilities, and payment protection

Visit Site

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Lightspeed Retail

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  • Best Overall POS
  • Pricing starts at £59/mo
  • Exceptional inventory management, industry specific POS features, 24/7 support
  • Best Overall POS
  • Pricing starts at £59/mo
  • Exceptional inventory management, industry specific POS features, 24/7 support

Visit Site

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Clover POS

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  • Best Customizable POS
  • Varied pricing
  • Multiple apps and excellent hardware options for restaurants and retail stores
  • Best Customizable POS
  • Varied pricing
  • Multiple apps and excellent hardware options for restaurants and retail stores

Visit Site

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iZettle (Now Zettle by PayPal)

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  • Best For Affordable Hardware
  • Pricing starts at £0/mo
  • Free access to inventory management, reporting, and online selling
  • Best For Affordable Hardware
  • Pricing starts at £0/mo
  • Free access to inventory management, reporting, and online selling

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Revel POS

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  • Best For Enterprise Businesses
  • Prices in the UK are quote-based
  • Highly customizable with excellent reporting functionality
  • Best For Enterprise Businesses
  • Prices in the UK are quote-based
  • Highly customizable with excellent reporting functionality

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TouchBistro

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  • Best Restaurant-Specific POS system
  • Plans start at £59/mo (USD)
  • Offers comprehensive reporting and analytics, customer management systems, tableside ordering, and employee management
  • Best Restaurant-Specific POS system
  • Plans start at £59/mo (USD)
  • Offers comprehensive reporting and analytics, customer management systems, tableside ordering, and employee management

Visit Site

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Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

Table of Contents

6 Best POS Systems For UK

Our favorite POS systems available in the UK offer robust inventory management, are affordable at scale, have eCommerce capabilities, can support gift card sales, and have transparent credit card processing rates. Learn more about our picks: Lightspeed Retail, Square, Zettle, Clover, Revel, and TouchBistro.

Square: Best Free UK POS System

Total Rating 4.9
Pricing4.9

Ease Of Use5.0

Features4.8

Customer Service4.7

User Reviews4.8



Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Pros

  • Easy to learn and use
  • Detailed analytics and reporting features
  • Highly scalable

Cons

  • Known to hold funds without notice
  • Free plan lacks advanced features
  • Not as customizable as other products

square pos

Why We Chose Square For Best UK POS System

Square is one of the most recognizable and widely-used POS systems worldwide -- and for a good reason: it's affordable (its most basic version is free), it has a recognizable and intuitive interface, and it's easy to use by employees, managers, and customers alike.

What's not to like about a system that most people are already familiar with and can offer competitive pricing?

Square is versatile enough to work at a variety of UK businesses. From bookstores to pubs and everywhere in between, we recommend Square, especially for lower-volume sellers. We also like that they have a dedicated UK staff for live customer support; no more trying to juggle international hours -- get help when you need it.

If you want something tried and true with a shallow learning curve, then small business owners can't go wrong with any of the Square point of sale products.

Square Pricing

To download the Square app, and to set up an account, is all free. You will need to purchase your Square hardware and while the Square magstripe reader is not available in the UK, you can still purchase the chip reader for contactless payments. Square also has its Square for Retail advanced POS Plan for £49/month per location and Square for Restaurants which has an advanced tier available for £69/month per location.

Square POS Features

Square POS Features Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards Add-on
Customer Loyalty Add-on
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management With Square for Restaurants
Delivery Management Add on
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

Square offers an extensive amount of free POS features, including:

  • Free Square online store builder and Square online checkout links to sell online for free with or without a website
  • Ability to sell physical and digital items
  • Employee time clock, scheduling, and reporting
  • Unlimited number of POS registers on free plan
  • Sell on social media with just a tap
  • Offer local delivery and shipping
  • Tap to pay with compatible Android devices

Paid plans, of course, offer more features; you can also manage inventory and employees in multiple locations on the Square Plus plan.

POS Hardware Cost & Options

Square software works on phones and tablets. The least expensive hardware option is the £19 + VAT Square contactless card reader, so you can take chip cards and NFC-based payments such as Google Pay and Apple Pay.

A full Square Register Kit is £50 + VAT/month for twelve months or £599 + VAT.

square register

Read our guide to Square POS hardware to make an informed POS hardware purchasing decision.

Payment Processing Costs

Square charges a payment processing fee of 1.75% per chip and PIN or contactless payment, and 2.5% for virtual terminal and invoices. You will also pay:

  • 1.4% + .25 per transaction for online transactions with UK cards
  • 2.5% + .25 per transaction for online transactions with non-UK cards

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Square subscriptions are month-to-month, and you can cancel your merchant account anytime without consequences.

Get Started With Square POS

Read our in-depth review

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Lightspeed: Best Overall UK POS System

Lightspeed Retail

Total Rating 4.1
Pricing3.7

Ease Of Use4.4

Features4.3

Customer Service4.1

User Reviews4.0



Pros

  • Excellent inventory mangament
  • Industry-specific POS features
  • 24/7 support

Cons

  • Early termination fee
  • Not intuitive/high learning curve

Why We Chose Lightspeed Retail For Best UK POS System

In the UK, where businesses juggle multiple sales channels and require real-time data analytics, Lightspeed emerges as the top choice for an all-encompassing POS system for its unparalleled versatility and comprehensive feature set.

Its cloud-based system is particularly beneficial for UK retailers who operate both online and in physical stores, offering an exceptional inventory management system that updates in real time. This is crucial for businesses that need to adhere to the UK's stringent consumer rights and data protection laws.

For the hospitality sector, Lightspeed offers specialized features like tableside ordering and complex menu customization. (Lightspeed also has POS options for niche businesses like golf courses.)

Its 24/7 customer support is not just a hotline but includes a range of resources like webinars and tutorials, which is invaluable in a market that operates across various time zones. And Lightspeed's multi-currency and multi-language support make it ideal for businesses operating internationally.

Whether you're a small retailer or a large enterprise, Lightspeed offers a tailored solution.

Lightspeed Retail Pricing

Lightspeed Retail Plans Price  When To Use
Basic Plan $109/month ($89/month billed annually) For single/multi-location retail business looking for strong inventory management and a customizable POS interface
Core Plan $179/month ($149/month billed annually) For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for eCommerce and accounting features
Plus Plan $289/month ($339/month billed annually) For single/multi-location retail businesses looking for a strong loyalty program and advanced business reporting

Prices in US dollars.

Third-party software integrations, such as item rental inventory software, cost an extra monthly fee.

Lightspeed Retail POS Features

Lightspeed Retail Features Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling Standard plan and up
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty Advanced plan
Marketing Tools Standard plan and up
Online Ordering Standard plan and up
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

Lightspeed’s best feature is its extensive inventory management capabilities.

For more information on Lightspeed’s excellent loyalty program, read our post on the best POS software with loyalty programs.

POS Hardware Cost & Options

Lightspeed products run exclusively on iPads, and you can use tablets as POS registers, customer-facing displays, and POS dashboards.

You can get a custom quote from Lightspeed to get a POS hardware bundle that will include a cash drawer, receipt printer, iPad stand, and barcode scanner, or purchase individual items. You may purchase your own Lightspeed-compatible hardware instead. You can see a list of compatible hardware on Lightspeed’s support page.

Payment Processing Costs

Lightspeed Payments charges a flat-rate fee of 1.6% for standard transactions.

The company also offers an enterprise-level plan, which is completely customized and allows high-revenue small businesses to get lower payment processing rates and save on fees.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Lightspeed charges an early termination fee if you decide to cancel your subscription early.

Get Started With Lightspeed Retail

Read our in-depth review

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Clover: Most Customizable UK POS System

Total Rating 4.3
Pricing4.0

Ease Of Use4.8

Features4.5

Customer Service4.4

User Reviews4.1



Pros

  • App-based software
  • Multi-level security
  • Intuitive hardware

Cons

  • No upfront pricing
  • Early termination fees

clover uk

Why We Chose Clover For Best UK POS System

Clover is one of the easiest-to-use point-of-sale systems around. Its POS software is app-based, so you can download all of the features and products you need, giving you a unique, customizable experience. And Clover is feature-rich, an ideal solution for both retail businesses and restaurants.

Clover also has intuitive hardware options, including the Clover Flex, which is excellent for taking tableside or mobile payments.

Clover is an all-in-one system with built-in payment processing, strong inventory and reporting features, and online selling capabilities.

Clover Pricing

Clover’s UK POS pricing is a little tricky, and you’ll likely need to speak to a representative to get a quote, as its processing fees are linked to the size of your business and what hardware you choose.

One of Clover’s downsides is that there are multiple retailers that sell its products, and it can be easy to get locked into a long-term contract. That’s why we suggest you go through Clover directly to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Clover POS Features

Clover POS Features Availability
Multi-Store Support Unknown
Contactless Payments Unknown
Multi-Channel Selling Unknown
Gift Cards Unknown
Customer Loyalty Unknown
Marketing Tools Unknown
Online Ordering Unknown
Inventory Management Unknown
Reporting Unknown
Menu Management Unknown
Delivery Management Unknown
EBT Acceptance Unknown
Employee Management Unknown
Text Messaging Unknown

Clover has a wide array of POS features, including multi-layered security, apps for loyalty programs, and staff and shift management. Again, you can customize Clover to be exactly what you want from your POS system, and many of the apps from its Clover Market are free.

POS Hardware Cost & Options

Clover has three main hardware options, and, again, you’ll have to contact them directly to get a quote for pricing. Clover Flex is a handheld credit card machine. It comes with a built-in printer and can take all forms of card payments from the palm of your hand. Clover Flex syncs up with Clover POS software and is an excellent solution for busy restaurants.

Clover Mini is a small, but powerful desktop POS system that can run your entire business from a small, 7-inch screen. You can easily add other hardware like cash drawers or scanners and set up online sales through your device.

Clover Station is Clover’s sturdiest piece of hardware, with a large screen, a customizable dashboard, and the ability to take international payments. It’s a solid option for appointment-based businesses as well, helping you easily set schedules and manage bookings.

Payment Processing Costs

Clover’s payment processing costs vary depending on the size of your business and your hardware plan, and you’ll want to make sure you check with a certified retailer to make sure you know what you’re signing up for. Generally, your processing fees will run somewhere between 0.2% and 3.5% + .20-.40p per transaction.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

There are plenty of well-documented Clover scams circulating, so your safest bet is to talk to Clover directly to make sure that you don’t get locked into a contract that you weren’t expecting. If you do happen to sign a contract that you end up breaking, early termination fees apply.

Get Started With Clover POS

Read our in-depth review

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Zettle: Best For Affordable Hardware

iZettle (Now Zettle by PayPal)

Total Rating 4.1
Pricing3.8

Ease Of Use5.0

Features4.3

Customer Service3.9

User Reviews4.0



Pros

  • Free app
  • Flat-rate processing
  • Mutliple integrations

Cons

  • Features not overly robust

zettle payment screen

Why We Chose Zettle For Best UK POS System

Zettle is a simple and affordable POS system for nearly any type of small business. Its proprietary hardware is simple to use, making Zettle an excellent option for businesses just starting out. It's also one of the most-used systems in the UK.

Zettle has basic inventory and reporting, plus built-in payment processing with a flat fee and the ability to help you sell your products online. Zettle is also extremely well-reviewed by UK merchants and receives high marks for its customer service.

Zettle Pricing

Zettle’s point of sale app is free to download and comes with access to gift cards, inventory, and multiple payment options.

Zettle POS Features

Zettle’s feature list is extensive for a free app. Here are a few of the highlights:

  • Real-time inventory management
  • Access to gift cards
  • Comprehensive sales reports
  • Multiple integrations
  • Tap-to-pay functionality
  • Android and iOS compatibility

POS Hardware Cost & Options

The small but effective Zettle terminal runs for £149, which allows you to take payments on the go from the palm of your hand. You can also buy Zettle’s card and contactless reader for £59.

If you’re looking for more extensive hardware options, Zettle sells kits that range from £189 to £599 and include printers, scanners and cash drawers.

Payment Processing Costs

A big plus to Zettle is that its processing is so simple. It has a flat rate of 1.75%, while invoices are 2.5%.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

There are no long-term requirements with Zettle, and you can use its services on a month-to-month basis.

Get Started With iZettle (Now Zettle by PayPal)

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

Revel: Best UK POS For Enterprise Businesses

Total Rating 3.9
Pricing3.6

Ease Of Use3.9

Features4.3

Customer Service4.2

User Reviews3.8



Pros

  • Multi-store capabilities
  • Advanced reporting
  • Highly customizable

Cons

  • Expensive for low-level merchants
  • Steep learning curve
  • Three-year commitment required

revel pos systems

Why We Chose Revel For Best UK POS System

When it comes to POS systems in the UK, Revel stands out for several compelling reasons: Primarily its customizability and feature-set. Designed to cater to medium to large-scale businesses, Revel offers a robust inventory system capable of managing up to 500,000 SKUs. So, while Revel is also good for small businesses, it's really designed for enterprise-level companies.

Revel is highly efficient and, as we mentioned, customizable. But with that customization comes a steep learning curve for UK merchants not in tech -- the customization is robust but not easy. If you don't have a tech-savvy employee, expect to hire someone to help.

Revel also provides 24/7 customer support, unlimited storage, and seamless QuickBooks integration for hassle-free tax preparation.

Revel Pricing

Revel is not a casual POS system for low-volume merchants. You also might be overwhelmed by the amount of work (and cost: there is a $674 onboarding fee) required to set up Revel’s features. However, if you are planning on fast growth, it could be a good plan to start large instead of having to scale up from a less feature-rich and basic free POS system.

Revel POS Features

Revel POS Features Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards
Customer Loyalty
Marketing Tools
Online Ordering
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

Revel is feature-rich. It has everything you need for customer, employee, and inventory management.

POS Hardware Cost & Options

Revel is iPad-based — but base stations, printers, barcode scanners, and handheld payment devices can all be purchased from Revel.

Payment Processing Costs

Revel offers its own processing system called Revel Advantage and, once again, its fees and rates are custom-made for each individual UK business so you will need to call for a quote.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

You can get a cheaper yearly rate with Revel if you sign up for a three-year contract. But three years is a long time, and there is a termination fee if you change your mind.

Get Started With Revel POS

Read our in-depth review

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TouchBistro: Best Restaurant-Specific UK POS System

Total Rating 4.3
Pricing4.0

Ease Of Use4.6

Features4.9

Customer Service3.9

User Reviews4.1



Pros

  • Easy to use
  • iOS-based
  • Excellent reporting and analytics

Cons

  • Inconsistent customer support
  • Add-ons can get pricey
  • Mobile app can be slow

Touchbistro pos screen

Why We Chose TouchBistro For Best UK POS System

If you are a restaurant in the United Kingdom, we especially recommend looking into TouchBistro. This is a point of sale system uniquely designed with restaurants and restaurant-features in mind. The entire system is run with iPads -- which makes the interface easy and simple to use for customers and employees alike. It has ample reports, which are easy for managers and stakeholders to run.

TouchBistro also offers 24/7 support for its subscribers. (Although, during peak hours, those call times can get a little long.)

TouchBistro Pricing

Its solo plan starts at £59/month. TouchBistro also offers additional licenses for £40 and £50/month each depending on how many you need.

TouchBistro POS Features

TouchBistro Features Availability
Multi-Store Support
Contactless Payments
Multi-Channel Selling
Gift Cards Add-on
Customer Loyalty Add-on
Marketing Tools Add-on
Online Ordering Add-on
Inventory Management
Reporting
Menu Management
Delivery Management
EBT Acceptance
Employee Management
Text Messaging

For small business restaurants, TouchBistro’s features offer everything you might need or want to run a successful food service business. Easy to use ordering systems, intuitive customer management programs, and an excellent kitchen display make this a great choice.

Some users, however, reported that the kitchen inventory features were difficult to set up.

POS Hardware Cost & Options

TouchBistro runs on iPads. They also offer scanners, cash drawers, and other traditional pieces of POS hardware to customers — prices for hardware bundles are quoted individually.

Payment Processing Costs

TouchBistro offers TouchBistro Payments By Chase as a simple solution to integrate your payments system and POS. You have to call for a quote, and you have to sign up for a service agreement to get the lowest price.

However, you are free to use a different payment processor as long as it integrates with TouchBistro.

Contract Requirements/Warnings

Month-to-month contracts are available but at a steeper price. If you do decide to set up a contract to take advantage of the lower rates, be prepared to have a steep termination fee.

Get Started With TouchBistro

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

Retail POS Review Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching and reviewing POS providers since 2012. Our writers have tested over 100 different point of sale systems, evaluating pricing, features, ease of use, customer service, and user reviewers. Read more about how we rate POS providers.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Pricing 40%
Features 30%
Ease Of Use 15%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%

When comparing different POS software systems, we consider many data points, including relative pricing, the depth of niche features offered, the price of hardware, and any associated payment processing fees. Our lists of the best providers include only apps we’ve deemed worthwhile from multiple vantage points. The POS vendors we pick share qualities such as widespread availability, accessibility, user-friendliness, and reasonable pricing. We also look carefully at niche features, such as check-splitting, inventory management, eCommerce, loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure the providers included meet our internal standards for quality and reputation.

80+

Vendors evaluated

65+

Attributes assessed per vendor

20+

Features weighed

30+

Combined years of experience


Why We Don't Recommend These UK POS Systems

While some of these POS systems do operate in the United Kingdom, we don’t think they are a great fit for some small businesses. Here’s why:

EPOS Now

While ePOS Now has a solid feature set, there are a handful of factors that bump it down in our rankings. First and foremost, it’s not very upfront in its pricing. It’s difficult to lock down exactly what you’ll pay depending on what services you need. Also, you need to pay extra for customer support. There is also a push from the company for customers to lease their hardware, which is something we almost never recommend. ePOS now also has significantly lower ratings from customers in the UK than our other listed systems.

Choosing The Best UK POS System For Your Small Business

While all of the POS systems we’ve named have benefits, the decision should ultimately come down to what kinds of features your small business prioritizes. If you’re looking for one of the best free POS systems, Square or Zettle should be near the top of your list.

If you’re wanting one of the top mobile POS systems with excellent hardware, you should consider Clover. And if you’re looking for an incredibly deep feature set and have a bigger budget, you might want to go with Lightspeed or Revel.

With so many good options available, make sure you’re totally satisfied before you make your purchase!

UK POS FAQs

What is the best UK POS software?

While there are a number of strong POS software options for UK small businesses, Square, Lightspeed, Clover, and Zettle have some of the best reviews and best feature sets.

How much is a UK POS system?

POS systems can vary in price. Some have free options available while others give you access to more features and can range from roughly £29-£69 per month.

Is Square available in the UK?

Yes, Square’s POS platform and payment processing is available for UK merchants.

What is a good free UK POS system?

Multiple POS vendors offer free software plans. Some of the best reviewed free UK POS systems are Square and Zettle as they offer solid features and hardware options as well.

Jump back to comparison chart

Matt Sherman

Matt Sherman

Lead Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Matt has been helping small businesses make decisions since 2017. He has written reviews and articles across many different channels but specializes in the point of sale, payroll, and small business insurance categories and has been quoted in articles for Fox Business, Forbes, and other publications. Prior to joining Merchant Maverick, Matt was a journalist and editor for 14 years for a pair of weekly newspapers. He is a graduate of the University of Oregon and currently resides in Gladstone, Oregon.
Matt Sherman
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