A POS terminal is the screen and computer that runs your till software. In the UK it is sold three ways: bundled with software at a discount tied to a term, bought outright as components, or replaced entirely by a tablet running the same software. The third is now the commonest and the cheapest by a wide margin.
POS machine cost and POS terminal hardware: what a counter build needs
A screen, a receipt printer, a cash drawer and a card terminal, plus a scanner in retail. EPOS Direct publishes indicative bands per component, which is the clearest published UK guide to what each part costs on its own. Adding them up is the fair comparison against a bundle, and the gap is usually service and financing rather than hardware. Epos Now's Android POS system page, for comparison, prints 399 pounds plus VAT for the hardware with 59 pounds a month on top.
A POS terminal system sold as a bundle, and its conditions
Epos Now advertises a complete solution at a heavily discounted price and prints the condition beneath it: the discount requires a twelve month payments, care and support subscription at a stated monthly figure. Over the term the subscription is worth several times the discount. Read the two numbers together, because separately each is accurate and together they are the price.
Tablets, and what you give up
A tablet running the supplier's app costs a fraction of a dedicated terminal and is portable, which is why most current UK EPOS is sold that way. What you give up is ruggedness, guaranteed availability of a specific model, and a supplier who will replace it next day. For a busy site, plan for a spare rather than assume support covers it.
Questions people ask about pos terminals
How much does a POS terminal machine cost in the UK?
EPOS Direct publishes indicative bands for a touchscreen till terminal, a thermal receipt printer and a barcode scanner, each in its own range. A tablet based build is materially cheaper and is what most current suppliers sell.
What does a cash POS machine add to the cost of a point of sale machine?
A cash POS machine is the same terminal with a cash drawer added to the build, so it is one more component to price beside the screen, the receipt printer and the card terminal. EPOS Direct's published bands cover the terminal, the printer and the scanner; add the drawer to that sum before comparing it against a bundled price.
Should I buy a POS machine for sale outright or rent one?
Buy if the software is priced separately and you may switch. Rent or bundle if the discount is genuinely larger than the subscription it is conditional on, which is worth calculating over the full term rather than the first month.
What POS hardware do I actually need?
A screen, a printer, a drawer and a card terminal, plus a scanner in retail. Everything else, customer displays, kitchen screens, weighing scales, is trade specific and should be justified by the workflow rather than bought as part of a package.