A pub till is judged on one thing: how fast a round goes through at nine o'clock on a Friday. That means preset drinks laid out for the bar, open tabs, fast staff switching and a printer behind the bar that is not queuing behind the kitchen. Published UK EPOS tiers cost from nothing to about 200 pounds a month per site.
What the bar actually needs
Preset buttons for the top thirty lines, a round built in three taps, tabs that survive a staff change, and voids that require a supervisor. Those features are usually the boundary between the entry tier and the one above it, which is where a pub's monthly figure lands. Stock control on kegs and spirits is a separate decision and often another step up.
Cloud EPOS and a rural broadband line
Almost all current UK EPOS is cloud based, which is fine on a reliable line and a problem on a bad one. Ask specifically what the till does when the connection drops: whether it keeps trading offline and syncs later, and whether card payments can still be taken. A pub that loses its till at a wet weekend has lost the weekend, and this is the question to ask before the demo ends.
The card rate that comes with it
Pub EPOS is frequently sold with an integrated terminal, and the card rate then rides on the software contract. The published shelf runs from 0.79% to 1.75% for in-person acceptance. On a pub's card volume a half point difference is real money over a year, so ask what the bundled rate is and whether you may bring your own acquirer.
Questions people ask about pub epos system
How much does a pub EPOS system cost?
Published UK tiers run from free to about 200 pounds a month per site. A pub usually needs the tier that holds tabs, staff permissions and separate printing, which sits above the entry level at most suppliers.
Does pub EPOS work without internet?
It depends on the supplier. Cloud systems vary widely in what they can do offline, and it is the single most important question for a site with an unreliable line. Ask whether sales and card payments both continue.
Can I keep my card provider with a pub EPOS system?
Sometimes. Suppliers that bundle payments usually price the software assuming you will use theirs. Ask before signing, because unbundling later means reopening both agreements.