Last updated: 24 April 2026
Running this problem at your pub?
Here's the system I use at The Teal Farm to fix it — real-time labour %, cash position, and VAT liability in one dashboard. 30-minute setup. £97 once, no monthly fees.
Get Pub Command Centre — £97 →No monthly fees. 30-day money-back guarantee. Built by a working pub landlord.
Most new licensees choose their till system in the final two weeks before opening, usually because they’re focused on stock, licensing, and staff instead. That’s exactly the wrong time to make this decision—because your EPOS system will run every transaction in your pub and determine what financial data you actually see. I’ve spent 15 years in hospitality and three years running Teal Farm Pub, and I can tell you that more money leaks through poor till setup than through most other operational mistakes combined. This guide covers what pub till system setup really means, what you need to install before opening day, the actual costs involved (not just the headline monthly fee), and how to avoid the contracts that trap new operators. By the end, you’ll know exactly what to buy, what to avoid, and why it matters to your first-year survival.
Key Takeaways
- EPOS setup is not just software installation—it includes hardware, payment processing, integration with your pubco, staff training, and financial reporting, and all of it must be ready before opening day.
- Total cost of ownership for a small pub EPOS typically runs £2,000–£5,000 in year one (hardware, setup, processing fees, training) even if the monthly software fee is under £100.
- Your pubco may require you to use a specific payment processor or integrate with their stock system, which can lock you into higher fees or limit your choice of EPOS provider.
- Staff must be trained on your till system at least one week before opening, not during service, and you need a backup plan if your primary system fails on a busy night.
What Is a Pub EPOS System and Why Does Setup Matter?
Your EPOS system is not just a till—it’s the financial nervous system of your pub. Most new licensees think of it as a cash register replacement, but it’s actually your primary source of data for what sold, when, at what price, and to whom. Everything downstream from that—your margins, your labour percentages, your profit calculation—depends on the accuracy and completeness of your EPOS data.
When I took on Teal Farm Pub three years ago, my predecessor had been using an ageing standalone till that recorded sales but had no integration with stock control, labour tracking, or real-time reporting. I couldn’t answer basic questions like “What was my actual GP% last week?” or “How many covers did we do on quiz night?” without manually pulling data from three different systems. That’s the reality most new licensees inherit—and it’s preventable if you get EPOS setup right from day one.
An integrated EPOS setup means:
- Point-of-sale hardware (till registers, card readers, receipt printers) connected to cloud-based software
- Ability to track wet sales, dry sales (food, coffee, snacks), and potentially quiz night takings separately
- Real-time sync with stock control (so you know when you’re running low on a spirit)
- Integration with your pubco’s ordering or compliance system (if required by your tenancy agreement)
- Payment processing tied to your merchant account and reconciling daily to your pub bank account
If any of those elements is missing or broken, you lose financial visibility. And without visibility, you can’t manage costs—which means labour percentages creep up, margins compress, and you end your first year wondering where the profit went.
Hardware Checklist: What You Actually Need to Install
Before you sign anything, walk your pub and map out where hardware will live. A typical small pub EPOS setup includes: one main till point behind the bar (maybe two if you have multiple serving stations), a kitchen printer if you serve food, at least one contactless card reader, and a backup card reader or manual card processing option.
The Till Register
Most modern EPOS systems don’t require a physical till drawer anymore—some use virtual drawers managed through the software. But if you’re serving 50+ covers a shift, you probably want a physical electronic till drawer that opens automatically when a transaction completes. This costs £300–£800 depending on build quality. It sits at your main bar station and connects to your main terminal or tablet.
One detail most new licensees miss: if you have two bar stations (one at the main bar, one at the lounge), you need two complete EPOS terminals, not just two till drawers. That’s because each terminal needs its own network connection, and you need independent transaction records for audit purposes.
Card Payment Terminals
You must have at least one contactless card reader. Most EPOS providers supply these—Ingenico, Verifone, or Square readers are common. Cost is typically £200–£500 for the hardware, but the real cost is in the payment processing fees (usually 1.3–1.9% of card transactions). That’s negotiable, but most new licensees accept whatever rate their EPOS provider quotes.
I strongly recommend having a backup card reader—either a second wireless terminal or a portable card machine—because if your main reader goes down mid-service, you either stop accepting cards or manually key transactions (slower, riskier, and you’ll lose the real-time data). Cost is an extra £150–£300 for a backup unit.
Kitchen Printer (Food Service Only)
If you’re serving food—even just pies and cobs—you need a kitchen display system or a dedicated kitchen printer. This is a small thermal printer that prints food orders to your kitchen as they’re ordered. Without it, you’re calling orders across the bar or writing them on paper, which leads to delays, mistakes, and customer complaints. Cost: £200–£600 depending on whether you choose a simple printer or a full kitchen display screen.
Network and Internet
Cloud-based EPOS systems need reliable broadband. Most modern pubs have decent WiFi, but if you’re in a rural location or an older building, you may need to upgrade your internet connection or invest in a second network line for redundancy. Cost: potentially £30–£60/month additional, or a one-time £500+ if you need new cabling installed.
Here’s what I learned at Teal Farm: your EPOS system is only useful if it’s connected. During a power outage in 2024, our internet went down for three hours. We had a solution built in—offline mode on our tablets—but without it, we’d have had to manually tally sales. Budget for a backup internet connection (4G hotspot or second broadband line) if you’re in an area with poor connectivity.
Total Hardware Cost
For a typical 100–150 cover pub with one or two bar stations and basic food service:
- Main EPOS terminal or tablet: £300–£1,000
- Till drawer: £400–£800
- Card readers (primary + backup): £400–£800
- Kitchen printer: £200–£600 (if applicable)
- Installation and network setup: £300–£800
Total: £1,600–£4,000 in hardware alone, depending on system complexity.
The Real Costs: Beyond the Monthly Fee
This is where most new licensees get shocked. The EPOS software company quotes you a monthly fee—”£80/month” or “£120/month”—and that feels manageable. But that’s just the software subscription. Here’s what’s actually going out of your account:
Monthly Software Fee
Typically £60–£150/month for a small pub system. This covers cloud hosting, updates, and technical support. Some systems charge per till terminal (so if you have two bars, you pay per station). Ask exactly what’s included—is it unlimited users? Unlimited transactions? Real-time reporting or just end-of-day reports?
Payment Processing Fees
This is the big one. Card processing fees usually run 1.3–1.9% of card transactions. At Teal Farm, roughly 65% of our sales are card payments. If you do £5,000 in card sales in a week, you’re paying £65–£95 just in processing fees. That’s £3,400–£4,900 per year, and it’s often overlooked in startup budgets.
Some EPOS providers bundle processing with their software fee or have negotiated rates. Others charge you per transaction (typically £0.25–£0.50 per card sale). Always ask for a breakdown of the actual per-transaction or percentage cost.
Integration Fees (Pubco Requirements)
Your pubco may require EPOS integration with their ordering system, compliance system, or stock control. Marston’s, for example, often requires integration with their stock management portal. Some EPOS providers charge a one-time setup fee (£200–£500) or a monthly integration fee (£20–£50). This is rarely advertised upfront.
Staff Account Licenses
Some EPOS systems charge per staff member (so each bartender needs a login). Others charge a flat rate for unlimited staff. If you have 8–10 bar staff, per-staff licensing can add £20–£40/month. It sounds small until it’s year-end and you’ve paid an extra £240–£480 for something that could have been unlimited.
Training and Support
Most EPOS providers include basic setup and one staff training session. Beyond that, they charge £50–£150/hour for additional training or troubleshooting. If your team takes longer to learn the system or you need customisation, budget an extra £300–£500 for training.
Year-One Total Cost of Ownership
For a typical small pub:
- Hardware: £2,000–£4,000
- Monthly software: £80–£150 × 12 = £960–£1,800
- Payment processing: £3,000–£5,000 (ongoing, percentage-based)
- Integration fees: £200–£600 (one-time or first-year)
- Training and support: £200–£400
Total: £6,360–£11,800 in year one. After year one, hardware costs drop off, but ongoing software and processing fees continue indefinitely.
Use a pub profit margin calculator to understand what margin you need to absorb these costs. If your pub does £3,000/week in sales with a 70% cost of goods ratio, you’re left with £900/week gross profit. EPOS costs of £150–£200/week might sound manageable, but paired with rent, rates, wages, and utilities, they add up fast.
Contract Terms: What to Negotiate Before Signing
Most new licensees sign EPOS contracts without reading them carefully because they’re under pressure to open on time. That’s a mistake that costs money for years.
Contract Length and Exit Clauses
Many EPOS providers lock you into 24–36 month contracts. If you decide the system doesn’t work for your pub or you want to switch providers, you’re often liable for early termination fees—sometimes the full remaining value of the contract. I’ve seen new licensees stuck in £2,000+ early exit fees because they signed a 3-year contract in week two of trading.
Always negotiate for a 12-month initial term with month-to-month renewal, or at least a 30-day exit clause without penalty. If the provider won’t agree, at least understand what the actual exit cost is before you sign.
Payment Processing Lock-In
Some EPOS providers insist you use their payment processor exclusively. This might mean accepting higher processing fees than you’d get negotiating directly with a bank or independent processor. Ingenico and Verifone readers, for example, can usually work with multiple processors, but some proprietary systems tie you to one provider.
Ask: “Can I use a different payment processor if I want to?” If the answer is no or complicated, negotiate a lower processing rate upfront to compensate.
Hardware Ownership
Some contracts say the EPOS provider owns the hardware and you’re essentially renting it. Others sell you the hardware outright. If you’re renting, you’re paying for it twice—once in the initial cost, again in monthly fees. Try to negotiate ownership of the hardware. It costs you more upfront but protects you if you ever exit.
Pubco Approval
Here’s a critical detail: your pubco may not allow you to use your chosen EPOS system. Some pubcos have approved vendor lists or require integration with specific stock systems. Marston’s, for example, prefers certain integrations. Before you commit to an EPOS provider, confirm with your BDM (Business Development Manager) that they’ll approve the integration. I know licensees who ordered hardware and set up contracts only to be told by their BDM that the system wasn’t on the approved list.
Backup and Redundancy Terms
What happens if the cloud service goes down? Some contracts specify the provider will refund a day’s software fees if there’s more than an hour of downtime. Others offer nothing. Cloud outages are rare but they happen. Know what recourse you have.
Staff Training and Day-One Setup
Hardware installed and software activated doesn’t mean you’re ready to open. Staff training is where most new licensees drop the ball.
Timing
You need your team trained on the EPOS system at least one week before opening day. Not two days before, not the day before—a full week. This allows time for questions, hands-on practice during a closed shift, and corrections to setup (like price misconfiguration or category naming) before real transactions start. On quiz night at Teal Farm, if your bar staff aren’t fully confident with the till, you lose money because transactions are slower, prices get entered wrong, and you can’t manage the rush.
What Training Should Cover
- Basic transaction processing (ring sale, process payment, void transaction)
- Opening and closing the till (reconciling cash, understanding till reports)
- Handling common issues: card declined, customer dispute, refund
- How to read basic reports (daily sales, payment summary, discrepancies)
- Who to call if the system crashes or a card reader stops working
Don’t assume bartenders will figure it out. Have a print-out of “Top 10 Things to Do on the Till” posted behind the bar for the first month.
Backup Plan
What happens if your EPOS goes down during service? Most pubs have a manual fallback—paper transaction slips or a manual till system—but you need to test it before opening. I know the owner of a 150-cover pub whose EPOS crashed on a Saturday night. Without a backup process, they stopped taking payments for 40 minutes, lost sales, and had to manually reconcile transactions later. Plan for this.
Day-One Checklist
Before your opening shift:
- All hardware powered on and tested (till drawer opens, card reader connects, kitchen printer prints)
- All staff present and trained on basic transactions
- Till floats allocated (usually £50–£100 per till)
- First transaction test completed (ring a test sale, void it, confirm it doesn’t appear in reports)
- EPOS provider contact number visible by the till
- Manager briefing completed on how to read end-of-day reports
Common Mistakes New Licensees Make
Choosing EPOS Based on Monthly Fee Alone
A system costing £60/month sounds cheaper than £120/month, but if the cheaper system has 1.8% processing fees and the expensive one has 1.3% processing fees, you’ll pay more over time through card processing. Look at total cost of ownership, not just headline fee.
Not Configuring Products and Categories Correctly
Your EPOS is only as useful as the data it collects, and data quality depends on correct product setup. If you don’t set up product categories (e.g., lager vs ale vs cider vs soft drinks), you can’t analyse what’s selling. If you set up prices wrong, your margins are instantly wrong. Spend time on the setup—it takes 2–3 hours but saves months of bad data.
Not Understanding Payment Processing
Many new licensees don’t realise that payment processing fees are one of their largest ongoing costs. If you’re not monitoring card processing reports monthly, you might be paying higher fees than necessary or getting charged for failed transactions. Get your merchant statement every month and understand exactly what you’re paying and why.
Ignoring Pubco Integration Requirements Early
If your pubco requires EPOS integration (for stock or ordering), it’s easier to build that into your initial setup than retrofit it later. But most new licensees don’t ask their BDM about EPOS requirements until the system is already installed. Ask at the beginning of your onboarding process, not two weeks before opening.
No Backup Internet or Payment Processing
Cloud-based systems can go down. Payment processors can go down. If you have no backup plan, you stop trading. At minimum, a 4G hotspot and a manual card processing option should be available on day one.
“My Current Till Works Fine”
This is the objection I hear most often from licensees considering a change. If your current system is a legacy standalone till with no cloud sync, no real-time reporting, and no integration with modern accounting or stock software, it’s costing you money through lost data visibility. A modern EPOS system costs more upfront but saves time and reveals profit leaks you’re currently missing. It took me six months of EPOS data at Teal Farm to realise my weekly labour cost was 15% of revenue instead of the 25–30% benchmark because the old till didn’t track transactions by time or staff member. That visibility paid for the EPOS upgrade in the first year.
—
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use my own EPOS system if my pubco doesn’t approve it?
Technically yes, but your tenancy agreement likely requires approval. Most pubcos won’t object to modern systems like Square, Toast, or Lightspeed if they integrate properly, but they may insist on specific reporting or integration features. Always ask your BDM or Business Support team before ordering hardware—if they say no after you’ve paid for it, you’ve wasted money.
What’s the cheapest EPOS system for a small pub?
Budget systems start around £40–£80/month for software, but total first-year cost including hardware, processing, and setup typically runs £4,000–£7,000 even for the most basic setup. Trying to save £40/month on software often costs more in payment processing fees or missing functionality. Focus on total cost of ownership, not monthly fee.
Do I need an EPOS system with a built-in stock control feature?
It depends on your operation. Wet-led pubs with simple inventory (spirits, beer, soft drinks) can function with basic EPOS and manual stock counts. Food-led pubs or those with large inventory benefit greatly from integrated stock control because it reduces wastage and helps identify shrinkage. Discuss with your EPOS provider whether stock integration justifies the extra cost.
What happens if my EPOS provider goes out of business?
This is rare but it happens. Cloud-based data is usually recoverable (exported to CSV), but you’ll need to migrate to a new system quickly if it occurs mid-contract. Ask your provider upfront: how is customer data backed up? What’s their exit plan if they close? Some insurers offer cyber liability coverage that includes business interruption if your EPOS provider fails.
Can I negotiate EPOS costs with my pubco?
Sometimes. Some pubcos have corporate deals with EPOS providers and can negotiate discounts for their tied tenants. Ask your BDM if they have preferred rates or volume discounts. You might also negotiate lower payment processing fees if you commit to a longer contract. It’s always worth asking, especially if you’re opening multiple sites or signing a longer tenancy lease.
You now know what EPOS systems actually cost and what to look for—but most new licensees still don’t have visibility on whether their specific pub will actually be profitable once these costs are factored in.
Before you sign anything, know your numbers. Use Pub Command Centre to get real-time financial visibility from day one—labour percentages, VAT liability, and actual cash position. £97 once, no monthly fees.
Choosing the right EPOS system before opening day isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the few decisions you make early that directly impacts your ability to manage costs for the next three to five years. Get the hardware right, understand the true cost of ownership, negotiate the contract carefully, and train your team properly. Everything else—marketing, pricing, menu—depends on having clean, accurate transaction data from day one. That’s what a proper till system setup delivers.
For more information, visit retail partner earnings calculator.
For more information, visit best pub EPOS systems guide.