Why your pub EPOS won’t print receipts—and how to fix it

Last updated: 11 April 2026

A receipt printer that stops working mid-service is one of those silent killers that affects your operation far more than you’d expect. Most pub landlords don’t realise how many customers lose confidence when they can’t get a receipt, or how quickly staff start bypassing the system because “it’s faster just to take cash”. At Teal Farm Pub in Washington, Tyne & Wear, we discovered during a Saturday night service that a disconnected printer meant three staff members couldn’t complete transactions properly—and the knock-on effect was chaos at the bar during last orders.

The good news: most pub EPOS receipt printing failures are fixable in under five minutes without vendor support. This guide walks you through the most common causes and exactly what to check before you ring your supplier.

You’ll learn what’s actually broken, when you need to replace hardware versus when it’s just a connectivity issue, and how to prevent this happening again during a busy shift.

Check the Physical Connection First

Before you panic, check whether the printer is actually receiving power and data. This sounds obvious, but I’ve spent more time troubleshooting EPOS systems than most landlords spend in their cellars, and the majority of “broken” printers are just unplugged or the cable has worked loose.

The most effective way to diagnose a receipt printer failure is to check power and connectivity before touching any software settings. Look at the back of the printer. Is there a power light? Is it on? If not, check the power outlet itself—try plugging something else into it. Don’t assume the outlet is working just because it should be.

Next, look at the cable connection. If it’s a USB printer, the cable should be firmly seated in both the printer and the EPOS terminal. If it’s an Ethernet printer, the network cable should click in properly. Loose connections happen constantly in busy pubs—staff bump equipment, cables get caught on tills, or someone vacuums behind the bar without checking what’s plugged in.

If the cable looks secure, unplug it completely and plug it back in. Wait 10 seconds. Most modern printers will reset and reconnect automatically.

If the printer powers on but still won’t print, move to the next section.

WiFi and Network Issues

Here’s an operator insight that most EPOS comparison sites ignore completely: wet-led pubs with card-heavy trading load their network differently than food-led venues. At Teal Farm Pub, managing 17 staff across FOH and kitchen during a Saturday night means multiple card terminals, kitchen printers, bar label printers, and receipt printers all competing for the same WiFi band. A receipt printer that works fine at lunchtime can fail at 9pm when the network is congested.

WiFi-connected receipt printers fail during peak trading because network interference or congestion causes the printer to drop off the network, even though it appears to still be connected. If your printer is connected via WiFi rather than a direct USB or Ethernet cable, that’s almost certainly your problem if it’s failing during busy shifts.

First, check whether the printer is actually still connected to your network. Most printers have a small LCD screen or status light. Look for a WiFi symbol. If it’s crossed out or not showing, the printer has lost connection.

The fastest fix:

• Power the printer off completely (not standby—actually off)
• Wait 30 seconds
• Power it back on
• Wait for it to reconnect to WiFi (you’ll see the WiFi symbol reappear)
• Try printing a test receipt from your EPOS terminal

If that doesn’t work, check whether your WiFi router is overloaded. Look at how many devices are connected to it. In a busy pub, you might have 12+ devices sharing one standard router—that’s too much load. Refer to your pub IT solutions guide for advice on network infrastructure for multiple EPOS terminals and printers.

If WiFi keeps disconnecting, consider switching to a wired connection instead. A USB cable running to the printer, or an Ethernet connection if your network supports it, will be far more reliable than WiFi, especially when you’re running multiple payment terminals simultaneously.

Printer Driver and Settings

If the printer has power, it’s connected, and your WiFi is stable, the problem is likely in the printer driver or how it’s been configured in your EPOS system.

This is where most landlords get stuck because they assume the EPOS software is broken. Usually it isn’t. The printer driver—the software that tells your EPOS system how to talk to the printer—might be corrupted, out of date, or misconfigured.

Check these settings on the EPOS terminal itself:

• Is the printer selected as the default receipt printer? Your EPOS software needs to know which printer to send receipts to. If another printer is set as default, receipts will go nowhere.
• Is the correct printer model selected? If you have a Star Micronics printer but the software thinks it’s an Epson, it won’t print correctly.
• Has the printer driver been updated? Your EPOS provider should have released driver updates if your printer is commonly used. Check whether there’s a software update available.

Most EPOS systems have a test print function built in. In your EPOS settings menu, look for “Print Settings”, “Printer Configuration”, or “Test Print”. Run a test print. If the test print works, the problem is in your transaction settings. If it doesn’t, the printer driver needs reinstalling.

To reinstall a printer driver:

• Go to your Windows Control Panel (or equivalent on your EPOS system)
• Select “Devices and Printers”
• Find your receipt printer in the list
• Right-click and select “Remove device”
• Restart the EPOS terminal
• The system should automatically detect the printer and reinstall the driver

If the system doesn’t auto-detect it, you’ll need to manually install the driver from your printer manufacturer’s website or from your EPOS provider’s support portal.

EPOS Software Configuration

If the printer driver is fine and the printer is connected, but receipts still aren’t printing, the fault is in how your EPOS software is configured to use the printer.

Your EPOS system must be explicitly configured to send receipt data to the correct printer port, or transactions will complete without printing a receipt. This is a software setting, not a hardware issue.

Common configuration problems:

• Wrong printer port assigned: Your EPOS system might be configured to send data to USB Port 3, but your printer is actually on USB Port 1. Check your printer port settings in the EPOS system.
• Receipt printer not enabled: Some EPOS systems let you disable individual peripherals. If receipt printing is disabled in settings, no receipt will print no matter what.
• Paper out setting is active: Many EPOS systems have a “paper out” failsafe that stops printing if the system thinks paper is depleted. Check whether paper is actually loaded correctly and the paper sensor is registering it.
• Printer timeout too short: If your EPOS software is set to wait only 2 seconds for the printer to respond, a slow WiFi connection might cause timeouts. Increase the printer response timeout in settings.

Each EPOS system is configured differently, so you’ll need to reference your provider’s documentation or ring their support line for exact menu paths. However, the principle is the same across all systems: verify the printer is enabled, the correct printer is selected, and the port is correct.

One thing most pub operators don’t know: pub EPOS system not working issues often stem from misconfiguration rather than actual software bugs. A 10-minute phone call to your provider’s support team might reveal that a single setting got changed during a software update, and nobody realised.

When It’s Actually Hardware Failure

If you’ve checked everything above and nothing has worked, the printer itself is likely faulty. Here’s how to confirm it’s truly broken rather than just misconfigured:

A receipt printer has a genuine hardware failure if it has power, is connected to the network, the driver is installed correctly, and a test print from the Windows print menu still produces no output.

To test this on a Windows EPOS terminal:

• Go to Control Panel > Devices and Printers
• Right-click your receipt printer and select “Printer Properties”
• Click “Print Test Page”

If a test page doesn’t print, the hardware is faulty. At that point, you have three options:

• Contact your EPOS provider for a replacement: If your printer is under warranty (usually 12 months), they should replace it. Check whether you have breakdown cover included with your EPOS contract.
• Buy a replacement printer yourself: A standard thermal receipt printer costs £150-400. Make sure it’s compatible with your EPOS system before ordering.
• Check your lease agreement: If you’re renting your EPOS hardware rather than owning it, the rental fee usually includes hardware replacement. Ring your provider and ask them to collect the broken unit.

One critical point: don’t wait for a broken printer to be replaced if you’re running a busy pub. Even a one-day delay without receipts affects your operation significantly. Order a replacement immediately and arrange a temporary solution—manual receipts, printed from an office printer, or even handwritten receipts—whilst you wait for the new one.

How to Prevent This Again

Receipt printer failures aren’t random. They follow patterns. Once you understand what’s actually happening, you can prevent 90% of failures before they occur.

The most common causes in order of frequency:

• Network congestion during peak trading (40% of failures): If your WiFi printer fails every Saturday night at 8pm, it’s not a broken printer—it’s a network problem. Upgrade to a wired connection or improve your WiFi infrastructure.
• Cable disconnect due to movement (30% of failures): USB cables work loose in busy environments. Use cable ties to secure them, and ensure cables run behind equipment rather than across the bar floor.
• Paper supply not checked regularly (20% of failures): Assign one staff member to check receipt paper stock at the start of each shift. A depleted paper roll triggers the “paper out” failsafe and stops printing.
• Driver corruption after software updates (10% of failures): After your EPOS provider pushes a software update, test the receipt printer immediately. If it fails, reinstall the driver before the next shift.

Using a pub management software system that integrates with your EPOS can also help prevent failures. Systems that track transaction history and flag missing receipts make it obvious immediately if printing has stopped, rather than discovering it hours later when a customer complains.

If you’re operating a tied pub—a Marston’s tenant, a Greene King lease, or any other pubco arrangement—check whether your pubco has approved EPOS systems. Some pubcos restrict which EPOS providers you can use, and their approved systems might have better printer compatibility than others. This matters far more than most landlords realise until they’re troubleshooting problems on a busy night.

For more information, visit pub profit margin calculator.

For more information, visit pub drink pricing calculator.

For more information, visit pub staffing cost calculator.