Best POS Systems for Cafés in the UK
A café POS needs to be quick, easy for staff, decent with tips, and not fall over during the Saturday morning oat-flat-white stampede. You want fast taps, simple menus and reliable card payments — not a 12-week onboarding project.
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Our top picks for cafés
Square
4.5The strongest free POS software option. Tidy app, decent ecosystem, no monthly fee to start. Great for small retail, cafés and service businesses that want software without signing their life away.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0 (paid POS tiers available)
- Transaction fee
- 1.75% in-person (no monthly/setup fee on standard)
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- Next working day (instant transfer for a fee)
- Genuinely good free POS app
- 1.75% flat rate isn't bespoke-cheap at high volume
SumUp
4.4The “just let me take payments” option. Cheap to start, portable, dead simple. Brilliant for low-volume and mobile sellers; you may outgrow it for a full restaurant setup.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Transaction fee
- from 0.99% (Payments Plus) / 1.69% standard
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (next-day option)
- Cheap, low-commitment hardware
- Standard rate isn't the cheapest at higher volumes
PayPal Zettle
4.2PayPal-friendly card payments with a simple reader and no monthly software fee for basic use. Good for small retailers and mobile sellers already in the PayPal world.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Transaction fee
- 1.75% card & contactless
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (into PayPal/bank)
- No monthly fee for the basic POS app
- Ecosystem less ambitious than Square
Dojo
4.1Built for growing businesses that want faster payouts and hands-on, sales-led support. Strong in hospitality and higher-volume retail. Rates are quote-based — read the contract and monthly structure carefully.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- From ~£15/mo (quote-based)
- Transaction fee
- Tailored rates (quote-based, often blended)
- Contract
- Contract terms vary — check carefully
- Payouts
- Next-day, as fast as same-day payouts
- Fast payouts (as quick as same day)
- Quote-based pricing — less upfront transparency
What matters for cafés
Speed at the counter
Quick item buttons and contactless that taps first time during the rush.
Tips and split bills
Easy tipping prompts and the ability to handle a quick table or two.
No painful contract
Most cafés do well on pay-as-you-go so you're not locked in while you find your feet.
Decent reporting
See your best sellers and busiest hours without exporting to a spreadsheet.
Fees to watch
Recommended setup
Square's free POS app with a Square Reader or Terminal is the sweet spot for most independent cafés. SumUp is great if you want the cheapest, simplest start. Step up to Dojo if you're high-volume and want same-day payouts.
Compare these providers
Showing 4 of 4 providers
Prices last checked:| Provider | Best for | Monthly | Transaction | Reader from | Contract | Payouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Square4.5 | Cafés | £0 (paid POS tiers available) | 1.75% in-person (no monthly/setup fee on standard) | £19 + VAT | No contract (pay-as-you-go) | Next working day (instant transfer for a fee) | Visit |
SumUp4.4 | Market stalls | £0 | from 0.99% (Payments Plus) / 1.69% standard | £19 + VAT | No contract (pay-as-you-go) | 1–2 working days (next-day option) | Visit |
| PayPal users | £0 | 1.75% card & contactless | £29 + VAT (first reader often discounted) | No contract (pay-as-you-go) | 1–2 working days (into PayPal/bank) | Visit | |
Dojo4.1 | Restaurants | From ~£15/mo (quote-based) | Tailored rates (quote-based, often blended) | Hardware/payment-plan pricing (quoted) | Contract terms vary — check carefully | Next-day, as fast as same-day payouts | Visit |
- Monthly
- £0 (paid POS tiers available)
- Transaction
- 1.75% in-person (no monthly/setup fee on standard)
- Reader from
- £19 + VAT
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- Next working day (instant transfer for a fee)
- Watch out for
- 1.75% flat rate isn't bespoke-cheap at high volume
- Monthly
- £0
- Transaction
- from 0.99% (Payments Plus) / 1.69% standard
- Reader from
- £19 + VAT
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (next-day option)
- Watch out for
- Standard rate isn't the cheapest at higher volumes
- Monthly
- £0
- Transaction
- 1.75% card & contactless
- Reader from
- £29 + VAT (first reader often discounted)
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (into PayPal/bank)
- Watch out for
- Ecosystem less ambitious than Square
- Monthly
- From ~£15/mo (quote-based)
- Transaction
- Tailored rates (quote-based, often blended)
- Reader from
- Hardware/payment-plan pricing (quoted)
- Contract
- Contract terms vary — check carefully
- Payouts
- Next-day, as fast as same-day payouts
- Watch out for
- Quote-based pricing — less upfront transparency
Find the right POS for your café
Answer a few quick questions and we'll match you to providers that fit how you actually trade.
FAQs
What's the cheapest way for a café to take card payments?
A SumUp or Square reader on pay-as-you-go has no monthly fee — you only pay a percentage per transaction. That's usually cheapest until you're taking serious volume, where a quote-based provider may beat the flat rate.
Do I need a full till system for a café?
Not necessarily. A tablet running Square or Zettle with a card reader covers most independents. You only need a full till bundle if you want a fixed counter station with a cash drawer and receipt printer.
How we compare
We compare providers using publicly available pricing, contract information, hardware costs, payout details, software features and suitability for different UK business types. Some links may earn us commission, but providers cannot pay to change our editorial verdicts. Read our full methodology.
The POS editorial team
Independent UK payments research. We test, read the small print and write it up in plain English.