Best POS Systems for Restaurants in the UK
A restaurant POS has to handle tables, tabs, coursing, tips and a kitchen that's already on fire at 8pm. You want something staff can learn fast and that won't drop payments mid-service.
What restaurants actually pay
Start from typical numbers for your trade - then make them yours.
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Our top picks for restaurants
Dojo
4.1Strong on rates and payouts - just read the contract first.
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)
- Avoid if: You hate contracts, sales calls or quote-based pricing.
Square
4.5The easiest all-rounder for most small businesses.
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
- Avoid if: You're chasing the absolute lowest rate at high volume.
Toast
3.9The most complete restaurant platform in the UK - if you'll accept the contract that comes with it.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- Quoted (plans by venue)
- Transaction fee
- Integrated Toast Payments (quoted rates)
- Contract
- Contract terms - check length before signing
- Payouts
- Typically next business day
- Purpose-built for restaurants: handheld ordering, kitchen displays, coursing and tips
- Avoid if: You run retail, trade mobile, or want no-contract flexibility.
Lightspeed
4.1A powerful retail/hospitality POS - overkill if you just need a reader.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- From ~£59/mo (plan dependent)
- Transaction fee
- Payments via Lightspeed or integrated provider (quoted)
- Contract
- Subscription, often annual
- Payouts
- Depends on payments provider
- Powerful inventory and reporting
- Avoid if: You only need to take card payments.
What matters for restaurants
Table & tab management
Open tabs, move tables, split bills and add service charge without a maths degree.
Reliability under pressure
Connectivity and uptime matter more than saving 0.1% on the rate.
Fast payouts
Cash flow is king in hospitality - next-day or same-day settlement helps.
Tips handling
Proper tipping and tronc-friendly reporting for staff.
Fees to watch
Recommended setup
For table service, a hospitality-grade POS (Toast or Square for Restaurants) paired with a fast-payout card machine like Dojo is a strong combo. Lightspeed suits larger or multi-site operations.
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 |
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 |
Lightspeed4.1 | Multi-location retail | From ~£59/mo (plan dependent) | Payments via Lightspeed or integrated provider (quoted) | Hardware bundles (quoted) | Subscription, often annual | Depends on payments provider | Visit |
Toast3.9 | Restaurants | Quoted (plans by venue) | Integrated Toast Payments (quoted rates) | Purpose-built hardware (bundled/quoted) | Contract terms - check length before signing | Typically next business day | 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
- You're chasing the absolute lowest rate at high volume.
- 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
- You hate contracts, sales calls or quote-based pricing.
- Monthly
- From ~£59/mo (plan dependent)
- Transaction
- Payments via Lightspeed or integrated provider (quoted)
- Reader from
- Hardware bundles (quoted)
- Contract
- Subscription, often annual
- Payouts
- Depends on payments provider
- Watch out for
- You only need to take card payments.
- Monthly
- Quoted (plans by venue)
- Transaction
- Integrated Toast Payments (quoted rates)
- Reader from
- Purpose-built hardware (bundled/quoted)
- Contract
- Contract terms - check length before signing
- Payouts
- Typically next business day
- Watch out for
- You run retail, trade mobile, or want no-contract flexibility.
Find the right POS for your restaurant
Answer a few quick questions and we'll match you to providers that fit how you actually trade.
FAQs
What POS do most independent restaurants use?
Square for Restaurants and Toast are popular with independents for table management, while Dojo is widely used for the card machine and fast payouts. Bigger groups often run Lightspeed.
Is Dojo good for restaurants?
Yes - Dojo is popular in hospitality for reliable card machines, fast (even same-day) payouts and hands-on support. Just check the contract and monthly terms, as pricing is quote-based.
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.
Reviewed by Nathan Keeble - Founder, The POS
Independent UK payments research. We research the pricing, read the small print and write it up in plain English.