What a takeaway EPOS really costs.

The five things you actually pay for

When someone quotes you for a till, the monthly number is only part of it. Over a year, these five decide what you really pay:

1. The software. The monthly fee for the till system itself.
2. The hardware. The till or tablet, receipt printer, cash drawer, and any kitchen screen or kiosk screen. Some companies sell it to you, some rent it, some let you use your own.
3. Card fees. A percentage of every card payment. On a busy shop this can be bigger than the software fee.
4. Add-ons. Kitchen display, kiosk, loyalty, stock, online ordering. On some systems each one is another monthly fee, sometimes per screen.
5. The contract. A 12-month contract is a cost too, because you can't walk away if it isn't working.

What the main systems charge

These are the prices each company publishes on its own UK pages. Prices change, so check their page before you decide.

And here's what the extras cost, because this is where the totals pull apart:

A worked example: till, kitchen screen and one kiosk

Say you want what most busy takeaways end up with: one till, a kitchen screen and one self-order kiosk. Using the published prices above, before card fees and hardware:

To be straight with you: if all you need is a till and a kitchen screen, Square's free plan is hard to beat on price. The gap opens up once you add the things takeaways usually want next, like loyalty, stock and recipe costing, staff rotas, your own ordering website and a second kiosk. On ServeMate those are all in the £49. On most others, each one is another line on the bill.

The costs that catch people out

• Per-device fees. A kiosk at £35 a month per device is £70 a month for two. Check whether screens are priced per shop or per device.
• Card fees. On £10,000 a month of card takings, 1.75% is £175 and 1.2% is £120. That difference alone is more than some software fees. ServeMate takes cards through Dojo, and we'll introduce you to our Dojo account manager to get you their best rate.
• Online ordering fees. Some systems charge per online order. SumUp's online ordering is 2.7% + 12p per delivery or collection order, which is 66p on a £20 order. ServeMate's ordering website takes 0% commission.
• VAT. Some prices are shown excluding VAT, so the amount on your bank statement is higher. Check before you compare.
• Upfront hardware. A bundle that's "down from £849" is still money out on day one, often tied to a contract.
• Contracts. Ask how long, and what it costs to leave early.
• Hardware lock-in. Some kiosks need an iPad, some systems only run on their own kit. ServeMate runs on Android tablets and Windows devices you can buy anywhere, with any Bluetooth thermal printer, or a wired one on Windows.

How to keep the cost down

1. Write down what you actually use before you get quotes: till, kitchen screen, kiosk, website, loyalty, rotas. Then price every system with all of it, not just the till.
2. Ask for the per-device price of every screen.
3. Work out your card fees on a normal month's takings, not just the software.
4. Avoid long contracts until you've run it through a few busy Friday nights.
5. Use a free trial properly. Set up your real menu and take real orders before you commit.

Where ServeMate fits

ServeMate is £49 a month per shop. The till, online ordering on your own website at 0% commission, kitchen screen, self-order kiosk, TV menus, loyalty, marketing emails, staff rotas, driver tracking, stock and margins, safety logs and reports are all included. Sophie, our AI phone assistant, is the only paid extra at 25p a minute, only while she's on a call.

There's a 30-day free trial and no contract. Shops that start before 31 January 2027 keep £49 a month for as long as they stay. See every price.

Sources: Square for Restaurants UK pricing, SumUp POS Pro pricing, Epos Now countertop POS, Lightspeed Restaurant UK pricing, Flipdish UK pricing, Foodhub fish and chip shop EPOS. Checked 10 November 2026.

By Brad-Lee Navruz, founder of ServeMate. Fifteen years behind a chip shop counter, ten of them in management.