COVID-19 came and swept the world, and UK-wide lockdowns are now a constant threat to restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés and other food venues. Consequently, it’s never been more important for food and drink businesses to offer takeaway, click and collect, contact-free orders or delivery services.

This has had an impact on electronic point of sale (EPOS) software. POS systems that couldn’t previously handle takeaway software are now making an effort to integrate online ordering. Still, not all tills for small businesses are ready for it.

We’ve found the best EPOS software for takeaway, pickup and food delivery.

Takeaway POS Cost* Best for Website
Lightspeed Restaurant Till: £26+/mo
Ordering: £19+/mo
Popular POS with 24/7 support
Square for Restaurants Till: £0-£69/mo
w/ordering features
Payments, ordering and POS in one
Goodtill Till: £38+/mo
w/ordering features
Great free online ordering system
iiko Till: £39+/mo
w/ordering features
Good order options and POS features
TouchBistro Till: £49+/mo
Ordering: Custom
Ease of use, on-site takeaway orders
Revel Systems Till: US$99+/mo
Ordering: Custom
High-turnover, small food businesses

*Excluding VAT.

Takeaway
POS
Cost* Best for

Lightspeed Restaurant


Till: £26+/mo
Ordering: £19+/mo
Popular POS with 24/7 support

Square for Restaurants


Till: £0-£69/mo
w/ordering features
Payments, ordering and POS in one

Goodtill


Till: £38+/mo
w/ordering features
Great free online ordering system

iiko


Till: £39+/mo
w/ordering features
Good order options and POS features

TouchBistro


Till: £49+/mo
Ordering: Custom
Ease of use, on-site takeaway orders

Revel Systems


Till: US$99+/mo
Ordering: Custom
High-turnover, small food businesses

*Excluding VAT.

POS system for pizzeria

Looking for pizza delivery POS systems?

5 best pizza POS systems

Lightspeed Restaurant – popular POS with decent add-ons

Best for: Accessible, but professional, EPOS system for takeaway

Pricing: From £26 + VAT/mo

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: Versatile integrations, can switch to left-handed interface, 24/7 customer support

Cons: Extra cost for ordering features, limited trial, Delivery module requires annual plan

Lightspeed Restaurant is a highly-rated iPad POS app with add-on modules for delivery, takeaway and contact-free ordering on your premises.

There’s a choice between monthly and annual Essentials and Pro EPOS subscriptions, both including one till licence. The Pro plan also has customer loyalty, gift card and table service features. Plans can be cancelled any time, though fees are non-refundable. If you sign up for an annual contract, you will pay a lower monthly fee.

Image: Lightspeed

Lightspeed Restaurant takeaway

Lightspeed Restaurant has adapted well to demand for contactless and ordering features.

Through the delivery POS software Lightspeed Delivery, you can connect the existing food menu in your till with Uber Eats, Deliveroo. Orders will then show in your EPOS and prompt the kitchen to print the order.

Then you have the Order Anywhere add-on, which also comes at an additional cost. This allows you to create a self-order menu where customers can place orders through scanning a QR code at their table. You can also use it as a takeaway ordering system allowing customers to order for pick up through a web page.

Other online ordering software you can connect with include Kitchen CUT, LivePepper, 5loyalty and more.

Lightspeed Restaurant costs
POS subscriptions
(incl. one till licence)
Essentials:
£26 + VAT/mo (annual billing)
£29 + VAT/mo (monthly billing)
Pro (incl. table service, loyalty, gift cards):
£72 + VAT/mo (annual billing)
£79 + VAT/mo (monthly billing)
Extra iPad licence From £22 + VAT/mo
Order Anywhere module Annual plan: £19 + VAT/mo
Monthly plan: £25 + VAT/mo
Delivery module Annual plan and quote required
Lightspeed
Restaurant
costs
POS subscriptions
(incl. one till licence)
Essentials:
£26 + VAT/mo (annual billing)
£29 + VAT/mo (monthly billing)
Pro (incl. table service, loyalty, gift cards):
£72 + VAT/mo (annual billing)
£79 + VAT/mo (monthly billing)
Extra iPad licence From £22 + VAT/mo
Order Anywhere module Annual plan: £19 + VAT/mo
Monthly plan: £25 + VAT/mo
Delivery module Annual plan and quote required

The POS system is suitable for small-to-medium, busy takeaway operations that need to manage table and floor plans (only on Pro plan) and a team of employees. If you’re left-handed, you can even switch to an app layout that’s better for this.

The till works offline, so operations should not be affected by internet outages. All subscriber can use Lightspeed’s own payment system, but you have to buy a specific card machine through the platform to take advantage of it.

Lightspeed Restaurant provides a free onboarding session for every new user and 24/7 support through telephone, email or chat. The till software looks simple, but does require a bit of practice as not all the features are intuitive to navigate.

Payment integrations: Lightspeed Payments (built in), Zettle, Paymentsense, SumUp

Can you try before committing? Yes, you can try a limited demo version of the app or contact Lightspeed for info.

Square for Restaurants – all-in-one takeaway POS system

Best for: All-in-one affordable POS, ecommerce, ordering and payments

Pricing: From £0-£69 + VAT/mo

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: Free payment and ordering tools, choice of integrations, user-friendliness, simple fees

Cons: POS software not the most advanced, till only works with Square card terminals

Square is excellent for small businesses that don’t know where they’ll be in six months’ time (does anyone know these days?). There’s no commitment and many of their tools have no monthly fee.

Takeaway businesses may, however, do best with the paid Square for Restaurants Plus plan for £69 + VAT per month for one location with any number of tills.

The Square restaurant EPOS works on iPad only. The free Square Point of Sale app works on Android too, but may be too simple for takeaway. For a fee/low-cost platform, Square has an amazing selection of sales channels that work together including a virtual terminal, gift cards, payment links and an online store builder. All of these are automatically available in your account.

Photo: Square

Square Online ordering

Set up a free online ordering page via Square Online, integrated with the Square POS system.

The Restaurants software is suitable for small, business food establishments requiring a robust till system that communicates well with other checkouts and the kitchen. Coupled with Just Eat, Deliveroo or Uber Eats through a Deliverect integration, online orders are automatically pushed to the POS system to prepare immediately.

A cheaper way to offer click and collect or delivery is to create a free online ordering page through Square Online (ecommerce builder). QR codes can be printed for your premises so customers can scan and pay for orders on their phones, contact-free. You can either stay on the free commerce plan or pay £9-£60 monthly for more advanced online store tools.

Alternatively, you can integrate Square with e.g. TapTable for contact-free mobile ordering from a table, the local takeaway platform Ritual, Pepper for your own branded app or Mobi2Go for a custom online ordering setup.

Square costs
Square for Restaurants software Free: £0/mo
Plus: £69 + VAT/mo per location
Online order transactions UK/EEA cards: 1.4% + 25p
Other cards: 2.5% + 25p
Pickup orders: No extra fee
In-house delivery: 50p extra per order
Deliverect integration From £49/mo
£149 setup fee
Square
costs
Square for Restaurants software Free: £0/mo
Plus: £69 + VAT/mo per location
Online order transactions UK/EEA cards: 1.4% + 25p
Other cards: 2.5% + 25p
Pickup orders: No extra fee
In-house delivery: 50p extra per order
Deliverect integration From £49/mo
£149 setup fee

Square POS systems only work with Square Reader, Square Terminal and Square Register at a rate of 1.75% per transaction. Payouts go to your bank account the following working day, with optional instant access to funds for an additional 1% fee per transaction.

On Square for Restaurants Plus, you get phone support 24 hours every day, while the Free plan only includes 9am-5pm support on weekdays. Square generally gets good reviews for its simple software and low prices.

Payment integration: Square

Can you try before committing? Yes, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial of Square for Restaurants or use the free plans indefinitely.

Goodtill – great online ordering features included

Best for: Free ordering platform adaptable for many purposes

Pricing: £38+/mo for core POS + hospitality features

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: No monthly cost for online order solution, first £1,000 of orders free

Cons: No Android compatibility, other modules and integrations cost extra

Goodtill is a very customisable POS system for iPad. It is ‘modular’ because there’s a core POS module suitable for different businesses, and then there are optional modules with industry-specific features for e.g. food and drink. You have to subscribe to a minimum of 12 months, after which it becomes a rolling contract.

It’s recommended that food-and-drink businesses subscribe to the Hospitality module (£9 + VAT/month) on top of the Core POS Module (£29 + VAT/month). This will give you table, tab and customer management features not included on Core POS Module, which syncs nicely with online orders.

Image: Goodtill

Goodtill online ordering

Goodeats lets customers order food online for pickup, drop-off and delivery.

Online ordering is enabled through the Goodeats platform (created by Goodtill). There’s no need for customers to use a specific takeaway app like Uber Eats to access your store. Instead, Goodeats allows merchants to build a web page with your ordering menu which can be added to your website or linked on social media.

This can be used for several purposes:

  • Customers can scan a QR code and order without talking to staff (good for social distancing, queue-busting and table ordering)
  • Customers can order online for delivery or collection

Goodeats integrates with your POS food menu and kitchen display, and you can manage orders from the POS app or web browser. There are lots of customisations such as putting a limit to how many orders you can handle at the same time, opening hours, branding and types of services offered. The best part is perhaps that there are no monthly fees – you only pay a charge per transaction accepted.

Goodtill costs
Core POS module £29 + VAT/mo per iPad licence
Optional modules: Hospitality, Kitchen Display Screen, Customer-Facing Display £9 + VAT/mo each
Optional modules: Advanced Stock, Advanced Promotions, Loyalty £18 + VAT/mo each
Optional module: Business Analytics £29 + VAT/mo
Goodeats No monthly cost
Table order & drop-off transactions:
1.7% +12p
Pickup & delivery transactions:
2.7% + 12p
No charge for first £1k of orders
Goodtill costs
Core POS module £29 + VAT/mo per iPad licence
Optional modules: Hospitality, Kitchen Display Screen, Customer-Facing Display £9 + VAT/mo each
Optional modules: Advanced Stock, Advanced Promotions, Loyalty £18 + VAT/mo each
Optional module: Business Analytics £29 + VAT/mo
Goodeats No monthly cost
Table order & drop-off transactions:
1.7% +12p
Pickup & delivery transactions:
2.7% + 12p
No charge for first £1k of orders

Goodtill connects with no-contract card readers from Zettle, Square and SumUp as well as traditional terminals from Barclaycard and Paymentsense. You can also sync the system with Xero, QuickBooks, WooCommerce or your own website and food delivery software.

Customer support is limited to undisclosed opening hours (we asked them about opening times, but they evaded the question). Generally, Goodtill gets good customer reviews with positive feedback on the software.

Payment integrations: Barclaycard, Zettle, Paymentsense, Retail Merchant Services, Square, SumUp

Can you try before committing? You can book a free trial or demo of the software through Goodtill’s contact form.

iiko – for serious quick-service businesses

Best for: Fast-growing takeaway businesses expecting to adapt along the way

Pricing: From £39 + VAT/mo per till

Compatibility: PC touchscreens, Mac (via web browser)

Pros: Many food and drink features, no lock-in, several delivery and order options, good service

Cons: No Android or iPad compatibility, no trial, ordering apps cost extra

iiko
(4/5)

iiko is a lesser-known POS system in the UK that nonetheless represents good value for money. The till software works only in a web browser, not iPad or Android tablets. Consequently, iiko will sell you a touchscreen computer, receipt printer and accessories to complete the setup.

iiko works in conjunction with a number of takeaway and ordering systems. For example, the software can be integrated directly with Deliveroo or Uber Eats for online delivery orders. You can also subscribe to a table-side ordering app for contactless ordering, or manage your own delivery drivers through a dedicated app.

Image: iiko

iiko EPOS system

iiko EPOS has a good range of till features, with several options for takeaway.

Quick-service businesses can benefit from the handheld iikoNano, which is a portable touchscreen terminal with built-in POS software for on-the-go orders (card payments require a separate card reader). This is an affordable first step for those not quite ready for a computer till, or those who want a portable till to sync with the main point of sale.

The system has many features including the ability to take over-the-phone orders, table reservations, advanced inventory management, staff rotas and offline mode.

There are different amounts of features on the Basic, Professional or Enterprise plans (paid monthly, or annually for a discounted price), but they all have a generous selection of functions for the price. There is no lock-in, so you can cancel the plan any time.

Subscriptions iiko costs
Basic, licence per till £49 + VAT/mo
£468 + VAT/year
Professional, licence per till £69 + VAT/mo
£659 + VAT/year
Enterprise, licence per till £99 + VAT/mo
£999 + VAT/year
Table-side ordering app £12 + VAT/mo per device
Driver app £12 + VAT/mo per device
Subscriptions iiko costs
Basic, licence per till £49 + VAT/mo
£468 + VAT/year
Professional, licence per till £69 + VAT/mo
£659 + VAT/year
Enterprise, licence per till £99 + VAT/mo
£999 + VAT/year
Table-side ordering app £12 + VAT/mo per device
Driver app £12 + VAT/mo per device

Integrations with certain external software may require the higher subscriptions. But generally, iiko is suitable for any size business – in fact, it scales up pretty nicely with multi-store takeaway operations and can be adapted at any point.

Customer support is available 24/7 online or via telephone. It is limited how many UK reviews there are, but most of them are positive about their experiences with iiko. It is not clear which card machines can be integrated with iiko, but merchants can most likely choose one of the major payment providers in the UK.

Payment integrations: Ask iiko about options

Can you try before committing? There’s no trial, but you can request a free demo on iiko’s website.

TouchBistro – great for the till, limited for online orders

Best for: User-friendliness of POS system

Pricing: From £49 + VAT/mo

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: Advanced EPOS that’s easy to figure out, many features for the price, good customer support

Cons: Online ordering limited to Uber Eats and Deliveroo, no Android compatibility, 12-month commitment

TouchBistro is superb as a POS system for small, single-location restaurants looking for advanced till software that’s easy to use. The software requires a minimum commitment of 12 months, but TouchBistro’s 30-day free trial at the beginning is generous compared to alternative solutions.

The till interface is very user-friendly, with in-app explanations in the settings menu where it gets more advanced. This is a system that’s made for first-time users who nonetheless require a full range of restaurant features.

Image: TouchBistro

TouchBistro Self Ordering Kiosk

TouchBistro Self Ordering Kiosk is ideal for socially distanced orders on your premises.

That being said, the only delivery platforms you can integrate are Uber Eats and Deliveroo through Deliverect. Since these are not cheap delivery solutions, TouchBistro might be more appealing for on-premise orders through the TouchBistro Self-Ordering Kiosk (priced as an additional iPad licence). This allows customers to submit and pay for food orders, then wait while you prepare the meals on site.

Alternatively, you can accept orders over the phone, which can be entered manually through the till interface. Customer details, notes and other information can be added, then sent to the kitchen. Payments can be completed via your payment system in any way you like.

TouchBistro costs
Software licence for first iPad £49 + VAT/mo (billed annually)
Software licence for 2nd & 3rd iPad £45 + VAT/mo (billed annually)
Software licence for 4th-9th iPad £40 + VAT/mo (billed annually)
Software licence for 10+ iPads Custom quote
Deliverect integration Quote required
TouchBistro
costs
Software licence for first iPad £49 + VAT/mo (billed annually)
Software licence for 2nd & 3rd iPad £45 + VAT/mo (billed annually)
Software licence for 4th-9th iPad £40 + VAT/mo (billed annually)
Software licence for 10+ iPads Custom quote
Deliverect integration Quote required

The POS software only works on iPad, not Android or touchscreen computers. Hardware is sold by TouchBistro directly, but you can also shop elsewhere for the compatible till equipment. The till software works offline if you’re just using one iPad, but requires a local network setup for offline mode across multiple tills.

TouchBistro offers highly-rated, round-the-clock support by phone, chat and email. We have had a good experience of the service when testing the system, but the UK range of features (namely delivery and takeaway options) is limited compared to the North American version of TouchBistro that has more to offer.

Payment integrations: Barclaycard, Paymentsense, Square

Can you try before committing? Yes, TouchBistro has a 7-day free trial and 21 days’ trial extension after creating an account.

Revel Systems – custom POS package with web ordering

Best for: Stable, high-turnover businesses looking for complete solution

Pricing: US$99/mo + US$674 installation

Compatibility: iPad

Pros: Custom web order platform, 24/ customer support, rich inventory features

Cons: 3-year contract, high setup cost, high monthly fees, slow service

Revel Systems is an all-in-one iPad EPOS system offered together with hardware bundles, payment processing, installation and an online ordering solution. You may be able to request the software separately if you already have compatible till equipment, but the Revel sales team are big on selling their own iPads and accessories.

Revel is not a cheap solution. Prices are only provided on request, with additional fees hidden in the small print. However, the software does have advanced inventory features, analytics and a fully customisable web order page for takeaway, delivery and collections (some features may cost extra). The EPOS can work offline and the user-friendly interface is good for speedy transactions.

Revel Systems app

Revel POS works with a customisable delivery or order-and-collect system.

There is also a feature allowing customers within your venue to place orders away from the till. The web order page for delivery and collections is not the most intuitive or modern-looking – but it works. Integrations with other software platforms are available on request.

Typically, merchants have to sign a contract of three years (with a hefty early termination fee), but shorter agreements may be possible. Make sure you get written confirmation of all the fees in your contract before committing to anything.

We’ve seen lots of users complaining of hidden costs and unmet promises, causing much regret later on when they’re stuck in an expensive contract. You do get 24/7 customer support on hand, but help with onboarding and receiving the equipment has been reported as slow by some users.

Revel costs
Installation US$674*
POS software From US$99*/mo per till

*US pricing. Exact quotes for UK merchants are only given by Revel on request.

Revel costs
Installation US$674*
POS software From US$99*/mo per till

*US pricing. Exact quotes for UK merchants are only given by Revel on request.

Revel has its own payment processing system, but it’s unclear whether it works in the UK. In any case, it’s possible to integrate card machines from UK-based payment providers at varying costs depending on the solution.

Payment integrations: Zettle, FreedomPay, others

Can you try before committing? There is no trial, but you can request a free demo from Revel.

Summary

Takeaway EPOS Description Site
Lightspeed Popular POS with ordering add-ons
Square Affordable all-in-one payments, ordering & POS
Goodtill by SumUp Free, fully integrated online ordering features
iiko Great-value EPOS features, ordering & delivery options
TouchBistro Easy till software & on-site takeaway orders
Revel Systems High-turnover, small food businesses with consistent sales
Takeaway
EPOS
Description Site
Lightspeed Popular POS with ordering add-ons
Square Affordable all-in-one payments, ordering & POS
Goodtill by SumUp Free, fully integrated online ordering features
iiko Great-value EPOS features, ordering & delivery options
TouchBistro Easy till software & on-site takeaway orders
Revel Systems High-turnover, small food businesses with consistent sales