Home / UK / Best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Epos Now vs Lightspeed Restaurant
Plan prices, card rates and contracts in the UK, side by side, from each vendor's own website.
Higher score
Epos Now
UK EPOS supplier selling till software with hardware.
#4 of 10 in best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Read more about Epos NowVisit Epos NowLightspeed Restaurant
Restaurant POS from Lightspeed, sold on monthly plans.
#8 of 10 in best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Read more about Lightspeed RestaurantVisit Lightspeed RestaurantWhich one?
Choose Epos Now if
- Cheaper to start: from £15/mo against from £79/mo
- Lower card rate: 1.2%, where Lightspeed Restaurant does not publish it
Choose Lightspeed Restaurant if
- Easier to leave: 90 days notice, renews automatically against 24 months, renews automatically
Side by side
| Line | Epos Now | Lightspeed Restaurant |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 7.0 / 10 | 5.0 / 10 |
| Starts at | From £15/mo | From £79/mo |
| Plans | Lite: £15/mo; Micro: £25/mo; Countertop 2: £58/mo | Basic: £79/mo; Core: £149/mo; Pro: £219/mo |
| In-person card rate | 1.2% | Not published |
| Online card rate | Not stated | Not stated |
| Commission on orders | Not published | Not published |
| Contract | 24 months, renews automatically | 90 days notice, renews automatically |
| Early exit fee | Sum of all remaining monthly payments to the end of the fixed period, due immediately, with a 3.5% discount if paid on receipt | Unpaid non-recurring fees, plus all recurring fees due for the rest of the Current Term, plus the difference between list price and any discounted price on software or hardware |
| Hardware from | Not stated | Not stated |
| Last checked | 9 Oct 2026 | 9 Oct 2026 |
“Not published” and “Not stated” mean the vendor's own pricing and terms pages did not give the figure when we read them; the sources below name each page and date. Hover a figure to see the vendor's words.
How the scores add up
Epos Now: 7.0
Lightspeed Restaurant: 5.0
Same formula for every system. How we score
Epos Now vs Lightspeed Restaurant: questions owners ask
Which is cheaper to start, Epos Now or Lightspeed Restaurant?
Epos Now: from £15/mo. Lightspeed Restaurant: from £79/mo.
Which has the lower card rate?
Epos Now: 1.2% in person. Lightspeed Restaurant: we did not find an in-person card rate on Lightspeed Restaurant's own pages.
What do they charge on online payments?
Epos Now: we did not find an online card rate on Epos Now's own pages. Lightspeed Restaurant: we did not find an online card rate on Lightspeed Restaurant's own pages.
Do Epos Now or Lightspeed Restaurant take commission on orders?
Epos Now: we did not find a commission figure on Epos Now's own pages. Lightspeed Restaurant: we did not find a commission figure on Lightspeed Restaurant's own pages.
Which has the more flexible contract?
Epos Now: 24 months, renews automatically. Lightspeed Restaurant: 90 days notice, renews automatically.
How much notice do they need to cancel?
Epos Now: one calendar month. Lightspeed Restaurant: 90 days.
Do their contracts renew automatically?
Epos Now: yes, the contract renews automatically. Lightspeed Restaurant: yes, the contract renews automatically.
What does it cost to leave early?
Epos Now: sum of all remaining monthly payments to the end of the fixed period, due immediately, with a 3.5% discount if paid on receipt. Lightspeed Restaurant: unpaid non-recurring fees, plus all recurring fees due for the rest of the Current Term, plus the difference between list price and any discounted price on software or hardware.
Who owns my customer data?
Epos Now: merchant owns its customer, transactional, sales, product and stock data; Epos Now holds a perpetual, irrevocable licence to use it to enhance and provide services (personal data anonymised or aggregated). Lightspeed Restaurant: customer retains all right, title and interest in the Customer Content.
Do I need to buy hardware?
Epos Now: we did not find a hardware price on Epos Now's own pages. Lightspeed Restaurant: we did not find a hardware price on Lightspeed Restaurant's own pages.
Which publishes more of its prices?
Epos Now: all plan prices published. Lightspeed Restaurant: all plan prices published.
Which scores higher, Epos Now or Lightspeed Restaurant?
Epos Now 7.0/10 and Lightspeed Restaurant 5.0/10 on the same formula: prices published, entry price, fees and contract. The breakdown on this page shows where each point comes from.
Should I choose Epos Now or Lightspeed Restaurant?
Choose Epos Now for: cheaper to start: from £15/mo against from £79/mo; lower card rate: 1.2%, where Lightspeed Restaurant does not publish it. Choose Lightspeed Restaurant for: easier to leave: 90 days notice, renews automatically against 24 months, renews automatically. Then check the features you need on each vendor's own site: the score covers price and terms only.
Where every figure on this page comes from
Epos Now
- Lite plan. “Lite Portable card reader for payments on the go Portable card reader Take card payments anywhere Battery powered £179or£15/month” eposnow.com/uk/build-your-system/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Micro plan. “Micro Use your phone or tablet to take payments Cloud based POS software Integrated payments included No hardware to buy £25/month” eposnow.com/uk/build-your-system/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Countertop 2 plan. “Countertop 2 New The next-generation countertop POS. Simplify sales, track stock and grow faster - complete with a handheld Air card reader. 3x More power 15.6" Multi-touch display Instant Responsive experience How many do you need? 1 £299upfront + £58/month subscription” eposnow.com/uk/build-your-system/, read 9 Oct 2026
- In-person card rate. “1.2% per transaction · Next-day settlement · £0 gateway fees” eposnow.com/uk/build-your-system/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Automatic renewal. “The Software licence shall apply for a minimum period of 12 months ("Initial Term") and will automatically renew for further 12 month periods (each a "Renewal Period") unless and until a party provides the other party with written notice to cancel the Software licence at least 30 days before the start of the next Renewal Period” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Contract length. “Each of these propositions will in turn also vary in pricing as to whether you choose a 24-month contract or a rolling month-to-month contract and whether you choose to use Epos Now Payments.” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Early exit fee. “If you wish to terminate before the end of a fixed period, you will be responsible for paying a termination fee being a sum representing the aggregate of the remaining monthly payments falling due before the end of the fixed period. The sum is due immediately and we will apply a discount on payment being received of 3.5%” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Notice period, from the terms. “The propositions which are described as having a monthly rolling period can be terminated by you upon giving us one calendar month's written notice, to expire at the end of a calendar month.” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Leaving early, from the terms. “If you wish to terminate before the end of a fixed period, you will be responsible for paying a termination fee being a sum representing the aggregate of the remaining monthly payments falling due before the end of the fixed period. The sum is due immediately and we will apply a discount on payment being received of 3.5%” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Who owns your data, from the terms. “All Customer data (including but not limited to transactional data, sales data, product data and stock data) are owned by the Customer. 3. The Customer hereby provides Epos Now with a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, worldwide licence to use the Customer's transactional data, sales data, product data and stock data that is generated through the Epos Now System for the enhancement of existing services and the provision of new services for Epos Now, its customers and partner organisations. For the avoidance of doubt, any personally identifiable information will be anonymised and/or aggregated.” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Your data, from the terms. “The Customer hereby provides Epos Now with a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, worldwide licence to use the Customer's transactional data, sales data, product data and stock data that is generated through the Epos Now System for the enhancement of existing services and the provision of new services for Epos Now, its customers and partner organisations. For the avoidance of doubt, any personally identifiable information will be anonymised and/or aggregated.” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Hardware terms. “legal title to the hardware remains with us. At the end of your agreement with us the hardware must be returned to us.” eposnow.com/uk/contact-us/about/terms-website/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Commission on orders: not published. Not stated on eposnow.com/uk/build-your-system/ when read on 9 Oct 2026.
Lightspeed Restaurant
- Basic plan. “## Basic Start fast, stay simple: Take orders, get paid and keep lines moving £79 £ /mo” lightspeedhq.com/uk/pos/restaurant/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Core plan. “## Core Effortless operations and actionable insights to scale. £149 £ /mo” lightspeedhq.com/uk/pos/restaurant/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Pro plan. “## Pro Scale - with multi-location management, benchmark data and new revenue streams £219 £ /mo” lightspeedhq.com/uk/pos/restaurant/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Automatic renewal. “this Agreement will automatically renew for a duration equal to the Initial Term” lightspeedhq.com/uk/legal/lightspeed-service-agreement/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Notice period, from the terms. “until terminated by Customer or Lightspeed by delivery of written notice to the other party at least (i) where the Current Term is more than ninety (90) days, ninety (90) days prior to the end of the Current Term” lightspeedhq.com/uk/legal/lightspeed-service-agreement/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Early exit fee. “Customer will be charged an early termination fee calculated as the sum of: (i) any non-recurring Fees relating to the terminated Agreement(s) which have not been paid to Lightspeed as of the effective date of termination; and (ii) any recurring Fees under the Agreement that would have otherwise become due during the remainder of the Current Term; and (iii) the difference between the list price (as indicated on our website), and the discounted price (if any) on either software and/or Hardware” lightspeedhq.com/uk/legal/lightspeed-service-agreement/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Leaving early, from the terms. “should the Agreement be terminated (a) by Customer prior to completion of the Current Term for any reason other than breach by Lightspeed under Section 13.1, or (b) by Lightspeed for material breach by Customer under Section 13.1 or 13.2, Customer will be charged an early termination fee calculated as the sum of: (i) any non-recurring Fees relating to the terminated Agreement(s) which have not been paid to Lightspeed as of the effective date of termination; and (ii) any recurring Fees under the Agreement that would have otherwise become due during the remainder of the Current Term; and (iii) the difference between the list price (as indicated on our website), and the discounted price (if any) on either software and/or Hardware” lightspeedhq.com/uk/legal/lightspeed-service-agreement/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Who owns your data, from the terms. “Customer retains all right, title, and interest in the Customer Content.” lightspeedhq.com/uk/legal/lightspeed-service-agreement/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Your data, from the terms. “Customer retains all right, title, and interest in the Customer Content. Customer grants Lightspeed a worldwide, royalty-free, sublicensable, transferable, and non-exclusive license to use, access, copy, reproduce, modify, create derivative works of, publish, communicate, transmit, translate, display, and/or otherwise exploit the Customer Content for the purpose of providing, operating, promoting, or improving the Products, including but not limited to creating benchmarking insights, market trend analysis, and recommendations using aggregate and de-identified Customer Content.” lightspeedhq.com/uk/legal/lightspeed-service-agreement/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Card rate, commission on orders: not published. Not stated on lightspeedhq.com/uk/pos/restaurant/pricing/ when read on 9 Oct 2026.