Epos Now Review (2024): Price, Features & Expert Insights

Complete Retail and Hospitality POS System With Widely Compatible POS Software

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Epos Now offers a POS system tailored to SME hospitality and retail businesses with basic processing needs. Unlike many competitors, it lets you use its software with third-party hardware. You can also choose any preferred payment processor, potentially leading to more favorable processing rates.

Epos Now also stands out as an all-in-one solution, combining hardware, software, and payment processing. But unlike most competitors who offer free 24/7 customer support, it charges an additional fee for this service.

Epos Now caters to businesses operating both in person and online. It features a proprietary website builder that lets you easily create a basic e-commerce shop. Alternatively, you can integrate its POS system with major e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce.

Despite having fewer apps than some competitors, Epos Now allows you to enrich your POS offering with loyalty programs, booking tools, and accounting integrations. Regardless of the number of added functionalities, it’s one of the easiest POS systems to use – you can train your staff to use it in less than 15 minutes.

Epos Now offers wider accessibility than most competitors and is available in 74 countries. The hardware supports various languages and boasts automatic language detection, a feature rarely found elsewhere.

After extensive research, I discovered that Epos Now suits small to mid-sized businesses ready to commit to a long-term contract. Keep reading to find out whether it’s the right POS for your business.

Many Features for Hospitality and Retail Businesses

Epos Now provides essential features and additional functionalities, though its offerings are less advanced than those of more sophisticated POS systems. Still, Epos Now could work for more complex retail and restaurant businesses selling in multiple locations and channels. Retail businesses also benefit from flexible shopping options, while hospitality businesses get access to various ordering options and prolonged offline functionality.

Flexible POS Software To Use With Proprietary and Third-Party Hardware

Epos Now is uniquely positioned as both a standalone, widely compatible software and an all-in-one POS solution. Its hardware range is pretty limited, but you can use existing equipment or choose other brands that suit your business better – a level of flexibility that’s rare in the industry.

Unlike some competitors that work on specific devices, Epos Now is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, iPad, and most web browsers. You can operate the web-based interface and dedicated POS app from virtually anywhere.

While it lacks some advanced features like processing of standalone refunds, exchanges for retail, and upselling prompts for restaurants, the POS software is very customizable thanks to the readily available apps on its AppStore and its API. For example, Deputy helps you manage staff scheduling, attendance, and performance. Apps like Loyalzoo and VoucherCart help you gain repeat business with rewards, gift cards, and vouchers.

Compared to alternatives, Epos Now has extended offline support and can store offline transactions for up to two weeks. Many competitors will delete offline data after a few days without connection. Epos Now also stands out with the ability to process any card type offline – not only cash and manually keyed-in payments. This is particularly helpful if you’re operating in a high-traffic environment where downtime can significantly impact sales.

Versatile POS for Retail Businesses

Epos Now POS caters to various retail niches. Gift shops can bundle products together to increase sales. Convenience stores with thousands of products benefit from its swift barcode management system. Apparel store owners will find value in unified inventory management across locations and sales channels.

You can connect customer shopping profiles with loyalty points across locations and channels. You can also set automatic updates to customer profiles after purchase and use customer behavior data to create more impactful marketing campaigns and promotions.

Epos Now’s multi-site and multichannel management tools simplify employee and inventory oversight for small to mid-sized businesses. Stores that need more complex support might be better off with Shopify’s advanced omnichannel features1, such as sale item suggestions and more flexible shopping options like in-store refunds for online purchases.

Customizable POS for Hospitality Businesses

If you run a restaurant, Epos Now’s customizable plans can help you turn tables faster. At the same time, its floor management tools let you maximize your space and streamline service. However, its system lacks support for automatic gratuities.

Pubs and bars benefit from a specific loyalty program feature – free drink chips to enhance customer retention. Cafés will find the one-touch ordering system invaluable for quick and efficient service.

Hotels with restaurants (in selected countries) can benefit from property management app Mews. You can automatically sync your Epos Now system with Mews PMS, unifying restaurant and hotel revenue streams. It also allows you to manually add items and put restaurant bills on your guests’ room accounts.

The Epos Now platform offers multiple options for ordering: Click & Collect for contactless ordering, table ordering with pay-at-table functionality, online ordering, pre-ordering at a specified time and date, and delivery.

The system syncs inventory between the POS and kitchen for an additional monthly fee, ensuring accurate tracking and reducing waste. Real-time management capabilities include tracking orders and table times, as well as the ability to make last-minute amendments to orders. This is particularly useful when customers change their minds or during peak hours when mistakes happen more often.

 Epos Now offers in-depth inventory management for hospitality businesses that can compete with more advanced restaurant-centric POS systems – without the hefty price tag. It allows you to manage inventory down to the ingredient level, set drink and meal recipes to prevent over-pouring, and automate purchase orders and stock levels. This level of detail helps in controlling costs and maintaining consistent quality.

Simple Website Builder and Integrations With Notable E-Commerce Platforms

Epos Now gives you access to a basic website builder. While you can find more sophisticated website tools elsewhere, Epos makes it easy and quick to craft a professional-looking website. It supports 55+ languages, more than what many similar builders offer. It also has helpful features like built-in age verification for vape stores.

If you have an existing website built on Wix, Epos Now makes it easy to connect both platforms by offering an easy integration on its AppStore. It also boasts dedicated integrations with major e-commerce platforms like BigCommerce, WooCommerce, and Shopify. This allows you to unify your sales channels and track inventory and performance from one place.

Appointment-based businesses can easily create a dedicated booking website with Appointed, an integration for online scheduling (available in selected countries) that also connects with your Epos Now till.

If you run a hotel business, RoomRaccoon (available in selected countries) helps you increase direct bookings and handle all aspects of your hospitality business. It also allows you to upsell in clever and innovative ways, like offering breakfast at your hotel’s restaurant or room upgrades.

Freedom to Choose Your Own Payment Processor

Unlike many competitors, Epos Now doesn’t limit you to its proprietary processing solution, giving you the flexibility to choose your preferred one. This is particularly beneficial if you are bound to a long-term contract with another processor. Epos Now also offers payment processing solutions through its app market.

Standard payouts take two business days, but Epos Now My Business (available in selected countries), a banking and money management app, can expedite this to next-day payouts. You can also set same-day payouts through the app for a small fee.

Set Up, Onboard, and Train Your Staff in 15 Minutes​

After reviewing real user feedback, I discovered that Epos Now stands out as a highly user-friendly POS system. If you need a simple POS with minimal customizations, you can complete set up and training within 15 minutes.

Getting Started With Epos Now

To get started, you’ll need to fill out an online form with details like your name, company name, email, and phone number. The sales team will reach out to offer a custom quote based on your requirements.

Once you purchase your POS software and/or hardware, Epos Now will provide detailed instructions on setting it up. You also get one-on-one onboarding and unlimited coaching and training throughout your contract term. If you need help, its implementation managers can help you select the right third-party integrations for your business and assist you with tasks like product imports.

Access Real-Time Business Reports and Insights on Any Device

Epos Now helps you track sales, margins, and trends. The advanced search feature lets you sort through trending items, locate products with the best profit margins, and identify non-selling stock.

Generated reports can identify your best and worst-selling products, while promotional and time-comparison reports can enhance your product marketing strategies. These reports also reveal peak sales times and top-performing employees, which makes it easy to optimize staff allocation and boost sales.

The reports are available on any device, so you can access the data whenever you need it. Given its affordable subscription, Epos Now’s reporting and analytics are pretty robust.

Epos Now Apps for On-the-Go Business Management

The free Epos Now Till app, available for both iOS and Android devices, transforms your device into a fully functional POS system. From your tablet or phone, you can track sales, monitor inventory, and process payments on the go. You can also access real-time insightful reports and create custom dashboards to stay on top of your business performance.

If you want to avoid manual keyed-in errors, you can easily Integrate the app with your payment terminal of choice.

Accounting Integrations

Like some competitors, Epos Now integrates with popular accounting software such as QuickBooks, Sage Business Cloud, and Xero. Through these integrations, you can automatically export sales data, thus eliminating the need for manual entries and minimizing human error. Integrating your POS with accounting software keeps sales, products, customers, and suppliers in sync, ensuring up-to-date financial records.

Low to Mid-Range Pricing With Long-Term Contracts

Epos Now employs a subscription-based model with a minimum one-year commitment. Square’s monthly contracts1 might suit you better if you want more flexibility. All plans require an additional fee for 24/7 support, something that’s available by default with most POS providers. But even with the support fee, Epos Now is cheaper than many alternatives.

Each plan covers one location and one register, with additional locations and registers available at a discounted rate. The cancellation policy is stringent: you must pay the full contract price if you cancel early.

Regardless of your industry, the all-in-one POS system costs $79.00/month. This includes hardware, software, e-commerce capabilities, and industry-specific features you can find at most competitors. The all-in-one plan also includes payment processing, which is available as an add-on for all other plans. New businesses may find the mandatory two-year term for this plan too long. Consider talking to sales before purchasing – they may offer discounted rates.

You can purchase the Epos Now software separately for $39.00/month with a one-year term and a $249 upfront cost for cash till, terminal, and receipt printer, a deal unmatched by many competitors. All of Epos Now’s hardware and accessories are affordably priced.

If you decide to sign up for the software package for a one-year term, you’ll be able to use any existing or preferred hardware, a flexibility rarely found in this market. The equipment is yours to keep post-term. However, buying software separately and paying upfront for the equipment is usually more cost-effective.

Using Epos Now for over two years saves on equipment costs, making the all-in-one plan a better investment. Plus, this plan includes insurance for next-day hardware replacement at no extra cost. No matter which plan you choose and how many add-ons you include, Epos Now’s prices will remain reasonable.

Epos Now’s payment processing monthly fee is fairly competitive but some of our top credit card processors charge less. Epos Now charges a consistent flat fee of 2.6% + 10¢ (in-person and online) per transaction. This rate is standard for in-person transactions but advantageous for online transactions, especially in an industry full of complex pricing models and hidden fees.

The Complete POS Solution

2.6% + 10¢ (in-person and online) / transaction

Monthly Fee:$79

No E-commerce Fees

No Software Fees

Max number of locations:1

Payout Time:2 business days

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit/Debit Cards, ACH, PayPal, Bank Transfers, Cryptocurrencies

Get Started

POS Software - Pay Hardware Upfront

2.6% + 10¢ (in-person and online) / transaction

Monthly Fee:$39

No E-commerce Fees

No Software Fees

Max number of locations:1

Payout Time:2 business days

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit/Debit Cards, ACH, PayPal, Bank Transfers, Cryptocurrencies

Get Started

POS Software

2.6% + 10¢ (in-person and online) / transaction

Monthly Fee:$39

No E-commerce Fees

No Software Fees

Max number of locations:1

Payout Time:2 business days

Accepted Payment Methods: Credit/Debit Cards, ACH, Bank Transfers, Cryptocurrencies

Get Started

Safe, Secure, and PCI Compliant by Default

Epos Now is PCI compliant by default and ensures top-tier transaction security. Its robust security features effectively protect your business and customer data. My extensive research shows you can trust it to safeguard your sensitive information.

PCI Compliance & More

Epos Now handles PCI compliance for you, sparing you the lengthy process and PCI-compliance fee some POS providers charge.

As a POS system with wide availability, Epos Now adheres to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), employing compliant data handling practices with stringent EU standards for privacy and protection of personal data. Furthermore, Epos Now’s terminals comply with EMV standards, enhancing security against fraud and adhering to global credit and debit card processing standards.

Additional Security Features

Multifactor authentication (MFA) ensures that only authorized staff members can access your POS. Even with stolen login credentials, access requires a second authentication step. This system’s innovative encryption technology protects all data passing through Epos Now’s terminals.

You can set staff roles and customize employee permissions to enhance internal control over sensitive operations like discounts, voids, and refunds. These features and other robust security measures make Epos Now a reliable and secure choice for POS operations.

Premier Customer Support, but It Might Cost You Extra

Epos Now offers phone, live chat, and email support from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM as standard and 24/7 if you upgrade to premium customer support.

Epos Now’s customer support team is excellent. I had lots of questions because I found the site lacking critical information. First, I reached out via the live chat window on the site. The bot transferred me to a sales agent in minutes, which was pretty refreshing considering that some competitors make it extremely difficult (and time-consuming) to reach an actual human.

The agent replied within seconds. I went back and forth with questions for almost two hours (with delays in between), and the same agent was always there to clarify things. I could download an email transcript of our conversation, making it easier to review everything we discussed. I also received an email with quotes right away.

There’s an option to book an appointment to get help on a specific date, something I haven’t seen many competitors offer.

Epos Now’s support center and knowledge base aren’t the most comprehensive and you may find some broken links along the way. Still, the step-by-step guides and YouTube tutorials are helpful and easy to follow. There are also communities for the retail and hospitality industry to collaborate and learn from fellow business owners. Epos Now’s blog offers the latest trends, insights, and tips for success.