POS hardware: what a POS machine costs in the UK
A POS machine costs from £19 + VAT for a Square Reader that uses your phone as the till, to £699 + VAT for a two-screen Square Register. A complete SumUp till with printer and cash drawer is £599 ex VAT (£718.80 incl. VAT). Buy outright where you can: Square's published instalments on the Register cost £9.00 more than paying up front.
Every price read from the vendor's own UK store on 1 November 2026, with the vendor's own VAT wording.
POS system hardware prices
Card readers (use your phone or tablet as the till)
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Reader (2nd generation) | £19 + VAT | n/a | pairs with the Square app on your phone or tablet |
| SumUp Solo Lite | £25 ex VAT (£30 incl. VAT) | n/a | phone-paired reader |
| Shopify WisePad 3 card reader | £59 (VAT not stated) | n/a |
Card terminals
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Terminal | £149 + VAT | £25 + VAT/month for six months | all-in-one card machine with receipt printer |
| SumUp Solo | £79 ex VAT (£94.80 incl. VAT) | n/a | standalone reader |
| Shopify POS Terminal | £239 (VAT not stated) | n/a |
Handheld POS
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Handheld | £169 + VAT | £29 + VAT/month for six months | |
| SumUp Terminal | £135 ex VAT (£162 incl. VAT) | n/a | handheld POS with printer |
| Shopify Verifone Victa Mobile | £323 (VAT not stated) | n/a | runs Shopify POS, takes payments, scans barcodes |
Tablet stands
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Stand | £99 + VAT | £17 + VAT/month over six months | you supply a compatible USB-C iPad |
| Shopify Bouncepad Eddy 2 tablet stand | £131 (VAT not stated) | n/a |
Countertop registers
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Register (2nd generation) | £699 + VAT | £59 + VAT/month for 12 months | two touchscreens, built-in software |
| SumUp Register | £399 ex VAT (£478.80 incl. VAT) | n/a | dual-sided register |
Complete till bundles
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Full POS Kit | £599 ex VAT (£718.80 incl. VAT) | n/a | register, printer and cash drawer |
| SumUp Retail POS Kit | £649 ex VAT (£778.80 incl. VAT) | n/a | register, printer, cash drawer and barcode scanner |
| Epos Now Complete Solution bundle | "From £299" promotional (requires 12-month subscription from £25/month) | n/a | other bundle prices on the same site differ; confirm at quote |
| EPOS Direct Complete EPOS package | From £799 outright (VAT not stated) | £66.99/month for 12 months, then £0 | no ongoing software fee; choose your own card provider |
Printers and cash drawers
| Device | Price | Pay monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shopify Star Micronics TSP143IV receipt printer | £269 (VAT not stated) | n/a | |
| Shopify Star Micronics CD4 16" cash drawer | £95 (VAT not stated) | n/a |
Square quotes "+ VAT", SumUp "ex VAT" with the VAT-inclusive price alongside, and Shopify's UK hardware store does not state VAT treatment. Not published, so not listed: hardware from Lightspeed, Zonal (Aztec EPOS), Tevalis, Toast, ICRTouch (TouchPoint and TouchOffice Web).
Tablet POS or all-in-one POS terminal?
Tablet you already own (iPad or Android). The cheapest route. Loyverse runs on any iOS or Android phone or tablet, Square Stand (£99 + VAT) holds a compatible USB-C iPad at the counter, and Shopify sells a POS Hub that wires printers and scanners to an iPad or Android tablet. You pay for the tablet separately and you are responsible for keeping it working.
All-in-one register. One device with the till software and card payments built in: Square Register (£699 + VAT) or SumUp Register (£399 ex VAT (£478.80 incl. VAT)). Costs more up front, but nothing to assemble and one supplier to call when it breaks.
Handheld. Order taking and payment in one device, for table service and queues. Worth it when staff take orders away from the counter; otherwise a fixed till does the job.
Mobile or cloud POS mostly means the same thing in practice: the till app keeps your item list and sales online, so a reader in your pocket at a market stall and a register in the shop can share one account.
Buy outright or pay monthly?
| Device | Outright | Instalments (arithmetic) | Extra for paying monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Stand | £99 + VAT | £17.00 × 6 = £102.00 | £3.00 |
| Square Terminal | £149 + VAT | £25.00 × 6 = £150.00 | £1.00 |
| Square Handheld | £169 + VAT | £29.00 × 6 = £174.00 | £5.00 |
| Square Register (2nd generation) | £699 + VAT | £59.00 × 12 = £708.00 | £9.00 |
| EPOS Direct Complete EPOS package | From £799 outright (VAT not stated) | £66.99 × 12 = £803.88 | £4.88 |
Square describes its instalment plans as interest free; the totals above are its published monthly figures multiplied out. EPOS Direct's 12-month plan ends with no further software fee.
First-year cost for a £5,000 a month shop
Hardware plus a year of software plus a year of card fees on £60,000 of card sales (£5,000 × 12):
| Setup | Hardware | Software (year) | Card fees (year) | First year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Full POS Kit + Free POS | £599 ex VAT (£718.80 incl. VAT) | £0 = £0.00 | £60,000 × 1.69% = £1,014.00 | £1,613.00 |
| Shopify Victa Mobile + Basic plan | £323 (VAT not stated) | £25 × 12 = £300.00 | £60,000 × 1.7% = £1,020.00 | £1,643.00 |
| Square Register + Square Free | £699 + VAT | £0 = £0.00 | £60,000 × 1.75% = £1,050.00 | £1,749.00 |
The hardware is the smaller number. Over a year, card fees on £60,000 are larger than any of the devices, so the card rate matters more than the device price from year two onwards, when the hardware is paid for. Totals mix VAT bases (Square "+ VAT", SumUp ex VAT, Shopify not stated); a VAT-registered business can usually reclaim the VAT on hardware.
Need a cash drawer for an existing tablet setup? Shopify lists a Star Micronics 16 inch drawer at £95 (VAT not stated); SumUp's kits include one.
Buying POS hardware? Check the card rate first
Tell us your monthly card takings. We compare the rate that comes with your till against live quotes. Free, no obligation.
POS terminal brands you will see
Square and SumUp make their own registers, terminals and readers. Shopify's UK store sells its own POS Terminal and readers alongside third-party devices from Verifone, Star Micronics, Epson, Bouncepad and Zebra. Epos Now and EPOS Direct sell complete bundles. Hospitality systems such as Zonal, Tevalis and ICRTouch price their hardware by demo or quote.
For the software side, monthly plan prices and which card rate comes with each till, see the EPOS systems comparison. If you only need to take payments, a standalone card machine or a mobile card reader is enough.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a POS machine in the UK?
From £19 + VAT for a Square Reader that runs off your phone, to £699 + VAT for a Square Register. A complete SumUp till with printer and cash drawer is £599 ex VAT (£718.80 incl. VAT), or £649 ex VAT (£778.80 incl. VAT) with a barcode scanner. Checked 1 November 2026 on each vendor's site.
Can I use an iPad as a POS system?
Yes. Square Stand (£99 + VAT) turns a compatible USB-C iPad into a counter till, and Shopify's hardware store sells hubs that wire printers and scanners to an iPad or Android tablet. Loyverse's free POS app runs on any iOS or Android phone or tablet.
Is it cheaper to buy POS hardware outright or pay monthly?
Outright, on Square's published instalments. The Register at £59 + VAT/month for 12 months totals £708.00, which is £9.00 more than £699 + VAT paid up front. Spread the cost only if cash flow needs it.
Which POS vendors do not publish hardware prices?
Lightspeed, Zonal (Aztec EPOS), Tevalis, Toast, ICRTouch (TouchPoint and TouchOffice Web) price hardware by demo or quote. Ask for the hardware cost, the software fee and the card rate as three separate lines so you can compare them.