Why Restaurant Payments Are Different
Restaurants and hospitality businesses have unique payment needs:
- High transaction volume - Hundreds of transactions per day
- Fast table turnover - Speed is critical, especially during rush hours
- Tips management - Legal requirement to distribute tips fairly
- Split bills - Multiple payments for one table
- Table-side service - Customers expect to pay at the table
- EPOS integration - Payments must sync with till system
- Late-night trading - Need 24/7 support for issues
Essential Features for Restaurants
1. Table-Side Payment Terminals
Mobile wireless terminals allow servers to take payments directly at the table.
✓ What to Look For:
- Battery life: Minimum 8-10 hours for full shift
- 4G connectivity: Works even if WiFi drops
- Contactless: Up to £100 limit
- Tip prompts: Customizable tip percentages (10%, 12.5%, 15%)
- Durability: Can handle drops and spills
- Fast printing: Receipt in under 3 seconds
Recommended Models:
- PAX A920: Large screen, Android-based, £350-450
- Ingenico Move/5000: Robust, reliable, £250-350
- Verifone V400m: Professional grade, £400-500
💡 Pro Tip: For busy restaurants, have 1 terminal per 3-4 servers. A 20-table restaurant typically needs 3-4 terminals minimum.
2. Tipping Features
Critical for hospitality - must comply with UK tipping laws (2024 Tipping Act).
| Feature |
Why It Matters |
| Pre-set tip percentages |
Speeds up payment, increases average tips |
| Custom tip entry |
Customers can enter their own amount |
| Tip reporting |
Required for legal tip distribution |
| Automatic tip pooling |
Calculate fair distribution to all staff |
Case Study: Italian Restaurant, London
Challenge: Slow payment process, staff manually calculating tips
Solution: Portable terminals with pre-set tip options (10%, 12.5%, 15%)
Results:
- Payment time reduced from 5 minutes to 90 seconds
- Average tips increased from 8% to 11.5%
- £2,400 additional annual tip income for staff
- Table turnover improved by 15 minutes per sitting
3. EPOS Integration
Your card terminal must sync seamlessly with your till system.
✓ Integration Benefits:
- Automatic reconciliation: No manual matching of payments
- Real-time reporting: Know exactly what's sold and paid
- Reduced errors: No double-entry of amounts
- Faster checkout: Amount auto-populates from EPOS
- Better inventory tracking: Link sales to stock
Popular UK Restaurant EPOS Systems:
| EPOS System |
Compatible Terminals |
Best For |
| Lightspeed |
Most major providers |
Multi-location restaurants |
| Square for Restaurants |
Square terminals only |
Small cafés & quick service |
| TouchBistro |
Wide integration support |
Full-service restaurants |
| Tevalis |
Most providers |
High-end dining |
| Epos Now |
Own integrated solution |
Budget-conscious businesses |
4. Split Bill Functionality
Allow multiple customers to pay separately for one table.
✓ Split Bill Options:
- Split by item: Each person pays for what they ordered
- Split equally: Divide total bill by number of people
- Split by amount: Custom amounts per person
- Multiple payments: Process 5-10 cards for one bill
5. Online Ordering & Delivery Integration
Accept payments from multiple channels seamlessly.
- Deliveroo/Uber Eats: Automatic reconciliation
- Website orders: Virtual terminal or payment gateway
- Phone orders: Manual card entry (MOTO)
- Table reservations: Deposit payments
Cost Expectations for Restaurant Payment Systems
| Component |
Typical Cost |
Notes |
| Transaction Rate |
0.75%-1.50% |
Lower for high volume (£50K+/month) |
| Terminal (mobile) |
£250-450 purchase or £25-35/month rental |
Buy outright to save long-term |
| EPOS Integration |
£0-£50/month |
Often included with modern systems |
| Virtual Terminal |
£10-25/month |
For phone/online orders |
| Tip Reporting Software |
£0-£30/month |
May be included with terminal |
Example: 80-Cover Restaurant
Monthly turnover: £60,000 (70% card payments = £42,000)
Setup:
- 4× mobile terminals (purchased): £1,200 one-time
- EPOS integration: Included
- Virtual terminal: £15/month
Monthly costs:
- Transaction fees (1.05% avg): £441
- Virtual terminal: £15
- Total: £456/month
Effective rate: 1.09% - Excellent for hospitality
Speed & Service Considerations
Payment Speed Matters
In hospitality, every minute counts:
- 2 minutes saved per table = 6 extra sittings per night
- 10 seconds faster card processing = Happier customers
- Table-side payment = 30% faster than bringing terminal
Peak Hour Capacity
✓ Can Your System Handle:
- 10-15 transactions simultaneously?
- 50+ transactions in a 30-minute rush?
- Multiple terminal connections without slowing down?
- Offline mode if internet drops mid-service?
Support Requirements
Restaurants need better support than most businesses:
✓ Essential Support Features:
- 24/7 phone support: Issues happen Friday/Saturday nights
- UK-based team: No language barriers during rush
- Next-day terminal replacement: Can't wait 3-5 days
- Dedicated account manager: Knows your business
- Engineer callout: For complex EPOS issues
💡 Critical Question: "If my terminal stops working Saturday night at 8pm, what happens?" The answer tells you everything about the provider's service quality.
Legal & Compliance
UK Tipping Act 2024
All tips must be:
- Distributed fairly to workers
- Allocated by a clear policy
- Paid by end of following month
- Tracked with proper records
Your payment system must:
- Separately record tips from transaction total
- Generate tip reports for distribution
- Allow different tip pools (FOH, BOH, etc.)
PCI Compliance
Restaurants must:
- Use PCI DSS certified terminals
- Never write down full card numbers
- Complete annual PCI questionnaire
- Train staff on card security
Top Providers for UK Restaurants
| Provider |
Best For |
Strengths |
| Dojo |
Full-service restaurants |
Excellent hospitality features, great EPOS integration |
| SumUp |
Small cafés |
Simple, affordable, no monthly fees |
| Worldpay |
Multi-location chains |
Enterprise support, robust reporting |
| Zettle |
Quick service |
Easy setup, competitive rates |
| Square |
Modern casual dining |
All-in-one EPOS + payments |
Implementation Checklist
✓ Before Going Live:
- Test all terminals with real transactions (£1-5 test charges)
- Test tip functionality with multiple percentage options
- Verify EPOS integration - run 10 test orders
- Test split bill functionality
- Train ALL staff (day shift + night shift)
- Create quick reference cards for common issues
- Save support number in all staff phones
- Test during quiet service first (Monday lunch)
- Keep old system available for 24 hours as backup
- Review first week's statements for any anomalies
💡 Final Tip: The best restaurant payment system is one your staff barely notice. It should be so fast and intuitive that they focus on customers, not technology.