EPOS vs POS:
what is the difference?
There is no practical difference. POS means point of sale and EPOS means electronic point of sale: both are the till and software that take orders and payment. UK suppliers and shops say EPOS, and American ones say POS. Either way, it is a till system, and what matters is what it does.
Why two names?
“Point of sale” is the general term, and “electronic” was added when tills stopped being mechanical. In Britain, EPOS stuck: it is the word on supplier websites, card processors' paperwork and accountants' emails. In the United States it is usually POS.
In a shop, most people just say “the till”. All three words mean the same screen on the counter.
What matters more than the name
Does it take your online orders?
If website orders arrive on a separate tablet, you have two systems, not one.
Does it work offline?
A till that stops when the wifi does will cost you a Friday night.
Does it print without a PC?
Receipts and kitchen tickets should go straight from the till to the printer.
Who owns the customer data?
If you leave, does your customer list leave with you?
Questions to ask before you buy any EPOS
Ask for the full cost in writing, including any lease or hardware finance, payment processing and the notice period. Ask whether the hardware is yours. Ask what happens to your data and your menu if you leave. A good supplier answers these without a sales call.
The short answers.
None in practice. EPOS stands for electronic point of sale and POS for point of sale: both mean the till and software that take orders and payments. British suppliers say EPOS and American ones say POS.
Electronic point of sale: the system of till, screen, printer and software that records a sale and takes payment.
A till is the device on the counter. An EPOS system is the till plus the software, printers and connections behind it, such as online orders and reports.
Not legally, but a takeaway that takes online, phone and counter orders is far easier to run with one queue for all of them than with several separate systems.
Where to go next.
See an EPOS system working.
Follow one real order from a customer's phone through the till and the kitchen.