A practical guide for UK hospitality and leisure venues
What Is an EPOS or POS System?
EPOS means electronic point of sale: the software and compatible equipment used to record transactions and support the work around them.
This page explains how EPOS Bookings handles everyday sales and order management. It supports payment processing through compatible configured methods, alongside menu and product management, order handling and reporting. Orders can be associated with tables, tabs or rooms where the required workflow is configured, while stock deductions and low-stock alerts can support product management. Multi-location and cloud management access also give operators a way to work with information across more than one site.
What does an EPOS system include?
EPOS software records products, prices, customer orders and sales. It can also support stock information and reporting, depending on the functions configured. EPOS hardware is the physical equipment used by staff or customers, such as a touchscreen till, receipt printer, scanner or compatible payment terminal. A complete EPOS system brings the relevant software and hardware together for the way a business trades.
POS and EPOS are often used for the same point-of-sale purpose. When comparing suppliers, focus on the actual capabilities, equipment, payment connections, support and ongoing costs rather than the label alone. If you are choosing physical equipment, see our EPOS hardware guide; for software functions, explore EPOS software.
This page concentrates on what happens during a sale: finding products, recording orders, updating relevant stock and reviewing the resulting transactions. Booking, check-in and industry-specific journeys have their own guides.
Process sales around the way your customers order
A useful EPOS sales system starts with the transaction itself. Staff need to find the right product or menu item, select the relevant options, make changes where required and complete the sale using an appropriate configured payment method.
Menu and product management provides the structure behind those transactions. That might mean food and drink choices in hospitality, retail products at a leisure venue or a mixture of both. The aim is to give staff a clear way to record what the customer is actually buying.
Payment methods depend on the compatible options configured for your setup, so any specific payment requirement should be checked when your system is planned.
In everyday use
Follow a sale from order to kitchen and payment
Imagine a customer at table 6 orders two meals and drinks. A member of staff records the order through EPOS. Before preparation is completed, one diner changes an available side. Staff update the order and make sure the changed information is communicated through the configured kitchen workflow.
The table reference keeps the order associated with the correct customer location. When the diners have finished, the transaction can move through the venue’s configured payment process.
This same principle can support different service models. Orders can be linked with tables, tabs or rooms where the appropriate workflow has been configured. If room transactions need to connect with a hotel property management system, the specific PMS and required posting, correction or reconciliation process should be checked individually.
Keep product and stock information connected
Stock management adds another layer to the sales process. Where configured, sales can deduct relevant product stock, helping the recorded quantity reflect items sold through the system. Low-stock alerts can also be configured to help staff identify products that are reaching the chosen threshold.
Stock requirements vary by business. A straightforward retail item may be handled differently from a hospitality product with more detailed ingredient or recipe requirements, so the level of stock management you need should be discussed when defining the setup.
Product stock is also distinct from venue or activity capacity. Stock concerns items available for sale; capacity concerns the number of customer places made available for a session or activity.
Use reporting to review the trading day
Once transactions have been processed, reporting gives managers a way to review the sales information recorded through EPOS.
At the end of a trading day, a manager may want to look back at the sales processed through the system and understand activity across relevant products or service areas. This creates a clearer operational record than treating each till transaction as an isolated event.
The reports available should be considered alongside the way you structure products, sales points and locations so the information reflects the operation you want to review.
In everyday use
Manage more than one location through cloud access
Businesses operating multiple locations can use multi-location and cloud management access to work with relevant information beyond a single physical till. This can help operators who need a broader view of their EPOS setup across different sites.
Cloud management describes how authorized users access relevant system information; it should not be interpreted as an offline operating guarantee. If connectivity behaviour is important to your business, discuss the exact requirement before choosing your setup.
Understand the software, hardware and connected services
EPOS software provides functions such as sales, products, orders, stock and reporting. Hardware is the physical equipment used to operate that software, such as the relevant till and payment equipment. Together, the selected software and hardware form the working EPOS system.
Connected services such as payment providers or hotel PMS platforms introduce another consideration. Compatibility and the required workflow should be checked individually rather than assuming every external system connects in the same way.
If a software improvement would better suit your operation, we can discuss the requirement and agree an appropriate scope. Where the improvement is agreed and confirmed, it can be provided without a software-development charge.
- Sales and payment processing with compatible configured methods
- Menu and product management
- Configured stock deductions and low-stock alerts
- Orders associated with tables, tabs or rooms where required
- Sales reporting
- Multi-location and cloud management access
- Individual checks for payment and PMS requirements
Your questions answered
Frequently asked questions
What does EPOS sales and order management software do?
It provides tools for recording sales, managing products and menus, handling orders and processing payments using compatible configured methods. Reporting and stock functions can also form part of the setup.
Can EPOS sales update stock levels?
Stock deductions and low-stock alerts can be used where configured. The appropriate stock structure depends on the products you sell and the level of stock management your operation requires.
Can orders be linked to tables, tabs or hotel rooms?
Table, tab and room-linked workflows can be considered where required. Hotel PMS connections and other external system requirements should be checked for the specific provider and workflow.
What is the difference between EPOS software and hardware?
Software provides the sales, product, order, stock and reporting functions. Hardware is the physical equipment used to operate the system. Your complete EPOS setup combines the relevant software and hardware for your business.
Explore related solutions
EPOS Bookings · UK-wide
Build your EPOS around real transactions
Tell us what you sell, how customers order and pay, how you manage stock and whether you operate across multiple locations. We can discuss the sales, order, reporting and hardware requirements that fit your day-to-day operation.