Best POS for Small Cafes and Coffee Shops
Which POS suits a small cafe or coffee shop? Square, SumUp, Zettle, Clover and DineHarbor compared on prices published in October 2026.
Updated 3 min read
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Key takeaways
- A counter only cafe can run on a card reader and a simple app, while one with tables, a kitchen or online orders needs a restaurant system.
- Published in person card rates are close, from 1.69% to 1.75%, so the difference is in hardware, plans and add ons.
- Square has a free plan, Clover lists Register at £39.95 and Table Service at £59.95 a month, and DineHarbor is £69 a month per location with screens and ordering included.
- Speed at the rush matters most: test the till with a real queue before you commit.
In short: a small cafe should choose by speed at the rush, the number of devices and how much of the menu is food. Prices below come from each vendor's own page in October 2026. We separate what a vendor publishes from what we could not read.
What a cafe needs
- A fast till: a few taps for the usual flat white.
- Modifiers: milk, size, extra shot, without confusion.
- Card and contactless: reliable at the counter.
- Opening and closing: a float and a cash up.
- Optional: a printer or screen for food, online orders, loyalty.
Our cafe business plan guide and POS cost guide help with the numbers.
Options at a glance
As of October 2026.
| Option | What it publishes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Square | Free plan, in person 1.75%; Reader £19 plus VAT, Terminal £149 plus VAT (pricing); Plus £69 for restaurants (Square UK) | A start up counter cafe |
| SumUp | Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 excluding VAT; 1.69%; Payments Plus £19 a month (SumUp) | The lowest entry cost at the counter |
| Zettle | Reader from £29 for new users, Terminal from £149; 1.75%; no recurring fees (Zettle) | Counter sales with PayPal funds |
| Clover | Register £39.95, Table Service £59.95 a month; hardware £15 to £30 a month plus VAT; card rates by quote (Clover plans, restaurants) | A cafe wanting rented hardware |
| Epos Now | Bundles with a subscription from £54 a month (Epos Now) | Bundled hardware and support |
| DineHarbor | £69, £129 or £219 a month per location, with kitchen screens, waiter phones and ordering included (pricing) | A cafe with a food menu and online orders |
A counter cafe
If you sell coffee and cakes over a counter, a reader with a simple app is the cheapest start. Compare SumUp, Zettle and Square on card readers for cafes. The numbers are close, so test the app at your busiest hour.
A cafe with tables or a kitchen
Once you serve at tables, need tickets for a kitchen or take online orders, you need a restaurant system. Square Plus and Clover Table Service add table plans and kitchen routing; Clover lists bill splitting and kitchen printers. Ask about the cost of a kitchen screen and a second till.
DineHarbor
DineHarbor's Starter plan is £69 a month per location, excluding VAT, with two tills, two kitchen screens, five waiter phones, online ordering and QR table ordering, and a 30 day free trial. It runs on tablets and phones you already have, and you bring a card provider. It does not sell hardware, does not take delivery app orders and has no iPhone app in the App Store yet. A tiny stall with a few sales a day may find a reader cheaper.
A worked example
Round, made up numbers: a cafe takes £8,000 a month by card.
| Option | Software | Card fees at published rate |
|---|---|---|
| Square free plan | £0 | £140 at 1.75% |
| SumUp pay as you go | £0 | £135.20 at 1.69% |
| DineHarbor Starter | £69 | Your provider's rate |
At these figures the reader options win on cost. The comparison changes once you add screens, online ordering and loyalty, which are paid or missing elsewhere.
Test at the rush
- Count devices you need.
- Ask for a written total for a year.
- Try the till in your busiest hour.
Questions and answers
What is the best POS for a small cafe?
For a counter only cafe, a simple app with a card reader may be enough. If you have tables, a kitchen or online orders, choose a system that covers them. Total the cost for a year.
Do I need a kitchen screen in a cafe?
Not always. A small food menu may work with a printer. Add screens when tickets stack up.
Can a cafe take online orders from the till?
Some systems include online ordering. Square says its online ordering has no monthly fee or commission, and DineHarbor includes ordering on every plan.
How much should a small cafe pay?
It depends on devices and card sales. Price a full year including hardware and card fees. See our POS cost guide.
See it in DineHarbor
About the author
Editorial team
The DineHarbor team writes this blog for restaurant owners and managers. Every article is checked against the product before it is published, so what we describe is what the software does.
All articles by DineHarbor team
