SumUp alternatives - Here are your best options

Researching big decisions that impact your business can be stressful. Nothing can be more stressful for a fledgling business than buying a new point-of-sale system. The decision is one of the biggest choices any manager can make. Your point of sale and payments solutions will impact your employees and the experience of the customers.

Since the rapid growth of the point-of-sale industry in the 2000s, the POS market has grown more competitive than ever before.

Perhaps you've heard of SumUp. While they seem like a good option before you commit the thousands of dollars that a purchase will ultimately cost, you'll want to know if there are better options.

So what else is on the market? Who are the main SumUp competitors? Which point-of-sale providers have the right hardware and software capabilities to suit your needs?

What should a point-of-sale system be able to do?

As you might know, a point-of-sale system, or "POS system," is a computerized cash register that records sales transactions. A point-of-sale system is important for businesses because it allows them to track and manage their inventory and process payments. But the best point-of-sale providers can help do much more, offering more benefits, automation, and operation integration into the system.

A point-of-sale should be able to do the following:

• Track inventory levels and automatically reorder stock when levels get low
• Process credit card payments and online payments
• Print receipts and invoices
• Generate reports on sales, inventory, customer data, and much more
• Integrate with other business software you may need to use
• Make your life easier!

Point-of-sale companies look to expand their functionalities just as the businesses that depend on them look to sell in new and popular ways. Nevertheless, small differences in services can have huge ramifications for businesses.

For example, the hospitality industry had many restrictions during Covid-19. During lockdown restrictions in some countries, selling through delivery or takeaway services was the only way businesses could operate, so integration with companies like Deliveroo were essential, but not all POS providers had that capacity.

Mobile payments, loyalty programs, booking systems, payment processing systems with mobile wallets: businesses have many varied needs that must be catered to. You need to be detailed and specific during the research process so that you settle on a provider you know can offer you everything you need.

SumUp alternatives: Epos Now

Epos Now has been developing its systems since its founding in 2011. Founder Jacyn Heavens says that a POS should be "affordable, make your life easier, your customers happier and be accessible from anywhere." The existing market wasn't fulfilling his needs when he was running a bar.

The Epos Now hardware options

Epos Now provides an expansive selection of hardware directly. Still, when it comes to their point of sale, the additional advantage is that users can run the till software from a personal laptop or PC, even a mobile phone.

You can access Epos Now's cloud POSfrom any device with an internet connection, including mobile apps, which enables merchants to keep a steady eye on trade even when they leave the business to run errands or take time off.

The Epos Now hardware offer:

• Regular, fixed POS terminal
• Secure, automatic cash-drawer
• Thermal receipt printer
• Credit and debit card readers
• Barcode scanners and printers
• Kitchen printers
• Mobile point of sale
• Mobile card readers
• Staff and customer card readers
• Kitchen display screen

Epos Now's team can also expand the software to create bespoke hardware setups for businesses with specialist needs, creating the limitless potential for small businesses to expand.

Despite incorporating a wide variety of needs, Epos Now hardware offers the retail and hospitality industries the dependable products that most will need, with the option to accept payments in addition to the point of sale.

Epos Now Payments

Like SumUp, Epos Now has in-house POS and card reader options, which many businesses are switching to. Receiving all hardware from one provider simplifies a hardware setup, which many businesses prefer.

If you've been considering SumUp, then you may have been looking at a POS and payment solution option, for which Epos Now provide a popular alternative. Both Epos Now and SumUp offer payment services. Using the same provider allows you to view all your reports on transactions, employee performance, and card payment figures to be located in the same place.

Epos Now's blended rate approach to accepting payments further simplifies this process. Your average card machine deal involves a complicated transaction rate table for different card payments. 

One might pay 2% for one kind of payment, 3% for another, and so on. Blended rates offer a much less stressful solution to this problem. Your business will pay one rate at purchase, so you'll always know exactly where you stand.

Epos Now Payments allows you to accept credit cards, debit cards, and online e-commerce payments for your online stores. It also allows you to choose between the Link countertop card machine and the Pro mobile payment device. The Pro helps hospitality businesses offer payment-at-table and frees staff from behind the counter in retail.

What to like about Epos Now Payments

• Accept payments through countertop or mobile devices
• All payment reporting in one place
• Accept all payment types
• Fast onboarding to get you started quickly, with one support team for POS and payment queries
• Rigorously follows payment industry standards

Epos Now software

Even with the best hardware on the market, you'll struggle to run your business without strong POS software that incorporates the functions you need to complete your service. As Jacyn Heavens said, a POS should also be affordable, so finding a product that saves you time at a good price is equally important.

Your POS systems can be broken down into two main parts: the back office used for management and the front till where staff process sales.

Front till software

The front till is the bread and butter of your business, where the hard work you put into setting your system up pays off through speedy, streamlined transactions.

Epos Now's front till is so easy to use managers can train new staff in as little as fifteen minutes before they can be sent off to make sales. Products can be scanned into baskets or tapped in through hotkeys. Hotkeys can be colour coordinated and placed in order, with images and product information attached, meaning your team will never be without the information they need to answer customer queries.

The front till has many adjustable features, and the systems staff role feature means managers can control which team members can perform which functions, bringing reliability, security, and control to the business.

Perhaps you need a detailed table plan with multiple food preparation areas to send orders, have thousands of products to filter during sales, and sell different products in different locations. No matter what, Epos Now's transaction software brings flexibility that will allow you to set your system up however you need it.

Back office software

The transaction software might be where the action happens, but a good POS back office offers companies enormous opportunities to save time when completing operations. Whether this is about putting products online, running an accounting system, helping you track sales, or innumerable other tasks, your back office can help you complete them.

Epos Now's Back Office has sections on reports, business setup, app management (and the AppStore, in addition to the main management pages for products, inventory management, customers, and staff.

Each section has dozens of options to help you run your business, from calculating profit margins and gross profit to setting minimum stock levels and email alerts to prevent running out of products.

Users can access the software remotely, as all information is stored using cloud-based technology. You can export data, but if you're making large changes to the system, you can import it from a spreadsheet, making tedious jobs much quicker and easier.

Epos Now and apps

If one thing sets Epos Now apart, it's the additions to the system users can make, from third-party loyalty programs, accounting programs, booking systems, and much more.

The Epos Now AppStore has a wide selection of free apps to help you perform more industry-specific functions, such as booking hotel guests or visitors. Many apps use recurring billing, which can help partner your back office with third-party software.

Those apps with monthly fees can link your business data with world-renowned partners such as Sage, Deliveroo, and WordPress. As a broader service, these allow your business to operate on a wider level and provide medium-sized businesses with the necessary functionality.

Epos Now and finance

When it comes to business, flexibility and choice can make all the difference. One service that Epos Now offers that SumUp doesn't is business finance.

Epos Now Capital offers a handy resource to fund business expansion or short-term funding for operations. Payback is painless, coming through an additional transaction fee on your card machine, meaning you only pay back your loan as you earn.

SumUp alternatives: what else is available?

If your business requires payment technology, a point of sale, or more specific technology, the market has many providers eager to kit out your business. So other than SumUp and Epos Now, which POS and payment provider could you consider for your business?

Square POS

Square POS has become a recognizable provider, with its simple logo popping up all over the place on its white, Apple-style devices.

Square's POS and card payment systems are a popular choice for businesses. Square boasts that its products are easy to use and have a low cost, and they offer a variety of features that could benefit businesses. However, business owners should consider some drawbacks to using Square before signing up.

Square claims its biggest selling point is its low cost. There is no contract or monthly fee for the POS itself. As with Epos Now, those without much startup capital could find the low upfront costs a serious benefit. Square's revenue model operates around transaction fees on their card payment method. While this could be appealing to businesses that are on a tight budget.

Square does not offer as many features as some of its competitors. For example, it does not have an online store integration like Shopify, so businesses with existing accounts on such platforms will be unable to integrate. Additionally, it does not offer back-office software like Epos Now, which could be a disadvantage for medium-sized businesses, in particular, who likely need these features.

Toast POS

Toast POS is a popular choice for restaurants, as it only offers point-of-sale systems for that industry. However, what it lacks in features, it makes up for in its usability and design.

The interface is sleek and easy to navigate, even for first-time users. Plus, the customer support team is very responsive and helpful if you encounter any problems. That said, Toast POS may not be the best option for businesses that need more robust features - like inventory tracking or advanced reporting - as they are not always available on the platform.

Overall, Toast POS is a user-friendly and affordable option for small businesses looking for a simple point-of-sale system. But be sure to discuss any specific requirements you might have because Toast may not offer them as part of their service.

Lightspeed POS

Lightspeed POS is a Quebec-based point-of-sale company founded in 2005. The company offers a cloud system that works through an iPad. It has garnered a lot of attention in the past few years for its sleek design and ability to integrate with various third-party apps.

Lightspeed is designed for businesses of all sizes. The software is very user-friendly and versatile. It also offers various features, including inventory management, customer management, and reporting.

There are also a few things that businesses might dislike about Lightspeed's point of sale. First, it is not as widely used as some other options, so businesses may have difficulty finding support if they need it. Second, it can be expensive depending on the features you need, as its versatility comes through paid extensions. Finally, it can be slow to load on older devices or slow internet connections.

Try Epos Now for efficiency, flexibility, and affordability

Your business might need to take digital payments, design personalized receipt printing, or create bespoke subscription management for your customers. No matter what makes your enterprise different, Epos Now POS products offer the flexibility each business requires and accepts payments in all the ways you could ever need.

Epos Now customers can:

• Choose from hundreds of apps and integrable partner programs to run accounting, marketing, and other back-of-house functions in a way that suits you
• Use Epos Now Payments to incorporate card processing into your POS with a simpler, easier style
• Manage your business stress-free with cloud technology that gives you instant access to the latest business data from anywhere in the world
• Purchase the very best retail POS or hospitality POS hardware and software alongside expert advice and support around the clock to get the best out of your business

Curious for more reviews? Check out these comparison pieces we prepared: 

• Paypal alternatives
• Sumup alternatives
• Lightspeed alternatives
• Best pos system
• Best pos system for restaurant
• Best pos systems for bars
• Best pos system for retail
• Best pos system for food trucks
• Best pos system for liquor stores

To find out more about Epos Now solutions, submit your details below and speak to a member of our expert team.