“Time is as valuable as money in this business. You don’t want to spend all your time sorting things out off shift, or even in the middle of service.” 

Switching EPOS is one of the biggest operational decisions a hospitality business can make. Get it right and you unlock real efficiency gains. Get it wrong and you could face disruption, hidden costs, and months of frustration while your team adapts to a system that doesn't fit how you work.

This guide covers the key things to check  before any switch to a new EPOS system. In each section, we’ve also included some questions you can take into any conversation with a prospective provider to ensure you get the info you need to make an informed decision.

Your relationship with the EPOS provider

One of the most important yet commonly overlooked elements when considering EPOS providers (or any hospitality tech providers) is the vendor-customer relationship.

Central to this is the tech support. When you have an issue in the middle of peak service, there’s a huge difference between speaking to someone with no hospitality experience who’s reading from a script, and someone who has spent years in the industry and truly understands what you need. So make sure you find out about the depth of hospitality experience within providers' support teams.

Similarly, you need to be clear about how you’d communicate with support. Instant messaging is highly effective. You get rapid responses and can send screenshots and recordings to help them identify and resolve your problems faster. On the other hand, if it’s just phone and email support, this could mean long waits on hold while your issues are investigated. Check when the support is available. Ideally, they should be online when you’re open. But if it’s only weekdays and office hours, they might not be there when you need them.

Remember, a trial is not just a chance to try the software, but also to sample the relationship you would have with a potential new provider. Put the sales/onboarding team through their paces. See how effectively they respond to your queries and get a feel for how well they understand hospitality challenges and processes. If they offer ongoing training during the trial and beyond, as part of the package rather than charging you extra, it indicates a company that cares deeply about its relationship with you as a customer. 

One operator who encountered operational challenges caused by inexperienced support teams is Phillip Deacon, owner of Gasoline American Diner in Chesterfield. He switched from Tabology to another EPOS provider. “We’d been with Tabology for quite a few years. The changeover was more about wanting POS and payments in a single package. On paper, the new system seemed to fit the bill.”

However, Phillip returned to Tabology. Problems arose that he hadn't anticipated. One of those was that the new support teams didn’t fully understand how hospitality works. “Support wasn't great at the new provider. For example, they asked for our product list so they could upload it to the system, but set it up in such a backwards way,” he says.

Another key part of the relationship is how well a vendor takes on your feedback and requests. Tech providers should be open to your suggestions for new features and improvements, because this ultimately benefits all of their customers. If a system doesn’t quite work the way you want it to, and you can see a better way that could save you time and effort, it can be frustrating. There should be clear and genuine pathways for you to log these requests so providers can act on them. 

Questions to ask

• How much real hospitality experience do your support team have?
• How do we communicate with the support team?
• When is support available? 
• What is the average response time and resolution time?
• How much ongoing training can I have? Is this included or a paid extra?
• How do I suggest new features and improvements?
• How do you act on customer requests?

The costs of switching

While some of the costs involved in switching EPOS are obvious (such as hardware purchases, monthly subscription fees, and setup & training costs), others are harder to gauge, and can vary depending on the circumstances. 

Sometimes the headline price of any EPOS package doesn’t tell the full story. For example, it’s common for some providers to offer ‘free’ hardware worth thousands of pounds. But there’s no way of knowing the actual value. A further catch is that this hardware often comes with a commitment to a minimum subscription length, or a requirement to use proprietary payment processing.

If you are required to use proprietary payment solutions, you won’t be able to shop around for the best rates. Your increase in payment processing fees might even exceed the value of the hardware you were given.

Some EPOS providers integrate with multiple payment partners and offer you the choice, allowing you to access better rates. They might also allow you to use any non-integrated provider (you can learn more about the difference between integrated and non-integrated payments here). Ideally, you should be able to switch payment providers without penalty, so you’re never trapped into uncompetitive rates.

Some providers require you to use their proprietary hardware such as tablets, printers and terminals. This can lead to problems if you want to change systems later down the line. You can be left with equipment that’s incompatible with any other systems and therefore useless. Or you might not actually own the equipment, and you’d have to send it back (possibly at your own expense).

Other providers such as ourselves use off-the-shelf tablets and printers. This gives you, as the customer, ownership, control and flexibility. Should you ever change EPOS provider, you might be able to continue using your hardware with the new system. But if not, at least you can sell it on and recoup some of your initial outlay. Refurbished devices can significantly reduce the initial costs. So it's worth asking providers whether they can help you source affordable options rather than pushing you toward new hardware at full price.

Questions to ask

• What hidden costs are there outside the headline rates?
• Common ones include setup & training fees, ‘free’ hardware that comes with tie-ins, payment processing fees, and features and support that are only available as paid add-ons
• Will I need to source new hardware? If so, are there affordable ways to do this?
• Is the hardware compatible and useful beyond just your system?
• Do I have a choice of payment providers?
• Can I switch payment providers easily if rates change?

The new system’s features

Operators can run into problems following a switch if they don’t fully understand a new system’s capabilities, strengths and shortcomings.

Don’t assume that the features you have in your current EPOS will be included with others. Some systems don’t include modules such as stock management and loyalty, so would require a subscription to a separate platform. 

To start with, take stock of your current tech setup and what you really rely on. What would you miss if it were gone? Draw up a list of non-negotiable tools and features you’d need from any new EPOS.

Sometimes it’s the little things that can cause the biggest headaches. Phillip says, “Things like how to set up products and tailor things to your bar were very difficult. For example, you couldn’t add options. We do loaded fries, but to add toppings like salt or chilli sauce, you had to create them as separate products, and it just didn’t work very well.”

Be aware of any 3rd-party integrations that are currently integral to your setup. A new EPOS might not integrate with those platforms, so you’d need to look at switching those as well.