Learning • 6 min read

EPOS and Card Machine Guide

How EPOS software and card machines fit together, and how to avoid paying twice for the same functionality.

Two products, one workflow

EPOS software runs the till, stock, staff and reporting. The card machine handles the payment. They can be separate, integrated, or fully bundled into one device.

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The three setups

Standalone

EPOS and card machine are separate and don't talk. Staff key the total into the card machine manually. Simple but error-prone.

Integrated

EPOS sends the total to the card machine. Faster, fewer errors, small integration fee.

All-in-one

One device does both (Square Register, Clover, Epos Now Payments). Simple but ties you into one vendor's contract.

The bundled contract trap

EPOS providers often bundle payments and sign you into a 3-5 year deal. Payments rates are rarely competitive in these bundles - check them separately and be willing to keep the EPOS but switch the payments.

Key takeaways

●EPOS + card machine can be separate, integrated or bundled.
●Integration is usually worth the small extra cost.
●Bundled EPOS payments rates are rarely the cheapest - benchmark them.

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