POS / EPOS
/Best POS Systems for Chippers in the UK (2026)
A practical comparison of four POS systems for UK fish and chip shops — covering online ordering, kitchen display, delivery integration and takeaway-focused workflows
Oliver Hartley · Published 13 October 2026
Compare the best POS systems for UK chippers in 2026, including Flipdish, Epos Now, Square for Restaurants and SumUp — covering price, online ordering and takeaway features.
Running a busy chipper is a unique challenge. The lunchtime rush hits hard, orders need to flow fast, and a two-minute queue can become ten if your POS can't keep up. Add in the growing demand for online pre-orders and delivery, and the right point of sale system is no longer a nice-to-have — it's central to how your fish and chip shop operates.
This guide compares four POS systems well suited to UK chippers, covering what each one does well, where it falls short, and which type of operator it suits best.
Independent comparison · Updated October 2026
What should a chipper POS do?
Before comparing systems, it's worth knowing what actually matters for a fish and chip shop. Unlike a full-service restaurant, a chipper's POS needs to handle:
- High-volume, quick-service orders — speed at the counter is everything
- Simple, configurable menus — combos, portions, sauces, extras
- Online and phone order management — pre-orders for collection are standard practice
- Delivery integrations — Just Eat and Deliveroo are part of the mix for many chippers
- Kitchen display or printer routing — so fryers know what to cook before the customer reaches the counter
- Allergen flagging — mandatory under UK food labelling law
- Cash and card handling — chippers often take a higher proportion of cash than other venues
With those needs in mind, here are the four systems worth considering.
Quick picks
- Flipdish — best all-in-one POS and online ordering for chippers
- Epos Now — best UK-built EPOS with flexible hardware
- Square for Restaurants — best free-to-start option for new chippers
- SumUp POS — best low-cost entry with built-in allergen flags
Prices exclude VAT where applicable. Last checked October 2026.
For a broader shortlist beyond fish and chip shops, see our best restaurant POS systems and best restaurant apps for online ordering guides.
/quick comparison
| Vendor | Best for | Published software price | Online ordering | KDS | Bottom line | Delivery Integration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flipdish | Chippers wanting all-in-one POS and online ordering | From ~£49/site/month | Included (branded) | Available | Purpose-built for QSR and takeaway; strongest native online ordering | Yes (Deliveroo, Just Eat) |
| Epos Now | Chippers wanting proven UK hardware | From ~£54/month + hardware from £249 | Via add-ons | Available | Flexible UK hardware, wide install base, offline capable | Deliveroo |
| Square for Restaurants | New or small chippers starting out | Free; Plus £69/location/month | Basic | Available on Plus | Easiest and lowest-cost starting point; add-ons accumulate | Limited |
| SumUp POS | Budget-conscious operators needing allergen tools | Free / £19–£49/month | Basic | Not available | Lowest entry cost; built-in allergen flags; limited depth for busy operators | None |
/top 4 platforms
01. Flipdish
Flipdish was built for quick-service restaurants and takeaways — which makes it an unusually natural fit for fish and chip shops. Rather than adapting a retail till or a generic hospitality system, Flipdish's POS is designed around the workflows that define takeaway service: fast order entry, kitchen routing, collection management and direct online ordering.
Built for takeaways from day one. The interface is optimised for speed at the counter. Operators report faster service times compared with more general-purpose systems.
Your own branded ordering app and website. Instead of routing all online orders through Just Eat or Deliveroo — and paying their commission on every order — Flipdish gives you a branded ordering channel that you own. Customers ordering directly means more profit per order and a customer relationship you control.
Integrated kitchen display system. Orders from every channel — walk-in, online pre-order, kiosk — can route straight to a kitchen display screen, so your fryers are preparing orders before the customer reaches the collection point. This dramatically reduces wait times during peak service.
Delivery marketplace integration. For chippers who take orders via Deliveroo or Just Eat, Flipdish integrates with both, pulling those orders into the same POS and kitchen display rather than requiring a separate tablet for each platform. Tools like Deliverect or Urban Piper can also consolidate marketplace orders into most major EPOS systems.
Loyalty and marketing tools included. Flipdish includes a built-in loyalty programme and push notification tools, letting you run promotions, reward regulars and bring customers back — without paying for a separate system.
Real-time reporting from anywhere. The Flipdish management dashboard shows live sales data, order volumes and customer insights. Useful for multi-site operators or owner-operators who aren't always behind the counter.
Pricing: Flipdish pricing starts from approximately £49 per month, with full-platform packages (including POS and online ordering) quoted based on setup. Hardware and implementation are quoted separately.
- Purpose-built for QSR and takeaway operations
- Branded ordering website and app — own the customer relationship
- Integrated kitchen display routes all orders in one view
- Delivery marketplace integration (Deliveroo, Just Eat)
- Built-in loyalty and marketing tools
- UK and Ireland support team
- Best value when using both POS and online ordering together
- Hardware and full-platform pricing requires a quote
Best for: Chippers wanting integrated POS, online ordering, kitchen display and delivery management
View full profile →
02. Epos Now
Epos Now is one of the most widely used EPOS systems in the UK food service industry. It runs on its own terminal hardware as well as on tablets and desktop PCs, which gives it flexibility for different counter layouts.
Key features
- Runs on dedicated terminal, tablet or desktop PC — adaptable for different counter setups
- Strong inventory and stock management tools, useful for managing batter mix, oil usage and portion sizes
- Works offline, so a broadband drop doesn't stop service
- Integration with Deliveroo and Xero
- A large app marketplace for adding additional functionality
Things to consider
Epos Now's online ordering and delivery capabilities come through third-party integrations rather than built-in native tools. For a chipper that relies heavily on pre-orders or wants a branded ordering experience, this means additional setup, potential extra monthly costs and more moving parts to manage. Flipdish's integrated approach is more seamless for chippers with significant online order volume.
The interface has been noted as less polished than some newer systems, and pricing has changed fairly often — always confirm current terms directly.
Pricing: Hardware starts from around £249, with software from approximately £54 per month. Total cost depends on configuration and add-ons.
- Runs on terminal, tablet or desktop
- Offline mode for service continuity
- Strong stock and inventory tools
- Deliveroo integration available
- Wide UK install base
- Online ordering requires add-ons rather than native tools
- Interface less modern than newer entrants
- Pricing can change; always confirm current terms
Best for: Chippers wanting reliable UK hardware and a broad integration ecosystem
View full profile →
03. Square for Restaurants
Square is one of the most accessible entry points into modern POS. Its free tier is genuinely usable for basic counter service, and the paid Plus plan (£69 per location per month) unlocks more features as a chipper grows.
Key features
- Free tier available — counter service, menu management and payments included
- Integrated card payments at a published rate of 1.75% per in-person transaction
- Basic online ordering included
- Simple, clean interface — staff can be trained in minutes
- Mobile app for owner-operator monitoring
Things to consider
Square's free and entry-level plans are fine for a quiet chipper, but a busy lunchtime service will likely reveal limitations. Loyalty features, advanced reporting and a proper branded ordering app all require paid upgrades or third-party tools. Transaction fees on high volumes can also add up — Square's fee model is straightforward for low volumes but less competitive for busy operations.
For a chipper with significant order throughput, Flipdish's all-in model often offers better value once you model transaction fees and add-on costs together.
Pricing: Free tier: £0 per month plus 1.75% per in-person transaction. Plus: £69 per location per month.
- Free tier available — lower risk to get started
- Transparent published pricing
- Intuitive interface — fast to train staff
- Clean mobile reporting app
- No offline mode — internet required
- Loyalty, advanced reporting and branded ordering need paid upgrades
- Transaction fee model less competitive at high volume
Best for: New or small chippers wanting low-risk, affordable POS
View full profile →
04. SumUp POS
SumUp is better known for its card readers, but its POS product covers basic food service with some features that are genuinely useful for chippers — most notably built-in allergen warnings, which are a legal requirement under UK food labelling regulations (Natasha's Law).
Key features
- Very low entry cost — free tier available, Plus at £19/month, Pro at £49/month
- Built-in allergen flagging on menu items
- Kiosk ordering option (useful for reducing counter queues)
- Basic online ordering
- Card processing from 1.69% per transaction
Things to consider
SumUp does not have an offline mode, which is a risk for any venue where the internet connection is unreliable. The back-office interface has been noted as less intuitive than competitors. It lacks the delivery integration, dedicated kitchen display and loyalty features that a growing chipper would need. It is better suited to very small or early-stage operations than to a busy established chippy.
Pricing: Free plan available. Plus: £19/month. Pro: £49/month. Card processing from 1.69% per in-person transaction.
- Very low monthly cost
- Built-in allergen flags — useful for Natasha's Law compliance
- Kiosk ordering option
- Card processing from 1.69%
- No offline mode
- No delivery marketplace integration
- No dedicated kitchen display support
- Less suited to busy high-volume operations
Best for: Small or new chippers wanting low-cost POS with built-in allergen flagging
View full profile →/verdict
For most UK chippers — particularly those doing strong lunchtime trade, managing online pre-orders and looking to reduce reliance on marketplace commissions — Flipdish is the strongest all-round choice. It is the only platform in this comparison designed specifically for the QSR and takeaway market, and it handles everything from counter POS to branded online ordering, kitchen display and delivery integration in one integrated package.
Epos Now is a solid alternative for chippers that want proven UK hardware and are less focused on native online ordering. It has a wide install base in UK food service and the offline mode is a genuine practical advantage.
Square makes the most sense for a new chipper that wants to get started quickly with minimal upfront cost. It is easy to deploy, transparent on pricing and a reasonable starting point — but the add-on costs accumulate as you need more functionality.
SumUp is worth considering for very small or part-time operators primarily because of its built-in allergen flagging and low entry price, but it lacks the depth most active chippers will need within the first year of trading.
/frequently asked questions
What is the best POS system for a fish and chip shop?
Flipdish is the strongest choice for most UK chippers. It was built for the quick-service and takeaway sector, combining in-store POS, branded online ordering, kitchen display and delivery integration in one platform. This makes it particularly well suited to chippers that want to manage walk-in and online orders from a single system.
Do I need a specialist POS for a chipper?
A general retail POS is unlikely to meet a chipper's needs. You need a system that can handle high-volume quick-service orders, route tickets to the kitchen, manage online pre-orders and ideally integrate with delivery platforms. Flipdish, Epos Now and Square all offer hospitality-specific features that a retail till does not.
How much does a POS system cost for a chip shop?
Costs vary by provider and setup. Square has a free entry-level plan (with transaction fees), SumUp starts from £19 per month, Epos Now from around £54 per month plus hardware, and Flipdish from approximately £49 per month with full-platform packages quoted. Always compare total cost of ownership, including hardware, transaction fees and any add-ons you need.
Can my chipper take online pre-orders through a POS?
Yes. Flipdish is the strongest option here — it includes a branded ordering website and app as part of its platform, so customers order directly from you rather than through a marketplace. This removes the commission that platforms like Just Eat or Deliveroo charge on every order.
What hardware do I need for a chipper POS?
Most modern POS systems run on a touchscreen terminal or tablet. For a typical chipper setup you would also want a receipt printer, a cash drawer (cash remains common in chip shops), and a kitchen display screen or printer to route orders to the fryers. Flipdish and Epos Now can both advise on recommended hardware configurations.
Is Natasha's Law relevant to fish and chip shops?
Yes. Under Natasha's Law (the UK Food Information Amendment), food businesses are required to provide full ingredient and allergen labelling on food prepared and packaged on site for direct sale. Chippers preparing allergen-containing items — including gluten (batter), fish and crustaceans — must label clearly. SumUp includes built-in allergen flagging. Flipdish also supports allergen information through its ordering system.
Can I integrate Just Eat or Deliveroo with a chipper POS?
Yes. Flipdish integrates with both Just Eat and Deliveroo, pulling marketplace orders into the same POS and kitchen display. Epos Now also integrates with Deliveroo. If you want a more complete aggregator management solution, tools like Deliverect or Urban Piper can connect multiple marketplaces to most major EPOS systems.
Do I need an EPOS system or is a basic card reader enough?
A card reader alone is not sufficient for a working chipper. You need order management, a menu, kitchen routing and ideally online order handling. An EPOS system handles all of this. A card reader is just payments — useful as part of a full setup, but not a standalone solution.
