First Essential
Serve more, wait less.
From the first order to the last round, our EPOS for hospitality keeps the floor moving and the tables turning. One UK partner for tills, payments, kiosks, bookings and more.
When it is busy, every second counts, and the right EPOS for hospitality keeps you moving
A full room, a buzzing pass and a queue at the door. With the right EPOS for hospitality, orders go straight to the kitchen, payments take seconds and nobody waits. More covers, fewer mistakes, a calmer team.
What is a hospitality EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) system?
A hospitality EPOS, short for Electronic Point of Sale, is the till system at the heart of a restaurant, cafe, bar or takeaway. Staff ring up orders, send food and drink to the kitchen and bar, take payment and track what is selling. Good EPOS for hospitality is quick to learn, handles tabs, splits and tips without fuss, and keeps working even if the internet drops mid-service.
A card machine (card reader or terminal) takes the payment, by chip and PIN, contactless tap or mobile wallet. On its own it just takes money. Paired with an EPOS till it becomes one connected system, so every sale, table and report lines up automatically with no double entry.
Where First Essential is different is breadth. Most providers sell one piece: a card machine, a till or a chatbot. We bring the whole front of house and back office together: EPOS tills, card payments, self-service kiosks, a kitchen display screen, AI that answers and books, your ordering website and app, and First Essential One for bookings, marketing and CRM. One partner, one bill, one number to call.
EPOS for hospitality: everything your venue needs to run a smooth service
Tills, kiosks, kitchen screens and payments that all talk to each other, backed by UK people you can call.
EPOS Till System
Fast, reliable Electronic Point of Sale for the table, bar and counter.
Learn moreSelf-Service Kiosks
Guests order and pay themselves. Bigger orders, shorter queues.
Learn moreKitchen Display Screen
Orders straight to the pass: EPOS for hospitality that talks to your kitchen, clear and in the right order.
Learn moreCard Machines & Payments
Tap, online and Pay by Link, from 0.3% (rates vary by card type and business, confirmed at setup).
Learn moreAI Solutions
An AI assistant that books tables and answers guests 24/7.
Learn moreFirst Essential One
Bookings, marketing and CRM in one login.
Learn moreOrdering App & Web
Your own branded ordering website and app.
Learn moreIntegrations
Connect delivery apps, accounting and more, no double entry.
Learn moreHospitality is not one business, so the setup should not be either
Tell us how you serve and we shape the kit around it. Here is where each piece earns its keep.
Restaurants & gastropubs (EPOS for hospitality)
Table-side ordering, easy bill splits, tabs and tips, and a kitchen screen that keeps the pass calm on a full book.
Cafes, QSR & takeaways
Beat the lunch queue with self-service kiosks and fast counter tills, and take collection and delivery orders through your own site.
Bars, clubs & venues
Speed at the bar, running tabs, fast rounds and an AI assistant that handles bookings and enquiries when it is too loud to answer the phone.
Orders straight to the pass: EPOS for hospitality that talks to your kitchen
Swap paper tickets for a clear kitchen display. Every order lands the moment it is placed, in the right order, so food goes out hot and on time.
Let guests order and pay themselves with self-service EPOS for hospitality
Kiosks take the pressure off the counter when you are slammed, and nudge the average order up with gentle prompts and upsells while your team gets on with service.
Win more online orders and bookings
Take collection and delivery orders through your own branded ordering, all flowing into the same system as your floor. An AI assistant takes bookings and answers questions around the clock.
Card machine and EPOS pricing for hospitality, without the small print games
A lot of hospitality providers hide the real cost behind a quote form, then lock you in for years. Here is how we do EPOS for hospitality instead.
The "some other providers" column describes patterns common across the UK market, not any single company. Your exact rate and setup are confirmed in writing before you commit. Rates from 0.3% vary by card type and business, confirmed at setup.
The card payments and AI front desk hospitality actually needs
Card payments built for a busy floor
Take chip and PIN, contactless and mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay at the table or counter, plus Pay by Link for deposits and phone orders. Portable readers run on 4G or wifi so you can cash up tableside.
An AI assistant on the front desk
When the phone rings mid-service, the AI assistant answers, takes bookings, replies to common questions and captures the enquiry, day or night. It hands over to a human whenever you want.
Secure and GDPR-minded
Card payments meet PCI DSS standards and guest data is handled in line with UK GDPR. You stay in control of your data while we keep the plumbing safe and up to date.
Hospitality EPOS, card machines and payments, your questions answered
Which EPOS or till system is best for a restaurant, cafe or bar?
What does a card machine cost, and is the free card machine really free?
Is there a long contract or lock-in?
How do I take card and online payments, and how fast do I get paid?
Can I switch from my current till or card machine without losing a day of trade?
Will kiosks, kitchen screens and online orders all work with my tills?
Is my guest and payment data secure and GDPR compliant?
Ready for a calmer, quicker service?
Book a free, no-obligation hospitality demo and we will show how the tills, payments, kiosks and AI fit your venue. No pressure, no jargon, real UK people.