Epos Now Reviews
Epos Now works seamlessly for a wide range of business types, including those in the restaurant, hospitality, and retail industries. To determine whether or not this system is the perfect choice for your operation, you'll need to understand what they offer and how they compare to other providers.
That's where we come in. Our comprehensive guide was created to help business owners make confident buying decisions.
Continue reading to learn Epos system details and discover if it will be the best fit for your operation.
Pricing
Epos Now is one of the few major POS providers that has clear and transparent pricing. The complete system for retail and hospitality businesses is listed at $1,799. If you'd rather not pay upfront, the full price can be broken down into monthly fee installments.
They provide POS systems for bars, nightclubs, cafes, salons, and more, which come with specialized hardware options. For example, you might need to integrate a receipt printer or barcode scanner into your restaurant POS system. These additional peripherals are available via the website.
If a simple iPad system is what you're after, the hardware is only $599. Note that this iPad POS system does not come with an iPad. You can either purchase one from Epos Now or use one that you currently own.
As for the POS software, you'll spend $39 per month for a single license. If you already have the necessary hardware, though you like Epos Now POS software, purchasing the software alone might be the best option.
To see how the pricing for Epos Now's POS system stacks up against other POS systems on the market, click the button below. Our free pricing tool will supply you with price quotes from the most reliable POS providers on the market based on your preferences.
Features and Benefits
Customer Relationship Management
Successful businesses are based around loyal customers. You want your best customers to come back again and again, and this is where customer relationship management tools come into play.
As one of the best pos systems for hospitality, the Epos Now POS system comes with sufficient CRM tools that you can use to track customers and provide them with the best possible experience. Registered customers who enroll themselves in your loyalty programs will receive discounts or accumulate points for frequent visits.
Customers can also use the online booking system that comes with the POS system to make reservations. There are even notes in these tools, ideal for setting up custom experiences, such as birthdays, anniversaries and company lunches.
When your customers leave your establishment, their information is stored in your POS system, including their phone number and email, which makes reaching out to them much easier. These are extremely helpful tools for marketing.
Reporting
The reporting and analytics features found within the Epos Now POS system are some of the most comprehensive on the market.
With insights into how your business is currently running, you can make better decisions to propel growth.
The Epos Now POS system reporting and analytics tools provide an overview of the various elements of your business, from inventory to employee management to sales performance and more.
With intuitive back-office functionality, you can easily add or edit the products in your system, customizing them to your specific business needs.
Everything you find in the reporting and analytics suite can be synced to all of your devices, thanks to the streamlined design of this cloud-based POS system. No matter where in the world you happen to be, you'll have access your reports from any device with an internet connection.
Security and Permissions
The Epos Now POS system security and permissions features allow restriction of access to some staff members and not to others. For example, you might want to give the ability to initiate refunds or exchanges exclusively to your managers. You might also want to restrict access to the cash drawer from entry-level employees.
Keeping certain business information private from employees that don't require it is crucial. You can also use the security features to keep records of when employees clock in, log in, and make transactions. This is one of the reasons that we rank EPOS now as one of the best POS systems for retail.
Payroll
Integrated payroll features are not included in many other POS systems. You'll often have to find a third-party app to track your employees and make sure they're receiving their checks for the proper amounts on time.
But with the integrated POS system payroll suite already incorporated into Epos Now, you can save yourself hours of mundane work. If you don't already have a payroll service you're integrated with, we know you'll love the one from Epos Now.
Every staff member gets their own POS system ID, helping you see who your top performers are. On the other hand, you can also use it to see which of your employees may need a bit more hands-on training.
Complaints and Limitations
Cost
One of the main drawbacks of Epos Now is the hardware price. If you're starting fresh, dropping $1,700 to enjoy the full hardware package can be a lot. Of course, you could opt for the monthly fee if you want to have less of a cost burden, though it's still relatively expensive.
Lack of Knowledgebase
Another big downside when it comes to the Epos Now POS system is the lack of a knowledgebase. Many other POS systems have in-depth knowledgebase forums online, where you can find information regarding POS system customization, troubleshooting, and more.
The lack of an online community can make getting access to important and relevant information that much more difficult. In addition, a customer support subscription is required for access to customer service agent contacts. Epos Now does not have the most helpful customer service group.
Though it might be one of the world's easiest POS system solutions, the day will likely come when you'll need to troubleshoot an issue, and not having access to great customer support unless you're on the paid support plan can put a wrench in your spokes.
No In-House Payment Processing
There are many other POS systems that use their own integrated payments systems, though this is not the case for Epos Now. Of course, there are cases where you might like the flexibility of partnering with another payment processor. Maybe you want to look for better rates or you currently have a payment processing provider that you already work with.
The frustrating part is not having the option to integrate with an in-house Epos Now credit card processing to make the entire setup process more seamless. We hope Epos Now decides to setup up an in-house payment processing solution for their cloud-based POS system in the near future.
Competing Alternatives
Though Epos Now offers a number of strong POS systems, you may realize that it isn't the best choice for your business. In that case, see our recommended alternatives below.
Square
Square is an excellent POS system for small businesses.
With widespread recognition, you'll find Square being used in a vast range of industries, from food to retail to hospitality businesses.
Square has one of the most intuitive and user-friendly interfaces on the market today, giving you the ability to completely customize your POS system with hundreds of third-party apps and integrations.
The payment processing cost is 2.6% + $0.10 for in-person transactions, a great price for small businesses.
If you run a high-volume business with tens of thousands of dollars worth of transactions each month, you can get in touch with Square for a lower payment processing rate.
When it comes to hardware, Clover is one of the best POS system options in the industry. The Clover Go might be our favorite piece of POS hardware for businesses that need a more flexible mobile device, though the Clover Station is just as powerful with its countertop build.
With customer loyalty programs and inventory tracking built-in, the company's POS software is equally as powerful. One of the convenient aspects about Clover is that you can purchase the hardware from a wide range of merchants.
The ability to find the best deal with third-party merchants is one thing that makes Clover such a popular POS system. And last but certainly not least, they have an excellent support team.
Lightspeed is one of the best POS system solutions for restaurant owners and retailers, though it works equally well with hotels, bars, and appointment-based businesses.
You'll find a number of advanced point-of-sale features, making it a better choice for sophisticated, high-volume businesses.
For example, the inventory management features found in Lightspeed's POS system are some of the most robust on the market.
You'll also find a number of high-end employee management features, menu management features, and restaurant POS system features, such as floor plans and tableside ordering.
Final Verdict
If you're looking to create the best customer and employee experience, Epos Now is a great decision.
Right off the bat, there are several aspects that Epos Now gets right. Their POS system is one of the easiest on the market to learn, allowing you to train your employees and get them comfortable using the system in as little as 15 minutes. For businesses with high turnover rates, the ease-of-use factor is crucial.
The software is incredibly robust, giving you access to a number of top-notch POS system features, but integrating with third-party Epos Now apps allows for more customization.
To compare prices of the best POS systems on the market, answer the quick questions below to let us know what you're looking for. You'll get FREE price quotes based on your specific business needs. It won't cost a penny, but could save you quite a few! Get started today!
Tyler Connaghan
Contributing Author
