Home / UK / Best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Toast vs Square
Plan prices, card rates and contracts in the UK, side by side, from each vendor's own website.
Toast
US restaurant POS, now sold in the UK.
5.0/10#9 of 10 in best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Read more about ToastVisit ToastHigher score
Square
Free till app and card readers from Square.
#1 of 10 in best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Read more about SquareVisit SquareWhich one?
Choose Toast if
Its published prices and terms do not beat Square on any line we score. Choose it for something only it offers.
Choose Square if
- Cheaper to start: no monthly fee against from £80/mo
- Lower card rate: 1.75%, where Toast does not publish it
- Easier to leave: cancel anytime against 30 days notice, renews automatically
Side by side
| Line | Toast | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 5.0 / 10 | 9.5 / 10 |
| Starts at | From £80/mo | No monthly fee |
| Plans | Starter: £80/mo; Essentials: £150/mo | Free: Free |
| In-person card rate | Not published | 1.75% |
| Online card rate | Not stated | 1.4% + 25p |
| Commission on orders | Not published | Not published |
| Contract | 30 days notice, renews automatically | Cancel anytime |
| Early exit fee | The software subscription fees remaining for the rest of the term | Not stated |
| Hardware from | Not stated | From £19 |
| Last checked | 12 Oct 2026 | 9 Oct 2026 |
“Not published” and “Not stated” mean the vendor's own pricing and terms pages did not give the figure when we read them; the sources below name each page and date. Hover a figure to see the vendor's words.
How the scores add up
Toast: 5.0
Square: 9.5
Same formula for every system. How we score
Toast vs Square: questions owners ask
Which is cheaper to start, Toast or Square?
Toast: from £80/mo. Square: no monthly fee.
Which has the lower card rate?
Toast: we did not find an in-person card rate on Toast's own pages. Square: 1.75% in person.
What do they charge on online payments?
Toast: we did not find an online card rate on Toast's own pages. Square: 1.4% + 25p.
Do Toast or Square take commission on orders?
Toast: we did not find a commission figure on Toast's own pages. Square: we did not find a commission figure on Square's own pages.
Which has the more flexible contract?
Toast: 30 days notice, renews automatically. Square: cancel anytime.
How much notice do they need to cancel?
Toast: 30 days before the end of the term. Square: none stated: the merchant may terminate at any time from Square Account Settings.
Do their contracts renew automatically?
Toast: yes, the contract renews automatically. Square: we did not find a renewal term on Square's own pages.
What does it cost to leave early?
Toast: the software subscription fees remaining for the rest of the term. Square: no fixed term, so no exit fee.
Who owns my customer data?
Toast: we did not find a data ownership term on Toast's own pages. Square: we did not find a data ownership term on Square's own pages.
Do I need to buy hardware?
Toast: we did not find a hardware price on Toast's own pages. Square: hardware from £19.
Which publishes more of its prices?
Toast: all plan prices published. Square: all plan prices published.
Which scores higher, Toast or Square?
Toast 5.0/10 and Square 9.5/10 on the same formula: prices published, entry price, fees and contract. The breakdown on this page shows where each point comes from.
Should I choose Toast or Square?
Choose Square for: cheaper to start: no monthly fee against from £80/mo; lower card rate: 1.75%, where Toast does not publish it; easier to leave: cancel anytime against 30 days notice, renews automatically. Then check the features you need on each vendor's own site: the score covers price and terms only.
Where every figure on this page comes from
Toast
- Starter plan. “| Starting at | £80/month | £150/month | Custom |” pos.toasttab.com/uk/pricing, read 12 Oct 2026
- Essentials plan. “| Starting at | £80/month | £150/month | Custom |” pos.toasttab.com/uk/pricing, read 12 Oct 2026
- Automatic renewal. “Thereafter, the term of this Agreement with respect to such applicable order(s) shall automatically renew for successive one (1) year periods” pos.toasttab.com/uk/merchant-agreement, read 12 Oct 2026
- Notice period, from the terms. “either party may terminate an Order, together with this Agreement with respect to such Order, by providing at least thirty (30) days’ written notice of its intent not to renew prior to the end of the then-current Term” pos.toasttab.com/uk/merchant-agreement, read 12 Oct 2026
- Early exit fee. “Merchant shall incur and pay an early termination fee equal to either i) the remaining Software Subscription Fees that would have otherwise been due for the remainder of the then-current Term (“Early Termination Fee”)” pos.toasttab.com/uk/merchant-agreement, read 12 Oct 2026
- Card rate, commission on orders: not published. Not stated on pos.toasttab.com/uk/pricing when read on 12 Oct 2026.
Square
- Free plan. “Sell in person, online, over the phone or out in the field. No setup fees or monthly fees - only pay when you take a payment. £0 /mo \+ processing fees” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- In-person card rate. “Take any contactless, mobile or chip and PIN payment at the counter or on the go. 1.75% for transactions with UK cards” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Online card rate. “When a customer makes a purchase through your Online Store, Online Checkout, eCommerce API. 1.4% + 25p for transactions with UK cards” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Fixed fee per online payment. “When a customer makes a purchase through your Online Store, Online Checkout, eCommerce API. 1.4% + 25p for transactions with UK cards” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Contract, as the pricing page states it. “Upgrade when you want to, cancel anytime.” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Cheapest hardware. “£19 + VAT” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Notice period, from the terms. “You may terminate these General Terms or any Additional Terms at any time from your Square Account Settings.” squareup.com/gb/en/legal/general/ua, read 9 Oct 2026
- Free plan. “No setup fees or monthly fees - only pay when you take a payment.” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Commission on orders: not published. Not stated on squareup.com/gb/en/pricing when read on 9 Oct 2026.