“Do I need an EPOS terminal or just a card machine?” is one of the most common questions we hear from UK businesses. The short answer: they do different jobs, and most businesses that sell more than a handful of items a day benefit from both.
What a card machine does
A card machine (often called a PDQ or card terminal) takes payments – chip and PIN, contactless and mobile wallets. It sends the payment to your bank or payment provider. That is all it does.
What an EPOS terminal does
An EPOS terminal runs your point-of-sale software. It records what was sold, prints receipts, opens the cash drawer, tracks stock, manages staff log-ins and produces sales reports. In hospitality it sends orders to the kitchen printer or kitchen display.
Side by side
| EPOS terminal | Card machine | |
|---|---|---|
| Takes card payments | Via an integrated card reader | Yes |
| Records items sold | Yes | No |
| Stock control | Yes | No |
| Receipts, cash drawer, scanner | Yes | Limited |
| Kitchen orders / table plans | Yes | No |
| Sales and staff reports | Yes | Payment totals only |
Integrated payments: the best of both
With integrated payments, your EPOS terminal sends the bill total to the card machine automatically. No re-keying, fewer errors and faster queues. Check that your EPOS software supports your payment provider, then choose an EPOS terminal with the right connectivity – USB, serial and LAN are standard across the HiStone all-in-one range.
When a card machine alone is enough
Very small traders with a few products and no stock to track can get by with a card machine. Once you need stock control, staff accountability, multiple tills or kitchen orders, an EPOS terminal pays for itself in time saved.
Which EPOS terminal works with my card machine?
Card integration is handled by your EPOS software, so the hardware choice is about reliability and ports. Popular choices include the HiStone HK568 for Windows EPOS and the HK566Q for Android EPOS, plus the HM628N tablet where staff take payment at the table.
Talk to B-Spoke Systems about HiStone EPOS terminals
B-Spoke Systems supplies the full HiStone EPOS range in the UK from our Leicester base, for EPOS resellers, software houses and businesses alike. You can build and price a HiStone EPOS terminal in our configurator, book a visit to our Leicester showroom to try the hardware with your own software, or call 0116 260 3100 / email sales@b-spokesystems.com.