What to check before you sign an EPOS contract

Almost every bad EPOS story starts the same way. Not with a faulty terminal — with a clause somebody skimmed on a busy Tuesday because the salesperson was waiting.

An EPOS agreement is usually two or three agreements bundled into one conversation: the hardware, the software subscription, and the card processing. They can have different terms, different lengths and different ways out. This guide walks through the ten things to check, what good and bad look like, and the phrases worth asking for in writing.

Know how many agreements you're actually signing

Before anything else, ask this: how many separate agreements am I entering into today, and who is the counterparty on each?

It's common for the till software to come from one company, the card processing from an acquirer, and the terminal itself from a third. That's normal and not a problem in itself. It matters because cancelling one does not cancel the others. People discover this months after the till has been boxed up, when a merchant service charge is still leaving the account.

The ten things to check

1. Minimum term. How many months, and does it start at signature or at installation? Those can be weeks apart.
2. Notice period and renewal. How much notice, in what format, and does the agreement auto-renew? Some contracts only accept cancellation inside a narrow window before the end date. Put that date in your calendar the day you sign.
3. Early termination charge. Ask for the actual formula. "The balance of the term" and "a fixed fee" are very different outcomes.
4. Price increases. Can the monthly fee rise mid-term, and is it capped or linked to an index? Look for the words "we may vary the charges".
5. Hardware ownership. Are you buying, renting or leasing? If leasing, it may be a separate finance agreement that survives cancellation of the software.
6. Warranty and breakage. What's covered, for how long, and is there a loan unit while yours is repaired?
7. What support is included. Phone or email only? What hours? Is out-of-hours an extra? Is there a stated response time?
8. Card processing rates. The full picture: debit rate, credit rate, business and commercial card rates, authorisation fees, minimum monthly service charge, PCI fee, statement fee.
9. Data on exit. Can you export your products, customers and sales history, in what format, and for how long after cancellation is it available?
10. Who signs. If it's a personal guarantee, you are personally liable — read that paragraph twice.

Red flags and green flags

Ask for these four things in writing

An email reply is enough. Any provider comfortable with their own terms will send it without fuss.

• "Please confirm the minimum term, the end date, the notice period and the renewal terms."
• "Please confirm the total cost for the first twelve months, including hardware, software, setup and all card processing fees."
• "Please confirm whether I own the hardware outright on delivery."
• "Please confirm that I can export my product list, customer data and sales history at any time, and in what format."

If any answer is vague, that's your answer. This is exactly why we publish our bundle prices rather than routing everything through a quote — you can do this comparison before you speak to anybody.

The card processing agreement deserves its own read

The headline rate is the part everybody looks at and the smallest part of the difference between two quotes. What moves the number:

• Card type. A rate quoted for consumer debit doesn't apply to business or commercial credit cards, which cost more. If most of your customers are trade, ask what your blended rate will actually be.
• Fixed fees. Authorisation fees, minimum monthly service charges, PCI compliance and non-compliance fees, and terminal rental all sit outside the percentage.
• Terminal rental term. This is often its own agreement with its own length.
• Settlement time. Next working day or three days makes a real difference to a business paying suppliers weekly.

Ask for a quote showing the total cost on your actual monthly card turnover, not a percentage in isolation. If you'd rather keep it simple, a card machine that talks directly to your till at least removes the mis-keying risk, whoever processes the payment.

What this looks like in a real business

A café owner signs in March. The term is 36 months from installation, which happened in April, so the real end date is April three years later — not March. The agreement auto-renews for another 12 months unless cancelled between 90 and 60 days before that date.

She notes two dates in her phone the day she signs: the end date, and a reminder five months before it. When the time comes she makes an unhurried decision instead of a rushed one, and either renegotiates from a position of strength or leaves cleanly. That's the whole trick. Two calendar entries.

If you're already locked in

You still have options. Dig out the signed agreement and find the end date and notice window. Give notice in writing as soon as you're inside the window, even if you're undecided — cancelling a cancellation is usually easier than undoing an auto-renewal.

Check whether the complaint route has been exhausted, keep a dated record of outages and unanswered calls, and if the service genuinely isn't being delivered, raise a formal written complaint before you look at legal routes. And remember that the card processing agreement may be separate, so cancel that in its own right.

Frequently asked questions

How long are EPOS contracts in the UK?

They vary enormously. Card-reader providers such as SumUp, Zettle and Square generally sell readers with no minimum term, while full EPOS providers commonly use terms of one to five years depending on the package. There is no standard, which is why the term should be stated on the front page of your agreement rather than assumed.

Can I cancel an EPOS contract within 14 days?

Statutory cooling-off rights mainly protect consumers, not businesses, so a 14-day right to cancel is not automatic for a business-to-business EPOS agreement. Some providers offer one voluntarily. Ask before you sign and get the answer in writing rather than relying on the assumption.

Do I need a long contract to get a good EPOS price?

No. Longer terms are one way providers recover hardware costs, but they're not the only way. If you buy the hardware outright the provider has less reason to tie you in, which is how our EPOS bundles work — hardware paid for once, software from £12 a month + VAT.

What happens to my data if I stop paying for my EPOS software?

Cloud systems typically restrict access once the subscription lapses, sometimes quickly. Export your product list, customer records and sales history before your final payment date, not after. Ask each provider what their retention period is and get it confirmed in writing.

Read it once, calmly

A good EPOS contract is short, states its term on the first page, and doesn't punish you for leaving. If you have a quote in front of you from anyone — us included — take an evening and run it through the ten checks above.

If you'd like a second pair of eyes, send it over or book a free demo. We'll show you the system with your own products loaded, and give you a written quote with the term, the total first-year cost and the exit terms all on one page. UK-based team, no obligation, and the price is the same next week.