Xepos alternatives for UK small businesses
Xepos is an established UK EPOS supplier with a large regional installer network. If you are comparing them with anyone, the useful question is not which has more features — it is what you are actually signing, and what the whole thing costs in year one.
How Xepos is set up
Xepos is quote-based, usually through a local branch or installer. That model has a genuine advantage — a named engineer who knows your shop — and one thing to watch: terms and pricing can vary between branches and packages, so what a friend in another city was quoted may not be what you are offered.
The table below compares how the two are structured, not what they charge. Published prices move, so get current figures from each provider in writing and compare the full first-year total rather than the monthly line.
Xepos and Zivaro, side by side
| Xepos | Zivaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a price | Quote-based, typically via a regional branch or installer. | Published bundle prices, then £12 a month + VAT for software and support. |
| Contract length | Varies by branch and package — ask for the minimum term, notice period and renewal terms in writing. | No long lock-in. You own the hardware you buy. |
| Hardware | Confirm whether you are buying, renting or leasing, and what happens at the end of the term. | Bought outright and yours from delivery. |
| Card processing | Often a separate agreement with its own term — check whether cancelling one cancels the other. | Integrated with the till, quoted alongside it, and shown as its own line. |
| Support | Branch-based, so experience depends on your local team. | UK-based phone support from one team. |
When it is worth switching
Switching for a few pounds a month rarely pays. It is worth the disruption when one of these is true:
- You want the total first-year cost written down before a sales call, not after one
- You would rather own the hardware than lease it for five years
- You want one supplier for the till and the card machine, with one number to ring
- You are mid-contract and want the changeover timed around your end date
If none of them apply, stay where you are. We would rather tell you that than sell you a system you do not need. If two or more do, our guide to switching without closing the shop sets out the week, and the contract checklist covers what to read before you sign anything — ours included.
What Zivaro costs
Bundles are a one-off purchase and the hardware is yours from delivery. Software and support are £12 a month + VAT on every bundle, with no long lock-in. Current bundle prices are published on our products page rather than held behind a quote form, so you can do this comparison before speaking to anybody.
Questions people ask
Is there a cheaper alternative to Xepos?
It depends entirely on what you are quoted, which is why a like-for-like comparison matters more than a headline price. Work out the full first-year total for both — hardware, software, setup, support and card processing — and compare those two numbers rather than the monthly figures.
Can I switch from Xepos to another EPOS system?
Yes, though check your agreement first for the minimum term, the notice period and any early termination charge. Export your product list, customer records and at least twelve months of sales history before you cancel anything. Most single-till shops can move without losing a trading day.
What should I ask before signing any EPOS contract?
Five things, all in writing: the minimum term and notice period, whether you own the hardware, whether card processing is a separate agreement, what support hours are included, and whether you can export your data if you leave. Our full checklist covers the clauses that cost people the most.