Best 5 Mobile ePOS Systems for Your Business

Mobile EPOS systems let you take payments and manage sales from a phone or tablet – no fixed counter, no bulky till. For businesses that operate on the move, at events, or across multiple locations, they’re essential.

The UK mobile POS market has matured significantly. Card readers cost £19-29, apps are free, and transaction fees sit at 1.69-1.75%. Pay-as-you-go plans from SumUp, Square and Zettle have no contract and no monthly fee.

We’ve compared the five best mobile EPOS systems for UK businesses in 2026. Each works via smartphone or tablet, supports contactless and chip-and-PIN payments, and offers genuine portability for field-based, market, or multi-site businesses.

Whether you’re a mobile hairdresser, food truck operator, market trader, or tradesperson invoicing on-site, there’s a system here that fits your workflow.

Mobile EPOS Pricing Comparison

The best mobile EPOS systems charge £0/month with transaction fees of 1.69-1.75%. Hardware ranges from £19 for a basic reader to £149 for a standalone terminal with built-in screen.

Note: Clover Flex Pocket requires a merchant account (quote-based pricing) – it’s not pay-as-you-go like SumUp or Square. Clover Go is not listed on Clover’s UK site. See our full EPOS cost breakdown for detailed pricing.

SumUp leads the mobile EPOS market with purpose-built portable hardware. The Solo Lite (£25) connects to your phone via Bluetooth for basic card acceptance. But SumUp’s real standout is the Solo (£79) – a standalone handheld with its own touchscreen and built-in 4G SIM that works independently, no phone required.

For truly mobile businesses, that independence matters. Market traders, mobile caterers, and tradespeople don’t want to juggle a phone and a card reader. The Solo handles everything: contactless, chip and PIN, Apple Pay, Google Pay – all through one pocket-sized device.

SumUp’s PAYG plan charges £0/month with a 1.69% transaction fee – the lowest pay-as-you-go rate in this comparison. There are no contracts, no minimum terms, and no hidden charges. Next-day payouts are available to a SumUp Business Account.

The free POS app adds inventory management, product catalogues, and sales reporting. If you outgrow the basics, POS Plus (£29/month) adds employee management, table plans, and advanced analytics.

Square’s mobile EPOS app is one of the most feature-complete free options in this comparison. The Reader (£19) pairs with your iPhone or Android phone via Bluetooth, and the app handles everything else: inventory, invoicing, customer profiles, sales reports, and even a free online store.

Where Square excels over SumUp for mobile use is the software depth. You can create invoices on-site and email them to clients, manage appointments, and track customer purchase history – all from the app. For mobile service businesses (hairdressers, cleaners, personal trainers), this versatility is unmatched.

Square charges 1.75% per in-person transaction. The Reader costs £19 and accepts contactless, chip and PIN, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. For a more robust mobile setup, the Square Terminal (£149) has a built-in screen and receipt printer.

Tap to Pay on iPhone (no reader needed) launched in the UK, letting you accept contactless payments with just your phone. This is the cheapest possible mobile POS setup – literally £0 in hardware.

PayPal Zettle’s strength for mobile businesses is the PayPal ecosystem. Customers can pay via PayPal QR code, which is a genuine advantage at markets, festivals, and outdoor events where some customers don’t carry cards.

The PayPal Reader (Zettle’s card reader) costs £29 for a new business’s first reader (additional readers are £69) and connects to your phone via Bluetooth. It accepts contactless up to £100, chip and PIN, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Power-saving mode gives 9+ hours of battery life – enough for a full trading day.

The free app includes inventory management, sales reports, and tipping options. Zettle charges 1.75% per in-person transaction. Funds typically arrive in your bank account the next business day.

For mobile businesses also selling online, Zettle integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, and Xero. This means your in-person and online sales data sync automatically – no manual reconciliation.

Clover Flex Pocket is the portable option in Clover’s current UK range (Clover Go is not listed on Clover’s UK site). It targets businesses that start mobile but plan to scale into a fixed location – because Clover’s full hardware range (Mini, Flex, Station) uses the same software ecosystem.

Clover publishes no card rates or software prices, so those are quoted individually and depend on your business type and volume. Ask for the in-person rate in writing and compare it with SumUp’s 1.69% and Square’s 1.75%.

Clover’s app is more business-focused than the pay-as-you-go competitors. Employee management, customer engagement tools, and detailed reporting come included. The trade-off is that Clover requires a merchant account, which means a credit check and contract.

For mobile businesses planning to eventually open a shop, café, or salon, Clover Flex Pocket makes sense as a starting point. Your product catalogue, customer data, and sales history transfer seamlessly when you upgrade to countertop hardware.

Shopify POS is the mobile EPOS component of Shopify’s e-commerce platform. If you already sell online through Shopify, the POS app lets you take in-person payments with the same product catalogue, inventory, and customer data – no duplication needed.

The POS app is included with every Shopify subscription (from £19/month on Basic). Transaction fees are 1.7% on Basic, dropping to 1.5% on Advanced (£259/month). You can take payments with Tap to Pay on your phone, or buy a dedicated reader such as the WisePad 3 or the Shopify POS Terminal.

For existing Shopify merchants doing pop-ups, markets, or showroom sales, this is the obvious choice. Your online and in-person inventory syncs in real time, so you never oversell. Customer purchase history combines both channels automatically.

The downside: Shopify POS isn’t practical as a standalone mobile EPOS. The £19/month minimum is the real constraint. Its 1.3/5 Trustpilot score is a weak guide either way, since that profile collects complaints from shoppers who bought from Shopify stores as well as from merchants; verified business reviewers on Capterra rate Shopify 4.5/5. It’s a strong add-on for existing Shopify users, not a starting point for businesses only selling in person.

What to Look For in a Mobile EPOS

The three critical factors for mobile EPOS are battery life (8+ hours for a full trading day), connectivity options (4G or offline mode), and hardware portability (small enough to carry in a pocket).

Mobile EPOS needs differ from fixed-location systems. These features matter most when you’re operating away from a counter:

Battery life. A full day of trading means 8+ hours of active use. SumUp’s Solo handles up to 300 transactions per charge. Square’s Reader lasts all day with minimal drain. Zettle’s PayPal Reader manages 9+ hours in power-saving mode. Check that the battery lasts your typical trading day, not just the manufacturer’s lab test.

Connectivity. Outdoor markets, events, and customer premises don’t always have reliable Wi-Fi. Look for systems that work over your phone’s 4G connection – if you rely on mobile data for payments, it’s worth comparing business mobile deals to make sure your data allowance holds up. Better still, some terminals offer offline mode – transactions queue locally and process when you reconnect. Offline support is patchy: Zettle has no offline mode, and SumUp’s offline transactions feature is currently only in pilot for a limited number of merchants, so check each provider’s UK support page before relying on it.

Portability. Card readers range from pocket-sized units that pair with your phone (SumUp Solo Lite, Square Reader) to larger standalone terminals (Square Terminal, SumUp Solo). If you’re carrying the device all day, weight and size matter. Bluetooth readers are lighter but depend on your phone; standalone terminals are heavier but self-contained.

Durability. Mobile devices face more wear than countertop systems. Drops, rain, dust, and temperature changes are real risks. None of the major readers are IP-rated for water resistance, so invest in a protective case if you trade outdoors.

Mobile EPOS for Different Business Types

Food trucks and caterers should prioritise kitchen display integration and tip management. Tradespeople need invoicing and job-based tracking. Market traders need the longest battery life and lowest hardware cost.

Your business type determines which mobile EPOS features actually matter:

Food trucks and mobile caterers. Speed is everything when you’ve got a queue. SumUp’s Solo gives the fastest tap-and-go experience. If you need to send orders to a prep station, pair Loyverse POS (free kitchen display) with a SumUp reader.

Market traders. Lowest cost and longest battery win. SumUp Solo Lite (£25) or Square Reader (£19, all-day battery) are both ideal. PayPal Zettle adds QR code payments for customers who prefer PayPal – useful at craft markets.

Mobile hairdressers and beauticians. Square’s free plan includes appointment scheduling, client notes, and invoicing – features specifically designed for service businesses. Create service packages with set durations and prices.

Tradespeople. On-site invoicing is the key feature. Square lets you create and email invoices from the app, then track payment status. For quoting and job costing, you may also want to look at trade-specific accounting apps that integrate with your EPOS.

Pop-up shops. If you sell online through Shopify, its POS app keeps inventory synced across both channels. Otherwise, Square or SumUp work perfectly for temporary retail – no contracts, no monthly fees, easy to start and stop.

Mobile vs Fixed EPOS: When to Upgrade

Upgrade from mobile to fixed EPOS when queues build at peak times, you need receipt printers or a cash drawer, your team grows, or you open a permanent location with a counter.

Mobile EPOS systems are designed for portability, not high-volume fixed-location trading. Here are the signs it’s time to upgrade:

The good news: SumUp, Square, and Clover all offer upgrade paths from mobile to countertop hardware within the same ecosystem. Your product catalogue, sales history, and customer data transfer automatically. For full-system comparisons, see our guide to comparing EPOS systems.

Emma Clarke

Technology & Payments Specialist

Emma covers the full range of business technology, including EPOS systems, merchant accounts, telecoms, and web tools. Her experience as a retail systems consultant helps businesses choose the right digital solutions to improve efficiency and sales.

Reviewed by

Sarah Mitchell

B2B Commerce & Finance Reviewer