Flexible solutions for food and drink

Finding the best payment setup for you would depend on what type of food and drink business you have. For food trucks and mobile catering businesses, an on-the-go solution would be ideal. For example, the selection of card readers offered by SumUp work with either your mobile phone’s internet connection, or a built-in SIM card to make sure you never lose signal and miss a sale. Alternatively, offering remote payment options might be a great way to offer your customers more ways to pay. QR codes and payment links are easy ways to let your customers pay you without having to tap or insert their card directly.

If you have a static location like a small cafe or counter-service restaurant, it would be best to choose an out-of-the-box point of sale system, like SumUp POS. With this device you could manage your items, add variations, create and monitor simple sales reports and set up your counter with a stylish display.

Businesses that run a chain restaurant or a larger venue may benefit by reducing queues and freeing up staff by installing a customisable, self-service kiosk. Your customers could then browse the products you offer, select the ones they wish to purchase, and pay directly on-screen.

Restaurant payments have advanced and cashless payments have become the norm. There are many ways to implement contactless payments at your restaurant, but investing in card readers you can rely on is a great start. Payment providers like SumUp offer a range of card readers to suit every kind of food and drink business.

With a card reader, you can accept card payments as well as contactless payments via Apple Pay, Google Pay and more. Card readers are compact and fit in your pocket, so you can accept payments at the counter, at the table or on the go. You can set up as many card readers as you like to fit your business layout and team size, too. Card readers often integrate with other restaurant technology like point of sale systems, to further simplify your checkout experience.

We believe that an industry as diverse as food and drink (also referred to as food and beverage) should have pricing structures to match. At SumUp, we offer a range of pricing plans so you can choose how you pay based on what you need. 

Smaller or seasonal businesses may opt to use our products on a no-contract, pay-as-you-go basis. Simply choose any of the products you’d like to purchase, (where necessary) pay an upfront cost for the hardware, and then only pay a small transaction fee on any payments you take with your product. No monthly costs, and no contractual obligations. 

Alternatively, businesses can save money by opting to use our payments plan, Payments Plus. By paying a monthly fee of just £19, you’ll save up to 60% on transaction fees and get 50% off a card reader.

If an all-in-one point-of-sale system is right for you and you’d like to choose SumUp POS, you can choose a plan based on what you need.

POS or ‘point of sale’ refers to the combination of technology businesses use at their checkout, as well as to streamline and manage their processes. A POS system, usually a combination of dedicated software and hardware, can be used to process orders, accept payments and organise everyday tasks. A food and drink business would usually use a POS system like SumUp POS to speed up sales by simplifying their checkout with easy orders and fast payments. Restaurants might use SumUp POS to manage reservations, check stock, streamline kitchen comms and generate valuable reports for business analysis.

When choosing the best point of sale (POS) system for your business, you should consider which POS software and hardware will speed up your service, streamline your everyday operations and simplify your essential tasks. 

The best POS system for your business can depend on your size and setup, whether you’re operating a counter or a full dining room. No matter the type of POS system you decide on, it should always enable contactless payments in your restaurant. With SumUp, you can choose a POS plan that suits your business and its needs.

Accepting payments using QR codes has become a more popular way to get paid for food and drink services in recent years. This can be a great idea for your food and drink business, especially when it comes to queue management and the speed of your service. 

QR code restaurant payments are contactless, meaning your customer can complete the entire payment process using their phone. They will not need to provide any cash or card for the payment of their order. 

The QR codes used for this type of payment can simply be placed in different spots across your business, whether it be at your counter, in waiting areas or on tabletops—so your customer can even pay at the table themselves. 

Some QR code payment providers, like SumUp, do not require the customer to download any app or create any account before paying. They will always complete the payment using a secure website.