Zonal is one of the UK’s oldest hospitality technology providers, founded in Edinburgh in 1979. It joined Volaris Group in 2026 and is a major player in the UK pub group and restaurant chain market.
FREE QUOTE COMPARISON
Compare EPOS Quotes from Trusted Suppliers
✓ EPOS systems from £0 upfront
100% free • No obligation • Takes under 2 minutes
- 45+ years in UK hospitality, founded in Edinburgh in 1979 - one of the longest-established EPOS providers serving major UK pub chains and restaurant groups
- Quote-only pricing aimed at multi-site estates, with no published prices or contract terms - not cost-effective for small cafes or single-site operations, where published-price alternatives like Square (£0/month) offer better value
- 200+ integrations and 140+ built-in reports - a broad single-vendor ecosystem built around multi-site pub and restaurant operations
- Quote-based rollout, not plug-and-play like Square - hardware and setup costs are set in your quote, so get them in writing before comparing
- Best for established multi-site restaurant groups and managed pub estates - table management, kitchen display, stock control, and loyalty features justify the premium for high-volume operations
Zonal targets multi-site operators, not independent restaurants. Their platform covers EPOS, reservations, kitchen management, hotel PMS, loyalty, and analytics – a full enterprise technology stack from a single vendor. For context on how Zonal fits the wider market, see our EPOS systems overview.
We’ve reviewed Zonal’s pricing, features, and user feedback to help UK hospitality businesses assess whether it’s the right fit. The picture is mixed: strong product capability against a backdrop of poor post-sale support reviews.
Zonal Pricing
Zonal does not publish prices. Its website says pricing is tailored to your estate’s size and complexity, so every package, including rental, needs a custom quote.
Zonal is enterprise-priced and every package is quoted individually, including rental:
| Package | Monthly Price | Upfront Cost | Contract Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rental package | Quote only | Quote only | Set in your quote |
| Standard EPoS (software) | Custom quote | Custom quote | Custom |
| Full platform | Custom enterprise quote | Custom | Custom |
What a rental covers: Zonal’s packages can combine EPoS software, handheld ordering devices and payment processing. Confirm in your quote exactly what is included, what is charged upfront, and whether prices include VAT.
Contract commitment: Zonal does not publish its minimum term or upfront fees, so ask for both in writing along with the total you commit to over the contract. Compare that with alternatives like Square (£0/month, no contract) or Epos Now (Countertop 2 bundle from £299, contract terms set in your quote).
Transaction fees: Dependent on the payment processor. Specific rates require a direct quote from Zonal.
Key Features
Zonal’s strength is its integrated hospitality ecosystem – EPoS, reservations, kitchen management, hotel PMS, loyalty, and analytics all from one vendor, with 140+ built-in reports and hybrid cloud/on-premise deployment.
Zonal offers one of the most comprehensive single-vendor hospitality tech stacks in the UK market:
EPoS. Full hospitality point-of-sale with stock management, 140+ built-in reports, upselling prompts, and configurable finance environments. The system handles complex pub and restaurant workflows including tab management, split bills, and table plans.
iServe Plus handheld. Tableside ordering and integrated payment device. Designed for both indoor and outdoor service. Connects via Wi-Fi for real-time order syncing with the kitchen.
Kitchen Management System (KMS). Orders route from front-of-house to kitchen displays with modifications, timing, and priority indicators. Essential for high-volume kitchens.
Reservations and online ordering. Built-in reservation system and customer-facing online ordering. Integrates with the EPoS for real-time table availability and order management.
Multi-site management. Centralised control across estates – consolidated reporting, menu management, promotions, and staff scheduling from a single dashboard. This is Zonal’s core market.
Hybrid deployment. Unlike purely cloud-based competitors, Zonal offers hybrid cloud/on-premise deployment. The local component provides resilience during internet outages – critical for high-volume pubs and restaurants.
Pros and Cons
Zonal offers one of the UK’s most complete hospitality tech ecosystems with 45+ years of industry expertise, but the quote-only contract terms, high pricing, and consistently poor Trustpilot reviews for post-sale support are serious concerns.
✓ Pros
✗ Cons
Who Is Zonal Best For?
Zonal is designed for managed pub groups, restaurant chains, and hotel groups with multiple sites that need an integrated technology ecosystem – not for independent operators or single-site businesses.
Good fit:
- Managed pub estates and pub groups (Zonal’s core market)
- Restaurant chains with 5+ sites needing centralised management
- Hotels with food and beverage operations needing integrated PMS
- Large hospitality operators wanting a single-vendor tech stack
- Businesses needing hybrid deployment for reliability
Poor fit:
- Independent restaurants – hospitality-focused alternatives start from £0/month
- Budget-conscious operators – pricing is quote-only and aimed at multi-site estates
- Businesses wanting flexible, no-contract arrangements – free EPOS systems offer pay-as-you-go
- Small operators who don’t need the full platform ecosystem
Zonal vs Alternatives
Zonal’s closest competitors are Tissl (published plan pricing) for independent and small-group hospitality and Epos Now (hardware bundles from £299) for smaller venues. Square (£0/month) serves the budget end of the market.
| Feature | Zonal | Epos Now | Square Restaurants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | Quote only | Quote-based | £0 |
| Contract | Not published | Set in your quote | None |
| Upfront cost | Quote only | From £299 | £19 |
| Target market | Enterprise chains | SME hospitality | Independent restaurants |
| Trustpilot | 2.4/5 | 4.3/5 | 3.9/5 |
| Customer base | Major UK pub, restaurant and hotel groups | 80,000 businesses (company figure) | Not published |
Our verdict: Zonal has one of the deepest feature sets among UK hospitality EPOS providers. For large multi-site operators who need EPoS, reservations, KMS, PMS, and loyalty from one vendor, it’s a credible option. But the post-sale support complaints are consistent and recent – request detailed SLAs for support response times and escalation paths before committing to a contract.
For independent restaurants or smaller operators, the market has moved on. See our guide to how the leading EPOS systems compare for more affordable, flexible options.
Our Verdict
Zonal EPOS review: quote-only pricing, 140+ reports and 200+ integrations for UK pub groups and restaurant chains. Founded 1979. See our full verdict.
