Receipt Printers for POS: A 2026 UK Buyer's Guide

A receipt printer is the most-used piece of POS hardware in any shop or restaurant — and the one most likely to cause grief if you buy the wrong type. This guide covers the choices so you pick a printer that is fast, reliable and matches your setup. Last updated: June 2026. Thermal vs impact — and why it matters Almost all modern receipt printers are thermal — no ink or ribbons, fast and quiet, perfect for receipts. Impact (dot-matrix) printers still earn their place in hot kitchens, where heat would fog a thermal receipt, and where multi-part docket printing is needed. For most retail and front-of-house, thermal is the answer. Counter vs mobile Counter (desktop) thermal printers — the workhorse beside the till; fast 80mm receipts at volume. Mobile and portable printers — belt-worn or handheld, for table-side payment, queue-busting, deliveries and market stalls. See our mobile receipt printers. Connection matters more than people expect Bluetooth for tablets and phones, USB for a fixed PC till, LAN/Ethernet for a networked counter, Wi-Fi for flexibility. Match the printer's connection to your POS device — a mismatch is the single most common reason a printer "won't work" out of the box. Paper width and consumables 80mm is the retail and hospitality standard; 58mm suits compact mobile printers. Whatever you choose, the receipt rolls are a consumable — buy the right width and keep stock so you never run dry mid-shift. Questions before you buy Counter or mobile/portable? Which POS device, and which connection — Bluetooth, USB, LAN or Wi-Fi? Thermal (most cases) or impact (hot kitchen or multi-part dockets)? Receipt width — 80mm or 58mm? Getting it right Tell us your till setup and we will match the printer and the right rolls. Browse the full hardware range, use the Solution Builder, or talk to our team.