The Shift4 SkyTab, formerly Revel Systems PoS, is a point of sale that includes a card terminal designed for small businesses. The terminal is designed around the needs of retail, service industry, and hospitality, and it’s used by companies like Biggby Coffee, TGI Fridays, iGrill, and many more.
Revel Systems was one of the most popular service industry payment solutions in the UK. Today, as SkyTab, it’s one of the most popular in the world.
Of course, popularity isn’t everything. You still need to know what the Shift4 SkyTab offers for your business. In this review we cover pricing, features, ratings, and much more, so you can make an informed decision.
What Is The Shift4 SkyTab?
Revel Systems was a restaurant and hospitality industry-focused point of sale system based in the UK.
In 2024, the brand and its 18,000 merchants were acquired by U.S. based Shift4. The move meant Shift4 adopted and rebranded the Revel point of sale and card terminal. It also now offers the Shift Cloud Point of Sale and other business management solutions as part of the package.
The transfer means that the Revel Systems PoS is now available under a different name (SkyTab) with some changes to services, offerings, and pricing.
For UK customers, the largest difference is that Revel’s poorly rated customer service team have been replaced by a much larger customer service team. However, it also means that pricing is no longer as transparent.
Shift4 SkyTab Features
Shift4 SkyTab offers a full-service solution to point of sale including software, card terminals, tills, interfaces, and more.
You can also add on apps, extensions, and integrations with a PoS marketplace, making it easy to get more from your point of sale without coding.
Online Payments
SkyTab offers a full cloud Point of Sale, meaning you can set up products online and then sell them directly. That means secure online payment gateway.
You can also use Pay by Link and Pay by QR code. For example, customers can order online for online delivery or in-store pickup.
Point of Sale
Shift4 is primarily a point of sale company. That means you get a point of sale application complete with order management, product management, inventory management, and more.
It also offers an app marketplace, where you can add third party apps from dozens of services. Most of these apps are focused on the restaurant and service industry, like back of house automation, tax automation, etc.
This PoS is geared towards the hospitality industry. However, you can also use it for retail and shops.
Pricing varies depending on what you’re getting but you can typically expect fees from about £20 per month. If you get a custom package with everything put together, it could be much cheaper.
Mobile Terminals
SkyTab offers a mobile card terminal with a receipt printer, camera, and battery for charging at tables or on the go.
It’s still primarily designed for the service industry, however, you can use it in most retail settings, including in airports, hotels, and shops. In addition, you can link it to loyalty programs, gift cards, and more.
The mobile terminal costs from £20 per month at the normal rate. However, you can also use the tap to pay mobile app for half that.
Shift4 SkyTab Pricing
Shift4 does not offer transparent pricing in the UK. This does mean you’ll need a custom quote.
That also means it’s more important to request multiple quotes so you can compare rates and make sure you’re getting a good deal.
However, we see the following rates for most of Shift4’s services:
- SKyTab PoS – £29.99/month
- SkyTab Mobile Card Machine – £20/month
- SkyTab Glass mini PoS – £29.99/month
- SkyTab Kitchen Display PoS – £29.99/month
- SkyTab Customer-Facing Display – £29.99/month
Shift4 also offers custom, advantage, and custom pricing schedules for card transactions. Standard pricing is normally 2.75% + 15p for all transactions.
You can also get extras like:
- Remote printers – £9.99/month
- Tap-to-Pay app – £15/month
- Digital scale – £39.99/month
- Caller ID – £9.99-£19.99
- Barcode Scanner – £9.99
However, none of this pricing is fixed. Shift4 primarily works through resellers in the UK, which means that pricing can change depending on your business partner.
Chances are high, however, that you can negotiate lower rates than listed here, especially for transaction rates.
Benefits Of Shift4 SkyTab
SkyTab has a lot to offer to the service industry and restaurants.
For example, it delivers a complete PoS with payment processing built-in. You can also build your own technology package, so you only pay for what you need.
- Designed for the needs of hospitality and service industry
- Front and back of house PoS and payment solutions
- Online ordering available including online payments
- Extra features like bill splitting and gratuities worked in
- Build your own PoS package with hardware and apps and pay for what you need
Of course, if you choose for Shift4 SkyTab, you’ll either want a purchasing partner that operates as a bank and an acquirer or to already have those services. However, that’s true with all of Shift4’s competitors.
Shift4 SkyTab vs Competitors
Shift4 SkyTab compares well with other Point of Sale systems like Clover, Toast, Shopify, SumUp, and Square. However, with a lack of real transparency on the UK market, you’ll have to request quotes to see what you’ll actually pay.
| Provider | Shift4 SkyTab | Clover | Toast | Shopify | SumUp | Square |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Fee | £20+ | £16-£240+ | £80-£150+ | £19-£299 | £0-£19+ | £0-£29+ |
| Transaction Cost | 2.75% + 25p | 1.49% | 2.49% + 15p | 1.5-2% + 25p | 1.69%- 2.5% or 0.99%-1.99% | 1.4%+ 25p or 2.5% + 25p |
| Card Reader | £20+ per month | Included in monthly fee | Included in monthly fee | £59-£239 | £34-£499 | £59 one-time fee |
| Online Payment Gateway | £20+ per month | Included in monthly fee | Included in monthly fee | Included in monthly fee | Included in monthly fee | Included in monthly fee |
| Back of House | £30 per month | Included in monthly fee | Included in monthly fee | No | Yes | No |
| Apps | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
In short, Shift4 SkyTab offers more restaurant-specific features than most competitors.
It’s also the most modular, with options to build your own package by selecting the features you want. That means you could pay less than a full-service solution.
Shift4 SkyTab Reviews & Ratings
Shift4 SkyTab is very well reviewed with an average rating of 4.6. That’s a big difference from Revel Systems, which had fallen to 2 stars, after a history of poor customer service.
SkyTab’s customers quote ease of setup, high quality terminals, and clear fees.
- High quality card terminals and hardware
- Easy setup, with POS and installation typically only taking a few days
- Helpful customer support, with walkthroughs and support calls to enable setup
- Transparent fees with packages built to meet your specific needs, e.g., you won’t pay for services you aren’t using.
Some users do complain about Shift4 SkyTab. However, most of those complaints appear to be about Shift4’s UK partners and sales team. This means you’ll want to be careful with door-to-door salesmen offering Shift4, but the company itself is very well reviewed.
Who Should Use the Shift4 SkyTab?
Shift4 SkyTab is really geared towards the restaurant and service industry. Many of its products and offerings are also uniquely beneficial to the restaurant industry.
For example, it’s one of the only payment processors to offer scales that automatically link to the payment system. While you can get the same kinds of services through another service provider, you’ll typically need multiple providers to achieve it.
SkyTab is also likely to be cheaper than its closest competitors like Toast, which offer the same things, but starting from £80 per month. However, the actual rate you get depends on your negotiating abilities, the products you need, and which supplier you choose, so that can vary.
Of course, with a complete PoS, Shift4 can also meet the needs of any retail shop, especially those with omnichannel sales. So, for example, if you want to sell online with in-shop pickup, Shift4 supports that natively. That makes it ideal for retail shops with an online presence as well.
Getting The Best Deal On Your Point Of Sale
Revel Systems, now SkyTab, is a great Point of Sale and Card Terminal for restaurants and the service industry. It stands out with high quality hardware. In addition, much of the software and hardware are designed around the needs of the food and hospitality industry. That means it can be a perfect fit if you need those solutions.
On the other hand, Shift4 doesn’t offer transparent pricing in the UK. You’ll have to get a custom quote or work through a third-party partner before you know what your rates will be. That makes it more important to request and compare quotes, even from Shift4’s competitors.
Use the form below to tell us what you need and we’ll request competitive quotes from those suppliers, so you get the best possible deal on your point of sale and card machines.