Tyl by NatWest, the card payment processing business launched by British bank NatWest, has announced a partnership with hospitality technology firm Akru. Under the agreement, Tyl by NatWest will serve as the preferred payments partner, providing payment processing capabilities for Akru’s point-of-sale (POS) solution.
The collaboration, announced on September 23, 2025, aims to integrate Tyl’s payment processing into Akru’s POS solution, which is specifically designed for independent hospitality venues and small chains. Akru’s POS system is powered by technology from Zonal, an Edinburgh-based vendor.
A joint statement highlighted that the partnership will enable Akru’s users to streamline sales transactions and inventory management, while also addressing traditional friction points between separate operational systems. Steve Roberts, managing director at Akru, commented on the integration, stating, “we’re able to offer hospitality businesses across the UK an end-to-end solution that’s simple to use, but powerful enough to support their growth and ambition”.
Akru, a division of Zonal Group, leverages Zonal’s technology to power its POS offerings. Roberts, who previously served as a commercial director at Zonal Retail Data Systems, assumed his current role at Akru in January 2024. Beyond its core POS, Akru also provides kitchen management systems, self-checkout kiosks, and Akrupay, an embedded payment processing solution introduced in February 2025.
For Tyl by NatWest, this partnership is expected to expand its presence within the hospitality sector. The bank’s merchant acquiring business has existing collaborations, including a partnership with Ingenico SoftPOS (formerly Phos) since June 2023, and with the Federation of Small Businesses since May 2024. James Hodgson, the division’s former product chief, has led Tyl by NatWest since September 2024, succeeding Mike Elliff.
