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Customers who carry American Express expect to use it, and turning them away can lose a sale. Here is how to accept Amex, what UK providers charge for it and how other card types compare, read 26 October 2026.
Published rates from every major UK card machine provider, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own takings.
The short answer
To accept American Express, choose a payment provider whose card machine or app takes Amex and check its Amex rate before you sign. Published Amex rates, read 26 October 2026: SumUp 1.69%, Revolut 1.7% + 2p, Zettle 1.75% and Viva 2.65%. Dojo charges 1.2% on all card transactions under £100,000 a year and Flatpay 1.49% on all cards.
Published prices read 26 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | In-person card rate | Monthly fee | Card machine | Contract | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Source | 1.69% pay as you go, or 0.99% on Payments Plus (domestic cards) | £0, or £19 on Payments Plus | Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 (ex VAT), bought outright | None, cancel anytime | Next day, 7am, weekends included |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
| Revolut Source | From 0.8% + 2p (UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) | £0 for the reader | Reader £49; Terminal £169 + VAT | None | Within 24 hours |
| Viva Source | 1.69% UK consumer cards | £0 to £15.99 plans (min £3.99) | Not published | Change plan monthly | Real time |
| Dojo Source | 1.2% blended under £100k a year; custom above | £0 Essential; Plus £11.99 new customers (£25 list) | Go Max £149 or £25 a month; Pocket £239 or £20; Wired £179 or £15 | 30-day rolling or 12-month fixed (custom rate) | Next day |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| Square Source | 1.75% UK cards; +1.5% non-UK cards | £0, or Plus £29+ | Reader £19; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None, cancel anytime | Next day free; instant for 1.95% |
| Stripe Source | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards; 2.9% + 10p non-EEA | £0 | WisePad 3 £49; S700 or S710 £229 (ex VAT) | Pay as you go | Standard free; instant 1% |
| Tyl by NatWest Source | 1.39% + 5p personal cards (under £50k a year) | Machine hire from £13.99 + VAT | PAX A920 Pro £19.99, A50 £14.99, A80 £13.99 a month + VAT | 12 months | Next business day |
VAT is excluded where the provider states it. Rates are for in-person UK consumer cards unless stated. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We compare the whole market, including the providers that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your takings and the right machine. You keep a named account manager who looks after you after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Visa and Mastercard are networks. The cards are issued by banks, and the fee each bank charges, called interchange, is capped for UK consumer cards. American Express works differently: it runs its own network and issues most of its own cards. So providers often price Amex separately from Visa and Mastercard, and usually higher.
Some providers smooth this out with one blended rate for every card. Others list Amex as its own line. Both are fair, but they suit different businesses. If only a few customers use Amex, a low Visa and Mastercard rate with a dearer Amex rate can still cost less overall. If many customers use Amex, such as at a restaurant with business diners or a hotel, a single rate across all cards is often cheaper and easier to predict.
Whatever the price, check acceptance itself. Not every service takes Amex in every way: Tyl by NatWest says Tap to Pay acceptance of American Express is not currently available.
These providers state an Amex rate, or a single rate that covers all cards, on the pages we read.
A restaurant takes £6,000 a month by card at an average bill of £60, so 100 payments, or £72,000 a year. Of that, £900, or 15%, is paid by American Express, and the rest on UK consumer Visa and Mastercard. Card fees only, at published rates read 26 October 2026.
Including plan fees, Dojo's single rate beats every option here except Revolut. Push the Amex share to half of takings and Revolut rises to £77.00, above Dojo's £72.00, which does not change with card mix.
Visa and Mastercard sit at the core of every provider's pricing. The differences come with business cards, premium cards and cards issued abroad, including international brands such as JCB and UnionPay that overseas visitors may carry.
Several providers publish a higher rate for cards from abroad. Square charges 1.75% on UK cards and 1.75% plus 1.5% on non-UK cards. Stripe Terminal charges 1.4% + 10p on EEA cards, those issued in the European Economic Area, and 2.9% + 10p on non-EEA cards. Revolut charges 2.6% on cards other than UK consumer cards. Viva prices UK commercial, European and international cards at a 1.16% acquiring fee plus interchange and scheme fees, a method called interchange plus, where you see each part of the fee separately.
Blended providers keep one price: Dojo states 1.2% for all card transactions, Flatpay 1.49% for all cards and Zettle 1.75% for major cards. If you serve many tourists or business travellers, ask every provider which brands it accepts and the rate for each, then work out the cost on your own mix.
People often search for the cards a particular provider accepts. Here is what each says on its UK pricing pages, read 26 October 2026.
SumUp states its 1.69% covers all other in-person payments, including American Express and premium cards. Zettle states the same 1.75% rate for major cards and mobile wallets, even American Express. Square's pricing page covers any contactless, mobile or chip and PIN payment with UK cards and non-UK cards, but lists no separate Amex rate, so call Square on 0800 098 8008 to confirm. Stripe Terminal prices by where the card was issued, EEA or non-EEA, rather than by brand; check Stripe's list of supported brands before relying on any one of them.
Revolut and Viva both name American Express in their fee schedules. Tyl by NatWest is the one provider that states a limit: no Amex on Tap to Pay. If American Express matters to your business, put it in writing with the provider before you sign, and ask for the Amex rate on the contract itself.
The cheapest provider for a business with many Amex customers is rarely the cheapest on headline rates. We compare the whole UK market, including Dojo, SumUp, Teya, Flatpay, Paymentsense, Square, Worldpay and others, on your real card mix, including Amex, business and overseas cards, and negotiate the rate for each card type. We make sure the Amex rate is written into the agreement, not left to a phone call.
We handle the application and any switch from your current provider, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after setup and checks that each card type is billed at the agreed rate. If the share of Amex in your takings changes, we review whether a blended or tiered rate now suits you better. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
Choose a payment provider whose card machine or app takes Amex. SumUp, Zettle, Revolut and Viva name American Express on their pricing pages. Ask any provider for its Amex rate in writing, and check it applies to every way you take payments, including Tap to Pay.
Published Amex rates read 26 October 2026: SumUp 1.69%, Revolut 1.7% + 2p, Zettle 1.75% and Viva 2.65%. Dojo's 1.2% and Flatpay's 1.49% are single rates for all cards. On a £100 Amex sale, that is £1.69 with SumUp and £2.65 with Viva.
Square's UK pricing page lists 1.75% for UK cards and 1.75% plus 1.5% for non-UK cards, but no separate American Express rate. Call Square on 0800 098 8008 to confirm Amex acceptance and its price before you rely on it.
Stripe Terminal prices UK in-person payments by where the card was issued: 1.4% + 10p on EEA cards and 2.9% + 10p on non-EEA cards. Its pricing page does not list a separate Amex rate. Check Stripe's supported card brands before relying on any one of them.
Amex has often cost businesses more than Visa and Mastercard, because it runs its own network and its fees are not capped in the same way. Today some providers charge one rate for all cards, such as Dojo at 1.2% under £100,000 a year, which removes the extra cost.
SumUp states its in-person rate of 1.69% covers all payments including American Express and premium cards, read 26 October 2026. On its Payments Plus plan, domestic debit and credit cards cost 0.99% and premium, international and Amex cards 1.69%.
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