Merchant services
The cheapest payment processor in the UK (2026).
We ranked UK online payment processors on published fees read 27 October 2026, then worked out the real monthly bill for small, medium and large businesses.
WhatsApp and Telegram +44 7563 115980
[email protected]
We ranked UK online payment processors on published fees read 27 October 2026, then worked out the real monthly bill for small, medium and large businesses.
Published online rates from the major processors serving UK businesses, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own sales.
The short answer
On published UK prices read 27 October 2026, Mollie has the lowest online rate for UK consumer cards at 1.20% + 20p, followed by Airwallex at 1.30% + 20p and Square Online at 1.4% + 25p. For sales under about £15, SumUp's 2.5% with no fixed fee costs less. Above about £20,000 a month, Adyen's interchange plus plus pricing is often cheaper again.
Published prices read on 27 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only or not published means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | Standard UK card rate | European and international cards | Monthly fee | Payouts | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mollie Source | 1.20% + 20p UK consumer cards | 2.90% + 20p European and UK commercial; 3.25% + 20p other | £0 | 5 free a month, then 25p each | No lock-in |
| Airwallex Source | 1.30% + 20p UK cards | 2.40% + 20p EEA; 3.15% + 20p international | £0 or £19 (waived over £10k) | Not on pricing page | Not stated |
| Square Online Source | 1.4% + 25p UK cards | 2.5% + 25p non-UK cards | £0, or Plus from £29 | Next day; instant 1.95% | Not stated |
| Stripe Source | 1.5% + 20p standard UK cards; 2.8% + 20p premium UK cards | 2.5% + 20p EEA; 3.15% + 20p international; +2% if converted | £0 | Standard free; instant 1% (min 40p); first payout 7 to 14 days | Pay as you go |
| SumUp Online Source | 2.5% online payments | 2.5% (not split out) | £0, or Payments Plus £19 | Next day by 7am to SumUp account | None stated |
| PayPal Braintree Source | 1.9% + 20p; Amex 2.4% + 20p | +1% for non-UK cards | Not published | Not published | Not stated |
| Shopify Payments Source | 2% + 25p on Basic; 1.3% + 25p on Plus | 3.1% + 25p on Basic | Plan from £25 (£19 paid yearly) | Not on pricing page | Monthly or yearly plan |
| PayPal Source | 2.9% + 30p standard; 1.2% + 30p for advanced card payments | +1.29% EEA, +1.99% other markets | £0; £20 for Website Payments Pro | Free withdrawal to bank | Not stated |
| Adyen Source | £0.11 + interchange++ + 0.60% | Same structure; interchange is higher | £0, no setup fee | Flexible, you choose | Not stated |
| Worldpay Source | Indicative quote, e.g. 1% debit, 1.8% credit + 4.5p | Quote only | £5 PCI fee; £15 minimum monthly charge | 24 hours | Not shown in tool |
Rates are for online card payments taken by UK businesses, before VAT where the provider states it. Premium, business and non-UK cards usually cost more. 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 processors that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your online sales and the right set-up. You keep a named account manager 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.
Published online rates for standard UK consumer cards, lowest first, read 27 October 2026:
Small: £3,000 a month in 100 payments of £30. Mollie costs £56, Stripe £65, Square Online £67, SumUp £75 and Airwallex £78 including its £19 plan fee. Mollie is cheapest.
Medium: £20,000 a month in 500 payments of £40. Mollie costs £340, Airwallex £360 with its plan fee waived, Stripe £400 and Square Online £405. Adyen comes to £55 in fixed fees plus £120 margin plus about £40 interchange on UK consumer debit cards: about £215 plus scheme fees.
Large: £100,000 a month in 2,000 payments of £50. Mollie costs £1,600, Airwallex £1,700, Stripe and Square Online £1,900 each. Adyen comes to £220 plus £600 plus about £200 interchange: about £1,020 plus scheme fees. At this size Stripe and Mollie also offer custom pricing, and Worldpay and Checkout.com will quote, so the published rate is a ceiling rather than the price you should pay.
All examples assume standard UK consumer cards. Premium, business and foreign cards raise every figure.
The percentage is only half the price. Fixed fees per payment hit small sales hardest. On a £5 sale, Mollie's 1.20% + 20p is 26p, while SumUp's 2.5% is 12.5p. SumUp costs less than Mollie on any sale under about £15, and less than Stripe on any sale under £20.
Card mix matters too. If many customers pay with premium or business cards, a provider that charges one rate for all UK cards may cost less than one with a low headline rate for consumer cards only. Stripe charges 2.8% + 20p on premium UK cards and Mollie 2.90% + 20p on UK business cards.
Then there are monthly costs. Airwallex charges £19 a month unless you deposit or hold £10,000. Worldpay's tool shows a £5 PCI DSS fee and a £15 minimum monthly service charge. Shopify's plan fee applies on top of Shopify Payments, and Shopify adds 2% on Basic if you use another processor.
If you sell to customers in Europe or further afield, compare the rates for those cards separately. On published prices read 27 October 2026, Airwallex is lowest for EEA cards at 2.40% + 20p, then Stripe at 2.5% + 20p and Square Online at 2.5% + 25p for all non-UK cards. Mollie charges 2.90% + 20p for European cards. PayPal Braintree adds 1% to its 1.9% + 20p rate for cards issued outside the UK, making 2.9% + 20p.
For international cards outside Europe, Airwallex and Stripe both charge 3.15% + 20p and Mollie 3.25% + 20p. Stripe adds 2% if currency conversion is needed.
On £10,000 a month of EEA card sales in 200 payments of £50, Airwallex costs £280, Stripe £290, Square Online £300, and Mollie and Braintree £330 each. PayPal's standard rate plus its 1.29% EEA fee costs £479.
Ask every provider for its full fee list, not just the rate. These are the charges that most often change which processor is cheapest, with published examples read 27 October 2026:
We work out which processor is cheapest for your business on your own figures: your monthly sales, average sale, card mix and the countries you sell to. We include the providers that only quote on request, such as Worldpay, Checkout.com and Elavon, and compare the total monthly cost, including every charge and any monthly plan, not the headline rate.
We then negotiate the rate and terms, handle the application and the switch from your current processor, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after you go live and reviews your costs as your sales grow. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
On published online rates for UK consumer cards read 27 October 2026, Mollie is cheapest at 1.20% + 20p, then Airwallex at 1.30% + 20p and Square Online at 1.4% + 25p. For sales under about £15, SumUp's 2.5% with no fixed fee costs less.
For £3,000 a month in £30 payments, Mollie costs £56 a month, Stripe £65, Square Online £67 and SumUp £75, on published rates. If your average sale is under about £15, SumUp's 2.5% with no fixed fee usually works out cheapest.
Not on published UK rates. Stripe's 1.5% + 20p for standard UK cards is higher than Mollie's 1.20% + 20p and Airwallex's 1.30% + 20p. Stripe is lower than PayPal's standard 2.9% + 30p and Braintree's 1.9% + 20p. Large businesses can ask Stripe for custom pricing.
Stripe, Mollie, Square Online on its free plan, SumUp pay-as-you-go, Adyen and Paddle publish no monthly fee for standard payments. Airwallex charges £19 a month unless you deposit or hold £10,000. Worldpay's tool shows a £5 PCI DSS fee and a £15 minimum monthly charge.
Usually when most payments are on UK consumer cards and volumes are steady. On £20,000 a month of £40 debit payments, Adyen costs about £215 plus scheme fees against £340 at Mollie and £400 at Stripe. A high share of premium or foreign cards narrows the gap.
Often, yes, once your sales are large enough. Stripe and Mollie offer custom pricing for higher volumes, and Worldpay, Checkout.com and Elavon quote each business. We obtain and negotiate those quotes for you. Our service is free to you.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.