Provider profile · 2026 edition
SumUp review 2026: scores, fees and alternatives.
A payment provider for small businesses taking card payments in person and online.
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A payment provider for small businesses taking card payments in person and online.
SumUp scores 2.6 out of 5 (52 out of 100) in the Buckingham Intelligence Payment Processing and Acquiring Index 2026 and ranks 9 of 10. It is strongest for small UK retailers and sole traders taking card payments in person, with 5 out of 5 for published pricing and payout speed. Not published or not stated on the pages read: integration and regulatory standing.
Scores from the Payment Processing and Acquiring Index 2026.
| Segment | Score out of 100 | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| For small and mid-sized merchants | 70 | 4 of 10 |
| For enterprise and cross-border merchants | 42 | 9 of 10 |
| For platforms and regulated firms | 45 | 9 of 10 |
The score out of 5 is the overall score out of 100 divided by 20. Leader goes to the top three overall, Best for to the first in each segment, and Top rated for to a score of 5 out of 5 on a criterion. Awards cannot be bought.
Where it scores best, and where to check closely, as shown in each ranking.
Small UK retailers and sole traders taking card payments in person.
What SumUp publishes on its own pages, read on 26 October 2026.
A payment provider for small businesses taking card payments in person and online. It publishes simple flat rates, a monthly plan and the fastest stated payout in this edition. It does not publish a payment method count, its other markets, API terms or PCI DSS on the pages read.
| Fact | What the provider publishes |
|---|---|
| Pricing | Pay-as-you-go: "0.00% for in-person payments made with a SumUp card", 1.69% for all other in-person payments, including American Express, "2.5% for online payments", £0/month. Payments Plus: 0.99% transaction fee at £19/month or £189/year. |
| Payment methods | Card readers, Tap to Pay on a phone and Payment Links. No payment method or currency count on the pages read. |
| Merchant reach | UK pages read; other markets not counted on the pages read. |
| Payout speed | Money is available in the free SumUp Business Account "by 7am the next day", including weekends and public holidays. |
| Integration | App with point-of-sale features, Payment Links and invoicing, online purchase of card readers. No API documentation on the pages read. |
| Regulatory standing | "SumUp Payments Limited is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011 (register number 900700)". |
| Date read | 26 October 2026 |
A fact that is not published is scored as not offered or, for a fee, as if it were high. It is never estimated.
Facts read on 26 October 2026 from: sumup.com/en-gb, sumup.com/en-gb/pricing.
Each score with the evidence behind it.
Each criterion is scored 0 to 5 against the best published offer in the Payment Processing and Acquiring Index. 0 means not offered or not published. How it is scored
The other providers in the same ranking, ordered by score.
| Provider | Score out of 5 | Rank | Strongest for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | 4.2 | 1 of 10 | Online businesses wanting full published pricing and self-serve sign-up in many countries |
| Adyen | 3.9 | 2 of 10 | Large merchants wanting local acquiring and many payment methods from one licensed bank |
| Mollie | 3.6 | 3 of 10 | UK and European small businesses wanting simple published rates and daily payouts |
| Razorpay | 3.6 | 4 of 10 | Businesses selling to customers in India through UPI, cards and netbanking |
| Airwallex | 3.5 | 5 of 10 | Businesses wanting card acceptance with settlement into a multi-currency account |
| Nuvei | 3.4 | 6 of 10 | Merchants in gaming, travel and high-volume sectors needing many local methods |
| PayPal Braintree | 3.0 | 7 of 10 | Online merchants wanting card and PayPal acceptance with published UK rates |
| Checkout.com | 2.8 | 8 of 10 | Large online merchants needing local acquiring across many regions |
| Worldpay | 1.6 | 10 of 10 | UK merchants wanting an established acquirer with next-day settlement |
Side by side on every criterion, fact and award.
Head-to-head comparisons cover pairs within the top five of each ranking. SumUp is compared with its alternatives in the table above.
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