Merchant services
SumUp vs Square: which card reader is cheaper?.
SumUp and Square both sell low-cost card readers with no monthly fee and no contract. The differences are small on paper and larger in practice. Prices read 26 October 2026.
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SumUp and Square both sell low-cost card readers with no monthly fee and no contract. The differences are small on paper and larger in practice. Prices 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
SumUp charges 1.69% per in-person payment and Square charges 1.75% on UK cards, both with no monthly fee on their free plans. On £10,000 a month that is £169.00 with SumUp and £175.00 with Square. SumUp also offers 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards for £19 a month. Square readers start at £19 plus VAT and SumUp at £25 (read 26 October 2026).
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 |
| 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% |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
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.
Both are built for small businesses that want to start taking cards quickly, buy a reader outright and avoid a contract. SumUp charges 1.69% on all in-person payments on pay-as-you-go, including American Express and premium cards. Square charges 1.75% on UK cards and 1.75% plus 1.5% on non-UK cards.
The biggest difference is what each offers as you grow. SumUp has Payments Plus at £19 a month for 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards, and bespoke fees from £10,000 a month. Square has a much wider range of till hardware and software, from a £19 reader to a £699 Square Register, with paid plans from £29 a month and custom rates possible on its Premium plan for businesses over £200,000 a year.
Card fees only, on published rates read on 26 October 2026, assuming all UK cards. SumUp Payments Plus figures assume UK debit and credit cards at 0.99%; premium, international and American Express cards stay at 1.69%. Zettle, now PayPal Point of Sale, is included as a third option at its published 1.75%.
SumUp sells the Solo Lite at £25, the Solo at £79 and the SumUp Terminal at £135, all excluding VAT, with a 30-day money-back guarantee and no rentals. Its free app includes basic till features, and POS Plus, its fuller till software, is £39 a month excluding VAT.
Square sells the Square Reader at £19 plus VAT, the Square Terminal at £149 plus VAT or £25 plus VAT a month for 6 months, and the Square Handheld at £169 plus VAT. For counters it offers the Square Stand at £99 plus VAT and the Square Register at £699 plus VAT or £59 plus VAT a month for 12 months. Square's till app is free, with Plus plans from £29 a month, a Kitchen Display System from £15 per device a month and Square Kiosk software at £35 per device a month.
Both offer Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, which lets you take contactless payments on your phone with no reader. SumUp charges its normal rate. Square charges from 1.75% per tap.
SumUp pays into its free SumUp Business Account by 7am the next day, including weekends and public holidays, or into your own bank the next working day. Square transfers as soon as the next day, usually one to two working days for free, or instantly for a 1.95% fee, with a £15 minimum and £3,500 daily limit. Zettle says funds typically reach your PayPal Business account within minutes.
For support, Square lists a phone number, 0800 098 8008. SumUp works through in-app chat and its Support Centre, does not offer email support, and says phone help may be available depending on the topic. SumUp Payments Plus includes 24/7 priority support.
Keyed payments, where you type in the card number, cost 2.5% with Square. SumUp online payments are 2.5%. Neither publishes a PCI fee, a chargeback fee or a monthly minimum, and Square includes dispute management.
On card fees alone, SumUp is slightly cheaper at every level we tested, and much cheaper for any business serving overseas visitors, because Square adds 1.5% on non-UK cards. If your UK card sales pass about £2,715 a month, SumUp Payments Plus at 0.99% widens the gap further.
Square earns its place when you need more than a card reader. A café that wants a counter till, kitchen screens and a self-order kiosk can build all of it from one supplier, with every price published. A shop that wants a full till can buy the Square Register outright or spread it over 12 months.
If you are a market trader, a mobile business or just starting out, either works and the difference on £2,000 a month is £1.20. Choose on the reader you prefer and the payout you need. If you take £10,000 a month or more, ask SumUp for its bespoke rate and compare it with a full-market quote before deciding.
SumUp and Square publish their standard rates, but both offer custom pricing to larger businesses that is only available by asking. We compare the whole UK card payment market, including Dojo, SumUp, Teya, Flatpay, Paymentsense, Square, Worldpay and others, against your real card sales, your average sale and the way you trade. Where a provider only gives quotes, we request the quote for you and negotiate the rate, so you compare real numbers rather than list prices.
When you have chosen, we handle the switch: the application, the paperwork and the timing with your current provider, so you keep taking payments throughout. You then get a named account manager who stays with you after setup, checks your statements and deals with the provider when something needs fixing. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
On published rates, yes, slightly. SumUp charges 1.69% and Square charges 1.75% on UK cards. On £2,000 a month that is £33.80 against £35.00. On non-UK cards Square adds 1.5%, making 3.25% in total, while SumUp stays at 1.69%. Rates read 26 October 2026.
Square's Free plan has no monthly fee, only processing fees. Plus plans start at £29 a month and Premium is custom. Some hardware can be paid monthly, such as the Square Terminal at £25 plus VAT a month for 6 months.
The Square Reader is £19 plus VAT. The SumUp Solo Lite is £25 excluding VAT. Both are bought outright with no rental. SumUp includes a 30-day money-back guarantee from delivery.
SumUp pays into its business account by 7am the next day, including weekends, or to your own bank the next working day. Square pays as soon as the next day, usually in one to two working days free, or instantly for a 1.95% fee.
Yes. Both offer Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, so customers tap their card or phone on your phone. SumUp charges 1.69%, or 0.99% on its monthly plan. Square charges from 1.75% per tap.
No. Zettle is PayPal's card reader, now called PayPal Point of Sale. It charges 1.75% on all major cards including American Express, with no monthly fee, and pays into a PayPal Business account, typically within minutes.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.