SumUp UK Review: Card Readers, POS Systems & Fees Explained

SumUp is one of the UK’s most popular card payment providers for small businesses, offering portable card readers from £25 + VAT with a flat 1.69% transaction fee and no monthly costs. It’s best suited to businesses processing under £2,700/month in card payments – above that threshold, SumUp’s Payments Plus plan (0.99% for £19/month) or competitors like Square become more cost-effective.

Not sure which to pick? Our Stripe vs Square comparison covers the trade-offs.

SumUp has replaced the original Air card reader with the new Solo Lite (£25 + VAT) and expanded its range to include full EPOS terminals with built-in printers. The company is FCA-regulated and offers next-day payouts by 7am – including weekends – to its free business account.

This review covers SumUp’s full 2026 product range, pricing for every plan, and how it compares to Square and PayPal POS (formerly Zettle). We’ve verified all pricing directly from SumUp’s website.

Our Verifone review breaks down what you get and what it actually costs.

SumUp at a Glance

SumUp is an FCA-regulated payment facilitator offering card readers from £25 + VAT, a flat 1.69% PAYG rate, next-day payouts including weekends, and no monthly fees or contracts.

SumUp is a financial technology company headquartered in London, offering mobile payment processing for businesses of all sizes. Their compact card readers accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay via chip & PIN, contactless, and mobile wallet payments.

The company’s pricing model is straightforward: a flat 1.69% fee per in-person transaction with no monthly charges, setup fees, or minimum transaction requirements. For businesses processing higher volumes, the Payments Plus plan drops the rate to 0.99% for £19/month (or £189/year, saving 17%).

Beyond card readers, SumUp offers a free business account with a Mastercard, invoicing, payment links, QR code payments, an online store, and full EPOS software. Payouts arrive by 7am the next day – including weekends and bank holidays – to the SumUp business account, or within 1-2 business days to an external bank.

Security covers PCI-DSS compliance, end-to-end encryption, and FCA regulation under the Electronic Money Regulations 2011. No payment data is stored on merchant devices.

SumUp Card Readers and Hardware (2026)

SumUp’s 2026 range includes four devices: the Solo Lite from £25 + VAT (replacing the discontinued Air), the Solo at £79 + VAT, and two new Terminal models with built-in printers from £135 + VAT.

SumUp has refreshed its hardware lineup for 2026, discontinuing the original Air and introducing new EPOS-capable terminals. All devices charge the same 1.69% PAYG rate (or 0.99% on Payments Plus). Here’s how they compare.

Solo Lite (Replaces SumUp Air)

The Solo Lite is SumUp’s entry-level device at £25 + VAT (currently on a launch offer at £19 + VAT). It replaces the discontinued SumUp Air with a modernised touchscreen glass panel. Like the Air, it pairs with your smartphone via Bluetooth and runs payments through the free SumUp app.

Customers enter their PIN on their own device for chip & PIN transactions. Contactless payments work up to the UK £100 limit, and Apple Pay and Google Pay are supported. The 30-day money-back guarantee applies.

Best for: mobile businesses, market traders, delivery drivers, and anyone who already carries a smartphone.

Solo

The Solo costs £79 + VAT (£94.80 inc. VAT) and works completely standalone – no phone or tablet needed. It has a built-in touchscreen, Wi-Fi, and a free 4G SIM card for connectivity anywhere. A charging station is included.

The Solo is ideal for fixed locations like cafes, salons, or small retail shops where you don’t want staff using personal phones to process payments. Smart tipping, transaction reports, and customer-facing PIN entry are built in.

Terminal and Terminal Handheld

Launched in 2025, the Terminal (£135 + VAT) and Terminal Handheld (£169 + VAT) are SumUp’s first devices with full EPOS access built directly into the device screen. Both include built-in receipt printers, 4G connectivity, and touchscreen interfaces.

The Terminal Handheld is the premium option with a slimmer form factor, camera, and wider card acceptance including UnionPay, Diners Club, and Discover. Both devices access SumUp’s full POS software (including the £19/month POS Plus plan for hospitality features).

These terminals compete directly with full EPOS systems from providers like Square and Clover, but without the monthly software fees that those competitors charge. For a full cost comparison, see our payment processing costs guide.

SumUp Pricing and Fees

SumUp’s PAYG rate is 1.69% per in-person transaction with no monthly fees. The Payments Plus plan drops this to 0.99% for £19/month, breaking even versus Square at around £2,735/month in card turnover.

SumUp’s pricing has two tiers: the free PAYG plan and the paid Payments Plus subscription. Here’s the complete fee breakdown verified from SumUp’s website in February 2026.

Key pricing notes:

• No setup fees, minimum transactions, or cancellation charges on either plan
• Payments Plus offers a 7-day free trial and an annual option at £189/year (saving 17%)
• QR code payments are completely free – no transaction fee at all
• Virtual terminal rate (2.95% + £0.25) doesn’t reduce on Payments Plus
• International and corporate card rates (1.69%) don’t reduce on Payments Plus either
• Refunds are free, but the original transaction fee is not returned if already settled

When does Payments Plus make sense? At 0.99% vs 1.69%, you save 0.7% per transaction. The £19/month fee is covered once you process around £2,735/month in card payments. That’s also roughly the break-even point versus Square’s 1.75% PAYG rate. For a detailed comparison, see our SumUp vs Square guide.

Payment Methods and Features

SumUp accepts all major card types, contactless up to £100, Apple Pay, Google Pay, payment links, QR codes, invoices, and Tap to Pay on Android – with next-day payouts by 7am including weekends.

SumUp covers the full range of modern payment methods, from in-person card payments to remote invoicing. Here’s what’s available.

In-person payments: All card readers accept chip & PIN, contactless (up to £100), Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. The Terminal Handheld adds UnionPay, Diners Club, and Discover.

Tap to Pay: Turns compatible Android phones into contactless terminals – no hardware needed. Same 1.69% rate. Useful as a backup or for staff without a dedicated card reader.

Payment links and QR codes: Create shareable links via email, SMS, or social media at 2.50% per transaction. QR code payments are completely free – a genuine zero-cost payment method.

Invoicing: Send digital invoices through the app at 2.50% (or 0.99% on Payments Plus). Customers pay via a secure link – no app download needed. Automatic receipts sent on completion.

Virtual terminal: Take card-not-present payments by entering card details manually at 2.95% + £0.25. Useful for phone orders. See our virtual terminal providers guide for alternatives.

Settlement: Next-day payouts by 7am to your SumUp business account, including weekends and bank holidays. External bank transfers take 1-2 business days. The SumUp business account is free and includes a Mastercard for spending.

POS Software and Business Tools

SumUp’s free EPOS software covers product catalogues, sales tracking, and basic reporting. The POS Plus plan at £19/month adds hospitality features like ingredient-level inventory, allergen displays, and staff management.

SumUp’s POS software comes in two tiers: a free basic version included with all hardware, and POS Plus at £19/month for hospitality and retail features.

The free POS includes product catalogues, transaction history, digital receipts, sales analytics, and basic inventory management. It runs on the SumUp app (iOS and Android) and integrates with third-party POS systems like Loyverse.

The POS Plus plan (£19/month) adds features targeted at hospitality and retail businesses:

• Ingredient-level inventory with low stock alerts
• Allergen display for food service (takeaway kiosk compatible)
• Staff management and permissions
• Customer loyalty programmes
• Detailed wastage, profit, and refund reporting

SumUp is also MTD-ready – compatible with Making Tax Digital for Income Tax (launching April 2026) through a partnership with Sage. The cheapest card machines guide compares SumUp’s total software costs against competitors.

Customer Service and Reviews

SumUp’s Trustpilot score sits at around 4 stars from 24,000+ reviews. Users praise the product reliability and easy setup but consistently flag slow customer support response times as the main weakness.

SumUp provides customer support via email, phone (business hours), and live chat through the app and website. There’s also a self-service help centre with guides and FAQs.

What UK users like:

• Quick 4-step setup (download app → business details → personal info → bank details)
• Reliable card readers that handle busy trading days
• Next-day payouts are genuinely next-day, even on weekends
• Clear pricing with no surprise fees

Common complaints:

• Email support can take days or weeks to respond
• Phone support relies heavily on automated menus
• Live chat agents sometimes disconnect mid-conversation
• Account verification can be slow for some businesses
• No 24/7 support – problematic if issues happen outside business hours

The gap between product quality and customer service is the most consistent theme in UK reviews. The hardware and software work well, but getting help when something goes wrong is frustrating. Businesses that rely on card payments as their primary income should be aware of this – if your account is ever frozen or held, slow support compounds the problem.

SumUp vs Square vs PayPal POS

SumUp is cheapest on PAYG rates (1.69% vs Square’s 1.75% and PayPal POS’s 1.75%), but Square offers superior POS software and PayPal POS integrates natively with PayPal for online sellers.

SumUp wins on price. At 1.69% vs 1.75%, the difference is small on individual transactions but adds up. On £5,000/month in card payments, that’s £3 saved monthly – or £36/year. The Payments Plus plan at 0.99% creates a much larger gap, saving £380/year versus Square at the same volume.

Square wins on software. Square’s free POS includes advanced inventory, team management, and a full online store with website builder. SumUp charges £19/month for comparable features. For businesses that need robust software, Square’s free plan often works out cheaper overall.

PayPal POS wins on simplicity. If you already use PayPal for online sales, PayPal POS integrates seamlessly. Its interface is the most intuitive of the three, though it lacks SumUp’s reduced-rate plan and Square’s advanced features.

For a head-to-head breakdown, see our SumUp vs Square comparison. For the full landscape of UK card machine providers, see our best card machines guide.

Our Verdict

SumUp is the best-value PAYG card reader for UK small businesses processing under £2,700/month. Above that, the Payments Plus plan at 0.99% makes it competitive with any provider on the market.

SumUp delivers the best value for UK small businesses that want simple, affordable card payments without contracts or monthly fees. The 1.69% PAYG rate undercuts every major competitor, and the new hardware range – from the £25 Solo Lite to the £169 Terminal Handheld – covers everything from market stalls to full restaurant EPOS.

The Payments Plus plan at 0.99% is the strongest value proposition in UK card payments for businesses processing above £2,700/month. Combined with free QR code payments and next-day weekend payouts, SumUp offers features that used to require expensive traditional merchant accounts.

The main weakness is customer support. If you need hand-holding during setup or fast resolution of account issues, Square’s support is notably better. For businesses in high-risk industries, be aware that SumUp’s restricted business list is broader than most competitors.

For most UK small businesses processing card payments, SumUp should be on your shortlist. Compare quotes from multiple providers to find the best rate for your specific transaction volume and business type.

Emma Clarke

Technology & Payments Specialist

Emma covers the full range of business technology, including EPOS systems, merchant accounts, telecoms, and web tools. Her experience as a retail systems consultant helps businesses choose the right digital solutions to improve efficiency and sales.

Reviewed by

Sarah Mitchell

B2B Commerce & Finance Reviewer