Card machines that cost you less on every sale
SumUp readers from £25 + VAT with a flat 1.69% pay-as-you-go rate — or 0.99% on Payments Plus. No rental, no monthly minimum, no long-term contract. We'll tell you which setup fits and what you'd actually pay.
- 1.69%
- Pay-as-you-go rate
- £0
- Monthly fee
- Next day
- Access to funds*
Typical annual saving
£600+
vs a rented terminal at 1.75%
The range
Four ways to take a card payment
From a pocket reader for the van to a full handheld terminal with a printer. Buy the hardware once — there is nothing to rent.
Solo Lite
Best for getting started
From £25 + VAT
The affordable entry point into card payments. Solo Lite pairs with the SumUp Business App on your smartphone, so you can start taking contactless, Chip & PIN and mobile wallet payments without a large upfront outlay.
- Pairs with your smartphone
- Contactless, Chip & PIN and mobile wallets
- Pocket-sized and genuinely portable
- Long battery life for a full working day
Solo
Best all-round card reader
From £79 + VAT
A standalone card reader that works entirely on its own. Solo has its own touchscreen, a built-in SIM with free mobile data plus Wi-Fi, so it keeps taking payments even when your phone is flat or out of range.
- Works without a smartphone
- Built-in SIM with free mobile data, plus Wi-Fi
- Touchscreen with product catalogue and sales history
- Charging station and optional printer solutions
Terminal
Best for busy businesses
From £135 + VAT
The premium all-in-one. Terminal combines card payments, an integrated receipt printer and point-of-sale functionality in a single handheld device — ideal if you are replacing a traditional rented terminal.
- Integrated receipt printer
- Point-of-sale and order taking built in
- Item and product management
- Wi-Fi plus built-in mobile connectivity
Tap to Pay
No card reader required
No hardware to buy
Turn a compatible smartphone into a contactless card machine. Tap to Pay uses the SumUp Business App to accept contactless cards and mobile wallets with no separate reader.
- Uses a compatible smartphone you already own
- Accepts contactless cards and mobile wallets
- Nothing extra to carry or charge
- A useful backup alongside a physical reader
Savings calculator
What are you overpaying right now?
Drag three sliders. We'll compare your current cost against both SumUp plans and show you where the break-even sits.
Your current setup
Three numbers from your last statement is all it takes.
Estimates are for illustration only. Actual fees depend on card type, transaction type, existing provider charges and SumUp's applicable pricing.
Estimated result
£802a year
Around £66.80 a month lower than your current costs, on Payments Plus.
- Your current monthly cost
- £165.00
- SumUp Pay As You Go (1.69%)
- £135.20
- Payments Plus (0.99% + £19)
- £98.20
Payments Plus overtakes Pay As You Go at roughly £2,714 of monthly card turnover on eligible domestic consumer cards.
Transparent pricing
Two plans. No rental, no surprises.
Pay as you go costs nothing when you don't trade. Payments Plus makes sense once volume builds.
Pay As You Go
1.69%per in-person transaction
£0 per month
No monthly fee, no long-term contract, no monthly minimum and no terminal rental. You pay a flat transaction fee on standard in-person card payments.
- £0 monthly fee
- 1.69% on standard in-person card payments
- No long-term contract or monthly minimum
- No terminal rental
Payments Plus
0.99%per in-person transaction
£19 per month
A £19 monthly plan that lowers the in-person rate to 0.99% on eligible domestic consumer debit and credit card transactions. SumUp suggests it particularly for businesses processing around £3,000+ per month.
- £19 per month
- 0.99% on eligible domestic consumer debit and credit cards
- Other card types can be charged at different rates
- Cancel in line with SumUp's current terms
Prices exclude VAT unless stated. Card type and transaction type affect the fee you pay — see our full pricing breakdown.
60-second quiz
Which card machine is right for you?
Four questions about how you actually trade, and we'll point you at the right device — not the most expensive one.
Question 1 of 4
Where do you take payments?
Side by side
Compare every SumUp reader
The differences that actually matter day to day: connectivity, printing and whether you need your phone in your hand.
| Feature | Solo LiteFrom £25 + VAT | SoloFrom £79 + VAT | TerminalFrom £135 + VAT | Tap to PayNo hardware to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone required | Yes — pairs with the SumUp Business App | No — fully standalone | No — fully standalone | Yes — a compatible smartphone |
| Wi-Fi | Via your phone | Yes | Yes | Via your phone |
| Mobile data | Via your phone | Yes — free mobile data | Yes | Via your phone |
| Built-in SIM | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Touchscreen | No | Yes | Yes | Your phone screen |
| Receipt printer | No — digital receipts | Optional printer solutions | Yes — integrated | No — digital receipts |
| POS features | In the Business App | On device and in the Business App | Yes — full POS and order taking | In the Business App |
| Product catalogue | In the Business App | Yes | Yes | In the Business App |
| Portable | Yes | Yes | Yes — handheld | Yes |
| Ideal for | Start-ups, trades, market stalls | Retail, services, hospitality | Hospitality, busy retail, salons | Sole traders, occasional selling |
SumUp vs the rest
How SumUp stacks up against other UK providers
We're independent specialists — here's the honest picture, including where competitors have the edge.
| Provider | Entry hardware | Headline in-person rate | Monthly fee | Contract | Works without a phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUpBuy the reader outright, no monthly minimum, optional plan for higher volume. | From £25 + VAT | 1.69% (0.99% on Payments Plus) | £0, or £19 on Payments Plus | No long-term contract | Yes — Solo & Terminal |
| SquareStrong ecosystem, but the standard in-person rate is higher than SumUp's. | From around £19 + VAT | Typically 1.75% in person | £0 on the standard plan | No long-term contract | Yes — Square Reader needs a phone; Terminal does not |
| Zettle by PayPalFamiliar PayPal brand; most readers still rely on a paired device. | From around £29 + VAT | Typically 1.75% in person | £0 | No long-term contract | Reader 2 pairs with a phone or tablet |
| DojoFast settlement and good hardware, but rental and contract length need checking. | Terminal is rented | Quoted per business | Rental plus scheme fees | Typically a fixed-term agreement | Yes |
| WorldpayEnterprise-grade, but small businesses often pay more in fixed monthly costs. | Terminal is rented | Quoted per business | Rental plus service fees | Typically multi-year | Yes |
Competitor information is based on publicly advertised pricing and is provided for general orientation only. Rates, fees and contract terms vary by business, are subject to change and should be confirmed directly with each provider. We are an independent SumUp specialist and are not affiliated with any provider listed.
Security
Payments handled properly
Card payments are only worth taking if they are taken safely.
Encrypted transactions
Card payments are processed over encrypted connections using industry payment security standards.
PCI DSS compliance
SumUp operates in line with PCI DSS, the payment card industry's data security standard.
Established payments company
SumUp is a global payments business, not a start-up experiment — with card machines in use across Europe and beyond.
Millions of businesses
SumUp states that more than 4 million businesses worldwide use its services.
By industry
Card machines built around how you trade
A coffee van and a hair salon need very different things from a card machine. Pick your trade for specific advice.
FAQs
The questions we get asked most
Straight answers on cost, contracts and how quickly you get your money.
Hardware starts from around £25 + VAT for Solo Lite, £79 + VAT for Solo and £135 + VAT for Terminal. You buy the device outright rather than renting it, so there is no ongoing hardware rental on the Pay As You Go plan. Tap to Pay uses a compatible smartphone, so there is no reader to buy at all.
Find out what you should be paying
Two minutes, no obligation. Tell us what you take in card payments and we'll show you the setup and rate that actually fits.