Independent UK card payment reviews
SumUp vs Revolut Business: compare card readers and payments
Choosing between SumUp and Revolut Business, or replacing an existing reader? Compare the current device, payment plan and where your takings become available. Add subscriptions and any cost of leaving your current setup before deciding whether the new deal is better.
Free review. No statement or competing quote needed to start. No obligation to switch.
Revolut Business Payments and SumUp at a glance
Revolut Business Payments: Per-payment charges, plus the separate Business plan. Check card categories and payment channels.
SumUp: PAYG, Payments Plus or tailored pricing. Compare card eligibility, subscription cost and fees for each payment channel.
Revolut Business Payments: Check payment acceptance, Business plan and hardware terms separately, including monthly or annual billing.
SumUp: Check the selected payment plan, subscription billing and additional product terms.
Revolut Business Payments: Current products include Terminal and Register options, plus Tap to Pay on iPhone. Confirm UK availability and the exact model.
SumUp: Compact SumUp card readers, including entry-level and standalone models, plus tap-to-pay on a supported phone. Hardware is bought rather than rented.
Revolut Business Payments: In-person and online acceptance, including payment links. Check the chosen product and integration.
SumUp: In-person via the reader, plus payment links, invoicing and an online store or ecommerce plugins.
Revolut Business Payments: Payments settle into the Merchant account, then move to the Business account. Confirm the schedule and any onward transfer you need.
SumUp: Payout destination can be a SumUp Business Account or an external bank; the schedules differ.
Revolut Business Payments: Integrations are published for common accounting and commerce tools. Confirm your specific till or platform is supported.
SumUp: Integrations are published for common till, accounting and ecommerce platforms. Confirm your specific software is supported.
Revolut Business Payments: The Business plans page advertises 24/7 English-language support. Confirm the channel and device-replacement process you need.
SumUp: Support and replacement benefits depend on the product and plan. Confirm the help available during your trading hours.
Sourced from each provider's official pages, last checked 2026-10-09. Terms vary by merchant, so check your individual quote or agreement.
Pricing and contract considerations
Compare processing, account plans, equipment and software separately. Buying a new device does not end an old rental agreement, and a low advertised transaction rate does not include every cost of using the service.
- Transaction charges. Use the current fee schedule for your card types and payment channels. Check percentage and per-payment charges, using your transaction count as well as turnover.
- Plan or subscription cost. Include any required account or payment plan. If you already pay for a plan you would retain anyway, distinguish that existing cost from the extra cost of accepting payments. Test the comparison in quiet months as well as busy ones.
- Hardware cost. Compare the exact devices, accessories, connectivity, software and replacement cover. Confirm the upfront price and any ongoing charges in the chosen offer.
- Existing and new commitments. Check the cancellation terms for the services you already have and any new subscriptions. Obtain a written exit figure where needed before treating the proposed change as a saving.
- Currency handling. Separate the cost of accepting overseas cards from currency conversion or onward transfers. Include the charges relevant to your business; do not assume they are all included in a payment rate.
- Effective rate. Compare the complete costs over the same period, with the same activity and VAT basis. State how you spread an upfront hardware cost and include any cost of moving. Service and contract fit still matter alongside the result.
Machines, payment channels, settlement and support
Readers and hardware
An existing Revolut Reader is not the same product as a current Revolut Terminal or Register offer. Likewise, SumUp has phone-linked and standalone products. Confirm the exact model, connectivity, receipts and till integration for each checkout before ordering.
In-person versus online
For purely in-person trading, both cover the basics well. If a meaningful share of your revenue comes from a website, compare the online tools specifically, including checkout options, plugins for your platform and how card-not-present transactions are priced.
Business account considerations
Confirm the account approval and payout steps before committing. SumUp offers its Business Account or an external-bank destination, with different schedules. For Revolut, check movement from the Merchant account into the Business account and any onward transfer needed to pay suppliers.
Settlement and cash flow
Check each provider's current payout schedule and any cut-off times, and factor in the extra step if you need funds moved from a Revolut Business account to a different bank. For businesses paying suppliers from daily takings, that step matters.
Support
Ask how payment or device problems are handled during your trading hours, including weekends. Support availability is not the same as a guaranteed replacement time; confirm both the contact route and hardware cover.
Growth beyond a reader
If you expect turnover to rise substantially or you will need multiple terminals, EPOS integration or table-side ordering, it is worth comparing both against a full acquirer quote as well, rather than only against each other.
Best fit and what to check
Revolut Business Payments
May be worth considering for
- Businesses that want card takings, banking and expenses in one place
- Traders who invoice or take payment links as well as in person
- Businesses handling more than one currency or overseas customers
- Owners comfortable moving day-to-day banking to a digital provider
Check before committing
- Which plan tier you need, and what that plan costs monthly or annually
- The transaction rates that apply on your plan for your card mix
- How and when funds move from the Revolut Business account to any other bank you use
- Support availability on your plan, including outside office hours
SumUp
May be worth considering for
- Sole traders, market and event traders taking occasional card payments
- Small businesses that want to keep their existing bank account
- Businesses evaluating PAYG first or comparing a paid plan as turnover grows
- Traders who need a standalone reader that works without a phone
Check before committing
- The current published rate for each channel you use, including payment links and online
- The payout schedule to your bank and any cut-off times
- Which reader model you actually need, and its current price
- Whether the integrations you rely on are supported for your software
What we would check when reviewing your current deal
Tell us your current provider, approximate card turnover and what you want to improve. A statement helps us check the detail, but you can start without one. The useful comparison includes:
- Your card turnover and the split between debit, credit, business and international cards
- Average transaction value, because small tickets and large tickets favour different pricing shapes
- The proportion of revenue taken in person, by link or online
- Whether you want to change where your takings are held
- Any existing merchant agreement or terminal hire still running, and its exit terms
- How quickly you need funds available on a normal trading week
If useful, we can compare suitable options from our selected provider network alongside your current deal. We do not compare every provider in the market or promise savings; staying or requesting revised terms may be the better outcome.
Revolut Business Payments vs SumUp
Frequently asked questions
No pressure and no jargon. If your question is not here, call us and ask it directly.
Neither is cheaper for every business. Compare the same card mix, turnover and transaction count, including required plans, equipment and software. SumUp has PAYG, paid and tailored options; Revolut payment fees sit alongside its Business plan. Include any cost of leaving your existing setup.
Check the exact models rather than relying on an older reader comparison. Revolut's current range includes Terminal and Register products; SumUp has different readers and POS options. Compare connectivity, receipts, portability, software and replacement cover for the device actually offered.
Revolut's published setup starts with a Business account and adds a Merchant account. Confirm eligibility, approval and the plan required for your business before buying equipment. SumUp's payout choices should also be checked against where you need funds available.
Check the specific account, payment, equipment and software terms, including subscription renewal and cancellation. Also check the provider you are leaving: buying a new reader or choosing a PAYG plan does not cancel an existing equipment agreement.
Both publish tools beyond the reader, including payment links, invoicing and online acceptance. If online is a meaningful share of your revenue, compare those tools and their pricing directly, because in-person rates do not necessarily apply to card-not-present transactions.
Check whether the exact device works without a phone, the connectivity available where you trade, battery and receipt requirements, and where your takings will be available. Test the total cost at your quieter trading level, not only a busy month.
If your card turnover is growing, or you need several terminals, EPOS integration or table-side payment, it is worth putting a quote from a full acquirer alongside both. We can review your statement and explain plainly how the options compare.
Is there a better deal for your business?
We review your current costs and compare suitable options from our selected provider network where useful. We explain whether staying, renegotiating or switching makes sense. A statement helps us check the details, but neither a statement nor another provider's quote is needed to start.
Revolut Business Payments sources
SumUp sources
Information from these sources last checked 2026-10-09. Provider names and trademarks identify the products discussed; their inclusion does not imply endorsement of this page. Card Payment Connect compares suitable options from a selected provider network, not the whole market. If you choose a provider we introduce, that provider may pay us a referral fee.