Independent UK card payment reviews
Square vs SumUp: which fits your costs and your checkout?
Both offer a low-commitment starting point and tools for growing businesses. The decision changes with your card mix, online sales, software needs and monthly turnover. This comparison uses published UK information and illustrative calculations, not customer results or hands-on testing.
Free review. No statement or competing quote needed to start. No obligation to switch.
Square and SumUp at a glance
Square: Standard in-person fee: 1.75% for UK cards, with an additional 1.5% for non-UK cards. Other channels have different fees.
SumUp: Standard PAYG in-person fee: 1.69%, with a published exemption for eligible personal SumUp cards. Paid and tailored plans are also available.
Square: Core processing has no long-term commitment. Software subscriptions and hardware payment plans need separate checks.
SumUp: PAYG has no monthly payment-plan subscription. Payments Plus renews monthly or annually according to the chosen plan.
Square: Reader pairs with a compatible phone or tablet. Terminal and Register are separate options for a fuller checkout.
SumUp: Solo Lite pairs with a phone; Solo and Terminal can operate independently with included mobile data.
Square: Standard next-day transfers, including eligible weekend and holiday transfers. Instant transfers cost extra and have limits.
SumUp: Next-day payouts to SumUp Business Account, including weekends; external-bank transfers normally take 1–2 business days.
Square: Free core POS plus specialist tools for retail, restaurants and appointments. Price the features you need.
SumUp: Business app, Terminal and POS Pro options. It is not limited to occasional card acceptance.
Sourced from each provider's official pages, last checked 9 October 2026. Terms vary by merchant, so check your individual quote or agreement.
Pricing and contract considerations
The examples below use the published rates at the check date. They exclude hardware, additional software, refunds, transfer charges and any applicable VAT. They are calculations for stated card mixes, not quotes or predicted savings.
- £5,000 of UK in-person sales. Assume all sales use domestic consumer cards, none qualify for the SumUp-card exemption, and neither account has custom pricing. Square's standard processing would cost £87.50 and SumUp PAYG £84.50. The £3 difference alone is a weak reason to replace a till system that works.
- When Payments Plus changes the answer. SumUp lists £19 a month with 0.99% for eligible domestic consumer cards; other card categories retain higher fees. At £5,000 entirely in the qualifying category, the monthly plan plus processing totals £68.50. Against PAYG, the £19 fee is covered at about £2,715 of qualifying monthly sales: £19 divided by the 0.007 rate difference. Total turnover is not the same as qualifying turnover.
- Tourists and overseas cards. At Square's published standard tariff, a £100 in-person non-UK card payment costs £3.25 rather than £1.75. A tourism business should therefore calculate its overseas-card share explicitly. Do not use a UK-card-only example to choose a provider for an international customer base.
- Online average order value. Square lists 1.4% + 25p for UK-card online payments, while SumUp lists 2.5% for its online payment products. On that restricted fee comparison they cross at about £22.73 per order. Verify equivalent checkout features, non-UK pricing and software costs before treating the arithmetic as a product recommendation.
- Higher card turnover. Square invites custom-pricing enquiries above £200,000 annual card sales; SumUp advertises tailored pricing from £10,000 a month. These are provider enquiry thresholds, not guaranteed discounts. Compare bespoke offers with your existing deal using the same sales, card mix and service requirements.
- Renewal and switching costs. Buying hardware is an upfront cost even without a long merchant contract. SumUp says Payments Plus stays active until the end of the chosen renewal period after cancellation. Include any existing terminal agreement, remaining instalments, data migration and staff training in a switching decision.
Machines, payment channels, settlement and support
Trading without a phone
SumUp Solo and Terminal include a SIM and mobile data. Square Terminal uses Wi-Fi or Ethernet with its optional hub. For an outdoor stall or mobile service, test your actual internet arrangement and receipt needs before buying; a standalone screen does not automatically mean standalone mobile connectivity.
Growing beyond a single checkout
Both have fuller POS options. Build a demonstration around your real tasks: receiving stock, modifiers, table management, refunds, staff permissions and reporting across sites. Compare paid features and equipment for the whole business, not the entry-level reader price.
Access to daily takings
Square's next-day schedule has a midnight GMT cut-off and weekend eligibility conditions for the linked bank. Its instant option adds a 1.5% transfer fee and has account limits. With SumUp, distinguish payouts into its own Business Account from transfers to your existing bank. Compare when you can actually pay suppliers.
A seasonal shop or occasional trader
Illustrative decision: test a quiet month with no sales as well as a busy month. A lower transaction fee may not cover a recurring plan during a closure. Start with the services you will use and revisit the calculation when turnover or trading patterns change.
Best fit and what to check
Square
May be worth considering for
- A business whose retail, restaurant or appointment workflow fits Square's software.
- An operator wanting to evaluate in-person and online tools together.
Check before committing
- The share of non-UK cards and charges for each remote-payment method.
- Which software features require payment and how costs scale across locations.
- A practical internet connection for each device and the payout schedule to your bank.
SumUp
May be worth considering for
- A mobile trader needing an independent device with included data.
- A business comparing PAYG, a paid payment plan and a tailored quote as sales grow.
Check before committing
- How much turnover qualifies for the lower plan rate, not just total sales.
- Whether the chosen POS setup covers your stock, table, staff and reporting needs.
- Payout destination and timing, plus subscription renewal and cancellation dates.
What we would check when reviewing your current deal
A recent statement or transaction report lets us compare the cost of the business you already run. For a new business, we can start from estimated sales and the checkout you need.
- Monthly and annual card turnover, including seasonal variation.
- UK consumer, business, international and premium-card proportions.
- Average sale and the split between in-person, online and other remote payments.
- Hardware, software subscriptions and transfer charges across all sites.
- Any current agreement, switching costs and functions you cannot lose.
Small businesses are welcome, and higher-turnover businesses can compare tailored offers. A useful review can also confirm that keeping the current system is the sensible decision.
Square vs SumUp
Frequently asked questions
No pressure and no jargon. If your question is not here, call us and ask it directly.
There is no universal answer. Compare your card origin, payment channels, subscriptions and equipment, then include any tailored quote. The worked examples show why a small UK in-person rate difference can be less important than overseas cards or a paid plan.
No. SumUp publishes a fuller Terminal, POS Pro and tailored pricing. Suitability still depends on the functions you need. Ask both suppliers to demonstrate your actual workflow, especially if you have multiple sites or complex inventory.
Yes, if you choose the appropriate hardware. SumUp Solo and Terminal are standalone devices with included mobile data. Square Terminal is standalone but needs a suitable internet connection; its standard specifications list Wi-Fi or Ethernet via an optional hub.
Yes, it is sensible to compare the providers' tailored offers and alternatives against your current statement. Evaluate the whole cost, contract and checkout experience. A lower headline percentage does not establish a lower total bill.
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.
Square sources
SumUp sources
Information from these sources last checked 9 October 2026. 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.