Compare UK card machines side-by-side. In-person and online transaction rates, monthly fees, hardware costs, and contract terms in GBP.
Elavon | myPOS | TYL by NatWest | Stripe | SumUp | Square | Zettle | Paymentsense | Adyen | Barclaycard | Dojo | Takepayments | Teya | Worldpay | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Est. Cost /mo (GBP) | £164/moCheapest | £186/mo | £224/mo | £240/mo | £253/mo | £263/mo | £263/mo | £275/mo | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote |
| Ratings | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User rating | 4.5Trustpilot (6,491) | 4.2Trustpilot (20,725) | 4.7Trustpilot (1,292) | 4.6Capterra (3,347) | 4.5Capterra (1,470) | 4.6Capterra (3,031) | 3.4Trustpilot (4,500) | 4.1Trustpilot (3,672) | 4.6Capterra (31) | 1.2Trustpilot (~2,800) | 4.3Trustpilot (5,400) | 4.8Trustpilot (22,382) | 4.3Trustpilot (1,200) | 4.3Trustpilot (10,000) |
| Pricing | ||||||||||||||
| In-person rate | Best0.99% | 1.10% + 7p | 1.39% + 5p | 1.4% + 10p | 1.69% | 1.75% | 1.75% | 1.40% + 5p | Interchange++ (custom) | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote |
| Monthly fee | From £15/mo (incl terminal) | £0/mo | No service fee | £0/mo | £0/mo | £0/mo (Free plan) | £0/mo | ~£50+/mo | None (no monthly fee) | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote |
| Per-transaction fee | None | 7p (in-person) | 5p | 10p (in-person) | None | None (in-person) | None | 5p | £0.11/tx + IC++ | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | 4.5p (indicative) |
| Hardware cost | £5 one-off (Start Simple) / included in plan (Booster/Core) | Go 2 £29 / Go Combo £169 / Ultra £229 / Tap-to-Pay £0 (excl VAT) | Device hire from £13.99+VAT/mo (A920 Pro £19.99, A80 £13.99, A50 £14.99, Tap-to-Pay £0) | WisePad 3 £49 / Reader S700 £229 (excl VAT) | Solo Lite £25 / Solo £79 / Tap-to-Pay £0 (excl VAT) | Reader £19 / Stand £99 / Terminal £149 / Register £699 (excl VAT) | First reader £29 / extra £69 (excl VAT) | Ingenico terminal (rental; purchase price not published) | Contact provider | Anywhere £29+VAT one-off; Touch and Flex Mobile £0 upfront (rental) | Purchase from £79 / rental from £15-25/mo (third-party) | Included in plan (via local consultant) | From £14.99/mo rental (purchase price not published) | ~£20/mo rental (included in indicative total) |
| Setup fee | £5 one-off (Start Simple) | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | Contact provider | None | £29+VAT (Anywhere) | Contact provider | Free | Free | Contact provider |
| Online rate | 1.5%-1.99% (Opayo, est.) | Best1.30% + 15p | 1.39% + 5p (no CNP extra) | 1.5% + 20p | 2.5% | 1.4% + 25p | 2.5% | 1.40%-2.49% + 50p | Interchange++ (custom) | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote |
| Amex rate | Contact provider | 2.45% + 7p (in-person) | 1.99% + 5p (business/intl rate) | BestSame as card type | 1.69% (same flat rate) | 1.75% (same flat rate) | 1.75% (same flat rate) | Contact provider | Contact provider | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote | Get quote |
| Chargeback fee | Contact provider | £15 | Contact provider | £20 | Contact provider | Free | Contact provider | £28 | Contact provider | Contact provider | £28+VAT (est.) | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider |
| Refund fee | Contact provider | 25p | Free | Free | Free | Free | Contact provider | 50p | Contact provider | Contact provider | 50p (est.) | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider |
| International card surcharge | Contact provider | +1.1% (EEA cards) | None | +1.75% approx (non-EEA) | Included in flat rate | +1.5% non-UK cards | Contact provider | Contact provider | Interchange-dependent | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider |
| PCI compliance | Included (£60k breach protection) | Contact provider | Included free (E2EE) | Included free (E2EE) | Contact provider | Included free | Contact provider | £4.95+VAT/mo (separate) | Included (E2EE terminals) | Assistance available (fee UNVERIFIED) | Included (non-compliance £15+VAT/mo) | Assistance available (fee UNVERIFIED) | Included free | ~£5/mo (not included) |
| Features | ||||||||||||||
| Contract length | 12 months | No contract | 12 months | No contract | No contract | No contract | No contract | Contact provider | No minimum contract | Anywhere: none; Touch: 12 months; Flex Mobile: 18 months | Fix: 12 months; Flex: 30-day rolling | 12 months | Rolling monthly or annual (ETF £40/mo remaining if annual) | 18 months |
| Early termination fee | Contact provider | Contact provider | None | None | None | None | None | Contact provider | None | None (all plans) | Contact provider | Contact provider | £40/mo remaining (annual) | Contact provider |
| Settlement speed | 48h standard (next-day on plan pages; discrepancy UNVERIFIED) | Instant (~3 seconds to myPOS business account); £1.50 per bank transfer out (GBP; SEPA £4.00) | Next business day | T+3 standard (new accounts T+7); instant at 1% min 40p | Next business day (including weekends with SumUp business account) | Next business day (instant at 1.5% fee) | Minutes to PayPal balance (new accounts); 1-2 business days (legacy); no weekend deposits | Next working day | Flexible (custom settlement timing) | Next business day to Barclays account; 3-7 days to other banks | Next business day by 10am | Next working day | Instant to Teya account; next-day 9am incl weekends to bank | Next business day |
| Instant payout fee | Contact provider | £1.50 (bank transfer) | Contact provider | 1% min 40p | Contact provider | 1.5% | None stated | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider | Next-day by 10am (included) | Contact provider | Free (to Teya account) | Contact provider |
| Recurring billing | ✓ | Contact provider | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Contact provider | ✓ | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider | Contact provider | ✓ |
| Machine type | Mobile reader, Portable terminal, Countertop terminal, Smart terminal | Portable terminal, Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) | Portable terminal, Countertop terminal, Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) | Mobile reader, Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) | Tap to Pay (phone), Mobile reader, Portable terminal | Tap to Pay (phone), Mobile reader, Portable terminal, Smart terminal | Mobile reader, Portable terminal | Portable terminal, Countertop terminal | Portable terminal, Countertop terminal, Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) | Mobile reader, Portable terminal, Countertop terminal, Smart terminal | Portable terminal, Smart terminal | Mobile reader, Portable terminal, Countertop terminal, Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) | Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) | Portable terminal, Countertop terminal, Smart terminal, Tap to Pay (phone) |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet | WiFi, 4G/SIM, Bluetooth | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM | Bluetooth, WiFi, Ethernet | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM | WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet | WiFi, 4G/SIM | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM | WiFi, 4G/SIM | Bluetooth, WiFi, 4G/SIM, Ethernet |
A few things to know before you switch.
Card machine costs vary by provider. Pay-as-you-go readers start from around £19 to £29 (Square, Zettle, myPOS) with no monthly fee. Providers with monthly plans (Elavon, Dojo, Paymentsense) typically charge £15 to £50 or more per month including terminal rental. Transaction rates range from 0.99% for mid-volume merchants on Elavon's plan to 1.75% on flat-rate providers. Always add up the transaction rate, monthly fee, per-transaction fee, and any PCI or service charges to get your true monthly cost.
SumUp (1.69%), Zettle (1.75%), Square (1.75%), myPOS (1.10% + 7p), and Stripe (1.4% + 10p) all have no monthly fee on their standard plans. You pay only per transaction. Providers with monthly fees such as Elavon, Dojo, TYL by NatWest, and Paymentsense bundle terminal rental or plan features into the fee, which can work out cheaper at higher volumes.
No, for many card machine providers. SumUp, Zettle, Square, myPOS, and Stripe all operate on a pay-as-you-go, no-contract basis. However, Worldpay requires an 18-month contract, Takepayments requires 12 months, Elavon typically requires 12 months, and TYL by NatWest runs on a 12-month term. Dojo offers both a 12-month Fix plan and a rolling 30-day Flex plan. Always check the contract length and any early-termination fee before signing.
Most major providers accept Amex, including SumUp, Zettle, Square, Stripe, myPOS (at 2.45% + 7p), Dojo (Go plan), TYL by NatWest (on request), Elavon, Takepayments, Teya, and Barclaycard (Touch and Flex plans). Paymentsense does not advertise Amex acceptance. The Barclaycard Anywhere reader specifically excludes Amex. Always confirm Amex acceptance and any rate difference before choosing a provider.
Most providers settle the next business day: Square, SumUp, TYL by NatWest, Paymentsense, Takepayments, Worldpay, and Barclaycard (to Barclays accounts). Dojo settles by 10am the next business day. Zettle pays to a PayPal balance in minutes (some accounts 1 to 2 days). Stripe settles in T+3 days standard (T+7 for new accounts) with instant payouts at 1% fee. myPOS offers instant settlement in around 3 seconds to a built-in myPOS account; bank transfers incur a £1.50 fee. Teya settles by 9am the next day including weekends.
PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance is a security framework required for all businesses that accept card payments. Some providers include PCI compliance support at no extra cost: Dojo (with non-compliance fee of £15+VAT/mo), Elavon (Secured by Elavon with £60k breach protection), Stripe (E2EE included free), and TYL by NatWest (E2EE free). Paymentsense charges £4.95+VAT/mo for PCI. Worldpay charges around £5/mo separately. Teya includes PCI free. Always confirm your PCI obligations with your provider.
For small businesses with standard UK card volumes, myPOS at 1.10% + 7p per transaction with no monthly fee is typically the cheapest transparent option. At £15,000/month with an average £20 transaction, myPOS costs around £218/month. SumUp (1.69%) costs around £254/month, Zettle and Square (both 1.75%) around £263/month, and Stripe (1.4% + 10p) around £285/month at those volumes. Quote providers may be cheaper at higher volumes. Use the calculator above to compare your exact scenario.
Some providers do not require a business bank account. myPOS includes a built-in business account that receives settlement instantly. Zettle settles to a PayPal balance rather than a bank account. Square and SumUp can settle to a personal or business bank account. Most traditional providers such as Worldpay, Barclaycard, Takepayments, and TYL by NatWest typically require a business bank account for settlement.
Our team can audit your current merchant fees and negotiate better rates on your behalf.