What is the cheapest card reader for a small business in the UK?

For low or irregular sales volumes, pay-as-you-go readers with no monthly fee (such as SumUp, Zettle or Lopay) are usually cheapest overall. For high, steady volumes, a fixed monthly fee with a lower per-transaction rate can work out cheaper — compare based on your actual monthly card takings.

Do I need a business bank account to get a card reader?

Most modern card reader providers (such as SumUp and Zettle) can pay out to a personal or business bank account and don't require a dedicated merchant account. Traditional bank-provided readers may require a business current account.

Is a card reader the same as a POS system?

No. A card reader only takes payment. A POS (point of sale) system also manages stock, staff, receipts and reporting, and often includes a card reader as part of the package.

Home / Card Readers

Updated for 2026

Compare the best card readers for UK businesses

Portable and countertop card machines for taking chip, contactless and mobile wallet payments face to face — compared on contract terms, payout speed and who they suit best.

Pricing checked: 30 July 2026 We review provider pricing regularly. Some businesses may qualify for bespoke rates — see our .

🏆

Best overall

Square combines a competitive flat rate, no contract, and the clearest path to a full POS system as you grow.

💷

Best value

Lopay's 0.79-0.99% rate is the lowest of any provider we compared, with no monthly fee or contract.

⭐

Best for ease of use

SumUp — simple flat-rate pricing, cheap hardware and a well-known setup process for first-time sellers.

How much do you take in card payments each month?

Estimates assume an average transaction of £35 and standard published UK consumer-card rates.

Provider	Best for	Card fee	Est. monthly cost*	Contract	WMP score	Action
SumUp	Occasional & first-time sellers	1.69% Simple pricing	—	None	★★★★☆4.1/5	See SumUp pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full SumUp details Terminal price Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 (+VAT) Payout time By 7am next day, incl. weekends Minimum monthly charge None International/Amex fees Included in the 1.69% flat rate on the PAYG tier Invoicing Invoices Plus add-on, £8/month Support Phone, email, chat — hours not officially confirmed Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — sumup.com
Zettle	PayPal users	1.75% Simple pricing	—	None	★★★★☆4.2/5	See Zettle pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Zettle details Terminal price Reader £29 (1st), £69 (additional), Terminal £149 (+VAT) Payout time Within minutes to PayPal balance Minimum monthly charge None Payment links PayPal QR 1.75%; Payment Links/Invoice 2.5% Support Phone 020 3467 8316, Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — zettle.com
Square	Growing into a full POS	1.75% Simple pricing	—	None	★★★★☆4.5/5	See Square pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Square details Terminal price Reader £19, Terminal £149, Register £649 (+VAT) Payout time Next business day (instant for a fee) Minimum monthly charge None (Retail Plus £49/mo optional, 1.6% rate) Ecosystem Square for Retail/Restaurants software available Support Phone 0800 098 8008 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm; 24/7 self-serve Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — squareup.com/gb
Zeller	Lowest domestic rate, bundled free business account	1.3% Simple pricing	—	None	★★★★★4.6/5	See Zeller pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Zeller details UK launch note Zeller (an Australian fintech) launched in the UK in April 2026 — newer to the UK market than most providers on this page, though an established brand elsewhere. Official UK site is myzeller.com/gb — zeller.co.uk is an unrelated parked domain, not the company Terminal price Terminal 1x £99+VAT, Terminal 2 £149+VAT — standalone Android terminals, not phone-paired readers International/Amex fees 1.99% on Amex/international cards; MOTO 1.5% (domestic)/2.4% (other) Bundled features Free Zeller Business Account and Zeller Debit Card (unlimited cards) included at no extra cost Payout time Overnight into the Zeller Business Account; next business day if settling to an external bank Support 24/7 phone (0800 917 9206) and email Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — myzeller.com/gb/pricing
Lopay	Lowest fees overall	0.79-0.99% Simple pricing	—	None	★★★★☆4.3/5	See Lopay pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Lopay details Terminal price WisePad3 reader £35 + £6.95 P&P Payout time Essential: weekly. Standard: next day. Instant to Bank: same day (50p fee, £1,000 daily cap) International/Amex fees +1% surcharge on top of headline rate Chargeback fee £20 admin fee + disputed amount Invoicing Xero integration: 0.29% + 10p per invoice Support Phone, email, in-app chat — hours not officially confirmed Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — lopay.com
myPOS	Multi-currency & built-in 3G/4G	1.10% + 7p Simple pricing	—	None	★★★★☆4.2/5	See myPOS pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full myPOS details Terminal price Go 2 £29, Ultra £229, Flex+dock £69 (ex VAT) Payout time Instant to myPOS account; £1.50 flat fee to withdraw to a UK bank International/Amex fees EEA cards 2.20%+7p, Amex 2.45%+7p, other 2.85%+7p Minimum monthly charge Possible £15 inactivity fee on dormant accounts (unconfirmed on official page) Support 24/7 phone, chat and email Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — mypos.com
Teya	Scaling your rate down as turnover grows	1.59% (Start) Simple pricing	—	Cancel-anytime membership	★★★★☆4.3/5	See Teya pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Teya details Terminal price Teya Go £69 (launch offer £34.50+VAT), Teya Pro £179 (launch offer £89.50+VAT); "Pay Once" upfront rental option carries a separate 3-year terminal commitment Tiered plans Start: 0% membership fee, 1.59% per transaction, £29.99 minimum charge if monthly turnover is below £2,500. Boost: £19/mo, 0.99%. Thrive: £39/mo, 0.59%. Custom: bespoke for higher turnover Payout time Next-day settlement, including weekends and bank holidays, into a bundled Teya Business Account (0.10% surcharge if using an external bank account) Support 24/7 phone, WhatsApp and email — phone +44 1283 896 876 Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — teya.com/pricing-store (Boost/Thrive rates via search citation, not independently re-fetched)
Viva Wallet	Multi-channel sellers wanting a bundled business account	1.2% + 10p (indicative) Interchange++	—	No fixed contract	★★★★☆3.9/5	See Viva Wallet pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Viva Wallet details Terminal price Mini Card Reader from ~£49, up to Pax IM304G ~£561; monthly rental from £7.99-£10.99/mo also available Rate discrepancy — flag Sources disagree on the headline rate: 1.2%+10p on an Interchange++ model per one set of sources, vs. 1.69% card-present/2.19%+24p online per another reseller aggregator. Confirm directly with Viva before relying on a single figure Plan tiers Zero (£0/mo, £3.99 min. charge), Default (£3.99/mo), Standard (£10.99/mo), Premium (£15.99/mo) — reported, not independently re-verified Payout time Next business day standard; Instant/Real-Time Settlement option at 0.5% fee (min €1), ~60 minutes Support In-app chat/chatbot only — no published UK phone number or support hours found Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — cross-checked via multiple sources citing viva.com/en-gb/pricing (direct fetch timed out)
Tyl by NatWest	Transparent rates from a high-street bank	1.39% + 5p Simple pricing	—	~12 months	★★★★☆3.8/5	See Tyl pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Tyl details Terminal rental PAX A80 £13.99+VAT/mo, A50 £14.99+VAT/mo, A920 Pro £19.99+VAT/mo Minimum monthly charge None International/Amex fees Custom quote for Amex; over £50k/year also custom-quoted Online gateway £14.95+VAT/mo if needed (third-party reported) Support Phone 0345 901 0001, Mon-Sat 8am-midnight, Sun 9am-5pm Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — tylbynatwest.com
Paymentsense	Bundled hardware & software add-ons	1.40% / 1.99% Scales with volume	—	18mo-5yr or 30-day rolling	★★★☆☆3.0/5	Get a Paymentsense quote (opens in a new tab)
View full Paymentsense details Terminal rental £20+VAT/month Minimum monthly charge £24.95 — applies even in a slow month PCI fee £4.95+VAT/month Chargeback / refund fees £28 chargeback, 50p refund, £3.99 account-on-file Contract Not stated officially; third-party reports 18mo-5yr, exit fees from £120+VAT — or a newer 30-day rolling option Support 24/7 claimed; some sources cite narrower hours for a different tier — reconcile before relying on this Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — paymentsense.com/uk
Dojo	Hospitality businesses	~1.4% + 5p (indicative) Custom quote required	—	~12 months	★★★☆☆3.2/5	Get a Dojo quote (opens in a new tab)
View full Dojo details Terminal price Dojo Go £149 upfront or £15/mo; Pocket £239 or £20/mo Pricing Package-based, e.g. £39.99/mo covers up to £3,999 turnover + 1% on excess — get a quote to confirm Multi-location +£10/mo per location, +£11.99/mo Plus add-on Support General 8am-6pm, technical 8am-11pm daily (third-party reported — Dojo's official pricing page blocked automated access) Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — cross-checked third-party sources
Barclaycard	Existing Barclays banking customers	~1.6% (indicative) Custom quote required	—	~12 months	★★☆☆☆2.8/5	Get a Barclaycard quote (opens in a new tab)
View full Barclaycard details Terminal rental Smartpay Touch ~£29+VAT/mo, Flex from £15+VAT/mo (third-party, figures vary by source) Settlement Next day for transactions before 7pm (cross-checked, not official) Support Card holder line 0800 008 008 Mon-Fri 8am-6pm; technical 0800 161 5343, 24/7 Contract Exit-fee claims conflict across sources — confirm directly before signing Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — cross-checked third-party sources (official site blocked automated access)
Takepayments	Rep-led setup for traditional businesses	~1.1-2.45% + 7p (indicative) Custom quote required	—	12 months	★★☆☆☆2.5/5	Get a Takepayments quote (opens in a new tab)
View full Takepayments details Setup fee £0 (confirmed official) Settlement Next working day (confirmed official) Contract exit fee £40 admin fee + £30+VAT per remaining month Support 7 days a week (confirmed official); specific hours not published Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — takepayments.com
Handepay	Traditional bricks-and-mortar wanting account management	~0.3-2.5% (indicative) Custom quote required	—	12-36 months (~18mo common)	★★☆☆☆2.5/5	Get a Handepay quote (opens in a new tab)
View full Handepay details Access note Handepay's official site blocked automated access — figures here are from cross-checked independent comparison sources, not confirmed directly on handepay.co.uk Terminal rental ~£15-£30/month depending on type (countertop/portable/mobile), reported No published minimum monthly charge, PCI or joining fees Reported consistently across independent reviews Add-ons Virtual Terminal £9.99/mo (200 free transactions, 10p each after); Online Payment Gateway £19.99/mo (400 transactions) Contract Acts as a credit broker introducing a third-party terminal-hire/acquiring provider; auto-renews unless 3 months' notice given before term end; "hefty" exit fees reported but no fixed figure published Support New sales 0800 377 7382 (Mon-Thu 9am-5:30pm, Fri 9am-5pm); existing customers 0333 005 0999 Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — cross-checked third-party sources (official site returned 403 on every page tried)
Tide Card Reader	Existing Tide Business Account holders	1.5% + 5p (PAYG) or 0.89% + 3p (subscription) Simple pricing	—	No lock-in (PAYG)	★★★★☆3.7/5	See Tide Card Reader pricing (opens in a new tab)
View full Tide Card Reader details Important — not a standalone product Only works alongside an existing Tide Business Bank Account, ordered through the Tide app. Card processing runs via a partnership with Adyen behind the scenes Terminal price £159+VAT standard, £199+VAT Plus model (built-in printer, lifetime free 4G); discounted to "from £99" when bundled with a paid subscription Subscription tier "Sell In-Person" plan: £17.99+VAT/month for the lower 0.89%+3p rate Payout time — slower than most Standard settlement is 3 working days; a next-day settlement add-on costs an extra £2.99+VAT/month Support Phone 0204 538 8443 Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — tide.co/features/card-reader
Phos by Ingenico	Zero-hardware tap-to-phone (via partner banks)	Not publicly disclosed	—	Not disclosed	★★☆☆☆2.5/5	Get a Phos quote (opens in a new tab)
View full Phos details Hardware £0 — turns an existing NFC-enabled Android (8.1+) or iOS (16.4+, iPhone XS+) phone into the terminal, no reader needed Important — not a direct sign-up product Phos is a B2B SoftPOS engine licensed/white-labelled through partner banks and payment providers (e.g. Tyl by NatWest's tap-to-phone product uses Phos) rather than something you sign up for directly — pricing depends entirely on the reselling partner Standards PCI DSS, CPoC/SPoC compliant Pricing checked 30 July 2026 — getphos.com and ingenico.com (no merchant pricing published on either)

*Based on £5,000 monthly card turnover and £35 average transaction unless you change the figure above. Actual costs vary by card type, transaction method and negotiated rates — and custom-quoted providers in particular can vary significantly from the figures shown. Pricing, contract terms and payout speeds change frequently — always confirm current rates directly with the provider before signing up. We may earn a commission when you sign up through a link on this page, at no extra cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure and Editorial Policy.

Choosing a card reader

How to pick the right card reader for your business

Low or irregular sales volume?

Pay-as-you-go readers with no monthly fee and no contract — like SumUp, Zettle or Lopay — usually work out cheapest, since you only pay when you take a payment.

Steady, higher sales volume?

A fixed monthly fee with a lower per-transaction rate, like Dojo or Takepayments, can undercut pay-as-you-go pricing once your monthly card takings pass a certain threshold.

Need next-day payouts?

Cashflow-sensitive businesses should check settlement speed — most established providers now offer next-business-day payouts as standard.

Already bank with a specific bank?

Barclaycard Payments and Tyl by NatWest can bundle card acceptance into your existing business banking relationship.

Deep dives

Browse all 30+ comparisons

Not sure which reader fits your business?

See recommendations tailored to sole traders, small businesses or enterprise.

Find your fit

Compare the best card readers for UK businesses

Best overall

Best value

Best for ease of use

How to pick the right card reader for your business

Low or irregular sales volume?

Steady, higher sales volume?

Need next-day payouts?

Already bank with a specific bank?

Real numbers, by business type and head-to-head

Best for Plumbers

Best for Market Traders

Best for Taxi Drivers

Best for Tradespeople

Best for Cafés & Restaurants

Cheapest for Low Volume

myPOS vs SumUp

Tide Card Reader vs SumUp

Zeller vs Square

Not sure which reader fits your business?