Best Card Machine for Small Business UK: Fees and Readers Compared

For most sole traders and market stalls, the best card machine for small business UK buyers is a no-contract SumUp Solo or SumUp Solo Lite.

Square Terminal is a better fit if you need a built-in receipt printer. PayPal Reader makes sense if you already run your business through PayPal. If you use Revolut Business and most customers pay with UK consumer cards, Revolut Terminal is worth considering.

Dojo, Teya and Worldpay are worth comparing only if a contract quote works out cheaper than pay-as-you-go (PAYG) at your sales volume.

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Quick picks

Best no-contract overall: SumUp Solo, available on Amazon UK.

Best cheapest reader class: SumUp Solo Lite, available on Amazon UK.

Best all-in-one with printer: Square Terminal UK, available on Amazon UK. On 6 November 2026 the featured offer was a single Used: Like New unit sold by Amazon Resale, so check the condition before you order.

Best PayPal ecosystem: PayPal Reader, available on Amazon UK.

Best Revolut ecosystem: Revolut Terminal, available on Amazon UK. Revolut has withdrawn the older Reader. This button is the Terminal.

Also worth knowing: Tap to Pay lets you accept card payments on a compatible phone, without buying a reader. Square's phone-paired Reader is mention-only here: the UK device listing we checked had no featured offer and was marked unavailable, so there is no Amazon button for it. Dojo, Teya, Worldpay and Tide are contract or bank-account products, and they are not sold as Amazon devices in this guide.

Fee break-even: what you pay at different takings

Prices last checked: 6 November 2026. This is not financial advice. Check each provider's rates before switching. The pounds below are fee estimates from published percentages. They are not Amazon prices, and no Amazon hardware price is typed on this page.

How to read the table

The figures are calculated by multiplying monthly card takings by each provider's percentage fee. At £3,000 a month, 1.69% costs £50.70, while 1.75% costs £52.50. That is £1.80 between SumUp and Square, so the difference in percentage fees is small.

The chart uses the same £3,000 example and rounds those two results to about £51 and about £53. Revolut's bar is the 0.8% only, about £24. The extra 2p per transaction is not in the bar or the table.

Revolut also charges 2p per transaction. If you make 200 sales a month, that is another £4.

Dojo's 1.2% figure is a blended example on its pricing page for businesses taking less than £100,000 a year in card payments (Dojo pricing). Machine rental is not included. Dojo's own page lists separate monthly hardware options, and MerchantHQ notes that rental charges can apply to contract plans. Ask Dojo for a quote. This is not financial advice.

SumUp has another option, Payments Plus, costing £19 a month. On 6 November 2026 the pricing page listed that plan at 0.99% for in-person domestic debit and credit cards, and said it can save money if you take £3,000 or more a month. The same FAQ says American Express and premium cards stay at 1.69%. Prices last checked: 6 November 2026.

The picks

SumUp Solo: best no-contract overall

SumUp Solo is a standalone touchscreen card reader supplied with a charging station. It does not need to connect to your phone. The Amazon UK listing title says it includes a free SIM with unlimited mobile data, which is the detail to confirm on SumUp's product page if you will be away from Wi-Fi.

The PAYG transaction fee is 1.69% for in-person card payments other than a SumUp card, the same headline rate as Solo Lite, and the default plan has no monthly charge (prices last checked: 6 November 2026). The Amazon UK listing was in stock when checked. No hardware price is shown here.

• Who it is for: market stalls, mobile traders and anyone needing a reader away from Wi-Fi.
• Who it is not for: businesses that need to print receipts at the counter.
• Mobile data: the Amazon listing title says a free SIM with unlimited mobile data. Confirm that on SumUp's product page.
• Built-in printer: no.
• Contract: no.

Available on Amazon UK.

SumUp Solo Lite: best cheapest reader class

SumUp positions Solo Lite as its affordable card reader. Unlike Solo, it pairs with your phone and uses your phone's connection to process payments.

It accepts contactless, chip and mobile wallet payments. The PAYG rate is 1.69%, with no monthly fee on the default plan (SumUp pricing, prices last checked: 6 November 2026). When checked, Amazon UK showed it in stock and sold by SumUp UK.

If you need a counter stand, Amazon UK also lists a Solo Lite bundle with a dock (ASIN B0DG5NZKMQ). That bundle is not one of the buttons on this page.

• Who it is for: new sole traders and businesses with fewer transactions, provided they always have their phone available.
• Who it is not for: anyone who needs a reader that works independently of a phone.
• Built-in printer: no.
• Contract: no.

Available on Amazon UK.

Square Terminal UK: best all-in-one with printer

Square Terminal combines a card reader and receipt printer in one device. That makes it a practical choice for businesses that regularly give customers paper receipts.

Square's free plan has no monthly charge. Square's pricing page lists 1.75% for in-person payments. Square's fee schedule, updated 15 October 2026, lists 1.75% for a card-present transaction and a further 1.5% on a non-UK card. Prices last checked: 6 November 2026.

Stock and condition need a warning. On 6 November 2026 the featured Amazon UK offer for this ASIN was Used: Like New, sold by Amazon Resale and fulfilled by Amazon, with only 1 left in stock. The condition note said the item would come in its original packaging inside another box, and that the original packaging would be damaged. Treat that as a used, limited offer. Check the seller and the condition on the listing before you order, because marketplace stock changes. This is not a new unit in plentiful supply, and the button below does not show a price.

• Who it is for: cafes, shops and salons that provide printed receipts.
• Who it is not for: traders focused on the lowest flat transaction rate, because 1.69% is lower than 1.75% on fees alone.
• Built-in printer: yes.
• Contract: no.

Available on Amazon UK, subject to the condition warning above.

Square also offers a phone-paired Reader and Tap to Pay on its UK site. There is no Amazon button for the Reader. The UK device listing we checked was unavailable and had no featured offer.

PayPal Reader: best for PayPal users

PayPal Reader is part of the former Zettle range. PayPal's UK point-of-sale pricing page lists card and contactless payments at 1.75%, and says fees are subject to change. PayPal's merchant fees page, last updated 1 October 2026, lists the same 1.75% for card-present Point of Sale transactions. That is PayPal's own figure, checked on 6 November 2026, not a secondary summary. Manual card entry, payment links and Pay Later are different rates on those pages. This is not financial advice.

The Amazon UK offer we checked was in stock and sold by a marketplace seller, not by PayPal, and one offer showed limited remaining stock. Confirm the seller on the listing before you order.

Amazon UK also lists a version with a charging dock (ASIN B0F7RVFSGV). There is also the PayPal Payment Terminal (ASIN B0D8JJ5L7J), a Zettle terminal that does not need a paired phone. That listing describes printing as an optional printer and dock, so confirm paper receipts separately. Neither of those ASINs has a button on this page.

• Who it is for: businesses already accepting online payments through PayPal.
• Who it is not for: anyone needing a built-in receipt printer on the Reader itself.
• Built-in printer: no, on the Reader.
• Contract: no.

Available on Amazon UK.

Revolut Terminal: best for Revolut Business users

Revolut has withdrawn the Reader. Revolut's help centre says the Reader is no longer available to buy. If you already own one, that page says it has a one-year warranty, and that a fault in that period can be met with a discounted Terminal or a refund of the Reader's cost. Revolut's developer docs still cover the Reader for existing users only. Some older Revolut marketing pages still mention buying a Reader. Ignore those, and do not use an old Reader link. The device to buy is the Terminal.

You need a Revolut Business account to use the Terminal. Plan fees are separate from the card rate, so check the current plan price as well as the transaction fee.

Revolut's accept-payments pricing page and its Basic plan fee schedule (updated 16 December 2025, applying from 17 February 2026) publish these in-person card fees. The legal schedule names both the Reader and the Terminal. Prices last checked: 6 November 2026.

• UK consumer Visa and Mastercard: 0.8% + 2p
• Consumer Amex: 1.7% + 2p
• Other cards, including commercial and international: 2.6% + 2p

If most customers pay with UK consumer cards, those published rates are lower than flat PAYG fees. The gap narrows when a large share of payments are commercial or international cards. Revolut Pay in person is a different rate on the same pages, so do not treat 0.8% as the price of every payment method.

When checked on 6 November 2026, Amazon UK showed the Terminal in stock, sold by Revolut Ltd UK. The listing describes a built-in thermal printer, and Revolut's Terminal setup guide includes paper rolls, one of them pre-installed in the printer cover.

• Who it is for: businesses already using Revolut for banking, with mostly UK consumer cards.
• Who it is not for: businesses taking a high proportion of commercial or international card payments, or anyone hoping to buy the withdrawn Reader.
• Built-in printer: yes, according to Revolut's setup guide and the Terminal listing.
• Contract: no fixed hardware contract in the sources above. A paid Business plan may still apply.

Available on Amazon UK. This button is Terminal ASIN B0G8HN2JXY, not the withdrawn Reader.

Dojo, Teya and Worldpay: contract alternatives

Dojo advertises a 1.2% blended rate for businesses taking less than £100,000 a year in card payments, and it also lists monthly machine options (Dojo pricing). PaymentMachine discusses contract card fees more broadly.

That 1.2% figure is an example from Dojo's marketing, not a personalised rate. Ask Dojo for a quote based on your business. Hardware cost is extra.

Teya and Worldpay also offer contract or custom pricing. None of these three providers is given an Amazon button here.

Tide card reader

According to Wise, Tide Card Reader Plus has a PAYG transaction fee of 1.5% + 5p (prices last checked: 6 November 2026). That figure comes from a secondary roundup, so confirm it on Tide's own site before you rely on it.

The reader is linked to Tide's business account, so it is more relevant to existing Tide customers. There is no Amazon button.

Tap to Pay (phone only)

SumUp, Square and PayPal all offer Tap to Pay. It lets you accept contactless card payments on a compatible phone, without a separate reader.

It is useful if you only take occasional payments. As sales increase, you can add a dedicated card reader. Square Reader itself stays mention-only, for the stock reason above.

Which card machine suits your business?

• Market stall or pop-up: SumUp Solo is the standalone pick. The Amazon listing title says it includes mobile data, so confirm that on SumUp's product page if the stall has no Wi-Fi. For occasional selling, Solo Lite or Tap to Pay may be enough.
• Trades (electricians, plumbers, builders): SumUp Solo works for taking payments on site. Revolut Terminal is another option if you already bank with Revolut and most customers use consumer cards.
• Cafe: Square Terminal provides printed receipts at the counter, if you are happy with the used Amazon Resale offer or another seller on that listing. If you are processing more payments, request a Dojo quote and compare it with the table above.
• Salon: Square Terminal and SumUp Solo are both worth considering. PayPal Reader makes sense if you already accept bookings through PayPal.
• Shop: Square Terminal is useful for printed receipts, with the same condition warning. With higher monthly card takings, compare quotes from Dojo, Teya and Worldpay against PAYG fees.

For another perspective, Money.co.uk and MerchantHQ also publish card machine comparisons.

FAQ

Which card machine has the lowest fees UK?

The cheapest option depends on your monthly card takings and the types of cards customers use.

Revolut publishes 0.8% + 2p for UK consumer Visa and Mastercard, which is low compared with the other published rates on this page. Its fee for other cards, including commercial and international, is 2.6% + 2p.

Dojo advertises a 1.2% blended example below £100,000 a year, and that example does not include machine fees. Compare the figures in the break-even table, then request quotes based on your sales.

Prices last checked: 6 November 2026. Not financial advice.

Is SumUp better than Square?

It depends on which features matter most to your business.

SumUp charges 1.69% PAYG, compared with Square's 1.75% for in-person UK card payments. At £3,000 in monthly takings, the difference is £1.80.

The Solo listing title says it includes a SIM and mobile data, while Square Terminal has a built-in receipt printer. If you regularly work away from Wi-Fi, confirm Solo's SIM on SumUp's product page before you treat that as the reason to buy. If you need paper receipts, Square Terminal may suit you better, once you have checked that the Amazon offer is a condition you are willing to buy.

Do I need a contract for a card machine?

No. SumUp, Square and PayPal offer PAYG card machines without a contract. SumUp and Square also have free plans with no monthly charge. Revolut Terminal does not lock you into a hardware contract in the sources above, but you do need a Revolut Business account, and plan fees can apply.

Providers such as Dojo and Worldpay often have fixed contract terms. MerchantHQ also notes options similar to 12-month agreements with monthly machine charges.

A contract is worth considering only when the quoted cost is lower than PAYG at your transaction volume.

Can I take card payments on my phone?

Yes. SumUp, Square and PayPal support Tap to Pay, so a compatible phone can accept contactless payments without extra hardware.

It is an inexpensive way to start accepting cards. As your business grows, a separate reader may be more convenient for faster payments, longer battery life or accepting chip and PIN.

Which card reader works without Wi-Fi?

The Amazon UK listing title says SumUp Solo includes a SIM with unlimited mobile data, so it is the reader to check if you need payments without Wi-Fi or a paired phone. Confirm the current connectivity on SumUp's product page, because coverage still depends on the mobile network.

Solo Lite and other phone-paired readers rely on your phone's connection instead. Revolut's Terminal listing describes an eSIM that can take over when Wi-Fi is down. Check the current product page before you buy for a site with no signal.

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