Card Reader Cost Comparator

SumUp, Square and Zettle all publish comparison pages — and each one concludes that they win. Here's the independent version: enter your monthly card takings and see what each actually costs, including the reader price, first-year totals, and the point where SumUp's Payments Plus plan starts paying for itself. Runs in your browser, no signup.

Your card takings

Rates verified August 2026: SumUp 1.69% per in-person payment (0.99% + £19/month on Payments Plus); Square 1.75%; Zettle 1.75%. No per-transaction flat fees on standard UK in-person plans, no monthly fees without opting in. Reader prices are typical entry readers (edit to match current offers — they're discounted constantly). Online/keyed rates differ on all three.

What each costs at your volume

Estimates for information only — not financial advice. Providers change rates and run hardware offers; check their current pricing pages before buying. Not affiliated with SumUp, Square, Zettle or PayPal; no referral links.

Selling at fairs and markets?
Our free Stall Break-Even Calculator tells you how many sales make the pitch fee worth it — card fees included. Email us the word "subscribe" — max one email a month, unsubscribe anytime.

Guides

SumUp vs Square vs Zettle for UK small sellers: the maths, not the marketing Is SumUp Payments Plus worth £19 a month? The £2,714 answer A card reader for your first craft fair: what you need and what you don't

More free seller tools

Stall Break-Even Calculator — is that fair worth the pitch fee? Folksy Fee Calculator — the UK marketplace's full fee stack POD Profit Calculator — your real margin after the whole fee sandwich