Tide Card Reader Plan Calculator — Pay As You Go vs Sell In-Person

Short answer

Sell In-Person only beats Pay As You Go once the per-transaction saving covers the subscription. Set the period you actually plan to trade for, because hardware is a one-off and the subscription is not.

Last checked 4 August 2026. Providers can change prices without notice; confirm current figures before you buy.

Compare the plans

Lower total cost

Sell In-Person Premium

£649 over 12 months including hardware.

Difference

£31

How much more Sell In-Person would cost at these figures.

Pay As You Go monthly

£52.50

Hardware from £58.80 including VAT.

Sell In-Person monthly

£52.79

Hardware from £46.80 including VAT.

Sell In-Person Premium monthly

£49.19

Hardware from £58.80 including VAT.

Rates shown are for domestic consumer debit cards. Credit cards, commercial cards and non-UK cards commonly attract different, usually higher, fees. Check the current Tide fee schedule for the card types you actually accept.

Formulas and rate assumptions used in this calculator

Monthly cost = (turnover × plan percentage) + (transactions × fixed pence) + subscription including VAT + any add-on including VAT. Total = monthly cost × months + hardware including VAT at the plan's from-price.

Published domestic consumer debit card rates: Pay As You Go 1.5% + 5p; Essential 0.89% + 3p; Premium 0.69% + 3p. Figures are indicative and exclude any promotional cashback.

Keep reading

Comparing Tide against another provider rather than Tide against itself? Use the general fee calculator and our provider comparison.

The mechanics behind the maths are in how card reader fees work, and the hardware each plan runs on is reviewed in the Tide Card Reader hub, the standard review and the Plus review.

If a promotion is part of the decision, read the offer conditions and run the cashback tracker. Moving from another provider is covered in the switching guide.

Frequently asked questions

Which Tide plan is cheaper?

It depends on volume. Pay As You Go has no monthly fee but a higher rate per transaction; Sell In-Person charges a monthly subscription in exchange for a lower rate and cheaper hardware. The crossover point moves with your turnover and transaction count.

Does the calculator include hardware?

Yes. Hardware is added once at the start of the period at the plan's from-price including VAT, so a short comparison period weights the device cost more heavily.

Should I add next-day settlement?

Only if the cash flow matters to you. The £2.99 + VAT Next Day Settlement Boost applies to Pay As You Go and Essential; Premium includes it. The calculator applies that distinction.

Tide Card Reader code TCRPOS — £100 cashback

Apply through the partner link, open an eligible new Tide account, purchase a Tide Card Reader and process at least £500 of reader transactions within the first 60 days. Terms and eligibility apply.

1Apply through the partner link so the promotion is attached to your application.
2Open an eligible new Tide business account and pass account approval.
3Order a Tide Card Reader and start taking payments once it arrives.
4Process at least £500 of reader transactions inside the 60-day window.

TCRPOS

Apply through the TCRPOS link Read the offer conditions

Offer checked 13 October 2026. £100 cashback / £500 reader transactions / 60 days. Terms apply. Eligible new Tide applicants. Account approval and card reader product eligibility apply. Verified 13 October 2026 by Haley Duster against the official Tide offer page. Promotions can change or end at any time; Tide alone decides eligibility and payment.

Editorial Standards & E-E-A-T Disclosure

This site follows strict editorial guidelines to ensure accuracy, independence, and transparency. We are a UK-based research publisher, not a financial institution.

Lead Researcher: Haley Duster
Editor and researcher, Payment Card Reader UK
Verification Dates: Published 4 August 2026
Last Fact-Checked 13 October 2026
Research Methodology & Basis: "Desk research against official provider documentation. No hands-on testing has been carried out at the time of writing."
Primary Sources & Evidence: 1
Tide — Plans and pricingPay As You Go and Sell In-Person subscription costs and published transaction rates. (Accessed 13 October 2026)
2
Tide — Card Reader product pagesDevice specifications, connectivity, receipt options and indicative hardware pricing. (Accessed 13 October 2026)

Trust Signals

Independent ResearchWe are not owned by Tide. Our data comes from public fee schedules and regulatory filings.
Editorial IntegrityCommission never influences our findings. We recommend competitors when they are a better fit.
Accuracy GuaranteeWe log every correction. If you find an error, we aim to fix it within 24 trading hours.

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