Skip to content
Use Tide Card Reader Referral Code: TCRPOS & Get £100 FREE cash
PaymentCardReader.co.uk card reader and growth arrow logoPaymentCardReader.co.uk

Compare UK card readers

An honest comparison of the card readers UK small businesses actually shortlist, including where our featured partner is the wrong choice and who has no commercial relationship with us.

Short answer

Short answer

Choose on three things in this order: whether you are willing to move your banking, the effective rate at your own average sale, and how fast the money settles. Hardware price is the least important number in the decision.

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

At a glance

Indicative published rates for UK in-person consumer debit cards, checked 13 October 2026. Credit, commercial and non-UK cards cost more everywhere.
ProviderIn-person rateMonthly feeHardware fromChange bank?
TideFrom 0.89% + 3p (Sell In-Person) or 1.5% + 5p (Pay As You Go)£0 on Pay As You Go, £17.99 + VAT on Sell In-Person£39 + VAT on Sell In-Person Essential (£49 + VAT on Pay As You Go)Yes — Tide account required
SumUp1.69% per in-person transaction, no fixed penceNone on the standard pay-as-you-go planAround £25 + VAT for the entry readerNo
Square1.75% per in-person transaction, no fixed penceNone for core payments; paid plans for advanced restaurant and retail softwareAround £19 + VAT for the entry reader; terminals cost considerably moreNo
Zettle by PayPal1.75% per in-person transaction, no fixed penceNoneAround £29 + VAT, often discounted on a first readerNo

What each one actually costs you

Headline rates are meaningless until you apply them to your own trading. The table below models a typical independent taking £4,000 a month across 320 card sales (an average sale of £12.50), all on UK consumer debit cards, including any subscription but excluding hardware.

Indicative modelling only. Add VAT where applicable and re-run your own figures in the fee calculator.
OptionTransaction costSubscriptionMonthly totalEffective rate
Tide — Sell In-Person£45.20£17.99 + VAT£63.191.58%
Tide — Pay As You Go£76.00None£76.001.90%
SumUp£67.60None£67.601.69%
Square£70.00None£70.001.75%
Zettle by PayPal£70.00None£70.001.75%

Break-even moves with your volume

Tide's monthly plan only beats its own pay-as-you-go option above roughly £3,500 of monthly card takings, and the ranking between providers flips as your average sale falls. Small-ticket traders are punished by fixed pence components; high-ticket traders barely notice them. Run your own numbers before deciding.

Feature by feature

Our summaries of publicly documented behaviour, checked 13 October 2026.
TideSumUpSquareZettle by PayPal
Bank account requiredYes, TideNoNoNo
Settlement speedTide currently advertises next-day settlement; the £2.99 + VAT Boost applies to Pay As You Go and Essential, while Premium includes itTypically next working day to your existing bank accountNext working day as standard, with a paid instant optionOne to two working days to a linked bank account, faster to a PayPal balance
Till / POS softwareBasic item list and receipts in the Tide app; no full stock or bookings systemFree lightweight till app; optional paid tiers for larger setupsThe strongest of the four: stock, modifiers, bookings, staff and multi-terminalSolid mid-range till app with stock and variants
ContractNo minimum term on Pay As You Go; the monthly plan is billed whether or not you tradeNo contract, no monthly commitmentNo contract on core payments; software tiers are monthlyNo contract
Best suited toBusinesses already opening or holding a Tide account with steady weekly card takingsLow-volume, seasonal and mobile traders who want the cheapest way to startCafés, salons and retailers who need a real till rather than just a readerBusinesses already taking PayPal online who want one view of takings

Provider by provider

Tide

Featured commercial partner

Business account provider whose card readers are sold alongside a Tide business account. Card processing is handled by a third-party acquirer rather than by Tide itself.

Best for:
Businesses already opening or holding a Tide account with steady weekly card takings
Settlement:
Tide currently advertises next-day settlement; the £2.99 + VAT Boost applies to Pay As You Go and Essential, while Premium includes it
Contract:
No minimum term on Pay As You Go; the monthly plan is billed whether or not you trade

Strengths

  • Lowest published in-person rate of the four on the monthly plan
  • Takings and banking sit in one app, so reconciliation is trivial
  • Two hardware tiers, including a Plus model with a built-in receipt printer

Trade-offs

  • You must bank with Tide, which rules it out for most established businesses
  • Premium costs more, while Essential and Pay As You Go may need the settlement boost
  • Point-of-sale features are thin next to Square and Zettle

Our verdict: Strong on cost and reconciliation if the banking requirement is a fit; a non-starter if you will not move accounts.

We may receive a commission when an eligible applicant opens an account through our links or code TCRPOS.

Check Tide's official pricing

SumUp

No commercial relationship

Standalone card reader provider with low-cost hardware, no monthly subscription on its entry plan and no requirement to change bank.

Best for:
Low-volume, seasonal and mobile traders who want the cheapest way to start
Settlement:
Typically next working day to your existing bank account
Contract:
No contract, no monthly commitment

Strengths

  • Cheapest hardware entry point of the four
  • No monthly fee and no banking change required
  • Flat percentage with no fixed pence, which suits small-ticket sales

Trade-offs

  • Rate does not fall as volume grows unless you move to a paid tier
  • Till software is basic compared with Square
  • Entry reader needs a phone; the standalone model costs more

Our verdict: The default sensible answer when you take card payments occasionally and refuse to change bank.

We hold no referral arrangement with SumUp.

Check SumUp's official pricing

Square

No commercial relationship

Payments and point-of-sale platform with a broad software ecosystem, including stock, bookings and multi-till retail setups.

Best for:
Cafés, salons and retailers who need a real till rather than just a reader
Settlement:
Next working day as standard, with a paid instant option
Contract:
No contract on core payments; software tiers are monthly

Strengths

  • Genuine point-of-sale system included at no extra cost
  • Scales from one reader to multiple tills and locations
  • Cheapest hardware to trial the ecosystem

Trade-offs

  • Highest headline in-person rate of the four
  • Useful features are gated behind paid software tiers
  • Ecosystem lock-in makes switching later more work

Our verdict: Pay slightly more per transaction to get software you would otherwise buy separately.

We hold no referral arrangement with Square.

Check Square's official pricing

Zettle by PayPal

No commercial relationship

Card reader and point-of-sale provider with PayPal balance integration and a simple flat published rate.

Best for:
Businesses already taking PayPal online who want one view of takings
Settlement:
One to two working days to a linked bank account, faster to a PayPal balance
Contract:
No contract

Strengths

  • Simple flat rate with no fixed pence and no monthly fee
  • Neat tie-in for businesses already using PayPal
  • Reader hardware is compact and reliable in practice

Trade-offs

  • Same rate as Square without Square's software depth
  • Settlement can be slower than rivals to a bank account
  • Fewer third-party integrations than Square

Our verdict: Best when PayPal is already part of how you get paid; otherwise it is out-featured at the same price.

We hold no referral arrangement with Zettle.

Check Zettle by PayPal's official pricing

Which should you choose?

Our reading of the trade-offs. Verify current pricing with each provider before committing.
If this is youStart withWhy
You are opening a Tide business account anyway and take card payments most weeksTide Sell In-PersonLowest published in-person rate here, and takings reconcile inside the same app.
You take card payments occasionally or seasonallySumUpNo monthly fee, cheapest hardware, and nothing to cancel in quiet months.
You need a till: stock, modifiers, bookings or more than one terminalSquareThe software would cost more than the rate difference if bought separately.
A meaningful share of your sales already come through PayPalZettleOne view of online and in-person takings without a second reconciliation.
Your average sale is under £5SumUp or ZettleFlat percentages with no fixed pence are far kinder on small tickets.
You will not move your business banking under any circumstancesSumUp, Square or ZettleAll three pay into your existing account; Tide structurally cannot.

Our relationship with each provider

Descriptions are our own summaries. Always check the provider's official pricing page for current rates.
ProviderOur relationshipDisclosure
TideFeatured commercial partnerWe may receive a commission when an eligible applicant opens an account through our links or code TCRPOS.
SumUpNo commercial relationshipWe hold no referral arrangement with SumUp.
SquareNo commercial relationshipWe hold no referral arrangement with Square.
Zettle by PayPalNo commercial relationshipWe hold no referral arrangement with Zettle.

Why the rates above carry a date

Rates change frequently and vary by plan, card type and negotiated terms. Every figure here is dated and links back to the provider's own pricing page, because a stale table is worse than no table. If you spot a figure that has moved, tell us and we will correct it.

Tide plans in detail

Indicative published Tide rates for UK consumer debit cards, verified 13 October 2026.
PlanRateMonthly feeHardware fromSuits
Pay As You Go1.5% + 5pNone£49 + VATOccasional and seasonal card takings, or a business testing card payments for the first time.
Sell In-Person0.89% + 3p£17.99 + VAT£39 + VATSteady weekly card takings where the lower transaction rate outweighs the subscription.
Sell In-Person Premium0.69% + 3p£19.99 + VAT£49 + VATHigh-volume in-person selling where priority support and the lowest published reader rate matter.

When to pick something other than Tide

  • You will not move your business banking — a standalone reader is the only sensible answer.
  • You need till software: stock, modifiers, bookings or multiple terminals.
  • You take payments very occasionally and want the cheapest possible hardware outright.
  • You need features we cannot verify for Tide, such as specific tipping or multi-user setups.

If none of those apply and you are opening a business account anyway, the Tide Card Reader is a reasonable shortlist entry.

Keep reading

A comparison table only takes you so far. Turn the rates into a single number for your own trading with the card reader fee calculator, and read how card reader fees work to see why the cheapest headline rate is often not the cheapest bill.

For the product we cover most closely, see the Tide Card Reader hub, the standard reader review, the Plus review and the cashback offer conditions. The plan calculator settles pay-as-you-go versus monthly.

Then check the practicalities: settlement times, PCI compliance and, if you already take card payments, switching card reader. Trade specifics live under business types, and hardware in the card readers hub.

Frequently asked questions

Which card reader has the lowest fees in the UK?
There is no single answer. Providers publish rates for domestic consumer debit cards only, and your effective cost depends on average sale, transaction count and card mix. Model your own numbers rather than trusting a headline rate.
Do I have to change bank to use a card reader?
Only for bank-linked readers such as Tide's, which pay into an eligible Tide business account. Standalone providers work alongside whatever bank you already use.
Do you earn money from every provider listed?
No. Tide is our featured commercial partner. We hold no referral arrangement with SumUp, Square or Zettle, and they are included because businesses genuinely compare them.
Is a monthly plan cheaper than pay-as-you-go?
Only above a break-even level of takings. A £17.99 + VAT Essential plan that saves 0.61% per transaction pays for itself at roughly £3,500 of monthly card takings. Below that, pay-as-you-go wins.
Which provider settles money fastest?
SumUp and Square typically settle next working day at no extra cost. Zettle is usually one to two working days to a bank account. Tide currently advertises next-day settlement; Pay As You Go and Essential may need the £2.99 + VAT Boost, while Premium includes it.
Which card reader is best for a café or shop with a till?
Square, in most cases. Its point-of-sale software covers stock, modifiers and multiple terminals at no extra cost, which usually outweighs its slightly higher headline rate.

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.

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

Apply through the TCRPOS linkRead 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.

Where to go next

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 of Payment Card Reader UK
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

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.
Methodology Report Error