Cheapest Card Machine for a Small UK Business
Find the lowest total cost for your own sales pattern, rather than choosing solely on the machine price or transaction percentage.
The short answer
The cheapest option is the suitable setup with the lowest complete cost for your sales, card mix and comparison period. Low turnover favours low fixed costs; higher turnover can justify a subscription that reduces processing charges. Equipment and contract obligations can change either result.
In this guide
Define what “cheapest” means for your business
Decide whether you are comparing first-year cash cost, a typical month or several years of use. Then list the functions you need: portable payments, printed receipts, online selling, staff access or an existing till connection.
A cheap device that cannot support an essential workflow is not a suitable alternative. Equally, an advanced subscription may add little value to a business taking occasional simple payments. Compare the smallest complete setup that does the required job.
Use the same VAT basis throughout. Include VAT you cannot recover in your own budget and confirm the treatment of each charge with the supplier.
What published tariffs show in a narrow example
| Monthly in-person eligible UK sales | SumUp PAYG | SumUp Plus monthly | Square Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1,000 | £16.90 | £28.90 | £17.50 |
| £5,000 | £84.50 | £68.50 | £87.50 |
This is a small illustrative shortlist, not a market-wide ranking. At low sales, a subscription can outweigh the fee reduction. At higher eligible sales, the same subscription can reduce costs. Different card types, custom rates and online transactions require a new calculation.
See SumUp versus Square for the assumptions and exclusions. Other providers should be added when you have a comparable valid quotation.
A simple crossover calculation
Fictional offers. A charges 1.6% with no fixed monthly fee. B charges 1% plus £20 monthly. With no other differences, they cost the same at £20 ÷ 0.006 = £3,333.33 monthly sales.
If B also charges 4p per transaction and the average sale is £10, that adds 0.4% of sales. Its effective variable cost becomes 1.4%, so the crossover rises to £10,000 monthly.
The per-transaction fee changes the answer even though the advertised percentage is unchanged. These figures illustrate the method and are not attributed to a provider.
Add the costs a cheap-machine headline can miss
- Equipment, accessories and any phone or tablet needed to operate it.
- Monthly software, device rental, connectivity and applicable minimum bills.
- Different processing charges for your card types and payment channels.
- Integration, installation and staff training needed for your setup.
- Old-provider exit charges and any period paying both suppliers.
- Future fixed commitments that remain after your chosen comparison period.
Do not include a potential reimbursement until the supplier confirms your eligibility and amount. Keep limited-time offers separate from normal pricing, and calculate what happens after the offer ends.
Choose your own lowest-cost suitable option
Obtain two or three comparable proposals. Run a normal month, a quiet month and your first year. Seasonal traders should use their actual monthly pattern rather than multiplying their busiest month by twelve.
Check the practical fit and support before deciding. Then use the calculator to compare all required costs. Its result is a calculation based on your inputs, not a certification that a provider is cheapest across the market or a guarantee of future savings.
Common questions
Is the card reader with the lowest purchase price always cheapest?
No. A small hardware saving can be outweighed by processing, subscriptions or contract charges over the period you use it.
Can a monthly plan be cheaper than pay-as-you-go?
Yes, where the fee reduction on eligible sales exceeds the fixed charge and any other differences. Calculate the crossover using your own average payment and card mix.
Take the next step
Use the provider directory to explore the cost guides, then test an uneven trading year in the seasonal calculator. Compare equivalent features and written terms before choosing.
Put your own figures to work.
Use the free calculator to organise your costs and keep a report. If something is unclear, you can ask for a free initial review.
No registration required. Calculator entries stay in your open browser page unless you choose to share a report in a review request.
Sources and how to use this guide
Primary references checked on 15 October 2026:
- SumUp UK pricing
- SumUp Payments Plus: card eligibility and billing
- Square UK pricing and processing fees
Business profiles are fictional. Examples either use the explicitly identified published tariff or clearly labelled hypothetical prices. They are not customer results, market averages or personalised provider quotations. Unless stated otherwise, they use a consistent VAT basis and include only the costs listed. Provider prices, eligibility and terms can change. Check your written agreement before deciding.
Our guides explain costs and comparison methods. They do not rank the whole market or claim hands-on product testing. Source links are references, not a claim of partnership. Read the calculation method and limitations, or about the service.