Card payment and EPOS costs,
made clearer.
Explore practical UK guides to card payment fees, EPOS systems, online payment providers, payment setups and business sectors. Understand individual charges, choose a suitable setup and compare complete offers, then use the calculator with your own figures.
Start with your next decision
Checking a bill? Start with your merchant statement. Researching a supplier? Explore provider costs or direct comparisons. Considering a new till? Read the complete EPOS cost guide.
Comparing the whole system? Start with the 13-part total cost of ownership guide, then explore software, setup, training, support and downtime.
The full cost of owning and running your payment system
Go beyond the transaction rate. Build a complete budget, question the operational assumptions and test whether an upgrade pays for itself.
EPOS Cost Audit for Finance Directors
Scope a review of group spending, contracts and supplier options, with net benefit and implementation costs included.
Explore the audit service →Seasonal Card Payment Cost Calculator
Compare twelve individual months of card payment and EPOS costs. Include quiet months, processing minimums, annual fees and one-off costs. Free report.
Use the calculatorPayment & EPOS Total Cost of Ownership
The transaction rate is only the starting point. Compare what you will pay to install, run, support and eventually leave a payment system.
Read the guideEPOS Software Costs: Licences & Add-ons
Turn a low advertised subscription into a clear monthly budget for the tills, people, locations and applications you actually need.
Read the guideCard Machine SIM & Connectivity Costs
Budget for a connection that supports trading, including the network behind the terminal and a workable plan for interruptions.
Read the guideEPOS Installation & Setup Costs UK
A delivered box is not a working system. Price the preparation, connections and checks needed to open for trading with confidence.
Read the guideEPOS Support & Maintenance Costs
Check who helps when something stops working, how quickly trading can resume and which costs remain yours.
Read the guideEPOS Training Costs: A Practical Budget
Make sure the people taking payments and checking the numbers can use the system confidently from their first shift.
Read the guidePayment Downtime: Costs & Backup Plans
Find out what an interruption would cost your business, then decide what it is worth spending to reduce the impact.
Read the guideEPOS ROI: Calculate Payback & Value
Work out whether a useful feature earns back its cost, using measured benefits and a realistic downside case.
Read the guideEV Charging Payment Costs UK
Understand the payment layer of an EV charging project before comparing terminal offers or charging-platform subscriptions.
Read the guideReady to explore the equipment?
Browse complete EPOS packages, touchscreen tills, printers, scanners, counter accessories and software from the Switch&Save range. Each page explains where the option fits and what to include in an enquiry.
Understand your costs
Start with your statement, then explore processing, equipment and software charges.
Card Payment Processing Fees Explained for UK Businesses
Understand the percentage, the pence and the fixed charges behind your card payment bill.
Read the guideHow to Read Your Merchant Services Statement
Find the figures you need, understand unfamiliar lines and avoid counting the same charge twice.
Read the guideCard Machine Costs: Purchase, Rental and Monthly Charges
Compare the equipment agreement and the payment tariff together, over the period you expect to use them.
Read the guideHow Much Does an EPOS System Cost?
Budget for the full system: hardware, software, payments, integrations and the work of getting it running.
Read the guideCard Payment Charges Beyond the Headline Rate
Find the extras, understand what triggers them and keep charges from being counted twice.
Read the guideUnderstand the charges on your bill
Check minimums, transaction charges, refunds, disputes and payout costs. Each guide explains the fee and shows how to avoid counting it incorrectly.
PCI Compliance and Non-Compliance Fees Explained
Identify the PCI-related charge on your merchant statement, check your validation status and ask the right questions about stopping avoidable fees.
Read the guideMinimum Monthly Service Charges Explained
Understand how a monthly minimum affects your merchant services bill, especially during quiet months and seasonal trading.
Read the guideAuthorisation and Per-Transaction Fees Explained
See how pence-per-payment charges affect small sales, and why chargeable requests may differ from the number of successful payments.
Read the guideWhat Happens to Processing Fees When You Refund a Customer?
Understand retained original fees, any separate refund charges and how to budget for refunds without double counting processing costs.
Read the guideChargeback Fees and Business Costs Explained
Separate dispute fees, held funds and reversed sales, then compare provider terms without counting the same loss twice.
Read the guideWhy Can Business and Overseas Cards Cost More to Accept?
Understand card categories, international pricing and the effect of your actual card mix when comparing merchant services quotes.
Read the guideSettlement Times and Payout Charges Explained
Understand when card takings reach your bank, what faster transfers may cost and how to separate delayed funds from provider fees.
Read the guideExplore provider costs
Read the published terms, identify quote-specific charges and see what belongs in the complete budget.
Payment & EPOS Providers
Browse eleven provider profiles, follow official sources and prepare questions about the complete payment setup.
Explore the directorySumUp Fees and Costs Explained
Compare SumUp pay-as-you-go and Payments Plus using your eligible card turnover, equipment costs and seasonal sales.
Read the guideSquare Fees and Costs Explained
Understand Square’s UK processing charges, online transaction fees and the extra costs that can sit alongside a free POS plan.
Read the guideDojo Fees and Contract Costs Explained
Read Dojo’s published pricing bands alongside your equipment, software, integration and contract requirements.
Read the guidetakepayments Fees and Contract Costs Explained
Understand tailored processing rates, terminal rental and the separate agreements to check in a takepayments proposal.
Read the guideWorldpay Fees and Pricing Explained
Assess a Worldpay quotation or existing statement using card mix, pricing structure, equipment and contract commitments.
Read the guideEpos Now Costs: Hardware, Software and Payments
Look beyond an Epos Now bundle price and calculate the subscription, payment processing, add-ons and setup costs for your business.
Read the guideLightspeed Restaurant Costs Explained
Plan a Lightspeed Restaurant budget around licences, payment processing, kitchen tools, integrations and implementation.
Read the guideCompare named providers
Use the same sales and system requirements to compare providers, with stated assumptions and visible sources.
SumUp vs Square: Fees and Total Cost Compared
Compare SumUp and Square with the same UK card sales, then account for software, hardware and the way your business trades.
Read the guideDojo vs takepayments: Compare the Complete Quotes
Compare Dojo and takepayments using the same sales, equipment, integrations and contract period, with a practical quotation worksheet.
Read the guideEpos Now vs Lightspeed for Restaurants
Compare Epos Now and Lightspeed Restaurant through a complete cost specification and demonstrations based on your service routine.
Read the guideCompare online payment providers
Explore Stripe, PayPal, Shopify Payments and WooPayments. Check dated UK tariffs, payment categories and platform charges, then use the worked examples to compare your own shop costs.
Stripe Fees and Costs for UK Businesses
Understand Stripe’s UK online card rates, the effect of card mix and the extra costs to include before comparing another payment provider.
Read the guidePayPal Business Fees for UK Sellers
Understand PayPal’s different commercial payment categories, optional tiered pricing and the costs to check before changing your checkout.
Read the guideShopify Payments Costs and UK Plan Comparison
Compare Shopify subscription prices and online payment rates together, then work out whether a plan upgrade pays for itself on your eligible sales.
Read the guideWooPayments Fees and UK Online Shop Costs
Understand WooPayments’ UK online card fees, VAT conditions and the hosting, maintenance and plugin costs to include in a WooCommerce budget.
Read the guideStripe vs PayPal: UK Fees and Checkout Costs
Compare a defined Stripe card-payment scenario with PayPal commercial pricing, then weigh the cost difference against checkout suitability and actual customer behaviour.
Read the guideShopify Payments vs a Third-Party Provider: UK Costs
Understand when Shopify adds a third-party transaction fee and compare that combined cost with Shopify Payments on the same store plan.
Read the guideChoose a pricing model
Compare payment plans, complete quotations and the lowest-cost suitable setup for your business.
Pay-as-you-go vs Monthly Contract Card Machines
Find the sales level at which a lower transaction rate pays for a subscription, then check the exceptions.
Read the guideHow to Compare Card Payment Providers and Quotations
Give every supplier the same brief and compare a complete written offer against the way your business trades.
Read the guideCheapest 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.
Read the guideBlended Pricing vs Interchange++: How to Compare
Compare an inclusive card-processing rate with separately itemised interchange, scheme and provider charges using the same trading figures.
Read the guideHow to Compare Two Merchant Services Quotes
Use a practical comparison worksheet to price two payment offers fairly, find missing charges and calculate first-year savings.
Read the guideChoose how to take payments
Compare phones, card readers, EPOS, remote payments and bank collection methods. Explore equipment, deposits, table payments, kiosks, gateways and software connections. Check suitability, complete costs and the difference between cash savings and time saved. Explore equipment and checkout decisions ↓
Tap to Pay vs a Card Machine: Which Costs Less?
Compare accepting contactless payments on your phone with buying or renting a card reader, including equipment, fees and the way you work.
Read the guideDo You Need an EPOS System or Just a Card Reader?
Decide which till, stock, reporting and staff functions you need before paying for a larger payment and EPOS package.
Read the guidePayment Links vs a Virtual Terminal: Costs and Suitability
Compare customer checkout links with staff-entered remote payments, including payment fees, administration and handling of card details.
Read the guidePay by Bank vs Card Payments: Compare Costs and Fit
Understand customer-authorised bank payments, calculate realistic fee differences and check the effect on checkout, refunds and cash flow.
Read the guideDirect Debit vs Recurring Card Payments: Costs and Cash Flow
Compare collection fees, permissions, failed payments and payout timing for memberships, subscriptions and regular customer bills.
Read the guideIntegrated Payments vs a Standalone Card Terminal
Decide whether connecting your card terminal to the till justifies the integration fees, setup work and supplier commitments.
Read the guideCountertop vs Portable vs Mobile Card Machines
Choose a card machine around where customers pay, then compare rental, connectivity, processing and the equipment your business actually needs.
Read the guideDeposits, Pre-authorisations and Upfront Card Payments
Compare collecting a deposit, taking full payment and placing a temporary card hold, including transaction counts, refunds and timing.
Read the guidePay-at-Table Terminals vs QR Payments: Costs and Fit
Compare staff-operated terminals with customer phone checkout, including processing channels, till connections and the practical table-service workflow.
Read the guideSelf-Service Kiosk Costs and Payback for UK Businesses
Build a complete self-ordering kiosk budget and calculate what additional contribution or genuine cost savings would be needed to repay it.
Read the guidePayment Gateway Fees Explained for UK Online Businesses
Understand how gateway, processing and ecommerce platform charges fit together before comparing online payment quotes.
Read the guideEPOS Accounting and Stock Integration Costs
Compare paid connections between your till, bookkeeping and stock systems, including setup, ongoing checks and the value of administration time saved.
Read the guideChoose for your business
Explore the costs, payment methods and working requirements specific to your type of business.
Bookshops, cycle retailers and trade businesses
Bookshop Card Payment & EPOS Costs
Compare bookshop card fees, EPOS software, stock connections, vouchers and event payments. Use the same sales and payment counts to assess complete offers.
Read the guideCycle Shop Card Payment & EPOS Costs
Compare bike shop card fees and EPOS costs across bicycle sales, repairs, deposits and online orders. Separate Cycle to Work certificates from card turnover.
Read the guideWholesale & Export Payment Costs
Compare wholesale and export payment costs across card sales, invoice settlements, bank transfers and currency conversion. Prepare a complete supplier brief.
Read the guideGolf clubs and vending operators
Golf Club Card Payment and EPOS Costs
Compare memberships, green fees, pro-shop and clubhouse payments without double-counting member top-ups.
Read the guideVending Machine Card Payment Costs
Compare readers, cashless payment fees, connectivity and telemetry for quiet machines and busy locations.
Read the guideHospitality and food
Card Payment and EPOS Costs for Cafés
Small baskets, busy queues and quiet periods can change which payment package costs less.
Read the guideCard Payment and EPOS Costs for Restaurants
Compare payments, table service and kitchen operations as one costed system.
Read the guideCard Payment and EPOS Costs for Pubs and Bars
Compare pub and bar payment costs across small drinks orders, food service, tabs, portable devices and quieter trading periods.
Read the guideCard Payment and EPOS Costs for Takeaways
Separate counter payments, direct online orders and delivery-platform costs to compare a takeaway’s complete payment and ordering budget.
Read the guideCard Payment and EPOS Costs for Hotels and Guesthouses
Plan for deposits, overseas cards, room balances, pre-authorisations and the connection between payments and your property system.
Read the guideRetail and online shops
Card Payment and EPOS Costs for Retail Shops
Bring shop-floor payments, stock systems and online selling into one clear comparison.
Read the guidePayment and EPOS Costs for Convenience Stores and Off-Licences
Compare fees on small baskets alongside tills, barcode stock, additional service payments and the cost of keeping the queue moving.
Read the guidePayment Processing Costs for Online Shops
Compare online payment charges alongside order size, ecommerce subscriptions, gateway fees and the cost of returns.
Read the guideServices and growing businesses
Card Payment and EPOS Costs for Salons and Barbers
Compare payment fees, booking software, deposits and staff arrangements for salons, barbers and beauty businesses.
Read the guideCard Payment Costs for Garages and MOT Centres
Compare workshop payment costs using repair invoice values, customer card mix, remote payments and the number of devices you actually need.
Read the guideCard Payment Costs for Tradespeople and Mobile Services
Compare taking card payments on site, sending payment links and collecting deposits without paying for a setup your trade does not need.
Read the guideCard Payment Costs for Professional Services
Compare invoice payments, deposits, payment links and in-person card charges for consultancies, agencies and other service businesses.
Read the guideCard Payment and EPOS Costs for Multiple Sites
Compare group-wide payment costs while keeping per-location software, device charges, card mix and rollout costs visible.
Read the guideEvents and fundraising
Card Payment Costs for Market Traders and Events
Compare seasonal card-payment costs using trading days, quiet months, equipment and the connectivity needed at each pitch.
Read the guideCard Donation Costs for Charities and Community Groups
Budget for contactless donations, event sales, fundraising software and devices while keeping the total amount collected clear.
Read the guideNegotiate, renew or plan a switch
Prepare a negotiation, assess a retention offer and establish exit costs before deciding whether to stay or move.
How to Reduce Card Payment Fees
Build a reliable baseline, challenge avoidable costs and check whether a better offer really leaves you better off.
Read the guideSwitching Card Payment Providers: Costs and Break-even
Know what it costs to leave, what the new offer includes and when the change starts to pay for itself.
Read the guideCan I Change Payment Provider and Keep My EPOS?
Check compatibility, integration costs and contract terms before replacing a working till just to reduce card payment charges.
Read the guideHow to Negotiate Lower Card Processing Fees
Prepare a clear request, compare the complete offer and use a practical email template to negotiate your merchant services costs.
Read the guideShould You Accept Your Payment Provider’s Retention Offer?
Compare a renewal or retention deal with switching, including exit costs, introductory discounts and any new contract commitment.
Read the guideCard Machine Cancellation and Early Termination Costs
Check separate agreements, notice periods, terminal return requirements and the cost of leaving before you switch payment providers.
Read the guideRead, calculate, then decide.
Use the calculator without registration to understand current costs or compare an offer, including equipment, subscriptions and switching charges.
Clear examples. Visible sources.
Support other businesses? Enquire about a referral arrangement with EPOS Savings.
Provider guides distinguish published terms from personalised quotes. Worked examples state their assumptions and use fictional trading profiles. These pages do not claim hands-on testing or a whole-market ranking. Prices and eligibility can change; confirm the written offer before deciding.
Who operates EPOS Savings? · How the calculator works · What a free initial review includes