SumUp Review: is it the right choice for your small business?

SumUp is a popular payment processing solution among SMEs, as you can get it up and running quickly and with almost no overheads – plus it’s one of the best free POS systems.

In May 2025, we researched and reviewed 11 of the top POS platforms, including SumUp, testing them across six categories with a total of 37 subcategories. In this article, we dive deep into the SumUp specifics – what it does right, its disadvantages, and the types of businesses it will work best for.

Whether you choose SumUp or a competitor, the most important factor is choosing a payment service that makes sense for the needs and scale of your business. Getting stung by transaction fees that really kick into gear as your business grows is no fun when you’re already locked into a long contract, for example.

What is SumUp?

Founded on the belief that accepting card payments should be accessible and hassle-free, SumUp offers a range of card readers tailored to various needs. The company’s approach is characterised by user-friendly technology, evident in products like the SumUp Air, Solo, and SumUp Terminal, each designed to streamline payment processes.

SumUp not only provides easy-to-use card machines, but also offers an extensive iPad-based Point of Sale (POS) software. This comprehensive software allows businesses to manage transactions, monitor inventory, and generate detailed sales reports directly from their iPads.

SumUp’s commitment to transparency is reflected in its pricing model, with a one-off fee structure that eliminates the complex contractual arrangements sometimes associated with payment processing.

It’s quick and easy to start taking payments with SumUp, you just need to connect to the app via Bluetooth. Source: Startups.co.uk

SumUp POS review

SumUp primarily operates its point-of-sale system through its dedicated app, providing users with a seamless and user-friendly platform for managing transactions and payments. There are easy-to-follow instructions on its website, which explain how to set up your POS system in four simple steps:

• Download the SumUp app onto your chosen device
• Input your business details
• Input your personal details
• Input your bank details

SumUp’s Point of Sale (POS) system offers an all-encompassing platform for monitoring sales, creating valuable reports, and improving overall efficiency. SumUp’s system is for businesses of all kinds – from POS for retail and POS for restaurants, to POS for bars and pubs – all in search of a contemporary, flexible, and uncomplicated method for handling payment transactions.

In our testing, we found SumUp’s simple POS  interface was easy to use. Source: Startups.co.uk

SumUp POS

We ranked SumUp at number four in our roundup of the best POS systems for small businesses, but let’s take a quick look at its core features:

The POS software

The ability to bulk upload inventory, and the option to create stock alerts, stood out as particular highlights. Since our last testing (in 2024) we were also pleased to see that SumUp has added a “park order” function to its POS system, which is a helpful addition for staff.

We liked that it lets users create detailed reports on everything from sales and profits to wastage and refunds. In 2026, wastage reports are a critical defense against rapidly rising ingredient costs.

However, we did find that the back-office could be slow to load, which might be an issue for some more complex businesses. You also can’t create physical gift cards with SumUp, so if this is important to your business, we’d recommend taking a look at Square instead.

The POS terminal

When we tested out the SumUp POS Lite terminal for ourselves, we were left impressed by how sleek it was. It was lightweight, while still feeling like a professional piece of kit.

How easy is SumUp to use?

Simplicity is one of the key strengths of SumUp, as we found that the straightforward interface was highly intuitive. We found both the front-end and back office of the POS software equally simple to use. It was very fast and easy to record a sale using SumUp, which will make your onboarding and staff training all the easier.

What help and support does SumUp provide? 

SumUp provides user support through phone, email, live chat and knowledge centre (which we were reasonably impressed with during our testing). SumUp’s phone support is available from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. Though you can upgrade to 24/7 priority support on the Plus tier.

Read next: SumUp vs Zettle.

What hardware does SumUp offer?

In 2026, SumUp provides an excellent range of hardware, from POS terminals to handheld card readers:

SumUp POS Lite: £290 + VAT

SumUp’s Point Of Sale Lite, which comes bundled with a Solo card reader. Source: sumup.com 

The SumUp POS Lite is a 13″ touchscreen tablet, that comes with a stand, pre-installed POS software, and the Solo card reader. You also have the option to pay for a printer, and a cash drawer if you need them.

For retail businesses, SumUp provides the ‘Retail POS Kit’ which includes the POS Lite kit plus a barcode scanner, printer, and a cash drawer for £539 + VAT. While it can be appealing to have all the kit ready to go in one bundle, just remember upfront costs are a huge barrier for retailers in 2026. Make an assessment of what hardware is a must-have, and what you can do without.

In addition to the POS Lite, SumUp also provides:

SumUp Air: from £14.99 + VAT

SumUp Solo Lite: £25 + VAT (currently on sale for £19 + VAT)

SumUp Solo: £79 + VAT

SumUp Terminal:  £135 + VAT

SumUp’s pricing

SumUp’s pricing model is refreshingly straightforward. Unlike traditional credit card machines that often involve long-term contracts and substantial monthly fixed costs, SumUp’s portable card machines follow a one-off fee structure. Once you’ve acquired your chosen card reader, the only additional cost is a fixed fee per transaction.

This transparent approach aligns with the evolving needs of businesses, offering financial flexibility without compromising on functionality.

If you’re looking for a more advanced POS system, there’s the SumUp Point of Sale Pro (starting at £49 per month), but just note this includes a hefty upfront hardware cost (starting from £754.80 + VAT). The Pro version offers advanced features suitable for larger enterprises, including inventory management, detailed sales reporting, and employee management tools.

On the other hand, SumUp Point of Sale Lite provides essential functionalities for smaller businesses, focusing on simplicity and ease of use. Both versions seamlessly integrate with SumUp card readers, ensuring secure and efficient transactions.

Does SumUp have a free plan?

When it comes to POS software however, you can’t beat free – and yes, SumUp does have a free option if you’d like to get started right away. In the current economic climate where many businesses are facing a ‘profitability squeeze’, the free plan is a considerable bonus. 

SumUp’s customer reviews

Takeaway coffee store owner Jerry talked us through how he uses his SumUp reader. Source: Startups.co.uk

After analysing major online review sites and interviewing real-life SumUp users, our team of expert researchers found it to be a popular, trustworthy brand – best-known for its ease of use and compact, minimalist Air card reader.

We gathered some exclusive insights on SumUp in our journey out into the Greater London community. On our search for the SumUp card reader out in the wild, we found it at “Jerry’s” in Angel, where we spoke with the owner who says he had used the product for the last eight months.

Happy customers 😄

When asked about issues, Jerry mentioned that they are “quite rare” but when they do happen, customer service communicates well. Issues are dealt with quickly, not interrupting the service for too long. “It’s not too difficult to communicate with a human being either,” he added, “which is quite nice.”

He noted that it is easy to use, as “the customer gets a screen to look at, and I get a screen to look at” since it runs through his iPad, making the experience faster and better for everyone.

Not-so-happy customers 😓

SumUp’s poor customer support has created some dissatisfaction amongst some other customers, however.

One customer, John Rothwell, said: “I have had a good experience of using SumUp over the last few years. The money goes in easily, and pays out next working day usually unless a weekend or bank holiday. I have found it useful to have two phones/ipad etc as sometimes I may not get a good signal with one internet provider.” (sic) (Source)

The platform does not provide much in the way of email support, and is the only mobile provider out of all the ones we assess and review with no live chat function. Online users have reasonably complained about not being able to get assistance during business hours.

A SumUp reader we observed in action at Jerry’s mobile coffee shop in London. Source: Startups.co.uk

Alternatives to SumUp

Zettle and Square are two of SumUp’s main competitors, with Square being our all-round number one POS system, thanks to its excellent usability. 

However, the takepaymentsplus is still our number one recommended card reader in 2026, thanks to the bespoke transaction fees, fast next-business-day payouts, and the ergonomically designed PDQ machine. It’s also our number one recommendation for a payment gateway and the best merchant service provider.

The other option is to choose a payment processor that’s attached to a bank, such as Smartpay Anywhere (from Barclaycard). However, these arrangements are better suited to businesses that take a higher number of sales – whereas SumUp specialises in the low-maintenance space of pop-up vendors or independent shops.

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		Rating	Best for	Overall Score Based on our in-depth research and user testing	Pricing from
BEST OVERALL
Square	Shopify	Clover	Toast	Lightspeed	takepayments	Epos Now
4.8	4.7	4.4	4.0	4.0	3.8	3.6
Best all-round POS system	Combining in-store and online sales	Top class POS terminals and accessories for expanding businesses	Established restaurants with busy kitchens	First class loyalty features to encourage repeat customers	Seamlessly combining your POS with a merchant account	Best for restaurants and shops with large, complex inventories
4.7	4.4	4.3	4.1	Not yet rated	Not yet rated	4.2
Hardware: from £149 + VAT Software from: free	Hardware: From £239 Software: from £25 per month Currently £1 per month for the first three months on select plans	Hardware: from £450 + VAT Software: Currently from £9.99/month (18-month contract)	Hardware: quote-based Software: from £80 per month	Hardware: quote-based Software: from £69 per month	Hardware: from £45 per month (£250 setup fee) Software: included in hardware cost	Hardware: from £249 Monthly subscriptions: from £25 per month
Try Square	Try Shopify	Get Quotes	Get Quotes	Try Lightspeed	Get Quotes	Get Quotes

Our methodology

Our dedicated team of in-house researchers combine industry research with actual hands-on user testing. We carried out two separate rounds of testing, one for card readers, and another specifically focused on POS systems.

SumUp’s card machines: We tested and evaluated 18 top card machines, including SumUp, on the key factors most relevant for SMEs, which included 22.5 hours of hands-on user testing.

SumUp’s POS system: We conducted an entirely separate round of research (amounting to 40 user testing sessions), testing and evaluating a range of POS systems, including SumUp. We also assessed online reviews and combined this with our own user testing to create a customer score for each system, reflecting how likely users are to recommend it to others.

SumUp: Verdict

We’d recommend SumUp to independent sellers that are less than three years old, with small till areas and a desire to focus on growing areas of their business. Furthermore, SumUp is a good choice for those businesses that need a singular and discreet payment solution that can be used in smaller, predominantly offline settings such as street food vendors or salons.

It’s not ideal for scaling firms however, as its expensive hardware pricing can quickly become unaffordable. However, if you just need a simple, low-cost payments solution, then SumUp does the basics well.