Zettle by PayPal review: is it the right POS for your small business?

4.4 out of 5

• Price
  5.0
• Help & Support
  3.0
• Till Features
  4.3

Our dedicated team of researchers found Zettle to be a stellar choice for those who are just starting their selling journey – in fact, it’s one of the best value POS systems on the market. The software garnered full marks during our rigorous testing, largely thanks to its excellent till management features and budget-friendly pricing structure.

However, while Zettle shines brightly in one corner of the market, it casts a shadow over another. Our findings revealed that Zettle may not be the ideal choice for online sellers, as its lacklustre business and stock management tools significantly restrict its suitability for more advanced sales requirements.

In this article, we will delve deeper into the reasons behind Zettle’s dual nature, providing you with a detailed analysis of its strengths and weaknesses to help you make an informed choice for your specific business needs.

We’d also highly recommend taking a minute or two to compare costs on POS systems, using our simple tool, below. After answering just a few questions about your business needs, it can help you compare pricing quotes from top suppliers:

Zettle: introduction

Zettle is a renowned financial technology company offering a suite of payment and business management solutions.

It caters to small and medium-sized businesses, providing technology for accepting card payments, tracking sales, and managing inventory easily. Founded in Sweden in 2010, it quickly gained a reputation for its user-friendly, affordable, and innovative tools.

Its primary offerings include point-of-sale (POS) systems, card readers, and payment processing services (it offers one of the best card readers on the market). Zettle was later acquired by PayPal in 2018.

Over the years, we’ve introduced and reviewed Zettle in various ways, including comparisons with other market leaders, as seen in our articles on Zettle vs SumUp and Zettle vs Square, as well as our article on the best free POS software for small businesses.

We strongly recommend Zettle for small businesses. During thorough analysis of the platform, our experts awarded Zettle an overall score of 4.4 out of 5. Its fees are reasonable, with a big value-indicator being Zettle’s seamless integration with existing PayPal accounts – handy if you sell via online marketplaces.

Zettle: pros and cons

We like Zettle because it does not pretend to be more than it is.

As an easy way to start taking payments, it’s a good option for startups and those with low-maintenance POS needs. But there are important features missing that will make it a poor choice for certain businesses. For example, higher transaction fees for payment links make it a poor choice for remote-based companies like telesales.

Some other pros and cons of the software are highlighted below:

Zettle: pricing

In terms of POS equipment, there is the Zettle card reader (£29+VAT) but also a terminal and Zettle stand to consider. One of the best things about Zettle is its transparent pricing, which is why our expert researchers awarded it a total score of 5 out of 5 for this research area.

There are no monthly contracts for its paid products. Instead, the only thing Zettle charges for is card processing fees, which is a positive for many people.

Previously, these were charged on a sliding scale ranging from as high as 2.75% to as low as 1%. They’re now at a competitive rate of 1.75% for chip or contactless transactions.

Virtual payments are where Zettle starts to struggle. Those paying online or by invoice are charged 2.5% – which is considerably higher than rival POS option Square (1.9% for European cards). Direct ecommerce payments also aren’t available.

That means Zettle users running a physical store and taking lots of small payments will get the most value. Online sellers will find Zettle an expensive choice with few payment options.

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Tide Card Reader Plus

Software cost Free

Hardware cost Starting from £29 + VAT

Transaction fees 1.75% for all contactless or card payments

Zettle: taking payments

Zettle has a range of products available to help you start taking payments, and you can use their Zettle Go app to manage them, which is designed to give users greater control over their payments and the ability to accept a transaction using a payment link.

Below, we’ll go into each of these options in detail based on the insights and experience gathered by our expert reviewers:

The Zettle Go app

When it comes to features the Zettle POS app, Zettle Go is fairly basic. The system is designed to give you exactly what you need to get going, without making you pay for a ton of features that you don’t necessarily need.

It’s also incredibly easy to navigate, winning points with our analysts for its simple layout that users don’t need to spend hours mastering.

What is good about Zettle Go?

• You can use it to track and add stock. The app will even flag up when you’re running low on something – handy for those with bespoke handmade products
• Have more than one user, and track how many sales each user makes – great for employing commission-based salespeople
• Keep two eyes on business performance by tracking sales and refunds, and see which of your products sell best
• Sell Zettle gift cards to build brand loyalty. These also help you with cash flow by keeping money in the business
• In 2020, Zettle added QR codes to the app so vendors, particularly cafes or those with a longer customer interaction, can offer a QR code for contactless payments

To make things easier for more specialist salespeople, Zettle also has specific software bundles available for hospitality and retail businesses (if you run a shop, don’t forget to check out our guide to the best POS systems for retail businesses).

You can use these unique packages for more niche requests like forwarding food orders to the kitchen printer.

What is bad about Zettle Go?

Zettle Go does allow you to collect customer information – such as email addresses – but isn’t compatible with CRM software, which is what allows you to manage customer relationships.

The reporting functionality also isn’t the best on the market. Users can check out cash payments, card payments, and invoices, and look back at historic receipts, but that’s about it.

Like Zettle hardware, the app does lack an offline mode; you’ll instead need a data or WiFi connection to process payments. Other brands like Vend, Clover, and Shopify have this option so it’s a weak point for Zettle in what is otherwise a high-performing POS app.

Zettle payment links

Payment links allow customers to make orders from wherever they’re located using a link generated by Zettle’s POS software.

These are a common feature amongst POS options. However, in a world where emails containing spam links are running riot, the trustworthy Zettle by PayPal name helps to reassure customers that its links are fully secure and PCI compliant.

Zettle charges 2.5% for each Payment Link transaction made. This might sound like a lot, but it’s actually fairly average (our top-rated platform, Square, charges the same amount).

Zettle: features

We analysed and rated Zettle’s POS features across three key categories – till management, stock management, and business management. This is what we found.

Zettle’s till management features

Our score: 4.3 out of 5

We gave Zettle a high till management score due to its huge range of till systems that can suit virtually every type of business. In fact, this is the only category where Zettle beats our top-rated POS, Square.

In terms of reporting, you’ll be able to get a breakdown of sales by product/category, as well as the top-selling products. This data can then be used to drive greater sales.

Zettle’s stock management features

Here, Zettle scores a disappointing 3.3 out of 5 to come ninth overall in our ranking. Inventory management is available but more advanced functions, like being able to order stock directly from the app are missing.

That puts Zettle far behind Lightspeed, our top-ranked option for stock features. Lightspeed’s advanced tools even provide an inventory warning if a product remains on the shelf for too long.

Zettle’s business management features

In the realm of point-of-sale solutions, Zettle, unfortunately, doesn’t offer much to boast about, scoring just 3 out of 5. While it does allow for certain management functions, such as staff hour monitoring, the trade-off for its smaller price tag becomes evident. Zettle’s affordability comes at the cost of valuable tools that many business owners find essential, including the ability to track staff performance, a feature readily available on pricier platforms like Vend. (Vend was included in our article on the best free POS software however, as it has a great free trial.)

Zettle: integrations

Zettle offers a versatile software ecosystem that seamlessly integrates with various business applications, setting it apart from competitors like Square and Epos Now. One of its key strengths lies in its compatibility with a wide range of third-party apps, enabling businesses to tailor their operations to their specific needs. From accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero to e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and WooCommerce, Zettle provides flexibility and adaptability that many businesses find invaluable.

In comparison, Square offers a competitive software suite but is not as extensive in terms of integration options. While Square’s software is user-friendly and feature-rich, it may not cater to all the diverse needs of businesses requiring specialised solutions.

On the other hand, Epos Now primarily focuses on comprehensive EPOS (Electronic Point of Sale) solutions, which can be a better fit for specific industries like retail and hospitality. However, it lacks the extensive app integration options that Zettle provides, such as inventory management and online ordering.

Ultimately, the choice between these providers depends on a business’s unique requirements. Zettle’s broad integration capabilities make it a strong contender for businesses seeking a customisable and adaptable POS solution.

Zettle: customer reviews

To calculate Zettle’s customer score, our researchers looked at three key areas of investigation: support options, online reviews, and user testing.

We examined Zettle’s average rating across trusted review sites including Trustpilot and Capterra. Across these platforms, Zettle scores a near-perfect 4.7 out of 5.

Our users were less impressed, however. We gave Zettle an overall score of just 3 out of 5 for customer satisfaction.

This is mostly due to its thin library of features which makes it unsuitable for a wide range of businesses. Stock management, as an example, is near non-existent, which means the app requires tailoring with a lot of third-party add-ons to carry out basic POS functions.

Zettle’s help and support provision

Given the significant impact that not being able to take payments has on a business, it’s crucial that any issues encountered are swiftly fixed to keep your sales volume consistent.

In terms of support, Zettle provides users with four resources to get help from:

• Live chat
• Phone support
• Email
• Online knowledge base

This is a considerable improvement over well-known competitors like SumUp, which does not provide live chat. (See: Sumup vs Zettle)

Zettle: POS alternatives

There are plenty of Zettle alternatives – the most notable being Square, which offers the Square card reader at the same transaction fee, and stylish POS equipment. We’ve provided you with a few other options, too – just in case.

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Lightspeed	Clover	Epos Now	Vend
Pricing from £59 per month for the Lightspeed Restaurants Starter plan	Pricing from Contact Clover for prices	Pricing from Hardware: From £225 Monthly subscriptions: From £25 per month	Pricing from £69 per month

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Amongst the above, Zettle stands out as a provider that has prioritised the small business customer in its design.

Its hardware is deliberately compact for users that are short on space or need to take payments on-the-go. Meanwhile, zero monthly fees and quick setup make Zettle perfect for time-stretched startups wanting to get up and running.

In what is quite a significant flaw for today’s sellers, who are increasingly based online, Zettle should not be used by strictly-ecommerce businesses.

Those that simply flog a few products online won’t find its shortcomings too restrictive. But with buyers only able to pay through a Zettle payment link, online stores are better off choosing our analysts’ top-rated option, Square.

Get matched to the top POS provider on the market with our 🔍specially-designed quote comparison tool. It’s completely free and takes your unique business requirements into consideration.

Our methodology

Over a month-long period, we dedicated our entire research team to finding out which POS system best suits the needs of a small business retailer.

We selected six key research areas based on over twenty years of hearing SME pain points and challenges when it comes to taking payments. We have then used these findings to produce the above accurate and up-to-date review of Zettle.

Pricing is one of the most important considerations for SMEs. However, cheaper does not always mean more cost-efficient. We looked at cost, but also the hidden fees, number of available integrations, and the number of channels you can sell through using Zettle.

Ease of use is another important factor for small business owners, who can’t lean on an in-house tech team or IT support in the event of an issue. We also looked at the support lines available for expert advice and guidance in the event of a fault.

Security always needs to be mentioned when you’re discussing finance. We also looked at Zettle’s PCI-compliance and data storage to ensure that small business users can build trust with their customers.

Finally, we looked at the business, till, and management features available with Zettle. These can make or break a platform’s suitability for a business. For example, if salespeople work on commission, the POS platform needs to be able to produce individual sales reports.

Zettle: verdict

There are few who’ll be disappointed with Zettle. It’s designed to cater to three of the biggest POS concerns amongst SME owners, scoring well for pricing, ease-of-use, and security.

For a no-fuss card reader with a solid app for total control over transactions, we recommend Zettle.

Still, we don’t rate Zettle highly for those who are selling online. Despite some advancements in the past few years, such as adding QR codes as a payment option, it still lags behind rivals like Square in this regard.

If you’re not convinced by Zettle, don’t worry. You can still find the right choice POS for your business via our 🔍online comparison tool. Tell us some basic details about your rim and we’ll recommend a POS provider based on your business’s specific and unique traits.