SumUp vs Zettle: Which is better for taking payments?

Based on results from our impartial team of researchers, we can declare that SumUp is the winner between SumUp and Zettle when it comes to the best free POS system. Tempting as it is to go for the cheapest option, there are more factors to consider than how much your POS system costs. Our research showed that, while SumUp is pricier than Zettle, it comes with more advanced tools and features – giving it the edge.

We put Zettle’s POS head to head with SumUp’s POS Pro. It was a close-run race, and both have strengths and weaknesses you’ll need to know about before choosing one.

We’ll take you through a round-by-round breakdown in the areas that are most crucial to a successful retail or hospitality business.

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OVERALL WINNER
Provider SumUp	Provider Zettle
Score for retail businesses 4.5	Score for retail businesses 4.0
Score for food and beverage businesses 4.2	Score for food and beverage businesses 3.6
Top highlight Speed and efficiency at an affordable price point	Top highlight Great for managing sales on the go
Transaction fee 1.69%	Transaction fee 1.75%
Monthly subscription price from Free	Monthly subscription price from Free
Card machine price from £34 + VAT	Card machine price from £49 + VAT
Payout time One to three business days (barring Saturdays and Sundays), or next day payouts with Payments Plus	Payout time One to two business days
Pros Great range of hardware and accessories Built-in digital gift card functionality Seamless mobile experience Bulk upload inventory	Pros User friendly and simple Completely free iPad-based POS software Solid range of accessories Can create bespoke gift cards
Cons POS Pro is expensive Can’t create physical gift cards Doesn’t offer a handheld POS system Limited table reservation system	Cons Unreliable offline functionality Lacks some more advanced tools and features No kitchen display screen No countertop POS terminal
Compare Quotes	Compare Quotes

Which is cheaper?

When we tested the portable SumUp Air card reader we were impressed with the entire process, from beginning to end. Source: Startups.co.uk

Zettle’s pricing is straightforward and simple. It charges a flat 1.75% transaction fee, which might seem about average, but is actually a great deal considering you’re getting it on Zettle’s free plan – which we ranked as one of the best free POS software packages. At £29 plus VAT, Zettle’s basic card reader is also slightly cheaper than SumUp’s, which is £34 plus VAT, so for those who need to get set up on a budget and don’t want to be locked down into a contract, Zettle is a fantastic option.

Like Zettle, SumUp also offers a free software plan. SumUp’s transaction fee of 1.69% for in-person payments is cheaper than Zettle’s 1.75%, but if you opt to pay an extra £19 per month for SumUp One, you’ll be charged rock bottom 0.99% transaction fees instead.

Want flexibility? SumUp provides multiple tiers, which include packages of more advanced software and hardware. However, SumUp’s free POS plan will get you access to basic capabilities, such as taking card and digital payments, tracking your sales, creating invoices, and managing tips. However, to access SumUp’s more extensive range of features, you’ll need to get POS Pro (the version of SumUp’s system that we tested).

The monthly fee and one time hardware cost (starting from £754.80) are expensive. There are also additional costs for certain features, including stock and ingredient management, so new starters need to bear this in mind.

It does provide a dedicated countertop option: the POS Lite (comprised of a 13″ tablet and a stand), which comes pre-installed with the free version of the software, and comes bundled with the Solo card reader. But this is a pretty hefty £349 upfront, whereas Zettle’s cheapest terminal is £149.

Which is easier to use?

In our testing we liked the small Zettle Reader 2, and how easily it paired with our PayPal account. Source: Startups.co.uk

Zettle’s back office is easier to use than its front end, where we experienced a few minor niggles – it was a little difficult to apply discounts and add new customers to an order. While our users did experience a few crashes and bugs, overall, we appreciated Zettle’s simplicity. The intuitive system would be a good fit for pop-ups or businesses on the move, like food trucks.

The ordering page on Zettle’s POS. Source: Startups.co.uk

It was a similar story with SumUp, with our users finding the front end slightly trickier to navigate than the back end. Tasks like accessing reports and syncing stock were nice and simple, but our testers noted some difficulty when trying to apply discounts or create modifiers.

However, our users reported more significant confusion when when they tested SumUp’s hospitality POS system features, specifically when trying to add customers to orders and split bills. We also found that the front end didn’t always synchronise perfectly with the changes we made in the back end.

Despite this, we found SumUp to be a competent system overall, and our users liked that it was straightforward to use and responsive, making it a good fit for cafes and coffee shops that prioritise speed and efficiency.

The ordering page on SumUp’s POS. Source: Startups.co.uk

It was a close call between the two platforms, as neither is the most user friendly system we’ve tested (Square is the most user friendly POS platform for retail businesses, while we recommend TouchBistro as the easiest system for restaurants). However, the simplicity of Zettle’s interface just put it past the post for us.

What can SumUp and Zettle’s software do?

 We were impressed that the SumUp Air was fully charged and taking payments in under an hour. Source: Startups.co.uk

SumUp POS Pro’s employee management and inventory tools are ideal for both retail and hospitality businesses, especially combined with its multi-store support options. It also enables you to set up and customise mobile and QR code ordering, which could be essential for businesses that need a takeaway POS system, or events based companies.

SumUp’s built-in gift digital card functionality is pretty handy too (sadly, though, it doesn’t enable physical gift card payments), and most recently SumUp has launched SumUp Bookings. This feature allows you to streamline scheduling with tools like automatic appointment confirmations, the ability to add customer notes, and a free website you can use to display your services.

The table plan on SumUp’s POS. Source: Startups.co.uk

During our testing, we particularly appreciated:

• SumUp’s personalised loyalty programme that helps you drive repeat business (though this is a paid extra)
• The ingredient tracking option
• The customisable kitchen display interface (subject to a monthly cost)
• Its built-in email marketing

Zettle offers some solid software as well, impressing us with how quick it is to add products and apply discounts. However, we did find it lacked the more advanced tools needed by bigger retail stores. While our users felt that it could manage a basic inventory well, managing a complex inventory might prove trickier.

Screenshot of the inventory page of Zettle’s POS. Source: Startups.co.uk

A lack of in-depth cost vs profit management tools would also be an issue for larger scale businesses. The lack of built-in floor planning functionality will also rule it out for some restaurateurs.

That said, we did appreciate:

• The customisable gift card features, including the option to sell and accept physical gift cards
• Zettle’s customer loyalty programme, which is included as a free add-on

If you run a small business and only have a handful of items to sell, Zettle’s free software is still a very strong option for you. But it’s the more advanced tools provided by SumUp Pro that seal the deal for us this round.

How does their point of sale hardware compare?

We liked how quickly it was to setup the SumUp Air and connect it to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Source: Startups.co.uk

Zettle provides the small, light Zettle Reader 2 card machine, and the Zettle Terminal. This is a handheld, touch screen POS terminal and card machine. The POS software can be used on an iPad – Zettle was one of our top choices for an iPad-based POS. Zettle also provides a selection of’ ‘ready-made’ store kits that combine different hardware and accessories.

We particularly liked the haptic buttons on the Zettle Reader 2, which gave us great touch feedback when inputting a price. Source: Startups.co.uk

With SumUp’s POS Pro, you can choose one of its card readers – either the SumUp Air or Solo – which then connects to an iPad (which can be displayed on a stand to create a countertop terminal). You’ll also have the option to add on a separate kitchen display (a Lenovo 10” tablet). However, SumUp doesn’t offer an all-in-one handheld device like the Zettle Terminal, which is very handy to use.

You do also have the option of the POS Lite countertop terminal (comprised of a tablet and stand), which comes pre-installed with the free SumUp POS software. The POS Lite has a 13” HD screen, which SumUp claims is ‘splashproof’, and so good for those hectic happy hours at the bar. The POS Lite works by connecting to a card reader, so it’s handy that you get the Solo card reader for free when you pay for the POS Lite.

Interestingly, SumUp also provides a self-service kiosk, created specifically for the hospitality industry. Ideal for fully equipping POS systems for bars, as well as fast service restaurants, these are designed to be used by the customer alone to place and pay for their orders.

What is their user support like?

SumUp’s help and support page. Source: Startups.co.uk

Both SumUp and Zettle offer a wide range of user support channels – including phone lines, email, live chat, in-platform support, and video tutorials – though, unlike SumUp, Zettle also provides support on social media.

Zettle’s help and support page. Source: Startups.co.uk

This might have given Zettle the edge over SumUp, but when putting their knowledge centres through their paces during our testing for the food and beverage sector, we felt that SumUp’s provided more extensive information. It was a close call this time, so we’re willing to call this one about even!

SumUp vs Zettle: the overall verdict

The handy SumUp Air came out positively in our testing, but we also appreciated that we could take payment directly from an iPhone if needed. Source: Startups.co.uk

This was a close call, as both providers were often neck and neck, with comparable pros and cons.

It may have been a photo finish, but ultimately we feel that SumUp’s POS Pro, while more expensive, will offer more bang for your buck if you’re a small to medium sized retail business, or if you’re running a cafe or small restaurant.

Zettle is still a very strong low-cost option, though. Zettle’s iPad-based free plan is great for ventures with smaller budgets, such as mobile businesses and pop-ups, as you can get started for very little investment.

Read more: The best POS systems for small businesses

Methodology: how we put SumUp and Zettle to the test

In our latest round of POS evaluations, our dedicated research team tested a total of 15 systems including SumUp and Zettle, conducting 40 user testing sessions – amounting to a total of 1,200 hours – in order to fully understand each system.

In order to put Zettle and SumUp head to head, we compared them on five categories we determined as the most important for a successful POS system:

• Price
• Hardware
• Software
• Help and support
• Usability

As POS systems are needed across different industries, we determined two different testing groups for SumUp and Zettle: one specifically for their retail features, and one for the features that serve the food and beverage industry. We were then able to cover the most important results from each group in this article, so that we can help you make a choice, whichever industry you’re in.