Which Is Better for Small UK Businesses?
The main question is how much you take in a typical month, and how steady it is.
Below about £5,000 a month, Square wins on simplicity and cost. One flat 1.75%, no monthly fee, and nothing to pay in a quiet stretch.
That matters most in a thin month. Take under £2,500 in January and Teya still adds a £29.99 charge on top of the terminal rental, whether you sold much or not. Square charges you nothing to sit idle.
Above £5,000 to £10,000 in steady takings, the picture flips. A negotiated Teya rate near 1.0% to 1.29% earns back the rental and more. We ran the numbers at the boundaries before saying so.
Square vs Teya Fees and Charges
Card Transaction Fees
Square charges 1.75% on every in-person card, Amex included, with no premium for premium cards. What you see is what you pay.
Online it is 1.4% + 25p. A keyed or invoiced payment is 2.5%.
Teya’s 1.59% looks lower until you read the conditions. It holds while you turn over under £7,500 a month, then moves to a custom rate, and Amex sits on a separate, higher tariff.
An Amex-heavy till narrows that gap fast. We took both rates straight from the providers’ own pages, not an aggregator.
Monthly, Setup and Contract Costs
Square has no monthly fee on its base plan, and a £19 reader you own outright. Stop trading for a month and you owe nothing.
Teya runs on terminal rental from £14.99 a month. On top of that sits the £29.99 charge in any month you dip under £2,500.
Treat the rental as a fixed cost you carry through every slow week, because that is what it is.
Other Fees to Watch
Teya takes 0.10% when you settle to a bank that isn’t a Teya account. It is small, but it is pointed: a nudge to keep your money inside Teya’s own ecosystem.
Square’s sting is the instant payout. Next business day is free; want the cash in minutes and you pay 1.5% of the transfer.
Neither charges you to set up or to walk away. We flag the 0.10% because it is the kind of line that hides in the terms.
Fee Verdict: Who Costs Less
Below £5,000 a month, Square almost always costs less once Teya’s rental and low-turnover fee are in the sum. The flat rate is higher per tap, but it carries no dead weight.
Above it, a negotiated Teya rate wins, and keeps winning as you grow.
We would work out your real monthly volume before trusting either headline. That one number is the decision.
Square vs Teya Payment Methods and Checkout Options
Cards, Wallets and Alternative Payment Methods
Over the counter the two are level: chip and PIN, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay. Your customer won’t know or care which terminal you hold.
The split is Amex. Square takes it at the standard rate. Teya puts Amex on a separate, dearer one, so a customer paying on a corporate card costs you more through Teya.
Checkout Experience
Square hands you a hosted checkout, a free online store, and payment links you can text to a customer while they are still standing there.
Teya does payment links, but there is no shopfront. Anything you sell online has to live somewhere else.
Methods Verdict
In person, it is a draw.
The moment you want to sell online, or fire off a payment link as routine, Square is the fuller tool. Teya starts to feel like an in-store-only product.
Square vs Teya Hardware, POS and In-Person Payments
Card Readers and Terminals
Square sells the £19 Reader for phone-paired payments, a £149 Terminal with a printer, and a £99 Stand for an iPad till. You own whatever you buy.
Teya leads with the Solo, an Android 4G terminal that stands on its own without a paired phone, on rental from £14.99 a month. Good kit, but you are renting it, not keeping it.
POS Software and Hardware Add-ons
Square’s free app runs inventory, staff, takings and a customer list, and grows into a full retail or restaurant till. Thrown in for nothing, it is the strongest part of the offer.
Teya’s own software is thinner on reporting, though it plugs into 50-plus ePOS systems if you already run one. Want a till out of the box, and Square gives you more.
In-Person Verdict
For a counter that wants a cheap reader and a free till, Square wins.
For a busy site that wants one rugged 4G terminal and a rate it can haggle down, Teya’s hardware-led model fits. Match the kit to your takings, not the brochure.
Square vs Teya Online Payments and Integrations
Hosted Checkout, Payment Links and APIs
Square gives you a hosted checkout, payment links and a documented API a developer can wire into your own site.
Teya offers payment links and little more, with no public API to build on.
Platform Integrations
Square drops straight into WooCommerce, Wix, Xero and QuickBooks, so your sales and your books stay in step.
Teya talks to ePOS hardware, but has no native e-commerce hook. You feel that the day you start selling online.
Online Verdict
If any part of your trade happens on a website, Square is the clear call.
Teya is built for the till, not the browser. Stretch it across both and you get gaps you only notice at month-end.
Square vs Teya Payouts, Contract Terms and Account Risk
Settlement Speed and Payout Schedule
Square pays out next business day for free, or in minutes for 1.5%.
Teya also settles next day, and it pays seven days a week. So a Saturday’s takings don’t sit waiting for Monday, which helps a weekend-heavy cafe or market stall.
Contract Length and Exit Terms
Neither ties you down on standard terms. Both run month to month with no exit fee.
Read the small print on any Teya hardware-rental plan, mind, because the device deal can run on its own clock.
Reserves, Holds and Account Stability
Here is the part both sides would rather you skimmed.
When a fraud algorithm sees a sudden spike or a big one-off sale, it can freeze your money while it asks for invoices or proof of delivery.
Square holds can run to 30 days. Teya reviews describe funds sat on for weeks. If your business can’t ride out a freeze, we would keep a buffer, and never push every penny through a single processor.
Square vs Teya Customer Reviews and Reputation
Trustpilot and Independent Review Themes
Square holds 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot across 3,600-plus reviews. Teya sits around 4.2.
Both get praised for quick onboarding and reliable payouts. And both draw the same complaint: money held by an automated check, and a slog to reach a human who can release it. We read the recent reviews, not just the headline score.
Support Channels and Response Times
Teya leans on UK-based phone support, and reviewers rate it for everyday questions.
Square’s help is fine for setup, but wears thin when a hold needs a person and it needs them now.
Reputation Verdict
It is close, with a slight nod to Teya for UK phone support.
Treat both as dependable for daily takings, and risky for the one-off large payment you can’t afford to see frozen.
Square vs Teya for International Payments
Serving tourists at the counter? Square takes non-UK cards at a 1.5% surcharge, so 3.25% in person, and pays out only in pounds.
That is fine for the odd overseas customer, useless for genuine multi-currency trade.
Teya is built for UK-domestic acquiring, so neither is a real cross-border tool. If you invoice in euros or dollars with any regularity, reach for a multi-currency specialist like Airwallex rather than bending either of these to fit.
Downsides of Square and Teya
Downsides of Square
Square’s flat 1.75% turns expensive once you hit real volume. Its automated holds can park funds for 30 days. And it settles only in pounds. Outgrow it and you feel all three.
Downsides of Teya
Teya charges £29.99 on a sub-£2,500 month, and clips 0.10% to pay yourself into a non-Teya bank. There is no shopfront. Reporting is basic, and the best rate is hidden behind a negotiation rather than printed on the page.
Alternatives to Square and Teya
Already bank with Tide? Its card reader drops to 0.79% + 3p on the Sell In-Person plan, cheaper than both once you are taking decent in-person volume.
For the lowest flat rate with no monthly fee, SumUp and Lopay are worth a look.
For genuine multi-currency, Airwallex settles in the currency you were paid, rather than forcing everything back to pounds.
Final Verdict: Square or Teya?
Choose Square if you want one predictable rate, a free till, real online selling and nothing to sign. For most small UK businesses that is the lower-risk, lower-fuss call, and the one we would make.
Choose Teya once you reliably clear £5,000 or more a month in person, and can hold a negotiated rate under 1.75%. At that volume the rental pays for itself, and the seven-day payouts help.
Below that line, Square is cheaper and simpler.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Square or Teya cheaper for a small business?
Below roughly £5,000 a month in card takings, Square is usually cheaper because it has no monthly fee and no low-turnover charge. Teya’s 1.59% looks lower than Square’s 1.75%, but its terminal rental and the £29.99 fee on months under £2,500 turnover often cancel that out. Above £5,000 to £10,000 a month, a negotiated Teya rate wins.
Does Teya really charge a fee on quiet months?
Yes. Teya applies a £29.99 charge in any month your card turnover falls below £2,500, on top of any terminal rental. Square has no such fee, which is why it suits seasonal or low-volume businesses better.
Do Square and Teya accept American Express?
Both accept Amex. Square processes it at the same 1.75% as Visa and Mastercard with no premium. Teya accepts Amex but on a separate, higher rate, so an Amex-heavy customer base narrows Teya’s pricing advantage.
Can I sell online with Square or Teya?
Square gives you a free online store, hosted checkout, payment links and an e-commerce API, plus integrations with WooCommerce, Wix, Xero and QuickBooks. Teya offers payment links but no native online store, so Square is the clear choice if you sell on the web.
How fast do Square and Teya pay out?
Square pays to your bank the next business day for free, or within minutes for a 1.5% instant-transfer fee. Teya also pays next day and settles seven days a week, so weekend takings reach you sooner.
How we compared Square and Teya
Ranking criteria. We compared Square and Teya on transaction fees, monthly and hardware costs, payment methods, payouts, contract terms and account risk, weighted by what matters to a small UK business taking card payments.
Data sources. Every figure was checked directly against squareup.com/gb and teya.com/gb on 3 June 2026, with the FCA register used to confirm regulatory status. No comparison-site data, no press releases, no affiliate material.
Update cadence. We re-verify this page at least monthly and whenever either provider changes pricing or terms. The verification date reflects the most recent full review. Some links on this page are affiliate links, see our editorial policy.