Which Is Better for Sole Traders?
The main question is how patient your cash flow can be.
Lopay is the cheapest reader here, as long as you can wait. On its Essential tier the rate is 0.79%, but the money only lands once a week, on a Thursday.
We ran the numbers at £4,000 of monthly takings: Lopay near £31.60, SumUp near £67.60. For a market trader taking mostly debit, that saving is hard to ignore.
But the low rate holds only on plain UK cards and weekly payouts. Take Amex often, need the money sooner, or want proper software, and SumUp is the steadier all-rounder.
SumUp vs Lopay Fees and Charges
Card Transaction Fees
SumUp charges one flat rate in person: 1.69%, with Amex included at no extra. On the £19 a month plan, that drops to 0.99%.
Lopay starts lower, at 0.79%, but the rate is tied to how fast you want paying. It rises to 0.99% for next-day money and 1.79% for instant.
Then come the surcharges. Lopay adds 1% each for Amex, international and commercial cards, and they stack. A tourist paying on an overseas Amex is suddenly your dearest customer.
The catch runs deeper for tourist-facing trades. We verified against Lopay’s own pricing terms that on top of the 1% international surcharge, it adds a 2% charge on any payment settled in a currency other than pounds.
Those stack, so an overseas card can cost several points over the headline. We would steer a tourist-heavy trade away from Lopay on that alone. Details last checked: 2026-07-01 (source: lopay.com/pricing).
We took both rates from the providers’ own pages, not a comparison site.
Monthly, Setup and Contract Costs
Neither charges a monthly fee on its entry tier, and neither ties you to a contract.
SumUp’s optional plan is £19 a month, which buys the lower 0.99% rate. Lopay keeps its software free on every tier.
Hardware is cheap on both sides: free Tap to Pay on a phone, a SumUp Air around £29, or a Lopay reader from £35. Setup cost is not what decides this.
Other Fees to Watch
SumUp charges 2.50% on online payments, links and invoices, whatever plan you are on. That is steep.
Lopay’s payment links work out around 1.28%, so a business that sells mostly by link pays far less with Lopay.
Watch Lopay’s instant tier, too. Same-day money costs 1.79%, a full point over the headline rate. We treat that as a charge for fast cash, not a processing rate.
Fee Verdict: Who Costs Less
On plain UK cards with patient payouts, Lopay is clearly cheaper. For the classic market trader, it is the value pick.
SumUp closes the gap, and can overtake, once you add the £19 plan, take a fair share of Amex, or need next-day money.
We checked the crossover: above roughly £2,714 a month needing speed, SumUp’s plan matches Lopay’s next-day rate, with better tools attached.
SumUp vs Lopay Payment Methods and Checkout Options
Cards, Wallets and Alternative Payment Methods
On the everyday methods, the two are level: chip and PIN, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay.
The difference is what premium cards cost. SumUp takes Amex at its standard 1.69%. Lopay takes Amex too, but adds 1% on top.
So a salon or cafe with a run of Amex regulars slowly leaks Lopay’s headline advantage, one card at a time.
Checkout Experience
SumUp bundles a free online store, invoicing and payment links into one app.
Lopay keeps to payment links and a lean app. It is fast to use, but it does less.
For a business that wants to sell beyond the counter, SumUp is the fuller toolkit.
Methods Verdict
In person, on plain debit, the two are level and Lopay is cheaper.
Add Amex, links or an online store, and SumUp pulls clear. We would split this on your card mix: plain debit to Lopay, anything richer to SumUp.
SumUp vs Lopay Hardware, POS and In-Person Payments
Card Readers and Terminals
Both start free with Tap to Pay on a phone, then diverge on the reader itself: SumUp sells a wider range outright, while Lopay keeps to one reader and a rentable terminal.
| SumUp | Lopay | |
|---|---|---|
| Free option | Tap to Pay on a phone | Tap to Pay on iPhone |
| Entry reader | Air, around £29 | WisePad, from £35 |
| Mid tier | Solo, £59 | None |
| Terminal with printer | £99, owned | Rent £15/mo or buy £270 |
| Verified 3 June 2026. | ||
One practical catch tips a market or rural trader toward SumUp: Lopay’s readers need a live internet connection, over Wi-Fi or mobile data, and cannot take a payment offline. A weak signal at a stall or a rural pitch means no sale until you reconnect.
POS Software and Hardware Add-ons
SumUp’s POS Lite runs inventory and reporting properly. It works as a real till, not merely a reader.
Lopay’s app covers sales, tipping and digital receipts, and stays deliberately simple.
Want stock control and reporting, and SumUp is the stronger kit. Want the simplest possible tap-and-go, and Lopay does exactly that.
In-Person Verdict
For pure low-cost acceptance, Lopay’s rate and hardware are hard to beat.
For a counter that needs a real till behind it, SumUp is the better choice. We would hand the market stall to Lopay and the busy shop floor to SumUp.
SumUp vs Lopay Online Payments and Integrations
Hosted Checkout, Payment Links and APIs
SumUp gives you a hosted store, payment links and invoicing, billed at 2.50% online.
Lopay offers links at an effective 1.28%, but no real storefront. Cheaper per link, thinner for a full web shop.
Platform Integrations
SumUp plugs into Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero and QuickBooks, including a 4am Xero sync that makes VAT returns nearly painless.
Lopay runs on Stripe’s rails and has almost no native integrations. That is its weakest area.
Online Verdict
Sell online, or want your takings to flow into your books on their own, and SumUp wins comfortably.
Lopay is cheaper per link, but it stands largely alone.
SumUp vs Lopay Payouts, Contract Terms and Account Risk
Settlement Speed and Payout Schedule
Lopay ties price to speed: 0.79% pays weekly on a Thursday, 0.99% next day, 1.79% instant.
SumUp pays at 7am the next day into a free SumUp account, or in one to two days to an outside bank unless you take the £19 plan.
Of the two, only Lopay offers a genuine same-day payout, and it charges a clear premium for it.
Contract Length and Exit Terms
Both are pay-as-you-go, with no lock-in and no exit fee on standard terms.
The only ongoing commitment is SumUp’s optional £19 plan or a Lopay terminal rental, and you can drop either.
Opening an account is quick on both, but they check you first. SumUp asks for identity verification, proof of address, bank account details, and business registration documents where these apply.
Lopay verifies identity in the app: you submit a photo ID, a passport or driving licence, and take a live selfie. Have those ready and sign-up takes minutes.
Reserves, Holds and Account Stability
Both providers can freeze your money, and this part is worth reading twice.
SumUp can freeze an account during a chargeback or a sudden spike in takings. Reviewers say it is slow to put right.
Lopay carries a subtler version of the same risk. Because it resells Stripe, a Stripe hold can lock your funds, and Lopay support cannot lift it. The decision sits one rung above them.
On stability, Lopay is a 2022 start-up, but well backed, with £6m in seed funding from BackedVC and Portage. The near-term footing looks solid.
Because Lopay processes on Stripe, your account sits under Stripe’s prohibited-business rules, broadly the same restrictions SumUp and other major processors apply. If your trade is near a grey area, read Stripe’s restricted-business list before you sign up.
SumUp vs Lopay Customer Reviews and Reputation
Trustpilot and Independent Review Themes
SumUp holds 4.1 out of 5 on Trustpilot, across more than 42,000 reviews. That is a deep, settled record.
Lopay sits around 4.0 to 4.5 on a far smaller base, praised hardest for rock-bottom fees and a simple app.
We read the recent reviews on both, and found the same warning: automated fund holds, and the grind of chasing released money. SumUp also draws steady complaints about Bluetooth pairing.
Support Channels and Response Times
The way you can reach each one differs. SumUp offers phone support, email, live chat and a deep online knowledge base. Lopay keeps to email and in-app chat, with no phone line, so an urgent problem cannot be talked through by voice.
SumUp’s scale cuts both ways: plenty of help articles, but slow queues when a hold needs a human. Lopay’s smaller team often replies quicker, though it is powerless over a Stripe freeze.
Reputation Verdict
SumUp has the longer, deeper record. Lopay has the louder fans on price.
We treat both as reliable for daily takings, and would keep a cash buffer against the fund holds that can hit either.
SumUp vs Lopay for Instant Payouts
If same-day cash is the thing you cannot do without, Lopay is the only one of the two built for it.
Its instant tier releases the money the same day, for 1.79%. That is roughly a 1% premium over its base rate.
SumUp has no true instant option. The fastest it manages is 7am the next day into a SumUp account.
For a trader who genuinely cannot wait, Lopay wins, as long as you accept what the speed costs.
Downsides of SumUp and Lopay
Downsides of SumUp
SumUp’s 2.50% online rate is hard to defend. Its risk system freezes accounts during chargebacks. And reviewers report slow support, plus a recurring Bluetooth pairing gripe.
SumUp’s Booking Services are not built for professions with a duty of confidentiality. If you work in tax, health, law, auditing or journalism, be careful using the booking tool for anything sensitive, as it is not designed to hold that kind of protected client data.
Downsides of Lopay
Lopay stacks 1% surcharges on Amex, international and commercial cards. It carries almost no integrations. And it runs on Stripe, so a Stripe compliance hold can freeze your money with Lopay unable to step in.
Alternatives to SumUp and Lopay
Bank with Tide? The Tide Card Reader plan rate of 0.79% + 3p competes head-on for price.
Square throws in a free online store and takes Amex at no surcharge.
For cross-border takings, Airwallex settles in the currency you were paid, rather than forcing it back to pounds.
Final Verdict: SumUp or Lopay?
For the UK-debit sole trader who can wait for a Thursday payout, Lopay is the pick. Nothing here beats 0.79% for that profile, and it is the lowest-cost reader on the page.
For everyone else, SumUp is the pick for a business that wants a rounded ecosystem and an established brand behind it. At a flat 1.69% it costs more per tap.
But no Amex surcharge, next-day payouts, a real till app and proper Shopify and Xero links make it the safer all-rounder as your takings and card mix grow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SumUp or Lopay cheaper?
For a UK sole trader taking mostly debit cards who can wait for weekly payouts, Lopay is much cheaper at 0.79% against SumUp’s 1.69%. On £4,000 a month that is roughly £31.60 versus £67.60. SumUp closes the gap with its £19/month plan (0.99%) and wins outright once you take a fair share of Amex or international cards.
How do Lopay’s payout tiers work?
Lopay charges 0.79% if you accept weekly payouts on a Thursday, 0.99% for next-business-day payouts, and 1.79% for same-day instant payouts. The faster you want your money, the higher the rate, so the cheapest tier suits traders who can wait.
Do SumUp and Lopay charge extra for American Express?
SumUp accepts Amex at its standard 1.69% with no surcharge. Lopay accepts Amex but adds a 1% surcharge, and the same 1% applies to international and commercial cards. If Amex is common in your trade, SumUp is usually cheaper overall.
Which is better for selling online?
SumUp, comfortably. It offers a free online store and integrates with Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero and QuickBooks, though its online rate is 2.50%. Lopay has payment links at around 1.28% but almost no integrations and no real storefront.
Is Lopay a stable company to rely on?
Lopay launched in 2022 and is a newer entrant, but it is well funded, having raised £6m in seed capital from investors including BackedVC and Portage. It processes on Stripe’s infrastructure, which is established, though that also means Stripe’s risk checks can hold funds.
How we compared SumUp and Lopay
Ranking criteria. We compared SumUp and Lopay on transaction fees, payout speed, card surcharges, monthly and hardware costs, payment methods, integrations and account risk, weighted by what matters to a UK sole trader.
Data sources. Every figure was checked directly against sumup.com/en-gb and lopay.com 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.