Which Is Better for Sole Traders and Mobile Businesses?
The main question is the size of your typical sale.
On bigger tickets, myPOS is usually cheaper. Its 1.10% + 7p beats SumUp’s flat 1.69% on anything but the smallest payment, and the money settles instantly.
Then there is the catch that changes everything. Every time you move myPOS funds to a high-street bank, it costs £1.50. The question is not just the rate; it is how you move your money.
SumUp vs myPOS Fees and Charges
Card Transaction Fees
SumUp charges one flat rate: 1.69% on every in-person card, Amex included.
myPOS charges 1.10% + 7p on UK consumer cards. The percentage is lower, but the 7p fixed fee bites hard on small sales.
On a £50 sale myPOS costs £0.62 against SumUp’s £0.84. On a £5 sale the order flips. We ran the ticket sizes both ways: myPOS pulls ahead the bigger your average sale.
Monthly, Setup and Contract Costs
Neither charges a monthly fee on its entry tier, and neither holds you to a contract.
SumUp’s reader starts at £25. The myPOS Go 2 is around £29, with a free 4G SIM built in, so it works without a paired phone.
myPOS adds one trap worth flagging: a £15 inactivity fee if the account takes no payment for ten months. Trade seasonally, and a quiet winter can leave you with a charge. SumUp has no such fee.
Other Fees to Watch
Here is the fee that decides most of this: moving myPOS funds to an outside bank costs £1.50 a time.
Sweep daily, and that is roughly £30 a month. For many traders, that wipes out the rate saving on its own.
SumUp’s weak spot is online, at a steep 2.50%. We always model the withdrawal habit before calling myPOS cheaper, because for plenty of traders it is not.
Fee Verdict: Who Costs Less
On larger tickets with batched withdrawals, myPOS costs less. For a trader happy to leave funds in the myPOS account and spend from the card, it is the value pick.
On small tickets, or if you move money to your bank every day, SumUp wins once the £1.50 is counted. We modelled both ends: the withdrawal habit, not the headline rate, settles this.
SumUp vs myPOS 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.
Both take American Express, too, and both run phone-based tap-to-pay through SumUp Tap to Pay and myPOS Glass.
At the point of sale, your customer sees no difference between them.
Checkout Experience
SumUp gives you a free online store, invoicing and payment links.
myPOS offers payment links, plus a multi-currency account with a UK IBAN and a free Mastercard.
That card matters: you can spend takings straight off it, without waiting to withdraw to your bank.
Methods Verdict
For selling on the web, SumUp’s store wins.
For spending takings the moment they land, myPOS’s card and IBAN earn their place.
SumUp vs myPOS Hardware, POS and In-Person Payments
Card Readers and Terminals
The myPOS Go 2 ships with a free lifetime 4G SIM from around £29. It works on a market stall or in a van, with no paired phone.
SumUp’s 4G Solo does the same at £79. The entry Air is cheaper at £25, but only if you always carry a phone to pair it with.
POS Software and Hardware Add-ons
SumUp’s POS Lite runs inventory and reporting for a small shop. It is a proper till.
myPOS keeps its app leaner, built around taking payments and managing the account, not running a counter.
Need stock control, and SumUp is the stronger kit. Want fast acceptance and instant funds with nothing extra, and myPOS does exactly that.
In-Person Verdict
For a true standalone 4G device at the lowest price, the myPOS Go 2 is hard to beat.
For a cheap phone-paired reader with a fuller app behind it, SumUp wins.
SumUp vs myPOS 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.
myPOS offers secure links and tap-to-pay, but no full storefront. A real web shop is better served by SumUp.
Platform Integrations
SumUp plugs into Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero and QuickBooks, with a 4am Xero sync that quietly handles VAT.
myPOS carries far fewer software integrations. It leans on its account and card features instead.
Online Verdict
For online selling and books that update themselves, SumUp wins clearly.
myPOS is the in-person and cash-flow specialist, not the e-commerce engine.
SumUp vs myPOS Payouts, Contract Terms and Account Risk
Settlement Speed and Payout Schedule
myPOS settles in about three seconds, around the clock, into its e-money account. A free Mastercard lets you spend the moment it lands.
SumUp pays the next day at 7am into a free SumUp account, then on to your bank.
Contract Length and Exit Terms
Both are pay-as-you-go, with no lock-in.
The one ongoing catch is the myPOS £15 inactivity fee after ten dormant months, which a seasonal trader should plan around.
Reserves, Holds and Account Stability
Both run strict KYC checks that can hold funds during a review.
myPOS is an e-money institution, so your money sits in its account until you move it. SumUp’s holds tend to follow chargebacks.
We would keep a cash buffer with either. On myPOS, withdraw in batches, so that £1.50 transfer fee does not quietly add up.
SumUp vs myPOS Customer Reviews and Reputation
Trustpilot and Independent Review Themes
SumUp holds 4.1 out of 5 across more than 42,000 reviews. myPOS sits at a close 4.2, on a smaller base.
myPOS earns praise for instant settlement and the free account. The complaints land on the bank-transfer and inactivity fees.
Support Channels and Response Times
Both lean on app and online support.
We saw the familiar pattern: quick for setup, slower when a KYC hold needs a human. Worth knowing before you trust either with time-sensitive cash.
Reputation Verdict
It is close. myPOS takes a slight edge on score, SumUp on track record.
We treat both as reliable for daily takings, with the fee caveats above kept in view.
SumUp vs myPOS for Instant Access to Funds
If same-day cash is the thing you cannot run without, myPOS is built for exactly that.
Funds settle in seconds, at any hour. The free Mastercard turns a Saturday night’s takings into Sunday morning’s spending money.
SumUp has no true instant option. The fastest it manages is the next day, into a SumUp account.
For a cash-flow-tight trader, myPOS is the clear winner, as long as you accept the £1.50 to move money to a high-street bank.
Downsides of SumUp and myPOS
Downsides of SumUp
SumUp’s 2.50% online rate is hard to defend. Its flat rate never falls as you grow. And its risk system can freeze an account during a chargeback, and be slow to release it.
Downsides of myPOS
myPOS charges £1.50 to move funds to an outside bank, and £15 after ten dormant months. And it parks your money in a walled-garden e-money account you have to manage, rather than ignore.
Alternatives to SumUp and myPOS
Want the lowest flat rate with no account to manage? Lopay starts at 0.79% on weekly payouts.
For a free till app and a cheap owned reader, Square holds up well at 1.75%.
Bank with Tide, and the Tide Card Reader drops to 0.79% + 3p on its plan.
Final Verdict: SumUp or myPOS?
For mobile traders taking larger tickets who value instant cash, myPOS is the pick. The lower rate and three-second settlement are a real cash-flow advantage, as long as you can hold or batch-withdraw the funds.
For small-ticket sellers, anyone who sweeps to a bank daily, and those who want a simpler fee-free account, SumUp is the call. The £1.50 transfer fee is what tips most everyday traders back to it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SumUp or myPOS cheaper?
It depends on ticket size. myPOS at 1.10% + 7p is cheaper on larger sales (a £50 payment costs £0.62 versus SumUp’s £0.84), while SumUp’s flat 1.69% can be cheaper on very small sales. Factor in the myPOS £1.50 fee to move funds to a bank, which can erase the saving if you withdraw daily.
Why does myPOS charge to move money to my bank?
myPOS settles instantly into its own e-money account rather than your high-street bank. Transferring those funds out costs £1.50 per transfer. To keep costs down, either spend directly from the free myPOS Mastercard or withdraw in batches rather than daily.
Does myPOS really settle instantly?
Yes. myPOS settles funds in about three seconds, 24 hours a day including weekends, into your myPOS account. SumUp’s fastest is next day at 7am, so myPOS is the better choice if you need same-day access to cash.
Do both accept American Express?
Yes. SumUp accepts Amex at its flat 1.69% with no surcharge. myPOS accepts Amex too, usually blended into its 1.10% + 7p rate for UK merchants, though some schedules quote a higher Amex rate.
Is there an inactivity fee?
myPOS charges a £15 inactivity fee if your account processes no transactions for 10 consecutive months, which can catch out seasonal traders. SumUp has no inactivity fee.
How we compared SumUp and myPOS
Ranking criteria. We compared SumUp and myPOS on transaction fees, settlement speed, withdrawal and account fees, hardware, payment methods and account risk, weighted by what matters to a UK sole trader or mobile business.
Data sources. Every figure was checked directly against sumup.com/en-gb and mypos.com/en-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.