Which Is Better for Small UK Businesses?
The deciding question is your monthly card volume, and how steady it is.
A salon turning over £1,800 in a January lull still pays Teya’s monthly plan in full. SumUp takes its cut only when a card taps, which is why it suits the quiet end of the market.
Teya rewards volume instead. On its published £15/month, 1.38% plan, we ran the break-even against SumUp’s free 1.69% at about £4,838 a month.
A negotiated rate brings that line lower. So below roughly £4,800 a month, SumUp is cheaper and simpler. Above it, with a rate you can haggle, Teya starts to pay for itself.
The number, not the brochure, decides.
SumUp vs Teya Fees and Charges
Card Transaction Fees
SumUp charges a flat 1.69% on every in-person card, Amex included, dropping to 0.99% on its £19/month plan. The rate never shifts with volume, for better or worse.
Teya publishes £20/month for 1.68%, £15/month for 1.38%, or a £99 to £225 upfront terminal at 1.68%, and negotiates custom deals from 1.2% + 5p.
We took both rates straight from the providers’ own pages, not an aggregator.
Monthly, Setup and Contract Costs
SumUp has no monthly fee on its base tier and a one-off £25 reader. Stop trading for a month and nothing recurs.
Teya wants either a monthly plan or an upfront terminal before its lower rate kicks in.
Neither locks you down, mind. Teya advertises rolling one-month terms with zero exit fees alongside the longer commitments.
Other Fees to Watch
SumUp’s online rate is a steep 2.50%, so web sales cost more than the counter.
Teya’s costs sit mostly in the plan: predictable, but unforgiving on a slow month.
A rep may quote you 1.2%, then an Amex-heavy Saturday pulls your real cost higher. As a direct acquirer Teya can blend or unbundle the rate, so we would ask for the effective figure on your actual card mix, not the headline that won you over.
Fee Verdict: Who Costs Less
Below roughly £4,800 a month, SumUp costs less once Teya’s plan or upfront hardware is in the sum. The flat rate is higher per tap, but it carries no dead weight.
Above it, a negotiated Teya rate wins, and an established venue can usually haggle the gap wider.
Work out your real volume first. Everything else follows from it.
SumUp vs Teya Payment Methods and Checkout Options
Cards, Wallets and Alternative Payment Methods
Both take chip and PIN, contactless, Apple Pay, Google Pay and American Express, so your customers see no difference at the counter.
The split is in the tools around the tap, not the tap itself.
Checkout Experience
SumUp gives you a free online store, invoicing and payment links in one app.
Teya offers payment links for remote invoices but no shopfront, so your web checkout has to live somewhere else.
Methods Verdict
Mixed online and in-person trade points to SumUp.
A staffed counter wired to a till points to Teya. We would give methods to SumUp unless your business is purely in-person at volume.
SumUp vs Teya Hardware, POS and In-Person Payments
Card Readers and Terminals
SumUp sells the Air from £25, the 4G Solo at £79 and larger terminals to £135, all yours to keep.
Teya’s Solo is an all-in-one 4G Android terminal on rental or a £99 to £225 buy, built to stand on a busier counter without a paired phone.
POS Software and Hardware Add-ons
SumUp’s POS Lite covers stock and reporting for a small shop.
Teya leans on integrations with 50-plus ePOS systems rather than deep software of its own, which suits a venue that already runs a till.
So we would call SumUp the better out-of-the-box till for a micro-business, and Teya the better fit where an ePOS platform is already in place.
In-Person Verdict
Cheap owned reader and costs that flex with trade? SumUp.
A robust 4G terminal and a rate you can negotiate at a staffed counter? Teya. Match the hardware to your takings, not the sales call.
SumUp vs Teya 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.
Teya provides payment links but no storefront, so an online-led business is steered to SumUp.
Platform Integrations
SumUp connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero and QuickBooks. Its 4am Xero sync means the morning your VAT return is due, the figures are already there.
Teya integrates with 50-plus ePOS systems for in-person retail rather than the web.
Online Verdict
Web selling and books that reconcile themselves? SumUp.
Till-system integration on the floor? Teya. We give online to SumUp and in-venue systems to Teya.
SumUp vs Teya Payouts, Contract Terms and Account Risk
Settlement Speed and Payout Schedule
SumUp pays next day at 7am into a free SumUp account, slower to an outside bank.
Teya settles next working day straight to your own bank or its free account. So Monday’s stock order can go out on Friday’s takings, not wait behind a transfer out of a walled garden.
Contract Length and Exit Terms
SumUp has nothing to cancel.
Teya offers rolling one-month terms with zero exit fees alongside one-to-three-year options, so you can stay loose or commit for a keener rate. Your call.
Reserves, Holds and Account Stability
Worth reading slowly.
SumUp freezes tend to follow chargebacks or a sudden spike, and reviewers say they are slow to lift.
Teya runs strict acquirer anti-money-laundering reviews. Bank one big out-of-pattern sum, a £6,000 event deposit say, and it can sit on the balance while it asks for paperwork. Isolated cases describe six figures held for weeks.
With either, keep a buffer, and don’t route every penny through one processor.
SumUp vs Teya Customer Reviews and Reputation
Trustpilot and Independent Review Themes
SumUp holds 4.1 out of 5 across 42,000-plus reviews; Teya a higher 4.5. Teya wins praise for fast setup, reliable hardware and a no-hidden-fees approach.
The shadow on Teya is the occasional account review that sits on funds for weeks. We read the recent one-star reviews, and would do the same before trusting it with a big one-off payment.
Support Channels and Response Times
When a terminal stalls mid service, you want a person on the line. Teya’s UK-based phone support is a real plus for a busy venue.
SumUp leans on app and online help: fine for setup, slower when a hold needs a human now.
Reputation Verdict
We give reputation to Teya on score and UK phone support, with the caveat about acquirer reviews.
SumUp stays a trusted, no-drama name for smaller traders.
SumUp vs Teya for Established Retail and Hospitality
For an established shop or restaurant, Teya is built for the shift.
A negotiated rate, your own merchant ID, a 4G terminal and UK phone support all suit a staffed counter at volume.
SumUp can run a small venue, but it shines for the seasonal or low-volume trader who won’t use a monthly plan enough to justify it.
We point established venues to Teya and occasional traders to SumUp.
Downsides of SumUp and Teya
Downsides of SumUp
SumUp’s 2.50% online rate is hard to defend. Its flat rate never falls with volume. And its risk checks can freeze an account mid-chargeback, then take their time releasing it.
Downsides of Teya
Teya is poor value below about £2,000 a month. Its best rates hide behind a negotiation rather than a price page. And strict acquirer reviews have parked large balances in isolated cases.
Alternatives to SumUp and Teya
Need the cash the instant it taps? myPOS settles in seconds at 1.10% + 7p.
Want a free till app and a cheap owned reader? Square at 1.75% is worth weighing.
Already bank with Tide? Its card reader drops to 0.79% + 3p on the plan. We rate each of these a better fit than SumUp or Teya for its own particular job.
Final Verdict: SumUp or Teya?
Choose SumUp if you trade seasonally, take modest volume, or sell online. A flat rate, an owned reader and no commitment make it the lower-risk start, and the call we would make for most small traders.
Choose Teya once you reliably clear more than roughly £4,800 a month in person and can hold a negotiated rate under 1.69%.
A direct-acquirer deal, a 4G terminal and UK phone support repay the monthly cost. Just push back on price.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what turnover does Teya beat SumUp on cost?
On Teya’s published £15/month, 1.38% plan, the break-even against SumUp’s free 1.69% is about £4,838 in monthly card turnover. Below that SumUp is cheaper; above it Teya is. A custom negotiated Teya rate lowers the crossover further.
What is the difference between a direct acquirer and an aggregator?
Teya is a direct acquirer, so it gives you your own merchant ID and can negotiate a rate based on your sector and volume. SumUp is an aggregator that bundles every merchant under one ID, which keeps onboarding instant but means a single flat rate with no negotiation.
Do SumUp and Teya accept American Express?
Yes. SumUp accepts Amex at its flat 1.69% with no surcharge. Teya accepts Amex too, priced within your plan or negotiated agreement.
Is there a minimum turnover for Teya?
There is no hard minimum, but Teya’s monthly plan or upfront hardware cost makes it poor value below about £2,000 a month. A low-volume or seasonal trader is usually better off on SumUp’s free pay-as-you-go rate.
How fast do SumUp and Teya pay out?
SumUp pays next day at 7am into a free SumUp account, or one to three days to an external bank. Teya settles next working day directly to your own bank account or its free Teya account.
How we compared SumUp and Teya
Ranking criteria. We compared SumUp and Teya on transaction fees, monthly and hardware costs, payment methods, payouts, contract terms and account risk, weighted by what matters to a UK business taking card payments.
Data sources. Every figure was checked directly against sumup.com/en-gb and teya.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.