Card payments matter when most customers leave cash at home, yet hidden fees and slow payouts can drain a micro-business’s margin.
SumUp supplies plug-and-play readers that deposit takings into any UK bank account, while Tide bundles its own reader with a free digital business account so banking and payments sit in one app.
This review strips away marketing fluff to compare real costs, hardware, settlement speed and customer support, helping you decide quickly and confidently.
Ready to find out which provider keeps more of your earnings in your pocket?
SumUp vs Tide At-a-Glance
| Aspect | SumUp | Tide |
|---|---|---|
| Typical reader price | Air £34 + VAT (pairs with phone); Solo £79 + VAT all-in-one | Card Reader £59 + VAT; Plus model with receipt printer £79 + VAT |
| Pay-as-you-go fee | 1.69% on every in-person sale | 1.39% + 5p per sale |
| Bank account needed | Payouts reach any UK bank | Funds settle only into a Tide business account |
| Payout speed | Standard two working days, optional 07:00 next-morning payout for eligible merchants | Up to three working days, next-day upgrade £2.99 pm |
| POS depth | POS Lite (free) and POS Pro (paid) with stock, table and analytics tools | Simple payment screen inside the Tide app; no full POS |
Snapshot verdict:
- Choose SumUp if you want bank-agnostic payouts, the cheapest phone-paired reader and scalable POS features.
- Choose Tide if you already bank with Tide and process higher-value tickets where the lower percentage fee outweighs the 5p surcharge. New customers who open an account using code BCA100 get £100 cashback.
Figures correct June 2025; always confirm live rates before committing.
SumUp vs Tide: What’s the Difference?
SumUp and Tide both let you take cards at the counter, yet they approach the job from opposite directions:
Core focus
- SumUp began life as a pure-play payment specialist. Its priority is fuss-free hardware and a growing point-of-sale (POS) suite that works with any UK bank account.
- Tide is first and foremost a digital business bank. Card acceptance is an add-on that lives inside its current-account app, giving you one login for banking, invoicing, and in-person sales.
Bank-account requirement
- SumUp pays out to whichever bank you already use, so you avoid switching.
- Tide routes every card sale straight into the free Tide business account you open at sign-up (or any of the other paid Tide business accounts), which can simplify reconciliation if you are willing to run your finances there.
Software depth
- SumUp offers POS Lite (free) and POS Pro (paid) with stock control, table management and advanced reporting for cafés and retailers needing a full till system.
- Tide keeps things light: its reader shows a simple “enter amount, tap card” screen and relies on the banking app for basic product entry. No inventory tools or table maps are available.
Fee philosophy
- SumUp sticks to a single percentage on every transaction, plus optional subscriptions to cut that rate.
- Tide pairs a lower percentage with a small per-sale pence charge, reflecting its banking roots.
In short, choose SumUp if you want flexible payouts and scalable POS. Choose Tide if an all-in-one banking ecosystem outweighs deep retail features.
SumUp vs Tide: Pros and Cons
SumUp
- Pays into any UK bank account, so you keep your existing banking set-up.
- Lowest entry cost: the phone-paired Air reader is only £34 + VAT.
- Optional 07:00 next-morning payout improves cash-flow.
- Two POS tiers (Lite and Pro) add inventory, table and analytics tools as you grow.
- Simple flat 1.69 % fee keeps forecasting easy.
- Pure percentage fee can work out pricier than Tide once your average basket rises.
- Air reader needs a smartphone and reliable Bluetooth connection.
- No integrated current account, so you reconcile banking and sales separately.
- Solo + Printer bundle is costlier up-front than Tide’s printed-receipt model.
Tide
- One app handles banking, invoicing and card sales, reducing admin.
- Lower percentage fee (1.39%) benefits higher-ticket merchants despite the 5p surcharge.
- Reader has built-in 4G and Wi-Fi, so no phone is needed on the counter.
- Free Tide business account shows real-time balance updates after each sale.
- £2.99 monthly add-on delivers next-day payouts for faster cash-flow.
- Settlements go only to a Tide account, so you must open or switch banks.
- 5p per-sale charge eats into margins on very small transactions.
- No full POS suite, just a simple payment screen, so retailers need extra software for stock control.
- Entry card reader costs £59 + VAT, dearer than SumUp Air for start-ups.
- Moving from another bank can add KYC checks and account-migration hassle.
SumUp vs Tide Fees & Pricing
| Cost area | SumUp (UK) | Tide (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| Entry card reader | SumUp Air £34 ex-VAT (phone-paired) / Solo £79 ex-VAT (all-in-one) | Card Reader £59 ex-VAT / Card Reader Plus £79 ex-VAT |
| In-person card fee | 1.69% per sale | 1.39% + 5p per sale |
| Tap-to-Pay on iPhone | 1.69% | 1.5% + 11p |
| Online/web-store payments | 2.5% per transaction | Not offered (Tide is card-present only) |
| Keyed-in/invoice payments | 2.5% | Not offered |
| Payout speed & instant options | Standard two working days to any UK bank. Eligible users can receive a 07:00 next-morning deposit. | Standard up to three working days to the linked Tide account. Next-day payout add-on £2.99 per month. |
| Upgrades | Payments Plus £19 pm drops the in-person percentage charge to 0.99% per card-present transaction | Sell In-Person £12.99 pm cuts the reader fee to 0.79% + 3p and Tap-to-Pay to 0.79% + 9p. |
Hidden & Ancillary Fees
| Fee type | SumUp (UK) | Tide (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| PCI compliance | £0 – handled by SumUp | £0 – included in processing fees |
| Charge-backs | £10 per dispute | £0 – Tide absorbs the cost (limit not specified) |
| Refunds | Processing fee retained | Processing fee retained |
| Cross-border cards | 2.5% surcharge on non-GBP cards | 2.5% surcharge on non-GBP cards |
| Early exit/contracts | None – pay-as-you-go | None – pay-as-you-go |
What This Means for You
- Low-ticket sellers such as coffee vans and market stalls feel every penny. On a £5 sale, SumUp keeps the cost to 8.5p, while Tide’s 1.39% + 5p comes to 12p.
- Higher-ticket merchants (hair salons, repair shops) swing the other way. A £30 sale costs 50.7p with SumUp versus 46.7p with Tide.
- Cash-flow watchers gain quicker access to takings, but by different routes. SumUp’s 07:00 deposit is automatic for eligible accounts, whereas Tide sells its next-day service for £2.99 pcm.
- Monthly bundles change the math once turnover rises. Roughly £2k+ in face-to-face sales lets Payments Plus (SumUp) or Sell In-Person (Tide) pay for themselves and shave more off every transaction.
- Risk costs differ. If your industry attracts disputes, Tide’s zero-cost charge-backs remove SumUp’s £10 sting, but SumUp’s simple flat rate makes reconciliations easier for many sole traders.
Always double-check current UK tariffs with each provider and seek professional advice before choosing a payment partner.
SumUp vs Tide: Hardware & Setup
SumUp
- Air (£34 ex-VAT) pairs with the free SumUp app on iOS or Android. Switch on Bluetooth, scan the QR code and you are ready to take a payment within five minutes.
- Solo (£79 ex-VAT) and Solo + Printer (£139 ex-VAT) work independently, with a touch screen, built-in Wi-Fi, and multi-network SIM. A single charge lasts a trading day; top up via USB-C or the countertop cradle.
- Extras such as docks, cash-drawer cables, and iPad stands let you expand your till to the fullest when you need it.
Tide
- Card Reader (£59 ex-VAT) ships with 4G data and Wi-Fi. Log in with your Tide credentials, tap “Activate reader”, and you can accept chip, swipe and wallet payments without using a phone.
- Card Reader Plus (£79 ex-VAT) adds a built-in printer and a larger display, useful for busier counters.
- Both devices include a USB-C charger, lanyard, and silicone bumper. The battery life covers a full shift, and you can charge them while taking payments.
Which Suits You?
- On-the-go traders (market stalls, mobile therapists) will like Sumup Air’s low cost and pocket size, provided a phone is always handy.
- Fixed-site shops and cafés gain queue-busting speed from stand-alone units. Choose SumUp Solo for mixed connectivity areas or Tide for instant link-up with your Tide banking app.
Prices exclude VAT and are correct as of June 2025.
SumUp vs Tide: Software & Add-Ons
SumUp
- SumUp App / POS Lite (free): catalogue, tipping, staff log-ins and basic reports on iOS or Android.
- POS Pro (£49 pm): stock counts, barcode scanning, table layouts, split bills, multi-site dashboards and advanced analytics.
- Extras: payment links, email invoices, plug-and-play online store and Gift Cards. The SumUp One bundle folds hardware discounts, 0.99% processing and loyalty vouchers into one monthly fee. Integrations push sales to Xero or QuickBooks for hands-free bookkeeping.
Tide
- In-app payment screen: enter amount, press Charge, take the card; the sale posts straight to your Tide account with category tags for bookkeeping.
- Sell In-Person (£12.99 pm): lower card fees, Cashier roles, daily takings and branded receipt printing.
- Banking tool-kit: free invoicing, expense labels and receipt capture share the same login, so banking and payment chores happen in one place.
For merchants who need inventory, table management or a clear upgrade path to a full POS, SumUp’s layered software wins out. If your priority is a single dashboard where banking, invoicing and face-to-face payments converge, Tide keeps admin tight and costs predictable.
All prices exclude VAT and are correct June 2025; confirm current rates and seek professional advice before deciding.
SumUp vs Tide: Payouts & Cash-Flow Control
SumUp
- Standard settlement: card takings reach any UK bank account in about two working days, which suits traders happy to wait until mid-week for weekend sales.
- Early-morning option: eligible users can switch on a 07:00 next-day deposit. Anything you sell before midnight appears in your account the following morning, giving you cash for stock runs or staff wages without paying a premium.
- Business Account tie-in: open SumUp’s free business account and the early payout lands there automatically, complete with a linked Mastercard for same-day spending.
Tide
- Default schedule: sales settle in up to three working days and arrive inside your Tide business current account with automatic bookkeeping tags.
- Next-day upgrade: £2.99 per month moves funds one working day faster, useful when you rely on daily cash-flow for wholesale orders.
- Real-time balance: because payments land in the same app you use for banking, you see cleared sales alongside outgoing bills without spreadsheet juggling.
How it affects you
- If cash-flow is tight and you want the money first thing every morning, SumUp’s 07:00 deposit keeps the till turning without an extra fee.
- If you already bank with Tide and like everything under one login, the £2.99 upgrade may feel worth the small cost, especially once your average basket is high enough to benefit from Tide’s lower percentage fee.
Figures come directly from the SumUp and Tide brand documents supplied (June 2025) and are provided for information only. Always check the latest payout terms before choosing a provider.
Contract Terms & Flexibility
Both SumUp and Tide operate on a true pay-as-you-go basis. You buy the reader outright, process cards whenever you like and walk away whenever you choose.
Monthly add-ons (SumUp Payments Plus, POS Pro, SumUp One, Tide Sell In-Person or Tide’s next-day payout) run on rolling thirty-day billing; cancel in the app, and the lower fees or added features stop at the end of the current period.
There are no early-termination charges, PCI compliance bills or device-return clauses.
In practice, trying either service (or even running both side by side) carries little risk and no hidden cost beyond the one-off reader price.
SumUp vs Tide: Customer Support & Resources
| Feature | SumUp | Tide |
|---|---|---|
| Main contact routes | Phone line, email ticketing, and in-app chat | In-app chat, email, app-based call-back |
| Live chat inside the app | Yes | Yes |
| Phone support hours | 24/7 access for merchants on Priority/One plans | Available to paid-plan users Mon–Fri 09:00-18:00 |
| In-app chat hours | 24/7 response via the SumUp app | 24/7 chat for all members; specialist teams reply 09:00-18:00 if escalation is needed |
| Self-service knowledge base | Step-by-step Help Centre with videos and printable guides | “Tide Library” and Help Centre covering payments and banking features |
| Extra learning tools | In-app chat, email, and app-based call-back | Articles on invoicing, expenses and fraud prevention, plus in-app product tours |
Quick view:
- Prefer speaking to someone? SumUp offers a direct phone line at any hour once you’re on its Priority tier.
- Live in your banking app? Tide’s 24 / 7 in-app chat keeps payments, balance and help tickets in one place.
SumUp vs Tide Customer Reviews
SumUp Reviews
SumUp holds a “Great” Trustpilot rating of 4.0/5 from 27k+ reviews, a 4.7/5 score from about 13k ratings on the Apple App Store, and 4.3/5 from roughly 125k reviews on Google Play.
Most five-star praise comes from taxi drivers, market traders and other micro-retailers who value the pocket-sized Air reader, no-contract pricing and 07:00 next-day payouts. Users also like being able to open a free SumUp Business Account for early stock runs.
One-star posts focus on two recurring themes: account freezes during ID-verification checks and long waits to speak to a human when something goes wrong. Reviewers also mention the £10 charge-back fee as a sting on tight margins.
Overall, merchants see SumUp as a straightforward, low-cost way to accept cards but warn that support can feel slow if your account is flagged for review.
Tide Reviews
Tide holds a “Great” Trustpilot score of 3.9/5 from about 25k reviews, a 4.8/5 score on iOS from 75k reviews and 4.6/5 on Android from roughly 21k reviews.
Positive reviews highlight the single dashboard for banking and payments, low reader fees and helpful onboarding calls. Many note Tide’s habit of replying to almost every negative Trustpilot post within 24 hours, which builds confidence that issues are addressed quickly.
Critical reviews point to account pauses during compliance checks, occasional login loops on some Android devices, and confusion over a 20p inbound transfer fee. A few users say these freezes can leave them without access to funds, so they keep a backup banking option.
In short, Tide wins fans for its integrated banking-plus-payments approach and speedy chat responses, but you should maintain a cash cushion in case an unexpected account review interrupts your day-to-day cash flow.
SumUp vs Tide: Final Verdict – Which One Suits You?
If you want a plug-and-play card solution that pays into any UK bank and can grow into a full cloud till, SumUp is the safer bet. The Air reader costs less up front, its flat 1.69% fee is easy to predict and the 07:00 next-day payout helps keep stock moving. Upgrading to POS Pro later unlocks inventory, table service and rich analytics without forcing you to change bank.
Choose Tide when your priority is seeing sales and banking in one dashboard. The lower 1.39% percentage suits higher-ticket trades, and the in-app chat replies quickly, especially on paid plans. Just remember that funds settle only into a Tide business account, and a 5p surcharge can nibble at margins on small items.
Still unsure? Run a quick test: multiply your average card basket by each fee, add the monthly plan if you need it, then weigh that cost against your need for a full POS or integrated banking.
Whichever route you pick, both providers let you buy the reader outright and walk away at any time, so trying one carries little risk.
FAQs
Yes – SumUp and Tide both process Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards with their readers and Tap-to-Pay functions.
Yes. SumUp’s integrations push daily sales to Xero, QuickBooks, Sage and FreeAgent at no extra cost, keeping your books in sync without manual exports.
No. both brands require a live data or Wi-Fi connection to authorise payments. However, SumUp Solo and both Tide readers have built-in SIM and Wi-Fi, so they stay online without relying on a phone, whereas the SumUp Air depends on your handset’s connection.
SumUp readers carry a 12-month manufacturer’s warranty. Tide devices bought on or after 6 August 2024 also come with a one-year warranty (earlier purchases were covered for 120 days).
Yes. SumUp lets you create separate employee profiles with restricted permissions, while Tide’s “Team Access – Cashier” role gives each team member a unique PIN on the reader and restricted access in the Tide app.
SumUp allows you to take the reader overseas, but transactions clear in the home currency and you may need to notify support before selling abroad. Tide readers accept foreign-issued cards, yet all sales settle in GBP and certain high-risk countries are excluded
