Best Square Alternatives UK 2026: Top Competitors Compared

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Square charges 1.75% flat with no monthly fee. Every provider on this list either undercuts that rate, offers a lower plan rate, or wins on a specific use case. The right Square alternative depends on whether you want a cheaper rate, faster settlement, or a reader that works without a phone.

Square alternatives: card readers compared

Fees verified against provider websites, May 2026.

Best Square alternatives by use case

Cheapest alternative: SumUp Air

SumUp Air at £14.99 costs £4 less than Square Reader. The PAYG rate of 1.69% saves £6 per £1,000 in card sales vs Square. The Payments Plus plan at £19/month drops the rate to 0.99% — significantly cheaper than Square’s Plus plan, which keeps the 1.75% rate. SumUp does not have Square’s depth of POS features, but for straightforward card acceptance it is the cheaper option at both tiers.

Lowest rate at volume: Tide Card Reader

Tide’s Sell In-Person plan at £12.99/month gives you 0.79% + 3p per transaction. On £5,000/month in card sales, that is £42.50 vs Square’s £87.50 — a saving of £45. The break-even against PAYG is at around £1,850/month. Tide also has a business bank account; using both products in one app simplifies reconciliation.

Best for mobile without a phone: myPOS Go 2

myPOS Go 2 has a built-in 4G SIM and a touchscreen — it works anywhere without Bluetooth or a paired phone. Instant settlement to a myPOS Business Wallet means funds are available immediately, not the next day. At £39 and 1.45% PAYG, it costs more to start than SumUp but is the best option for outdoor markets, events, or any location without reliable WiFi.

Best Square alternative providers

Best for Startups

SumUp Air

The right reader for a sole trader who wants the lowest-commitment start.

Get SumUp Air →

Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons

Best for: Sole traders and startups wanting the lowest hardware entry cost

Watch out: Battery degrades in cold weather and Bluetooth fails if phone dies mid-shift

Not ideal if: Businesses expecting to scale past £5,000/month quickly — a plan switch will be needed

Transaction fee1.69% flat (0.99% on Payments Plus plan)

Monthly fee£0 or £19/month (Payments Plus)

Hardware cost£15 +VAT

SettlementNext day at 7am

ContractNo contract

Amex acceptedYes

Not ideal if: Businesses expecting to scale past £5,000/month quickly — a plan switch will be needed

Watch out: Battery degrades in cold weather and Bluetooth fails if phone dies mid-shift

£15 hardware price is the lowest entry point on the market

Next-day 7am settlement is faster than Square’s standard 1–2 working days

Payments Plus at 0.99% is a credible upgrade path above £4,000/month

Amex accepted at the flat rate — no separate premium-card policy needed

Hardware battery degrades in cold weather — unreliable on winter outdoor markets

Bluetooth-to-phone fails if the phone dies on a busy shift

Payments Plus break-even is £3,800/month — most small users should not subscribe

Low-fee option

Tide Card Reader

The cheapest per-transaction reader if you can live without Amex and are happy to bank with Tide.

Get Tide Card Reader →

Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

Best for: Tide business account holders taking regular in-person payments — plan rate (0.79% + 3p) makes sense above roughly 80–100 transactions/month at average ticket sizes

Watch out: No Amex acceptance and 3-day standard settlement are hard stops for many businesses

Not ideal if: Businesses whose customers regularly pay by Amex, or any business not banking with Tide

Transaction fee1.39% + 5p PAYG / 0.79% + 3p on Sell In-Person plan

Monthly fee£0 PAYG or £12.99 +VAT/month (plan, rising to £17.99 from Apr 2026)

Hardware cost£59–£99 +VAT (Reader); £99–£119 +VAT (Plus)

Settlement3 working days standard (£2.99+VAT/month for next-day)

ContractTide business account required

Amex acceptedNo

Not ideal if: Businesses whose customers regularly pay by Amex, or any business not banking with Tide

Watch out: No Amex acceptance and 3-day standard settlement are hard stops for many businesses

Sell In-Person plan at 0.79% + 3p is the lowest rate in this guide above £2,000/month

Lifetime 4G SIM removes the phone-tether failure mode entirely

Settles directly into the Tide account — one balance, one reconciliation

£59 introductory hardware price undercuts most rental alternatives

No Amex acceptance — a hard stop for hospitality, salons, and premium retail

Requires a Tide business account — means a bank switch for most applicants

Standard settlement is three working days unless you pay for the next-day add-on

0.79% + 3p on the Sell In-Person plan — lowest per-transaction rate in this guide for mid-volume sellers

Lifetime 4G SIM built in — auto-switches from WiFi to mobile data without manual intervention

Settles directly to Tide business account — single balance, no transfer step

Two hardware models: Reader (4” display, email receipts) and Reader Plus (5.5”, paper receipts)

Best for Mobile

myPOS Go 2

The right choice for any mobile business where “no signal” means “no payment”.

Get myPOS Go 2 →

Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

Best for: Mobile and outdoor businesses needing a self-contained 4G reader with no monthly fees and instant access to funds via the myPOS account

Watch out: Funds land in myPOS e-money account first — separate transfer needed to reach a high-street bank

Not ideal if: Businesses already managing till, bookings and accounting from a phone or tablet

Transaction fee1.10% + £0.07 (consumer cards, up to £10k/month)

Monthly feeNone

Hardware cost£29 excl. VAT

SettlementInstant to myPOS e-money account

ContractPAYG — no long-term contract

Amex acceptedYes

Eligibility: UK businesses — confirm at mypos.com/en-gb

Not ideal if: Businesses already managing till, bookings and accounting from a phone or tablet

Watch out: Funds land in myPOS e-money account first — separate transfer needed to reach a high-street bank

Built-in 4G SIM means the reader works without a phone, without WiFi, without a tether

1.10% + 7p beats every flat-rate competitor on transactions above roughly £14

Instant (sub-3-second) settlement to the myPOS account

Physical keypad and screen more durable than phone-reliant alternatives

Funds sit in myPOS — a separate transfer is needed to reach a high-street bank account

Fixed 7p per-transaction fee makes small takings proportionally more expensive

POS app is functional but less developed than Square’s for food or hospitality

Built-in 4G SIM — fully independent reader, no phone or WiFi connection required

Instant settlement to myPOS e-money account — funds available in under 3 seconds

Free myPOS business Mastercard included with every device

Device range extends to Go Combo (with printer dock) and Ultra (Android touchscreen)

Best for Growing Businesses

Revolut Reader

A natural next step for any Revolut Business user outgrowing a flat-rate reader.

Get Revolut Reader →

Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

Best for: Existing Revolut Business users wanting low in-person rates without a long-term contract

Watch out: Revolut Business account required — minimum £10/month plan on top of hardware cost

Not ideal if: Businesses whose customers frequently pay by Amex — the Reader does not accept it

Transaction feeFrom 0.8% + £0.02 (all plans)

Monthly feeFrom £10/month (Revolut Business account required)

Hardware cost£49 +VAT

SettlementNext day (24h, incl. weekends after first payout)

ContractNo contract

Amex acceptedNo (Reader); Yes on Terminal and Gateway

Eligibility: Revolut Business account required. Sole traders and freelancers must use Revolut Pro (separate product). Limited companies, partnerships supported. Business must be UK-registered, operate in supported industries.

Not ideal if: Businesses whose customers frequently pay by Amex — the Reader does not accept it

Watch out: Revolut Business account required — minimum £10/month plan on top of hardware cost

From 0.8% + £0.02 is among the lowest in-person rates without a rental contract

No separate contract — stop using the reader any time with no penalty

Settlement direct to Revolut Business account — one balance, no transfer step

Next-day settlement including weekends from day two onward

Amex not accepted on the Reader — blocks high-end hospitality and B2B customers

Revolut Business account required at a minimum £10/month

7-day hold on first payout — cash inaccessible at launch

From 0.8% + 2p — among the lowest in-person rates available without a rental contract

Revolut Pay activates in one click for any merchant already using Stripe

Terminal model (£169 +VAT) adds 4G eSIM, Amex and Revolut Pay support

Payments reconcile directly to Revolut Business balance — no transfer step required

No monthly fee

Zettle by PayPal

Best if PayPal is already part of how your business gets paid.

Visit Zettle →

Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons

Best for: Market stalls, mobile traders, pop-ups, and small retail or food businesses wanting zero monthly fees and no contracts. The Zettle Terminal is the strongest mobile hardware pick in the UK due to built-in 4G at no ongoing cost.

Watch out: Money lands in PayPal first — one extra transfer step before cash reaches your bank account

Not ideal if: Businesses wanting settlement direct to a bank account — PayPal transfer step adds a day to cash position

Transaction fee1.75% flat (all cards incl. Amex)

Monthly feeNone

Hardware cost£29 +VAT (Reader 2); £149 +VAT (Terminal with 4G)

SettlementMinutes to PayPal; 1–2 days to bank account

ContractNo contract

Amex acceptedYes

Not ideal if: Businesses wanting settlement direct to a bank account — PayPal transfer step adds a day to cash position

Watch out: Money lands in PayPal first — one extra transfer step before cash reaches your bank account

Minutes-to-account settlement into PayPal — the fastest non-myPOS option here

1.75% flat including Amex — matches Square on the in-person rate

Useful for businesses with an existing PayPal invoicing or e-commerce flow

Money sits in PayPal, not a business bank account — one more transfer step before cash is usable

POS app is thinner than Square’s — fine for simple retail, weaker for hospitality

No volume discount structure exists

Square alternatives: fee comparison

Against Square at 1.75% PAYG:

• SumUp Air: 0.06% lower PAYG (1.69%). On £5,000/month saves £3.
• SumUp Payments Plus: 0.99% saves £38/month vs Square at £5,000/month.
• Tide Sell In-Person: 0.79% + 3p saves £45/month at £5,000/month (inc. £12.99 plan fee).
• Revolut Reader: 0.8% + 2p on Grow plan saves substantially at volume but requires Revolut Business account.
• Zettle: same 1.75% flat. No cost saving; wins only on PayPal ecosystem.

For a business doing £3,000/month: SumUp Payments Plus saves £20/month net vs Square PAYG. Tide Sell In-Person saves £24/month. Both beat Square on cost once volume justifies the plan.

Square alternatives: features compared

POS software depth

Square’s free POS app is the most feature-complete in this comparison: table management, modifiers, split bills, appointments, and loyalty. SumUp POS Lite covers basic counter service. Tide, myPOS, and Revolut offer transaction reporting but not full EPOS. If you need hospitality POS features, Square is still the correct choice despite the higher rate.

Settlement speed

myPOS settles to its wallet instantly. Revolut settles to your Revolut account instantly. SumUp settles next day at 7am. Square settles in 1–2 working days; instant payout costs extra. For cashflow-sensitive businesses, myPOS or Revolut Reader is faster than Square as standard.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest alternative to Square?

At PAYG: SumUp Air at 1.69% is cheapest for simple card acceptance. On a plan: Tide Card Reader at 0.79% + 3p on £12.99/month beats every other provider on this list above £1,850/month in card sales.

Do Square alternatives work without a phone?

myPOS Go 2 has a built-in SIM and touchscreen; it works standalone. SumUp Solo is a self-contained device (£99). Square Terminal (£149) and Revolut Reader both require Bluetooth pairing with a phone or tablet. If you need a fully standalone device at the lowest possible cost, myPOS Go 2 is the best option.

Can I switch from Square to another provider?

Yes. Square has no lock-in contract. You will need new hardware (from £14.99 for SumUp) and to migrate your product catalogue, but there is no exit fee or notice period.

Fees verified against provider websites, May 2026. This is editorial content, not regulated financial advice.