Best Square Alternatives UK 2026

Best Square alternatives by use case

Simplest no-contract alternative: SumUp Solo Lite

SumUp Solo Lite at £25 costs £6 more than Square Reader’s £19, but its 1.69% PAYG rate 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. SumUp does not have Square’s depth of POS features, but for straightforward card acceptance it is the cheaper option at both tiers.

Visit SumUp

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.

Visit Tide

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.

Visit myPOS

Best Square alternative providers

SumUp Solo Lite

Best for Startups

Best for Startups

SumUp Solo Lite

The right reader for a sole trader who wants the lowest-commitment start: owned hardware from £25 ex VAT and no monthly fee.

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Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

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

Watch out: Solo Lite has no connection of its own. It pairs to your phone over Bluetooth and depends on that phone’s battery and signal.

Not ideal if: Businesses taking a meaningful share of American Express, corporate or international cards, which stay at 1.69% on both plans

Transaction fee0.00% with a SumUp card, 1.69% other cards in person (0.99% on Payments Plus)

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

Hardware cost£25

SettlementNext day by 7am to a SumUp Business Account; 1 to 2 business days to a bank

ContractNo contract

Amex acceptedYes, in-person only, at the standard flat rate

Not ideal if: Businesses taking a meaningful share of American Express, corporate or international cards, which stay at 1.69% on both plans

Watch out: Solo Lite has no connection of its own. It pairs to your phone over Bluetooth and depends on that phone’s battery and signal.

£25 ex VAT hardware is one of the lowest entry points on the market, owned outright

In-person payments made with a SumUp card cost 0.00% on both plans

Payments Plus at 0.99% is a credible upgrade path once most takings are UK debit and credit cards

Amex accepted in person at the standard 1.69% rate, with no separate premium-card policy

No connectivity of its own; it depends on a paired phone’s battery and signal

The 0.99% Payments Plus rate does not apply to Amex, premium or international cards

Break-even on Payments Plus depends on card mix, so the plan is wrong for many small users

Online and payment-link transactions cost 2.5%, well above the in-person rate

SumUp Solo Lite reader at £25 ex VAT (formerly branded SumUp Air), pairs with the free SumUp app on iOS and Android

Free SumUp app with sales reports, item library, invoicing and payment links, with no subscription

Payouts by 7am the next day to a SumUp Business Account including weekends, or 1 to 2 business days to an external bank

Payments Plus at £19/month drops UK debit and credit cards accepted in person to 0.99%

Accepts major debit and credit cards including Amex in person at the standard rate; online and payment-link transactions cost 2.5%

Tide Card Reader

Low-fee option

Low-fee option

Tide Card Reader

The cheapest reader that comes with a full business account, if you can live without Amex and bank with Tide.

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Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

Best for: Tide business account holders taking regular in-person payments, plan rate (0.89% + 3p) makes sense above roughly £2,500/month in card sales

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 fee1.5% + 5p PAYG / 0.89% + 3p on Sell In-Person plan

Monthly fee£0 PAYG or £17.99 +VAT/month (Sell In-Person plan)

Hardware costNano from £15 +VAT; Reader £159 +VAT; Reader Plus £199 +VAT (standalone models from £99 +VAT on the Sell In-Person plan)

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 0.89% + 3p is among the lowest rates in this guide, and the lowest bundled with a full business account

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

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

New Nano reader from £15 +VAT (pairs with your phone); standalone readers from £99 +VAT on the Sell In-Person plan

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

0.89% + 3p on the Sell In-Person plan, among the lowest rates 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)

myPOS Go 2

Best for Mobile

Best for Mobile

myPOS Go 2

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

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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 (UK domestic consumer cards, up to £10k/month)

Amex fee2.45% + £0.07 (separate, higher tier)

Monthly feeNone

Hardware cost£29 excl. VAT

SettlementInstant to myPOS e-money account

ContractPAYG, no long-term contract

Amex acceptedYes, at 2.45%+7p, not the domestic rate

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

Amex, EEA and other commercial cards cost more than the headline domestic rate: 2.45%+7p, 2.20%+7p and 2.85%+7p respectively

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)

Revolut Reader

Discontinued

Discontinued

Revolut Reader

Withdrawn from sale, but the rate survived the product: if you own one it still takes cards at 0.8% + 2p, and it is worth running until it fails.

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Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

Best for: Businesses that already own a Reader and already pay for Revolut Business: the 0.8% + 2p rate is unchanged and the device keeps working

Watch out: You cannot buy one. If yours faults inside its warranty year, Revolut offers a discounted Terminal or a refund matching what you paid

Not ideal if: Anyone buying now. The Reader cannot be bought or paired any more, so a second till or a new location has to start at the £129 Lite Terminal

StatusWithdrawn from sale 2026; existing devices keep working

Transaction feeFrom 0.8% + £0.02 (all plans)

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

Hardware costNo longer sold (was £49 +VAT); Lite Terminal £129 +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: Anyone buying now. The Reader cannot be bought or paired any more, so a second till or a new location has to start at the £129 Lite Terminal

Watch out: You cannot buy one. If yours faults inside its warranty year, Revolut offers a discounted Terminal or a refund matching what you paid

0.8% + £0.02 in person is untouched by the withdrawal, and it is a rate Revolut no longer sells at £49 of hardware

No contract, so an owner who stops using it owes nothing

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

Next-day settlement including weekends from day two onward

Cannot be bought or paired any more, so it cannot be standardised across a second till or a new site

No Amex in person; the Terminal and Lite Terminal take it at 1.7% + 2p

Revolut Business account still required at a minimum £10/month

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

Withdrawn from sale in 2026; existing Readers keep working at the same 0.8% + 2p in person

One-year warranty on devices already owned, with a discounted Terminal or a matching refund on a fault

Lite Terminal (£129 +VAT) is now the cheapest way in; Terminal (£169 +VAT) adds 4G eSIM and a printer

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

PayPal Point of Sale

No monthly fee

No monthly fee

PayPal Point of Sale

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

View details →

Overview Card details Eligibility Pros & Cons Key Features

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

Zettle Go free POS app: item library, inventory tracking, sales reports and team management included at no extra cost

Instant PayPal settlement: funds available in your PayPal balance immediately after each transaction, no working-day delay

Hardware range from the £29 Zettle Reader 2 to the Zettle Terminal with built-in receipt printer: flexible setup for any counter

PayPal-integrated checkout: customers can pay via PayPal QR at the till, and PayPal online transactions feed into the same merchant account

Built-in product variants, discounts and gift cards: works for retail, hospitality and service businesses out of the box without add-on subscriptions

Square alternatives: fee comparison

Against Square at 1.75% PAYG:

• SumUp Solo Lite: 0.06% lower PAYG than Square (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 Lite Terminal: 0.8% + 2p saves about £34/month at £5,000/month on a £30 average sale, once the £10 account fee is counted. It needs a Revolut Business account and £129 of hardware, because Revolut withdrew the £49 Reader in 2026 and the entry cost is far higher than it was.
• 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 is faster than Square as standard.

One caveat on Revolut for new businesses: your first payout is held for seven days while Revolut runs initial risk checks, and that wait cannot be waived. Settlement speeds up only after you process your first in-person sale.

Frequently asked questions