SumUp vs Zettle UK: Complete Comparison

SumUp vs Zettle: Overview

SumUp and Zettle are direct competitors in the UK pay-as-you-go card machine market, both targeting small businesses, mobile traders, and anyone wanting simple payment acceptance without commitment. They share similar business models – no contracts, no monthly fees, instant approval – but differ in pricing, features, and ecosystem integration.

The fundamental difference: SumUp focuses on being the absolute cheapest option with minimal features, while Zettle offers PayPal ecosystem integration and slightly more functionality at a marginally higher price.

Company Backgrounds

SumUp:

• Founded 2012, headquarters in London
• Operates in 30+ countries across Europe and Americas
• Processing billions annually for 4+ million merchants
• Independent company (not owned by larger corporation)
• Known for lowest transaction fees in pay-as-you-go market
• Focus: Simple, affordable payment acceptance

Zettle (by PayPal):

• Founded 2010 as iZettle in Sweden
• Acquired by PayPal 2018 for $2.2 billion
• Rebranded to Zettle by PayPal 2020
• Processing billions annually for millions of merchants
• Backed by PayPal’s global infrastructure and resources
• Focus: Simple payments integrated with PayPal ecosystem

Transaction Fees Comparison

Fee Structures

SumUp:

• In-person (card-present): 1.69% flat rate
• Online payments: Not directly supported
• Payment links: 1.69% + 25p
• Invoices: 1.69% + 25p (via payment links)
• No monthly fees
• No setup fees
• No per-transaction fixed fee for card-present

Zettle:

• In-person (card-present): 1.75%
• Online payments: 2.5% + 25p (via PayPal)
• Invoices: 1.75% + 25p
• PayPal QR code payments: 0.9%
• No monthly fees
• No setup fees

Cost Comparison at Different Volumes

Monthly turnover: £2,000

• SumUp: £2,000 × 1.69% = £33.80
• Zettle: £2,000 × 1.75% = £35.00
• SumUp saves: £1.20/month (£14.40/year)

Monthly turnover: £5,000

• SumUp: £5,000 × 1.69% = £84.50
• Zettle: £5,000 × 1.75% = £87.50
• SumUp saves: £3.00/month (£36/year)

Monthly turnover: £10,000

• SumUp: £10,000 × 1.69% = £169
• Zettle: £10,000 × 1.75% = £175
• SumUp saves: £6/month (£72/year)

Monthly turnover: £20,000

• SumUp: £20,000 × 1.69% = £338
• Zettle: £20,000 × 1.75% = £350
• SumUp saves: £12/month (£144/year)

Monthly turnover: £50,000

• SumUp: £50,000 × 1.69% = £845
• Zettle: £50,000 × 1.75% = £875
• SumUp saves: £30/month (£360/year)

The verdict: SumUp is consistently cheaper across all volumes. The 0.06% difference seems tiny but compounds significantly. At £20,000 monthly processing, you save £144 annually. At £50,000 monthly, savings reach £360 annually. For pure cost savings, SumUp wins decisively.

Terminal Options and Costs

SumUp Terminals

SumUp Air (Bluetooth reader):

• Cost: £29
• Type: Bluetooth card reader connects to smartphone/tablet
• Best for: Occasional sales, market stalls, mobile services
• Pros: Cheapest option available, ultra-portable, simple
• Cons: Requires smartphone, Bluetooth can be unreliable

SumUp 3G + Wi-Fi:

• Cost: £99
• Type: Standalone portable terminal with SIM card (cellular)
• Best for: Mobile businesses, tradespeople, market traders
• Pros: Works anywhere (GPRS connectivity), no phone needed, receipt printer
• Cons: £5/month SIM fee, bulkier than Air

SumUp Solo:

• Cost: £149
• Type: Countertop terminal with printer
• Best for: Fixed locations, retail shops, cafes
• Pros: Receipt printer built-in, fast processing, Wi-Fi + Ethernet
• Cons: Most expensive SumUp option, not portable

Zettle Terminals

Zettle Reader 2:

• Cost: £29
• Type: Bluetooth card reader connects to smartphone/tablet
• Best for: Market stalls, pop-ups, occasional sales
• Pros: Same price as SumUp Air, compact, portable
• Cons: Requires smartphone, Bluetooth only

Zettle Terminal:

• Cost: £99
• Type: Standalone portable terminal with 4G connectivity
• Best for: Mobile businesses, tradespeople, small retail
• Pros: 4G connectivity (no SIM fee), receipt printer, no phone needed
• Cons: Smaller screen, basic features

Zettle Terminal 2 (Pro):

• Cost: £249
• Type: Advanced portable terminal with larger screen
• Best for: Retail shops, restaurants, higher-volume businesses
• Pros: Larger touchscreen, 4G + Wi-Fi, receipt printer, inventory management
• Cons: More expensive than standard terminals

Terminal Comparison Summary

Budget Bluetooth readers:

• SumUp Air: £29
• Zettle Reader 2: £29
• Identical price

Mid-range portable terminals:

• SumUp 3G: £99 + £5/month SIM fee
• Zettle Terminal: £99 (no SIM fee)
• Zettle wins – no ongoing SIM costs, 4G included

Countertop terminals:

• SumUp Solo: £149
• Zettle Terminal 2: £249
• SumUp cheaper by £100

The verdict: Bluetooth readers are identical price. For portable/mobile work, Zettle wins – 4G connectivity with no monthly SIM fee (SumUp charges £5/month). For countertop, SumUp is cheaper. Overall, Zettle offers better value on portable terminals which are most popular for small businesses.

Features Comparison

Payment Processing Features

Feature	SumUp	Zettle
Contactless payments (up to £100)	✅	✅
Chip and PIN	✅	✅
Magnetic stripe	✅	✅
Email receipts	✅	✅
Tipping function	❌	✅
Split payments	❌	✅
Multi-currency	Limited	✅
Offline mode	❌	✅
PayPal integration	❌	✅ Native

Business Management Features

Feature	SumUp	Zettle
Inventory management	Basic	✅ Good
Employee management	❌	✅ Basic
Sales reporting	Basic	✅ Good
Customer database	❌	✅
Barcode scanning	❌	✅
Loyalty programs	❌	❌
Gift cards	❌	❌

The verdict: Zettle offers more business management features – employee tracking, customer database, barcode scanning, split payments, tipping. SumUp keeps it extremely simple with minimal features beyond basic payment acceptance. For businesses needing inventory management or employee tracking, Zettle is more capable. For pure payment processing, SumUp’s simplicity is adequate.

PayPal Integration (Zettle’s Key Advantage)

How Zettle Integrates with PayPal

Unified PayPal ecosystem:

• Zettle transactions appear in your PayPal account automatically
• Online PayPal payments and in-person Zettle payments unified
• Single reporting across all payment channels
• Consolidated settlement

Instant settlement to PayPal:

• Funds available in PayPal account within minutes
• Use immediately for purchases or transfers
• Transfer to bank when convenient (1-2 days)
• Better cash flow if you use PayPal regularly

PayPal QR code payments:

• Customers scan and pay via PayPal app
• Only 0.9% fee (vs 1.75% card payments)
• Good for markets where customers have PayPal

Who benefits:

• eBay sellers (already using PayPal)
• Online businesses adding in-person sales
• Businesses using PayPal for expenses
• International businesses leveraging PayPal’s multi-currency

SumUp has no PayPal integration: Everything settles to bank account only. No PayPal ecosystem benefits.

Settlement Speed

SumUp:

• Standard settlement: Next business day to bank account
• Funds arrive: Typically within 24 hours
• Weekend/holiday transactions: Settled following business day
• Consistent and reliable
• No faster options available

Zettle:

• To PayPal account: Within minutes (instant)
• PayPal to bank: 1-2 business days
• Direct to bank (without PayPal): 1-2 business days
• Faster if using PayPal intermediate step

The verdict: SumUp offers guaranteed next-day settlement to bank (fast and predictable). Zettle offers instant settlement to PayPal which is even faster IF you use PayPal. For direct bank settlement, SumUp is slightly faster (next day vs 1-2 days). Choose based on whether you use PayPal or prefer direct bank settlement.

Online Payments and E-commerce

SumUp Online Capabilities

Limited online features:

• Payment links (send via email, SMS)
• Very basic invoicing
• No native e-commerce platform
• Requires third-party solutions for online store
• Limited integrations with e-commerce platforms

Online transaction fee: 1.69% + 25p

Zettle Online Capabilities

Zettle E-commerce:

• Basic online store builder (paid plans £9-29/month)
• PayPal Buy Now buttons
• PayPal Checkout integration
• Leverages PayPal’s e-commerce infrastructure
• Good for businesses already using PayPal online

E-commerce integrations:

• WooCommerce (via PayPal)
• Shopify (via PayPal)
• Most platforms accepting PayPal work

Online transaction fee: 2.5% + 25p (via PayPal) or 1.75% + 25p (Zettle invoicing)

The verdict: Both have limited e-commerce capabilities compared to Square. Zettle is slightly better due to PayPal infrastructure integration. Neither is strong for serious online selling – if e-commerce is important, consider Square instead.

Reporting and Analytics

SumUp Reporting

Basic reporting only:

• Transaction history listing
• Filter by date, amount, card type
• CSV export
• Simple charts (daily/weekly/monthly totals)
• No advanced analytics
• No customer insights
• No inventory reports

Zettle Reporting

More comprehensive:

• Sales dashboard with visualizations
• Transaction history with filtering
• Sales by product breakdown
• Daily/weekly/monthly summaries
• Inventory level reports
• Staff sales tracking
• Tax reports
• CSV export
• PayPal unified reporting (if using PayPal integration)

The verdict: Zettle provides better reporting with product-level insights, inventory tracking, and staff performance. SumUp gives you basic transaction records suitable for simple businesses. If you want business insights, Zettle is superior. If you just need transaction logs, SumUp is adequate.

Integrations

SumUp Integrations

Very limited:

• Few native integrations
• Some accounting software via third-party connectors (not seamless)
• Basic e-commerce integrations
• Mostly manual data export/import required

Zettle Integrations

Better but PayPal-focused:

• Xero integration (via third-party connector)
• QuickBooks (limited)
• E-commerce via PayPal (WooCommerce, Shopify, etc.)
• All PayPal business tools integrate seamlessly
• More integration options than SumUp but less than Square

The verdict: Neither has extensive third-party integrations. Zettle is slightly better, especially if you’re in PayPal ecosystem. SumUp requires more manual work. If integrations are critical, Square is vastly superior to both.

Customer Support

SumUp Support

Support channels:

• Email support (24/7)
• Phone support (UK business hours)
• Help center with guides
• Social media support (Twitter, Facebook)

Response times:

• Email: 4-8 hours typically
• Phone: Immediate during business hours

Quality:

• Generally positive reviews
• Straightforward support – everyone treated equally
• Occasional complaints about slow issue resolution

Zettle Support

Support channels:

• Email support (24/7)
• Phone support (UK business hours)
• Help center
• Can leverage PayPal support for account issues

Response times:

• Email: 4-8 hours typically
• Phone: Immediate during business hours

Quality:

• Mixed reviews
• Some praise helpfulness
• Others report slow resolution times
• PayPal backing provides some reassurance

The verdict: Support quality similar for both – adequate but not exceptional. SumUp’s support slightly more consistent based on reviews. Neither offers live chat or extensive self-help resources like Square. Both provide acceptable support for small businesses with straightforward needs.

When to Choose SumUp

Choose SumUp if you:

• Want absolute lowest transaction costs: 1.69% beats Zettle’s 1.75% consistently
• Process high volumes: Savings compound – at £50,000 monthly, save £360/year
• Need simple payment acceptance only: Don’t need inventory, employees, advanced features
• Prefer guaranteed next-day settlement: Faster than Zettle’s 1-2 days (unless using PayPal)
• Don’t use PayPal: If PayPal isn’t part of your workflow, Zettle’s main advantage irrelevant
• Want cheapest countertop terminal: SumUp Solo £149 vs Zettle Terminal 2 £249
• Value simplicity: Minimal features, minimal complexity, just payment processing
• Are very cost-conscious: Every 0.06% matters when margins are tight

Best for: High-volume businesses focused on lowest cost, sole traders wanting simplicity, businesses not using PayPal, anyone prioritizing transaction fee savings above all else.

When to Choose Zettle

Choose Zettle if you:

• Already use PayPal extensively: Unified ecosystem, instant PayPal settlement, consolidated reporting
• Sell on eBay or PayPal-heavy platforms: Keep all transactions in one place
• Need portable terminals with cellular: Zettle Terminal has 4G (no SIM fee), SumUp charges £5/month for 3G
• Want better business management features: Inventory, employees, customers, barcode scanning
• Need tipping functionality: Important for hospitality, salons (SumUp lacks this)
• Process split payments: Divide bills between multiple cards (SumUp can’t do this)
• Value instant access to funds: PayPal settlement within minutes
• Want offline mode: Process when internet drops, sync later
• 0.06% difference doesn’t matter: Extra features worth £6/month cost on £10,000 processing

Best for: eBay sellers, PayPal-heavy businesses, mobile traders needing cellular connectivity, businesses wanting more features than SumUp offers, hospitality needing tipping, anyone valuing PayPal ecosystem integration.

Industry-Specific Recommendations

Market Stalls and Event Vendors

Winner: Zettle (slightly)

Reasons:

• Zettle Terminal has 4G with no monthly fee (SumUp 3G charges £5/month)
• Over 12 months: Zettle £99 upfront, SumUp £99 + (£5 × 12) = £159
• PayPal QR codes offer 0.9% option
• Offline mode useful for spotty connectivity at events

However, SumUp’s lower transaction rate (1.69% vs 1.75%) might offset terminal savings at high volumes.

Tradespeople (Plumbers, Electricians, Builders)

Winner: SumUp (marginally)

Reasons:

• Lowest cost crucial when margins tight
• Don’t need tipping, inventory, employee features
• Both work mobile (cellular connectivity)
• SumUp’s 1.69% saves money long-term despite £5/month SIM fee
• Simpler = less to go wrong

Either works well – choose based on whether you value lowest rate (SumUp) or no SIM fee (Zettle).

Small Retail Shops

Winner: Zettle

Reasons:

• Better inventory management
• Barcode scanning
• Customer database
• Employee tracking
• Split payments

SumUp works for very basic retail but Zettle’s features worth the 0.06% extra cost for shops with inventory.

Cafes and Takeaways

Winner: Zettle

Reasons:

• Tipping functionality (important for staff)
• Better product management (menu items)
• Split payments (groups splitting bills)
• Offline mode (useful during connectivity issues)

For basic takeaway-only with no tipping, SumUp’s lower rate works fine.

Service Businesses (Hair, Beauty, Mobile Services)

Winner: Depends

SumUp if: Very simple services, no tipping, lowest cost priority

Zettle if: Tipping expected (salons, beauty), want customer database, need appointment reminders

eBay and Online Sellers

Winner: Zettle (decisively)

Reasons:

• Already using PayPal for eBay
• Unified PayPal ecosystem
• All sales in one place
• Instant PayPal settlement
• Simplified accounting

For eBay sellers, Zettle makes obvious sense. SumUp offers no PayPal benefits.

Common Misconceptions

Misconception 1: “SumUp and Zettle are basically the same”

Reality: While both are pay-as-you-go providers with similar models, key differences exist: SumUp is 0.06% cheaper (compounds significantly), Zettle has better features (tipping, employees, inventory), Zettle integrates with PayPal, Zettle terminals have 4G with no SIM fee.

Misconception 2: “0.06% difference doesn’t matter”

Reality: At £20,000 monthly processing, 0.06% = £144 annually. At £50,000 monthly, it’s £360 annually. Over 3 years at £50,000 monthly, that’s £1,080 saved. For high-volume businesses, this difference is substantial.

Misconception 3: “Zettle is more expensive overall”

Reality: Transaction fees are higher (1.75% vs 1.69%) but Zettle Terminal has 4G with no monthly fee while SumUp 3G charges £5/month. For portable use, Zettle can actually be cheaper when factoring in SIM costs: SumUp £99 + £60/year vs Zettle £99 + £0/year.

Misconception 4: “You must use PayPal with Zettle”

Reality: PayPal integration is optional. You can use Zettle and settle directly to bank account without involving PayPal at all. The PayPal features are advantages if you want them, not requirements.

Can You Switch Between Them?

Yes, very easily:

Both are pay-as-you-go with no contracts:

• No exit fees
• No penalties for switching
• No notice period
• Just stop using one, start using the other

What you need to know:

• Terminals are provider-locked (can’t use SumUp terminal with Zettle)
• Transaction history doesn’t transfer (export before switching)
• Customer/inventory data stays with old provider (export if needed)
• Both settle to bank account so no banking changes required

Some businesses use both:

• SumUp for high-volume sales (lower rate saves money)
• Zettle for mobile work (4G connectivity, no SIM fee)
• Or SumUp in shop, Zettle at markets

The Bottom Line

Choose SumUp if: You want absolute lowest transaction costs and process decent volumes where 0.06% difference compounds meaningfully. Best for cost-focused businesses not needing advanced features or PayPal integration.

Choose Zettle if: You use PayPal extensively, need cellular connectivity without SIM fees, want better features (tipping, inventory, employees), or value instant PayPal settlement.

The cost difference: At £10,000 monthly, SumUp saves £72/year. At £20,000, saves £144/year. Significant but not enormous. At £50,000, saves £360/year which becomes meaningful.

The feature difference: Moderate. Zettle has tipping, split payments, better inventory, employees, offline mode. SumUp is simpler with fewer capabilities. For basic businesses, SumUp is adequate. For growing businesses or those needing features, Zettle offers more.

Decision framework:

• PayPal user? → Zettle
• High volume + cost-focused? → SumUp
• Need tipping/employees/inventory? → Zettle
• Want absolute simplicity? → SumUp
• Need portable with cellular? → Zettle (no SIM fee)
• Still unsure? → Start with SumUp (cheaper), upgrade to Zettle if you outgrow it

Reference Data

For comprehensive UK payment processing costs, timelines, and provider comparisons, view our complete UK payment processing data reference guide.

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SumUp vs Zettle – Frequently Asked Questions

Is SumUp cheaper than Zettle?

Yes, SumUp charges 1.69% transaction fees compared to Zettle’s 1.75% for in-person payments. At £10,000 monthly processing, SumUp saves £72 annually. At £20,000 monthly, saves £144 annually. However, for portable terminals, Zettle’s 4G connectivity has no monthly fee while SumUp 3G charges £5/month (£60/year), offsetting some transaction savings.

Which has better features?

Zettle has better features including tipping functionality, split payments, employee management, customer database, barcode scanning, offline mode, and PayPal integration. SumUp focuses on simplicity with basic payment processing only. For businesses needing inventory management, employee tracking, or tipping, Zettle is superior. For pure payment acceptance, SumUp’s simplicity is adequate.

Does Zettle require PayPal?

No, PayPal integration is optional. You can use Zettle and settle directly to your bank account without PayPal. However, if you do use PayPal, benefits include instant settlement to PayPal account, unified reporting across online and in-person sales, and access to PayPal business tools. Choose based on whether PayPal integration adds value for your business.

Which settles funds faster?

SumUp offers guaranteed next business day settlement to bank account. Zettle settles to PayPal account within minutes (instant) if using PayPal integration, or 1-2 business days for direct bank settlement. If you use PayPal, Zettle is faster. For direct bank settlement, SumUp is slightly faster (next day vs 1-2 days).

Do both terminals work without WiFi?

Yes, both offer cellular connectivity. SumUp 3G terminal (£99) has GPRS but charges £5/month SIM fee. Zettle Terminal (£99) has 4G with no monthly SIM fee. Over one year, SumUp 3G costs £159 total while Zettle Terminal costs £99 total. For mobile businesses, Zettle offers better value on portable terminals with cellular connectivity.

Which is better for high-volume businesses?

SumUp is better for high-volume businesses focused on minimizing costs. The 0.06% difference compounds significantly at scale: £50,000 monthly processing saves £360 annually with SumUp. However, both are pay-as-you-go providers – at very high volumes (£50,000+ monthly), traditional merchant accounts with negotiated rates typically offer better pricing than either.

Can I use both together?

Yes, both are pay-as-you-go with no contracts or exclusivity. Some businesses use SumUp for high-volume in-store sales (lower rate) and Zettle for mobile work (4G connectivity, no SIM fee). This requires managing two systems but can optimize costs and functionality. Both settle to bank account so accounting isn’t significantly complicated.

Which is better for market traders?

Zettle edges ahead for market traders because Zettle Terminal has 4G connectivity with no monthly SIM fee (£99 upfront, £0 ongoing). SumUp 3G terminal costs £99 upfront plus £5/month SIM fee (£159 first year). Both work anywhere with cellular signal. Zettle also offers PayPal QR code payments at 0.9% for PayPal users. However, SumUp’s 1.69% rate saves money on high transaction volumes.

Does either integrate with accounting software?

Both have limited accounting integrations compared to Square. Zettle offers slightly better integrations (Xero via third-party connector) and benefits from PayPal reporting if using PayPal integration. SumUp requires mostly manual export/import. Neither integrates seamlessly with accounting software – if this is critical, Square provides much better native integrations with Xero, QuickBooks, and FreeAgent.

Which is better for eBay sellers?

Zettle is vastly better for eBay sellers because eBay payments go through PayPal. Using Zettle keeps all sales (online and in-person) in unified PayPal ecosystem with instant PayPal settlement, consolidated reporting, and simplified accounting. For eBay/PayPal-heavy businesses, Zettle’s integration makes it the obvious choice. SumUp offers no PayPal benefits.

Related Payment Processing Guides

• SumUp vs Square UK Comparison
• Square vs Zettle UK Comparison
• How to Choose a Card Machine Provider
• Best Card Machines for Small Business UK
• Card Machine Provider Comparison UK

UK Payment Industry Resources

• SumUp UK Official Site
• Zettle UK Official Site
• PayPal Business UK
• UK Finance – Payment Standards

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