Alternatives to SumUp Solo: 5 Better-Fit UK Card Machines in 2026
If you are looking at alternatives to SumUp Solo, the usual reason is one of two things: 1.69% is uncompetitive at higher volumes, or the fact that SumUp Solo is the wrong fit for high-volume retail. The five UK card machines below solve one or both of those problems. Dojo Go Max is our strongest-fit alternative (rate: 1.2% blended below £100,000 a year in card takings (custom rate above); contract: 12 months minimum). Square Terminal runs with no contract if lock-in is the blocker. The rest of this page is the 5-card shortlist, then a short "when to stick with SumUp Solo" block for balance, then how we picked, then FAQs. Rates, contracts and hardware prices come from the same terminal data as our full reviews.
Top 5 alternatives to SumUp Solo
| Alternative | Rate | Hardware | Contract | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dojo Go Max | 1.2% blended below £100,000 a year in card takings (custom rate above) | £149 upfront on a launch offer (£229 full price) or £25 a month | 12 months minimum | Hospitality (restaurants, pubs, cafés) |
| 2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal) | Set by the provider you use it with; see that provider's own pricing page | £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) | No fixed term for the feature itself; any contract is with your provider | Mobile traders, dog groomers, mobile beauticians |
| 3. Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 + VAT | No contract | Independent retail |
| 4. Zettle Reader 2 | 1.75% per transaction | £29 first reader, £69 each extra (ex VAT) | No contract | Existing PayPal merchants |
| 5. Revolut Card Reader | 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) | £49 hardware | Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan) | Existing Revolut Business customers |
1. Dojo Go Max
1.2% blended below £100,000 a year in card takings (custom rate above) · £149 upfront on a launch offer (£229 full price) or £25 a month · 12 months minimum
Dojo Go Max is the strongest UK card terminal for hospitality and retail at £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026.
- Same-next-day settlement (unusual in UK).
- Robust hardware tested across hospitality.
- 12-month minimum contract.
Set by the provider you use it with; see that provider's own pricing page · £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) · No fixed term for the feature itself; any contract is with your provider
Not a hardware terminal, but covered here because it replaces one for many small businesses. Take contactless card and Apple Pay payments directly on a compatible iPhone with no separate reader.
- Zero hardware cost.
- No separate hardware to buy or set up.
- iPhone Xs or later required.
1.75% per transaction (UK) · £149 + VAT · No contract
Square Terminal is the strongest all-in-one no-contract UK card terminal for independent retail and small hospitality in 2026. £149 + VAT hardware with built-in receipt printer, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee.
- Strong POS app and reporting.
- No contract, no monthly fee for hardware.
- 1.75% UK rate is high vs Dojo blended.
1.75% per transaction · £29 first reader, £69 each extra (ex VAT) · No contract
Zettle Reader 2 is the cheapest UK card reader to start taking card payments in 2026, on hardware cost. £29 + VAT for your first reader as a new business user and £69 + VAT for each extra reader, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee.
- Cheapest entry point for hardware (£29).
- PayPal ecosystem integration.
- 1.75% rate uncompetitive above £8k monthly.
0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) · £49 hardware · Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan)
Revolut Card Reader is part of the Revolut Business stack. Headline rate is among the cheapest in the UK SMB market, but conditional on holding a Revolut Business subscription.
- Cheapest UK headline rate (0.8% on higher Revolut Business plans).
- Strong international payments and FX integration.
- Rate conditional on Revolut Business subscription (£25 to £100+ per month).
When to stick with SumUp Solo
SumUp Solo is still the right choice for sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls and low-to-medium volume (under about £15k monthly). The two strongest reasons buyers stay: no contract, no monthly fee, and single transparent rate (1.69%). If your business sits inside sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls, switching is friction without upside. The alternatives above are for buyers who hit a real blocker on SumUp Solo, not for buyers who are just shopping rate.
Read the full SumUp Solo review for the year-one cost model, hardware detail and full verdict.
How we picked these alternatives
Each shortlist starts from a hand-curated seed of the 4 most-considered alternatives for the source terminal in UK 2026 buyer journeys, then tops up to 5 with the next-highest-rated terminal in our database that shares at least one best-fit cluster with the source. The intent is to keep the shortlist semantically meaningful: an alternative to a sole-trader reader is another sole-trader reader, not an enterprise platform.
Ratings, rates, contracts and hardware costs are pulled from the MerchantHQ terminals dataset. Headline rates are verified against each acquirer's public pricing; bespoke rates apply above roughly £20k monthly card volume so always verify the live commercials before signing.
MerchantHQ is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937), directed by Oliver Mackman. Editorial methodology: how we score UK card terminals.
FAQ
What is better than SumUp Solo in 2026?
Dojo Go Max is the strongest-fit of the five alternatives to SumUp Solo. Rate: 1.2% blended below £100,000 a year in card takings (custom rate above). Contract: 12 months minimum. Hardware: £149 upfront on a launch offer (£229 full price) or £25 a month. The honest caveat: "better" depends on your card volume and trade. For sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls, SumUp Solo still holds up.
Is there a free alternative to SumUp Solo?
Square Terminal runs with no contract; hardware is £149 + VAT. No UK card terminal is truly free once you account for the transaction rate, but Square Terminal at 1.75% per transaction (UK) has the lowest commitment of the five alternatives on this page. Best fit: independent retail.
What is the cheapest alternative to SumUp Solo?
Of the alternatives that publish a percentage rate, Revolut Card Reader starts lowest (0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier); hardware £49 hardware; contract subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan)). Alternatives priced per merchant are not directly comparable until you have a quote.
Cheapest on rate is not always cheapest on year-one cost once you factor in hardware, monthly fees and ecosystem lock-in (rate conditional on Revolut Business subscription (£25 to £100+ per month)). Use the MerchantHQ quote tool for a modelled comparison against your actual volume.
Which alternative is best for sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls?
Dojo Go Max is the strongest pick on the shortlist for sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls. Its main strength: same-next-day settlement (unusual in UK); the main watch-out: 12-month minimum contract. The card above has the detail.
Should I switch from SumUp Solo?
Switch if you are hitting 1.69% is uncompetitive at higher volumes or if high-volume retail. Stay if your business is in sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls and the current contract is reasonable. MerchantHQ runs switching support across 40+ UK card-payment providers. Quote enquiries go to one card-payments broker, Merchant Advice Service, which pays us a fee for each introduction; acquirers do not pay us commission on quote enquiries. That fee never affects a ranking.
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Get matched →Last updated: . Written by Adam Parker for Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).