Compare card readers for tradespeople, sole traders and small trade businesses in the UK. We look at reader cost, transaction fees, mobile use, payment methods and how easily you can get paid on the job.
Looking for other tools for your trade business? Explore more software for tradespeople.
Quick answer
Top pick: SumUp
SumUp offers a simple and affordable way for tradespeople to accept payments, with low setup costs and straightforward fees.
Most flexible: Square
Square suits tradespeople who want a low-cost reader, Tap to Pay and a wider range of business tools.
Best for PayPal users: PayPal Point of Sale
PayPal Point of Sale works well for existing PayPal users who want card payments, Tap to Pay and their payment account in the same ecosystem.
SumUp currently charges 1.69% on pay-as-you-go card-reader transactions and its Solo Lite costs £25 excluding VAT. Square Reader costs £19 + VAT with a 1.75% in-person fee. PayPal’s first Reader costs £29 excluding VAT for eligible new users and charges 1.75% for card/contactless payments.
Compare our top picks
We compared card readers for tradespeople on price, transaction fees, portability, payment options and customer feedback.
| Tool | Best for | Viaqo score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp | Overall | 94/100 | £25 · 1.69% |
| Square | Flexibility | 92/100 | £19 · 1.75% |
| PayPal POS | PayPal users | 86/100 | £29 · 1.75% |
Reader prices shown exclude VAT. Prices and transaction fees are standard advertised UK rates checked on 3 September 2026 and may change. Independent review ratings may include customers outside the UK. SumUp pricing refers to the Solo Lite, Square pricing to Square Reader, and PayPal pricing to the first Reader for eligible new business users.
Last checked: 3 September 2026
Last updated: 3 September 2026
How we scored card readers for tradespeople
30% — User reviews
What do real customers say, and are there enough recent reviews?
25% — Fit for tradespeople
Is it genuinely useful for tradespeople taking payments at customers’ homes and job sites?
20% — UK essentials
Does it support major UK cards and contactless payments, with practical payout and connectivity options?
10% — Ease of use & mobile
Is it straightforward to set up and use on the move?
10% — Works with other tools
Does it connect easily with invoicing, accounting or other useful business software?
5% — Price & value
Are the hardware and transaction costs reasonable for a small trade business?
Affiliate commissions do not affect our scores or rankings.
SumUp — Best overall
SumUp is our top pick because it combines low setup costs with simple pay-as-you-go pricing. Its Solo Lite reader pairs with your phone, and tradespeople can also use Tap to Pay on a compatible iPhone or Android device without carrying a separate reader.
Why we like it
- Low-cost starting point — Solo Lite costs £25 excluding VAT.
- Simple transaction fee — 1.69% on standard pay-as-you-go card-reader payments.
- No monthly fee required — useful if your card sales vary from month to month.
- Tap to Pay available — accept contactless payments directly on compatible iPhones and Android phones.
- Large volume of independent feedback — 4.2/5 from more than 55,000 Trustpilot reviews.
Things to know
- Solo Lite needs a smartphone — it works by pairing with the SumUp Business app.
- Higher-volume businesses have another pricing option — Payments Plus costs £19/month and can reduce qualifying domestic in-person transactions to 0.99%.
- Customer feedback is not universally positive — some Trustpilot reviews mention support or delayed-payment problems despite the strong overall score.
Who should choose SumUp?
SumUp is a strong choice for sole traders and small trade businesses that want a simple, portable way to accept card payments without committing to a monthly plan.
Who may prefer something else?
Square may suit you better if you want a wider set of business tools or offline payment capability. If you already run much of your business through PayPal, PayPal Point of Sale may be more convenient.
Square — Best for flexibility
Square combines a very inexpensive card reader with a broad payment platform. Tradespeople can use the Square Reader, take contactless payments directly on a compatible phone, send invoices and payment links, and use other Square business tools from the same account.
Why we like it
- Very low hardware cost — Square Reader costs £19 + VAT.
- Tap to Pay available — use a compatible iPhone or Android phone without a separate reader.
- Useful wider toolkit — Square also offers invoices, payment links and other business tools.
- Free next-day bank transfers — standard transfers can arrive as soon as the next day.
- Strong global Capterra feedback — 4.6/5 from more than 3,000 reviews, with ease of use rated 4.7/5.
Things to know
- The standard card fee is slightly higher than SumUp — 1.75% rather than 1.69%.
- Offline payments have limitations — Square Reader can accept eligible offline payments for up to 24 hours. Digital wallets such as Apple Pay or Google Pay can work offline, but contactless physical cards cannot. Offline payments must be uploaded after you reconnect.
- UK Trustpilot feedback is more mixed — Square is currently around 3.9/5, with some recent reviews mentioning account reviews, delayed funds or customer-service difficulties.
Who should choose Square?
Square is a strong choice if you want more than a basic card reader and expect to use tools such as invoices, payment links or other Square services alongside your payments.
Who may prefer something else?
SumUp may be simpler if you mainly want straightforward card payments at a slightly lower standard transaction rate. If PayPal is already central to your business, its Point of Sale service may be more convenient.
PayPal Point of Sale — Best for existing PayPal users
Previously known as Zettle, PayPal Point of Sale combines a portable card reader with PayPal’s wider payment platform. It is particularly convenient for businesses that already use a PayPal Business account.
Why we like it
- Good fit for PayPal users — card payments and other PayPal services sit within the same wider ecosystem.
- No monthly fee for the standard POS setup.Tap to Pay available — accept contactless payments directly on compatible phones.
- Simple flat card fee — 1.75% for in-person card and contactless payments.
- Strong global Capterra score — 4.6/5 from 2,290 reviews, with ease of use also rated 4.6/5.
Things to know
- The Reader relies on a paired phone or tablet — it connects by Bluetooth and uses the mobile device for connectivity
- Additional readers cost more — the £29 price applies to the first Reader for eligible new users; additional readers are £69 excluding VAT.
- Independent feedback is less consistent across sites — Capterra scores PayPal Point of Sale highly, while the Trustpilot profile still using the former Zettle brand is currently around 3.4/5.
Who should choose PayPal Point of Sale?
PayPal Point of Sale is worth considering if you already use PayPal for your business and want your in-person payments to sit alongside your existing PayPal setup.
Who may prefer something else?
SumUp may suit you better if low-cost, simple card payments are the priority. Square may be a better fit if you want a broader set of business tools around your payment system.
Also considered
Dojo
Dojo is a strong alternative if you want a standalone card machine with built-in mobile connectivity rather than a reader that depends on your phone. Its Go Max can switch between Wi-Fi and 4G backup, which can be useful when taking payments away from a fixed premises.
Worth considering if: you want a standalone 4G-enabled terminal and expect to take card payments regularly.
Why it missed our top three: Dojo’s pricing is less straightforward to compare. Card processing rates are calculated for the individual business, hardware costs more than the entry-level readers in our top three, and Dojo also charges a £0.05 secure transaction fee per authorisation.
Dojo has strong customer feedback, with a current Trustpilot score of around 4.2/5 from more than 5,500 reviews.
Card readers for tradespeople: which should you choose?
SumUp is the best fit if you want the simplest all-round option, low setup costs and a slightly lower standard transaction fee.
Square makes more sense if you want inexpensive hardware and a wider range of payment and business tools.
PayPal Point of Sale is worth choosing if you already use PayPal and want your in-person payments within the same ecosystem.
Among the card readers for tradespeople we compared, SumUp is our top pick. Square is an excellent alternative if flexibility and additional business tools matter more, while PayPal Point of Sale makes the most sense for businesses already using PayPal.
Card reader costs and fees for tradespeople
How much does a card reader cost?
Basic card readers for small businesses can cost around £19 to £29 before VAT. At the time of our latest check, Square Reader costs £19 + VAT, SumUp Solo Lite has a standard price of £25 and PayPal’s first Card Reader costs £29 excluding VAT. Promotional prices can change, so check the provider’s website before buying.
Are there card readers with no monthly fee?
Yes. SumUp, Square and PayPal all offer pay-as-you-go options without a required monthly subscription. You buy the reader and then pay a transaction fee when a customer pays by card.
Can self-employed tradespeople use a card reader?
Yes. Card readers can be useful for self-employed tradespeople who want to take card or contactless payments at a customer’s home, on site or in a workshop. Portable readers such as SumUp, Square and PayPal are designed for small businesses as well as larger firms.
What card reader fees should I expect?
For pay-as-you-go card payments, transaction fees are typically charged as a percentage of each sale. In our current comparison, SumUp charges 1.69%, while Square and PayPal charge 1.75% for standard in-person card payments. Other payment types and pricing plans can have different fees.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best card readers for tradespeople?
SumUp is our top choice for most tradespeople because the hardware is inexpensive, there is no monthly fee on the standard plan and the transaction fee is simple to understand. Square is also an excellent option if you want more business tools around your payments.
How much do card readers charge per transaction?
The standard in-person fees currently used in our top three are 1.69% for SumUp and 1.75% for both Square and PayPal Point of Sale. Different plans or payment types can have different fees, so check the current pricing before choosing.
Can tradespeople take card payments using only a phone?
Yes. SumUp, Square and PayPal Point of Sale all support Tap to Pay on compatible smartphones, allowing you to accept contactless cards and digital wallets without carrying a separate card reader.
Can card readers for tradespeople work without Wi-Fi?
Not necessarily, but most need an internet connection through Wi-Fi or mobile data. SumUp Solo Lite and PayPal Reader use a paired phone or tablet, while Square Reader also works with a mobile device and supports eligible offline payments for limited periods. Standalone terminals such as Dojo Go Max can use built-in 4G when Wi-Fi is unavailable.
Is SumUp or Square cheaper?
SumUp currently has a slightly lower standard in-person transaction fee at 1.69%, while Square Reader has the lower hardware price at £19 + VAT. Which is cheaper overall depends on how much you take in card payments and which additional features you use.
Can customers pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay?
Yes. SumUp, Square and PayPal Point of Sale support major contactless payment methods and digital wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.
Sources checked
- SumUp — UK pricing, fees and card reader features
- Square — UK Reader pricing, fees and offline payments
- PayPal Point of Sale — UK pricing and Reader features
- Capterra — global product reviews for Square and PayPal Point of Sale
- Trustpilot — customer feedback for SumUp, Square, Zettle/PayPal POS and Dojo current customer feedback
- Dojo — UK hardware pricing and fees