Alternatives to SumUp Solo: 5 Better-Fit UK Card Machines in 2026
If you are looking at alternatives to SumUp Solo, the usual reason in our 2026 UK reviews 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 is our highest-rated alternative at 4.4 of 5, running 1.4% to 1.9% blended on a 12 months minimum contract. Revolut Card Reader is the cheapest by headline rate at 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier). 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. Every claim is pulled from our terminals dataset; nothing is invented.
Top 5 alternatives to SumUp Solo
1. Dojo Go
4.4 / 51.4% to 1.9% blended · £0 with rolling monthly fee · 12 months minimum
Dojo Go is the strongest UK card terminal for hospitality and retail at £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026. Blended pricing 1.4% to 1.9%, 12-month minimum contract, hardware free with a monthly fee. Same-next-day settleme...
- Same-next-day settlement (unusual in UK).
- Robust hardware tested across hospitality.
- 12-month minimum contract.
2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
4.2 / 5Same as the underlying acquirer · £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) · Same as the underlying acquirer
Not a hardware terminal but covered here because it is the most disruptive UK card-acceptance product of 2025-2026. Take contactless card and Apple Pay payments directly on a compatible iPhone with no separate reader. Be...
- Zero hardware cost.
- Faster setup than any physical terminal.
- iPhone XS or newer required (Android equivalent uses Tap to Pay on Android, separate product).
3. Square Terminal
4.1 / 51.75% per transaction (UK) · £149 to £199 · No contract
Square Terminal is the strongest all-in-one no-contract UK card terminal for independent retail and small hospitality in 2026. £149 to £199 hardware with built-in receipt printer, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no m...
- Strong POS app and reporting.
- No contract, no monthly fee for hardware.
- 1.75% UK rate is high vs Dojo blended.
4. Zettle Reader 2
4.0 / 51.75% per transaction · £59 to £79 · No contract
Zettle Reader 2 is the cheapest UK card reader to start taking card payments in 2026, on hardware cost. £59 to £79 one-off, 1.75% per transaction, no contract, no monthly fee. Pairs with a phone or tablet over Bluetooth ...
- Cheapest entry point for hardware (£59).
- PayPal ecosystem integration.
- 1.75% rate uncompetitive above £8k monthly.
5. Revolut Card Reader
3.7 / 50.8% 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. Best fit for Revolut Business users with in...
- 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 (<£10k 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, last reviewed 2026-04-26. 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.
Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director for Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937). Editorial methodology: how we score UK card terminals.
FAQ
What is better than SumUp Solo in 2026?
In our 2026 UK review, Dojo Go scores the highest of the five alternatives at 4.4 of 5 (vs 4.2 for SumUp Solo). It runs 1.4% to 1.9% blended on a 12 months minimum contract, hardware £0 with rolling monthly fee. 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 and £149 to £199 for hardware. 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?
Revolut Card Reader has the lowest headline rate of the five alternatives at 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier), hardware £49 hardware, contract subscription-tier dependent (revolut business plan). 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 is the strongest pick on the shortlist for sole traders, mobile traders, market stalls, scoring 4.4 of 5 in our 2026 review. Dojo Go is the strongest UK card terminal for hospitality and retail at £10k+ monthly card volume in 2026. Blended pricing 1.4% to 1.9%, 12-month minimum contract, hardware free with a monthly fee. Sa...
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 80+ UK acquirers; we are not tied to any acquirer on the shortlist above.
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Get matched →Last reviewed: 2026-04-26. Editorial by Oliver Mackman, Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).