Best card machine for new businesses UK 2026

For brand-new UK businesses opening their first card-accepting trading day. Limited companies in their first year, sole traders going self-employed, just-incorporated startups, businesses with no card-volume trading history. Most acquirers prefer 6+ months of trading; these are the products that approve day-one.

The ranking

1. SumUp Solo

4.2 / 5

Best day-one new business

Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract

SumUp Solo approves UK businesses on day-one trading with minimal underwriting. £99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% rate, no monthly fee, no contract. Up to £1,000 daily transaction limit on new accounts, lifted after 30 days of clean trading. The most permissive UK acquirer for new-business onboarding.

2. Square Terminal

4.1 / 5

Best new business with POS needs

All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract

Square Terminal at £149 with 1.75%. Same day-one approval, built-in receipt printer, free Square POS software, free Square Online store. Best fit for a new retail or hospitality business where the card machine plus till plus inventory plus online store should all be one stack.

3. Zettle Reader 2

4.0 / 5

Best cheapest entry for new business

Compact card reader (pairs with phone or tablet) · 1.75% per transaction · No contract

Zettle Reader 2 at £59 to £79 hardware. Lowest UK upfront cost. PayPal background means underwriting is broad but slow; expect 5-10 business days to fully activate. Good for new businesses with PayPal trading history elsewhere.

4. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)

4.2 / 5

Zero-hardware new business

iPhone XS or later running iOS 16.4+, no separate terminal · Same as the underlying acquirer · Same as the underlying acquirer

Tap to Pay on iPhone removes the hardware cost entirely. Pair to SumUp, Square or Zettle acquirer for day-one activation. Best for new mobile or service businesses (plumber, dog groomer, mobile beautician, taxi) who want to take card from day one with zero capex.

Quick comparison

Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.

Rank	Terminal	Rate	Hardware	Contract
#1	SumUp Solo	1.69% per transaction	£99 to £149 hardware	No contract
#2	Square Terminal	1.75% per transaction (UK)	£149 to £199	No contract
#3	Zettle Reader 2	1.75% per transaction	£59 to £79	No contract
#4	Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)	Same as the underlying acquirer	£0 hardware (you already have the iPhone)	Same as the underlying acquirer

FAQs

What is the best card machine for a brand-new UK business?

SumUp Solo is the most permissive UK acquirer for day-one approval in 2026: £99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% rate, no contract, lifts the £1,000 daily transaction limit after 30 days. Square Terminal is the strongest pick if you want the card machine plus POS plus online store on one stack. Tap to Pay on iPhone is the zero-hardware option.

Can a brand-new UK business get a Dojo or Worldpay card machine?

Possible but slow. Dojo, Worldpay, Tyl, Barclaycard, Adyen and Stripe all prefer 6+ months of trading history because their underwriting assesses card-volume risk against past data. New businesses go through extended KYC and often a soft daily transaction limit for the first 30 to 90 days. SumUp and Square approve day-one because their risk model tolerates the cold-start.

What does a UK acquirer need from a new business at sign-up?

Companies House confirmation (Ltd), beneficial-ownership disclosure (UBOs above 25%), proof of business address (utility or council bill), proof of director ID (passport or driving licence), business bank account (the same Ltd entity), and trading projections (volume forecast for the next 12 months). Sole traders provide HMRC self-assessment instead of Companies House.

When should a new UK business switch to a contract acquirer?

Once card volume is consistently above £10,000 monthly for 3+ months. At that point Dojo (same-day settlement, 1.4% to 1.9%) or Tyl by NatWest (rates from 0.74% for NatWest customers) start winning on TCA. MerchantHQ manages the switch with no trading downtime via /switching-help/.

Sign through us, get all of this

Take any of these. We do the rest.

Named UK account team for the life of the agreement. Acquirer pays our commission on completed introductions, so it costs you nothing on top.

24/7 dedicated support
Direct line to a named UK account manager, not a generic acquirer helpline. When your terminal goes down on a Saturday night you call us.
Quarterly rate reviews
As your card volume grows your rate should drop. We renegotiate against the 80+ UK acquirer panel every quarter, so you never overpay because you forgot to ask.
Chargeback and dispute help
UK chargebacks cost £15 to £35 per case and 60-80% are friendly fraud you can win with the right evidence. We draft the response and escalate where the acquirer drags its feet.
Switching support when you outgrow
If a better acquirer fit emerges as you grow we manage the cutover. No exit-fee surprises, no dual-running gap. Same account team across acquirers.

How we work, end to end →

Methodology

Rankings are based on direct hands-on testing, published rates, settlement timing, contract terms, and acquirer reliability. We do not accept payment for ranking position. See our full methodology and editorial policy.

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Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.