Best first card terminals for new UK businesses 2026

Your first card terminal as a new UK business. The right answer is almost always no-contract, low upfront cost, and an acquirer that can onboard a brand-new merchant without 12 months of trading history. These are the strongest options for sole traders, new Ltd companies, and freshly-launched SMBs.

The ranking

1. SumUp Solo

4.2 / 5

Best first card reader for sole traders

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

SumUp Solo is the strongest first-time choice. £99 hardware, no contract, 1.69% per transaction, free 4G SIM. SumUp onboards new businesses in 24 to 72 hours and does not require trading history. Built for sole traders and new Ltds doing sub-£10k monthly volume.

2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)

4.2 / 5

Best first option with zero hardware

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 is the cheapest possible first step into card acceptance. iPhone XS or newer, no hardware cost, no contract, choose the acquirer (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Stripe, Tide, Revolut). Best fit for new mobile traders or service businesses.

3. Zettle Reader 2

4.0 / 5

Cheapest first hardware

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

Zettle Reader 2 at £59 is the cheapest first card reader. 1.75% per transaction, no contract. PayPal ecosystem; useful if you already use PayPal for online sales.

4. Square Terminal

4.1 / 5

Best first all-in-one

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

Square Terminal at £149 to £199 is the strongest first all-in-one for new retail or small hospitality. Built-in receipt printer, full POS app (free), no contract. Square Online lets you set up a free e-commerce store at the same time.

5. Tide Card Reader

3.8 / 5

Best first reader if banking with Tide

Compact Bluetooth-paired reader (similar to Zettle / SumUp) · 1.5% per transaction (UK) · No contract

Tide Card Reader at £49 with 1.5% per transaction is the cheapest mainstream rate. Conditional on Tide Business banking. Best fit for new sole traders who open a Tide account at company formation.

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	Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)	Same as the underlying acquirer	£0 hardware (you already have the iPhone)	Same as the underlying acquirer
#3	Zettle Reader 2	1.75% per transaction	£59 to £79	No contract
#4	Square Terminal	1.75% per transaction (UK)	£149 to £199	No contract
#5	Tide Card Reader	1.5% per transaction (UK)	£49 hardware	No contract

FAQs

What is the best first card terminal for a new UK business?

SumUp Solo is the strongest first-time choice for most new UK businesses at 2026 rates. £99 hardware, no contract, 1.69% per transaction, fast onboarding (24 to 72 hours). For mobile or service businesses with an iPhone, Tap to Pay on iPhone is the cheapest possible start. Tide Card Reader is the cheapest if you bank with Tide.

How quickly can a new business get a card terminal?

No-contract products (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Tide, Revolut) onboard new businesses in 24 to 72 hours typically. Contract products (Dojo, Worldpay, Tyl) take longer (5 to 14 days) and often require trading history. For a brand-new business needing to take cards in week one, no-contract is the right answer.

Do I need a Ltd company or can I be a sole trader?

Sole traders are accepted by all mainstream no-contract acquirers (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Tide, Revolut, Stripe). Sole traders provide name, address, date of birth, NI number, and trading details. Ltd companies provide the same plus Companies House registration. Onboarding is faster for Ltd companies because verification is more automatic.

What if my new business gets declined by an acquirer?

Mainstream acquirers decline merchants in restricted categories (vape, CBD, adult, gambling, debt-collection, payday lending). High-risk specialists (Trust Payments, Universe Payments, Acquired.com) accept these. See our /high-risk/ section for verticals that need specialist routing.

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: 2026-05-09.