Best no-contract card machine UK 2026
The best no-contract UK card machine in 2026 is SumUp Solo (£99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% flat, free 4G SIM), Square Terminal (£149, 1.75%, built-in receipt printer), Zettle Reader 2 (£59 to £79, 1.75%, Bluetooth-paired) or Tap to Pay on iPhone (zero hardware on iPhone XS or newer). All four take pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly fee, no contract, no exit fee. The contract trade-off only starts winning above around £15,000 monthly card volume where blended Dojo or Tyl rates beat 1.69%.
The ranking
1. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best overall no-contract
Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo is the strongest no-contract UK terminal in 2026. £99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% flat rate, free 4G SIM, no monthly fee, no contract, no exit fee. Same-day payouts on SumUp One plan. Built for the no-commitment merchant.
2. Square Terminal
4.1 / 5Best all-in-one no-contract
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 with 1.75% per UK card-present transaction. No monthly fee, no contract, no commitment beyond the hardware. Built-in receipt printer, Square POS integration, Square Online integration for omnichannel.
3. Zettle Reader 2
4.0 / 5Best entry-level no-contract
Compact card reader (pairs with phone or tablet) · 1.75% per transaction · No contract
PayPal Zettle Reader 2 at £59 to £79 with 1.75% per transaction. No monthly fee, no contract. Pairs to phone or tablet via Bluetooth. Lowest hardware entry point for a no-contract reader.
4. Tide Card Reader
3.8 / 5Best no-contract for Tide customers
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, no contract. Settlement same-day to Tide Business banking. Cheapest UK mainstream rate among no-contract products if you bank with Tide.
5. Revolut Card Reader
3.7 / 5Best no-contract international
Compact Bluetooth-paired reader · 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) · Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan)
Revolut Card Reader at £49 with 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (on higher Revolut Business plans). No contract on the hardware, though the Revolut Business plan is monthly. Strong multi-currency and FX integration.
6. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
4.2 / 5Zero-hardware no-contract
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. iPhone XS or newer running iOS 16.4+ acts as the card machine. Pick your acquirer (SumUp, Square, Zettle, Stripe, Tide, Revolut) and run no-contract pricing from there.
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 | Tide Card Reader | 1.5% per transaction (UK) | £49 hardware | No contract |
| #5 | Revolut Card Reader | 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) | £49 hardware | Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan) |
| #6 | 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 no-contract UK card machine?
SumUp Solo is the strongest overall no-contract pick for 2026: £99 to £149 hardware, 1.69% flat rate, no monthly fee, no contract, free 4G SIM. Square Terminal at £149 wins on all-in-one feature set if you want a built-in receipt printer and POS software. Zettle Reader 2 at £59 to £79 is the cheapest entry point.
Do no-contract card machines have exit fees?
No. That is the whole point. Cancel any time, no exit fee, no early-termination charge. You keep or sell the hardware, the acquirer relationship simply ends. Confirm this in writing on the merchant agreement before signing; some no-contract products carry a soft commitment.
When does a contract beat a no-contract rate?
Roughly £15,000 monthly card volume. Below that, no-contract rates (1.5% to 1.75%) beat contract rates plus monthly fees. Above £15k monthly, blended contract rates (Dojo 1.4% to 1.9%, Tyl from 0.74%) start winning back the contract trade-off. Use /fees-calculator/ to model your specific volume.
Can I switch acquirers freely on a no-contract setup?
Yes. The whole no-contract proposition is that you can leave when something better comes along. MerchantHQ manages quarterly rate reviews on every customer, including no-contract setups, so if a better-fitting acquirer or a better rate emerges we surface it.
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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Open quote form →Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.