Card Machine: UK 2026 Pricing & Fee Calculator
A card machine lets you take in-person chip, contactless and wallet payments. This calculator uses a typical pay-as-you-go UK rate so you can compare against named readers.
What Card Machine charges
| Fee | Rate |
|---|---|
| In-person rate (typical PAYG) | 1.5% to 1.75% |
| Monthly fee (PAYG readers) | Usually none |
| Reader hardware | From about 19 to 59 pounds + VAT |
How the fees work
Mobile readers from the likes of Square, SumUp and PayPal charge a single flat rate (around 1.69% to 1.75%) on every UK card, with no monthly fee and a cheap one-off reader. They suit lower volumes and variable trading.
Once you are consistently above roughly 2,500 to 3,000 pounds a month, a subscription rate (for example SumUp One or a monthly merchant account) can beat pure pay-as-you-go even after the monthly fee. The break-even depends on your turnover and card mix.
Check the official pricing
Fees change. Confirm the current rate at Square UK pricing (benchmark). Also: SumUp UK pricing (benchmark).