Written by Robbie Mizzone Published on 17 July 2024 On this page SumUp vs Stripe: Battle Breakdown Best Value Best for Features Best for Compliance Best for Customer Support Alternatives to SumUp and Stripe How We Compared Stripe and SumUp And the Winner is… FAQs Expand SumUp and Stripe are both major players in the mobile card reader and POS software space. Based on our comprehensive research, SumUp comes out as the undeniable winner. Its exceptional 4.2/5 score was awarded primarily because of its independently functioning mobile card readers and solid value for money.If you’re not sure which one is right for your business, you can use our free comparison tool to get a customised quote from one of our trusted merchant account providers. But if you prefer to do your own research, read on to learn the key differences between SumUp and Stripe. Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Score 4.3 Score 4.4 Best For Easy setup Best For Reporting Cost From £39 + VAT Cost From £49 + VAT Transaction fee 1.69% in-person2.5% online, invoices, links2.95% + 25p virtual terminalZero fees for QR codes Transaction fee 1.5% + 20p online (UK card)1.4% + 10p in-person (UK card)1.2% + 20p for payment links (UK card) Native EPOS system? Native EPOS system? Invoicing tool Invoicing tool Readers with mobile data Readers with mobile data SumUp vs Stripe: Battle BreakdownIn most categories, SumUp defeats Stripe, with its cheaper hardware and a pay-as-you-go model that avoids flat fees. This makes it a better option for smaller businesses with higher transaction volumes.SumUp’s standout feature is its independently functioning card readers—especially the Solo model, which doesn’t require a connected device to process payments. SumUp also has a slightly higher customer score than Stripe and a faster payout time of one to three days versus Stripe’s three-day minimum.Stripe provides a huge range of payment services for all types of companies, specialising mostly in online payments for larger businesses. It wins out only in the customer service category, featuring 24/7 availability and omnichannel contact methods.All of these factors contribute to SumUp’s superior score of 4.2/5 compared to Stripe’s 4/5.SumUpStripeWinnerPrice3.6/53.2/5SumUp: No flat transaction fee and cheaper hardwareFeatures3.7/53.4/5SumUp: Card reader accepts payments independentlyCompliance4.6/52.7/5SumUp: 1-3 day payout timeCustomer support3.5/55/5Stripe: 24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chatCustomer score4.9/54.5/5SumUp: Better reviews on most online stores SumUp 4.2 Pricing From £39 + VAT Quick overview SumUp provides card readers and POS systems geared towards small to medium-sized businesses. Once you pay £39 + VAT for a physical card reader, SumUp operates via pay-as-you-go pricing under a simple percentage-based model. It also provides free EPOS software and web-building capabilities.SumUp's most unique and cutting-edge feature is its independently operating card readers. In particular, its Solo card reader doesn’t need to be hooked up to any phone or computer system—it can take payments totally on its own. This is one of the main reasons why SumUp came out on top in our review.The only category where SumUp falls short is its customer service. In 2024, no live chat function is a pretty big bummer—that’s why SumUp scored only 3.5/5 in the customer support category. Read more + Read less - Pros Independent card readers Cost-effective hardware Cons Reporting could be bette Support isn’t available via live chat If you’d like to know more about SumUp, check out our SumUp review. Stripe 4 Pricing From £49 + VAT Quick overview Stripe is a sprawling payment platform that offers mobile card readers and POS systems as part of its huge range of business payment solutions. Its card reading hardware costs £49 + VAT, after which it operates under pay-as-you-go pricing via a percentage-based model. But there’s also a flat fee applied.One of Stripe’s best features is its low-cost invoicing system, which takes raw payment data and automatically turns it into customer invoices for a small percentage fee.Stripe Payments is great for online businesses selling internationally, accepting 135 currencies. Meanwhile, its seven different reporting tools can help with the scaling of brick-and-mortar shops. Overall, Stripe Payments receives a solid 4/5 score. Read more + Read less - Pros Excellent reporting Cheap automatic invoicing Cons Few third-party integrations Bad for connectivity To learn more about Stripe, check out our Stripe review. Best ValueThough SumUp charges higher transaction fees than Stripe, it provides better value for money.SumUp charges a 2.5% transaction fee for online purchases and a 1.69% transaction fee for in-person purchases. But Stripe charges 1.5% and 1.4% for the same categories – in addition to a flat fee of 20p and 10p, respectively.For a low volume of large purchases, Stripe wins out—but the businesses that need the POS and card reader software provided by SumUp and Stripe are likely to be smaller businesses with a higher volume of smaller transactions. In that case, Stripe’s flat fee will start to rack up costs quickly.SumUp’s cheapest physical card readers cost £39, compared to Stripe’s £49. Additionally, SumUp’s mid-tier card reader costs a modest £79 + VAT compared to Stripe’s hefty £179 + VAT.Despite the price difference, Stripe doesn’t deliver much more overall functionality. All of its readers require pairing with some sort of POS device, whether a smartphone or POS system. But SumUp’s mid-tier reader, Solo, enables you to accept payments solely using the reader, with no external devices necessary.Don’t get us wrong, Stripe’s overall payment-processing ecosystem is broad and complex. For larger businesses seeking a highly customizable payment solution, it’s a great choice. But when it comes to reliable mobile card readers and POS systems for small to medium-sized businesses, SumUp wins out. Best for FeaturesDue to its laser focus on in-person transactions and card reading hardware, SumUp comes out on top with better features.Stripe is a cutting-edge platform offering immense payment customization for businesses—but these features apply mostly to its online payment options, not its in-person POS system or card readers. SumUp, on the other hand, is much more feature-rich where it counts for small businesses.Its card reader is ultra-reliable, providing around 500 transactions on a single battery charge as well as a native EPOS system. It also beats Stripe handily when it comes to integrations: 11 to 2 in favour of SumUp.Stripe does provide a helpful automatic invoicing system, charging a transaction fee of around 0.4%-0.5% per invoice—but SumUp provides the same service, with totally free options available.SumUp 🏆StripeScore3.7/53.4/5Key featureCard reader accepts payments independentlyPaired external device needed for payments Best for ComplianceSumUp wins out in compliance as well, due to its advertised payout time of one to three days, compared with Stripe’s standard of three days minimum. Stripe does offer accelerated payout options in select countries, but usually for an additional fee.That said, both SumUp and Stripe are fully PCI DSS-compliant, and both platforms encrypt sensitive data to guard against cyberattacks.SumUp 🏆StripeScore4.6/52.7/5Key feature1-3 day payout time3-day payout time Best for Customer SupportCustomer support is the only area where Stripe comes out as the winner. The platform offers 24/7 customer support, complete with live chat, email, and phone availability, scoring a rare 5/5.Compare that to SumUp, which offers customer support only during working hours on weekdays and lacks live chat, which we believe should be a staple in 2024.SumUpStripe 🏆Score3.5/55/5Key featureWeekday availability only, and no live chat feature24/7 customer support via phone, email, and live chat Alternatives to SumUp and Stripe Swipe right to see more 0 out of 0 backward forward Score 4.3 Score 4.6 Score 4.7 Score 4.2 Score 4.2 Monthly Fee None Monthly Fee None Monthly Fee From £0/month Monthly Fee None (no contract) Monthly Fee None Hardware Cost From £39 + VAT Hardware Cost From £19 + VAT Hardware Cost Contact for quote Hardware Cost From £89 + VAT Hardware Cost From £59 + VAT Transaction fee 2.5% online1.69% in-person Transaction fee 1.4% +25p online1.75% in-person Transaction fee Custom (as low as 0.2%) Transaction fee 1% — Get £150 cashback with the code EARNMORE Transaction fee 1.75% in-person2.5% payment links and invoicing Online payment gateway Free Online payment gateway Free Online payment gateway Contact for quote Online payment gateway Not available Online payment gateway Free Virtual terminal price Free Virtual terminal price Free Virtual terminal price Contact for quote Virtual terminal price Not available Virtual terminal price Not available Native EPOS system? Native EPOS system? Native EPOS system? Native EPOS system? Native EPOS system? Fund transfer time Next working days Fund transfer time By the next working day Fund transfer time 1-3 days Fund transfer time 1-3 business days Fund transfer time 1-2 working days Invoicing tool Invoicing tool Invoicing tool Invoicing tool Invoicing tool Square is another one of the most popular card reading solutions on the market today, and based on our research, it beats both SumUp and Stripe with an overall score of 4.8/5. Square’s card reader costs a measly £16 + VAT, and it features a native EPOS system and more integrations than its two rivals.Zettle is another top scorer, also earning a 4.8/5. Convenience is Zettle’s strong suit, with guaranteed two-day payouts—the fastest we’ve found so far in a mobile card reader and POS system. Card readers start at £29 + VAT. How We Compared Stripe and SumUpTo bring you our reviews, we tested and researched 18 payment services providers, assessing them across five main areas of investigation, and 23 subcategories. These included ease of use, the quality and feel of hardware, and the price of products and services.Here’s what we looked at:Hardware: we looked at the size, weight, and portability, of the card machines they offer, and assessed their connectivity, interface, receipt printing, and battery life.Software: we tallied up how many payment types and methods each provider accepts, looked at payout times, reporting and security features, EPOS functionality, and what systems it integrates with.Pricing: we compared monthly fees, card machine costs, transaction fees and contract lengths against the features of each payment services provider, to determine the value for money of each.Ease of use: we had several different average users test each card machine and payment processing system to see how intuitive each one was to use, and how quickly everyday tasks could be completed.Help and support: we assessed providers based on how many different channels of support they offered, and how available and responsive the support team was.We then gave each provider an overall score based on how well they faired in the above assessment categories. And the Winner is… SumUpWhile Stripe puts up a fight with solid customer support and a decent range of features, SumUp comes out as the overall winner, scoring 4.2/5 compared to Stripe’s 4/5. SumUp’s edge comes mostly from its cost-effective hardware, transaction fees without flat rates, and the unique capability of its Solo card reader to accept payments independently.SumUp also leads in the customer score category, which really can’t be overstated—better overall customer satisfaction is one of the most important metrics there is. It also provides essential services like an EPOS system at no extra cost, a feature Stripe lacks. SumUp vs Stripe FAQs Are SumUp and Stripe the same? SumUp and Stripe provide similar but not identical services. SumUp specialises in card readers and in-person POS systems. While Stripe offers these services as well, it focuses mostly on online payment processing for more complex businesses. Why choose SumUp? SumUp is highly rated by customers and is very reliable. Its standout feature is its independent mobile card reader, Solo, which can receive and process payments without any external device needed. Choose SumUp if you run a small to medium-sized business and prioritise reliability over customisation. Is Stripe the best payment platform? Stripe excels in online payment processing with a high level of customisation, making it ideal for larger, online-based businesses with complex needs. However, for smaller businesses focused on in-person operations, we found its card readers and POS systems overly expensive for the features they provide. Written by: Robbie Mizzone Robbie holds a BSc in Accounting and Finance from Centenary University, New Jersey. He’s worked as a staff accountant at Unity Bank and Kering (Gucci, Balenciaga), focusing on financial reporting, account reconciliation, and complex accrual analysis. In addition to banks and private companies, Robbie also has experience working in the luxury hospitality and construction sectors, giving him a well-rounded understanding of each sector’s unique needs.