How SumUp's pricing is structured
SumUp's headline pricing is a single percentage rate per transaction, with no fixed per-transaction fee in most markets. Typical rates sit in the 1.5 to 2.7 percent range depending on the country and the payment method (card-present is cheaper than card-not-present). There is no monthly fee, no setup fee, and no contract length in the standard plans.
This pricing shape — flat percentage, no fixed fee, no monthly minimum — is the opposite of what most online-first processors offer. It is designed to be easy for very small or new businesses to sign up to and use without budgeting overhead.
Where this model fits well
SumUp's structure works in the merchant's favour when transaction sizes are small and frequent, when the merchant is in person, and when monthly volume is low.
- Low average order value (no fixed fee dominates the rate).
- Card-present transactions (lower percentage tier).
- Low monthly volume (no monthly fee to amortise).
- Markets with limited multi-currency or international card mix.
- Businesses that prefer no contract and no platform setup.
Where the model becomes expensive
The same simplicity that helps a low-AOV in-person merchant works against a different profile. As average order value climbs, the lack of a fixed fee stops being an advantage — the percentage rate is the entire cost. As international or online-card-not-present share grows, the higher rate tier applies and SumUp's effective rate drifts up. At enterprise volumes, a custom-rate provider almost always beats it.
If your business does most of its volume online with international buyers and an average order value above roughly 50–100, a percentage-plus-fixed model from a Stripe or Adyen tier is usually cheaper end-to-end, even with the fixed component. Run the numbers on your last quarter rather than relying on the headline.
How to compare SumUp to others fairly
Use the same framework you would use for any provider. Pull a representative sample of transactions, model what you would pay at each provider's full rate card, and compare effective rate at the bottom.
- Calculate effective rate (total fees / total volume) on three months of real data.
- Include international and FX surcharges, not just the headline.
- Add monthly fees from competing providers (SumUp's zero monthly is real money on low volumes).
- Add hardware cost amortised over expected life (SumUp readers are paid up front).
- Include refund and chargeback policy — material if you have above 2 percent refund rate.
A practical example
A small café processes 1,500 card-present transactions a month at an average value of 12. Total volume: 18,000. At SumUp's typical card-present rate of 1.7 percent, fees are roughly 306 a month. At a competing provider quoting 1.5 percent plus 0.25 fixed, fees are 270 + 375 = 645. SumUp wins clearly on this transaction profile because the fixed fee dominates at low AOV.
If the same café took the same volume online at 18,000 across only 200 orders averaging 90 each, SumUp's online rate (around 2.5 percent) would cost 450 a month. The competing provider at 1.5 percent + 0.25 would cost 270 + 50 = 320. The economics flip entirely.
Common mistakes
First, assuming flat-rate is always cheapest because it looks simple — it is cheapest only on certain transaction profiles. Second, ignoring the difference between SumUp's card-present and online rates when forecasting; the gap is meaningful. Third, sticking with SumUp out of inertia after the business has changed shape — what was the right choice at 5,000 a month often is not at 50,000 a month.