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Card processing review

SumUp

SumUp's flat-rate card readers: 2.6% + 10¢ in person and 3.5% + 15¢ online or keyed in, with a $0 monthly plan, no chargeback fee and no monthly minimums. Deposits take 1 to 2 business days (next day to a SumUp Business Account). Its optional paid POS plans require 12-month contracts.

By SumUpParent company: SumUp Holdings S.à r.l. (private)

RTC SCORE

3.9

#16 of 16 with enough data

Our verdict

A simple, published flat rate with no monthly fee for a food truck or small counter-service restaurant that can run on SumUp's own app. Check the contract before choosing a paid POS plan, and plan for 1 to 2 business days to get your money unless you use SumUp's business account.

What we like

  • No monthly fee with card readers or POS Lite, no chargeback fee and no monthly minimums.
  • Hardware bought once: the Plus card reader is $54.
  • Next-day payouts to the SumUp Business Account, which has no monthly fee.

What to watch

  • 3.5% + 15¢ online and keyed in.
  • Card payments only work through SumUp's own app or POS, which isn't built for full-service restaurants.
  • Paid POS plans lock you into 12-month contracts that renew automatically.
  • SumUp can change its fees at its discretion, with no notice period in its terms, and support isn't 24/7.

How the score breaks down

RTC Score3.9out of 10

Methodology v0.1.0

Data completeness100%

We could verify 100% of the scoring data

Strongest points
What leaving in month 12 costs, Published pricing, Standard deposit speed
Weakest point
12-month cost of the reference restaurant

Score by criterion

  • 12-month cost of the reference restaurantWeight 37%Weakest1.2 out of 10

    $10,764 over 12 months

  • Standard deposit speedWeight 11%Strongest5.0 out of 10
  • What leaving in month 12 costsWeight 9%Strongest10.0 out of 10

    $0 to leave in month 12

  • Price increases during the contractWeight 8%0.0 out of 10
  • Published pricingWeight 7%Strongest10.0 out of 10
  • 24/7 supportWeight 6%0.0 out of 10
  • Contract termWeight 4%10.0 out of 10
  • Support channelsWeight 4%6.0 out of 10
  • No equipment lease you can't cancelWeight 3%10.0 out of 10
  • Works with restaurant POS systemsWeight 3%0.0 out of 10
  • Automatic renewalWeight 2%10.0 out of 10
  • Equipment works with another processorWeight 2%0.0 out of 10
  • Offers dual pricing or a surcharge programWeight 2%0.0 out of 10
  • Works without the vendor's own POSWeight 1%0.0 out of 10

All the data, with sources

Each value links to its source. "Not published" means the vendor doesn't disclose it; "Unconfirmed" means we looked and couldn't confirm it. Data points we have for fewer than four vendors are left out until we can compare them.

Type of processor and pricing
Data pointValue
Type of processorFlat-rate payment company (payment facilitator)Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Pricing modelFlat rateSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Published pricing (points out of 100)100Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Same rubric for every vendor: in-person rate published 25; online and keyed rate 15; monthly fee ($0 plan, published) 20; early termination fee ($0: its US terms let you close the account, with no fee) 20; other fees 20 (no chargeback fee and no monthly minimums, stated).
Card rates
Data pointValue
In-person rate2.6%Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
In-person fee per transaction10¢Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Online rate3.5%Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Online payments (payment links, invoices, online store) and keyed-in payments cost the same.
Online fee per transaction15¢Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Keyed-in rate3.5%Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Keyed-in fee per transaction15¢Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
American Express pricingSame rate as other cardsSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp publishes one rate per channel for every card; there's no separate American Express rate.
American Express rateN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: American Express costs the same as other cards.
Rates by monthly volumeN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: one published rate for any volume.
Monthly and other fees
Data pointValue
Monthly account or plan fee$0/moSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)With card readers or POS Lite. POS Plus ($49 a month) and SumUp POS (from $99 a month) are optional POS plans.
Annual fee per account$0/yrSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp promises no hidden fees and no monthly minimums on its US pricing page and lists no fee of this kind.
Annual fees per device or location$0/yr per deviceSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp promises no hidden fees and no monthly minimums on its US pricing page and lists no fee of this kind.
PCI compliance fee (yearly)$0/yrSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp promises no hidden fees and no monthly minimums on its US pricing page and lists no fee of this kind.
PCI non-compliance fee (monthly)$0/moSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp promises no hidden fees and no monthly minimums on its US pricing page and lists no fee of this kind.
Statement fee$0/moSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp promises no hidden fees and no monthly minimums on its US pricing page and lists no fee of this kind.
Monthly minimum$0/moSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)No monthly minimum, stated.
Fee per batch$0Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp promises no hidden fees and no monthly minimums on its US pricing page and lists no fee of this kind.
Chargeback fee$0Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)No fee for a chargeback; the disputed amount is held until the dispute is resolved.
Other feesOptional POS plans: POS Plus $49 a month and SumUp POS from $99 a month (12-month contracts that renew automatically, plus a setup fee whose amount isn't published, per NerdWallet; dedicated installation support $199, per NerdWallet). Loyalty plans (Connect) $269 or $349 a month. Card readers are bought upfront.Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Equipment
Data pointValue
How you get the equipmentYou buy itSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)You buy the card reader or terminal once; SumUp doesn't rent hardware.
Price of a countertop terminal$249 one-timeSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp Terminal (handheld, with the POS app). The Plus card reader is $54 on SumUp's site.
Equipment lease you can't cancelNoSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp sells its hardware and says it has no hardware rentals.
Equipment lease termN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: no lease.
Equipment at $0 upfront: what it commits you toN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: hardware is paid upfront.
Equipment only works with this processorYesSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp's terms only let you use its terminals to take payments through the SumUp app, and you can't sell or transfer them.
Getting your money
Data pointValue
Standard deposit speedTwo business daysSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)To your bank, 1 to 2 business days; we count the slowest end of that range. With the SumUp Business Account (no monthly fee), payouts arrive the next day.
Instant payout feeUnconfirmedSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp's US pricing and help pages don't offer an instant payout; the fastest option is next-day payouts to the SumUp Business Account.
Holds and reservesSumUp's terms let it withhold payouts and build a reserve at any time, at its sole discretion, including one based on your risk profile, and keep a reserve for up to 13 months after your account closes. During a chargeback it also holds the disputed amount until the dispute is resolved.Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Contract and exit
Data pointValue
Contract termMonth to monthSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Month to month with the $0 plan (card readers or POS Lite), which is the one that covers card processing: the terms have no term and no closure fee. The optional paid POS plans require 12 months and renew automatically (per NerdWallet). Above $1,000,000 a year in credit card sales, card network rules may require a separate agreement with SumUp's acquiring bank.
Automatic renewalMonth to monthSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Nothing renews on the $0 plan; the paid POS plans' contracts renew automatically (the period isn't published).
Notice to avoid renewalN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply on the $0 plan; for paid POS plans the notice isn't published.
Notice to cancel0 daysSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)No notice period to close the processing account.
Early termination feeNo early termination fee on the $0 plan. On a paid POS plan, SumUp charges no cancellation fee but you pay what's left of the 12-month contract (per NerdWallet, citing SumUp).()Source: NerdWallet (opens in a new tab)
How the early termination fee is calculatedNo early termination feeSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)No early termination fee with the $0 plan (card readers or POS Lite). Paid POS plans are 12-month contracts: SumUp told NerdWallet it charges no cancellation fee, but you pay what's left of the contract.
Liquidated damages clauseNoSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)No clause charges you lost processing revenue. On paid POS plans, leaving early means paying the rest of the plan's 12 months.
Price increases during the contractAt any timeSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp can change its fees and plans at its discretion; revised terms take effect when they're posted (not retroactively), with no notice period, and if you don't agree you must stop using the service.
Right to raise pricesSumUp can change its fees and plans at its discretion; revised terms take effect when posted, not retroactively, and if you don't agree you must stop using the service.Source: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Personal guarantee by the signerUnconfirmedSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp's US terms have no personal guarantee clause; whether the application asks for one isn't published.
Dual pricing and surcharges
Data pointValue
Dual pricing or surcharge programNoSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp doesn't publish a dual pricing, surcharge or cash discount program for US merchants (we checked its US pricing, POS and help pages).
Cards the program coversN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: no program.
Monthly fee for the programN/ASource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Doesn't apply: no program.
Your POS and your business
Data pointValue
Works with these restaurant POSNoneSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp's readers work with its own app and POS (POS Lite, POS Plus, SumUp POS), not with restaurant POS systems on our list.
Requires the vendor's own POSYesSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Card payments go through SumUp's own app or POS; POS Lite costs $0 a month.
Monthly volume it's built for$0/moSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)No minimum volume and no monthly minimums.
Accepts high-risk businessesUnconfirmedSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp doesn't say on its US pages whether it accepts high-risk businesses.
Routes debit to the lowest-cost networkUnconfirmedSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp doesn't say whether it routes US debit to the lowest-cost network.
Support
Data pointValue
24/7 support for merchantsNoSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)Phone and email Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. NerdWallet reports POS phone support every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.
Support channelsPhone, Email or formSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)
Language
Data pointValue
Support in SpanishHelp articles onlySource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp's US help center has Spanish articles (es-US); it doesn't publish a Spanish support line.
Merchant dashboard in SpanishUnconfirmedSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp doesn't document in which languages its US app and dashboard come.
Contract or terms in SpanishNoSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)The terms page of SumUp's Spanish US site shows the English text. Same rule for every vendor: we mark it "No" when we searched and found the terms only in other languages.
US website in SpanishYesSource: SumUp (opens in a new tab)SumUp's US site has a Spanish version (es-us).

More about SumUp

How we score