Square and SumUp are the two easiest ways for a small business to start taking cards — and because we place both, we don't have a horse in this race. Here's the honest comparison.
Cost of entry
SumUp wins on price. Card readers start around $54 with no monthly software fee; the palm-size SumUp Terminal with built-in printer is $249; a full 13" register bundle is $499 — all one-time purchases. Square's reader is cheap too ($59), but its better hardware costs more (Terminal $299, Register $799) and the useful software features live in paid plans.
Ecosystem depth
Square wins on breadth. Inventory, eCommerce, appointments, payroll, loyalty, marketing — Square has an app for almost everything, and it scales into multi-location. SumUp keeps it simpler: register, payments, receipts, a loyalty program built into its POS plans, and not much bloat.
Processing rates
Nearly identical: both run flat-rate around 2.6% + 10¢ in person with higher keyed/online rates. At low volume, flat rate is fine. As volume grows, that flat percent starts to cost real money — that's when a rate review or a dual-pricing program (which neither Square nor SumUp offers natively) saves more than either brand's sticker price.
The quick rule of thumb
- Pick SumUp if you want the lowest all-in cost, a printer in your palm, and a simple counter — cafés, QSR, market vendors, mobile services.
- Pick Square if you'll grow into its ecosystem — inventory-heavy retail, appointments, online sales, multiple locations.