Tap to Pay: the phone becomes the card reader
The customer holds their card, phone, or watch near your phone. No device to buy. There is no maximum amount: above the contactless limit, usually €50, the customer enters their PIN on your screen.
AI tools · Accounting, finance, HR, legal
SumUp pricing, use cases, and first steps
SumUp lets you take a card payment in a shop, at a market, or at a customer’s site, with a phone or a small card reader. It adds invoices, payment links, a point of sale, and a business account. It is business software. It has no AI feature for you to use: AI mostly powers its support, which answers some of merchants’ questions.
SumUp has a free plan. The recommended plan to start with: Pay-as-you-go, €0 per month, plus 1.75% per payment. Prices checked on October 3, 2026 on the vendor’s official page.
SumUpTake card payments with a phone or a small card reader- Vendor
- SumUp (United Kingdom, account held by SumUp Limited in Ireland)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Recommended plan
- Pay-as-you-go, €0 per month, plus 1.75% per payment
- Page checked on
- October 3, 2026
What SumUp does
Who it’s for: shop owners, tradespeople, freelancers, nonprofits, and sales reps who take payments on the go.
Card readers
Three devices, bought once. The Solo Lite (€34) connects to your phone. The Solo (€79) has its own SIM card, with mobile data included. The Terminal (€169) adds Wi-Fi, 4G, and a receipt printer.
Payment links
You enter an amount, and SumUp creates a link. You send it by text message, WhatsApp, or email, and the customer pays online with their card. You get a notification as soon as it is paid.
Also
- Invoices and quotes
- The business account and its card
- The point of sale
- Online store, bookings, and loyalty
- Support that is partly answered by AI
SumUp pricing
Prices checked on October 3, 2026. Some SumUp pages advertise “Payments Plus” “from €16 per month”: that is the price of the yearly plan, expressed per month.
| Plan | Price | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Pay-as-you-go Recommended to start | €0 per month, plus 1.75% per payment | Sales that vary from month to month |
| Payments Plus | €19 per month, or €189 per year | From €2,600 in payments per month |
| Custom rates | Custom pricing | €10,000 in payments per month or more |
| Invoices Plus | €10 per month, excl. tax | People who invoice a lot |
| Business Account Plus | €25 per month, incl. VAT | Teams that share expenses |
| POS Plus | €49 per month, excl. tax | Shops and restaurants equipped with the SumUp point-of-sale register |
What the free plan includes
There is no required subscription. Sign-up, the app, Tap to Pay, invoices, and the business account have no monthly fee. You pay a fee on each payment: 1.75% in person, 2.50% online.
Nova’s advice
Start without a subscription: you pay only when you take a payment. Move to “Payments Plus” only if you regularly exceed €2,600 per month, and first check which cards your customers use: the reduced rate does not apply to business cards or to foreign cards from outside Europe.
A first try, in 5 minutes
Your data. SumUp is a European payment institution, supervised in Ireland, that keeps European data in Europe.
What it does less well
- No AI feature helps with your work. No on-demand summary of your sales, no automatic writing: SumUp is a payment tool.
- Every payment costs a fee. On large amounts, 1.75% adds up: compare with your bank’s contract before you buy.
Take a €1 payment with your phoneSumUp- Take your own bank card: you will play the customer. On €1, the fee is 1.75 cents (1.75% per payment).
- Open the SumUp Business app and enter the amount: 1.00.
- Tap “Charge,” then choose “Tap to Pay.”
- Hold the card against the phone for a few seconds.
- The screen shows the confirmation. The payment appears in your sales.
- The next day, check that the amount, minus the fee, has arrived in your business account.
Jobs that use SumUp
In the starter kit for 4 jobs.
Alternatives to SumUp
Stripe
If you sell mostly online: payments on a website, subscriptions, invoices to pay by card.
Qonto
For a fuller business account, with several cards, transfers, and team expense tracking.
Shopify
If the online store is your main business and the in-store point of sale is a complement.
Pennylane
For invoices, accounting, and cash flow shared with your accountant.
Frequently asked questions about SumUp
How much does SumUp cost?
Pay-as-you-go: €0 per month, plus 1.75% per payment; Payments Plus: €19 per month, or €189 per year; Custom rates: custom pricing; Invoices Plus: €10 per month, excl. tax; Business Account Plus: €25 per month, incl. VAT. Prices checked on October 3, 2026 on the vendor’s official page.
Can you use SumUp for free?
Yes. There is no required subscription. Sign-up, the app, Tap to Pay, invoices, and the business account have no monthly fee. You pay a fee on each payment: 1.75% in person, 2.50% online.
What happens to my data with SumUp?
SumUp is a European payment institution, supervised in Ireland, that keeps European data in Europe.
What are the alternatives to SumUp?
Stripe: If you sell mostly online: payments on a website, subscriptions, invoices to pay by card. Qonto: For a fuller business account, with several cards, transfers, and team expense tracking. Shopify: If the online store is your main business and the in-store point of sale is a complement. Pennylane: For invoices, accounting, and cash flow shared with your accountant.
Official pages consulted
Page checked on October 3, 2026. Brands are named to identify the tools. No affiliation.