Home / UK / Best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Square vs SumUp POS
Plan prices, card rates and contracts in the UK, side by side, from each vendor's own website.
Higher score
Square
Free till app and card readers from Square.
#1 of 10 in best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Read more about SquareVisit SquareSumUp POS
Card readers and a till app from SumUp.
#3 of 10 in best EPOS systems for UK restaurants
Read more about SumUp POSVisit SumUp POSWhich one?
Choose Square if
- Easier to leave: cancel anytime against cancel at month end, after the first term
Choose SumUp POS if
- Lower card rate: 1.69% against 1.75%
Side by side
| Line | Square | SumUp POS |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 9.5 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
| Starts at | No monthly fee | No monthly fee |
| Plans | Free: Free | Pay-as-you-go: Free; Payments Plus: £19/mo; POS Plus: £39/mo |
| In-person card rate | 1.75% | 1.69% |
| Online card rate | 1.4% + 25p | 2.5% |
| Commission on orders | Not published | Not published |
| Contract | Cancel anytime | Cancel at month end, after the first term |
| Early exit fee | Not stated | Not stated |
| Hardware from | From £19 | Not stated |
| Last checked | 9 Oct 2026 | 9 Oct 2026 |
“Not published” and “Not stated” mean the vendor's own pricing and terms pages did not give the figure when we read them; the sources below name each page and date. Hover a figure to see the vendor's words.
How the scores add up
Square: 9.5
SumUp POS: 7.5
Same formula for every system. How we score
Square vs SumUp POS: questions owners ask
Which is cheaper to start, Square or SumUp POS?
Square: no monthly fee. SumUp POS: no monthly fee.
Which has the lower card rate?
Square: 1.75% in person. SumUp POS: 1.69% in person.
What do they charge on online payments?
Square: 1.4% + 25p. SumUp POS: 2.5%.
Do Square or SumUp POS take commission on orders?
Square: we did not find a commission figure on Square's own pages. SumUp POS: we did not find a commission figure on SumUp POS's own pages.
Which has the more flexible contract?
Square: cancel anytime. SumUp POS: cancel at month end, after the first term.
How much notice do they need to cancel?
Square: none stated: the merchant may terminate at any time from Square Account Settings. SumUp POS: cancellation takes effect at the end of the month in which notice is given, and only after the initial subscription period has ended.
Do their contracts renew automatically?
Square: we did not find a renewal term on Square's own pages. SumUp POS: we did not find a renewal term on SumUp POS's own pages.
What does it cost to leave early?
Square: no fixed term, so no exit fee. SumUp POS: we did not find an early exit fee on SumUp POS's own pages.
Who owns my customer data?
Square: we did not find a data ownership term on Square's own pages. SumUp POS: sumUp processes the personal data of the merchant's employees and customers only as a processor on the merchant's behalf under a Data Processing Agreement.
Do I need to buy hardware?
Square: hardware from £19. SumUp POS: we did not find a hardware price on SumUp POS's own pages.
Which publishes more of its prices?
Square: all plan prices published. SumUp POS: all plan prices published.
Which scores higher, Square or SumUp POS?
Square 9.5/10 and SumUp POS 7.5/10 on the same formula: prices published, entry price, fees and contract. The breakdown on this page shows where each point comes from.
Should I choose Square or SumUp POS?
Choose Square for: easier to leave: cancel anytime against cancel at month end, after the first term. Choose SumUp POS for: lower card rate: 1.69% against 1.75%. Then check the features you need on each vendor's own site: the score covers price and terms only.
Where every figure on this page comes from
Square
- Free plan. “Sell in person, online, over the phone or out in the field. No setup fees or monthly fees - only pay when you take a payment. £0 /mo \+ processing fees” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- In-person card rate. “Take any contactless, mobile or chip and PIN payment at the counter or on the go. 1.75% for transactions with UK cards” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Online card rate. “When a customer makes a purchase through your Online Store, Online Checkout, eCommerce API. 1.4% + 25p for transactions with UK cards” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Fixed fee per online payment. “When a customer makes a purchase through your Online Store, Online Checkout, eCommerce API. 1.4% + 25p for transactions with UK cards” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Contract, as the pricing page states it. “Upgrade when you want to, cancel anytime.” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Cheapest hardware. “£19 + VAT” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Notice period, from the terms. “You may terminate these General Terms or any Additional Terms at any time from your Square Account Settings.” squareup.com/gb/en/legal/general/ua, read 9 Oct 2026
- Free plan. “No setup fees or monthly fees - only pay when you take a payment.” squareup.com/gb/en/pricing, read 9 Oct 2026
- Commission on orders: not published. Not stated on squareup.com/gb/en/pricing when read on 9 Oct 2026.
SumUp POS
- Pay-as-you-go plan. “### 1.69% Transaction fee £0 Our default option if your sales vary through the year and you want full flexibility with no monthly fixed cost.” sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Payments Plus plan. “### 0.99% Transaction fee £189/year Save 17% £19/month Cut your fees and save money if you take £3,000 or more a month.” sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- POS Plus plan. “POS Plus ## £39 Monthly cost (excl. VAT) Advanced hospitality and retail functionality  Map and manage your floor plan  Sync with accounting systems  Enable barcode scanning” sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- In-person card rate. “1.69% for all other in-person payments (including American Express and premium cards)” sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Online card rate. “2.5% for online payments (e.g. with Payment Links or Bookings)” sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Cancelling, from the terms. “You can cancel your subscription at any time after the expiration of your initial subscription period. The cancellation will then take effect at the end of the month in which you have given notice of cancellation.” sumup.com/en-gb/terms/point-of-sale-services/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Notice period, from the terms. “You can cancel your subscription at any time after the expiration of your initial subscription period. The cancellation will then take effect at the end of the month in which you have given notice of cancellation.” sumup.com/en-gb/terms/point-of-sale-services/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Leaving early, from the terms. “In case you decide to cancel the POS Services or any Associated Services before the expiry of your subscription period, you are obligated to continue to pay the Subscription Fees until the end of your subscription period, and we will not be liable for refunding the paid subscription fees or any other fees and costs, but you continue to have access to the Subscription Service through the end of your initial period.” sumup.com/en-gb/terms/point-of-sale-services/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Who owns your data, from the terms. “SumUp may process personal data of your employees and/or customers as a processor on your behalf as indicated in the” sumup.com/en-gb/terms/point-of-sale-services/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Your data, from the terms. “To provide you with our services under these POS Terms, SumUp may process personal data of your employees and/or customers as a processor on your behalf as indicated in the [Data Processing Agreement (“DPA”)](https://www.sumup.com/en-gb/terms/dpa/)” sumup.com/en-gb/terms/point-of-sale-services/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Hardware terms. “You acknowledge that the purchase of POS Hardware including, but not limited to tablets, registers, printers, consumer-facing displays, and card readers is subject to the terms and conditions specified in the applicable” sumup.com/en-gb/terms/point-of-sale-services/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Free plan. “No, with our default pay-as-you-go option, there’s no monthly fee.” sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/, read 9 Oct 2026
- Commission on orders: not published. Not stated on sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/ when read on 9 Oct 2026.