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Compare Card Payment Providers in the UK
Not all providers are the same. Here’s how to choose the right one for your business and avoid paying more than you need to.
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Why Comparing Payment Providers Matters
Finding the right card payment provider can be a daunting task, especially with so many options available, all promising competitive rates, fast onboarding, and better customer service. Whether you're a high-street retailer, an eCommerce brand, or a mobile tradesperson, choosing the right provider can significantly impact your bottom line. That's why Compare Card Fees exists: to give UK businesses a clear, honest, and independent way to compare card payment providers saving both time and money.
In this guide, we break down the UK’s leading merchant service providers by type, from full-stack payment platforms to specialist point-of-sale providers. For each provider, we offer a detailed comparison with alternatives and competitors, helping you evaluate everything from transaction fees and hardware options to customer support and integration flexibility. Whether you're comparing Worldpay to Stripe, looking for Square alternatives, or unsure if PayPal is still right for you, this is your starting point.
ACI Worldwide
ACI Worldwide is a global payments software and solutions provider that powers digital payments for banks, fintechs, and merchants around the world. While traditionally known for enterprise-grade infrastructure, ACI has also made strong inroads into UK payment systems especially through its real time payments support, fraud prevention tools, and retailer integrations. In the UK, ACI supports critical financial infrastructure like Faster Payments and CHAPS, and works closely with major banks and retail groups.
For businesses seeking robust, scalable payment processing tailored to complex or high volume operations, ACI stands out. It’s particularly well suited for large enterprises or those needing omnichannel and multi-national support, but its cloud-native platforms also offer flexibility for growing mid sized businesses. ACI Worldwide focuses on resilience, security, and uptime making it a strong candidate for businesses where payments are mission-critical.
Acquired.com
Acquired.com is a UK based payments specialist that offers tailored acquiring and payment processing services, specifically designed for high growth and regulated industries. Unlike many global players, Acquired.com’s platform is focused on providing full control and transparency across the payment journey, from merchant acquiring through to outbound payouts and reconciliation. This makes it a popular choice for fintechs, lenders, subscription platforms, and businesses requiring deeper control over payment flows.
What sets Acquired.com apart is its consultative approach. The company positions itself as more than just a technology provider acting instead as a payment partner that works alongside clients to optimise acceptance rates, manage risk, and simplify operations. Its UK heritage, compliance first stance, and white glove customer service have helped it gain a strong following among digital native businesses and those operating in complex verticals.
Adyen
Adyen is a global payment platform trusted by some of the world’s largest brands, including Spotify, Uber, and eBay. Based in the Netherlands with a strong UK presence, Adyen offers a unified commerce solution that allows businesses to accept payments online, instore, and in app, all through a single platform. Its biggest strength lies in streamlining payments across multiple regions, channels, and currencies, giving large and scaling businesses a consistent, optimised experience globally.
In the UK market, Adyen is especially well regarded among enterprise level retailers, platforms, and digital service providers. It offers direct acquiring in multiple countries, advanced fraud protection, and flexible settlement options. Its in house technology means fewer third parties and more control and its developer first mindset appeals to businesses that want deep integration and customisation. While Adyen isn’t typically aimed at micro or small merchants, its performance, scale, and transparency make it a premium solution for ambitious businesses.
Bambora
Bambora is a payment service provider originally founded in Sweden and now part of Worldline, one of Europe’s largest payment companies. While its brand is less prominent in the UK today following its integration into Worldline’s offering, Bambora continues to be recognised for delivering easy to use, developer friendly payment solutions for small to mid sized businesses. It’s known for simplicity and speed, making it a solid choice for merchants looking for a straightforward way to start accepting payments online or in-store.
Bambora’s appeal lies in its clean interface, fast onboarding, and focus on customer experience. Though its footprint is strongest in Scandinavia and parts of mainland Europe, many UK merchants, especially those operating cross border value its reliable performance and transparent pricing. With its inclusion in the Worldline ecosystem, Bambora benefits from increased infrastructure, regulatory support, and innovation, while still retaining its identity as a streamlined, modern solution for merchants.
Barclaycard Business
Barclaycard Business is one of the UK’s most established and trusted merchant service providers, backed by Barclays Bank. With decades of experience in card acquiring and payment processing, it supports thousands of UK businesses, from sole traders to major high street brands. Known for reliability, security, and direct banking integration, Barclaycard offers a comprehensive suite of services, including in person card terminals, ecommerce gateways, virtual terminals, and flexible business funding solutions.
What sets Barclaycard apart is its ability to combine traditional banking strength with modern payment innovation. Businesses benefit from deep financial integration, robust fraud tools, and 24/7 customer support. Its pricing is tailored by business size and volume, and while it may not be the lowest cost option for small merchants, it provides peace of mind for those who value stability, compliance, and brand recognition. With its UK focus and full FCA regulation, Barclaycard remains a top-tier choice for businesses wanting a bank backed payment provider.
Cardnet
Cardnet is a UK based merchant services provider formed as a joint venture between Lloyds Bank and Fiserv, one of the world’s leading payment technology firms. As a result, Cardnet combines the heritage and trust of a high street bank with the innovation and infrastructure of a global payments company. It provides secure, reliable card processing solutions for businesses of all sizes, with a particular focus on UK based retailers, hospitality businesses, and service providers.
Cardnet is especially appealing to businesses that already bank with Lloyds, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland, as it offers seamless integration between banking and payment services. It also supports instore, online, and mobile transactions, and includes next day settlement options. For merchants who value the assurance of working with a bank and want direct access to their funds, Cardnet is a strong and well established choice in the UK market.
Cardstream
Cardstream is a UK based independent payment gateway provider offering white label solutions for software vendors, developers, and businesses that want full control over their payment infrastructure. Unlike traditional merchant acquirers, Cardstream is acquirer agnostic, meaning it connects to multiple acquiring banks and payment processors through one unified platform. This flexibility makes it particularly attractive to ISOs, fintechs, and SaaS platforms seeking to build custom payment solutions under their own brand.
Cardstream’s strength lies in its adaptability. With full PCI DSS Level 1 compliance and API first architecture, it’s designed to integrate easily with ecommerce platforms, CRMs, and EPOS systems. Whether you’re building a marketplace, managing recurring billing, or simply need a branded gateway, Cardstream’s white label model allows partners to deliver payments as a seamless part of their own solution. It's an ideal option for businesses that want to go beyond off-the-shelf merchant services.
Cashflows
Cashflows is a UK based acquirer and payment service provider that offers fast, flexible solutions for businesses looking to accept payments online, in-store, or over the phone. Originally part of the Barclaycard business before becoming independent, Cashflows has carved out a niche in helping high risk sectors and fast growth businesses streamline their payment processes. It combines acquiring, gateway, and card issuing into a single platform allowing businesses to manage the full payment lifecycle in one place.
What sets Cashflows apart is its speed and responsiveness. The company is known for fast onboarding, custom integrations, and next day settlements as standard. It also offers a highly customisable approach, making it a favourite among fintechs, lenders, and industries with more complex compliance or underwriting requirements. With UK based support, full FCA regulation, and its own Principal Membership with Mastercard and Visa, Cashflows is a robust option for growing businesses looking for more control and agility.
Corefy
Corefy is a Ukrainian founded payment orchestration platform that has expanded its reach across Europe and the UK, offering a robust solution for businesses looking to centralise and optimise their payment processing. Unlike traditional payment providers, Corefy does not act as an acquirer, instead, it connects businesses to a wide range of payment providers, gateways, and acquirers via a single, unified API. Its goal is to help merchants route payments intelligently, manage risk, and gain better control over global transactions.
Corefy is best suited to fast scaling businesses, SaaS platforms, marketplaces, and enterprises with a need for flexibility, redundancy, and multi provider strategy. With more than 650 integrated providers and payment methods, the platform enables businesses to orchestrate transactions across different currencies, geographies, and channels, all while simplifying reconciliation, reporting, and compliance. For businesses that want to optimise performance, reduce decline rates, or build payment resilience, Corefy delivers exceptional flexibility and oversight.
Crypto Payment Gateways
Crypto payment gateways allow businesses to accept digital currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and other stablecoins as a form of payment, often alongside traditional card and bank methods. While still a niche compared to fiat transactions, crypto gateways are gaining traction in the UK among ecommerce platforms, digital services, and international businesses looking for faster settlements, lower fees, or access to a crypto native customer base.
These gateways act as intermediaries between merchants and blockchain networks, typically converting crypto to fiat instantly to reduce volatility risk. UK adoption is still in its early stages, but several providers including CoinPayments, BitPay, and NOWPayments support local businesses with FCA registration, API integrations, and compliance tools. For forward thinking businesses looking to diversify payment options, especially for international or high value transactions, crypto gateways can offer a strategic advantage.
Dojo
Dojo is a UK based payment provider developed by Paymentsense, designed to offer fast, secure, and modern card payment solutions for hospitality, retail, and service businesses. With a sleek product range, realtime reporting, and transparent pricing, Dojo has quickly become a popular alternative to legacy providers like Worldpay and Barclaycard. Its offering includes countertop and mobile card machines, online payment tools, and a powerful customer analytics dashboard, all backed by 7 day UK-based support.
What makes Dojo especially appealing is its focus on the needs of small and medium sized businesses. It combines user friendly technology with flexible contracts, next day payouts, and smart integrations, including EPOS compatibility and Open Banking support. Whether you're a café looking to speed up service or a salon managing appointments and payments together, Dojo aims to remove friction and help businesses get paid faster, more reliably, and with better insights.
EVO Payments
EVO Payments is a global merchant acquirer with a growing footprint in the UK, offering reliable card processing services to businesses of all sizes. With operations in over 50 markets, EVO focuses on delivering secure, scalable, and affordable payment solutions for in person, online, and mobile environments. In the UK, it serves SMEs and enterprise merchants across retail, hospitality, and service sectors, with a particular emphasis on responsive customer support and streamlined onboarding.
One of EVO’s core strengths is its ability to balance global reach with local service. While its infrastructure and capabilities are enterprise grade, EVO also provides tailored solutions for small and mid sized businesses including competitive rates, terminal rental, and ecommerce gateway services. For UK merchants looking for a dependable, experienced provider with strong technical support and full acquiring capabilities, EVO is a solid contender.
Elavon
Elavon is one of the largest and most established payment processors in the UK and Europe, providing comprehensive merchant services for businesses of all sizes. As a subsidiary of U.S. Bank, it combines global financial strength with local UK expertise. Elavon offers a full suite of payment solutions, including card machines, ecommerce gateways, virtual terminals, and integrated payment tools all designed to help businesses accept payments securely and efficiently, both in person and online.
Elavon is particularly well suited to retail, hospitality, healthcare, and professional services. It’s also the company behind Opayo (formerly Sage Pay), giving it a strong footprint in the ecommerce space. With competitive rates, next-day settlement, and powerful reporting tools, Elavon appeals to businesses looking for a long-term partner with the infrastructure to support growth, and the customer service to support daily operations.
Fiserv
Fiserv formerly known as First Data, is a global fintech leader offering end to end payment solutions to businesses in the UK and around the world. As one of the largest merchant acquirers globally, Fiserv combines powerful payment infrastructure with extensive industry experience, making it a trusted choice for high volume retailers, hospitality groups, and enterprise brands. Its UK offering includes the Clover point of sale (POS) ecosystem, ecommerce gateways, virtual terminals, and tailored acquiring services.
In the UK, Fiserv operates both directly and through partners such as Lloyds Cardnet. Its strength lies in the breadth and depth of its services, allowing businesses to scale their operations confidently while benefiting from competitive rates and advanced reporting tools. For merchants looking for a global standard provider with local support and an established reputation, Fiserv is a formidable option.
Global Payments
Global Payments is a major international payment processing company with a well established presence in the UK. Known for its reliability, scale, and full service offering, it supports businesses of all sizes across retail, hospitality, healthcare, education, and the public sector. With everything from card machines and ecommerce gateways to EPOS integrations and virtual terminals, Global Payments delivers a comprehensive, enterprise-grade service backed by 24/7 UK based support.
As one of the world’s top merchant acquirers, Global Payments stands out for its ability to handle complex, high volume payment environments with ease. It also supports SMEs through flexible packages and tailored pricing. Its partnerships with major UK institutions including HSBC allow merchants to access payment services with the backing of a recognised bank. For organisations seeking stability, scalability, and proven performance, Global Payments offers a strong, trusted foundation.
Comparisons to Global Payments
GoCardless
GoCardless is a UK based fintech specialising in direct debit and bank to bank payments. Unlike traditional card processors, GoCardless enables businesses to collect payments directly from customer bank accounts offering a cost effective, reliable alternative to cards, especially for recurring payments, subscriptions, and invoicing. It’s a popular solution among SaaS companies, utilities, professional services, and SMEs that rely on automatic, low cost payments.
GoCardless integrates seamlessly with popular accounting platforms like Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage, and offers a developer friendly API for custom integrations. It is FCA regulated and trusted by more than 75,000 businesses worldwide. With a strong UK and EU presence and growing global expansion, GoCardless is ideal for businesses looking to simplify collections, reduce failed payments, and lower transaction fees without compromising on security or user experience.
Handepay
Handepay is a UK based merchant services provider focused on delivering affordable, transparent card payment solutions to small and medium sized businesses. Known for its hands on service and competitive pricing, Handepay operates as an Independent Sales Organisation (ISO) that resells acquiring services from larger processors, often with lower rates and fewer hidden charges than the high street banks. It serves a wide range of sectors including retail, hospitality, trades, and personal care.
Handepay positions itself as a value driven alternative to traditional providers, offering price guarantees, free terminal setup, and personalised support. For business owners frustrated by complex fees or long contracts, Handepay provides a more straightforward, service led experience. With over 28,000 UK customers and a strong reputation for face to face account management, it's particularly attractive for merchants who want to save money without sacrificing reliability.
Klarna
Klarna is a Swedish fintech company best known for pioneering “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) services, but it has also grown into a broader payment service provider offering full checkout solutions for ecommerce businesses. With a strong UK presence and partnerships with major retailers like ASOS, Gymshark, and H&M, Klarna helps businesses boost conversion rates and average order values by giving customers flexible payment options at checkout including Pay in 3, Pay Later, and Pay Now.
Klarna’s merchant platform combines smooth checkout technology with powerful consumer insights, risk management, and marketing tools. It also acts as the credit risk holder, meaning businesses get paid upfront while Klarna collects from the customer eliminating credit and fraud risk for the merchant. Klarna is best suited for ecommerce brands looking to attract younger, mobile-first shoppers who expect convenience, speed, and flexible finance options.
Mollie
Mollie is a fast growing European payment service provider known for its developer friendly integrations, transparent pricing, and strong ecommerce focus. Founded in the Netherlands and now serving over 130,000 businesses across Europe, Mollie entered the UK market to provide an accessible, flexible alternative to more traditional payment gateways. It allows merchants to accept a wide range of payment methods, from debit and credit cards to Apple Pay, Klarna, PayPal, and local European options all through one simple integration.
What sets Mollie apart is its commitment to simplicity and flexibility. There are no lockin contracts or monthly fees; merchants only pay for successful transactions. This makes it ideal for SMEs, online retailers, and startups that want a powerful payments platform without high upfront costs or complex onboarding. With modern APIs, responsive support, and full PSD2 compliance, Mollie is a smart choice for UK businesses looking to sell across Europe or streamline their ecommerce operations.
NMI
NMI (Network Merchants Inc.) is a US headquartered payment technology company that provides white-label payment gateway solutions to ISOs, banks, software vendors, and fintechs. With a growing presence in the UK and Europe, NMI powers over 2,000 technology partners and facilitates over 2 billion transactions annually. Unlike traditional merchant service providers, NMI focuses on enabling others to offer branded payment services making it a behind the scenes player for many payment platforms in the UK market.
NMI is particularly attractive to businesses building their own payment ecosystems, such as ISVs, payfacs, and B2B SaaS platforms. Its modular platform supports ecommerce, mobile, instore, and unattended payments, all via a single API integration. With strong developer tools, tokenisation, EMV support, and multi-acquirer connections, NMI enables complete flexibility, all while keeping the merchant experience within the brand’s control.
Nexi
Nexi is a leading European payments group headquartered in Italy, with operations spanning across more than 25 countries following mergers with Nets and Sia. While Nexi’s brand recognition in the UK is still developing, it has entered the British market with a focus on serving large enterprises, fintechs, and digital first platforms that require high-volume processing, multi-country support, and advanced acquiring capabilities. Through its consolidated infrastructure, Nexi offers a full stack of services including merchant acquiring, ecommerce payment gateways, POS terminals, and Open Banking tools.
As part of one of Europe’s largest payment ecosystems, Nexi provides businesses with direct access to card networks, tailored risk management tools, and scalable solutions designed for international growth. It is particularly attractive to UK businesses with a strong EU presence, or those planning cross border expansion. For merchants that need speed, security, and flexibility at scale, Nexi provides a bank-grade platform with the innovation of a modern fintech.
Nochex
Nochex is a UK based online payment service provider offering simple and secure payment solutions for small businesses, charities, and ecommerce merchants. With over two decades of experience in the British market, Nochex focuses on helping UK based businesses accept online payments without the complexity of global payment platforms. It provides a fully hosted checkout, payment gateway, and merchant account in one, making it a convenient, all in one alternative to providers like PayPal or Stripe, especially for sellers who prefer working with a local company.
Unlike many larger gateways, Nochex offers direct support, UK based account management, and tailored solutions for niche industries, including event organisers, hobbyist sellers, and fundraising platforms. Its straightforward pricing and low barrier to entry make it an appealing choice for startups and SMEs. For merchants who want a UK focused payment provider that combines simplicity, local knowledge, and responsive service, Nochex is well worth considering.
NomuPay
NomuPay is a fast emerging payment technology company focused on simplifying cross border payments in emerging and high growth markets. Although relatively new to the UK payments scene, NomuPay has gained traction through its acquisition of Manchester based Total Processing, a UK fintech known for flexible merchant services and strong support across retail, gaming, and digital sectors. NomuPay’s vision is to unify fragmented payment systems across Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East offering a single, modern platform that handles both acquiring and issuing with ease.
NomuPay stands out for its focus on under served markets and platform businesses that need reliable, scalable, and regionally optimised payment infrastructure. With a growing UK footprint, strong developer tools, and a modular platform designed for easy integration, it’s positioned as a next generation alternative to legacy PSPs. For UK businesses looking to expand into new geographies or startups needing flexible merchant services with strong local support, NomuPay offers a compelling blend of innovation and reach.
Nuvei
Nuvei is a global payment technology company based in Canada with an expanding presence in the UK and Europe. It offers a full stack payment platform built to support businesses across ecommerce, fintech, gaming, crypto, and enterprise sectors. Known for its flexibility and global reach, Nuvei allows merchants to accept over 600 local and alternative payment methods, along with all major cards, making it particularly attractive to cross border sellers and digital platforms with global ambitions.
While Nuvei operates primarily at the enterprise level, it also provides tailored solutions for growing UK businesses seeking modern APIs, fast onboarding, and competitive international rates. Its platform handles acquiring, gateway services, fraud management, and payouts all accessible through a single integration. With robust infrastructure and compliance in place, Nuvei appeals to merchants looking for a future-ready payments partner that can scale with their growth.
Opayo
Opayo formerly known as Sage Pay, is a well established UK payment gateway provider now operated by Elavon, one of the world’s largest acquiring banks. With its long standing reputation among small and medium sized UK businesses, Opayo is widely trusted for its ease of use, strong customer service, and robust security features. It supports in person, online, and telephone payments, making it an all in one solution for merchants looking to manage multiple channels through a single gateway.
Opayo remains a go to choice for businesses using Sage accounting products, but it also integrates seamlessly with other ecommerce platforms like WooCommerce, Magento, and BigCommerce. With full PCI DSS Level 1 compliance, fraud screening tools, and flexible pricing, Opayo is ideal for merchants seeking a reliable, UK focused payment provider with a customer first approach.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the world’s most recognisable payment providers and a household name for online transactions. With over 400 million users globally, including millions in the UK, PayPal offers merchants a trusted, familiar payment method that can help improve checkout conversion and build customer confidence. Its solutions cater to businesses of all sizes, from freelancers and sole traders to large ecommerce brands and subscription platforms.
For UK merchants, PayPal provides flexible payment options, including PayPal Checkout, PayPal Pay Later, and card processing via PayPal Zettle as well as robust fraud protection, fast onboarding, and access to business funding. Whether you’re trading on eBay, selling through Shopify, or offering digital downloads, PayPal is a flexible, plug-and-play solution that helps you get paid quickly with minimal setup.
PayPoint
PayPoint is a UK based payments and retail services provider that offers card payment solutions, EPOS systems, and bill payment services to convenience stores, newsagents, and small retailers. With over 28,000 locations across the UK using its platform, PayPoint is best known for facilitating cash and card transactions in physical shops, including utility bill payments, mobile top ups, parcel services, and lottery sales. It plays a crucial role in community commerce, especially in underserved or rural areas.
Beyond its traditional over the counter payment services, PayPoint also provides card machines, contactless terminals, and digital EPOS solutions for independent businesses. Its retail focused model includes business services such as stock management, supplier payments, and reporting tools. For local stores looking for a payment provider that understands their day to day operations and provides essential services beyond just card processing, PayPoint delivers a reliable, all in one package.
Paymentsense
Paymentsense is a UK based merchant services provider offering affordable card payment solutions tailored for small and medium sized businesses. Known for its quick setup, user friendly technology, and no nonsense contracts, Paymentsense has become one of the largest independent merchant service providers in the UK, supporting over 70,000 businesses. It provides everything from countertop and portable card machines to virtual terminals and online payment gateways, all backed by 24/7 UK-based support.
Paymentsense stands out for its fast onboarding, often within 24 hours and a clear pricing structure with no setup fees. It also offers a strong focus on customer service, with dedicated account management and PCI compliance support included as standard. Ideal for hospitality, retail, trades, and healthcare, Paymentsense is well-suited to growing UK businesses looking for a balance of flexibility, reliability, and value.
Paysafe
Paysafe is a global payments platform offering a wide range of services including card processing, digital wallets, payment gateways, prepaid cards, and alternative payment methods. With operations in more than 40 countries and a strong presence in the UK, Paysafe supports merchants across industries such as iGaming, retail, crypto, travel, and digital subscriptions. Its well known consumer brands include Skrill and NETELLER, which are integrated into its business facing payments ecosystem.
What sets Paysafe apart is its focus on flexibility, especially in high risk and regulated sectors. It offers customisable payment solutions for complex business models, including embedded finance and recurring billing. Paysafe is particularly strong in global ecommerce, enabling businesses to accept payments in multiple currencies while navigating local compliance and fraud risks. For UK merchants targeting international audiences or needing alternative payment options, Paysafe offers scale, versatility, and deep sector expertise.
Payzone
Payzone is a UK based payment services provider specialising in solutions for small, independent retailers, service providers, and community based businesses. With a network of thousands of retail locations nationwide, Payzone is best known for offering over the counter services such as bill payments, mobile top ups, and pre-paid cards. More recently, it has expanded into card payment processing with countertop, portable, and mobile card machines aimed at SMEs and sole traders.
Payzone offers reliable, easy to use payment solutions that help businesses serve their local communities while managing their operations more efficiently. It’s particularly popular with newsagents, garages, salons, and cafés that value simplicity, face to face customer service, and the ability to offer utility payments or travel card top ups alongside standard retail transactions. For local merchants looking for dependable, cost-effective card processing with a trusted UK brand, Payzone is a strong option.
Rapyd
Rapyd is a global fintech platform that enables businesses to accept, move, and manage money worldwide through a single, unified API. Following its acquisition of Valitor, Rapyd has strengthened its footprint in the UK and Europe, offering both acquiring and issuing capabilities backed by a vast international payments network. With solutions tailored to ecommerce, platforms, marketplaces, and fintechs, Rapyd simplifies global payments by connecting businesses to local payment methods, currencies, and compliance standards all within one infrastructure.
Unlike traditional acquirers, Rapyd is built with an API first, modular architecture, making it easy for developers and product teams to integrate payments directly into their apps, platforms, or workflows. From UK card acceptance to embedded finance and cross border payments, Rapyd is ideal for fast scaling digital businesses that need flexibility, reach, and regulatory support without patching together multiple third party services.
Retail Merchant Services
Retail Merchant Services (RMS) is a UK based payment provider offering card processing solutions to small and medium sized businesses. As part of the SaltPay Group, RMS focuses on helping local merchants compete with larger chains by providing low cost card machines, next day settlements, and personalised support. RMS is particularly popular among independent retailers, tradespeople, salons, and cafés who value face to face service and competitive, transparent pricing.
RMS positions itself as a challenger to traditional providers, aiming to remove unnecessary fees and lengthy contracts while delivering solid technology and UK based account management. With a choice of terminal types, remote payment options, and ecommerce tools, RMS covers all the key payment channels a modern SME might need. For business owners seeking a more hands on, cost conscious provider that understands the needs of high street merchants, RMS is a practical and well established choice.
Revolut
Revolut is a UK founded fintech super app that has evolved from a digital bank challenger into a global financial platform. In addition to personal banking features, Revolut offers business accounts, card acquiring, and payment gateway solutions tailored to startups, ecommerce merchants, and growing SMEs. With its sleek interface, competitive FX rates, and instant access features, Revolut Business appeals to entrepreneurs looking for a fast, integrated way to manage banking and payments under one roof.
Revolut’s merchant services are particularly well suited to online businesses and tech savvy users. The platform provides hosted checkout, APIs, and plugins for platforms like WooCommerce and Magento, plus access to realtime analytics, team expenses, and multicurrency accounts. For UK based businesses seeking a modern, flexible alternative to traditional banks or PSPs with international payments and card acquiring builtin, Revolut offers simplicity, speed, and global reach.
Secure Trading
Secure Trading is a UK based payment gateway and merchant services provider known for delivering secure, flexible, and fully managed payment solutions for businesses of all sizes. With a strong presence in the UK and Europe, it specialises in online card processing, fraud prevention, and compliance heavy industries such as financial services, gaming, and travel. Secure Trading offers both standalone payment gateways and fully integrated solutions, supported by experienced in-house teams and round the clock technical support.
What makes Secure Trading stand out is its ability to handle complex, high risk, or regulated environments with ease. Its platform is designed to offer customisable checkout experiences, intelligent transaction routing, and deep reporting all while helping merchants meet regulatory standards like PCI DSS and PSD2. For UK businesses needing a gateway that balances security, flexibility, and sector specific expertise, Secure Trading is a dependable and scalable choice.
Shopify Payments
Shopify Payments is the builtin payment solution for merchants using the Shopify ecommerce platform. Powered by Stripe, it eliminates the need for third party payment gateways by allowing businesses to accept payments directly through Shopify, streamlining setup, reducing transaction complexity, and offering a more integrated dashboard experience. With Shopify Payments, UK businesses can accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and more, all with competitive rates and fast settlement.
Designed for simplicity and speed, Shopify Payments is especially popular with online retailers and dropshippers who want to launch quickly and manage everything, from inventory to payouts in one place. It also unlocks access to advanced Shopify features like subscription billing, Shop Pay accelerated checkout, and detailed sales analytics. For UK ecommerce businesses using Shopify, this solution provides the most seamless and cost effective way to process card payments.
Square
Square is a globally recognised payment platform offering simple, all in one solutions for small businesses in the UK. Known for its transparent pricing and ease of use, Square provides everything from mobile card readers and POS systems to online checkout, invoicing, and staff management tools. It’s particularly popular among sole traders, food vendors, market stalls, salons, cafés, and service providers looking for a quick and affordable way to accept payments without contracts or hidden fees.
Square’s ecosystem is built for flexibility and growth. Whether you’re taking payments on the go, running a physical shop, or managing a full online store, Square has tools to support every stage. Merchants can sign up in minutes, start trading the same day, and access funds fast, all through a sleek dashboard and mobile app. For UK businesses looking for simplicity, innovation, and affordability, Square offers one of the most complete packages on the market.
Stripe
Stripe is one of the world’s most advanced payment platforms, offering powerful APIs and tools to businesses of all sizes, from startups to global enterprises. Based in the US but with a strong UK presence, Stripe powers the checkout experience for brands like Deliveroo, Shopify, and Amazon. Its flexible, developer first design allows businesses to customise every part of the payment flow, from recurring billing to global expansion with full control over the customer experience.
Stripe is particularly well suited to digital first businesses, SaaS companies, marketplaces, and ecommerce retailers. With support for more than 135 currencies and dozens of local payment methods, it makes global scaling simple. In the UK, Stripe is widely adopted by growing businesses who value speed, automation, and the ability to build tailored solutions without needing a traditional acquirer or gateway.
Comparisons to Stripe
SumUp
SumUp is a UK approved payment provider known for its portable card readers, low cost pricing, and ease of use for sole traders, freelancers, and small businesses. Designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind, SumUp allows merchants to start taking card payments in minutes with no monthly fees, no contracts, and transparent transaction rates. It’s a go to option for hairdressers, cafés, mobile tradespeople, market stallholders, and independent retailers.
With over 4 million merchants globally, SumUp offers a full ecosystem of tools including mobile POS, invoicing, online store capabilities, and staff management. For businesses just starting out or those looking to reduce overhead. SumUp provides everything needed to accept payments, issue receipts, and monitor sales from a mobile device or tablet.
Takepayments
Takepayments is a UK based merchant services provider offering personalised card payment solutions for small and medium sized businesses. With a strong focus on customer service, transparent pricing, and fast setup, Takepayments is well regarded among retailers, cafés, salons, and tradespeople looking for a local, service driven alternative to larger acquirers. Unlike many providers, Takepayments doesn’t tie merchants into long contracts, and offers tailored advice to help businesses choose the right terminal, gateway, or ecommerce tool for their needs.
What sets Takepayments apart is its human first approach, every customer is assigned a dedicated account manager, and setup includes face to face installation and training where needed. It partners with Barclaycard to offer trusted acquiring and processing infrastructure, backed by FCA regulation and full PCI compliance. For UK merchants who want fair pricing, flexible contracts, and real support from a real person, Takepayments is a smart and reliable choice.
Trust Payments
Trust Payments is a UK headquartered payment gateway and merchant services provider offering tailored solutions for ecommerce, hospitality, fintech, and regulated industries. Known for its security first approach and global reach, Trust Payments provides an all in one platform that covers card acquiring, fraud prevention, POS systems, and recurring billing. It’s particularly popular among fast growth businesses that need flexible infrastructure and expert support to scale quickly and safely.
What sets Trust Payments apart is its blend of innovation and compliance. The platform is PCI DSS Level 1 certified and includes advanced anti fraud tools as standard. It supports over 180 currencies and a broad range of payment methods, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and cryptocurrency. For UK merchants looking for a scalable, future proof solution that meets regulatory standards and delivers strong technical support, Trust Payments is a highly capable option.
Tyl by NatWest
Tyl by NatWest is a modern payment solution developed by one of the UK’s largest and most trusted banking institutions. Designed specifically for small and medium sized businesses, Tyl offers simple, secure, and fast card processing, both instore and online. Backed by the strength and reliability of NatWest, Tyl combines financial expertise with user friendly technology and personalised customer support, making it a standout choice for businesses seeking a bank branded payment provider with a modern edge.
Tyl focuses on making payment processing as easy and transparent as possible. From sleek, contactless card machines to virtual terminals and online checkout, the platform is built to support local shops, cafés, tradespeople, and growing SMEs. It also offers fast onboarding, next business day payouts, and access to NatWest’s broader suite of business banking tools. For merchants who want trusted support, flexible tools, and strong UK based service, Tyl by NatWest delivers a well rounded and reliable option.
Verifone
Verifone is one of the most recognisable names in global payments, best known for manufacturing payment terminals used by retailers, restaurants, and service providers worldwide. In the UK, Verifone goes beyond just hardware, offering end to end payment solutions including payment gateways, POS systems, terminal management, and cloud-based payment services. It supports businesses of all sizes, from independent shops to large chains requiring enterprise grade terminal networks and custom integrations.
Verifone’s UK offering is especially relevant to multi site businesses and merchants seeking high performance payment hardware integrated with backend reporting and security features. With its long standing reputation for reliability, global compliance, and support for omnichannel commerce, Verifone is ideal for businesses needing durable, scalable payment infrastructure, particularly in face to face retail and hospitality environments.
Worldpay
Worldpay is one of the most established names in card payment processing, trusted by over 250,000 businesses across the UK. Known for its scalability, Worldpay supports everything from small startups to large enterprise merchants, offering a wide range of instore, online, and telephone payment options. It’s a common starting point for businesses looking for robust infrastructure and 24/7 customer support.
While Worldpay has strong brand recognition and a full suite of payment tools, it may not be the most cost effective for smaller merchants due to contract lockins and fees. That’s why many businesses look to compare Worldpay with other providers such as Stripe, SumUp, or Square to see where they can gain flexibility, lower fees, or simpler integration options.
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