Paymentsense vs Handepay UK 2026: Fees, Features & Which to Choose

vs

Paymentsense and Handepay are two of the UK's most widely used card payment providers for small and medium-sized businesses, both offering traditional card machine contracts rather than pay-as-you-go pricing. Paymentsense tends to suit businesses that want a single provider covering card machines, online payments and telephone payments under one account. Handepay positions itself more squarely at face-to-face retailers, hospitality businesses and sole traders who want straightforward terminal contracts and a strong focus on customer service. This comparison covers fees, contract terms, hardware, features and which type of business each provider suits best, updated June 2026.

Paymentsense vs Handepay: Fee Comparison

What is Paymentsense?

Paymentsense is a UK-based card payment provider founded in 2009, operating as an independent sales organisation (ISO) that resells merchant services primarily through Elavon's acquiring infrastructure. It built a reputation as one of the fastest-growing payment companies in the UK by targeting small businesses with bundled pricing that combines terminal rental, transaction fees and support into a single monthly cost. The company offers card machines, an online payment gateway and a virtual terminal for telephone orders, making it one of the broader product offerings among UK ISO resellers. You can read the full Paymentsense review for a deeper breakdown of its pricing and contract terms.

Paymentsense serves tens of thousands of UK businesses across retail, hospitality and professional services. Its pricing is not published openly, and rates vary depending on your monthly card turnover, average transaction value and business type. One genuine concern is that some customers have reported difficulty exiting contracts early, with termination fees that can run to several hundred pounds. The company processes payments through Elavon, which itself is a subsidiary of US Bancorp meaning your merchant account ultimately sits with a large, well-established acquirer.

What is Handepay?

Handepay is a UK card payment provider founded in 2010, also operating as an ISO reseller. It became part of the PayPoint group in 2021, which gave it significantly greater financial backing and operational scale. Handepay focuses primarily on face-to-face card acceptance for small and medium-sized businesses, offering countertop, portable and mobile card terminals. Its advertised rates start from 0.3% per transaction for UK debit cards, though the actual rate you receive depends on your volume and risk profile. The full Handepay review covers its contract terms and hardware options in detail.

Handepay markets itself heavily on price and customer service, and it has won awards for both. The PayPoint acquisition has strengthened its infrastructure, but Handepay's product range remains more limited than Paymentsense it is primarily a face-to-face payment specialist rather than a multi-channel provider. Its contracts can stretch to five years, which is one of the longer commitments in the UK small business market. That length can work in your favour if rates are locked in, but it becomes a problem if your business circumstances change.

Paymentsense vs Handepay: Features Compared

Payment Methods Accepted

Both providers accept Visa, Mastercard and Maestro as standard. Paymentsense terminals support contactless payments including Apple Pay and Google Pay. Handepay terminals equally support contactless and mobile wallet payments. American Express acceptance is available through both but typically requires a separate agreement and carries higher transaction fees. Neither provider supports cryptocurrency payments.

Hardware and Terminals

Paymentsense offers countertop, portable and mobile card machines. Its mobile terminals use GPRS or 4G connectivity, making them practical for market traders, mobile businesses and outdoor events. Handepay similarly offers countertop, portable and mobile terminals, with hardware supplied by manufacturers including Ingenico and Verifone. Terminal rental is included within the monthly fee on both providers rather than sold outright, which reduces your upfront cost but means you never own the hardware. Both providers replace faulty terminals at no extra charge during the contract period.

Online Payments and Integrations

This is where a clear gap opens up between the two. Paymentsense offers its own hosted payment gateway for e-commerce businesses, along with a virtual terminal for telephone and mail-order payments. It integrates with major e-commerce platforms including WooCommerce and Magento. Handepay does not offer a proprietary online payment gateway. If you need online payments alongside a Handepay terminal contract, you would need to arrange a separate gateway through a third-party provider, which adds cost and complexity. For any business that takes payments both in-store and online, Paymentsense has a practical advantage here.

International Support

Both providers are primarily focused on UK domestic transactions. Neither is designed for businesses with significant international payment volumes or multi-currency requirements. If you regularly accept cards from international customers and want dynamic currency conversion or multi-currency settlement, providers such as Adyen or Stripe are better suited to that need.

Fraud Tools and Security

Both providers are PCI DSS compliant and include PCI compliance support within their contracts. Paymentsense charges a PCI compliance fee, typically around £4.99 to £6.99 per month, though this is sometimes bundled. Handepay also charges a PCI compliance fee, usually in a similar range. Both providers support 3D Secure for online transactions where applicable. Neither offers the depth of advanced fraud tooling that enterprise-focused providers like Adyen or Worldpay provide, but for typical UK small business transaction volumes, the standard protections are adequate.

Customer Support

Paymentsense offers 24/7 telephone support, which is a genuine selling point for businesses that trade outside standard office hours. Handepay also advertises 24/7 customer support and has consistently scored well in independent customer satisfaction surveys. Response times on both can vary in practice. Handepay's reviews on Trustpilot tend to be slightly more positive on average than Paymentsense's, though both sit above 4.0 out of 5.0 at the time of writing. Neither provider offers a dedicated account manager as standard for small business accounts.

Pros and Cons

Paymentsense Pros and Cons

Pros

• Multi-channel product range: card machines, online gateway and virtual terminal from a single provider
• 24/7 customer support by telephone
• Next business day settlement as standard
• Integrates with major e-commerce platforms including WooCommerce and Magento
• Backed by Elavon acquiring infrastructure, a large and well-established acquirer

Cons

• Pricing is not published you cannot benchmark your quote without contacting the sales team
• Early termination fees can be substantial; some customers have reported charges running to several hundred pounds
• Blended pricing is less transparent than interchange-plus for businesses processing above £20,000 a month
• PCI compliance fee is charged separately and adds to the monthly cost

Handepay Pros and Cons

Pros

• Advertised transaction rates from 0.3% for UK debit cards, which is among the lower headline rates in the ISO reseller market
• Strong customer satisfaction scores on independent review platforms
• Backed by PayPoint group since 2021, providing greater financial stability
• 24/7 customer support
• Good terminal range covering countertop, portable and mobile use cases

Cons

• No proprietary online payment gateway unsuitable as a standalone provider for e-commerce businesses
• Contracts can run to five years, one of the longer commitments in the small business market
• Pricing is quote-based and not publicly listed, making it hard to compare without going through the sales process
• Limited suitability for multi-channel or international payment needs

Which is Better For...?

Small Retail Businesses and Sole Traders

For a straightforward face-to-face retail business or sole trader taking the majority of payments in person, Handepay is worth serious consideration. Its advertised rates are competitive, its customer service reputation is strong, and the terminal range covers most physical retail scenarios. The key risk is committing to a long contract, so push back on anything beyond 18 to 24 months if possible.

Hospitality Businesses

Both providers serve the hospitality sector. Paymentsense has specific experience in pubs, restaurants and cafes, and its portable terminal options work well for table-side payments. Handepay is equally capable for hospitality face-to-face transactions. If your venue also takes bookings or deposits online, Paymentsense pulls ahead because it can handle those transactions through its gateway without needing a second provider.

Multi-Channel Businesses Selling In-Store and Online

Paymentsense is the stronger choice here. It offers card machines alongside an online payment gateway and virtual terminal under a single account. Handepay cannot match that without you sourcing a separate gateway. Managing two separate provider relationships adds administrative friction and usually increases overall cost.

High Volume Merchants Processing Above £30,000 a Month

Neither Paymentsense nor Handepay is the optimal choice at higher volumes. Both use blended pricing, which typically becomes more expensive than interchange-plus pricing once monthly card turnover exceeds roughly £25,000 to £30,000. At that level, it is worth getting quotes from interchange-plus providers such as Dojo, Elavon or Worldpay alongside any Paymentsense or Handepay quote. The saving can be meaningful on £50,000 monthly volume, switching from a 1.0% blended rate to 0.3% interchange-plus plus a 0.2% margin saves around £250 a month.

Our Verdict

For face-to-face payments, the choice between Paymentsense and Handepay is genuinely close. Handepay's headline rates are slightly more aggressive and its customer satisfaction scores are marginally better. Paymentsense wins on product breadth. If your business takes payments exclusively in person, Handepay deserves a quote. If you also need online or telephone payment capability, Paymentsense makes more operational sense than managing two separate providers.

The contract length is the biggest risk with both providers. A five-year Handepay contract signed today locks you in until 2031. A four-year Paymentsense contract does similarly. Before you sign either, establish clearly what the early termination fee is and get that figure in writing. Both providers negotiate on rate, particularly if you arrive with a competing quote in hand.

Compare Card Fees is a free, independent advisory service that has helped UK businesses find better card payment deals since 2012. Use the Compare Card Fees comparison tool to get tailored quotes from Paymentsense, Handepay and other providers side by side, so you can see exactly what each will cost at your actual monthly volume before committing to any contract.