Stripe vs SumUp UK 2026: Fees, Features & Which to Choose

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Stripe and SumUp are two of the most popular payment providers in the UK, but they serve very different businesses. Stripe is built for online-first merchants and developers who need a flexible, API-driven payment platform. SumUp targets sole traders, market sellers, and small physical shops that want a simple card reader with no monthly fees and no contracts. This comparison sets out exactly how their fees, hardware, features, and support stack up in June 2026, so you can choose the right one for your business.

Stripe vs SumUp: Fee Comparison

What is Stripe?

Stripe is a US-founded payments technology company, launched in 2010 and now operating in over 46 countries. In the UK it processes payments for businesses ranging from one-person startups to listed companies. Its core product is a payment gateway and merchant account combined, accessed through a well-documented API. That developer focus means Stripe can handle online payments, subscriptions, invoicing, in-person payments via Stripe Terminal, and marketplace payouts from a single platform.

Stripe charges 1.5% per transaction for UK Visa and Mastercard personal cards on its standard plan, rising to 2.5% for European-issued cards. There is no monthly fee and no setup cost. Custom pricing is available for businesses processing more than roughly £250,000 per year. Stripe is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under reference 900461. You can read the full Stripe UK review on Compare Card Fees for a deeper breakdown of its products and fees.

What is SumUp?

SumUp is a Berlin-founded fintech business, established in 2012, that brought plug-in card readers to small traders across Europe. It entered the UK market early and now has millions of merchants globally. The product is deliberately simple: buy a card reader, download the app, and start taking payments the same day. There is no underwriting interview, no lengthy application, and no credit check for most businesses. The SumUp Air card reader retails at £39 plus VAT and connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth.

The standard pay-as-you-go rate is 1.69% on all card transactions, including contactless, chip and PIN, and Apple Pay or Google Pay. SumUp One, the subscription plan at £19 per month, reduces that rate to 0.99% per transaction and adds next-day settlement. SumUp Ltd holds FCA e-money institution authorisation under reference 900700. For a full breakdown of its hardware and pricing options, see the SumUp UK review on Compare Card Fees.

Stripe vs SumUp: Features Compared

Payment Methods Accepted

Stripe accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and over 25 local payment methods including Klarna, BACS Direct Debit, and iDEAL for European customers. That breadth makes it genuinely useful for businesses with an international customer base. SumUp accepts Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, Apple Pay, and Google Pay in person. Online payment links also accept the main card schemes. Neither provider currently supports crypto payments natively.

Hardware and Terminals

SumUp has the stronger in-person hardware story for small businesses. The SumUp Air (£39 plus VAT) is a compact Bluetooth reader. The SumUp Solo (£79 plus VAT) is a standalone device with a built-in SIM, so it works without a smartphone. The SumUp POS Lite till system costs £239 plus VAT and suits small retail or hospitality setups. Stripe Terminal offers the Stripe Reader M2 and the BBPOS WisePOS E, but these must be ordered through a registered Stripe account and are primarily aimed at developers integrating in-person payments into a custom software stack. Stripe has no walk-in or over-the-counter device retail presence in the UK.

Integrations

Stripe connects to over 1,000 third-party tools through its app marketplace, including Shopify, WooCommerce, Xero, QuickBooks, Salesforce, and Slack. Its API documentation is widely regarded as the best in the industry, which matters if your business uses bespoke software. SumUp integrates with a smaller set of platforms, including Wix, WooCommerce, and its own SumUp Point of Sale app. For most sole traders, that is enough. If you need deep integration with enterprise software, Stripe is the stronger choice by a significant margin.

International Support

Stripe supports over 135 currencies and lets you present prices in a customer's local currency, which reduces cart abandonment on international orders. It also handles cross-border payouts to sellers in over 40 countries via Stripe Connect. SumUp processes payments in the currencies of the 36 countries it operates in, but its platform is not designed for complex multi-currency or marketplace use cases. If you sell internationally from a UK base, Stripe is the clearer choice.

Fraud Tools

Stripe Radar, its machine-learning fraud detection system, is included free on all accounts. It blocks fraudulent transactions using data from Stripe's global network of millions of businesses. Stripe Radar for Fraud Teams adds custom rules and costs an additional £0.04 per transaction. SumUp includes standard 3D Secure authentication on online transactions, which satisfies Strong Customer Authentication requirements under FCA rules. Its fraud tooling is more basic than Stripe's, which is a genuine limitation for online-heavy businesses handling high-value orders.

Customer Support

Stripe offers 24/7 support via live chat and email, with phone support available on higher-tier accounts. Its documentation and developer community are excellent for self-service troubleshooting. SumUp provides support via live chat, email, and phone during business hours. Response times from SumUp support have drawn mixed reviews from UK users, with some reporting waits of 24 to 48 hours for email queries. Neither provider offers a dedicated account manager to standard-plan customers, which is worth bearing in mind if you expect to need hands-on help.

Pros and Cons

Stripe Pros and Cons

Pros

• Lower UK card rate at 1.5% per transaction compared to SumUp's 1.69%, saving around £19 for every £10,000 processed
• Accepts over 25 payment methods including Klarna, BACS Direct Debit, and iDEAL
• Outstanding API and developer documentation, suitable for building custom checkout flows
• Stripe Radar fraud protection included free on all accounts
• Supports over 135 currencies for international selling
• No monthly fee and no long-term contract on the standard plan

Cons

• European card transactions cost 2.5%, which adds up quickly if many of your customers are based in Europe
• Not suitable for non-technical users who cannot manage API setup or developer configuration
• Account freezes without prior warning have been reported, which can disrupt cash flow for small businesses
• No proprietary card reader available in UK high street retail or through standard distribution channels
• Phone support is not available on the standard plan

SumUp Pros and Cons

Pros

• Flat 1.69% rate on all cards with no contract, ideal for businesses with low or unpredictable monthly volumes
• SumUp One plan reduces the rate to 0.99% per transaction for £19 per month, which saves money above roughly £2,100 monthly volume
• Card reader available to buy for £39 plus VAT with no technical setup required
• Works without a fixed internet connection using the SumUp Solo's built-in SIM
• Next-day settlement included with SumUp One subscription

Cons

• Limited integrations compared to Stripe, which can be a problem if your business relies on bespoke software
• Fraud tools are more basic than Stripe's, with no equivalent to Stripe Radar's machine-learning capabilities
• Customer support response times have drawn criticism, particularly for email queries taking 24 to 48 hours
• Not designed for complex international or multi-currency use cases

Which is Better For...?

Small Retail and Market Traders

SumUp is the better choice here. A market trader or small independent shop needs a portable card reader that works immediately, costs little to set up, and charges a straightforward rate. The SumUp Air at £39 plus VAT and a flat 1.69% rate meets all three criteria. Stripe Terminal can handle in-person payments, but setting it up requires developer input that most sole traders simply do not have.

Online-Only E-commerce Businesses

Stripe wins comfortably for pure online selling. Its 1.5% rate for UK cards undercuts SumUp's 1.69%, and its checkout, Stripe Elements, gives developers full control over the payment experience. Integration with Shopify, WooCommerce, and hundreds of other platforms is well-documented. SumUp does offer payment links and an online store feature, but these are basic compared to Stripe's online toolkit.

Businesses with Both Online and In-Person Sales

This is where the decision is least straightforward. Stripe can technically cover both channels through its API-based online checkout and Stripe Terminal hardware, but making them work together requires technical resource. SumUp covers both through its app and payment links, with less sophistication but far easier setup. If your split is roughly equal and you lack a developer, SumUp is the more practical option. If online dominates and you only take occasional in-person payments, Stripe is worth the setup effort.

High-Volume Merchants

Neither Stripe nor SumUp is the natural home for a business processing over £500,000 per year. At that level, interchange-plus pricing from providers such as Adyen or a traditional acquirer typically delivers lower effective rates than either provider's blended fees. That said, Stripe's custom pricing, available from around £250,000 annual volume, can be negotiated downward. SumUp One at 0.99% is competitive at moderate volumes but Stripe's negotiated rates are likely to be lower above £300,000 annually.

Our Verdict

Stripe and SumUp are not really competing for the same customer. Stripe is a platform for online-first businesses and developers who need flexibility, broad payment method support, and strong fraud tools. SumUp is a product for sole traders and small physical businesses who want to start taking card payments with minimal fuss and no technical knowledge. Choosing between them is largely a matter of answering one question: where do most of your sales happen?

If you sell primarily online, Stripe's 1.5% UK card rate and extensive integrations make it the stronger choice. If you sell primarily in person from a market stall, mobile business, or small shop, SumUp's flat rate, low-cost hardware, and zero-contract setup is hard to beat. If you are processing more than roughly £2,100 per month in person, the SumUp One plan at £19 per month and 0.99% per transaction will save you money over the standard rate.

Before you commit to either, it is worth checking whether a specialist provider could offer you a lower rate. 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 see personalised quotes based on your actual monthly volume and business type.