Square Card Reader Review UK
Square is one of the easiest ways for a UK small business to start taking card payments. The Reader costs £19 + VAT, standard face-to-face payments are 1.75%, and the core POS software has no monthly fee. The bigger question is whether that simplicity still makes sense as your turnover grows.
See whether Square is actually the best deal for you
Square’s published pricing is easy to understand. A comparison becomes more valuable once your turnover is high enough for other providers to offer tailored rates.
What is Square?
Square is a payments and point-of-sale platform built around a simple idea: make it easy for a small business to start taking card payments without having to arrange a traditional card-machine contract first.
For many UK businesses, the Square Reader is the part they recognise. It is the small £19 + VAT card reader that connects to a phone or tablet. But Square is much broader than the reader itself. The same account can also handle in-person card payments, online checkout, invoices, phone payments, inventory, sales reporting and POS software.
That makes Square particularly appealing to businesses that want to get started quickly and keep their payment setup relatively simple. A market trader might use the Reader with a phone. A café could move up to Square Terminal or Handheld. A retailer could add Square Stand or Register and use more of Square’s stock and customer-management tools.
In simple terms
Square is less like renting a traditional card machine and more like buying into a payment ecosystem. You can start with a basic reader, then add more hardware and software as the business grows.
Who is Square likely to suit?
Square is most attractive when you value low upfront cost, straightforward pricing and flexibility. It is a natural option for sole traders, start-ups, salons, cafés, small retailers, mobile businesses and service companies that do not want to commit to a long terminal-rental agreement.
It can also suit a growing business that wants one system for both payments and POS. The main trade-off is that Square’s standard percentage fee is not always the cheapest once card turnover becomes substantial. At that point, it is sensible to compare Square with other payment processing companies and card machine providers.
What do you actually get with Square?
- Card acceptance: chip and PIN, contactless and mobile-wallet payments.
- POS software: standard Square Point of Sale with no monthly software fee.
- Hardware choices: from the entry-level Reader through to Terminal, Handheld, Stand and Register.
- Online payments: online checkout, ecommerce tools and payment links.
- Remote payments: Virtual Terminal for taking card details by phone or remotely.
- Business tools: sales reporting, inventory, invoicing and integrations with other systems.
The rest of this review looks at whether those benefits justify Square’s fees for your type of business, and where alternatives such as SumUp, Dojo or a traditional merchant account may make more sense.
Is Square worth it for a UK small business?
For many new and smaller businesses, yes. Square is strongest when you value low upfront costs, straightforward pricing and useful software without committing to a traditional card-terminal contract.
Square is a strong starting point, not automatically the cheapest forever
The £19 Reader, 1.75% face-to-face rate and free standard POS software make the proposition easy to understand. That can be ideal when card turnover is modest or unpredictable.
As your business grows, the calculation changes. Square says businesses processing more than £200,000 a year in card sales may qualify for custom pricing. At that point, it is also worth comparing other payment processing companies and card machine providers.
Start-ups, sole traders, shops, salons, cafés and service businesses wanting transparent pricing and useful POS tools.
What we like
- Low-cost Reader
- No lock-in card-processing contract
- Free standard POS software
- Useful inventory, reporting and invoicing tools
- Online and in-person payments in one ecosystem
What to watch
- 1.75% can become expensive at higher turnover
- Non-UK cards can cost more
- Advanced retail or restaurant features may require paid plans
- You may get a better tailored acquiring rate elsewhere as volume grows
Best alternatives to compare
- SumUp for simple PAYG processing
- Dojo for hospitality
- Worldpay for traditional acquiring
- See our best card machines for small businesses
Which Square device should you choose?
The £19 Reader is only one part of Square’s UK hardware range. The right device depends on whether you need a phone-linked reader, an all-in-one terminal or a more complete till setup.
| Device | Current price | What it does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square Reader | £19 + VAT | Compact Bluetooth reader for chip and PIN/contactless payments | Mobile businesses, sole traders and low-cost setups |
| Square Terminal | £149 + VAT | Portable all-in-one touchscreen terminal with built-in receipt printer | Counter service, cafés and businesses wanting a standalone device |
| Square Stand | £99 + VAT | Turns a compatible iPad into a more complete countertop POS | Retailers and service businesses wanting a fixed till |
| Square Handheld | £169 + VAT | Portable all-in-one handheld designed for payments and POS workflows | Hospitality and mobile staff |
| Square Register | £699 + VAT | Integrated countertop POS with seller and customer displays | Busy retail and fixed-location businesses |
Square Reader: the low-cost entry point
The second-generation Square Reader is the most obvious starting point if your priority is simply taking contactless and chip-and-PIN payments without spending much on hardware. It pairs with a compatible phone or tablet over Bluetooth.
The Reader costs £19 + VAT and standard UK card-present payments cost 1.75%. That makes the upfront commitment very low compared with a traditional rented terminal.
For sole traders, tradespeople, market sellers and smaller shops, that simplicity is the main attraction. Our mobile card reader comparison looks at how this type of setup compares with other portable readers.
Square looks strongest when low fixed costs matter
If you want a simple reader without a traditional card-machine contract, Square is one of the easiest options to benchmark.
Square fees in 2026
Square’s pricing is one of the easiest parts of the service to understand, but it is important to distinguish in-person, online and manually entered payments.
| Payment type | Current fee | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| UK card-present | 1.75% | Standard chip and PIN/contactless payments |
| UK online card | 1.4% + 25p | Square Online, Online Checkout and ecommerce API/SDK |
| Non-UK online card | 2.5% + 25p | International online card transactions cost more |
| Virtual Terminal / manually keyed | 2.5% | Useful for phone payments and remote card entry |
Worked example: £10,000 a month in face-to-face card sales
At the standard 1.75% rate, £10,000 of qualifying card-present sales would generate £175 in processing fees before considering any additional services or non-standard charges.
That may be completely reasonable for a business that values flexibility and has no terminal rental. But once card turnover becomes significantly larger, comparing tailored quotes becomes increasingly worthwhile.
Do not compare Square on the percentage alone
A traditional provider may advertise a lower transaction percentage but add terminal rental, authorisation charges, PCI-related fees or a minimum contract. Compare the complete monthly cost.
Can Square take payments over the phone?
Yes. The old version of this review incorrectly said Square could not take telephone payments. Square’s Virtual Terminal lets businesses key in card details on a computer, with a current remote-processing fee of 2.5% per transaction.
If phone payments are a regular part of your business, compare that 2.5% rate with other payment processors rather than assuming your face-to-face rate will apply.
Does Square work without Wi-Fi?
Square can accept offline payments on supported devices and setups, subject to Square’s offline-payment rules. That is useful if your internet connection temporarily fails.
Offline acceptance is not the same as permanently operating without connectivity. Payments need to be uploaded when you reconnect, and some payment types are unavailable offline. For businesses where losing card acceptance would stop trading, it is sensible to understand these limitations and consider a backup payment method.
Square POS software
The standard Square Point of Sale software costs £0 a month. That is an important part of the value proposition because Square is not merely a card reader.
The free POS includes core selling, reporting and inventory functionality. Businesses that need more advanced restaurant, retail or appointment features can move into Square’s specialist software plans.
If the till system is as important as the card machine, compare Square with the options in our EPOS systems guide.
Square for retail
Square is attractive to smaller retailers because a business can start with basic payments and then add more hardware and software as it grows. Inventory, customer data, online selling and reporting can all sit inside the same ecosystem.
The trade-off is that more sophisticated inventory and retail features can require paid software. A larger retailer should compare the full software and payment cost, not just the £19 Reader.
Square for cafés and restaurants
Square can work well for smaller cafés, counter-service venues and restaurants wanting payments and POS in one platform. Square Terminal and Square Handheld are more relevant than the basic Reader when staff need to move around the venue.
For busier hospitality operations, compare Square with Dojo and other providers that specialise in restaurant workflows. Our card machines for hospitality guide covers the key features to compare.
Square for sole traders and mobile businesses
Square’s low upfront cost and lack of a traditional lock-in terminal contract make it a sensible option for sole traders whose monthly card turnover changes substantially.
A mobile hairdresser, tradesperson or market trader may prefer paying 1.75% only when taking card payments rather than adding a fixed terminal-rental bill every month.
See our guide to card machines for sole traders for more options.
Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android
Square also supports Tap to Pay on compatible smartphones, allowing a business to accept contactless payments without a separate card reader. This can be useful for mobile staff or as a backup payment route.
Read our card reader for iPhone guide for more on phone-based payment acceptance.
Square vs SumUp
Square and SumUp are natural competitors because both make it easy for small businesses to buy relatively inexpensive hardware and start accepting cards without a traditional acquiring contract.
Square’s standard card-present rate is currently 1.75%, while SumUp’s standard PAYG in-person rate is 1.69%. That difference is only £6 for every £10,000 processed, so software, hardware and how you actually operate can matter more than the headline percentage.
See our SumUp fees guide before deciding between them.
Square vs traditional merchant accounts
A traditional acquiring arrangement becomes more interesting as card volumes rise or your payment requirements become more complicated. Larger businesses may value individually negotiated rates, dedicated terminals, multi-site support and bespoke integrations.
Square is still relevant at scale because it offers custom rates for qualifying higher-volume sellers. But once you are processing substantial amounts, compare it with the wider market rather than automatically staying on standard pricing.
Our merchant accounts guide explains the difference between a traditional merchant account and bundled payment-service providers such as Square.
Processing enough card volume to negotiate?
Use the same card turnover and transaction profile when requesting quotes so you can compare Square’s simplicity against tailored merchant-service pricing.
Settlement and getting paid
Square says next-day transfers to your bank account are standard for free. Instant transfers are also available for an additional fee where eligible.
Settlement speed can be commercially important for small businesses buying stock or paying suppliers frequently. It is less important if your business already has comfortable working capital.
Customer support
Square’s general UK phone support is currently available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, with email access available around the clock. Square says Terminal and Square for Restaurants sellers can access 24/7 phone support.
That distinction matters. A salon trading mainly during weekday hours has different support requirements from a restaurant processing most of its revenue on Friday and Saturday nights.
Square security and PCI DSS
Using Square reduces the amount of sensitive card information a small business needs to handle directly, but businesses still need to understand their payment-security responsibilities.
Our PCI DSS guide explains the wider compliance requirements for businesses accepting cards.
When Square may not be the best choice
- You process high card volumes: ask for custom Square pricing and compare tailored acquiring offers.
- You have a high share of international cards: model the additional international costs.
- You need specialist hospitality workflows: compare Dojo, Clover and other integrated providers.
- You only need basic card acceptance: compare Square Reader directly with SumUp and other low-cost readers.
- You need complex ecommerce infrastructure: Stripe or another online-first processor may provide more developer flexibility.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Square charge per transaction in the UK?
The standard UK card-present fee is currently 1.75%. UK online card payments through Square’s online products are 1.4% + 25p, while manually entered and Virtual Terminal payments are generally 2.5%.
Does Square have a monthly fee?
The standard Square Point of Sale software has no monthly fee. Optional specialist software plans and additional services can have subscription costs.
Can Square take payments over the phone?
Yes. Square Virtual Terminal supports remotely keyed card payments, currently charged at 2.5% per transaction.
Can Square work without internet?
Square supports offline payments on eligible devices and setups, with restrictions. Transactions need to be uploaded after reconnecting, and some payment types are not available offline.
Is Square good for sole traders?
It can be. The £19 Reader, no standard monthly POS fee and pay-per-transaction model can suit sole traders with low or variable card turnover.
Is Square cheaper than SumUp?
Not on the standard headline face-to-face rate: Square is currently 1.75% and SumUp PAYG is 1.69%. But the difference is small enough that software, hardware and your wider payment needs can determine which is better value.
Ready to look at Square?
Check Square’s current hardware and pricing, or compare it with other card-machine providers before deciding.
Final verdict
Square remains one of the strongest starting points for a UK small business that wants to accept cards without complicated pricing or a traditional terminal contract. The £19 Reader and free standard POS software keep the initial commitment low, while the wider ecosystem gives the business room to add online payments, invoicing, inventory and more capable hardware later.
The main caveat is scale. At higher card volumes, do not assume the standard 1.75% rate remains your best deal. Ask Square about custom pricing and compare competing merchant-service quotes using your real transaction profile.
