Card Machine Fee Calculator UK

Estimate your monthly card processing costs in seconds and compare the fees charged by popular UK card machine providers.

How Much Do Card Machine Fees Cost in the UK?

Card machine fees in the UK usually range between 1.6% and 2% per transaction, depending on the provider and the pricing plan you choose. Some providers charge monthly subscription fees, while others offer simple pay-as-you-go pricing with no monthly costs.

The total cost of accepting card payments normally comes down to three main factors:

• Transaction fees

• Monthly subscription fees

• Card machine hardware costs

Using the calculator above can help you estimate how much you might pay each month based on your expected card sales.

Transaction Fees Explained

Transaction fees are the percentage taken from each card payment processed through the machine. These fees cover the cost of payment processing, card networks and banking infrastructure.

Typical transaction fees in the UK include:

• SumUp: around 1.69% per transaction

• Square: around 1.75% per transaction

• Zettle: around 1.75% per transaction

• Our Free Card Machine is 1.25% per transaction

For example, if your business processes £5,000 in card payments per month and the transaction fee is 1.69%, your estimated monthly processing cost would be around £84.50.

The calculator on this page helps estimate these costs so you can compare providers and understand your potential monthly fees.

Monthly Card Machine Fees

Some payment providers offer subscription pricing models that include additional features such as advanced reporting tools, POS integrations or lower transaction fees.

However, many modern card machine providers in the UK offer no monthly fee options, which means you only pay when you take a payment.

This type of pricing is particularly popular with:

• Small businesses

• Market traders

• Start-ups

• Mobile businesses

• Seasonal businesses

Because there are no fixed monthly costs, businesses can keep overheads low while still accepting card payments.

Card Machine Hardware Costs

In addition to transaction fees, businesses normally need to purchase a card reader device.

Typical card machine prices in the UK include:

• Basic mobile card readers: £19 – £39

• Portable smart terminals: £99 – £199

These are usually one-off purchases, meaning the machine belongs to you and there are no ongoing rental fees.

Some providers also offer free card machine promotions, which allow businesses to start accepting payments without paying for the device upfront.

Free Card Machine Offer for UK Businesses

Many small businesses assume they must pay upfront for a card machine or sign long-term contracts with payment providers. However, newer payment solutions now offer free card machine deals that remove the initial hardware cost entirely.

With our free card machine offer, UK businesses can start accepting chip and PIN, contactless payments, Apple Pay and Google Pay without paying for the device itself. This allows businesses to modernise their payment options while keeping startup costs low.

Instead of paying for the card machine upfront, businesses simply pay a small transaction fee when they process a payment. This means your payment costs scale with your sales, which can make budgeting much easier.

Free card machine offers are particularly popular with small and growing businesses because they remove the barrier of expensive payment equipment.

How the Free Card Machine Works

Getting started with a free card machine is simple. After completing a short application with your business details, your payment provider will review and approve your account.

Once approved, your card machine is shipped and can typically be set up in just a few minutes using a smartphone or Wi-Fi connection.

Modern card machines allow businesses to:

• Accept chip and PIN payments

• Take contactless payments

• Accept mobile wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay

• Send digital receipts to customers

• Track transactions through a mobile app

Funds from card payments are normally transferred to your business bank account within a few working days.

Compare the Cheapest Card Machines in the UK

Choosing the right card machine provider can help reduce your payment processing costs and make it easier to manage transactions.

If you are comparing card machine options, it is worth looking at:

• Transaction fees

• Hardware cost

• Monthly subscription options

• Payment speed and settlement times

• Additional features such as reporting tools

You can explore our guides to compare the most popular card machine providers available to UK businesses.

Helpful pages:

• Free Card Machine Offer

• Cheapest Card Machines in the UK

• SumUp Card Machine Review

• Square Card Machine Review

• Zettle Card Machine Review

These guides explain pricing, features and the pros and cons of each provider so you can choose the best option for your business.

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