SumUp
5.6/10SumUp is a payments-led money platform that gives small merchants and sole traders card acceptance, an e-money business account with Mastercard, free invoicing and built-in UK tax filing.
Data last updated November 2026 · Our methodology
Overview
SumUp started as a card-reader company and has grown into a money hub for small merchants. On the finance side it offers a free e-money Business Account with a UK account number, sort code and a physical or virtual Mastercard, plus unlimited invoices and quotes. Customers can pay those invoices by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank transfer or cash. In March 2026 SumUp added free Making Tax Digital for Income Tax filing in the UK. It runs on Sage's embedded accounting technology and pulls in card, cash, invoice and banking data automatically, so a sole trader can categorise transactions, attach receipts, see an estimated tax bill and submit quarterly updates to HMRC from the SumUp dashboard. It suits sole traders, cafes, salons, market traders and other small businesses that already take payments through SumUp. The core tools cost nothing per month, and SumUp earns from transaction fees: 1.69% in person and 2.5% online. Paid add-ons in the UK are Invoices Plus at £8 a month plus VAT, which adds any-bank transfers, payment in any currency, custom templates, 14 languages and bank reconciliation, and Business Account Plus at £15 a month, which adds extra balances, team expense cards and bulk transfers. Payments Plus and Payments Max lower in-person card rates. Its links to other software are limited. Developers get payment APIs, SDKs and e-commerce plugins such as WooCommerce, Wix and PrestaShop, but none of the pages reviewed name a Xero or QuickBooks integration, and the account is not FSCS protected. The main limitation is that SumUp is not a full accounting system. It has no payroll, no multi-entity support and no real financial reporting, and users often complain about frozen accounts and held funds.
Our Rating
Who SumUp is best for
Best software for Small BusinessGood fit
Free account, unlimited invoices and next-day payouts are built for small merchants who already take card payments with SumUp.
The free Making Tax Digital filing and free invoicing target UK sole traders who face the April 2026 quarterly reporting rules.
Less suited
Payment links and plugins for WooCommerce, Wix and PrestaShop exist, but online card payments cost 2.5%, which reviewers call expensive.
It offers no multi-entity support, payroll or advanced reporting, and its transfer limits are capped for small-business use.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- The Business Account, debit Mastercard and unlimited invoices and quotes cost nothing per month, so a micro-business pays only transaction fees.
- Payments land in the SumUp Business Account by 7am the next day, including weekends and bank holidays.
- Free Making Tax Digital for Income Tax filing, built on Sage technology, pulls in card, cash and invoice data automatically for UK sole traders.
- Invoices accept card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, bank transfer or cash, and send automatic reminders when payment is overdue.
- Developers get payment APIs and SDKs in several languages, plus plugins for WooCommerce, Wix and PrestaShop.
Cons
- The Business Account holds e-money and is safeguarded rather than FSCS protected.
- None of the pages reviewed name a Xero or QuickBooks integration. Accountants mainly get CSV and PDF exports.
- On the free invoice plan, bank transfers go only to a SumUp account, payments are GBP only and there is a single template.
- Reviewers on Trustpilot and in UK ombudsman cases report frozen accounts and funds held during reviews.
- Online card payments cost 2.5%, which reviewers call expensive next to Stripe.
- There is no payroll, general ledger, multi-entity support or full financial statements, so growing firms will need separate accounting software.
Key Features
SumUp Pricing
Free (Business Account, Invoices and pay-as-you-go payments)
- Invoice payments in GBP only
- Unlimited invoices and quotes
- Card spending limit of £15,000 per day
- Standard invoice template in 1 language
- 1.69% in-person and 2.5% online card fees
- Free physical and virtual business Mastercard
- E-money business account with UK account number and sort code
- Bank transfers on invoices go only to a SumUp Business Account
- Automatic transaction categorisation, receipt upload, CSV and PDF export
- Free Making Tax Digital for Income Tax filing in the UK (powered by Sage)
- Outgoing transfer limits of £25,000 each, £50,000 per day and £150,000 per month
Payments Plus
or £189/year (save 17%)
- 2.5% on online payments
- Free card reader replacements
- 1.69% on premium, international and Amex cards
- 0.99% on domestic debit and credit cards in person
Payments Max
- 24-month commitment
- 2.5% on online payments
- Free card reader replacements
- 0.69% on domestic consumer cards
- 1.69% on premium, international and Amex cards
Custom
- Tailored rates for businesses processing £10,000 or more a month
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The free plan gives unlimited invoices and quotes, and card payments on invoices are charged at 2.5%. Invoices Plus costs £8 a month plus VAT, or £7 a month plus VAT on annual billing, and comes with a 30-day free trial.
In the UK, yes. Since March 2026 SumUp has offered free MTD for Income Tax filing powered by Sage. It categorises income and expenses, stores receipts, estimates tax and submits quarterly updates to HMRC from the SumUp dashboard.
SumUp Payments Limited is an FCA-authorised electronic money institution (register number 900700). Your funds are kept in safeguarding accounts separate from SumUp's own money, but they are not covered by the FSCS.
None of the official or review pages examined named a Xero or QuickBooks integration. SumUp offers CSV and PDF exports, accountant access and its own embedded Sage-based MTD tool.
Only with Invoices Plus, which allows payment in any currency and transfers to any bank. The free plan is GBP only, and the Business Account is mainly GBP-focused rather than a full multi-currency account.
Pay-as-you-go has no monthly fee and no contract. Payments Plus costs £19 a month or £189 a year, though one part of SumUp's page mentions a 12-month commitment. Payments Max costs £49 a month with a 24-month commitment.
Card payments are capped at £15,000 per payment and per day. Cash withdrawals are capped at £500 each and £2,000 per day. Outgoing transfers are capped at £25,000 each, £50,000 per day and £150,000 per month. Support can adjust these limits.
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Ranked near SumUp in Finance Software
See SumUp in the listSumUp is #107 in Finance Software by our score.
