The mobile card reader giants empowering small businesses go toe to toe. Who will come out on top?
SumUp and iZettle both provide portable, simple card payment processing solutions for your small business. They’re inexpensive, quick to setup and great for taking payments on the go. And in our cashless society, they’ll only become more crucial to the success of your business. But how do you choose between them?
That’s where we come in. We did a deep dive into the differences to help you decide. We looked at pricing, speed, customer satisfaction levels and other factors and came out with a winner. Can SumUp zettle an old score? Or will iZettle prove that sum card readers are just better than others?
Jump to:
- 01 | Price
- 02 | Speed
- 03 | Customer support
- 04 | Premium services
- 05 | POS solutions
- 06 | Next steps
| SumUp vs iZettle | |
|---|---|
 |  |
 |  |
£29 | £59 (discounts to £29) |
(Contactless and Chip and PIN) 1.69% | (Contactless and Chip and PIN) 1.75% |
2 – 3 days | Within two working days |
8am – 7pm Monday – Friday | 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday |
| Accepts All major card types | Accepts All major card types |
12 months | 12 months |
| |
Price
Card reader
At a tidy £29, SumUp’s card reader is £30 cheaper than the RRP of iZettle. However, iZettle offer regular discounts; at the time of writing, you can buy the iZettle card reader for £29. These ongoing promotions make the difference in cost pretty slim. It won’t affect your final decision.
Transaction fees
At 1.69% per transaction, SumUp’s fees are just cheaper than iZettle’s. If that doesn’t seem like much, think again. If you’re taking a lot of card payments – which, let’s face it, you want to be – those savings are going to add up, fast. Both SumUp and iZettle charge no monthly fees or add-ons and are transparent with their prices. So can they be separated?
Verdict
Yes! SumUp draws first blood. They edge this category by a whisker. Though the card readers come out more or less at the same price, SumUp has lower transaction fees – making it a better value solution for your small business.
▶ Read more: Compare PDQ machines and get the best deal for your business
Speed
It doesn’t matter what your business does. The quicker you can take payments, the more money you’re going to make. iZettle takes payments in five seconds – a punchy 25% faster than any other card reader in existence. iZettle are also the speedier option when it comes to getting paid. With a maximum of two days waiting time they edge out SumUp’s payout time of between two and three days.
Verdict
iZettle pulls one back for being superb in the speed stakes. Scores are tied!
Customer support
When it comes to collecting money for your goods or services, you can’t afford to waste time if you run into an issue. Having customer support available when you need it is crucial. So which provider does it better? We took a couple of factors into account to find out. One’s the level of phone support available, and the other is the overall level of customer satisfaction online. Who are you putting your money on?
Phone support
When it comes to quality phone support, SumUp comes out on top. Their contact centre is open Monday to Saturday. And there’s someone to chat to 64 hours of the week. Support from iZettle comes in at 40 hours a week, and you won’t catch them on the weekend. However, if you sign up for an iZettle Go PLUS membership you’ll get weeknight support (8am – 8pm), as well as help available on Saturday.
Customer satisfaction levels
With 74% of reviewers rating it five stars or ‘Excellent,’ SumUp narrowly beats iZettle's 68%. SumUp had a polarising effect on reviewers, with 14% slamming it with the dreaded one star. Only just over a tenth of reviewers gave SumUp a more lukewarm rating of between two and four stars.
On the flipside, iZettle’s reviews were a bit more favourable across the board. Only 12% of reviewers gave them less than three stars and 82% of reviews were four stars or more. We crunched the numbers and the stats don’t lie – when it comes to keeping customers happy, iZettle have a winning formula.
Verdict
We don’t think your small business should have to pay a monthly fee for support taking cashless payments. Plus, business doesn’t stop at the weekend. Why should phone support stop? SumUp have people to help you more hours of the week and don’t charge for it. We reckon that shows a dedication to their customers and a willingness to go the extra mile.
However, when it comes to overall customer satisfaction levels, iZettle (just about) come out on top. We’ll have to award a point a piece. The two mobile card reader goliaths remain deadlocked.
▶ Read more: Best credit card machines for small business – 2019 guide
Premium services
SumUp’s 3G card reader for independence
To use these card readers you’ll need a smartphone or tablet to connect them to. If you’d rather do everything from one device, SumUp’s 3G card reader is the solution for you.
This card reader will set you back £99, but it’s often discounted to a reasonable £69. It has an internet connection built in, meaning you don’t need wifi or a device to link it to. If you don’t mind paying a little more, you’ll get a smarter, more independent card reader.
iZettle Pro for hospitality
iZettle offers a couple of paid plans that provide an enhanced experience. Their iZettle Pro is perfect if you’re in hospitality. With features like bill splitting and employee management, this iZettle plan helps you run your service. It’s £39/month and doesn’t include the card reader fee. However, at 1.25%, the transaction fee is lower – so it’s great if you’ll be taking plenty of card payments.
Does your business collect more than £8,000/month in card payments? You might be able to get a custom plan with iZettle and negotiate lower rates. Better still – if you have a minute, start comparing quotes from top suppliers by clicking here.
Verdict
Both iZettle and SumUp offer additional services to improve the way you take card payments. The option that works for you depends on the size of your business and the amount of monthly card payments you’re taking. Right now our card reader providers are still just about level. Let’s head into the tiebreak.
POS solutions
SumUp and iZettle both offer simple, portable solutions for taking card payments. But you’ll need more to complete your Point of Sale (POS) kit. iZettle offer a big range of receipt printers, barcode scanners, and cash drawers to help you trade like a boss.
You can also request quotes for items to build up your POS on SumUp’s website. But unlike with iZettle, you can’t view and buy accessories there and then. You’ll need to request a quote from one of their suppliers. This can offer more variety and flexibility. But it makes for a bit more hassle than buying through iZettle.
Verdict
iZettle offers a more simple and direct way of growing your POS through its website. Therefore, it edges out its valiant rival SumUp at the last hurdle.
Hungry for more? iZettle goes another round against undisputed card reader heavyweights PayPal.
Next steps
iZettle and SumUp both offer great features. But the truth is they only scratch the surface when it comes to the best card readers for your small business. Let the mobile card reader you choose be the best reflection of your business’ unique needs. Take a moment to pop some details into our short form and start comparing quotes from Expert Market approved suppliers today.
