Comparison · Updated October 10, 2026
Teya vs SumUp for UK card machines
Teya
B
Teya is a London-headquartered payments and business-banking company founded in 2019 as SaltPay by Ali Mazanderani and Eduardo Pontes, renamed in April 2023, and backed by investors including Tiger Global, Ribbit Capital and Michael Spencer — total funding is reported at about $845 million by data providers and $1.1 billion by The Business of Payments. It grew by acquisition — Iceland's Borgun in 2020, the UK's RMS Group in 2022 and the Czech ePOS company Storyous among them — and now sells to small businesses in nine European markets, the UK, Croatia, Czechia, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain, with Spain and Italy launched commercially in February 2026. In the UK the offer is a Teya Pro or Teya Lite card machine from £14.99 a month with a lifetime warranty, Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android, online payments, and a free e-money Business Account that card takings settle into next working day as standard, every day including weekends and bank holidays as an option, or in seconds with Instant Settlements. Rates are quoted rather than published — the pricing page says there is no standard price list, the card-machine page says fees start at 1.59% — and using an outside bank account instead of Teya's adds 0.10% to every transaction. Teya Solutions Ltd is an electronic money institution authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (reference 978181), so the account is safeguarded rather than FSCS-protected. Its UK Trustpilot profile is 4.4 from about 1,500 reviews, 82% five-star and 15% one-star, and the one-star reviews are about held funds and unreturned calls.
SumUp
B+
A pay-as-you-go card reader and POS provider with flat published rates, no monthly fee and no contract. Strong for small and mobile sellers; the recurring complaint is account freezes and held funds with slow resolution.
VS
Overview
This is a UK comparison in pounds, using prices both companies published in October 2026. Both now publish a self-serve plan. Teya's Start plan has no monthly membership fee and charges 1.59% on consumer Visa and Mastercard and 1.90% on business, international and American Express cards, for businesses taking up to £7,500 a month. A £29.99 fee applies in any month card turnover is under £2,500, and settling to an outside bank instead of Teya's own account adds 0.10%. SumUp's pay-as-you-go plan charges 1.69% on every in-person card, including Amex, with no monthly fee and no minimum, and its £19-a-month Payments Plus plan cuts standard UK consumer debit and credit cards to 0.99% (premium cards stay at 1.69%). On an all-standard-consumer-card mix SumUp is cheaper below £2,500 a month and above about £3,170 a month, and Teya's Start plan is cheaper only in the band between, by a few pounds. SumUp's hardware starts lower (a £25 + VAT Solo Lite against Teya's £89 + VAT Lite) and you own it, and its chargeback fee is £10 against Teya's £20. Teya's strengths are elsewhere: 24/7 human support included on every plan, instant settlement into its business account, and a debit card paying 0.5% cashback. Payment Review grades SumUp B+ and Teya B.
Key Takeaways
- ✓Teya's Start plan charges 1.59% on consumer cards and 1.90% on business, international and Amex cards; SumUp's pay-as-you-go plan charges 1.69% on all of them, and Payments Plus (£19 a month) charges 0.99% on standard UK consumer cards and 1.69% on premium, corporate, international and Amex cards.
- ✓Teya adds £29.99 in any month card turnover is under £2,500, and 0.10% on every transaction if you settle to your own bank. SumUp has no monthly minimum, so at £1,500 a month SumUp costs about £25 against about £54 at Teya.
- ✓On an all-standard-consumer-card mix Teya Start is the cheapest option only between £2,500 and about £3,170 a month, and by no more than a few pounds; above that SumUp Payments Plus is cheaper (later if many customers use premium rewards cards), and from £7,500 Teya quotes individually.
- ✓SumUp's readers cost £25, £79 and £135 plus VAT and are bought outright. Teya's machines cost £89 to £139 plus VAT (the Pro and Go on launch offers), but the payment buys three years' use: the terminal stays Teya's property and goes back if you leave.
- ✓Teya includes 24/7 human support, instant settlement into its account and a 0.5% cashback card. SumUp's agents work 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 7pm at weekends, with 24/7 priority support only on paid add-ons (Payments Plus or Business Account Plus), and it publishes no instant payout.
Teya
Teya suits a shop, café or bar that will bank with Teya and wants round-the-clock phone support and instant settlement included, takes mostly UK consumer cards, and either sits reliably between £2,500 and about £3,200 a month or is large enough (over £7,500) to negotiate a custom rate.
SumUp
SumUp suits a market trader, mobile or seasonal business, or any small business under £2,500 a month, and anyone taking a lot of Amex, business or overseas cards. From about £3,200 a month of standard UK consumer cards its Payments Plus plan is the cheapest published rate of the two.
Overall Winner
🏆 Winner
SumUp
B+expert grade
Runner-up
Teya
Why?
On the prices both companies now publish, SumUp is cheaper for most small UK businesses. It has no minimum fee where Teya charges £29.99 below £2,500 a month, it charges less on Amex, business and overseas cards (1.69% against 1.90%), its Payments Plus plan undercuts Teya's 1.59% once standard consumer cards pass about £3,170 a month, its readers start at £25 + VAT and are yours to keep, and its chargeback fee is half Teya's. Teya also publishes no online rate, where SumUp's is 2.5%. Teya's Start plan wins on price only in a narrow band around £2,500 to £3,170 a month, and only if you settle into its own account. Teya is the better service on paper: 24/7 human support on every plan, instant settlement and a cashback card. Pick Teya for that, or if you take more than £7,500 a month and can negotiate a custom rate. Payment Review grades SumUp B+ and Teya B.
Feature by feature
Detailed Comparison
Filter Options
Card rates and monthly cost (UK, as published October 2026)
| Feature | Teya | SumUp |
|---|---|---|
| Self-serve plan and monthly fee | Start: £0 a month, for turnover up to £7,500 a month | Pay-as-you-go: £0 a month; Payments Plus: £19 a month or £189 a year |
| Teya's pricing page shows one published plan, Start, for monthly card turnover of £0 to £7,500, and a custom offer above that. SumUp shows pay-as-you-go and Payments Plus, and offers bespoke pricing from £10,000 a month. Both plans are cancellable at any time. | ||
| In-person rate, UK consumer Visa and Mastercard | 1.59% | 1.69% pay-as-you-go; 0.99% on Payments Plus (premium cards 1.69%) |
| Teya's fee table lists 1.59% for consumer credit and consumer debit, with no separate premium-card rate. SumUp's fee table lists 1.69% for domestic debit and credit on pay-as-you-go and 0.99% on Payments Plus, but premium cards stay at 1.69% on both plans, so premium rewards cards cost less at Teya. Neither adds a pence-per-transaction fee. Which is cheaper depends on monthly turnover and card mix; see the cost rows below. | ||
| In-person rate, Amex, business and international cards | 1.90% | 1.69% on both plans Winner |
| Teya's fee table puts international and business cards, and Amex and other schemes, at 1.90%. SumUp charges 1.69% on international, corporate, premium and Amex cards on both plans. A business with many corporate or tourist customers pays more at Teya. | ||
| Low-turnover fee | £29.99 in any month under £2,500 card turnover | None Winner |
| Teya's pricing page carries the £29.99 fee as a footnote to its plans. SumUp's pricing page says there are no monthly minimums. | ||
| Settling to your own bank account | +0.10% on every transaction | No surcharge (1–2 business days) Winner |
| Teya's pricing FAQ and membership terms add 10 basis points to transaction fees if you settle to an outside bank instead of the Teya Business Account. With the surcharge, Teya's consumer-card rate becomes 1.69%, the same as SumUp's pay-as-you-go rate. SumUp charges nothing extra to pay out to your own bank, but it is slower than its own account. | ||
| Cost at £1,500 a month (all standard UK consumer cards) | £53.84 (£23.85 + £29.99) | £25.35 pay-as-you-go; £33.85 Payments Plus Winner |
| Transaction fees and plan fees only, before hardware, on non-premium UK consumer debit and credit cards. Teya's figure assumes settlement into the Teya Business Account. | ||
| Cost at £3,000 a month (all standard UK consumer cards) | £47.70 Winner | £50.70 pay-as-you-go; £48.70 Payments Plus |
| This is the narrow band where Teya's Start plan is cheapest: from £2,500, when its low-turnover fee stops, to about £3,170, where SumUp's £19 Payments Plus fee is covered by its 0.60-point lower rate. Billed annually (£189), Payments Plus overtakes Teya from about £2,630. Settling Teya takings to an outside bank (+0.10%) erases Teya's lead, and any Amex or business cards narrow it further; premium consumer cards, which SumUp charges 1.69% on either plan, widen it. | ||
| Cost at £5,000 a month (all standard UK consumer cards) | £79.50 | £84.50 pay-as-you-go; £68.50 Payments Plus Winner |
| SumUp's Payments Plus is cheapest at this volume on standard consumer cards. Teya beats SumUp's pay-as-you-go plan by £5 if you settle into the Teya account; settling to an outside bank makes them equal. A mix heavy in premium rewards cards would narrow Payments Plus's lead. | ||
| Online and payment-link rate | Not disclosed | 2.5% |
| SumUp's fee table lists 2.5% for every card type on online payments on both plans. Teya sells pay by link, hosted checkout, embedded components and Shopify and WooCommerce plugins, but its pricing page gives no online rate. Teya's fee page lists a surcharge on keyed MOTO payments of 1% on blended pricing (1.5% for hotels) and 0.5% on interchange-plus. | ||
| Chargeback fee | £20 | £10 Winner |
| Teya lists £20 in the fee table on its pricing page. SumUp's support centre says payment providers charge a non-refundable £10 fee for chargebacks; the disputed amount itself is taken from your next scheduled payout. | ||
Self-serve plan and monthly fee
Teya
Start: £0 a month, for turnover up to £7,500 a month
SumUp
Pay-as-you-go: £0 a month; Payments Plus: £19 a month or £189 a year
Teya's pricing page shows one published plan, Start, for monthly card turnover of £0 to £7,500, and a custom offer above that. SumUp shows pay-as-you-go and Payments Plus, and offers bespoke pricing from £10,000 a month. Both plans are cancellable at any time.
In-person rate, UK consumer Visa and Mastercard
Teya
1.59%
SumUp
1.69% pay-as-you-go; 0.99% on Payments Plus (premium cards 1.69%)
Teya's fee table lists 1.59% for consumer credit and consumer debit, with no separate premium-card rate. SumUp's fee table lists 1.69% for domestic debit and credit on pay-as-you-go and 0.99% on Payments Plus, but premium cards stay at 1.69% on both plans, so premium rewards cards cost less at Teya. Neither adds a pence-per-transaction fee. Which is cheaper depends on monthly turnover and card mix; see the cost rows below.
In-person rate, Amex, business and international cards
Teya
1.90%
SumUp
1.69% on both plans
Winner
Teya's fee table puts international and business cards, and Amex and other schemes, at 1.90%. SumUp charges 1.69% on international, corporate, premium and Amex cards on both plans. A business with many corporate or tourist customers pays more at Teya.
Low-turnover fee
Teya
£29.99 in any month under £2,500 card turnover
SumUp
None
Winner
Teya's pricing page carries the £29.99 fee as a footnote to its plans. SumUp's pricing page says there are no monthly minimums.
Settling to your own bank account
Teya
+0.10% on every transaction
SumUp
No surcharge (1–2 business days)
Winner
Teya's pricing FAQ and membership terms add 10 basis points to transaction fees if you settle to an outside bank instead of the Teya Business Account. With the surcharge, Teya's consumer-card rate becomes 1.69%, the same as SumUp's pay-as-you-go rate. SumUp charges nothing extra to pay out to your own bank, but it is slower than its own account.
Cost at £1,500 a month (all standard UK consumer cards)
Teya
£53.84 (£23.85 + £29.99)
SumUp
£25.35 pay-as-you-go; £33.85 Payments Plus
Winner
Transaction fees and plan fees only, before hardware, on non-premium UK consumer debit and credit cards. Teya's figure assumes settlement into the Teya Business Account.
Cost at £3,000 a month (all standard UK consumer cards)
Teya
£47.70
Winner
SumUp
£50.70 pay-as-you-go; £48.70 Payments Plus
This is the narrow band where Teya's Start plan is cheapest: from £2,500, when its low-turnover fee stops, to about £3,170, where SumUp's £19 Payments Plus fee is covered by its 0.60-point lower rate. Billed annually (£189), Payments Plus overtakes Teya from about £2,630. Settling Teya takings to an outside bank (+0.10%) erases Teya's lead, and any Amex or business cards narrow it further; premium consumer cards, which SumUp charges 1.69% on either plan, widen it.
Cost at £5,000 a month (all standard UK consumer cards)
Teya
£79.50
SumUp
£84.50 pay-as-you-go; £68.50 Payments Plus
Winner
SumUp's Payments Plus is cheapest at this volume on standard consumer cards. Teya beats SumUp's pay-as-you-go plan by £5 if you settle into the Teya account; settling to an outside bank makes them equal. A mix heavy in premium rewards cards would narrow Payments Plus's lead.
Online and payment-link rate
Teya
Not disclosed
SumUp
2.5%
SumUp's fee table lists 2.5% for every card type on online payments on both plans. Teya sells pay by link, hosted checkout, embedded components and Shopify and WooCommerce plugins, but its pricing page gives no online rate. Teya's fee page lists a surcharge on keyed MOTO payments of 1% on blended pricing (1.5% for hotels) and 0.5% on interchange-plus.
Chargeback fee
Teya
£20
SumUp
£10
Winner
Teya lists £20 in the fee table on its pricing page. SumUp's support centre says payment providers charge a non-refundable £10 fee for chargebacks; the disputed amount itself is taken from your next scheduled payout.
Best For Your Business
Recommendations based on your business type
Market stall, mobile trader or seasonal business under £2,500 a month
Recommended
SumUp
SumUp has no monthly minimum and a £25 + VAT reader that pairs with a phone. Teya adds £29.99 in any month under £2,500, so at £1,500 a month it costs about £54 against SumUp's £25.
Café or shop taking £4,000 to £7,500 a month, mostly UK consumer cards
Recommended
SumUp
SumUp's Payments Plus (£19 a month, 0.99% on standard UK consumer cards) is the cheaper published price here: about £68.50 at £5,000 against £79.50 on Teya Start. If your card mix is heavy on premium rewards, Amex or business cards the gap narrows, so check your last statement.
Bar or restaurant open late that needs support at any hour
Recommended
Teya
Teya includes 24/7 human support by phone, WhatsApp and chat on every plan. SumUp's agents work until 8pm on weekdays and 7pm at weekends unless you pay for Payments Plus or Business Account Plus, which add 24/7 priority support.
Business that wants takings available the same day
Recommended
Teya
Teya offers Instant Settlements in seconds into its Business Account. SumUp pays into its own account by 7am the next day, including weekends, and publishes no instant option.
Business that sees many tourists or corporate cards
Recommended
SumUp
Teya charges 1.90% on international, business and Amex cards; SumUp charges 1.69% on all of them, on either plan.
Business processing over £10,000 a month
Both. Teya's published plan stops at £7,500 a month and SumUp offers bespoke pricing from £10,000, so both will quote. Get both quotes in writing, including chargeback, online and international rates, and compare them with SumUp's published Payments Plus price.
Teya: Best for 2 use cases
SumUp: Best for 3 use cases
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this comparison
Usually SumUp. Teya's Start plan charges 1.59% on consumer cards and 1.90% on business, international and Amex cards, plus £29.99 in any month under £2,500. SumUp charges 1.69% on all in-person cards with no minimum, or £19 a month plus 0.99% on standard UK consumer cards on Payments Plus. On an all-standard-consumer-card mix SumUp is cheaper below £2,500 and above about £3,170 a month; Teya is cheaper between, by a few pounds, if you settle into its account. Premium rewards cards cost 1.69% on either SumUp plan against 1.59% at Teya.
Yes, for smaller businesses. As of October 2026 its UK pricing page shows a Start plan for monthly card turnover up to £7,500, with no membership fee, 1.59% on consumer Visa and Mastercard, 1.90% on business, international and Amex cards and a £20 chargeback fee. Above £7,500 Teya still quotes a custom rate.
You own a SumUp reader: it is a one-off purchase (£25, £79 or £135 plus VAT) with a 30-day money-back guarantee and no rental. A Teya machine bought through its Pay Once option stays Teya's property. The fee covers three years' use of one terminal, is non-refundable after the first 30 days, and the machine must be returned within seven business days if you leave.
Neither has a minimum term on its standard plan. Teya's Start membership can be cancelled at any time through support, though Teya warns that a terminal rental agreement may carry its own early-termination fees. SumUp has no contract on pay-as-you-go, and Payments Plus can be cancelled at any time.
Teya settles into its Business Account instantly, daily including weekends, or the next working day, depending on the setting you choose. SumUp pays into its Business Account by 7am the next day, every day including bank holidays, and into an outside bank in one to two business days. Teya adds 0.10% to every transaction if you settle to an outside bank.
No. Both are e-money accounts from FCA-authorised electronic money institutions, Teya Solutions Ltd and SumUp Payments Limited. Teya says the FSCS does not apply to its account; e-money is safeguarded rather than covered by the FSCS deposit guarantee. Both are free; Teya's card pays 0.5% cashback, and SumUp sells a £15-a-month Plus tier with extra balances and cards.
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