SumUp vs Square: which payment platform is best in Ireland?

Since Square Payments’ arrival in Ireland, SumUp has got some serious competition. The two payment providers have a lot in common.

American Square was the first to introduce an app-based card reader in 2009; then German SumUp launched their own in 2012. SumUp targeted European merchants who wanted to get paid simply, while Square pioneered easy access to payment tools – two sides of the same coin, but it shapes their products differently.

Both are now suited for in-person and remote payments with ecommerce options. So which one of them is best for a small business in Ireland?

Very different card readers

Compared to the closest market leaders in Ireland – like Clover by AIBMS and Elavon – SumUp and Square offer some of the cheapest card readers with the lowest fixed rates. And they are not only affordable, but also (in most cases) of decent quality for the price, confirmed by our use of them over time.

Some of the card readers work with an app and others work on their own. Let’s start with the app-based, most inexpensive readers.

SumUp’s new Solo Lite reader connects with an iPhone, iPad or Android tablet or smartphone with SumUp App downloaded. It uses the mobile device’s internet connection to process payments online and sync transactions in the cloud. SumUp Solo Lite has a keypad for PIN entry and accepts chip and contactless card payments.

Square Reader also connects to an app on a compatible mobile device with any of the Square POS apps downloaded: the free Point of Sale (iPad, iPhone or Android) or one of Square’s other POS systems for restaurants, retail or professional services.

Like SumUp Solo Lite, Square Reader uses the mobile device’s 4G or WiFi connection to process transactions from the till app. However, Square Reader does not have a physical keypad, so customers have to enter their PIN in the connected app.

Then you have the standalone card terminals that are more expensive because they connect directly to the internet to process payments.

The SumUp Solo card reader does this through a built-in SIM card with unlimited data for 4G connectivity, or WiFi. This means you can take card payments anywhere with wireless internet, even if the mobile network is weak.

Although it comes with a nice dock for the table and a pretty touchscreen instead of physical buttons, Solo’s functions are quite basic. You simply enter the transaction amount on the screen, tap or insert a card and send a digital receipt following a transaction.

The SumUp Solo and Printer bundle contains the Solo card reader and a receipt printer attachment that also keeps the reader charged all day.

“When testing SumUp Solo without a printer, our battery didn’t last for very long. The Solo printer really helps because it charges the terminal on the go, so we never ran out of power in a day.”

– Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor, MobileTransaction

Square has one standalone card machine: Square Terminal – a smart POS terminal with a large touchscreen. It only works with a closed WiFi network or broadband connection through an additional adaptor and cable (extra cost). Square Terminal does not have a SIM card, so won’t work with mobile networks out and about.

So it’s made for portability around your business premises, not in random locations at, for example, a client’s house.

The default software on Square Terminal is the Square Point of Sale app, so it works as a portable checkout or small POS-and-payments terminal on a countertop. It’s also now possible to link the terminal with Square’s other POS systems for a more tailored setup.

Apart from these card payment devices, Square has an iPad stand (Square Stand) and tablet register (Square Register) with tap and chip card acceptance built in.

Square is compatible with more hardware. For example, restaurants can connect a kitchen printer so quick-service ordering runs smoothly. SumUp Solo, on the other hand, doesn’t connect with other receipt printers than its own and doesn’t link with cash drawers or barcode scanners.

My own experience of the card machines is that Square’s are better quality and seem to last longer than SumUp’s. But I should note: SumUp’s card machines accept more card brands – Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay and JCB on top of the other major card brands accepted by both.

Fees: pay as you go, with small differences

Neither SumUp nor Square requires contractual commitment or monthly fees. Instead, you create a free account, purchase a card machine upfront and pay only a fixed transaction rate for successful payments.

There is no minimum monthly sales volume required or fixed monthly fees for the basic point of sale (POS) apps.

More POS features through Square

Many micro-businesses find there are enough POS features in either of the free apps, but the most advanced of the two is Square Point of Sale.

SumUp and Square both have an inventory library with product variants, images and VAT rates. There are options for tipping, accepting cash and refunding payments, and transactions and payout statuses can be accessed in the apps. Staff members can have their own logins with restricted access to certain features.

On top of that, Square has more features for inventory, employee management (incl. timesheets), splitting the tender, attaching customers to bills, discounting, marking transactions for eat-in, delivery, pick-up or takeaway, and more. You can view sales reports in the Square POS app and sell or accept gift cards (physical or online) from the till. These functions are lacking in SumUp App.

SumUp offers a more advanced POS system: SumUp Point of Sale (previously Goodtill). It has modules of specialised features to add to a ‘Core POS’ module, so the total cost per month depends on your needs. Alternatively, SumUp integrates with Loyverse.

Square has three upgrade options: Square for Restaurants, Square for Retail and Square Appointments. These actually have a free plan too, so you can use the fundamental app version of them, then upgrade when serious about using the full version. The card reader cannot currently connect with other POS systems in Ireland.

The Square platform can be extended with different third-party apps for advanced functions like inventory management, online ordering, accounting and marketing. But you may not be dependent on integrations since additional tools are continually being added to the platform.

SumUp only connects with the above POS systems and PrestaShop as the only ecommerce platform – no accounting systems. Instead, SumUp tries to offer a broad enough toolset within the platform.

Remote payments included, but more with Square

Square and SumUp merchants benefit from multiple ways to get paid remotely, but they have slightly different features.

The overall payment methods overlap (see table below), but Square tends to have more advanced features within each method.

Square more adaptable, SumUp makes things simpler

SumUp and Square excel at making payments extremely accessible for small businesses.

It’s quick to sign up online, affordable to get a card reader, and their software is some of the most user-friendly even for non-techy merchants. Unlike Clover, you get no long-term contract, and are not required to pay a fixed monthly fee, just a few predictable card rates.

Square has considerably more register features and payment tools than SumUp, particularly for food and drink. Growing businesses can connect Square with different software platforms for accounting, ecommerce etc., whereas SumUp hardly has integration options.

But SumUp does offer a free Mastercard and Business Account that can act as a replacement for a bank account. Mobile SumUp merchants can access the virtual terminal and business account or create a basic online store from an app, none of which you can do in Square’s app.

Then again, Square has its own app for invoicing and staff management, plus sales reports in the app. Square merchants also have lots of tools in the online dashboard for business owners to expand online and analyse sales from afar.

In short, Square is expandable but user-friendly, while SumUp is slightly cheaper for merchants who don’t want too many bells and whistles.