iZettle vs. SumUp: similar card readers, increasingly different services

iZettle and SumUp have many similarities, but over the last few years, they’ve been branching out their offerings in different directions.

What they’re perhaps best known for in the UK is their two mobile card readers: iZettle Reader and SumUp Air. These pocket-sized terminals cost less than £40 each and work in conjunction with a smartphone or tablet app, making them super-accessible for any small business.

What else do they offer? And how do these payment companies shape up in general? Let’s have a closer look.

SumUp sells 2 card terminals, iZettle only 1

You’ve probably seen iZettle Reader (newest version is called iZettle Reader 2) in cafés, small shops or at the hairdressers – if not that, then the SumUp Air.

Both connect to an iPad, iPhone or Android tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth with the associated payment app. Transactions happen over the internet, using the mobile device’s 3G/4G network or WiFi. What’s more, the app works like a till with a product library and other features to form a complete point of sale (POS) system.

Emmanuel Charpentier (EC), Mobile Transaction

SumUp Air and iZettle Reader 2 on their charging docks.

In addition, SumUp also offers a pocket-sized terminal called SumUp 3G. Suffice to say, this model works with a 3G, GPRS or EDGE connection through an inbuilt SIM card with unlimited, free data and also WiFi. SumUp 3G is completely independent, meaning a linked mobile device is not required.

EC, Mobile Transaction

SumUp 3G is lightweight, small and works with 3G and GPRS.

Recently, SumUp started selling a printing-and-charging cradle to use with SumUp 3G (more on that further down).

Comparing iZettle vs. SumUp 3G, we should emphasise there is no standalone iZettle terminal – only the app-dependent iZettle Reader.

Pay-as-you-go pricing, with only small differences

iZettle’s and SumUp’s transaction fees are very similar. iZettle charges a fixed rate of 1.75% and SumUp 1.69% of all card transaction totals regardless of card brand – even when it is a premium, foreign-issued debit or credit card.

The app-based card readers are similarly priced: £19 (see offer here, full price £59) for iZettle Reader and £29 (offer here) for SumUp Air, exclusive of VAT.

SumUp 3G, on the other hand, is more expensive due to its ability to work on its own, costing £99 + VAT. If you get the SumUp 3G and Printer duo, you pay £129 + VAT (normally £169).

Low-volume merchants with card transactions of £2,000 per month will see no significant difference in fees – SumUp would charge £33.80 and iZettle £35. For medium-volume business, these card rates are comparable with negotiated rates from Worldpay, Sage Pay and other providers. iZettle’s and SumUp’s rates are really competitive for premium cards like UnionPay and Amex, which normally cost significantly more in processing fees through other providers.

Neither SumUp nor iZettle have monthly fees or other charges on top of the transaction fee. You could argue that SumUp’s marginally lower card fee is compensated for through the blanket chargeback fee, or the refund fee if processed after the transaction is cleared in your bank account.

Payouts in bank account, or faster with SumUp Card

They both deposit payments directly into your business’ bank account, minus the transaction fee which is automatically deducted. iZettle’s 1-2 working days’ settlement is slightly faster than SumUp’s 1-3 working days’ bank account transfers. It depends in part on your bank how fast the deposits take.

Settlement time for SumUp depends on whether the transaction was by debit or credit card. Debit card payments are credited within a day, while credit card payments may take up to three days to show in the bank account.

Alternatively, you can access payouts the next day with SumUp Card regardless of what day it is. If you accept transactions on a Saturday, for example, you can spend this money with the SumUp Card (a prepaid Mastercard) the day after, on a Sunday. There are no monthly fees for the card or transactions, or charges for transferring money from the SumUp Card to your bank account.

Easily transfer money from SumUp Card to your bank account, or receive payouts directly in a bank account.

New iZettle users can have their funds deposited directly in their PayPal Business account within 24 hours, but not on weekends like SumUp Card offers.

Both accept impressive range of cards

Both iZettle and SumUp accept the most common cards including Visa, V Pay, Visa Electron, Mastercard and Maestro, plus Apple Pay and Google Play. They also allow you to take American Express, UnionPay, Diners Club and Discover at no extra cost; a bargain compared to the cost a small business would pay with a merchant account of a typical acquirer.

With iZettle, you can accept JCB on top of the above cards. For any business dealing with Japanese tourists, this will likely bring you more (and higher) sales. Samsung Pay is similarly only accepted by iZettle.

Photo: iZettle

iZettle’s POS app has more features than SumUp.

Card reader apps: iZettle has more features

iZettle Reader and SumUp Air work in conjunction with a free POS app on a mobile device (connected via Bluetooth). The software works particularly well from a tablet as a touchscreen register, but it does not work on a computer. Both apps are really user-friendly, modern and updated regularly.

The SumUp app is perfectly fine for selling simple products or services. But with iZettle Go, you have more POS features like inventory tracking and barcode scanning. Gift cards, payment links and invoicing are included in both systems.