SumUp 3G review – an uncomplicated card machine for anywhere

Emmanuel Charpentier, Mobile Transaction

We have tested SumUp 3G, which is as small as you get a terminal with built-in SIM card.

Fees and settlement

The two things you pay for are: the £99 + VAT one-off cost of the card reader (special offer £69 here) and 1.69% transaction fee for all the payments processed through it. There’s no setup fee or extra charges for foreign cards. Delivery of the card reader is free, and there are no monthly fees or minimum sales volume required, so this is a pay-as-you-go system without hidden costs. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee for the card machine in case you change your mind, and one year warranty if you decide to keep it.

Payments go “directly into your bank account”, meaning they automatically reach your bank account 2-3 business days after the transaction, minus the transaction fee. There are no fixed transaction limits. Instead, SumUp views transactions on a case-by-case basis (e.g. suspicious-looking or large payments may be flagged).

This is not an automatic feature – SumUp will look at your sales history (so you need to accumulate card machine payments for some time) and account as a whole and only add the virtual terminal if you pass their internal checks.

Emmanuel Charpentier, Mobile Transaction

SumUp 3G has a chip card slot at the bottom.

Of the pay-as-you-go solutions, SumUp is known for having the lowest transaction fees. Their other terminal, SumUp Air, also accepts cards at 1.69% per transaction.

The most equivalent card machine, myPOS Mini, advertises a 1.75% transaction fee, but this is contingent on the card being used. The rate is indicate of Visa and Mastercard transactions, while premium cards like Amex will likely incur a higher fee.

Card machine specs

SumUp 3G is a pocket-sized card machine with an inbuilt SIM card. The terminal is very lightweight and easy to carry around compared to a traditional one, but sturdy enough to be reliable. In contrast to card readers that work in conjunction with a mobile app, there is no SumUp 3G app that the terminal can connect with. Instead, all the software features are hardcoded on the card machine.

You navigate it through the keypad buttons and view the menu and information on the screen above the keypad. For some functions, you can use the display as a touchscreen. For instance, the screen gives you an option to send a text or email receipt after each transaction.

The card machine makes use of the 3G network via the preinstalled SIM card in order to process card transactions. SumUp provides unlimited data on this card, so you don’t need to top it up. You just need to keep the machine charged in advance of using it and be somewhere with a stable network connection. That said, it doesn’t take much to have a stable connection, since it automatically switches between networks to get the best service. The device does not work with WiFi.

Businesses with multiple staff members can use several SumUp 3G devices under the same SumUp business account. For this to work smoothly, it’s recommended you set up subuser accounts in the SumUp dashboard, so each individual can log in with their email address and password and take payments simultaneously with the other card readers. All of such subaccounts will process payments through the main SumUp account, allowing you a full, real-time overview of all your employees’ transactions in your web dashboard.

Emmanuel Charpentier, Mobile Transaction

SumUp 3G can also accept swipe-only cards through the top magnetic stripe reader slot.

SumUp Air vs. 3G – how are they different?

If you’re looking for a cheaper terminal, SumUp sells an app-based card reader called SumUp Air. This does not work on its own – instead, it utilises the internet connection on a mobile phone or tablet that is paired with the Air through Bluetooth.

To accept a payment on SumUp Air, you open the SumUp app on the mobile device, enter an amount or add products to the cart. When you pick the option to accept a card, the Air reader automatically activates with the right transaction amount ready for processing.

Because SumUp Air only needs battery when the customer uses their card, and not when you enter a payment amount or navigate settings, it lasts for many more transactions than SumUp 3G that works entirely on its own.

Apart from having more payment features through the mobile app, the SumUp Air actually accepts more cards than SumUp 3G: UnionPay, Discover and Diners Club. It also integrates with Bluetooth receipt printers and more advanced POS systems if you need to expand the system.

There’s no SumUp 3G stand available to purchase on the website – only a charging stand for the Air reader. You may be able to find a compatible third party terminal stand online, though, but we have not seen SumUp endorsing any of those.

Both card readers have no contract, no monthly fees and charge the same card card rate, 1.69%.

Reports and dashboard functions

So where do you get a record of all your transactions? As a SumUp customer, you can log in to an online dashboard accessible in any internet browser. Here, you see details like payment history, sales categorised into card types, where payments were made and payout history. If you’ve created multiple user accounts, you can filter sales to focus on individual employees.

SumUp emails you payout PDF reports automatically, and you can export transaction data as a CSV or XLS file from your SumUp dashboard. Furthermore, transaction history is available on the card machine display.

Mobile Transaction

SumUp dashboard analytics, employee management and payout settings.

Who is SumUp 3G best for?

The compact size and light weight make SumUp 3G perfect for use in market stalls or rural areas where connectivity is basic (it works even with EDGE and GPRS). Furthermore, the tipping feature makes it particularly interesting for cafés and restaurants taking orders at the table, since many food-and-drink places don’t require all terminals to be synced with a POS system anyway.

It cannot register individual products, but only works with payment amounts (other terminals on the market, like SumUp Air, can integrate with product libraries). Secondly, it only sends SMS and email receipts. Those two things can be deal-breakers for some businesses. If those or other POS functions are needed, you might want to consider app-based card readers.

Customer service

SumUp’s customer support is available over telephone and email every day of the week: weekdays from 8am to 7pm and weekends from 8am to 5pm. They have a Support Centre section online too, where most user questions have been answered. We recommend checking answers there first, since SumUp can occasionally take some days to respond over email. If you need an immediate answer or prefer talking, it’s better just to call them during opening hours.

SumUp is generally rated highly online, with many saying how valuable the service has been for them. Some users have had connectivity issues, which there could be a number of reasons for, but SumUp puts in the effort to resolve any issues flagged to them.

SumUp

SumUp 3G is a convenient choice for small cafés and restaurants with table service.

Sign-up process

Lastly, signing up and getting an account is completely online-based. It takes maybe 5-10 minutes to fill in the sign-up pages and order the card machine. Delivery is free and takes up to a week to arrive.

When you sign up, SumUp will perform some basic identity and business checks to make sure your details are legitimate and that your bank account is used by your company.

Verdict

The SumUp 3G setup is one of the simplest – and cheapest – solutions for small-business card payments. You get an affordable card machine with built-in data and software, so all you’re paying for onward is a fixed rate for the transactions, barring potential reasonable fees for chargebacks and refunds.

If all you want is to take cards anywhere and with minimal fuss, SumUp 3G could well be your best choice in the UK.