SumUp Ireland: card reader prices and fees 2026
SumUp's Irish card reader prices, the 1.69% rate, the €19 Payments Plus plan and when it pays off, payout times and the catches worth knowing.
Card machinesUpdated
SumUp is the default answer for a small Irish business taking cards for the first time. You buy a reader outright, pay a flat percentage, and owe nothing in a month where you take no payments.
It is available in the Republic of Ireland with euro pricing on a dedicated Irish site, which is more than can be said for several of its competitors.
SumUp devices and Irish prices
Prices exclude VAT.
| Device | Price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Tap to Pay | €0 | Uses your own iPhone or Android phone as the reader |
| SumUp Solo Lite | €25 | Basic reader, pairs with your phone or a POS |
| SumUp Solo | €79 | Standalone reader with a built-in SIM and free mobile data |
| SumUp Terminal | €135 | Handheld payments and ordering device with POS features |
The older SumUp Air is no longer listed on the Irish site. If you see it advertised at €39, that is stale pricing.
The Solo is the one most Irish traders end up with. The built-in SIM matters more than it sounds: it means the reader works on its own, without tethering to your phone or asking a customer for their wifi password.
Fees
Two pricing options, and the gap between them is the whole decision.
Pay-as-you-go: 1.69% per transaction. No monthly fee, no minimum, no contract.
Payments Plus: €19 a month, which drops the rate to 0.95% on domestic consumer cards. Online payments stay at 1.69%, and so do in-person payments on non-EU cards, commercial cards and American Express.
The break-even is around €3,300 a month in card turnover. Below that, the €19 costs more than it saves. Above it, Payments Plus wins and keeps winning.
At €5,000 a month, pay-as-you-go costs €84.50 and Payments Plus costs €66.50. At €10,000 a month it is €169 against €114.
Contract and payouts
There is no contract and no minimum term. There is a 30-day money-back guarantee on devices from the date of delivery.
Money lands in a SumUp Business Account the next day at 7am, including weekends and bank holidays. Moving it on to an external Irish bank account takes a further 1 to 2 working days.
That distinction catches people out. “Next day” is next day into SumUp. If you want it in your AIB or Bank of Ireland account, budget for the extra step.
Who it suits
A sole trader, market stall, mobile therapist, tradesperson or pop-up who takes cards some days and not others. The zero-cost quiet month is the real product here, and it is the thing merchant accounts cannot match.
It also suits any Irish business testing whether card acceptance is worth it at all. €25 and no contract is a cheap experiment.
Once you are consistently above roughly €7,000 a month, it is worth pricing Revolut Business, Dojo and BOIPA against SumUp properly — the percentage saving starts to outweigh the convenience.
Honest downsides
1.69% is not cheap by Irish standards. Revolut Business publishes 0.8% + €0.02 on EEA consumer cards. If most of your customers pay with Irish debit cards, SumUp is roughly double the rate unless you take the €19 plan.
The 0.95% rate is narrower than it looks. Domestic consumer cards only. If you serve tourists, corporate customers or anyone paying on a business card, a meaningful share of your volume stays at 1.69% while you are still paying €19 a month.
Settlement is into SumUp, not your bank. Fine if you use the SumUp Business Account as a working account. An annoyance if you want everything in one place.
No merchant account. SumUp is a payment facilitator, which means account reviews and holds are possible on unusual volume patterns. That is normal for this category, but it is a difference from a bank-backed acquirer like BOIPA or Elavon.
Frequently asked questions
Is SumUp available in Ireland?
Yes. SumUp operates a dedicated Irish site with euro pricing, ships readers to Republic of Ireland addresses and supports Irish bank accounts. This is not a UK product being sold across the border.
What is the cheapest SumUp reader in Ireland?
Tap to Pay at €0, if you have a compatible iPhone or Android phone — no hardware needed. If you want a physical device, the Solo Lite at €25 excluding VAT.
Is Payments Plus worth €19 a month?
Above roughly €3,300 a month in domestic consumer card turnover, yes. Below that, stay on pay-as-you-go. Work it out on your own numbers rather than your best month — the €19 is charged whether you trade or not.
How long does SumUp take to pay out in Ireland?
Next day at 7am into a SumUp Business Account, including weekends and bank holidays. A further 1 to 2 working days if you transfer it to an external bank account.
Is there a contract or a monthly minimum?
No contract, no minimum monthly charge and no exit fee on pay-as-you-go. A month with no sales costs you nothing. Payments Plus is €19 a month and can be cancelled.