SumUp vs Square vs Zettle (2024): Comparing POS Vendors

SumUp vs Square vs Zettle: Which point of sale (POS) solution is right for your business?

On the surface, all three point of sale systems have a lot in common. They all support companies in accepting a range of payment methods, from mobile wallets, to credit card payments.

Plus, they’re all ideal for companies who want to combine their in-person and online sales.

With all three solutions, you can integrate your POS software with your online store, tracking inventory, customer data, and analytics across every channel.

So, how do you choose the right system for your company? Here’s everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

Comparison Table

	SumUP	Square	Zettle
Features	SumUp offers robust payment processing, seamless checkout experiences, ecommerce tools and integrations, inventory management, and employee and customer management.	Square’s software covers everything from secure payment processing, to inventory and order management, customizable checkouts, omnichannel transactions, customer and employee management and analytics.	Zettle offers an easy-to-use range of features with inventory and product management, reporting, robust integrations, and solutions for certain industries, such as the restaurant landscape.
Best for	Companies looking for specialist tools such as tableside ordering capabilities, specialist modules, and menu management.	A wide range of businesses from retailers to restaurants, in search of exceptional ease of use, reliability, and security.	Companies in search of a simple and secure solution for payment processing, tied in with the PayPal ecosystem.
Pricing	SumUp offers a free plan in the form of the “Lite” package, with advanced solutions starting at €55 for the Pro plan.	Square’s essential software features are available to access for free, and there are specialist packages available for companies in need of advanced functionality.	Free service for all companies with complete access to all of the Zettle POS features. You only pay for your transactions and hardware.
Transaction fees	SumUp transaction fees start from only 1.69%, depending on the payment method you use. There are more expensive fees for online and card-not-present transactions.	Square transaction fees start at 2.6% plus 10 cents for card present transactions, 3.5% plus 15 cents for keyed-in transactions, and 2.9% plus 30 cents for card-not-present transactions.	Payment processing fees start at 2.5% for online payments and invoices, and 1.75% for card transactions. Reduced pricing is available for high-volume sellers.
Hardware pricing	SumUp doesn’t share the price of its hardware options on its website. You’ll need to reach out to the team for a quote based on your business needs.	Square offers some of the cheapest hardware on the market, including magstripe readers for only $10, and card readers starting at $29.	Zettle offers readers starting at $29 as well as cash drawers for $49, and Zettle Retail store kits starting at $599 for comprehensive tools and accessories.
Payment processing	Support for credit and debit card transactions, invoices, phone payments, online transactions, contactless payments, mobile wallets and gift cards.	Secure credit and debit card payments, phone payments, online payment processing, contactless payments, split tenders, mobile wallets, and gift cards.	PayPal payment processing solutions for credit cards, debit cards, mobile wallets, contactless payments, invoicing, and more.
Customer support	Phone, chat, and email support, as well as various self-service resources like FAQs and guides.	Support via phone, chat and email, as well as dedicating onboarding options and self-service resources.	Phone, chat, and email support delivered quickly through the PayPal team. Online resources are also available.

SumUp vs Square vs Zettle: An Introduction

Let’s start with a brief introduction to Zettle, Square, and SumUp. All three vendors offer point of sale (POS) solutions to businesses of all sizes and industries.

Whether you’re a small business owner running a quick-service food restaurant, or a growing retailer, these companies will ensure you can securely and quickly take payments, manage inventory, and track sales.

What is Square POS?

Square is one of the leading payment processing companies in the world, offering point-of-sale services for everyday retailers, omnichannel sellers, and even restaurants.

With Square, you can process payments instantly via a POS app on your phone, or a dedicated device. Plus, Square supports integrations with a host of different tools, from accounting solutions, to ecommerce platforms.

What is SumUP?

SumUp is very similar to Square in a range of ways. The vendor is a leading point of sale provider, with more than 4 million users worldwide, and its POS software integrates with a host of tools and platforms.

Plus, both Square and SumUp offer companies access to free website-building tools, so they can sell online, without having to invest in a solution like Shopify.

What is Zettle?

Finally, Zettle, previously known as “iZettle” is the POS solution from PayPal, one of the world’s leading peer-to-peer payment platforms.

Zettle supports all kinds of payment options, including Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Samsung pay. Zettle can integrate with almost any ecommerce platform, create custom reports for your business, and even allows business owners to run their entire store using nothing but an app and a smartphone.

Software Features

Zettle, Square, and SumUp all offer fantastic cloud-based software to retailers, making it easy for any business owner to manage their business on the move.

While the exact features you can expect from each vendor will depend on the plan you choose, and the modules or “extras” you choose to add, all 3 platforms cover the basics, from inventory management to order processing.

Let’s take a closer look at the key software features on each platform.

Square POS Software Features

Square offers business owners a highly customizable POS system. Whether you choose “Square for Retail” or “Square for Restaurants”, you can add modules and features based on your specific needs. There’s even the option to design your own website for free with Square’s website builder.

The flexible cloud-based platform makes it easy to sell through a variety of channels, including social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram.

Plus, every version of Square POS comes with a unified backend dashboard, where you can manage all of your data and insights.

While the features of Square POS can adapt to your needs, some of the main capabilities of the platform include:

• Payment processing: Square retailers can accept gift cards, contactless payments, and credit card payments from Visa, Mastercard and American Express. You can also leverage “card on file” transactions, create custom invoices, and process refunds in seconds.
• Security: Square manages payment disputes on the behalf of vendors, offers PCI compliant payment processing, and offers a range of security tools, like payment encryption, fraud protection and monitoring, and 2-factor authentication.
• Checkout: Create a custom checkout experience with a bespoke item grid, item modifiers, categories, product variations, automatic item importing, and order management tools. You can even manage third party orders from UberEats and Deliveroo
• Transactions: Square offers tools for creating receipts, custom tenders, split tenders, custom tip amounts, discounts, and more. You can also add notes to each order, request feedback from customers, and store customer information in a dedicated directory.
• Omnichannel: Sell online and in your store with automatic inventory syncing. You can also create online checkout links, eGift cards, and sell through channels like Wix, WooCommerce, and social media platforms.
• Employee management: With add-ons for team management, companies can track team hours, protect sensitive data, identify top performers, and implement access controls.
• Customer engagement: Square offers access to CRM tools so companies can quickly create personalized sales and marketing campaigns for every customer. You can also create custom loyalty programs, and design automated email campaigns.
• Analytics: Create custom reports monitoring everything from your best-selling products to your top-performing employees. You can also send financial reports straight to integrated accounting tools, like QuickBooks or Xero.

SumUp POS Software Features

Similar to Square, SumUp promises business owners an all-in-one point of sale solution, designed to fit their business model.

Though the features you get will vary depending on whether you choose SumUp’s “Lite” or “Pro” service, both plans include access to analytics, employee management and inventory tracking tools.

SumUp’s software is streamlined and intuitive, with a customizable backend where companies can add integrations, modules, and other tools based on their specific needs.

There are even dedicated solutions available for food and drink venues, restaurants, and cafes.

SumUp’s POS dashboard is accessible from any device, whether you’re using a POS terminal, or a standard tablet or smartphone.

Key features include:

• Payment processing: SumUp supports a wide range of payment options, including mobile wallets, buy now pay later apps, credit and debit card transactions and even phone-based payments. You can also create custom invoices for customers.
• Seamless checkout: Vendors can customize the checkout experience for their business, connecting card readers, splitting customer bills, applying discounts, and even gathering tips. You can even offer buyers self-service options.
• Employee and customer management: Vendors can create profiles for both their employees and customers with SumUp, rewarding employees for their performance, and consumers for their loyalty. You can even create comprehensive loyalty programs.
• Integrations: SumUp empowers business owners to connect their POS solutions with ecommerce platforms, business intelligence tools, accounting apps, and more, with just a couple of clicks. There’s even a SumUp Rest API.
• Specialist modules: If you’re running a restaurant or food service business, you can add specialist features to your SumUp dashboard, such as menu management tools, tableside ordering options and ingredient tracking features.
• Inventory Management: Like most POS vendors, SumUp makes inventory management easy, with comprehensive tracking for all of your products and orders. You can even sync inventory insights across multiple locations and platforms.
• Financial support: SumUp offers dedicated funding options to business owners in search of additional capital for rapid growth.
• Ecommerce: Like Square, if you don’t have an existing ecommerce website, SumUp allows you to build a simple store with integrated payment processing capabilities, and no monthly subscription costs.

Zettle POS Software Features

The PayPal team has pulled out all of the stops to make Zettle as straightforward and intuitive for small business owners as possible. You can start selling immediately, simply by downloading the Zettle app onto your smartphone or tablet. Plus, Zettle supports omnichannel selling too.

You can use ecommerce integrations to connect to an existing store, or use the Zettle app to build a simple web shop powered by PayPal.

There’s even the option to sell on social media. While Zettle isn’t quite as advanced or scalable as SumUp or Square, it’s ideal for smaller businesses.

Not only is the platform easy to use, but it’s brimming with intuitive insights, thanks to a comprehensive reporting and analytics dashboard.

Key features of Zettle POS software include:

• Payment processing: Zettle doesn’t just support payments via PayPal. Customers can also pay for orders over the phone, use credit or debit cards, or complete transactions with Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
• Finance management: With Zettle, companies can accept payments with no daily limit, send payment links to customers, and even sell and accept gift cards. There’s also the option to create custom receipts, send invoices, and issue full or partial refunds.
• Inventory and product management: The Zettle dashboard comes with a customizable product library, where you can import information using Excel. You can edit stock levels from the app, group items into categories, and even add barcodes to every product.
• Reporting: Zettle’s powerful reporting tools help you to track everything from your most popular products to staff performance. Zettle even produces daily reports automatically, for a quick snap-shot view into your financial health.
• Integrations: Like Square and SumUp, Zettle can integrate a variety of ecommerce and accounting tools, as well as other Point of Sale solutions like LightSpeed. Developers can also access the Zettle API for custom automations.
• Specialist features: Zettle also offers specialist features for companies in specific industries, such as menu management and tableside ordering for food and drink companies. However, you will need to access the specific “Food and Drink” solution.
• Staff management: With Zettle, companies can provide every staff member with a dedicated account, complete with built-in security features. You can also track team productivity, and use two-factor authentication to secure sensitive information.
• Omnichannel: Zettle allows companies to sell products in-person, online, through marketplaces, and via social media channels, thanks to a host of integrations. You can even process payments in cash.

Hardware Solutions

Zettle, Square, and SumUp all allow business owners to start processing payments with minimal hardware. You can get started with nothing more than a mobile app, sim card, and a card reader.

In fact, Square even offers a mini magstripe card reader for only $10.

Square POS Hardware

Of course, there are plenty of other POS hardware options available from each of these companies too.

For instance, Square offers tools like the Square card reader (for contactless and chip payments) for as little as $49. There are also comprehensive tools like the Square Register, starting at $799.

Other Square devices include:

• The Square Terminal: All-in-one card machine with a receipt printer
• Square stand: A simple accessory for iPad and tablet POS systems
• Square kits: Square register and stand kits with a cash drawer, receipt printer, and screen

Companies can also access dedicated solutions for restaurants, such as self-service kiosks. Plus, Square offers free returns and warranties on all of its products.

SumUP Hardware

SumUp also offers a wide range of hardware solutions and accessories. Options range from simple card readers to comprehensive cash registers and terminals, or advanced systems like the SumUp Air device.

There are also various Bluetooth barcode scanners, and Wi-Fi routers. SumUp can even customize your system to ensure it works offline.

Unfortunately, the company doesn’t share much information about the price of these products on their website. You’ll need to reach out to the sales team to get a quote for your ideal bundle.

Zettle’s point of sale hardware is similar to Square’s in many ways. There are plenty of options available, from a compact cash drawer for $59, to Bluetooth barcode scanners, and tablet stands.

You can also purchase receipt printers from PayPal, Zettle terminal docks, and till systems.

Zettle even offers full store kits, such as the Zettle Retail store kit, starting at $599, which includes a card reader, screen, receipt printer, and barcode scanner.

Customer Support

If you’re worried about getting started with a new point of sale system, the good news is that the devices and software from Zettle, SumUp and Square are all very easy to use.

All three companies promise that vendors will be able to set up their technology and start selling in minutes.

Plus, there are plenty of self-service resources available if you need extra insights. You can find FAQs, guides, help center documents and more on the Zettle, SumUp and Square websites.

If you need help from a professional, you can contact Zettle through phone support, chat, or email. The support team is usually quite quick to respond, although some companies say email responses can take a while.

Square and SumUp also offer phone, email, and chat support, with quick and friendly service across all channels for the most part.

In terms of customer service, all three companies are relatively neck and neck. They even have similar ratings on review sites.

SumUp has an average score of 4.5 stars on Capterra, Square scores 4.1 on Trustpilot, and Zettle has an average score of 4.6 on G2.

Pricing Plans

When it comes to assessing the pricing for your point of sale system, there are a few different factors to consider. Alongside any potential monthly fees you may need to pay to access the software, you’ll also need to account for transaction fee or payment processing costs, and hardware expenses.

Let’s take a broad look at what you can expect to pay for Square, SumUp and Zettle.

Square Pricing

One of the things that makes Square so appealing to startups and small business owners is the free plan for the POS software.

Unless your business needs are particularly advanced, or you need specialist restaurant modules, you can access Square’s POS solution without paying anything each month. This means you only pay payment processing fees whenever you accept a payment.

Square’s hardware is quite affordable too, with simple magstripe readers starting from as little as $10. Transaction fees start at around 2.6% plus 10 cents for “card present” transactions, or 2.9% plus 30 cents for card-not-present payments.

Keyed-in transactions cost 3.5% plus 15 cents. High volume retailers can also request custom processing fees from the Square team.

SumUp Pricing

Similar to Square, SumUp offers a free plan to smaller businesses, in the form of the “Lite” package. This includes access to all of the merchant account services you might need, credit card processing capabilities, and support for mobile payments.

However, if you need more advanced capabilities, the “Pro” plan starts at €55 per month.

Like Square, SumUp also offers relatively affordable hardware. You can access a mobile card reader and other basic tools without paying a fortune upfront, and you can keep fees low by using your iPhone or mobile device as your core POS system. Transaction fees start at 1.69%.

There’s also the option to purchase optional “add-ons” with SumUp, such as the “Advanced stock” module for €20 per month or a kitchen display solution for €10 per month.

Zettle Pricing

PayPal’s POS solution also offers a free service for a range of business needs. While the software doesn’t require business leaders to pay any monthly fees for the virtual terminal, you will still need to pay transaction fees starting at 1.75% for card transactions or 2.5% for invoices and online payments.

As mentioned above, Zettle’s hardware is also quite affordable, particularly if you choose smaller solutions for mobile payments.

Although you may pay more for more advanced packages with accessories, like touchscreen displays and cash drawers. Notably, Zettle also offers a custom transaction fee to companies taking more than $10,000 in card payments per month.

Square vs SumUp vs Zettle: The Verdict

Ultimately, Square, Zettle and SumUp all offer very similar functionality to business leaders in search of an affordable and robust point of sale system.

All through tools come with high-quality software, which you can access on iOS or Android devices, as well as specialist hardware.

They all make it easy to track payments entering your bank account, manage refunds and chargebacks, and deliver personalized services to customers.

They focus on slightly different types of businesses.

For instance, Zettle is likely to be an excellent choice for a solo entrepreneur or small retailer with basic payment processing needs.

SumUp is excellent if you’re running a food service business, and need access to comprehensive merchant services, countertop devices for self-service, and specialist modules.

Finally, Square is an excellent all-around tool for scaling companies in search of a wide range of features.