Best Card Machines for Market Stalls in the UK
On a market stall you want something that fits in your apron, works on mobile data, charges all day and costs almost nothing when it's quiet. No contracts, no monthly fees, no nonsense.
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Our top picks for market stalls
SumUp
4.4The “just let me take payments” option. Cheap to start, portable, dead simple. Brilliant for low-volume and mobile sellers; you may outgrow it for a full restaurant setup.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Transaction fee
- from 0.99% (Payments Plus) / 1.69% standard
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (next-day option)
- Cheap, low-commitment hardware
- Standard rate isn't the cheapest at higher volumes
PayPal Zettle
4.2PayPal-friendly card payments with a simple reader and no monthly software fee for basic use. Good for small retailers and mobile sellers already in the PayPal world.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0
- Transaction fee
- 1.75% card & contactless
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (into PayPal/bank)
- No monthly fee for the basic POS app
- Ecosystem less ambitious than Square
Square
4.5The strongest free POS software option. Tidy app, decent ecosystem, no monthly fee to start. Great for small retail, cafés and service businesses that want software without signing their life away.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0 (paid POS tiers available)
- Transaction fee
- 1.75% in-person (no monthly/setup fee on standard)
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- Next working day (instant transfer for a fee)
- Genuinely good free POS app
- 1.75% flat rate isn't bespoke-cheap at high volume
myPOS
4.0Best when you want instant access to funds through a built-in business account. Handy for international/European payments. The fee structure is more complex, so watch card-type differences.
Best for
- Monthly fee
- £0 on entry plans
- Transaction fee
- Card-present from 1.10% + 7p (lower-turnover tier)
- Contract
- No fixed contract on standard plans
- Payouts
- Instant settlement to myPOS account
- Instant access to your money via a built-in account
- Fee structure varies by card type — read the detail
What matters for market stalls
Portability & battery
A pocket reader or standalone device that lasts a full market day.
No monthly fee
You shouldn't pay a subscription for the weeks you don't trade.
Works on mobile data
A device with its own SIM beats relying on dodgy market WiFi.
Cheap to start
A £19–£79 reader, not a finance agreement.
Fees to watch
Recommended setup
A SumUp Solo or Zettle Terminal — standalone, SIM-connected, no monthly fee. Pair with Tap to Pay on your phone as a backup. myPOS is worth a look if you want instant access to funds.
Compare these providers
Showing 4 of 4 providers
Prices last checked:| Provider | Best for | Monthly | Transaction | Reader from | Contract | Payouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Square4.5 | Cafés | £0 (paid POS tiers available) | 1.75% in-person (no monthly/setup fee on standard) | £19 + VAT | No contract (pay-as-you-go) | Next working day (instant transfer for a fee) | Visit |
SumUp4.4 | Market stalls | £0 | from 0.99% (Payments Plus) / 1.69% standard | £19 + VAT | No contract (pay-as-you-go) | 1–2 working days (next-day option) | Visit |
| PayPal users | £0 | 1.75% card & contactless | £29 + VAT (first reader often discounted) | No contract (pay-as-you-go) | 1–2 working days (into PayPal/bank) | Visit | |
myPOS4.0 | Instant access to funds | £0 on entry plans | Card-present from 1.10% + 7p (lower-turnover tier) | £19+ (device dependent) | No fixed contract on standard plans | Instant settlement to myPOS account | Visit |
- Monthly
- £0 (paid POS tiers available)
- Transaction
- 1.75% in-person (no monthly/setup fee on standard)
- Reader from
- £19 + VAT
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- Next working day (instant transfer for a fee)
- Watch out for
- 1.75% flat rate isn't bespoke-cheap at high volume
- Monthly
- £0
- Transaction
- from 0.99% (Payments Plus) / 1.69% standard
- Reader from
- £19 + VAT
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (next-day option)
- Watch out for
- Standard rate isn't the cheapest at higher volumes
- Monthly
- £0
- Transaction
- 1.75% card & contactless
- Reader from
- £29 + VAT (first reader often discounted)
- Contract
- No contract (pay-as-you-go)
- Payouts
- 1–2 working days (into PayPal/bank)
- Watch out for
- Ecosystem less ambitious than Square
- Monthly
- £0 on entry plans
- Transaction
- Card-present from 1.10% + 7p (lower-turnover tier)
- Reader from
- £19+ (device dependent)
- Contract
- No fixed contract on standard plans
- Payouts
- Instant settlement to myPOS account
- Watch out for
- Fee structure varies by card type — read the detail
Find the right POS for your market stall
Answer a few quick questions and we'll match you to providers that fit how you actually trade.
FAQs
What's the best card reader for a market stall?
A standalone reader with its own mobile data — like the SumUp Solo or Zettle Terminal — is ideal so you're not dependent on market WiFi. Both are pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee.
Is there a card machine with no monthly fee?
Yes — SumUp, Square and Zettle all offer pay-as-you-go readers with no monthly fee. You buy the reader once and pay a percentage per transaction.
How we compare
We compare providers using publicly available pricing, contract information, hardware costs, payout details, software features and suitability for different UK business types. Some links may earn us commission, but providers cannot pay to change our editorial verdicts. Read our full methodology.
The POS editorial team
Independent UK payments research. We test, read the small print and write it up in plain English.