LoPay Card Reader Review 2026: Fees, Pricing, Pros, Cons & Alternatives Quick answer
LoPay is one of the lowest-cost card-payment options for UK sole traders and small businesses, with standard UK consumer Visa and Mastercard processing from 0.79%.
Its pricing is built around how quickly you want your money:
Essential: 0.79% with weekly bank payoutsStandard: 0.99% with scheduled next-day / weekly / monthly payoutsInstant to Bank: 1.79% with instant bank payouts
Hardware currently includes:
Tap to Pay: no upfront hardware cost, +8p per transactionFirst card reader: £35 + P&P when ordered in-appAdditional readers: £49 + P&PBusiness Terminal: £15/month rental on a 12-month plan or £270 outright + P&P
Our view: LoPay is particularly compelling for small businesses prepared to wait for weekly payouts in exchange for the 0.79% rate. If you need next-day or instant access to funds, the fee advantage narrows.
Your priority LoPay option to compare
Lowest standard card rate
Essential
Next-day cash flow
Standard
Instant bank payouts
Instant to Bank
No hardware
Tap to Pay
Portable card reader
LoPay Card Reader
Standalone countertop terminal
Business Terminal
Complex multi-site POS
Compare alternatives
Compare LoPay & Card Machine Quotes
Free quotes • No obligation • Compare UK card machine providers
How Do We Work?
Our comparisons are researched and reviewed by the Compare Your Business Costs editorial team using provider information, pricing data and UK business buying criteria. See how Compare Your Business Costs works .
Authored by: Ally Cox –-Business Technology & B2B Services Specialist, 10+ years’ experience.
Reviewed by: James Ward – Telecoms Specialist, 12+ years’ experience.
Last Updated: September 2026
Key Takeaways
LoPay Essential currently charges 0.79% for standard UK consumer Visa and Mastercard transactions.
Standard currently charges 0.99%.
Instant to Bank currently charges 1.79%.
American Express, international and corporate cards each add 1% where applicable.
These premium-card surcharges can be cumulative.
Tap to Pay adds 8p per transaction.
Payment Links and Subscription Links add 0.49%.
The first Reader costs £35 + P&P when ordered in-app.
The Business Terminal costs £15/month on a 12-month rental plan or £270 outright.
POS, inventory, reporting and unlimited team members are included without an extra software fee.
The biggest LoPay trade-off is processing fee versus payout speed.
LoPay Pricing UK 2026
Account Standard UK personal-card fee Bank payout
Essential
0.79%
Weekly
Standard
0.99%
Scheduled next-day / weekly / monthly
Instant to Bank
1.79%
Instant, including weekends / bank holidays
Rates apply to standard UK personal Visa and Mastercard transactions. Other card types can cost more.
Our View: LoPay Is Really Selling Payout Choice The difference between the plans is not mainly software.
It is how much you pay vs how quickly your money reaches your bank.
That creates a straightforward trade-off:
lower fee → slower payout
higher fee → faster payout
For many small businesses, that is easier to understand than traditional merchant pricing.
LoPay Essential: 0.79% Essential currently charges 0.79%
for standard UK consumer Visa and Mastercard transactions.
Bank payout weekly.
LoPay currently describes this as its lowest-cost account.
Best For
part-time businesses
businesses with good working capital
sole traders who do not need next-day bank settlement
businesses prioritising low processing cost
Our View
This is the reason LoPay stands out.
0.79% is materially below standard PAYG rates from providers such as:
Square
SumUp PAYG
PayPal POS
but you are accepting slower bank settlement in return.
LoPay Standard: 0.99% Standard currently charges 0.99%
for eligible UK consumer Visa and Mastercard payments, and offers scheduled payouts including:
next business day
weekly
monthly
Best For
full-time small businesses
cafés
salons
tradespeople
retailers wanting faster cash flow
Our View
Standard is probably LoPay’s most balanced proposition – i t retains a sub-1% headline rate while allowing much faster access to funds than Essential.
Instant to Bank: 1.79% Instant to Bank currently charges 1.79%
with instant bank payout availability 24/7, including:
Our View
This removes much of LoPay’s fee advantage over providers charging around 1.69%-1.75%.
Choose this plan because instant cash flow matters not because it is the lowest-fee option.
Premium Card Fees LoPay currently adds +1% for each relevant category:
American Express
international cards
corporate cards
LoPay states these can be cumulative where relevant.
Example
If a transaction is both:
both additional charges may apply.
Our View
This is the main reason not to judge LoPay purely on the 0.79% headline.
Tap to Pay LoPay supports Tap to Pay on compatible:
with:
no separate reader required
no upfront hardware cost
no minimum term
Current additional fee 8p per transaction.
Our View
Tap to Pay is particularly useful for:
taxi drivers
tradespeople
mobile beauty businesses
occasional market sellers
But the 8p fixed fee matters more on small transactions.
LoPay Card Reader Current pricing:
first Reader ordered through app: £35 + P&Padditional Readers: £49 + P&P
The reader is:
portable
Bluetooth-connected
chip and PIN capable
contactless
There is:
no monthly reader fee
no minimum term
Best Fo r
mobile workers
market stalls
salons
taxi drivers
trades
Business Terminal LoPay’s standalone Business Terminal currently costs £15/month + P&P
on a 12-month rental plan with auto-renewal.
LoPay’s current fee schedule also lists an outright purchase option at:
£270 + P&P.
Our View The terminal is more relevant to:
fixed retailers
cafés
restaurants
salons
than businesses that simply need mobile payments.
Rent vs Buy the Business Terminal Rental £15 × 12 = £180 over the first 12 months, excluding P&P.
Outright £270
Simple Break-Even
£270 ÷ £15 = 18 months.
If the rental continued at the same rate beyond 18 months, outright purchase would begin to look cheaper before considering:
replacement
warranty
rental terms
Check current renewal terms before relying on this comparison.
LoPay Payment Links Payment Links currently add 0.49% to the underlying account fee.
Example on Standard
0.99% + 0.49% = 1.48%
for a standard eligible transaction before any premium-card additions.
Our View
That can still be competitive, but businesses taking significant remote payments should compare:
Square
PayPal
Stripe
merchant gateways
separately.
MOTO Payments Mail Order/Telephone Order transactions are currently available through the Business Terminal.
Current additional fee +0.49% on top of the account’s transaction fee.
Unscheduled Instant Payouts If you are on Essential or Standard but occasionally need instant money, LoPay currently allows unscheduled instant bank payouts.
Current additional fees:
Essential: +1.0%Standard: +0.8%
LoPay also currently lists a 50p minimum instant payout fee.
Our View
Do not choose Essential purely for 0.79% if you expect to request instant payouts frequently.
Repeated payout surcharges could remove the saving.
Free POS Features LoPay currently includes without a separate software charge:
POS
inventory management
reporting
unlimited products
unlimited team members
multiple business accounts
tipping
receipt branding
refunds
Our View
This makes LoPay more than just a low-rate reader.
But its POS ecosystem remains lighter than:
Square
Lightspeed
specialist hospitality EPOS
LoPay Support LoPay currently advertises UK-based support seven days a week without an additional support charge.
Chargebacks LoPay currently lists a £20 dispute/chargeback administration fee.
Businesses with significant card-not-present or dispute exposure should factor this into the comparison.
LoPay vs Square
LoPay Essential Square
Standard UK consumer card fee
0.79%
1.75%
Bank payout
Weekly
Standard payout schedule
Monthly software
£0 core
£0 core
POS depth
Basic / SME
Broader
Best fit
Fee-conscious SMEs
SMEs wanting stronger POS ecosystem
Our View
LoPay wins on the headline processing rate.
Square wins on:
broader POS
hardware ecosystem
retail/hospitality software
See our Square Card Machine review .
LoPay vs SumUp SumUp PAYG currently charges:1.69%
LoPay charges:
0.79% Essential
0.99% Standard
1.79% Instant
Our View
If you can accept weekly or next-day payouts, LoPay can look materially cheaper.
If you require instant bank settlement, the pricing advantage disappears.
See our SumUp Card Machine review .
LoPay vs PayPal POS PayPal POS currently charges 1.75% for standard in-person transactions.
LoPay can offer substantially lower consumer-card fees in exchange for different payout arrangements.
Our View
Choose PayPal if the broader PayPal ecosystem matters.
Choose LoPay if lower in-person processing cost is your priority.
See our PayPal POS review .
LoPay vs Elavon Elavon Business Booster currently offers 0.99% on qualifying personal cards, with monthly terminal rental.
LoPay Standard also charges 0.99% on standard UK consumer cards without a monthly Reader rental.
Our View
LoPay is simpler and more flexible.
Elavon could suit businesses wanting:
traditional acquiring
stronger terminal estate
more complex merchant services
See our Elavon Card Machine review .
LoPay vs Dojo Dojo is stronger for businesses wanting:
managed merchant services
hospitality integrations
larger payment estates
LoPay is stronger for:
small businesses
mobile payments
low fixed cost
flexibility
See our Dojo Card Machine review .
Who Is LoPay Best For? Excellent Fit
sole traders
taxi drivers
mobile trades
barbers
beauty businesses
market traders
small service businesses
Strong Fit
small cafés
takeaways
independent retail
Compare Alternatives If
you run a complex restaurant
you require deep EPOS integrations
you operate many sites
you need enterprise reporting
you process a high proportion of commercial/international cards
Example: £10,000 Monthly Consumer-Card Turnover Essential – £10,000 × 0.79% = £79/month
Standard – £10,000 × 0.99% = £99/month
Instant to Bank – £10,000 × 1.79% = £179/month
Difference
Choosing instant bank settlement instead of weekly settlement would cost £100/month more at this turnover.
Annualised £1,200.
Our View
This is the most useful way to compare LoPay. Ask how much faster settlement is actually worth to your business.
Example: £20,000 Monthly Turnover
Plan Illustrative monthly processing
Essential 0.79%
£158
Standard 0.99%
£198
Instant 1.79%
£358
Assumes all transactions are standard UK consumer Visa/Mastercard and excludes optional product fees.
Our View: Cash Flow Has a Price At £20,000 monthly turnover:
Essential vs Standard differs by £40/month.
Essential vs Instant differs by £200/month.
That makes the real decision how much are you prepared to pay for quicker settlement?
Common LoPay Buying Mistakes
seeing 0.79% and ignoring weekly payouts
ignoring premium-card surcharges
forgetting Tap to Pay adds 8p
using instant payout frequently on Essential
ignoring payment-link fees
comparing Reader cost but not processing
assuming the Business Terminal has no contract
buying based solely on Trustpilot score
What to Ask Before Choosing LoPay
How quickly do we really need bank settlement?
What percentage of our cards are domestic consumer Visa/Mastercard?
How many corporate cards do we take?
How many international cards do we take?
Do we accept Amex?
Will we use Tap to Pay?
Will we send payment links?
Do we need MOTO?
Reader or Business Terminal?
Do we need deeper POS integrations?
Our Verdict: Is LoPay Worth It? Yes. LoPay is one of the strongest low-cost card-payment options for UK sole traders and smaller businesses in 2026.
Its biggest strengths are:
0.79% entry rate
0.99% next-day option
no monthly software fee
low-cost Reader
Tap to Pay
free core POS tools
flexible payout options
seven-day UK support
Its main weaknesses are:
premium-card surcharges
Tap to Pay fixed charge
faster payouts cost more
lighter POS/integration depth than larger ecosystems
Our recommendations:
Sole trader: excellent shortlistTaxi / mobile business: excellent shortlistSalon / barber: excellent shortlistMarket trader: excellent shortlistSmall café: strong shortlistIndependent retailer: strong shortlistB2B / corporate-card heavy: compare carefullyMulti-site / complex hospitality: compare more advanced providers
LoPay’s 0.79% fee is genuinely compelling, but the best LoPay plan depends on how quickly you need your money and what cards your customers actually use.
Compare LoPay & Card Machine Providers
Frequently Asked Questions How much does LoPay charge?
LoPay currently charges 0.79% on Essential, 0.99% on Standard and 1.79% on Instant to Bank for standard UK consumer Visa and Mastercard transactions.
Why is LoPay Essential cheaper?
Essential uses weekly bank payouts, allowing LoPay to offer its lowest transaction rate.
How fast are LoPay Standard payouts?
Standard supports scheduled payouts including next-business-day, weekly and monthly options.
Does LoPay offer instant payouts?
Yes. Its Instant to Bank account provides instant bank payouts, including weekends and bank holidays, at a 1.79% standard card rate.
How much does the LoPay Reader cost?
The first Reader currently costs £35 + P&P when ordered in-app. Additional readers cost £49 + P&P.
How much is the LoPay Business Terminal?
The Business Terminal currently costs £15/month on a 12-month rental plan or £270 + P&P to purchase outright.
Does LoPay have a contract?
Tap to Pay and the portable Reader have no minimum term. The Business Terminal rental uses a 12-month plan with auto-renewal.
How much does Tap to Pay cost?
Tap to Pay has no upfront hardware cost but adds 8p per transaction to the selected LoPay account rate.
Does LoPay charge more for corporate cards?
Yes. Corporate cards currently add 1% to the relevant account rate.
Does LoPay charge more for international cards?
Yes. International cards currently add 1%.
Does LoPay charge more for American Express?
Yes. Amex currently adds 1%.
Are LoPay premium-card fees cumulative?
Yes. LoPay states that the additional Amex, international and corporate-card charges can be cumulative where relevant.
Does LoPay include POS software?
LoPay currently includes core POS and inventory tools, reporting and unlimited team members without a separate monthly software fee.
Is LoPay cheaper than Square?
For standard UK consumer cards, LoPay’s Essential and Standard rates are lower than Square’s current standard 1.75% rate. The true comparison depends on payout choice, premium cards and additional features.
Is LoPay cheaper than SumUp?
LoPay Essential and Standard currently have lower standard consumer-card rates than SumUp PAYG. SumUp may still suit businesses prioritising its hardware and wider product ecosystem.
What are the best LoPay alternatives?
Alternatives include Square, SumUp, PayPal POS, Elavon, Dojo, Tyl, Worldpay and takepayments.
Related Card Machine Guides
Hi, I’m Ally Cox , a senior copywriter and blogger at CompareYourBusinessCosts.co.uk, the UK’s trusted platform for comparing business services.over a decade of experience in the B2B sector, I specialise in simplifying complex topics like leased lines, VoIP, business energy, HR and payroll solutions, accounting software, and EPOS systems .HR, copywriting, and business operations- from clocking-in systems to card machines and office technology .informed, confident decisions when choosing products and services that improve efficiency and save money.
