The Cheapest Merchant Services for UK Small Businesses

Wednesday, June 8th, 2022

A big part of every day as a small business owner is juggling many different hats. You’re there when your business opens. You’re the last to leave at night. You greet customers and build relationships, while also managing the behind-the-scenes and setting goals. You set up processes, oversee their success and build a strong team. The list of day-to-day tasks and responsibilities is endless.

One of the most important parts of your business is your merchant services. Without the right provider, your business will be unable to accept and process credit and debit card payments. In our increasingly digital world, customers expect to have safe and simple processing options – the more options, the better.

However, trying to compare the most affordable merchant services is not the easiest task, especially with your small business’s time constraints. And finding the right provider is critical for your business’ growth because not all are created equal or specialize in working with your business type.

To help you compare top providers, our team has put together a list of the cheapest merchant services in the UK. Easily compare important details like ease of use, cancellation fees, costs, contracts, and customer support.

First Data

With over 20 years of experience, First Data has earned its spot as one of the most popular payment systems in the UK. Small businesses appreciate their minimum £5 monthly service charge, which makes them one of the cheapest merchants accounts for startups and small business owners. Another perk is that hosted payment pages are provided for eCommerce sites. Some disadvantages include a 36-month contract and 24/7 support is not available.

Worldpay

You can mention card payment processing without mentioning Worldpay. This provider is responsible for 42% of all card transactions in the UK, making them a huge market leader worth checking out. Its success is largely due to its effective, easy-to-use card processing solutions and virtual terminals. They also offer four pricing plans with no joining fees and 24/7 customer support. Keep in mind that 18-month contracts are involved and the provider has below average customer reviews.

SumUp

A mobile payment provider for some years now, SumUp processed over 100,000 credit card transactions per day, and its little card reader is available in 31 countries. They also offer some of the lowest transaction costs on the market today, along with no monthly fees. Merchants are also guaranteed to receive a virtual terminal that makes it easy to accept payments from both a computer and mobile device. A disadvantage is that this provider’s services are not suitable for businesses with high sales volume.

Adyen

Ayden boasts a long list of top companies as its clients, including Netflix, Spotify, and Airbnb. Ayden is tailored for established companies and is known for cutting out the middleman, filling in as both acquirer and processor for their client’s merchant accounts. They also offer no set-up fee and a great reputation. Unfortunately, they are not for high-risk merchants and they do require a monthly minimum.

Before partnering with a provider, make sure you’ve looked into every detail. Find out who they specialize in working with, what their customers are saying, what their policies and what costs and fees are involved. This will ensure you work with a processor that understands your needs and knows how to help your business grow.