Card fees · Worked example
Square vs The Payments Expert: which one's actually cheaper?
We ran the numbers on a typical UK hospitality business — £30,000 a month across the card machine. Here is what you would actually pay each month with each provider, not just the headline rate.
Why the flat rate stops working
Square charges 1.75% on every in-person transaction, whatever the card. That single number covers Square for the cheapest debit card and the most expensive commercial credit card alike, which means at low volume you are getting a fair deal and at high volume you are subsidising the difference.
Interchange-plus pricing works the other way round: you pay the card scheme cost plus a fixed, disclosed margin. The bigger your card volume, the more that structure is worth — and unlike a public rate card, it is negotiable.
What changes when you switch
Full EPOS, not a dongle
Clover gives you a proper till system — stock, staff, reporting, table service — not just a card reader stuck to your phone.
Real UK support
A person answers the phone. No chatbot loop, no waiting days for an email reply.
Rates that do not creep up
We negotiate your rate and keep it there for the term — no sneaky annual increases buried in the small print.
Why merchants switch
Why merchants switch off flat-rate providers
20–40%
Typical saving on card processing
depending on card mix and volume
Same day
Statement comparison turnaround
in writing, free, no obligation
£1/month
Clover Flex for the first 6 months
terminal rental on switching
Square vs SumUp vs us, on the same numbers
£30,000 a month in card turnover at a £50 average transaction — 600 transactions. We have used £30k because it is roughly where the flat-rate model stops being the cheap option and starts being the expensive one.
| Provider | Rate structure | Monthly fee | Total monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Square | 1.75% flat | Dongle (one-off) | £525 |
| SumUp Standard | 1.69% flat | Dongle (one-off) | £507 |
| SumUp Payments Plus | 0.99%* | £19/mo | £316 |
| The Payments ExpertBest value | 0.45% + 1p/txn | Clover terminal from £20/mo | £161 |
You could save
£364 a month — £4,368 a year
That is against Square at this turnover level. Against SumUp Standard it is £346 a month (£4,152 a year); against SumUp Payments Plus, £155 a month (£1,860 a year).
Square charges the same 1.75% whether you take £1,000 a month or £100,000. A flat rate never rewards you for growing — ask any provider what your rate does as your volume goes up, and get the answer in writing.
* SumUp's Payments Plus rate applies to domestic consumer cards only. Amex, premium and international cards stay at 1.69%, so the real-world total is usually higher than shown.
Indicative example — your actual rate depends on your card mix. We will calculate your exact numbers free from a statement.
Rate calculator
Run your own numbers
Put your monthly card turnover and average transaction in and see the gap on your figures rather than ours.
Adjust the sliders for your card turnover and Clover Flex monthly terminal price
Indicative interchange+ rates for a Clover Flex on our standard merchant plan. Final pricing is confirmed on your signed agreement.
Free same-day estimate
Send us your last Square statement
We will rebuild your cost on interchange-plus and come back the same business day with the two numbers side by side. If Square is genuinely cheaper for you, we will tell you that.
Leave your details and we’ll come back the same day. Add last month’s statement too if it’s handy and we’ll make the comparison exact — it’s not required.
Office
+44 1442 899 544Email
hello@thepaymentsexpert.com
Questions from Square merchants
- Is there a contract?
- Yes — a fixed term, which is what lets us price below a public flat rate in the first place. The rate is locked for the term; interchange changes pass through but our margin does not move.
- Do I have to replace my hardware?
- You move onto Clover hardware, which is a full EPOS rather than a card reader. Terminal rental is £1 a month for the first six months. Square hardware is Square-only, so it cannot come with you.
- At what turnover does switching stop being worth it?
- Below roughly £10,000 a month in card sales the difference is small enough that Square is a perfectly reasonable choice. Above that the gap widens quickly, and by £30,000 a month it is thousands a year.
- How fast do I get paid?
- Next business day as standard. Square offers instant transfers for an extra fee; on a standard settlement timetable the two are comparable.
- What do you need from me to quote?
- One recent statement or a Square sales summary showing your monthly volume and card mix. That is enough to build an exact comparison — no site visit needed.
Not sure what you're really paying?
Send us your current statement and we will show you exactly where the markup is hiding — free, no obligation. If Square is genuinely cheaper for you, we will tell you that.