Card Machine Cost Comparison: Rent vs Buy Calculator 2026
Buying a £79 reader and paying a flat rate feels cheap. Renting a terminal for £14 a month with a lower rate feels like it should save money. Which one actually costs less depends on three things: how much you take, how big your average sale is, and how long you'd be tied in.
This calculator puts both options side by side over the full term, so you can see the total and the turnover where the contract starts to win.
The interactive calculator is loading. If it doesn't appear, the worked examples below show the same sums.
What you'll need to enter
- Monthly card turnover
- Average sale
- Term in months, from 12 to 48
- Reader price for the pay as you go option
- Pay as you go rate, plus any fixed fee per transaction
- Monthly rental for the contract terminal
- Contract rate and fixed fee per transaction
- Any other monthly fees on the contract, such as PCI or a minimum service charge
We've pre-filled published figures from SumUp, Square, PayPal Point of Sale, Tyl by NatWest and Lloyds Cardnet, all checked October 2026. Teya and Dojo price by quote, so add the figures they give you.
How the sums work
Pay as you go total = reader price + months x turnover x pay as you go rate
Contract total = months x (rental + other monthly fees + turnover x contract rate + transactions x fixed fee)
Transactions are turnover divided by average sale. The break even turnover is the monthly figure where both totals match. Above it, the contract is cheaper. Below it, buying wins.
Pay as you go vs contract: the basics
| Buy a reader, pay as you go | Rent on a contract | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £19 to £149 for most readers | Usually nothing |
| Monthly fee | None | Rental, often £14 to £25 |
| Typical rate | 1.69% to 1.75% flat | Lower, often by card type |
| Tie in | None | Often 12 to 48 months, though some are rolling |
| Hardware ownership | Yours | The provider's |
| Faulty hardware | Buy a new one after the warranty | Usually swapped |
Published hardware prices (checked October 2026): Square Reader £19, SumUp Solo £79, Lloyds Cardnet mPOS £49 for the first reader, PayPal's reader £29 for new users. Tyl by NatWest hires the PAX A80 at £13.99, the PAX A50 at £14.99 and the PAX A920 Pro at £19.99 a month, all plus VAT.
Worked example one: a £20 average sale
A gift shop takes £4,000 a month in 200 sales. We'll compare a SumUp Solo at 1.69% with a Tyl PAX A80 at £13.99 a month, 1.39% plus 5p, over 24 months.
| SumUp Solo | Tyl PAX A80 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | £79 once | £13.99 x 24 = £335.76 |
| Card fees per month | £67.60 | £55.60 + £10.00 = £65.60 |
| Total over 24 months | £1,701.40 | £1,910.16 |
Buying wins by about £209. The 5p authorisation fee wipes out most of the lower percentage at a £20 average sale. In this setup the contract only catches up at around £21,400 a month, which is a big jump for a shop this size.
Worked example two: a £100 average sale
Same shop, but now it sells furniture. It still takes £4,000 a month, only in 40 sales.
| SumUp Solo | Tyl PAX A80 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | £79 once | £335.76 |
| Card fees per month | £67.60 | £55.60 + £2.00 = £57.60 |
| Total over 24 months | £1,701.40 | £1,718.16 |
Nearly level. The break even drops to about £4,300 a month, so a furniture shop taking £6,000 a month would save with the rental. Bigger sales mean fewer fixed fees, which is why the average sale matters so much.
Break even turnover
A rough rule from running the numbers:
- Average sale under £15: pay as you go usually wins, even at fairly high turnover.
- Average sale £15 to £50: contracts start to make sense from around £8,000 to £20,000 a month, depending on the fixed fee.
- Average sale over £50: contracts can win from £4,000 to £6,000 a month.
Don't forget subscription plans. SumUp Payments Plus (0.99% for £19 a month) and Tide's Sell In-Person plans give you a lower rate without renting hardware. They often beat both options in the middle. Our card fee calculator compares those too.
Pros and cons
Buying a reader
Pros - No contract, no monthly bill - Easy to switch providers later - Costs scale down in quiet months
Cons - Higher rate per transaction - You pay for replacements outside the warranty - Fewer features on the simplest readers
Renting on a contract
Pros - Lower rates at higher volume - Hardware swaps included - Often more capable terminals with printers
Cons - You pay rental even in dead months - Exit fees on fixed terms - Extra charges can creep in, such as PCI fees
There's more on the trade offs in our rental vs buy guide and our explainer on card machine contracts.
Who this is for
It's most useful if you've been offered a rental quote and want to check it against what you'd pay on a simple reader. It also helps seasonal businesses see what a contract costs over a quiet winter.
FAQs
Is it cheaper to rent or buy a card machine?
For most small businesses with sales under £15, buying a reader is cheaper. Renting tends to win when turnover is high and the average sale is large, because fixed fees matter less.
What contract length should I enter?
Use the minimum term on your quote. If it's a rolling monthly contract, run the calculator over the time you expect to stay, usually 24 months.
Does the calculator include VAT on rental?
Rental prices are usually published before VAT. If you're not VAT registered, add 20% to the rental to see your real cost.
What if my provider has a minimum monthly charge?
Add it as an other monthly fee. If your card fees in a month fall below the minimum, you pay the minimum instead, so in quiet months it can push the contract cost up.
Are there cancellation fees on card machine rentals?
Some providers charge them on fixed terms. Tyl says it doesn't charge for cancelling its contract. Always check the terms before signing.
Can I buy a terminal outright from a contract provider?
Some let you, though most price it as rental. See our no monthly fee card machines guide for options you own outright.