Since before the pandemic began it was clear that more and more people are choosing to pay for their everyday purchases using a tiny bit of plastic or their smartphones over the “historic” paper currency. So, to keep your business in the now, it is becoming more important to invest in a card payment device.
In this guide, we compare 2 of the major players in the card reader market, SumUp and Barclaycard. However, you can compare a full range of devices from different providers here.
SumUp vs Barclaycard: provider overview
SumUp and Barclaycard are both offering highly popular card readers. SumUp offers a range of cost effective products for a variety of business sizes, whilst Barclaycard has 2 products that pack a powerful punch and flexible payment plans.
In this guide, we are comparing their 2 most popular “on-the-go” machines, the SumUp Air and the Barclaycard Anywhere.
Products
SumUp Air, SumUp Air and Cradle, SumUp Solo, SumUp 3G and Printer
Payment methods
Contactless, Chip and Pin
Alternative payment methods
QR code,Payment link
Apple Pay
Yes
Google Pay
Yes
Connectivity
Bluetooth
Requires connection to a phone or tablet
Yes
Battery life
500 sales on a full charge
Warranty period
12 months
Products
Flex mobile card reader, Barclaycard Anywhere
Payment methods
Contactless, Chip and Pin, Magnetic swipe
Apple Pay
Yes
Google Pay
Yes
Connectivity
SIM card,Bluetooth,WiFi
Requires connection to a phone or tablet
Yes
Battery life
Designed to last all day
Warranty period
12 months
The SumUp Air vs the Barclaycard Anywhere: product overview
Although both card reader providers offer other machines, the SumUp Air and the Barclaycard Anywhere continue to be the “go-to” products in their range.
SumUp Air
Barclaycard Anywhere
Compare rates and fees
When choosing the right card machine for your business, some of the most important things to consider are the rates and fees. Card machines feature a range of fees, use our guide for further explanations of the different charges you might come across in your research.
SumUp is known for having some of the most competitive rates on the card machine market, but at a glance, the Barclaycard product does seem to be beating the competition in terms of transaction cost and settlement periods. However, Barclaycard is a little more modest when promoting fees like transaction costs when cards are not present or chargeback costs. So, the transparency of SumUp definitely helps give a better idea of what product might work out at a lower cost in the long run. Both card readers are on a pay-as-you-go contract and are currently retailing at the same price.
Product
OFFER
Product Name
SumUp Air
Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Contract
No contract
No contract
Initial cost
£39
£29
Monthly cost
£0
£0
Transaction cost
1.69%
1.6%
Transaction cost (card not present)
2.5%
A fixed 0.25% on all CNP transactions
Settlement
1-3 working days
1-2 working days
Money-back guarantee
Yes
Money-back guarantee details
30-day money-back guarantee
Chargeback cost
£10
Compare features
Round 2, features. If you would like to learn about all the different features you should look out for when comparing card readers, you can use our helpful guide.
Both the SumUp Air and the Barclaycard Anywhere have very similar features when it comes to connectivity and payment methods. The Barclaycard Anywhere offers the additional magnetic swipe method, but the SumUp Air offers the alternative methods of payment links and QR codes. Neither of these products have printers attached and you cannot add any on. Although, the SumUp Air does have the option to add a charging cradle at a bundle price.
So, there is a rather large blue elephant in the room – Amex. Yes, that’s right, the Barclaycard Anywhere is one of the only card readers that does not accept Amex payments, albeit that others do but just charge a few bob more. But will this be the deciding factor if you should buy a SumUp or Barclaycard card reader? That is ultimately yours and your business decision.
Product
OFFER
Product Name
SumUp Air
Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Networks
Connectivity
Bluetooth
SIM card, Bluetooth, WiFi
Payment methods
Contactless, Chip and Pin
Contactless, Chip and Pin, Magnetic swipe
Alternative payment methods
QR code, Payment link
Requires connection to phone or tablet
Battery life
500 sales on a full charge
Designed to last all day
Printer attached
Add ons
Base station that acts as a charging and communications dock.
Bottom line
So, the bottom line is that they are both great options, offering competitive rates and portable products perfect for SMEs or businesses on-the-go. However, one of the main drawbacks of the Barclaycard Anywhere could impact a few of your sales, not accepting Amex. But ultimately, the decision is yours and if you could like without taking payments from Amex, they are both brilliant options.
Table: sorted by transaction cost, promoted deals first
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Emily Herring is a Publisher at Finder specialising in credit-based products including credit cards and business and personal loans. Emily has recently joined the Investments team. She has a Masters in Creative Writing & Publishing and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Media. See full bio
Emily's expertise
Emily has written 134 Finder guides across topics including:
Offering cost-friendly pocket-sized card readers, we compare the most popular products from SumUp and Zettle.
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finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which finder.com receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. finder.com compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
