Take card payments during your busy season without paying for a terminal that sits in a drawer the rest of the year.
SumUp
Compact, buy-outright card reader with Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity. No monthly fees, no contract — just a one-off hardware cost and a simple flat transaction rate. Ideal for low-volume merchants, micros and seasonal trading.
Shift4
Portable/countertop Android 10 terminal with 5.7-inch touchscreen and Payment & POS functionality. Built-in thermal printer along with Wi-Fi & 4g connectivity. Latest model from Pax includes on-screen merchant branding, intuitive over-the-phone payment flow, on-board POS features, as well as being configurable for full Shift4 POS integration (Dine & Delivery)
If your business runs for part of the year — summer events, Christmas markets, holiday lets, seasonal retail - you need a card machine that fits your trading pattern, not a twelve-month contract designed for a high street shop.
We’ll find you terminal options with no monthly fees during your off-season. You shouldn’t be paying for something that’s sitting in a drawer.
Pick the terminal up at the start of the season, switch it on, and it works. No re-activation hassle, no setup fees to restart.
Seasonal businesses don’t fit the standard mould. We compare providers who understand that and offer terms that flex around your trading calendar.
Not if you choose the right option. The SumUp Solo has zero monthly fees - in the off-season, it costs you nothing. For providers with monthly fees, we calculate whether the lower transaction rate during your trading season offsets the dormant months. For most seasonal businesses, the no-monthly-fee option wins.
No. The terminal stays active whether you use it or not. At the start of the season, switch it on, let it connect, and you're taking payments immediately. No reactivation process, no waiting for approval, no setup fees.
It depends on the provider. With some providers, there's no monthly fee — you only pay the processing rate when you transact. In a quiet January, your card machine costs you nothing. With others, there may be a small monthly fee regardless of volume. We'll find the option that matches your seasonal trading pattern.
Yes. You don't need a shop or a permanent address to get a card machine. Festival traders, market vendors, and temporary operators are all eligible. The SumUp Solo needs no contract and no monthly fees - ideal for traders who only work event weekends.
It really does depend on how your business operates - there's no one 'best solution' for all, as a Fine Dining restaurant in Covent Garden has completely different operational requirements to a Market Trader in Glasgow's bustling Barras, or a Cardiff Arms Park pub. We make the effort to truly understand how your business actually operates - before recommending the best solution from a range of providers, not just one.
It varies by provider and model. With some providers, your first card machine comes with no upfront cost, no monthly rental, and no per-transaction fees - so your only cost is the processing rate on each sale you make. Additional terminals - or those from other providers - may well carry rental or per-transaction fees. The exact cost depends on your terminal type, provider, and monthly card turnover. Because uno works across multiple providers, we compare the real-world, overall costs and then find the most competitive deal for your specific situation.
We know for many UK independent buinesses cashflow is a daily struggle. We can offer various options, with settlement times ranging from just a few hours, to the full three days it takes providers to actually receive your customers money. Whatever your working requirements are, we'll find the ideal solution to match those needs.
Yes. Every payment terminal we recommend accepts contactless payments, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and standard contactless cards. Contactless is now the default way most customers pay in the UK.
For most merchant-types this will be offered as a default payment option, available on-screen along with contactless and Chip'n'Pin. There are a small number of exceptional businesess operational-types where this is not the case - but for most, 'over-the-phone' payments will be offered as standard.
Any terminal uno suggests would allow you to easily identify the original transaction. If still within the same day as the sale, then the transaction could then be 'voided'(aka 'reversed'). Voids/Reverses are typically instantaneous. However, if that trading day's 'banking window' had closed (typically at Midnight) then it would technically be classed as a 'refund' - which would be subject to the bank's standard 3-5 processing timeframe to complete.
The great news for you is none of the providers uno works with have complicated anything! For those that require PCI of any sort atall, it really is a simple, painless process that just takes a few minutes per year!
Not with every provider. Several of the solutions we offer have no long-term contract - you can switch or cancel without penalty. We'll always be upfront about contract terms before suggesting you commit to anything.
Most businesses are up and running within a few days. We handle the supply, installation, and configuration so you can focus on serving your customers. We walk you through everything on-site - so you're confident from day one.
Going direct means you only see a single provider's products, at a single provider's prices. Because uno works across multiple providers, we can genuinely compare options and recommend the solution that suits your business - not just the only one we happen to sell! You also get a dedicated point of contact for ongoing support.
We make the effort to your business, understand how you take payments, and recommend the solution that genuinely fits - not the one with the biggest commission.