Shift4 vs Zettle by PayPal: the full cost comparison
Zettle by PayPal publishes 1.75% in person. We charge 1.25% blended on all cards under £10,000 a month, with a free first terminal and no monthly rental. Here is every cost, side by side.
Shift4 blended rate
Monthly rental
Est. yearly saving at £5,000/mo
Settlement, incl. Saturdays
Zettle, from PayPal, is a popular starting point for small and mobile businesses: buy the reader, pair it with a phone, and take a card in minutes with a single published percentage and no contract.
As card turnover grows, that flat percentage becomes the main cost of trading. Our alternative is a standalone terminal at no cost, no monthly rental, and 1.25% blended across debit, credit, Amex and the wallets.
Shift4 against Zettle by PayPal, line by line
Zettle by PayPal figures are taken from published UK pricing, last verified August 2026.
Headline rate
Headline rate
1.25% blended
1.75% in person
Terminal cost
Terminal cost
Free first terminal
Reader 2 Lite £19+VAT, Reader 2 £29+VAT, Terminal up to £189
Monthly rental
Monthly rental
£0
£0
Extra monthly fees
Extra monthly fees
None
None published
Minimum monthly charge
Minimum monthly charge
None. No use, no bill
£0
Authorisation fee
Authorisation fee
None
None
Contract
Contract
18 months
None
Early exit
Early exit
No early exit fees
None, there is no term
Settlement
Settlement
Next working day incl. Saturdays
Next working day to bank. Instant to PayPal balance.
Support
Support
Named UK partner, direct mobile
UK support, business hours
Source: Zettle by PayPal published pricing. Flat rate, no volume tiers.
See what your card machine really costs
Drag to your monthly card takings. The numbers update instantly.
Who are you with now?
Fine tune: average sale & rates
Average sale
Zettle by PayPal now
£89per month
With Shift4
£63per month
Estimated annual saving
About £26 a month at £5,000 card turnover.
Every provider at £5,000 a month
- Shift4 Card Machine£750/yr
- SumUp£1,054/yr
- Square£1,060/yr
- Zettle by PayPal£1,065/yr
- Worldpay£1,170/yr
- Takepayments£1,208/yr
- Barclaycard£1,212/yr
- Dojo£1,310/yr
Effective blended rate with Zettle by PayPal: 1.75% plus £0.00 a month in fixed fees.
When Zettle by PayPal is the better choice
We are not right for everyone. These are the cases where we would tell you to stay put.
You already run your business through PayPal and want takings in that balance instantly.
You want the cheapest possible way to start taking cards, with a reader under £30.
Your card volume is low enough that the flat rate costs less than any fixed monthly commitment.
Zettle by PayPal does well
Cheapest hardware entry point in the UK. Instant access to funds if you already run PayPal.
Four questions worth asking any provider
The real rate
“Is that rate blended across every card type, or only consumer debit?”
Shift4
1.25% blended on all cards under £10,000 a month of card turnover. Above that we quote bespoke.
Worth knowing
A headline rate quoted on consumer debit only, with premium, corporate and non-European cards priced far higher.
The monthly bill
“What will I be billed in a month where I take nothing?”
Shift4
£0. No terminal rental, no minimum monthly service charge, no PCI fee.
Worth knowing
Terminal rental, platform fees, PCI charges and minimum monthly service charges that apply regardless of turnover.
The contract
“How long is the term, and what does it cost to leave early?”
Shift4
18 months with no early exit fees.
Worth knowing
Auto-renewing terms, 90-day notice windows, and exit fees equal to every remaining monthly rental payment.
The money
“When does the money actually land, and is that free?”
Shift4
Next working day incl. Saturdays
Worth knowing
Faster settlement offered as a paid add-on, or next-day settlement only in year one of the contract.
Getting your Zettle by PayPal statement
One statement is all we need to work out your real blended rate.
- Step 1
Log in to PayPal
- Step 2
Open Zettle
- Step 3
Go to Reports
- Step 4
Open Statements and download
There is generally no agreement to unwind, so the practical change is from a phone-paired reader to a standalone terminal with its own connection, printer and battery. Most people find the day-to-day faster.
You will go through underwriting for a merchant account, which asks for more information up front than a reader signup. In return you get the lower rate and settlement into your business account the next working day.
Zettle by PayPal questions, answered
Can I leave my Zettle contract early?
Zettle's standard terms carry no minimum period, so there is normally nothing to cancel, you simply stop using the reader. Check separately for any linked services on their own terms.
Will switching interrupt my card payments?
No. The Zettle reader keeps working throughout, so you can take payments on both until you are comfortable with the new terminal.
Do I still need my phone or tablet to take a payment?
No. The terminal is a standalone device with its own 4G, WiFi, screen and printer, so it works without pairing to a phone and does not depend on your handset's battery.
Send your statement, get a straight answer
We read your last full month with Zettle by PayPal, work out what you are really paying, and tell you honestly whether we beat it.
Prefer to browse first? See all provider comparisons
Zettle by PayPal pricing is taken from publicly published UK sources and was last verified in August 2026. Providers change pricing without notice and rates vary by plan, so treat every figure as indicative and confirm directly with Zettle by PayPal. Calculator results are estimates, not quotes, and assume a 60% debit, 30% consumer credit and 10% business card mix. Our rate is confirmed on application, subject to status. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners; we are not affiliated with Zettle by PayPal.
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Same free terminal, same rate — every trade, every postcode.