Card payment fees in Ireland run from 0.8% to 3.4% of every sale, depending on who processes it, whether the customer is standing in front of you, and where their card was issued. On €100,000 a year, the gap between the cheapest and the dearest option is over €2,500. That’s real money, given away a few cent at a time.
Every rate for SumUp, Square, Stripe, Revolut Business and PayPal is in euro, taken from the provider’s own Irish pricing pages and checked in October 2026.
Card payment fees in Ireland at a glance
| Provider | In person | Online | Monthly fee | Card reader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp | 1.69% (0.95% on Payments Plus) | Check SumUp’s site | €0 (Payments Plus €19) | Solo Lite and Solo, prices before VAT; check the current price |
| Square | 1.75% + VAT | 1.4% + 25 cent + VAT | €0 | Reader €19 + VAT, Terminal €169 + VAT |
| Stripe | Via Stripe Terminal, rate on request | 1.5% + €0.25 | €0 | WisePad 3 €59, Reader S700 €259, both excl. VAT |
| Revolut Business | 0.8% + €0.02 | 1% + €0.20 | Needs a Revolut Business account | Revolut Reader |
| PayPal | Not covered here | 3.40% + €0.35 | €0 | Not covered here |
Those are the headline rates for Irish and other European consumer cards. Most providers charge more for cards from outside Europe, and since Brexit that includes UK cards. Details under each name below.
How much does SumUp charge per transaction?
1.69% on in-person card payments on the standard plan, with no monthly fee.
Payments Plus costs €19 a month and brings in-person payments down to 0.95%. SumUp says the switch pays off at €3,300 or more a month. On the two rates alone it comes out nearer €2,600, because American Express and premium cards stay at 1.69% on both plans.
The readers are cheap. The Solo Lite, which pairs with your phone, and the standalone Solo are both priced before VAT, and the prices change with promotions, so check SumUp’s Irish site before you buy. SumUp says the money is in your free, included Business Account by 7am the next day.
Square fees in Ireland
1.75% + VAT for in-person payments by EU and EEA cards. UK and other non-EEA cards add 1.5%. Online it’s 1.4% plus 25 cent plus VAT for EU and EEA cards and 2.9% plus 25 cent plus VAT for UK and other non-EEA cards. Keyed-in payments are 2% + VAT for EU and EEA cards, and invoices and card-on-file payments are 2.5% + VAT.
The “+ VAT” matters. If your business isn’t VAT registered, Square’s 1.75% is really 2.15%, which is dearer than SumUp’s headline 1.69%. If you are registered, you reclaim it. Square is still a shade dearer on the headline rate, and it also has a point-of-sale app.
The Square Reader is €19, the Terminal €169, the Handheld €199, the Stand €119 and the Register €699, all excluding VAT as Square shows them.
Stripe fees in Ireland
Stripe is what sits behind a website’s checkout rather than a counter. Its Irish rate for standard European Economic Area cards is 1.5% + €0.25, and Klarna starts at 4.99% + €0.40. Cards from outside the EEA cost more, so check Stripe’s rate card before you rely on a figure.
The fee people forget is the dispute fee. €20 for every chargeback you receive, and another €20 if you contest it.
Card readers for in-person use through Stripe Terminal are €59 for the BBPOS WisePad 3 and €259 for the Stripe Reader S700 or S710, excluding VAT. Ask Stripe for its in-person rate before you buy one.
Revolut Business card payment fees
The lowest in-person rate of the five: 0.8% + €0.02 for European consumer cards through the Revolut Reader or Terminal, and 1% + €0.20 online. The catch is the other rate. Cards that are not European consumer cards cost more, at 2.6% in person and 2.8% plus €0.20 online. Revolut does not count UK-issued cards as European cards.
You need a Revolut Business account to use it.
For a café taking Irish debit cards all day, 0.8% is hard to beat. For a B2B business paid on company cards, or a shop with UK tourists, the blended rate can end up higher than SumUp’s flat 1.69%.
PayPal fees in Ireland
PayPal’s Irish merchant fee for a standard commercial transaction is 3.40% + a fixed €0.35. A card payment from a customer who checks out as a guest without a PayPal account is 1.20% + €0.35. QR code payments are 0.90% + €0.10 for €10.01 and above, and 1.40% + €0.05 for €10 and below.
International payments add 1.29% from the UK and 1.99% from anywhere else outside the EEA. Convert currency and PayPal takes 3.00% above its base exchange rate. Disputes cost €14.
Keep PayPal where your customers insist on it, typically marketplaces and international buyers, and route everyone else through a cheaper gateway.
Is SumUp cheaper than Square?
On an Irish consumer card, here’s what each provider charges on a €20 payment at the counter and a €100 order online. Square’s figures are shown with and without VAT, because a business that can’t reclaim VAT pays it.
| Provider | €20 in person | €100 in person | €100 online |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revolut Business | €0.18 | €0.82 | €1.20 |
| SumUp | €0.34 (€0.19 on Payments Plus) | €1.69 (€0.95) | Check SumUp’s site |
| Square | €0.35, €0.43 with VAT | €1.75, €2.15 with VAT | €1.65, €2.03 with VAT |
| Stripe | Rate on request | Rate on request | €1.75 |
| PayPal | Not covered here | Not covered here | €3.75 (€1.55 for a guest card payment) |
On the headline rates, SumUp’s 1.69% is below Square’s 1.75% before VAT. Square then adds VAT, which a business that cannot reclaim it pays. Whether SumUp adds VAT to its fee is not stated on its pricing page, so ask SumUp before you choose. In person, Revolut is cheapest if your customers pay with European consumer cards and you are happy to bank with Revolut. Online, Revolut is cheapest at €1.20, ahead of Square before VAT (€1.65) and Stripe (€1.75).
What about AIB Merchant Services and BOI Payment Acceptance?
If your card volume is high, ask AIB Merchant Services or BOI Payment Acceptance for a quote.
Here’s why it matters. The EU’s Interchange Fee Regulation caps the fee the card schemes can charge on consumer cards at 0.2% for debit and 0.3% for credit. A 1.69% flat fee on an Irish debit card therefore leaves about 1.5 points for the processor’s costs and margin. At volume, a quote with the interchange cost passed through can be cheaper, so ask for one by name.
Providers therefore often charge a dearer rate for cards from outside the EU. UK cards left the capped zone with Brexit. Square adds 1.5% for them, and Revolut treats them as non-European.
How Irish customers actually pay
The BPFI Payments Monitor for the first half of 2026 found that almost 90% of point-of-sale card payments were contactless.
The averages are the useful bit. Mobile wallet payment €20.96. Contactless card €15.36. Online card purchase €78.49.
That’s the number to price your fees against. On a €15 contactless coffee-and-sandwich, a 25 cent fixed fee is 1.7% on its own. Flat-percentage providers like SumUp, Square and Revolut win on small in-person tickets; Stripe’s fixed 25 cent matters less on a €78 online basket.
Which card reader is cheapest for a small Irish business?
- Market stall, mobile trade, taxi, once-a-week seller: SumUp Solo Lite. 1.69% in person, with no monthly fee on the standard plan.
- Café, salon or shop with a till: Square Reader or Terminal if you are VAT registered, because the VAT on its fee comes back to you; SumUp with Payments Plus if you take more than €3,300 a month.
- Already banking with Revolut Business: the Revolut Reader at 0.8% + €0.02, provided most of your customers pay on Irish or EU consumer cards.
- A website or booking system: Stripe at 1.5% + €0.25 for European cards. If the site is on Shopify, Shopify Payments avoids the third-party transaction fee that Shopify adds for other gateways; our Shopify pricing guide has the figures.
- Invoices: Square charges 2.5% + VAT on invoices and card-on-file payments.
- Selling on TikTok Shop or a marketplace: the platform processes the payment; its commission is the fee to watch, not the card rate.
Questions people ask about card payment fees
What are the disadvantages of SumUp?
American Express and premium cards stay at 1.69% even on Payments Plus. For a simple counter it is still an easy, low-cost start.
Are card payment fees subject to VAT in Ireland?
It depends on the provider, and the pricing page says which. Square quotes its fees and its hardware plus VAT. If you’re VAT registered it comes back in your return; if you’re not, it’s a real 23% on the fee.
Can I charge customers extra for paying by card?
Not on ordinary consumer debit and credit cards. EU payment rules ban surcharges on consumer cards covered by the interchange caps. Build the fee into your prices instead.
What is the cheapest card reader in Ireland?
To buy, Square’s Reader is €19 + VAT. The cheapest to run depends on your cards and your volume: Revolut at 0.8% for European consumer cards, SumUp’s Payments Plus at 0.95% for €19 a month, or SumUp’s standard 1.69% with no monthly fee.
How quickly do I get my money?
SumUp says its money is in your free, included Business Account by 7am the next day. Check the payout terms of the other providers on their pages, as they change.
Do I need a merchant account to take card payments?
Not with the providers above. A traditional merchant account from AIB Merchant Services or BOI Payment Acceptance is arranged through the bank.
If you want to talk through your website or online shop, contact us. No obligation.
Sources
SumUp Ireland pricing; Square Ireland pricing; Stripe Ireland pricing (rates and Klarna); Revolut Business pricing for Ireland; PayPal Ireland merchant fees; Regulation (EU) 2015/751 on interchange fees; BPFI Payments Monitor (September 2026). Checked October 2026. Rates change; check the provider’s page before you sign up.
