Go on Trustpilot, Reddit, or any UK small business forum, and you’ll see the same split.

Some shop owners swear by Zettle or Square. 

Others complain about hidden fees, account freezes, or clunky hardware that slows them down.

Both systems promise the same thing: simple payments, low setup costs, and mobile-friendly POS. 

But when you actually look at what business owners say, a different story comes out.

In this post, I’ll break down:

• The real pros and cons of Zettle and Square (pulled straight from user feedback).
  
  

• Which one fits different types of UK businesses?
  
  

• And why a new option might just be the answer.

Let’s get into it.

For easy skimming, a quick table to break down their pricing, features, pros, and cons side by side, so you can see which one really fits your business.

Zettle by PayPal vs Square UK – Full Comparison

Summary Highlights

• Zettle by PayPal
  
  

  • Strengths: Lightweight, affordable, and excels at quick, PayPal-compatible payments. Great for very small or mobile businesses.
    
    

  • Weaknesses: Hardware reliability and support complaints are common. Analytics and scaling features are limited.
    
    

• Square UK
  
  

  • Strengths: A richer ecosystem with inventory tools, online/offline sync, and various hardware options. Perfect for growing businesses.
    
    

  • Weaknesses: Add-on costs can add up, support can be hit or miss, and freezes can disrupt cash flow.

Now, let’s really get into the details.

ZETTLE By PayPal – Lightweight POS with PayPal Integration

Zettle by PayPal (formerly iZettle) is built as a simple, affordable POS for small UK businesses. 

It’s tightly connected to the PayPal ecosystem, which makes it especially attractive for sellers who already use PayPal for online payments.

Core Features

• Tap to Pay: Accept contactless card and wallet payments directly on your phone — no extra hardware required.
  
  

• Hardware Options: Pair the £29 PayPal Reader with your device, or use the all-in-one Terminal (£149) with built-in POS software.
  
  

• Free POS App: Manage products, staff, and sales from a smartphone or tablet.
  
  

• Inventory Tools: Create product libraries, bulk upload items, sync online + in-store stock, and receive low-stock alerts.
  
  

• Reporting: Real-time sales dashboards with filters for payment type, staff performance, and top-selling products.
  
  

• Integrations: Works with popular accounting (Xero, QuickBooks) and e-commerce platforms, plus PayPal invoicing and payment links.
  
  

• Fast Payouts: Sales land in your PayPal Business account within minutes, with automatic bank transfers available at no extra cost.

Pros and Cons (User Reviews)

We went through user reviews and pulled out the most common pros and cons:

📌 What this means:

• Zettle shines in simplicity and speed; small businesses love how fast they can get started.
  
  

• But the deal-breakers for many users are hardware reliability and poor customer support, which repeatedly come up across reviews.

Zettle by PayPal Pricing (UK, 2025)

Software:

• Free POS app (download on iOS/Android).
  
  

• No monthly subscription fee.

Transaction Fees:

• Card & digital wallets (in-person): 1.75% per transaction.
  
  

• PayPal Invoices: 2.5% per paid invoice.
  
  

• Payment Links (remote): 2.5% per transaction.

Hardware:

• Zettle Reader: £29 (ex. VAT, first device for new business users).
  
  

• Additional Readers: £69 (ex. VAT).
  
  

• Zettle Terminal: From £149 (ex. VAT) – Wi-Fi/4G-enabled, POS software built in.
  
  

• Dock, printer, barcode scanner: Extra (pricing varies).
  
  

• Custom Store Kits: Mix of stands, drawers, printers available (bundle pricing).

Other Notes:

• Funds usually land in your PayPal Business Account within minutes, then you can transfer to your bank for free.
  
  

• Warranty: 1 year (major point of complaint in reviews — many devices fail just after warranty).

Best For

Small-to-medium UK businesses that want an easy entry into POS with no upfront cost. 

Great for cafés, restaurants, pop-ups, and retailers who plan to expand later but expect costs to climb as you add features.

SQUARE POS – Flexible but Add-On Heavy

Square has become one of the most popular POS providers in the UK, powering millions of small businesses worldwide. 

Its biggest selling point? You can get started for free with nothing more than a phone or tablet, and then layer on hardware or extra tools as you grow.

Core Features

• Free POS app – no monthly fee, just transaction-based pricing (1.75% in-person).
  
  

• Tap-to-Pay on iPhone/Android – accept contactless cards and wallets without a reader.
  
  

• Omnichannel selling – in-person, online, social media, phone orders, all synced.
  
  

• Inventory & reporting – stock tracking, low-stock alerts, barcode scanning, and real-time sales reports.
  
  

• Customer tools – gift cards, loyalty programs, and email/SMS marketing add-ons.
  
  

• Team management – scheduling, time tracking, and staff permissions.
  
  

• Hardware options – from a £19 card reader to terminals and registers for multi-location stores.

Pros and Cons (User Reviews)

We analyzed reviews to highlight the top benefits and drawbacks.

👉 The pattern is clear: Square wins on simplicity, cost, and flexibility, but businesses scaling beyond the startup level often complain about support, sudden fund holds, and hidden friction points.

Square UK Pricing (2025)

Software:

• Free POS app (download on iOS/Android).
  
  

• No monthly subscription fee for the base plan.
  
  

• Add-ons available (Loyalty, Marketing, Payroll).

Transaction Fees:

• In-person card/contactless (chip & PIN, Apple Pay, Google Pay): 1.75%.
  
  

• Online UK card payments: 1.4% + 25p per transaction.
  
  

• Online non-UK cards: 2.5% + 25p per transaction.
  
  

• Invoices & Virtual Terminal: 2.5% per transaction.
  
  

• Clearpay (BNPL): 6% + 30p.

Hardware (UK pricing ex. VAT):

• Square Reader (contactless + chip & PIN): £19.
  
  

• Square Terminal (all-in-one with printer): ~£149.
  
  

• Square Register (full touchscreen system): £599.
  
  

• Square Stand for iPad: £119.
  
  

• Cash drawers, barcode scanners, printers: extra.

Other Notes:

• Custom pricing available for businesses processing £200K+ annually.
  
  

• Payouts are usually next business day (instant payout option with an extra fee).
  
  

• Works on iPhone/Android via Tap to Pay (no reader required).

👉 Key Difference:

• Zettle: Lower upfront (free app + cheap reader), but rigid 1.75% card fee and lots of hardware complaints.
  
  

• Square: Slightly higher hardware range (but more options), same 1.75% in-person fee, but with better scalability (online store, loyalty add-ons, etc.).

Best For

Small-to-medium UK businesses that want an easy entry into POS with no upfront cost.

Great for cafés, restaurants, pop-ups, and retailers who plan to expand later but expect costs to climb as you add features.

Where Both Fall Short

Now that we’ve broken them down side by side, let’s be real. Neither Zettle nor Square is perfect:

• Zettle is fine if you just want to take payments. But as soon as you try to grow — add staff, run loyalty programs, or analyze reports — it feels too basic.
  
  

• Square gives you more tools, but every “add-on” (loyalty, payroll, advanced reports) pushes your costs up. The “free” plan stops being free really fast.
  
  

• Both still depend heavily on hardware. If a reader or terminal fails, your sales stop. And reviews show that’s not uncommon.

That’s why many UK small businesses are asking: is there a simpler, more affordable POS that doesn’t lock you into hardware or surprise fees?

How UseTapp Solves These Gaps

UseTapp is a mobile-first POS platform built for UK small businesses that want simplicity without limits.

• No hardware dependency → Works on your phone or tablet. If a terminal dies, sales don’t stop.

• Unlike Zettle or Square, UseTapp doesn’t force you into expensive hardware, hidden add-ons, or rigid ecosystems. 

• It runs directly on your phone or tablet, with optional accessories if you want them but never as a requirement.

• Built-in growth tools → SMS marketing + loyalty programs baked in. You don’t need to bolt on extra apps. It turns transactions into repeat business automatically.
  
  

• No account freezes → Your money isn’t held hostage. Payouts are simple and predictable.
  
  

• Scales with you → Start as a solo shop, keep the same system as you grow to multi-staff.

• Where most POS tools stop at taking payments, UseTapp goes further: every sale is a chance to build customer loyalty. 

Pricing

It is free to start. POS hardware is sold separately.

Plus, you can join the waitlist here.

And text plans are pay-as-you-go (from £0.03 per SMS). 

Final Verdict

• Zettle by PayPal → Good if you just want the basics and already live in the PayPal ecosystem. 
  
  

  • But hardware issues, 1.75% fees, and limited growth features make it risky for anything beyond a micro-business.
    
    

• Square UK → Stronger toolset, especially if you want an all-in-one platform with inventory, loyalty, and online sales. 
  
  

  • But those “free” plans quickly get expensive once you add what you actually need. 
    
    

  • Account freezes and support complaints are also a red flag.
    
    

• UseTapp → The only option that fixes both problems. No hardware dependency. No hidden costs. 
  
  

  • Built-in loyalty and SMS marketing to actually drive repeat sales. 
    
    

  • And it scales with you instead of against you.

👉 If you want to stop worrying about broken terminals, surprise fees, or frozen payouts, UseTapp is the smarter long-term choice for UK small businesses.