Zettle alternatives for UK small businesses
Zettle, like the other card-reader products, is built to take payments simply and cheaply. It does that well. The reason businesses move is usually growth — more lines, more staff, or a move into food service that a reader was never meant to handle.
How Zettle is set up
Zettle publishes flat in-person rates and sells readers without a minimum term. Check their current pricing before comparing, as published rates change. The gap against a full EPOS is the same one every reader has: reporting depth, stock control, staff permissions and anything hospitality-specific.
The table below compares how the two are structured, not what they charge. Published prices move, so get current figures from each provider in writing and compare the full first-year total rather than the monthly line.
Zettle and Zivaro, side by side
| Zettle | Zivaro | |
|---|---|---|
| Getting a price | Published flat rate. Verify the current figure. | Published bundle prices, then £12 a month + VAT. |
| Reporting | Sales totals and basic breakdowns. | Gross profit by product, sales by hour, waste, VAT breakdowns. |
| Stock control | Basic item counts. | Cost prices, reorder levels, stocktakes, supplier ordering. |
| Hardware | Reader, with optional add-ons. | Terminal, drawer, printer, scanner and scales as your trade needs. |
| Support | Largely in-app and online. | UK-based phone support. |
When it is worth switching
Switching for a few pounds a month rarely pays. It is worth the disruption when one of these is true:
- Your reporting needs to show margin, not just takings
- You are carrying enough stock that guessing at reorders costs you money
- You have staff on the till and need per-person accountability
- You want the card machine and the till to be one system, not two
If none of them apply, stay where you are. We would rather tell you that than sell you a system you do not need. If two or more do, our guide to switching without closing the shop sets out the week, and the contract checklist covers what to read before you sign anything — ours included.
What Zivaro costs
Bundles are a one-off purchase and the hardware is yours from delivery. Software and support are £12 a month + VAT on every bundle, with no long lock-in. Current bundle prices are published on our products page rather than held behind a quote form, so you can do this comparison before speaking to anybody.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between Zettle and an EPOS system?
A card reader takes payments. An EPOS system records what sold, adjusts stock, manages staff and produces reports, then instructs the card machine to take the payment. Many businesses need both, which is why they are usually sold together.
Do I have to change card provider to change till?
Not always. It depends whether your existing terminal can integrate with the new system. If it cannot, staff will key amounts in manually, which is where mis-keyed transactions come from. Ask both providers before committing.
Will I lose my sales history?
Not if you export it first. Take your product list, customer records and at least twelve months of sales reports before cancelling anything, and keep them somewhere safe — you may need that data for your accounts long after the system is gone.