For independent cafés comparing payment models

A SumUp Order & Pay alternative for independent cafés

Café QR is a cloud POS for cafés, restaurants and pubs with QR table ordering built in. This page compares its ordering side with SumUp Order & Pay, whose published pricing model is different: SumUp starts with no monthly fee and a transaction percentage, while Café QR uses a fixed monthly subscription plus Stripe processing.

Start free trial →See Café QR pricing Jump to the comparison ↓

SumUp is a trademark of its owner. Café QR is not affiliated with or endorsed by SumUp. Competitor details checked on 4 August 2026 from their public websites; check current terms with them.

Café QR

Price check · Café QR vs SumUp Order & Pay

Café QR: From £9.99/month + 0% platform fee
SumUp published price: £0/month + 2.50% per transaction
Guest app: Not required by either product

Café QR platform fee: 0%
Setup fee: £0.00
Contract: none

Checked 4 August 2026

FROM THEIR OWN WEBSITES

No card to start
Runs on any tablet or phone
No contract
0% platform fee

Side by side

Compare the published details. Theirs and ours.

Prices exclude payment-processing charges unless the row says otherwise. Check the linked provider pages before making a decision.

Monthly software price
Café QR
From £9.99 per venue a month (Order & Pay) after a free first month
SumUp Order & Pay
£0
Published order charge
Café QR
0% Café QR platform fee; Stripe processing charges apply
SumUp Order & Pay
2.50% transaction fee
Dine-in ordering
Café QR
Table QR, live menu and paid order sent to staff screen
SumUp Order & Pay
Table QR ordering with ticket sent to the relevant station
Other ordering channels stated
Café QR
Table and counter ordering; collection and delivery on the £14.99 Order & Pay + Delivery plan
SumUp Order & Pay
Ordering ahead and click and collect
Loyalty and marketing stated
Café QR
Optional post-order sign-up and a café-controlled customer list
SumUp Order & Pay
Not stated on the official Order & Pay page reviewed

A SumUp Order & Pay alternative for independent cafés
Detail	Café QR	SumUp Order & Pay
Monthly software price	From £9.99 per venue a month (Order & Pay) after a free first month	£0
Published order charge	0% Café QR platform fee; Stripe processing charges apply	2.50% transaction fee
Dine-in ordering	Table QR, live menu and paid order sent to staff screen	Table QR ordering with ticket sent to the relevant station
Other ordering channels stated	Table and counter ordering; collection and delivery on the £14.99 Order & Pay + Delivery plan	Ordering ahead and click and collect
Loyalty and marketing stated	Optional post-order sign-up and a café-controlled customer list	Not stated on the official Order & Pay page reviewed

When SumUp may fit

SumUp’s published £0 monthly price can suit an owner who wants to avoid a software subscription and prefers a percentage charged on each transaction.

Its official page also lists ordering ahead and click and collect. Those channels may matter if the café wants one product for table and advance orders.

When Café QR may fit

Café QR may suit an independent café that prefers a fixed monthly subscription from £9.99, a 0% Café QR platform fee and a product centred on table ordering and repeat visits.

Each café connects its own Stripe account and remains the merchant. Guests can separately opt in to the café’s list after ordering; payment does not automatically create marketing consent.

What to calculate before choosing

Compare the full payment cost using your expected card mix and order volume. The published headline rates do not by themselves show the total cost for every café.

Also decide whether advance ordering is essential, whether a customer list matters, and how staff should receive paid orders during a busy service.

The app you’ll use

One glass dashboard. Open it on any screen, every shift.

Takings, live orders, tables and what needs you now, on a laptop, a tablet or the phone in your pocket.

Café QR owner dashboard on a laptop: today's takings, live orders, tables and what needs attention.

Takings, liveTill, table QR and online orders in one number.
Kitchen on timeLate tickets flag themselves.
The floor at a glanceWho’s seated, and who’s waiting to pay.
Light or darkPick the look that suits your venue.

Switching from another till

Switching is easy. We do the heavy lifting.

1We load your menuSend a photo, a PDF or a link. We add the items, prices, options and allergens, free, while you're on your trial.
2Keep your card machineTake card on the machine you have and tap Card to record it, or move to a Stripe reader when you're ready.
3No contract, no setup feePay monthly per venue and cancel any time. The first month is free and needs no card.
4Run it beside your old tillStart with table ordering or the kitchen screen first. A Square till can be linked so paid orders are pushed to it.

Try it now · free AI menu preview

Snap your paper menu. See it as a phone menu.

Upload a clear photo or a short PDF and we’ll read up to 8 items, so you can see how your menu could look before you start.

Drop a menu photo or PDF here

Choose file

JPEG, PNG, WebP or PDF

Photos are resized in your browser (4 MB after resizing; PDFs 1.5 MB; three previews an hour). Your file is sent to OpenAI to read the menu. Café QR does not save it or add the preview to an account. Check prices and allergens before using them.

Your menu, on a phone

Your items appear here. The file is only used for this preview.

What you need. Probably what you already have.

No proprietary hardware, and no setup fee.

The one you haveA tablet or phoneRuns in the browser on an iPad, Android tablet, phone or laptop.
OptionalA card readerA Stripe reader, or keep your own machine and record card sales.
OptionalA kitchen printerStar or Epson network printers, or use the kitchen screen.
NeededWi-FiIf it drops, the till keeps taking cash and uploads the sales later.

Switching fromSquare →Epos Now →Lightspeed →SumUp →Or send your menu on WhatsApp

Sources

Official pages reviewed. Check them yourself.

SumUp Order & Pay product and pricing page

Ask before buying

Details we could not verify

Whether SumUp’s 2.50% published transaction fee covers every card type and whether VAT applies to any part of it.
SumUp Order & Pay’s customer marketing, loyalty and data-export capabilities.
The exact merchant settlement and payout terms for SumUp Order & Pay.

Questions

Straight answers, before you start.

Visit the help centre →Ask us on WhatsApp

Does SumUp Order & Pay charge a monthly subscription fee?

On SumUp's published page reviewed on 17 April 2026, SumUp Order & Pay lists a £0 monthly fee with a 1.69% transaction rate for online payments. Café QR's Order & Pay plan is £9.99 a month per venue with a 0% Café QR platform fee, plus your own Stripe processing rates.

What does Café QR include that SumUp Order & Pay does not state?

Café QR's £9.99 Order & Pay plan includes an opt-in customer loyalty list, WhatsApp and email offers, Epson and Star kitchen printer routing, and optional upgrading to the £39 POS plan with a full counter till, table tabs and food-safety records.

Can I use a SumUp card reader at the counter with Café QR?

Yes. If you take counter payments on a standalone SumUp reader, you can ring the order up on the Café QR till and mark it paid by external card terminal.

Keep comparing

Prefer to talk it through?

Book a walkthrough or ask us anything.

Tell us about your venue and we’ll reply, usually within one working day, to plan your setup or show you round the till on a call. It’s an enquiry only: no card, no subscription and no trial started.

WhatsApp us Or try the live demo →