SumUp lets you accept in-person payments (also called card-present payments) using a card reader or Tap to Pay on a mobile device. You can integrate them into your own app or system using our Mobile SDKs, Cloud API, or, for legacy app handoff flows, Payment Switch.
This section helps you choose the right integration, understand reader compatibility, and get to your first payment quickly.
Need device-specific details? Browse the reader guides.
How It Works
Every in-person payment follows the same basic pattern:
- Your app or system initiates a payment with the amount, currency, and optional metadata.
- A reader, or the phone itself for Tap to Pay, presents the card interface to the customer.
- The customer taps, inserts, or swipes their card.
- SumUp processes the transaction and returns the result.
How the payment is initiated and where the UI runs depends on the integration path you choose.
Choose Your Integration
There are three ways to integrate SumUp in-person payments:
| Cloud API | Reader SDKs | Payment Switch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it does | Trigger and manage payments on Solo or Go readers via HTTPS requests. | Embed payment acceptance directly in your Android or iOS app. Your app controls the reader over Bluetooth or uses Tap to Pay. | Hand off payment acceptance from your app to the SumUp app, then return to your app when the payment is done. |
| Best for | Kiosk, POS, or web-based systems where the reader operates independently. | Mobile apps that need more control over the payment flow and user experience. | Quick integrations where you do not need to own the payment UI. |
| Platform | Any server-capable platform | Android, iOS | Android, iOS |
| Reader connection | Wi-Fi or cellular | Bluetooth from your app, or Tap to Pay on device | Bluetooth via the SumUp app |
Feature Support by Integration
Different integration paths support different features:
| Feature | Android SDK | iOS SDK | Android Tap-to-Pay SDK | Cloud API |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Card payments | NFC and chip | Reader payments with NFC and chip, plus Tap to Pay on iPhone | NFC only | NFC and chip |
| Tipping | ||||
| Refunds | Via SumUp API | Via SumUp API | Contact SumUp for current support details | |
| Receipts | Via SumUp API | Via SumUp API | Contact SumUp for current support details | Via SumUp API |
| Offline transactions | — | — | ||
| Reader status via API | ||||
| Multiple readers on one account | — | — | — | |
| Webhooks for transaction status | — | — | — |
Reader Compatibility
Not every reader works with every integration:
| Reader | Android SDK | iOS SDK | Android Tap-to-Pay SDK | Cloud API | Payment Switch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo Lite | — | — | |||
| Solo | — | ||||
| Air | — | — | |||
| 3G | — | — | |||
| PIN+ | — | — | |||
| Tap to Pay | — | — | — | ||
| Go | — | — | — | — |
Market Availability
Reader availability varies by region. Check the SumUp webshop in your country before planning a rollout.
Once a reader processes its first transaction with a merchant account from a specific country, it is locked to that country. For example, if the first payment is processed with a French account, that reader can only be used with French accounts afterward.
Users with Multiple Merchant Accounts
If you use native SDK login, configure the intended merchant account before signing in. Native login uses the default merchant account.
Next Steps
- Ready to build? Follow the iOS quickstart or Android quickstart for your first reader payment.
- Ready to test? Use the in-person payment testing guide for sandbox setup and simulated payment results.
- Building a native mobile app? Go to the Mobile SDKs.
- Building a server-driven or multi-platform POS? Use the Cloud API.
- Only need an app-to-app handoff? Review Payment Switch.