Business Getting paid

Best QR Code Payment Apps for UK Businesses

Saim Jalees

11.08.26

Read time 8 minutes

QR codes have moved from menus and event tickets into everyday checkout. For a UK business, that makes QR payments worth considering as a way to accept money without a card reader, while the payment provider determines the available methods, fees and settlement timing.

This guide compares five apps that offer QR-code payment acceptance. We've explained how each option works, which customers can use it, what it costs and how quickly funds may become available.

💡 Accept QR code payments with Wise Business
With Wise Business, eligible businesses can use QR codes to accept payments from customers. These funds can then be held in 40+ currencies and you can also convert between currencies at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees if needed.

Get paid with QR codes 🔎

Note: Wise Business offers a free Essential plan for basic spending and transferring. If you need to receive money, set up direct debits, or generate invoices, you'll pay a one-time £50 setup fee to unlock the Advanced features.

The providers in this comparison are listed alphabetically. Provider features, fees, eligibility checks, protections and timelines can vary by customer, business type, application outcome, payment method and country. Check each provider's current website and terms for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Best QR code payment apps for UK businesses at a glance

Provider	Summary for UK businesses
PayPal	A familiar QR-code option with fixed or open amounts, tipping and no dedicated hardware; customers can pay through PayPal, a bank account or card, subject to the payment route. ¹
Revolut Business	An in-app QR-code option with Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard and Revolut payment support, real-time fraud monitoring and settlement within 24 hours. ^11,12
Square	A QR code that opens a secure checkout page and supports card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Square Pay; standard payouts arrive the next business day. ^4,5
SumUp	A reusable QR code that opens a browser checkout without requiring a customer app or card reader; standard funds usually arrive the next working day. ^8,9
Wise Business	An eligible Wise Business QR-code option for in-person sales, invoices or websites, alongside multi-currency balances and international money-management features.

1. PayPal

PayPal is a familiar QR-code option for UK businesses that want to accept in-person payments through the PayPal Business app. Customers scan the code, enter or confirm the amount and pay through an available PayPal payment route.¹

PayPal QR code features

Free to create and display on a phone, printed page, receipt or market-stall sign¹
Fixed or open amounts, depending on how the business creates the code¹
Tipping during checkout¹
No card reader or other payment hardware required¹
Customers can pay from a PayPal balance, bank account or card, subject to the route available to them¹
Funds arrive in the business's PayPal balance before any later transfer to a linked bank account¹

PayPal fees

According to PayPal's merchant-fee information, PayPal doesn't charge a monthly or setup fee for QR-code payments. The QR-specific rates are:²

Transactions of £10.00 or less: 2.0% + £0.05
Transactions of £10.01 or more: 1.5% + £0.10
International QR transactions: an additional 1.29% for EEA senders or 1.99% for other markets²
Currency conversion: 3% above the base exchange rate where the relevant conversion applies²

2. Revolut Business

Revolut Business lets UK merchants generate a QR code in the Revolut Business app and accept in-person payments without a card reader. Customers scan the code and choose an available card, Apple Pay or Revolut payment method.¹¹

Revolut Business QR code features

According to Revolut's QR Code Payments information and payment-acceptance pricing, Revolut Business supports QR-code payment acceptance through its app, with the following features and rates:^11,12

QR-code creation and display through the Revolut Business app¹¹
Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard and Revolut payment options, subject to availability¹¹
No additional payment hardware needed to display the code¹¹
Real-time, always-on fraud monitoring¹²
Refunds without an additional fee under the stated payment-acceptance terms¹²
Funds settle into the Revolut Business account within 24 hours of the payment being taken¹¹

Revolut Business fees

According to Revolut Business payment-acceptance pricing, the QR-code rates are:¹²

Domestic consumer cards: 1.0% + £0.20
Domestic commercial cards: 2.8% + £0.20
International cards: 2.8% + £0.20

The QR-code payment feature sits within Revolut Business's wider account and payment-acceptance offering, so check whether the business plan or other account charges apply to your setup.¹²

3. Square

Square lets UK businesses generate a QR code through a Square account. The code opens a secure checkout page where customers can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or Square Pay without the business needing extra payment hardware.⁴

Square QR code features

According to Square's QR code page:

Free to generate through a Square account⁴
Codes remain active until the business deactivates or resets them⁴
Secure checkout page for card and wallet payments⁴
Flexible sharing through printed displays, websites, social media, email or text⁴
Transaction monitoring and dispute tracking through Square's tools⁴
Standard payouts to a linked bank account on the next business day, subject to the cutoff and transfer settings⁵

Square fees

According to Square's UK pricing, standard online QR-code payment rates are:⁶

UK cards: 1.4% + £0.25
Non-UK cards: 2.5% + £0.25
Instant Transfer: an additional 1.5%, subject to the stated cap and eligibility⁵

There is no monthly or setup fee for the standard QR-code payment route - businesses pay the transaction fee when they accept a payment.⁶

4. SumUp

SumUp lets UK businesses create a QR code in the SumUp Business app. Customers scan it, open a secure browser checkout and pay by card without needing the SumUp app or a card reader.⁸

SumUp QR code features

No customer app required⁸
Reusable code that can accept unlimited payments until deleted⁸
Support for Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and UnionPay⁸
Codes can be printed for counters, tables, shop displays and other customer-facing locations⁸
Funds usually reach the chosen bank account the next working day, or by 7am the following day when paid into a SumUp Business Account⁹

SumUp fees

According to SumUp's UK pricing, the QR-code rates include:¹⁰

Pay-as-you-go: 1.69% per transaction and £0 monthly cost
Payments Plus, for businesses taking at least £3,000 a month: 0.99% per transaction and £19 monthly cost
Tailored, for businesses taking at least £10,000 a month: custom fee and custom pricing¹⁰

5. Wise Business

Wise Business can help eligible businesses accept QR-code payments while also managing international business money. Its QR-code feature can be used for in-person sales, invoices or a website link, subject to availability and approval.

Wise Business QR code features

Create a reusable QR code for payments of different amounts
Set a fixed amount or leave the amount open for the customer to enter
Display the code on a screen, print it for a shop or stall, or add it to invoices and websites
Receive payments from customers using their Wise account, subject to the applicable payment route
Apply for card, Apple Pay or Google Pay acceptance where eligible; card payment acceptance for new Wise Business customers is currently unavailable
Manage eligible international money with multi-currency balances, local account details and conversion tools
Receive payments in 22+ currencies, hold money in 40+ currencies and convert between them at the mid-market exchange rate

Wise Business offers a free Essential plan for basic spending and transferring. If you need to receive money, set up direct debits, or generate invoices, you'll pay a one-time £50 setup fee to unlock the Advanced features.
**Investments are not guaranteed, and your capital is at risk.

Wise is an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), so features like Interest and Stocks may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). For standard cash balances, we safeguard your funds to meet regulatory obligations.

In the UK, Interest and Stocks are provided by Wise Assets, the trading name of Wise Assets UK Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 839689).

We do not provide investment advice, and taxes may apply. If unsure, seek qualified financial advice. Full fund information is available on our website.

Wise Business fees

Wise Business doesn't charge a fee when an eligible customer pays through their own Wise account. For approved card, Apple Pay or Google Pay payments:

Domestic consumer card: 1.0%
International consumer card: 2.9%
Business cards: 2.9%
Card refunds: free to the source card under the stated terms

Currency conversion and other business-account services have separate pricing. Check the route, payment method and eligibility before relying on a published QR-code fee.

Discover Wise Business

With Wise Business, you can:

🌍 Send money to 70+ countries and pay overseas invoices at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees and no hidden exchange rate markups (product availability varies by region)
📥 Receive payments in 24 currencies and counting
💵 Get local account details for 8+ currencies, including USD and EUR, to let your customers pay in a currency they know and trust - convenience for them and peace of mind for you
💰 Hold money in 40+ currencies
🔁 Convert currencies anytime at the mid-market exchange rate with low, transparent fees
⚡ Use the batch payments tool to create and send up to 1,000 payments in a single transfer
👥 Run payroll and make international payments for up to 1,000 employees all over the world - including paying suppliers using local payment methods like ACH, SEPA, and Faster Payments
💳 Get business debit cards with 0.5% cashback for you and your team to keep track of team expenses and spend all over the world, with real-time visibility and categorisation. See full cashback terms and conditions
🏢 Manage cash in 55+ currencies across international offices from a single business account and move money between business accounts in seconds (exact speeds can vary depending on individual circumstances and may not be the same for all transactions)
🧾 Connect and sync every business transaction to your favourite accounting software, including Xero, Quickbooks, and more
🔐 Create your own payment approvals process to manage your team better with customised access for different team members, roles and permissions
📑 Create custom professional invoices and schedule invoice payments for future dates
📈 Earn variable returns on GBP, USD and EUR with Wise Interest (Capital at risk, growth not guaranteed. Your money is at risk if governments default or interest rates go negative. Rates vary by country and currency. Rates are variable. Visit Wise Interest to find out more)
🔗 Create payment links and QR codes to get paid easily (Card payment acceptance for new Wise Business customers is currently unavailable. Payment methods subject to eligibility and availability.)
⚙️ Automate payouts with the Wise API (comes with 24/7 customer support, a sandbox account to test integrations, API tokens, and clear documents on how to implement and make the most of our API)

Make the wise choice when selecting a business account for your domestic and global needs.

Be Smart, Get Wise.

**Investments are not guaranteed, and your capital is at risk.

In the UK, Interest and Stocks are provided by Wise Assets, the trading name of Wise Assets UK Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA number 839689).

We do not provide investment advice, and taxes may apply. If unsure, seek qualified financial advice. Full fund information is available on our website.

FAQs

How do QR code payments work?

A business displays a QR code on a screen, printed sign, receipt, invoice or website. The customer scans it with a phone camera, which opens a secure checkout page or payment app where they confirm the amount and pay through the supported card, bank-account or wallet route.

Do QR code payments require a card reader?

No. The QR code itself can be displayed without a card reader. The customer still needs a supported payment method, phone and connection to complete the transaction. Providers differ in whether the QR code opens a card checkout, a wallet, a bank-payment flow or a provider-specific app.^1,4,8,11

Which QR code payment app has the lowest fees?

There isn't one universal lowest-fee option. Compare the percentage fee, fixed fee, card type, international surcharge, currency-conversion cost, payout fee and any monthly subscription. Small transactions can be particularly sensitive to fixed charges, while high monthly volume can make a subscription worthwhile.

How quickly do QR code payments settle?

Settlement varies by provider and payment route. PayPal funds go into the PayPal balance, Square and SumUp generally use next-business-day payouts, Revolut Business states settlement within 24 hours, and Wise-to-Wise QR payments can arrive in seconds while approved card payments may take longer.^1,5,9,11,13

Can I use a QR code payment app at a market stall?

Yes, provided the provider permits the use case and the code can be displayed on a printed sign or device. Test the code, show the business name clearly, keep a payment-confirmation process and check that the stall has a suitable phone connection or fallback route.

Are QR code payments safe for small businesses?

QR-code payments still need normal payment controls. Protect printed codes, check the code displayed on a screen, confirm successful payment in the provider dashboard and don't rely only on a customer's screenshot. Keep refunds, disputes and reconciliation records with the relevant sale.

Can a QR code payment app help with international business money?

Some providers focus mainly on payment acceptance, while others also offer multi-currency balances or international transfers. If your business receives money in one currency and pays suppliers in another, compare the conversion rate, transfer route, account details and fees separately from the QR-code processing fee.

Sources:

Sources last checked on 11 August 2026

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.