Transforming Payments: SumUp Gains Popularity Among Small Businesses

SumUp, a global financial technology company based in London, has developed considerable popularity among small businesses around the world, becoming one of the leaders in its field. This trend is also prominent among small businesses in Groningen.

SumUp is a fintech company that offers small entrepreneurs and freelancers a range of card payment services. The most popular is the mobile payment service through a Point Of Sale (POS), i.e. a portable card reader. Founded in 2012, SumUp has become one of the leading fintech companies in the world, with over 4 million small businesses as its financial partners.

The popularity achieved by SumUp among small enterprises represents an interesting trend in the Netherlands, considering the number of small businesses in the Dutch economy. According to Statista Research Department, the country counted a total number of about 1.460 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 2024, compared to only 1,100 large enterprises. 

Nadia Koopman, 38, the owner of

T voorThee, a bubble tea shop in Vismarkt, says that SumUp is the best option for her business needs, especially due to its multi-card compatibility. “Some payment methods don’t accept Visa or Mastercard, and especially here in Groningen, there are many people from around the world who only use those kinds of cards,” she tells The Glass Room.

Koopman started her business in June and chose SumUp as her payment platform. She says that SumUp’s device is much easier than a POS with a bank because it connects directly to one’s phone or tablet via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without being tied to a fixed or remote line. “I have an app on my tablet with the list of products I offer, their prices and pictures, and I can edit it myself whenever I need to,” she says.

Another feature of SumUp is its low cost. “You only pay when you use it,” says Anja Kram, 69, owner of a jewelry and accessories shop in Vismarkt. Kram says that, while POS with a bank are bound by management costs and commodity loan for the POS, SumUp only requires the purchase cost of the PIN device and the transaction fee of 1.90 euros when the machine is in use.

SumUp's customer-friendly features are leading to consistent growth in popularity among small businesses and freelancers, offering a competitive option for payment processing.