Best card machine for hairdressers
This page is written for self-employed hairdressers, chair renters and mobile stylists who mainly need a simple, low-fee way to take payment and card tips — not a full salon booking platform. If you run a multi-stylist salon with online booking, see our dedicated beauty salons comparison instead.
Best choice: Lopay
Lopay's 0.79-0.99% rate is the cheapest of the simple, no-contract readers, with no monthly fee — ideal for a self-employed stylist who just wants to take card payment and tips without extra software costs.
Best alternative: SumUp
SumUp is the more widely-recognised name if you'd rather go with the safest, most established option, and its optional invoicing add-on covers the occasional client who wants to pay for a course of treatments upfront.
What a self-employed hairdresser's card takings usually look like
Appointment values for independent stylists and chair renters commonly range from £25-£70 per client depending on service, with card tips increasingly common now that fewer clients carry cash. A single day of back-to-back appointments can easily mean 6-10 separate card transactions, so a fast, reliable reader matters as much as the fee itself.
| Provider | Best for | Card fee | Contract | WMP score | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
LoLopay | Lowest fees, simplest setup | 0.79-0.99% | None | See Lopay pricing (opens in a new tab) | |
SuSumUp | Most established, invoicing add-on | 1.69% | None | See SumUp pricing (opens in a new tab) | |
ZeZettle | Already using PayPal for products/retail | 1.75% | None | See Zettle pricing (opens in a new tab) |
Beyond the headline rate
Card tips
All of these readers let clients add a tip at the point of payment — worth checking each app's tipping flow feels natural before committing, since a clunky prompt can put clients off tipping at all.
Mobile stylists
If you do home visits, a compact Bluetooth reader that pairs to your phone (Lopay, SumUp) is lighter to carry between appointments than a countertop terminal.
Selling retail products
If you also sell shampoo, styling products or extensions, check your chosen provider's app supports simple item-based sales rather than just a single payment amount.
Fast payout
SumUp's next-day-by-7am payout and Lopay's fast settlement both help if you're paying for stock or booth rent on a tight weekly budget.
A self-employed stylist taking £2,200/month in card payments
At an average appointment value of £45 (roughly 49 appointments/month):
| Lopay Standard (0.99%) | £21.78/month |
| SumUp (1.69%) | £37.18/month |
| Zettle (1.75%) | £38.50/month |
Frequently asked questions
What's the best card machine for a hairdresser?
Lopay for the lowest fees and simplest setup; SumUp as the most established alternative with an invoicing add-on for course-of-treatment payments.
Do I need salon booking software too?
Not necessarily — many self-employed stylists just need a card reader. If you run a multi-stylist salon with online booking, see our beauty salons comparison.
Run a multi-stylist salon instead?
See our comparison of combined booking and payment platforms for beauty salons.
Methodology: Pricing pulled directly from lopay.com, sumup.com and zettle.com official UK pricing pages on 30 July 2026. Typical appointment values are directional estimates for UK hairdressing, not an independent survey. See our Editorial Policy.