Fast, Flexible, and Fair Payments Integrated with your POS
Payments shouldn’t slow you down, tie you in, or cost you more than they should.
The Problem With Payments Today
If you’re running a café, pub, bar, or restaurant, you know that every second counts. Yet too often, payments are where time is lost and mistakes are made. Staff re-key the bill into a card machine, customers are left waiting, and disputes arise when figures don’t match. Worse still, many operators are unknowingly paying over the odds for every transaction - trapped by the promise of a ‘free’ or cheap EPOS system that quietly locks them into one payment provider charging inflated fees.
This has become the latest ‘get rich quick’ scheme in the UK B2B space. Just as double glazing salesmen in the 1980s and 90s used aggressive tactics to sell overpriced windows, today some payment providers lure businesses with subsidised or free EPOS systems. The EPOS itself isn’t the trap - the hidden payment fees are. They know that once you’ve invested time and data into an EPOS, you won’t want to switch, even if you later discover your card processing rates are far higher than they should be.
What’s Possible With Integrated Payments
When your payments are integrated with your EPOS, life gets simpler. No more double entry. No more mistakes. When a bill is sent to the card machine, it’s instant and accurate. The result? Faster service, happier customers, and less stress for your team. Even better, you can now run your EPOS software directly on the payment device itself. That means one handheld device to take orders and payments at the table, speeding up service and freeing your staff to spend more time with customers rather than walking back and forth.
Because we are payment agnostic, you’re not tied into one acquirer. That means you’re always free to shop the market for the best deal. Integration doesn’t have to mean compromise - it means choice, speed, and savings.
In order to help you make the best possible decision, you may find this information useful:
> Why Integrated Payments Save Time, Money, and Headaches in Hospitality
Our Philosophy: Payment Agnostic
At Truli, we’re EPOS specialists, not payment providers. That matters, because many so-called EPOS suppliers are actually payment companies in disguise. Their real goal is to lock you into their processing rates, not to give you the best POS system for your business. We take the opposite approach. By working with ICRTouch and Smart Volution (Register), we integrate with multiple payment providers. That means you choose who processes your card payments, and you can switch at any time if you find a better deal.
No hidden agendas. No lock-ins. No inflated processing fees hiding behind a ‘free’ system. Just the freedom to run your business on your terms.
The Payment Industry Exposed
The truth is, the payment industry thrives on customer confusion. Most business owners aren’t told how rates are really set, or what a fair deal should look like. Few realise that Visa and Mastercard publicly publish the interchange rates (the base cost of every transaction) and that these are the same for every provider. The difference between a fair deal and a rip-off lies in how much extra margin your provider adds on top.
Providers like Square, SumUp, and Zettle make things look simple by charging a flat ‘blended’ rate — usually around 1.69% to 1.75% for every transaction. On the surface, it looks easy to understand. But here’s the problem: the majority of payments in hospitality are made on debit cards, where the true cost is far lower than that. If 80-90% of your turnover is debit, you’re effectively subsidising credit card payments you rarely take, and paying far more than you should.
In order to help you make the best possible decision, you may find this information useful:
> How the Payment Industry Really Works (And How to Avoid Being Ripped Off)
What Is Interchange-Plus (and IC++)
Every card payment is made up of three parts:
Interchange, scheme fees, and acquirer markup.
Interchange is the fee set by the card-issuing bank
(Visa and Mastercard publish these rates openly).
Scheme fees go to Visa/Mastercard to use their networks.
Finally, your acquirer or payment processor adds their markup — their profit margin.
Together, these make up the total transaction cost.
With Interchange-Plus pricing, you see the true cost of the interchange plus a clear markup from your provider.
With Interchange-Plus-Plus, you see all three elements itemised, including the scheme fees.
This level of transparency is the fairest model because you know exactly what you are paying and why.
Example:
Suppose you take a £100 debit card payment.
Interchange plus scheme fees might total only 0.20–0.30%.
A fair provider might add a markup of 0.30–0.50%.
Your true cost should therefore be 0.50–0.80% - not the flat 1.75% that providers like Square or SumUp charge.
In other words, with Interchange-Plus, you pay what’s fair; with flat blended rates, you pay double.
What Should You Really Be Paying?
Let’s be honest: most small businesses don’t know what good rates look like. That’s why so many overpay. Here’s what fair really means, separated by debit and credit cards:
Debit Cards
(UK Consumer Contactless/Chip)
Interchange: 0.2%
Fair markup: 0.3 – 0.5%
Total fair rate: 0.5 – 0.7%
Credit Cards
(UK Consumer Contactless/Chip)
Interchange: 0.3%
Fair markup: 0.3 – 0.7%.
Total fair rate: 0.6 – 1.0%
If most of your turnover is debit cards (as it usually is in hospitality), then a flat blended rate of 1.69 – 1.75% is daylight robbery.
Example:
On £10,000 turnover with 80% debit and 20% credit, a flat 1.75% rate costs £175.
A fair split rate (0.6% debit / 0.9% credit) would cost just £66. That’s a saving of £109 every month
- over £1,300 per year.
The Cost of Paying Too Much
Savings per Month | Monthly Merchant Turnover | Blended @ 1,75% | Fair Split (0,6% debit / 0,9% credit) |
|---|---|---|---|
£96.65 | £10,000 | £175 | £78.35 |
£193.29 | £20,000 | £350 | £156.71 |
£289.94 | £30,000 | £525 | £235.06 |
£386.59 | £40,000 | £700 | £313.41 |
£483.23 | £50,000 | £875 | £391.77 |
£579.88 | £60,000 | £1,050 | £470.12 |
£676.53 | £70,000 | £1,225 | £548.47 |
£773.17 | £80,000 | £1,400 | £626.83 |
£869.82 | £90,000 | £1,575 | £705.18 |
£966.47 | £100,000 | £1,750 | £783.53 |
Debit Card = 80% and Credit Card = 20% of Monthly Turnover.
Average UK 'in-person' transaction value = £32.38
*plus authorisation fee of £0.04 per transaction. (Included in costings)
**No business cards included within these figures
At £50,000 turnover per month, you’re wasting £483.23 every month, enough to cover a proper EPOS system and still contribute to staff or rent.
At £100,000 turnover, you’re losing £966 per month - over £11,000 per year.
Who’s Charging What
(And Why It Matters)
Let’s call it out clearly. Providers like SumUp, Square, and Zettle (PayPal) make their money by charging simple but expensive blended rates. Here’s how they compare:
SumUp:
1.69% flat rate
For debit-heavy businesses,
this is nearly 3x the true cost of debit card transactions.
Square:
1.75% flat rate.
Looks simple,
but it’s a rip-off if
most of your sales are debit.
Zettle (PayPal):
1.75% flat rate.
Same issue
blended rates that make you
overpay.
Truli + ICRTouch / Smart Volution:
Interchange+ pricing
Fully transparent,
integrated with your POS,
and you stay in control.
Proof It Works
We’ve helped operators move away from bundled payment deals and save thousands every year. Some saw savings large enough to reinvest in staff, others covered the cost of upgrading to a better EPOS system within months. Operators using integrated handheld devices have also cut service times and improved customer satisfaction.
How Integrated Payments Transformed Service Speed at Venue)
Why Choose Truli?
We’ve been in your shoes. We know the frustration of overpaying on payments because no one explained how the industry works. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to educate operators honestly. We’ll show you what a fair deal looks like, even if that means telling you your current deal is fine. Our loyalty is to you, not the payment companies. And with nationwide install, training, and support, we’re here for the long term.
How It Works
Book a Free Consultation
no obligation, just honest advice.
Get Honest Advice
We review your POS and payment setup.
You take back control
integrated, faster, and free from lock-in.
Ready to Take Back Control of Your Payments?
You don’t have to be locked into expensive payment contracts. Book a free consultation with a Truli advisor today. We’ll review your payments, show you what’s possible, and help you find the best deal - at your pace.