Hi. We're the
payments brokerage
that'll tell you
when not to switch.
Smart Payment Solutions is an independent card machine and POS broker, run out of Sunderland by people who've seen one too many small business owners locked into 4-year contracts they didn't need.
We compare every major UK provider, run real numbers, and recommend the option that puts the most money back in your pocket, even when that's no switch at all.
Built because the industry needed someone honest.
“Most card machine reps work for one provider. We work for the business owner, even when that means telling them to stay where they are.”
Paul Huxley
Founder & Director
Smart Payment Solutions was founded in Sunderland to do one thing well: help UK business owners get a card machine or POS system that actually fits them, without the high-pressure sales calls, four-year contracts, or hidden fees the payments industry is famous for.
Most card machine sales reps work for one provider. Their job is to put you on their terminal, regardless of whether it's the right call. We do the opposite. We compare every major UK provider on every enquiry, run real numbers against your actual turnover, and recommend the option that puts the most money back in your pocket, even when that means telling you to stay where you are.
Today, we've matched 500+ UK businesses with the right payment setup, from independent cafés in Sunderland and Newcastle to multi-site retailers across the UK mainland.
“Most card machine reps work for one provider. We work for the business owner, even when that means telling them to stay where they are.”
Paul Huxley
Founder & Director
Transparent by default
Every product card on this site lists its downsides in the same place as its upsides. No hidden fees in the small print, no rate hikes on month four.
Independent, not loyal
We compare every major UK provider on every enquiry. The right machine wins, never the one paying us the highest commission.
A real human, not a queue
Get a direct line to a single point of contact. No call-centre queues, no overseas tier-one scripts, no "your call is important to us."
A broker, not a sales rep.
It changes what you pay.
The difference between an independent broker and a single-provider sales rep changes what you pay every month. Here's how we work compared to the alternative.
The independent broker approach
- Compare 8+ UK providers on every enquiry
- Live rates: no "starting from" fluff
- Will recommend you stay put if your current deal is competitive
- Local: meet us in Sunderland, Newcastle or by Zoom
- Single point of contact for support after you switch
- Every product's downsides published openly
The single-provider pitch
- Works for one provider, paid on commission
- "Starting from" rates that climb at month four
- Locked-in 48-month contracts as standard
- Faceless call centre when something breaks
- Never recommends a competitor, even when cheaper
- Setup, terminal and PCI fees buried in the small print
Every major UK payment provider,
under one roof.
We've built relationships with eight of the UK's leading payments brands, so you don't have to chase eight quotes yourself. Each enquiry is matched against every relevant provider. Your rate is the best one available, not just the one paying the highest commission.
Sunderland-based,
UK-wide.
Our office is in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear. We work with businesses across the whole of the UK mainland, though our roots are in the North East, and that's where you'll most often see us in person.
We do not currently cover the Republic of Ireland. For all other UK locations, we operate by phone, email and Zoom, and travel to North East businesses on request.
Boring details, but the
ones that matter.
The dry but important paperwork that proves we're a real, regulated UK business, not a one-man Gumtree operation pretending to be a national broker.
Things people ask before
they get in touch.
What does Smart Payment Solutions actually do?+
We are an independent payments broker. That means we do not work for one card machine company. We compare card machines, POS systems, transaction rates and contracts from every major UK provider, then match the right one to your business. The quotes are personalised, the comparison is free, and you are under no obligation to take any of them.
Where are you based?+
Smart Payment Solutions Ltd is based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and operates across the whole of the UK mainland. We have a particularly strong presence in Sunderland, Newcastle, Gateshead, Durham and across the North East, where we can meet business owners face to face if needed.
Are you tied to any one provider or bank?+
No. We are an Independent Sales Organisation (ISO) for the acquirers featured on the website, but we work with multiple providers on each enquiry (Teya, Shift4, SumUp, Clover, Epos Now and others), so you get a real comparison rather than a one-product pitch.
How are you regulated?+
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) for UK GDPR data handling, and registered at Companies House under company number 16672333. The acquirers we work with are FCA-regulated. Card processing, settlement and merchant account approvals are underwritten by those acquirers (not by us), and we sit alongside you as your point of contact for support and account changes.
How long does it take to get a quote?+
Most personalised quotes are sent within 24 hours of you completing the recommendation tool or enquiry form. If we need extra information from a provider, we will tell you. We never sit on quotes for days the way some larger brokers do.
Will you ever tell me not to buy?+
Yes, and we do this regularly. If your current setup is genuinely competitive, we will tell you to stay put. If your turnover is too low to justify a paid-monthly machine, we will recommend a pay-as-you-go option instead. The point is to put you on the right machine, not to sell you any machine.
Ready to see what you
should be paying?
Our recommendation tool gets you live, personalised rates from up to four UK providers in two minutes. No card details, no obligation, no follow-up unless you ask for one.