On-stage in Berlin, global financial technology company SumUp (www.sumup.com) unveiled several new products and features at the second edition of its annual Beacon event.
Since its founding in 2012, SumUp has delivered a consistent stream of sector-defining, merchant-empowering products, with these latest additions signalling the market fit and success of SumUp’s ecosystem products.
The annual event not only marked an opportunity for SumUp to showcase innovation, but also to celebrate SMEs. Small businesses are the backbone of the global economy, but running one comes with challenges. To stay resilient during tough economic conditions, each small business needs access to the best of technology for taking payments, managing money, and daily business management. SumUp has made it our mission to provide these.
SumUp Chief Product Officer Anna Kuriakose Comments: “Each of the products we launched demonstrates how the SumUp product ecosystem has now grown to cover the critical needs of businesses at each stage of operations, from micro businesses to established ones with complex operations and many employees. We believe that SumUp’s integrated ecosystem - which brings together the different aspects of running a business - is incomparable in the value it delivers to our customers. This year’s Beacon celebrated our long-standing customers and showcased the next phase of our growth together.”
The following products and features are designed to address merchant pain points, expanding SumUp’s existing industry-leading product ecosystem.
Transforming Tap to Pay
SumUp has developed an in-house Tap to Pay solution for Android. This solution ensures that the ease and convenience of Tap to Pay can be enjoyed by all businesses, irrespective of their choice of phone technology.
Tap to Pay has already revolutionised in-person transactions by allowing merchants to accept contactless payments directly via their smartphone, eliminating the need for additional hardware. However, unlike iOS, the Android market is vast and varied, with thousands of different phone brands and models contributing to its larger market share in many EU countries where consumers value affordability and choice.
With this, SumUp has now developed its own proprietary Tap to Pay technology to offer a faster, smoother and more reliable experience for all merchants and consumers - designed to eliminate reliance on third party solutions. This product offers key improvements for merchants of all sizes, including better card detection, PIN entry for a more secure checkout experience, higher transaction success rates by leveraging SumUp’s payments infrastructure and no upfront costs.
SumUp is rolling out this solution across Europe and Brazil, with early market data that beats expectations on acceptance rate of transactions. The solution also supports a wider variety of card schemes including MasterCard, Visa, Amex, Discover, Elo and EftPos. Additionally, the solution is not only available for SumUp merchants, but also allows integration with other partners who want to add Tap to Pay functionality to their apps to take payments.
SumUp’s Tap To Pay on Android is already active in Europe and Brazil, and is set to launch in Chile, Colombia, Peru, USA and Australia soon.
New Features To Address SME Needs
SumUp is expanding its suite of financial and operational tools to help merchants of all sizes improve cash flow, efficiency, and customer engagement as they grow. These features are designed to create a 360 ecosystem for merchants and consumers, emphasising SumUp’s holistic approach to product development, moving beyond payment terminals and giving merchants the tools to grow - and manage - their business in all areas.
Business Account Plus - The SumUp Business Account offered by SumUp is already one of the best all-in-one tools offering simplified money management for merchants, available for free across Europe and Brazil. Now, we are taking it one step further. Set to launch across core markets this April, the new Business Account Plus offering adds new features for multiple balances, the ability to issue and track several cards and bulk transfers, making it a great choice for businesses with more complex needs.
POS Plus - SumUp already offers the best starter Point of Sale solution which is available for free, in addition to a powerful POS Pro solution for businesses with advanced needs. Now, we are launching POS Plus, designed for growing businesses such as retailers, restaurants and beauty salons. With features such as PIN-based employee profiles and one-tap promotions, kitchen order management and flagging out-of-stock items, POS Plus offers just the right advanced features for businesses in the growing stage.
It will be rolled out in select EU Markets during April.
Priority Support and AI Assisted Merchant Care - After adding 24/7 support for SumUp users through the introduction of AI assisted merchant care (handling 40% more support interactions effortlessly), SumUp is now making Priority Support available for merchants subscribed to its Plus products, or those with complex business needs. Priority Support offers 24/7 access to live support agents for real-time assistance, fast-track resolution for urgent issues and unlimited device warranty. AI assisted merchant care is already live in all EU markets, Brazil and Latin America. Priority Support is rolling out this month across Austria, Switzerland, Germany, France, the UK, Ireland, Italy and Luxembourg.
Launching Cash Advances in more markets - Developed to give merchants access to their funds when they need it most, Cash Advance helps qualified merchants get access to fast, flexible and transparent funding: made available directly through the SumUp App. SumUp Cash Advance will soon be available in Spain, Poland, Belgium and Italy, in addition to its current availability in Brazil, the UK, Germany, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
Hardware Upgrades
In addition to these advancements, SumUp is growing its line up of innovative hardware products designed to work seamlessly with its software:
Solo Upgrades - The Solo terminal is SumUp’s most advanced, intuitive and flexible card reader yet. Building on the initial Solo offering, the reader will allow merchants to:
- Process payments in under three seconds to combat congestion during busy periods
- Speed up checkout with pre-set prices and manage the rest of their product catalogues directly on the device
- Accept tips with ease through fully integrated tipping feature
- Generate printed receipts on the spot
- Keep selling even when offline
- Seamlessly integrate Solo into any existing POS system through SDK & API integrations
Solo seamlessly connects with the broader SumUp ecosystem, giving merchants access to real-time financial reports, streamlined expense management and tools like SumUp Pay for contactless QR payments.
Solo Lite - In addition to the Solo device, Solo Lite stands out as a cost-effective card reader that seamlessly integrates with the SumUp app for cashless payments. With a robust design, long battery life, and compatibility with various payment types and SumUp tools, Solo Lite is a reliable choice for businesses looking for a budget-friendly payment solution.
Kiosk Expansion - Expanding into more markets, Kiosk has proven to be a game-changer, streamlining service and improving both customer and staff experiences, addressing the unique challenges faced by quick service restaurants. Already available in the UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Italy, more markets are on the horizon for Kiosk in 2025.
Kitchen Display System (KDS) - SumUp has introduced its new Kitchen Display System (KDS), a digital solution designed to streamline restaurant operations. Fully compatible with SumUp POS and Kiosk, the KDS replaces traditional paper order tickets, providing kitchen staff with a clear, real-time view of all incoming orders. By reducing human errors and enhancing efficiency, this innovative system helps businesses deliver faster, more accurate service.
These innovations demonstrate SumUp’s ongoing investment in delivering a comprehensive and future-proof financial services ecosystem for small businesses worldwide.