What is SumUp Solo Lite? Price, fees and how it differs from Solo

SumUp Solo Lite is a small handheld card reader that pairs with your phone or tablet over Bluetooth. Together with the free SumUp Business app, it takes cards almost anywhere for 1.49% per payment — with no monthly fee and no contract.

The names in the SumUp range are similar, and it is easy to buy the wrong one. Here we cover what Solo Lite is, how it differs from Solo and the older Air, and what it costs to use — so you don’t pay for features you don’t need.

What is SumUp Solo Lite?

Solo Lite is a card reader, not a point-of-sale system. The reader handles the card and PIN, while the app on your phone shows the amount, sends the receipt and tracks your sales. It accepts the payment methods customers use every day:

• Chip and PIN on debit and credit cards
• Contactless card payments
• Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Visa and Mastercard

The device measures about 83 × 83 mm, has a small Gorilla Glass touchscreen and a battery good for around 1,000 payments per charge — enough for a full working day.

What you get in the free app

• A product catalogue, so you ring up sales with one tap instead of typing amounts.
• Digital receipts by SMS or email — no receipt rolls.
• Simple sales reports right on your phone.
• Refunds and tips without contacting support.

All of this is included without a subscription. With many traditional terminal providers, reports and extra features cost a fixed amount every month.

Solo Lite, Solo or Air?

In short: Solo Lite needs a phone, while Solo works on its own. Solo Lite is cheaper because your phone handles the connection and the app. Solo has its own Wi-Fi and data SIM and takes payments entirely by itself — but costs more.

Choose Solo Lite if your phone is always in your pocket and you want the cheapest route to card payments. Choose Solo if the device should sit on the counter and work without a phone. Both accept the same cards and charge the same fee.

Air is the oldest and simplest model, with no screen of its own. If you already have one, it still works fine. If you are buying new today, Solo Lite gives you a screen and PIN pad for much the same use.

What does Solo Lite cost to use?

• A one-off price for the reader — it varies with promotions, so check the current price.
• 1.49% per completed payment, the same for debit and credit cards.
• No monthly fee and no contract.
• Optional: Betalinger Plus lowers the rate to 0.79% for NOK 349/month.

Worked example: if you take NOK 30,000 in card sales a month, you pay NOK 447 in fees (30,000 × 1.49%). Betalinger Plus saves you 0.70 percentage points, so the NOK 349 subscription only pays off from roughly NOK 50,000 in monthly card sales. Most people considering Solo Lite are better off starting without it.

The fee tracks your sales all the way down to zero. A NOK 500 sale costs NOK 7.45 in fees, and NOK 1,000 costs NOK 14.90. Take NOK 10,000 on cards in a month and you pay NOK 149. A month with no sales costs nothing, which suits seasonal businesses and anyone who only takes payments a few weekends a year. There is no per-receipt or per-day charge on top.

Solo Lite vs a bank terminal

Solo Lite is cheapest if you sell little or irregularly, because you avoid the fixed costs. A bank terminal can work out cheaper at very high volume, where a lower debit rate eventually outweighs the monthly fee. Run the numbers on your own turnover, and see our guide to one-off purchase vs subscription for the full calculation.

Who is it for?

Solo Lite suits small and mobile businesses that sell where the action is: hairdressers, food trucks, market stalls, pop-ups, tradespeople and clubs selling at events. It also works as an extra reader next to a fixed till when the queue builds up. We cover each type of business in our guide to cheap card readers for hairdressers, food trucks and markets. If you need paper receipts, choose SumUp Terminal instead; if you run a fixed counter with stock and staff, look at SumUp Register.

Where to buy Solo Lite in Norway

Solo Lite is sold at retailers such as Elkjøp, online with home delivery or click-and-collect and in store, so you can take payments the same day. It also comes in a version with a charging cradle, which is handy if the reader stays on the counter between sales. Check the current price and stock before ordering — and see our guide to buying SumUp in store for step-by-step setup.