Handepay Merchant Services
Handepay is a UK-based merchant services provider serving 28,000+ small and medium-sized businesses with card terminals, mobile POS, gateway services, and transparent fixed-fee pricing, operating as a subsidiary of PayPoint Plc.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersHaydock, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Handepay Merchant Services does
Handepay Merchant Services is a UK-based merchant services provider founded in 2006 and now operating as a subsidiary of PayPoint Plc (LSE: PAYP), focused on card payment acceptance for small and medium-sized businesses. The company serves over 28,000 UK merchants across retail, hospitality, healthcare, and service industries with a workforce of more than 180 employees, headquartered in Welwyn Garden City and trading operationally from Haydock/St Helens. The company is FCA regulated (FRN 673564) and PCI PTS 6 certified, operating under transparent fixed-fee pricing since 2015 in a UK market historically dominated by opaque variable-rate quotes.
The product portfolio spans hardware and software layers. Hardware includes the Saturn Android Smart Terminal and the Genius Mobile Pay smartphone-based acceptance solution; software and online services include a Payment Gateway, Virtual Terminal, Pay by Link, and a Merchant Mobile App. Card transaction processing is delivered through partnerships with Lloyds Bank/Cardnet, EVO Payments UK, and Global Payments, with Merchant Rentals Ltd providing terminal rental logistics and YouLend extending into embedded SME working-capital finance. The EPOS partner programme integrates merchant acquiring into third-party point-of-sale software used by UK SMBs.
Handepay's revenue model combines terminal rental fees, merchant discount rate (MDR) margin on transactions, payment gateway subscriptions, value-added service subscriptions, and a minimum monthly service charge that creates a contracted floor revenue. Distribution is achieved through a direct SMB salesforce, EPOS partner channels, and the broader PayPoint ecosystem. The unit economic is anchored on long-tail SMB contracts with hardware-and-service stickiness, with the YouLend partnership adding incremental embedded finance revenue per merchant.
Handepay Merchant Services firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Handepay Merchant Services
- Legal name
- Handepay Limited
- Website
- https://handepay.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Handepay is a UK-based merchant services provider serving 28,000+ small and medium-sized businesses with card terminals, mobile POS, gateway services, and transparent fixed-fee pricing, operating as a subsidiary of PayPoint Plc.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Handepay Merchant Services industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Merchant Card Payment Services
- SIC
- Finance Services (6199), Computer Terminals (3575)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus) (FSAMABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure (FSAGABAO), Mobile POS (mPOS) Devices & Handheld Terminals (HDACAKAB), POS Terminal Hardware (Countertop, Mobile, PIN Pads) (FSAMADAA), EMV Chip, Magstripe & PIN Debit Acceptance (FSAMADAG)
Keywords
Where Handepay Merchant Services is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Haydock
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Handepay Merchant Services business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Terminal Rental: Monthly rental fees for payment terminals including the Saturn Android Smart Terminal, provided through Merchant Rentals Limited.
- Transaction Fees: Percentage-based fees on each card payment processed, with rates varying by card type (debit/credit/business), acceptance channel (in-person/online/phone), and card brand (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, etc.). Additional authorisation fee of £0.02 per transaction.
- Gateway Services: Monthly fee for payment gateway access enabling online payment processing, including multi-use virtual terminal and integration assistance.
- Genius Mobile Pay Add-on: Monthly subscription of £5 for mobile phone payment functionality in addition to standard terminal services.
- Minimum Monthly Service Charge: £25 minimum monthly charge if transaction-based fees do not meet threshold, applied to merchants who process low volumes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Monthly | Point-of-Sale Terminal Package |
| Subscription | Monthly | Online Payment Gateway |
| Subscription | Monthly | Genius Mobile Pay Add-on |
| Hybrid | Monthly | Handepay Core and Lite Solutions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Handepay Merchant Services product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Handepay provides card payment processing and merchant services to more than 28,000 UK small and medium-sized businesses, supplying card terminals (countertop, portable, and mobile), a payment gateway for online and virtual terminal transactions, pay-by-link solutions, and POS-integrated equipment. The company bundles hardware rental, transaction processing, gateway access, and dedicated UK-based account management under a single merchant agreement for retail, hospitality, and service businesses.
Product overview
Handepay is a UK merchant services provider offering a unified card payment ecosystem combining hardware terminals and software services. The core offering centres on the Saturn Android Smart Terminal and Genius Mobile Pay for in-store and mobile payments, alongside online payment solutions including a Payment Gateway, Virtual Terminal, and Pay by Link. A companion Merchant Mobile App delivers transaction monitoring, PayMe Links, and Perks discounts. The Loyalty Programme bundles EPOS integrations (Hike POS, Epos Now, NuEPOS, Register, MedEpos, ShopMate), Payment Loyalty, Business Finance via YouLend, Collect+, Handepay Rewards, and Refer a Friend. Industry-specific solutions cover retail, hospitality, healthcare, and service businesses, supported by switching incentives and a Price Challenge guarantee. Founded in 2006, Handepay serves over 28,000 UK businesses and is authorised and regulated by the FCA.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Countertop Card Terminal A countertop card terminal that connects via broadband or phone line for fixed retail checkout locations, accepting chip-and-PIN, contactless, and mobile wallet payments for UK small and medium-sized businesses.
- Portable Card Terminal A portable card terminal using wireless connectivity to accept payments anywhere on the premises, suited to hospitality, restaurants, and table-service environments where the merchant needs to bring the terminal to the customer.
- Mobile Card Terminal A mobile card terminal with SIM/GPRS connectivity that accepts card payments on the move, designed for tradespeople, taxi drivers, market traders, and any business that takes payments away from a fixed premises.
- Payment Gateway An online payment gateway that allows UK merchants to securely process card transactions through their website, with integration into major ecommerce platforms and the ability to handle MOTO (mail order / telephone order) transactions.
- Virtual Terminal A browser-based virtual terminal that enables merchants to manually key in card details for phone, mail, or email orders, providing a PCI-compliant way to take MOTO payments without a physical terminal.
- Pay By Link A pay-by-link service that lets merchants generate secure payment links to send to customers by email or SMS, enabling remote card payments for invoices, deposits, and one-off charges without requiring a website integration.
- EPOS Integration Solutions Integrated card payment solutions that connect Handepay terminals with EPOS systems used by UK retailers, hospitality venues, and salons, allowing transactional data to flow between the till and the payment terminal.
- Merchant Cash Advance and Business Funding A funding product offered to existing Handepay merchants, advancing working capital against future card sales and providing unsecured business loans to qualifying merchants based on their card processing history.
Quantifiable outcome
- Saves merchants up to £300 annually compared to previous providers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Handepay Merchant Services
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Handepay Merchant Services technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature6 records
Handepay Merchant Services partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Lloyds Bank plc (Cardnet)corePrimary card acquiring service provider for Handepay merchants. Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA. Cardnet is a registered trademark of Lloyds Bank plc.
- EVO Payments UKcoreAlternative card acquiring service provider. EVO Payments UK Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 959332). Part of Global Payments Group.
- Global PaymentscorePayment gateway provider powering online payment processing, Developer Portal for integration, and Genius Mobile Pay product. Global Payments provides the underlying payment technology infrastructure.
- Merchant Rentals LimitedcoreTerminal hire provider for payment terminals. Authorised and regulated by the FCA for Consumer Hire under FRN 720500. Provides rental contracts for card payment machines.
- EposNowmajorEPOS software partner integrated with Saturn Android Terminal. User-friendly point of sale system for retail and hospitality with centralised management and reporting capabilities.
- Hike POSmajorCloud-based EPOS system for retail and hospitality. All-in-one solution for sales, stock, and customer management available through the Handepay Loyalty Programme.
- NuEPOSmajorTailored EPOS solutions with custom software, reliable hardware, and full support. Designed for multi-currency, multi-language operations.
- YouLendmajorBusiness finance funding partner providing capital access for SME growth. YouLend Limited directly provides the lending service; Handepay acts as credit broker. Part of Handepay Loyalty Programme.
- Payment Loyalty LtdmajorProvides payment-linked loyalty platform enabling digital stamp cards, cumulative rewards, and instant win campaigns through Saturn Android Terminal integration.
- Love2shop (Park Card Services)minorRewards partner for Handepay Rewards scheme. Love2shop e-Gift Cards provide flexible multi-retailer reward options. Also provider of Perks programme through Merchant Mobile App.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Handepay Merchant Services competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stripe: Stripe is a global online payment processor expanding into in-person payments (Stripe Terminal, Tap to Pay); competes with Handepay's online payments and growing SoftPOS offerings while serving a broader range of merchant sizes.
- Worldpay (FIS): Worldpay is one of the largest global payment processors and acquirers, part of FIS, serving UK SMBs and enterprise merchants; competes with Handepay in card-present SMB acquiring but operates at much greater scale across multiple segments.
Direct peers
- SumUp: SumUp is a European-headquartered mPOS and SoftPOS provider serving millions of micro and SMB merchants with low-cost card readers and tap-to-phone functionality; competes directly with Handepay's terminal and Genius Mobile Pay offerings across the UK.
- Square (Block, Inc.): Square is a global SMB payments and POS software provider with hardware (Square Reader, Square Terminal) and a software ecosystem (Square Appointments, Square Retail); operates in the UK as a direct competitor to Handepay's terminal + EPOS + loyalty proposition.
- Zettle by PayPal: Zettle (formerly iZettle) is PayPal's SMB card-reader and POS arm offering mobile card readers, POS software, and tap-to-pay; competes with Handepay's Saturn terminal and Genius Mobile Pay across UK SMB merchants.
- Dojo: Dojo is a UK SMB payments provider offering card machines, online payments, and integrated software solutions; competes head-to-head with Handepay for UK SME merchants and is one of the most prominent local challengers in the card-present space.
- takepayments: takepayments is a UK-based card payment services provider targeting small and medium businesses with terminals, online payments, and EPOS integrations, directly competing with Handepay across product mix, verticals (retail/hospitality), and GTM motion (field sales, transparent pricing).
- Tyl by NatWest: Tyl is the card payments business of NatWest Group providing card machines, online payments, and integrated POS to UK businesses; competes directly with Handepay in the UK card-present SMB market, leveraging NatWest's banking relationship for distribution.
- PaymentSense (Opayo): PaymentSense (now part of Opayo / Sage Pay lineage) is a long-standing UK SMB card payment provider offering terminals, online payments, and EPOS integrations; competes directly with Handepay for UK SME merchants across retail and hospitality verticals.
Emerging players
- Revolut Business: Revolut Business is an emerging UK fintech providing card acceptance, business accounts, and integrated financial tools to SMBs; increasingly overlaps with Handepay's merchant services and embedded finance proposition (especially around lending and multi-currency acceptance).
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Handepay Merchant Services social profiles
Digital presenceHandepay Merchant Services compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Handepay Merchant Services financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Handepay Merchant Services leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
Handepay Merchant Services funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Handepay Merchant Services M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Handepay Merchant Services
What does Handepay Merchant Services do?
Handepay provides card payment processing and merchant services to more than 28,000 UK small and medium-sized businesses, supplying card terminals (countertop, portable, and mobile), a payment gateway for online and virtual terminal transactions, pay-by-link solutions, and POS-integrated equipment. The company bundles hardware rental, transaction processing, gateway access, and dedicated UK-based account management under a single merchant agreement for retail, hospitality, and service businesses.
Is Handepay Merchant Services a public or private company?
Handepay Merchant Services is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Handepay Merchant Services founded?
Handepay Merchant Services was founded in 2006. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Handepay Merchant Services based?
Handepay Merchant Services is headquartered in Haydock, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Handepay Merchant Services make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Terminal Rental is the primary driver. The others are transaction Fees, gateway Services, genius Mobile Pay Add-on and minimum Monthly Service Charge.
Who are Handepay Merchant Services's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stripe and Worldpay (FIS). Direct peers are SumUp, Square (Block, Inc.), Zettle by PayPal, Dojo, takepayments, Tyl by NatWest and PaymentSense (Opayo). Revolut Business is listed as an emerging player.
Does Handepay Merchant Services have an API?
No public API is recorded for Handepay Merchant Services.
What industry is Handepay Merchant Services in?
Handepay Merchant Services's product category is Merchant Card Payment Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAC, Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus), with a secondary code of FSAGABAO, POS, SoftPOS & In-Person Acceptance Infrastructure. Its SIC code is 6199.