Quick verdict

Handepay is a quote-led payment-services introducer offering card machines, online payments, virtual terminal, pay-by-link and mobile acceptance. Its current range centres on the Saturn Android Smart Terminal and other managed terminal options, with UK-based terminal support advertised around the clock.

The most important fact is easy to miss. Handepay states that it is not the acquirer. The acquiring provider depends on the package and can include Lloyds Bank Cardnet or EVO Payments UK. Terminal hire contracts are provided by Merchant Rentals Limited. A business can therefore receive several linked agreements and support relationships.

Handepay may suit a steady-turnover shop, salon, hospitality venue or service business that wants a managed terminal and help switching. It is not possible to judge value from a universal public percentage because pricing is quoted. Compare the full written schedule, acquirer, rental term and exit process with a pay-as-you-go reader and at least one other managed quote.

What Handepay currently offers

The official Handepay website and card-machine page were checked on 11 September 2026.

Handepay presents:

• Saturn Android Smart Terminal for in-store and portable acceptance.
• Genius Mobile Pay for on-the-go payments.
• Online gateway and ecommerce services.
• Virtual Terminal for telephone transactions.
• PayMe Links for remote payment requests.
• EPOS integration options.
• Merchant app and reporting portal through the relevant provider.
• Business finance introductions and loyalty benefits.

The provider says the Saturn can send digital receipts, split bills, integrate with EPOS and process payments on one Android device. Ask which apps and integrations are included in the quote rather than assuming every advertised feature is standard.

Handepay pricing

Handepay does not publish one universal transaction rate or terminal rental on the main pages reviewed. It says customers pay terminal rental and a percentage of each transaction. It also says there is no minimum monthly service charge, authorisation fee, PCI compliance fee or PCI non-compliance fee for its card-machine offer.

Confirm that every statement applies to the exact acquiring and rental package quoted. Request these lines in writing:

• UK consumer debit and credit percentages.
• Commercial, international and American Express rates.
• Pence-per-transaction charges, even if described under another name.
• Monthly terminal rental per device.
• Merchant-service, statement or account fees.
• Minimum monthly charges and any exceptions.
• PCI programme and non-compliance treatment.
• Refund, chargeback and retrieval fees.
• Online gateway, virtual-terminal and payment-link charges.
• Delivery, installation and replacement charges.
• Exit and terminal-return costs.

“No hidden fees” is only useful when the written schedule names every payable item.

Worked quote comparison

These figures are labelled assumptions, not Handepay’s published rates.

Assume a salon takes £15,000 a month across 750 transactions. Quote A has a 0.7% blended rate and £20 terminal rental with no other assumed monthly fees:

• Processing: £15,000 × 0.7% = £105.
• Rental: £20.
• Illustrative total: £125 a month.

Quote B has 0.6% plus 5p per transaction and £15 rental:

• Percentage: £15,000 × 0.6% = £90.
• Transaction charge: 750 × 5p = £37.50.
• Rental: £15.
• Illustrative total: £142.50 a month.

The lower percentage is £17.50 more expensive after the fixed charge. This is why the quote must be applied to turnover and transaction count, not ranked by its largest headline.

Card categories change the real rate

A quoted consumer-card rate may not cover business, overseas or premium cards. This particularly matters to hotels, B2B firms and tourist venues.

Suppose 70% of £20,000 monthly turnover is priced at an assumed 0.55%, while 30% is commercial or international at an assumed 1.9%:

• £14,000 × 0.55% = £77.
• £6,000 × 1.9% = £114.
• Total percentage cost: £191, a blended 0.955%.

The higher-cost minority produces most of the processing expense. Ask your existing provider for card-category data covering a representative trading period, then give the same data to every bidder.

Handepay is not the acquirer

Handepay’s own disclosure says it introduces acquiring services and that the acquirer depends on the package. The site names Lloyds Bank Cardnet and EVO Payments UK among those providers.

Ask the salesperson to draw the service chain:

• Who is the regulated acquirer holding the merchant agreement?
• Who sets transaction rates and settlement terms?
• Who answers a withheld-funds or chargeback question?
• Who provides the online gateway?
• Which portal and statement will you use?
• Which company receives cancellation notice?

Record each legal entity and contract reference. Do not send one cancellation email and assume every connected agreement ends.

Terminal hire is a separate commitment

Handepay says terminal hire contracts are provided by Merchant Rentals Limited. The site warns that hire can be regulated consumer hire or non-regulated hire and tells customers to check the contract carefully.

Request the initial term, rental amount, renewal method, notice window, replacement policy and return instructions. A £20 monthly rental over 36 months is £720 before VAT treatment and processing.

Ask whether changing acquirer lets you keep the terminal and whether the device can be reconfigured. Many payment terminals are tied to a processor or software estate. Returning the wrong accessory late can create another charge.

Photograph serial numbers and package contents when equipment arrives and when it is returned. Use tracked delivery and retain proof.

Saturn Android Smart Terminal

Handepay promotes the Saturn as an Android terminal with receipt options, split bills and EPOS integration. A smart screen is useful, but a demonstration should focus on work rather than appearance.

A restaurant should test table numbers, modifiers, tips, split payments, refunds and receipt reprints. A retailer should test product variants, barcode integration and end-of-day totals. A salon should test deposits and part-payments without accidentally recording revenue twice.

Confirm whether the device uses Wi-Fi, cellular connectivity or both, who supplies the SIM and whether data is included. Ask how quickly a failed terminal is replaced and whether an older model may be supplied temporarily.

Mobile, online and telephone payments

Handepay offers Genius Mobile Pay, an online gateway, PayMe Links and Virtual Terminal. Each solves a different need and may use different pricing.

Payment links are useful for deposits and remote invoices without handling card details. A virtual terminal can accept a card over the phone, but manually keyed payments normally carry higher fraud and chargeback risk. Ecommerce needs a customer-facing checkout and security controls.

Ask for the card-not-present rate, fixed fee, gateway subscription and refund charge for each channel. Do not apply the in-person percentage to online sales in a cost model.

For a business mainly taking remote payments, compare dedicated options in our online payments guide.

Settlement and cash flow

Handepay says businesses can receive money the next banking day, while noting that restrictions vary with the acquiring provider. That is not the same as guaranteed weekend settlement.

Ask the contract to state:

• Cut-off time for next-banking-day funding.
• Treatment of Friday, weekend and bank-holiday takings.
• Destination bank account.
• Whether faster settlement costs extra.
• Circumstances in which funds can be reserved or delayed.
• How refunds are funded after settlement.

A pub that trades heavily on Friday and Saturday should map the actual arrival day before relying on takings for Monday suppliers or wages.

Support and downtime

Handepay advertises 24/7/365 UK-based terminal support, while gateway assistance is listed for Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm. Distinguish the route for a dead device from the route for an online checkout problem.

Ask for replacement targets and exclusions. If the only terminal fails at 6pm on Saturday, telephone troubleshooting may not restore the ability to trade. A second terminal, payment link or independent backup reader can be worth more than a small rate reduction.

Test coverage at the exact premises. Keep chargers, paper and login recovery details available without sharing administrator passwords among all staff.

Switching-cost contribution

Handepay says it will contribute to early termination costs in most cases. Treat this as a conditional offer, not automatic cancellation of the old contract.

Obtain the amount, eligibility, evidence required and payment timing in writing. Check whether it is cash, account credit or reimbursement after you pay the previous supplier. Confirm whether it creates a minimum new commitment.

Do not cancel until the new service is approved, tested and settling correctly. Also make sure the old terminal rental, acquiring and gateway agreements are each ended.

Statements and reconciliation

Handepay advertises access to statements and invoices through a portal provided by the acquirer, plus a merchant mobile app. Ask to see sample reports for the exact package.

Reconcile a day from gross sales to fees, refunds and net bank deposit. Check whether the report separates card categories, outlets and channels. If fees are deducted monthly rather than daily, ensure the business keeps enough cash for the debit.

Export reports before leaving. Ask how long access continues after account closure and who supplies historical copies.

Contracts and renewal

There may be different commitments for acquiring, terminal rental, gateway and EPOS. Put all start and end dates on one sheet.

Check for:

• Minimum term and automatic renewal.
• Notice period and notice address.
• Early exit formula for each agreement.
• Annual price review.
• Terminal return condition.
• Minimum processing or rental obligations.
• Ownership of data and stored payment tokens.

Diary the notice date when signing, not at the end. A competitive first year can become poor value if a renewal window is missed.

Security and chargebacks

Using a managed terminal does not remove merchant responsibilities. Restrict refunds to supervisors, use individual staff access and review unusual transactions. Never record card details in email, messaging or ordinary notes.

For payment links and ecommerce, use clear trading names, product descriptions, delivery evidence and refund terms. Ask the acquirer for chargeback fees and response deadlines.

If an account review delays funds, know which company handles evidence and how to escalate. That route should be confirmed before it is needed.

Who Handepay suits

Handepay can suit a business with steady turnover that wants a managed Android terminal, multiple payment channels and telephone support. The switching contribution may help a merchant trapped in a previous agreement, provided its terms are clear.

It is less suited to a very occasional seller who wants to buy a low-cost reader and avoid rental. It also requires careful paperwork because the acquirer and terminal hire provider may be separate from Handepay.

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