Taking card payments as an Irish tradesperson: Revolut Pro, SumUp and when bank transfer wins
By Paddy Darcy, founder of Grafta · 5 min read · Last reviewed July 2026 · Always confirm current rates on revenue.ie
"Can I pay you by card?" used to mean a rented terminal and a merchant account. Now it can mean a free link you set up on your phone in ten minutes. But the fees are real money on trade-sized invoices, and there's one popular shortcut — your personal Revolut — that you're not actually allowed to use. Here's the honest picture for an Irish sole trader.
First: don't use your personal Revolut for the business
Loads of tradespeople give customers their personal @revtag. Revolut's Irish personal terms are blunt about it: a personal account must not be used for business purposes, and Revolut can close accounts that are. Nobody wants their personal account — the one their family money sits in — frozen over invoice payments. The fix costs nothing and lives in the same app.
Revolut Pro: the free fix inside the app you already have
Revolut Pro is a free business account for sole traders and freelancers that you switch on inside your existing personal Revolut app — no company registration needed, and it gets its own IBAN so work money stays separate from personal. It gives you reusable payment links and QR codes you can put on any invoice. Set-up is a few steps in the app: Pro tab, describe what you do, done.
What card payments actually cost
Every provider takes a cut of card payments — that's how free set-up is funded. The percentages look small until you put trade-sized invoices through them: 1% of a €5,000 bathroom is €50; 2.5% is €125. That's why the right answer for most tradespeople is both rails: bank transfer front and centre for the big invoices, a card link for deposits, callouts and the customers who just won't do a transfer.
Typical fees (check current rates before deciding)
As of July 2026: Revolut Pro payment links are around 1% + €0.20 for Irish personal cards (more for international and business cards). SumUp payment links are around 2.5%, with its card readers lower again. Stripe is around 1.5% + €0.25 for European cards. All of these change — check each provider's Irish pricing page before you pick one, and remember the fee is per transaction, forever, not a one-off.
Bank transfer quietly became brilliant
While card links were getting the attention, the humble bank transfer got an upgrade: since 2025, euro instant payments are being rolled out across Irish banks at no extra cost — transfers that used to take a day now arrive in seconds, any hour, any day. Banks have also added name-checking (you see the account holder's name before you send), which makes customers far less nervous about paying an IBAN. For a €5,000 invoice, a free instant transfer beats €50+ in card fees every time.
- Put your IBAN and the invoice number (as the payment reference) on every invoice
- Add one card option — a Revolut Pro, SumUp or Stripe link — for deposits and smaller bills
- Say which you prefer: "Bank transfer preferred; card link below if handier" sets the default without an argument
- Never take the card fee silently on big jobs — either price it in or steer to transfer
Where Grafta fits
Paste your payment link into Grafta once (Settings → Payment Details) and every invoice carries a Pay-online button — on the PDF and on the invoice link your customer opens in their browser, next to your IBAN with a copy button. The money goes straight to your own account with your provider; Grafta never holds it and takes no cut. You'll see when the invoice was opened, you're emailed when a customer taps "I've paid this", and deposits are built in: request a percentage on the accepted quote and the final invoice bills only the balance.
Sources
This guide is general information, not tax or legal advice. Check your own situation with Revenue or an accountant.
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