# PayPal Point of Sale (formerly Zettle by PayPal)

> Source: https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/paypal-pos
> research date 2026-10-21 · extracted at 2026-10-21
> Publisher: Barcoder — encyclopedia of QR, barcode and payment-code standards

Specifications:
- [Zettle by PayPal (now PayPal POS) — PayPal UK](https://www.zettle.com/gb/about-us)
- [Zettle by PayPal rebrand to PayPal Point of Sale — PayPal Help Centre](https://www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/article/help1235)
- [Betaltjänstvillkor (payment service terms, Sweden) — PayPal](https://www.zettle.com/se/villkor/betaltjanst/)

## Overview

**Zettle by PayPal**, formerly **iZettle** and now being renamed **PayPal Point of Sale**, is a card-acceptance and point-of-sale (POS) product for small merchants, not a consumer wallet. Nobody pays *with* Zettle: a shopper meets it as a card reader, a touchscreen terminal or a merchant's phone, and pays with a contactless or chip card, a phone wallet, or (in some markets) a PayPal, Venmo, Swish, Vipps or MobilePay payment [[5]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/about-us) [[11]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/pricing) [[17]](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system). Founded in Stockholm in 2010, it was bought by PayPal for about $2.2 billion in 2018 [[2]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2018-09-20-PayPal-Completes-Acquisition-of-iZettle).

## History

- **2010, Stockholm.** iZettle was founded in Stockholm in 2010 by Jacob de Geer and Magnus Nilsson [[2]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2018-09-20-PayPal-Completes-Acquisition-of-iZettle). PayPal credited it with "the world's first mini chip card reader and software for mobile devices" [[1]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/PayPal-Expands-Global-Platform-with-Acquisition-of-iZettle).
- **August 2013, Brazil.** iZettle launched in Brazil through a partnership with Banco Santander [[20]](https://www.electronicpaymentsinternational.com/news/izettle-goes-live-in-brazil).
- **2017, local mobile payments.** In May 2017 iZettle began taking Swish payments in Sweden, so a merchant could record every payment type in one till that follows the Swedish Tax Agency's rules [[21]](https://www.realtid.se/bors-finans/izettle-tar-nu-emot-swish-betalningar/). In June 2017 it added Vipps (Norway), MobilePay (Denmark, Finland, Norway) and the UK's Pay by Bank app, free of charge [[22]](https://channelx.world/2017/06/izettle-enhances-service-local-mobile-payments/). Its CEO then said hundreds of thousands of small businesses in twelve countries used the service, with about 1,000 joining each day [[23]](https://www.realtid.se/bors-finans/izettle-integrerar-danska-och-norska-swish-losningar/).
- **May–September 2018, PayPal acquisition.** PayPal agreed on 17 May 2018 to buy iZettle for $2.2 billion, adding in-store capability in 11 markets: Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden [[1]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/PayPal-Expands-Global-Platform-with-Acquisition-of-iZettle). The deal closed on 20 September 2018 at approximately $2.2 billion [[2]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2018-09-20-PayPal-Completes-Acquisition-of-iZettle).
- **9 December 2020, PayPal QR in the UK.** PayPal added QR code payments to iZettle's POS app, the first time UK merchants could take PayPal QR payments in store through a point-of-sale system [[6]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2020-12-09-PayPal-launches-touch-free-payments-in-store-with-iZettles-point-of-sale-app-to-support-UK-businesses-post-lockdown).
- **February 2021, "Zettle by PayPal".** iZettle dropped the "i" and took the full brand name Zettle by PayPal; until then it had kept its own name and run largely apart from PayPal [[3]](https://www.mobiletransaction.org/izettle-rebrands-to-zettle-by-paypal/).
- **30 June 2021, United States.** PayPal launched PayPal Zettle in the US, taking cards, PayPal and Venmo QR codes and digital wallets [[7]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2021-06-30-PayPal-Brings-PayPal-Zettle-to-the-U-S-Its-Digital-In-Person-and-Omnichannel-Solution).
- **27 October 2021, Zettle Terminal.** An all-in-one touchscreen terminal with a pre-loaded SIM, needing no paired phone, launched in the UK [[8]](https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/2021-10-27-PayPal-launches-Zettle-Terminal-in-the-UK).
- **10 April 2023, Brazil closed.** Zettle Brasil ended operations on 10 April 2023 [[19]](https://www.zettle.com/br).
- **Tap to Pay.** Tap to Pay on iPhone reached UK Zettle users on 8 August 2023 [[9]](https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/Zettle-by-PayPal-launches-Tap-to-Pay-on-iPhone) and US PayPal Zettle and Venmo business users on 7 March 2024 [[10]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2024-03-07-Tap-to-Pay-on-iPhone-Now-Available-for-Venmo-and-PayPal-Zettle-Businesses-in-the-U-S).
- **PayPal Point of Sale.** PayPal is renaming the product PayPal Point of Sale; its help centre says the products and services are not changing [[4]](https://www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/article/help1235). The Swedish payment terms, in force since 9 September 2025, are now issued under that name [[18]](https://www.zettle.com/se/villkor/betaltjanst/).

## Ownership & operator

Zettle is a brand of **PayPal Holdings, Inc.** (NASDAQ: PYPL) [[2]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2018-09-20-PayPal-Completes-Acquisition-of-iZettle). Before the sale, iZettle's largest shareholders were Zouk Capital, Index Ventures and 83North [[1]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/PayPal-Expands-Global-Platform-with-Acquisition-of-iZettle).

The merchant's contract is now with a PayPal entity, not with iZettle AB:
- In Sweden (terms effective 9 September 2025) it is **PayPal (Europe) S.à r.l. et Cie, S.C.A.** (R.C.S. Luxembourg B 118 349), a Luxembourg credit institution supervised by the CSSF [[18]](https://www.zettle.com/se/villkor/betaltjanst/).
- In the UK it is **PayPal UK Ltd**, authorised by the FCA as an electronic money institution (firm reference number 994790) [[24]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/legal/payment-terms-and-conditions/).

## Technical integration

What the payer sees depends on the merchant's hardware:

| Hardware | What the shopper does | Source |
|---|---|---|
| **PayPal Reader** (ex-Zettle Reader, touchscreen; Bluetooth or USB-C to the merchant's phone or tablet) | Inserts or taps a card, phone or watch | [[12]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/payments/card-reader) |
| **Terminal** (all-in-one, SIM + Wi-Fi) | Taps or inserts on the handheld device | [[8]](https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/2021-10-27-PayPal-launches-Zettle-Terminal-in-the-UK) |
| **Tap to Pay** on a compatible iPhone or Android phone | Taps a contactless card, phone or wearable on the merchant's phone | [[5]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/about-us) |
| **QR on the POS screen** | Scans a code with the PayPal or Venmo app | [[6]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2020-12-09-PayPal-launches-touch-free-payments-in-store-with-iZettles-point-of-sale-app-to-support-UK-businesses-post-lockdown) [[16]](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system/pricing) |

- **[PayPal QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/paypal-qr) (partial).** In the UK the POS app shows a dynamic QR code for each sale, and the customer confirms the amount in the PayPal app [[6]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2020-12-09-PayPal-launches-touch-free-payments-in-store-with-iZettles-point-of-sale-app-to-support-UK-businesses-post-lockdown). The UK price list now offers PayPal QR Codes only to sellers who signed up before 8 May 2023 [[11]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/pricing). In the US, PayPal and Venmo QR codes are a standard payment type [[17]](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system).
- **[Venmo QR](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/standards/venmo-qr) (full, US only).** QR code transactions are priced like card-present ones in the US [[16]](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system/pricing).
- **Nordic mobile payments.** The current price lists show Swish in Sweden [[13]](https://www.zettle.com/se/priser), Vipps in Norway [[14]](https://www.zettle.com/no/priser) and MobilePay in Denmark [[15]](https://www.zettle.com/dk/priser) as payment types at 0 kr per transaction. In Denmark, MobilePay is not supported once the cash-register function is switched on [[15]](https://www.zettle.com/dk/priser). These are the [Swish](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/swish) and [Vipps MobilePay](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/vipps-mobilepay) wallets; the sources do not say whether the payer scans a code or enters a number.
- **Apps.** The merchant app is listed as "PayPal POS (ex Zettle)" on the App Store and Google Play (read 21 Oct 2026).

## Users & growth

PayPal does not report Zettle's merchant count or volume separately.
- **2017:** hundreds of thousands of small businesses in twelve countries, with about 1,000 joining a day [[23]](https://www.realtid.se/bors-finans/izettle-integrerar-danska-och-norska-swish-losningar/).
- **2018:** nearly half a million merchants. PayPal expected about $6 billion of total payment volume in 2018 and gross revenue of about $165 million, after roughly 60% compound annual growth over 2015–2017 [[1]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/PayPal-Expands-Global-Platform-with-Acquisition-of-iZettle).
- **2023:** more than 90% of UK Zettle transactions were contactless, PayPal UK's managing director said [[9]](https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/Zettle-by-PayPal-launches-Tap-to-Pay-on-iPhone).

## Use cases

- **Small-shop and market-stall card acceptance.** UK retailers, florists and cafés were the named users at the PayPal QR launch [[6]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2020-12-09-PayPal-launches-touch-free-payments-in-store-with-iZettles-point-of-sale-app-to-support-UK-businesses-post-lockdown).
- **Side hustles on a phone.** Tap to Pay was pitched at individual sellers who take payments without buying a reader [[9]](https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/Zettle-by-PayPal-launches-Tap-to-Pay-on-iPhone).
- **Omnichannel selling.** In the US, in-person and online sales are managed in one PayPal business account, with links to BigCommerce, Lightspeed, QuickBooks Online and SalesVu [[7]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2021-06-30-PayPal-Brings-PayPal-Zettle-to-the-U-S-Its-Digital-In-Person-and-Omnichannel-Solution).
- **A tax-compliant till for local mobile payments.** In Sweden, Swish sales are recorded in the same cloud till as card sales [[21]](https://www.realtid.se/bors-finans/izettle-tar-nu-emot-swish-betalningar/).

## Implementations & partners

- **Bank partner:** Banco Santander, for the 2013 Brazil launch [[20]](https://www.electronicpaymentsinternational.com/news/izettle-goes-live-in-brazil).
- **Software partners (US):** BigCommerce, Lightspeed, QuickBooks Online, SalesVu [[7]](https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2021-06-30-PayPal-Brings-PayPal-Zettle-to-the-U-S-Its-Digital-In-Person-and-Omnichannel-Solution).
- **Payment methods:** major cards and mobile wallets, including American Express, at one rate [[11]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/pricing); [PayPal](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/paypal) and [Venmo](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/venmo) QR [[17]](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system); Swish, Vipps and MobilePay in the Nordics [[13]](https://www.zettle.com/se/priser) [[14]](https://www.zettle.com/no/priser) [[15]](https://www.zettle.com/dk/priser).

## Fun facts

- iZettle had tried to register "Zettle" as a trademark as early as 2016 but withdrew the application, possibly because "ZETTLER" was already registered in the same class [[3]](https://www.mobiletransaction.org/izettle-rebrands-to-zettle-by-paypal/).

## Comparison

UK in-person card fees, read 21 Oct 2026:

| Product | Owner | Standard in-person rate | Pay-by-app QR at the till | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zettle / PayPal POS | PayPal | 1.75% (cards and mobile wallets) | PayPal QR, sellers signed up before 8 May 2023 | [[11]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/pricing) |
| [SumUp](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/sumup) | SumUp | 1.69% (pay-as-you-go, £0/month) | — | [[25]](https://www.sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/) |
| [Square](https://docs.barcoder.ai/docs/wallets/square) | Block | 1.75% (UK cards) | — | [[26]](https://squareup.com/gb/en/pricing) |

For a merchant the headline card fees are close. Zettle's difference is the PayPal link: sales settle into a PayPal business account [[5]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/about-us), and the till also takes PayPal and Venmo QR in the US and Swish, Vipps and MobilePay in the Nordics.

## Status

**Active**, under a new name. Zettle's own pages read "Zettle is now PayPal Point of Sale" (read 21 Oct 2026) [[5]](https://www.zettle.com/gb/about-us). Country sites remain live for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Mexico, while the Brazil site carries only the 2023 closure notice [[19]](https://www.zettle.com/br). In the US the product sells as the PayPal POS system, with the Terminal at $199 [[16]](https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system/pricing).

## Sources

[1]: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/PayPal-Expands-Global-Platform-with-Acquisition-of-iZettle "PayPal Expands Global Platform with Acquisition of iZettle — PayPal Newsroom, 17 May 2018"
[2]: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2018-09-20-PayPal-Completes-Acquisition-of-iZettle "PayPal Completes Acquisition of iZettle — PayPal Newsroom, 20 Sep 2018"
[3]: https://www.mobiletransaction.org/izettle-rebrands-to-zettle-by-paypal/ "iZettle rebrands to 'Zettle by PayPal' — Mobile Transaction, 9 Feb 2021"
[4]: https://www.paypal.com/uk/cshelp/article/help1235 "Zettle by PayPal rebrand to PayPal Point of Sale — PayPal Help Centre, read 21 Oct 2026"
[5]: https://www.zettle.com/gb/about-us "Zettle by PayPal is now PayPal POS — PayPal UK, read 21 Oct 2026"
[6]: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2020-12-09-PayPal-launches-touch-free-payments-in-store-with-iZettles-point-of-sale-app-to-support-UK-businesses-post-lockdown "PayPal launches touch-free payments in-store with iZettle's point of sale app — PayPal Newsroom, 9 Dec 2020"
[7]: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2021-06-30-PayPal-Brings-PayPal-Zettle-to-the-U-S-Its-Digital-In-Person-and-Omnichannel-Solution "PayPal Brings PayPal Zettle to the U.S. — PayPal Newsroom, 30 Jun 2021"
[8]: https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/2021-10-27-PayPal-launches-Zettle-Terminal-in-the-UK "PayPal launches Zettle Terminal in the UK — PayPal UK Newsroom, 27 Oct 2021"
[9]: https://newsroom.uk.paypal-corp.com/Zettle-by-PayPal-launches-Tap-to-Pay-on-iPhone "Zettle by PayPal launches Tap to Pay on iPhone — PayPal UK Newsroom, 8 Aug 2023"
[10]: https://newsroom.paypal-corp.com/2024-03-07-Tap-to-Pay-on-iPhone-Now-Available-for-Venmo-and-PayPal-Zettle-Businesses-in-the-U-S "Tap to Pay on iPhone Now Available for Venmo and PayPal Zettle Businesses in the U.S. — PayPal Newsroom, 7 Mar 2024"
[11]: https://www.zettle.com/gb/pricing "Pricing — PayPal POS UK, read 21 Oct 2026"
[12]: https://www.zettle.com/gb/payments/card-reader "PayPal Reader — PayPal POS UK, read 21 Oct 2026"
[13]: https://www.zettle.com/se/priser "Priser — PayPal Point of Sale Sverige, read 21 Oct 2026"
[14]: https://www.zettle.com/no/priser "Priser — PayPal Point of Sale Norge, read 21 Oct 2026"
[15]: https://www.zettle.com/dk/priser "Priser — PayPal Point of Sale Danmark, read 21 Oct 2026"
[16]: https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system/pricing "POS System Pricing — PayPal US, read 21 Oct 2026"
[17]: https://www.paypal.com/us/business/pos-system "POS System — PayPal US, read 21 Oct 2026"
[18]: https://www.zettle.com/se/villkor/betaltjanst/ "Betaltjänstvillkor — PayPal Point of Sale Sverige, read 21 Oct 2026"
[19]: https://www.zettle.com/br "Zettle Brasil encerrou as operações em 10 de abril de 2023 — Zettle Brasil, read 21 Oct 2026"
[20]: https://www.electronicpaymentsinternational.com/news/izettle-goes-live-in-brazil "iZettle goes live in Brazil — Electronic Payments International, 27 Aug 2013"
[21]: https://www.realtid.se/bors-finans/izettle-tar-nu-emot-swish-betalningar/ "Izettle tar nu emot Swish-betalningar — Realtid, 18 May 2017"
[22]: https://channelx.world/2017/06/izettle-enhances-service-local-mobile-payments/ "iZettle enhances service with local mobile payments — ChannelX, 26 Jun 2017"
[23]: https://www.realtid.se/bors-finans/izettle-integrerar-danska-och-norska-swish-losningar/ "Izettle integrerar danska och norska Swish-lösningar — Realtid, 27 Jun 2017"
[24]: https://www.zettle.com/gb/legal/payment-terms-and-conditions/ "Payment Terms and Conditions — PayPal Point of Sale UK, read 21 Oct 2026"
[25]: https://www.sumup.com/en-gb/pricing/ "Pricing — SumUp UK, read 21 Oct 2026"
[26]: https://squareup.com/gb/en/pricing "Pricing — Square UK, read 21 Oct 2026"

## Source

Biography extracted from [paypal-pos.md](https://docs.barcoder.ai/source/wallets/paypal-pos). See `matrix.md` for standards-support matrix if present.