Retail Merchant Services (RMS) review
Retail Merchant Services is a card machine reseller, owned by Teya since 20 December 2024, that rents you the terminal and passes card processing to an acquiring bank on a separate bill. Its advertised price is £29.90 a month + VAT for one card machine, its card rates are quote-only, and leaving takes 30 days’ notice that only start once RMS confirms your request.
Verdict
Workable if you want Elavon same-day settlement and are offered a sharp acquirer rate in writing. Otherwise the two-contract model makes it hard to see your true cost, and Teya itself now sells direct with no fixed term. Compare both before you sign.
Shops that want same-day settlement through Elavon
You want one bill and a published rate
Checked 1 November 2026. RMS’s website returned "Service Unavailable" throughout 1 November 2026, so we read RMS’s own pages from the search index that day. Ownership from Companies House. No rating: we review published terms, not our own use.
What RMS is, and who owns it
RMS sells card machines under a Membership Agreement; card processing is a separate agreement with an acquiring bank. Companies House lists Teya Europe Ltd as the person with significant control (75% or more of shares and votes) since 20 December 2024, and the company now shares Teya’s London address. If you are an RMS customer, you are inside the Teya group, though your contract terms are RMS’s, not Teya’s.
RMS card machine pricing
| Cost | What RMS publishes |
|---|---|
| Card machine (no-contract offer) | £29.90 a month + VAT for one card machine; includes a £4.95 monthly PCI charge (PCI non-compliance fees are not covered) |
| Card transaction rates | Not published (quoted per business); billed by the acquirer |
| Same Day Settlement | £2.95 a month + £0.30 per batch (RMS support page), or no extra charge, though a £0.30 batch fee from the acquirer may apply (RMS offer page) |
| Minimum term | Not published; the Membership Agreement rolls over until you or RMS end it |
Source: RMS’s own offer and support pages, read via the search index on 1 November 2026. The same offer page also shows £29.95 a month in another section. RMS says the no-contract offer can be withdrawn or amended at any time.
Two contracts, two bills
Acquirer charges (card processing and PCI fees) come monthly from the acquirer, shown as EMS (Elavon Merchant Services); RMS membership fees, which include your terminals, are billed quarterly. That split is the main thing to understand about RMS. The rental you agree with RMS tells you nothing about the card rate, which is set in the acquirer’s agreement. Ask for both in writing, and add them together before you compare.
RMS same day settlement
Same Day Settlement is only for customers using Elavon as their acquirer; others may get next-day settlement. RMS’s pages give two prices for Same Day Settlement, so ask which applies to you.
Cancelling your RMS membership
- All RMS members must give 30 days’ notice to cancel the Membership Agreement.
- The 30 days only start once RMS has sent you a confirmation email and you have replied to acknowledge it; a request for a call-back does not start the clock.
- In writing, by email to customerloyalty@retailmerchantservices.co.uk or by post to RMS’s Milton Keynes office, quoting your MID and business name.
- Cancellation fees may apply if you leave before the full term of your agreement or have an outstanding balance; the amounts are not published.
The clock-start rule matters: send your notice early, chase the confirmation email, and reply to it the same day. Remember the acquirer agreement is separate; give notice to the acquirer as well. An older RMS page described "Pay Once": an upfront payment for membership, no minimum term and no cancellation fees with 30 days’ notice. It is several years old; ask whether it is still offered.
Worked example: the £5,000 a month shop
RMS does not publish the acquirer rate, so the useful sum is the ceiling: the most the acquirer can charge before RMS costs more than the alternatives.
- RMS fixed cost: £29.90 a month before VAT
- SumUp pay as you go (1.69%): £5,000 × 1.69% = £84.50
- Dojo (1.2% blended, Dojo Wired rented): £5,000 × 1.2% = £60.00, plus £15.00 for the Dojo Wired = £75.00
- The acquirer’s all-in rate must be at most (£84.50 − £29.90) ÷ £5,000 = 1.09% to match SumUp, or 0.9% to match Dojo
If you are not VAT registered, the rental costs you £35.88 with 20% VAT, which lowers both ceilings. Add any Same Day Settlement fee too.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Same-day settlement for Elavon customers
- Advertised rolling membership with no fixed term
- PCI charge included in the advertised price
- Part of the Teya group
Cons
- Card rates not published, billed separately by the acquirer
- Notice only starts after RMS confirms
- Cancellation fee amounts not published
- Conflicting prices across RMS’s own pages
RMS alternatives
Teya, RMS’s owner, sells direct: see our Teya review. RMS often uses Elavon as acquirer; the Elavon cancellation guide covers that side. For how terminal hire contracts work in general, read card machine leasing explained.
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RMS questions
Who owns Retail Merchant Services?
Teya. Companies House lists Teya Europe Ltd as the person with significant control (75% or more of shares and votes) since 20 December 2024. The company’s registered office is 41 Lothbury, London EC2R 7HF, the same address as Teya.
How much does an RMS card machine cost?
RMS’s no-contract offer page lists £29.90 a month + VAT for one card machine, which includes a £4.95 monthly PCI charge (PCI non-compliance fees are not covered). The same offer page also shows £29.95 a month in another section. Card transaction rates are not published and are charged by the acquirer on a separate bill.
How do I cancel my RMS agreement?
All RMS members must give 30 days’ notice to cancel the Membership Agreement. The 30 days only start once RMS has sent you a confirmation email and you have replied to acknowledge it; a request for a call-back does not start the clock. In writing, by email to customerloyalty@retailmerchantservices.co.uk or by post to RMS’s Milton Keynes office, quoting your MID and business name. Cancellation fees may apply if you leave before the full term of your agreement or have an outstanding balance; the amounts are not published.
Why do I get two bills from RMS?
Acquirer charges (card processing and PCI fees) come monthly from the acquirer, shown as EMS (Elavon Merchant Services); RMS membership fees, which include your terminals, are billed quarterly.
Does RMS offer same day settlement?
Same Day Settlement is only for customers using Elavon as their acquirer; others may get next-day settlement. RMS’s pages give two prices for Same Day Settlement: £2.95 a month + £0.30 per batch (RMS support page) on one, and no extra charge, though a £0.30 batch fee from the acquirer may apply (RMS offer page) on another.