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In an more and more cashless society, in the event you don’t have card cost machines, you danger shedding out on gross sales.
There are numerous card machines geared toward small companies available on the market immediately, and most allow you to take chip & pin, contactless, and cell funds.
However there are variations in options, charges and upfront prices which is able to make some kind of appropriate for your enterprise than others.
This text will break down the {hardware} and performance of the very best cost machines at present available on the market that can assist you select the one which’s best for you.
You possibly can soar straight to a selected card machine or learn on to search out extra data on the 10 greatest card cost machines for small UK companies in 2023.
>See additionally: 40% of the UK’s micro companies don’t settle for card funds
Card cost machines
- SumUp Air
- Zettle Reader 2
- Sq. Reader
- MyPOS Go
- Dojo Go
- Barclaycard Smartpay Wherever
- TakePayments
- Tyl (by Natwest)
- Paymentsense
- Shopify WisePad Reader 3
How a lot does a typical card cost machine value?
Card cost machine prices are made up of the price of the gadget and the price of cost processing charges.
Gadget value
Cellular card readers typically value between £15 and £30, countertop card machines value between £150 and £200.
You possibly can both purchase the gadget outright or hire the gadget for a month-to-month value. This adjustments from supplier to supplier.
>See additionally: How one can optimise money move with cashless funds
Charges
Transaction charges are taken by your card cost supplier as a proportion of each cost made by your card machine. They’re sometimes between 1.5 per cent and a pair of per cent of the worth of the transaction.
So, if the shopper buys an merchandise costing £25, and your transaction payment is 1.75 per cent, you’ll be charged round 43p by your card cost supplier.
Card cost suppliers may also promote a card not current (CNP) transaction. A CNP transaction happens when neither the cardholder or their card are current for the transaction – in different phrases, a web-based or cellphone cost, or a recurring cost.
CNP charges are often round 2.5 per cent. They’re greater for the straightforward motive that there’s a higher danger of fraud throughout these sorts of funds.
Countertop vs transportable vs cell card readers
There are three forms of card cost machine: countertop, transportable, and cell.
Countertop card machines are designed for use at designated until factors in your retailer. Though they don’t supply any portability, they’re often very dependable when it comes to their connectivity. They’re greatest for companies with a hard and fast cost level similar to a grocery or small retailer.
Transportable card machines are battery-powered units that use Wi-Fi to take card funds anyplace in your web site. They’re greatest for cafes and eating places.
Cellular card readers are much more compact, battery-powered units that use a GPRS (3G or 4G) sign to take card funds wherever you’re. Additionally they often have Wi-Fi performance as properly. They’re nice for pop up retailers, markets, festivals, road meals vans – anyplace actually.
This text will predominantly give attention to cell card readers, as they’re essentially the most inexpensive and supply essentially the most flexibility to rising small companies.
Many of the suppliers beneath additionally promote different {hardware} similar to charging docks, receipt printers, countertop methods and tills.
You solely want the cardboard cost gadget to begin taking funds, however these things permit you to improve your POS system as your enterprise grows.
>See additionally: 8 cost methods for festivals, pop-ups and road meals markets
Card cost machines – the choices
The ten card cost machines beneath are nice choices for small companies, providing aggressive charges and nice options.
SumUp Air Card Reader
| Gadget value | £39 (£44 with charging dock) |
| Transaction payment | 1.69% |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● 500 transactions per cost ● Contactless & Chip & PIN ● Funds settled in 2-3 enterprise days ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless ● Electronic mail and SMS receipts |
Due to its ease of use and practicality, this fashionable and light-weight transportable card reader is at present one of many fashionable card readers for small companies.
It’s simple to arrange and begin utilizing. All you’ll want to do to begin accepting contactless, Chip & Pin, and cell funds from all main suppliers is to pair the gadget along with your smartphone, which takes minutes.
You possibly can then begin utilizing the SumUp Air anyplace with Wi-Fi or information protection, and it could course of 500 transactions on a single cost – at 12 hours, it’s in all probability the very best battery life available on the market.
Obtainable for a one-off value of simply £39, and with a hard and fast 1.69 per cent transaction payment, it’s additionally very inexpensive. The one actual draw back of the SumUp Air is that it could take two-to-three enterprise days for funds to settle in your account, longer than the common of round one-two days.
Nonetheless, in the event you bundle a SumUp Air with a enterprise account, funds are obtained with sooner or later and the transaction payment is slashed to simply 1.49 per cent.
You additionally get entry to a helpful smartphone app, with a dashboard that permits you to view your product catalogue, observe gross sales, and ship digital receipts.
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Zettle Reader 2
| Gadget value | from £59 + VAT (Zettle Dock 2 £39) |
| Transaction payment | 1.75% |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● 8 hour battery life (100 transactions) ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless ● Funds settled in 1-2 enterprise days ● Electronic mail and SMS receipts |
The Zettle Reader 2 is one other light-weight (simply 130g) gadget that you could pair along with your Apple or Android smartphone and begin utilizing inside minutes utilizing the Zettle app.
It accepts all main debit and bank card cost varieties and has an honest eight-hour battery life – although this solely lasts for round 100 transactions, which is not any match for SumUp’s 500.
The place the Zettle Reader 2 actually seeks to distinguish itself is in its give attention to safety. Claiming to be one of many most secure card readers available on the market, Zettle’s tamper-proof gadget adheres to the very best business requirements, and is absolutely encrypted by HSMs cryptographic servers.
And in the event you do spot a suspicious cost, Zettle’s transaction safety covers as much as £250 in chargebacks monthly.
As with the SumUp Air, there aren’t any month-to-month charges – you simply pay a flat price per transaction, although at 1.75 per cent, that is barely greater than its rival.
However at £59 + VAT, the Zettle Reader 2 is dearer than the SumUp Air, and the in-dock charger will value one other £39 + VAT on prime.
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Sq. Reader
| Gadget value | £19 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.75% |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● All day battery ● Weighs simply 56g ● Accepts chip and PIN playing cards, contactless, Apple Pay and Google Pay ● Funds deposited the following enterprise day |
The Sq. Reader is essentially the most smooth, easy and inexpensive card reader available on the market. This appropriately square-shaped gadget prices simply £19 + VAT, a lot decrease than rivals.
And weighing in at simply 56g, it’s not simply the worth that’s low. All you need to do is sync it to your cellphone by way of Bluetooth and begin promoting. You possibly can then monitor and handle all of your gross sales from Sq.’s free app. All funds are deposited the following working day.
Nifty options embrace specially-designed POS dashboards for eating places, eating places and cell companies who have to make appointments, similar to hairdressers or masseurs.
And Sq. additionally has a complete arsenal of different funds package you should buy to create a full POS setup together with terminals, registers, and different {hardware} and equipment.
At 1.75 per cent, the transaction charges aren’t the bottom, however you’ll nonetheless wrestle to discover a extra light-weight and cost-effective approach to begin taking funds.
And companies that take greater than £200,000 a 12 months in card gross sales pay a decrease transaction payment.
Evaluate card cost machine quotes
MyPOS Go
| Gadget value | £19 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.10% + 7p |
| CNP payment | n/a |
| Key options | ● Digital receipts by way of e mail or SMS ● On the spot entry to funds ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless ● Tracks particular person employees efficiency and splits suggestions ● Tactile keyboard |
Weighing 180g, its design isn’t as smooth and classy as rivals, however beneath the hood, MyPOS Go 2 is one other extremely useful and compact cell card reader.
Like Sq. Reader, the gadget prices simply £19 + VAT, however its transaction payment of simply 1.10 per cent + 7p might be a lot decrease (relying on the quantity you’re taking).
The Android-driven MyPOS Go 2 card reader has a number of different options that set it aside from rivals. You get a free e-money service provider account, with a devoted IBAN in 14 currencies, making it simple to take worldwide funds.
>See additionally: 6 of the very best cost methods for accepting US {dollars}
Not like the times you may need to attend with different suppliers, card funds are settled in your account in lower than three seconds, and also you get immediate entry to funds by way of your VISA enterprise card.
We additionally just like the multi-operator mode, which lets you monitor particular person employees efficiency and cut up suggestions accordingly.
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Dojo Go
| Gadget value | £15-£20pm + VAT month-to-month rental |
| Transaction payment | 1.4% + 5p on all transactions |
| CNP payment | 1.9% + 5p |
| Key options | ● 10-hour battery life ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless ● Funds settled by 10am the following working day ● Constructed-in thermal reader |
Dojo Go describes itself because the “final all-rounder”, a small enterprise card machine that’s simply as helpful as a cell (working on 3G/4G connectivity) and a transportable (utilizing Wi-Fi) gadget.
Dojo Go’s huge promoting level is its pace: the corporate claims its gadget can take card funds in round two seconds – 80 per cent sooner than the business common. And you’ll preserve observe of all these funds in actual time utilizing the Dojo Go app.
Dojo is supremely assured in its product – a lot in order that, in the event you’re switching from an current supplier, it should pay your exit charges as much as a price of £3,000. (You need to share your current statements with one other supplier with Dojo earlier than it decides on the switch worth.)
We additionally admire Dojo’s assist and help, which is accessible 24 hours a day. And in the event you can’t get issues mounted over the cellphone, Dojo can take over your gadget remotely to analyze.
All funds are transferred in your account at 10am the following working day, which it claims is quicker than some other supplier as normal.
There are two tiers of transaction charges: 1.4 per cent + 5p per transaction plus £20 monthly terminal rental, in case your annual card turnover is beneath £150,000; in the event you’re above £150,000 then your credit score and debit card price can be lower than 1.4 per cent, whereas the month-to-month terminal rental payment drops to £15 monthly.
Professional tip: Dojo units a minimal £24.95 month-to-month cost for patrons who haven’t taken card funds earlier than, which is the minimal value you have to pay in transaction charges every month – even in case you have zero takings. That is on prime of the month-to-month £20 terminal rental. After six months, the contract flips to month-to-month rolling.
Since you’re tied right into a six-month contract in case your card turnover is beneath £150,000, Dojo Go is best for scaling small companies with persistently excessive month-to-month takings.
And, if your enterprise wants money rapidly, Dojo affords a service provider money advance powered by YouLend, which is repaid by a proportion of your card takings. Dojo prices a hard and fast one-off payment for this money facility.
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Barclaycard Smartpay Wherever
| Gadget value | £29 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.6% on pay as you go, however personalised pricing plans out there to fulfill greater enterprise wants |
| CNP payment | n/a |
| Key options | ● Contactless and Chip & PIN ● Accepts main cost suppliers together with Visa, Mastercard, Google, Apple Pay, Diners Membership (Uncover), Union Pay, JCB and Amex ● Funds settled the following enterprise day for transactions taken earlier than 7pm ● Electronic mail receipts ● Free FreshBooks account ● Powered by a characteristic packed app for iOS and Android optimised for each cell and pill ● Contains entry to an online portal giving actual time entry to gross sales studies and dashboards |
Barclaycard Smartpay Wherever is geared toward hospitality and retail companies, with the “app” turning it right into a POS resolution. It doesn’t join with money drawers, or barcode scanners – however does hook up with wi-fi printers and an app and internet portal.
It has next-working-day settlement and, along with the usual Mastercard and Visa, accepts Amex and Diners Membership (Uncover).
With a transaction payment of simply 1.6 per cent, that is the bottom of any main supplier.
It’s additionally powered by a characteristic stuffed app in addition to entry to an online portal offering actual time information and perception into your enterprise efficiency. In the event you want help there’s a 24/7 buyer help staff, and it’s PCI compliant with out charges or the necessity for attestation.
Nonetheless, in contrast to some rivals, when making use of for Smartpay Wherever, you need to undergo a web-based vetting course of checking monetary and borrowing historical past to be permitted for a tool, which Barclays says ensures the gadget is appropriate for your enterprise earlier than you pay for it.
The professionals are that it’s a compact and inexpensive card reader with low transaction charges and funds settled the following enterprise day.
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TakePayments
| Gadget value | from £7.50 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | Based mostly on enterprise turnover however between 0.3%-2.5% + flat payment |
| CNP payment | Depending on cost service supplier |
| Key options | ● Shorter contract lengths ● No setup or exit charges ● Funds settled subsequent working day ● Customisable dashboard ● Realtime stock monitoring ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
Stockport-based TakePayments has supplied card terminals and on-line cost options for over 30 years. It is likely one of the fastest-growing card cost firms within the UK, with almost 64,000 clients signed up.
Its new cell card reader is a rebadged PAX A920 card machine that accepts playing cards by way of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or 4G with a 10-hour battery life with a countertop dock for when it’s not in your hand. There’s additionally a built-in receipt printer.
Takepayments pricing
TakePayments affords two month-to-month subscription packages:
- Simple Deal: £7.50pm + VAT (month-to-month contract)
- Takepaymentsplus: £25 + VAT month-to-month (annual contract)
Simple Deal is geared toward small companies on the transfer with solely fundamental card cost software program however not stock monitoring. There’s a £150 + VAT setup payment.
Takepaymentsplus waives the setup payment and contains an built-in product library, gross sales and stock studies and itemised receipts.
Even in the event you go for the annual Takepaymentsplus contract, that is nonetheless shorter than the business norm of 18-60 months.
Nonetheless, due to the way in which its transaction charges are construction, TakePayments is best fitted to small companies with greater ticket costs, similar to automobile dealerships, white good sellers and eating places, versus, say, nook retailers.
Personal POS system
TakePayments makes use of its personal EPOS system known as tPOS, which can’t be downloaded onto an iPad or different pill and has its personal pill register.
To get the total bundle, there’s a model for retail (£45-£55 + VAT month-to-month) or hospitality (£55-£65 + VAT) plus a £250 + VAT setup payment.
One downside although is that in contrast to competitor Dojo, it can’t be used for funds remodeled the cellphone or by way of e mail. And it doesn’t embed into your web site both, which implies you may’t use it for on-line gross sales, simply in individual.
Alternatively, you can even use the Epos Now POS system, which is appropriate for magnificence, hospitality and retail.
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Tyl (by NatWest) Clover Flex
| Gadget value | £14.99 + VAT month-to-month (Wi-Fi solely), £16.99 + VAT month-to-month (4G + Wi-Fi) |
| Transaction payment | 0.2%-3.5% + 20p-40p depending on gross sales quantity |
| CNP payment | N/A |
| Key options | ● 12-month contract ● 8-hour battery life ● Funds settled inside one enterprise day ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
Weighing in at 453 grams, Tyl’s Clover Flex card reader is on the chunkier finish of the cell card reader market.
Though it nonetheless utilises Wi-Fi and 4G, permitting you to make use of it anyplace, it’s nonetheless considerably heavier than the opposite units, which does have an effect on its portability.
Nonetheless, extra does on this case imply extra. The Clover Flex acts as an all-in-one POS system that permits you to each take funds and handle your enterprise from one gadget, together with stock and buyer administration, itemised receipts and extra.
It has an honest eight-hour battery life and a high-res 5’’ touchscreen, which lets you use a wide range of the 150 apps on the Clover App Market. Nonetheless, whereas it’s helpful to have this performance in a single place, we’d wager most individuals don’t thoughts switching to their cellphone for these capabilities if it means having a smaller gadget.
Additionally, it’s not essentially the most inexpensive choice for small companies. You’ll pay £16.99 monthly for the 4G cell model earlier than transaction charges are even factored into the equation. And the terminal is offered along side a service provider account that may require a four-year dedication with further charges.
This makes the Clover Flex higher for bigger small companies with a big, constant gross sales quantity.
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Paymentsense
| Gadget value | Costs out there upon request |
| Transaction payment | Costs out there upon request |
| CNP payment | Costs out there upon request |
| Key options | ● Day-long cost ● Paid subsequent working day ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
Paymentsense is a well-established model with greater than 70,000 UK clients. It makes sturdy and useful cell card readers.
Not like most of its rivals, Paymentsense’s cell units solely have GPRS SIM and never Wi-Fi connectivity, which is ok for many customers when out and about. It accepts all main card and cost varieties, and it’s best to see funds deposited in your account the following working day.
Paymentsense’s pricing is all tailor-made to your enterprise – what number of units you want, how a lot you’ll be taking in card funds and many others – so the one approach you’ll find out pricing is to investigate for a free personalised quote.
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Shopify WisePad 3 Reader
| Gadget value | £49 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.5%-2% on-line + 25p/1.5%-1.7% in individual |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● Totally built-in with Shopify POS ● Fee inside 6 working days ● 4-hour full cost for 500 transactions ● Accepts all main cost varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
Though solely out there for Shopify clients, we predict it’s price highlighting Shopify’s WisePad 3 Reader.
It’s light-weight (130 grams) and accepts all main cost playing cards and kinds. You need to subscribe to Shopify although to have the ability to use it and it solely works with an iPad or by your iPhone.
Shopify subscriptions
Shopify has three subscription ranges for its Wisepad 3 card reader: Fundamental, Shopify and Superior. Fundamental prices £19 a month, Shopify £49 monthly, and Superior £259 a month. All are billed yearly.
Fundamental (£19pm)
Bank card charges
- 2% +25p on-line
- 1.7% + 0p in individual
What’s included in Fundamental
- Fundamental studies
- As much as 1,000 stock areas
- 2 employees accounts
Shopify (£49pm)
Bank card charges
- 1.7% +25p on-line
- 1.6% + 0p in individual
What’s included in Shopify
- Skilled studies
- As much as 1,000 stock areas
- 5 employees accounts
Superior (£249pm)
Bank card charges
- 1.5% + 25p on-line
- 1.5% +0p in individual
What’s included in Superior
- Customized report builder
- As much as 1,000 stock areas
- 15 employees accounts
Nonetheless, there is no such thing as a contractual obligation you need to signal with Shopify, so you aren’t tied in for months or years. Plus there’s a 14-day free trial interval so that you can check out the Wisepad 3 card reader.
There are additionally slick addons to the Shopify Wisepad 3, together with a pill stand (£130), a barcode scanner (£199) and a Bluetooth receipt printer (£259).
Nonetheless, with a £49 buy worth (in contrast with, say, £39 for the SumUp Air card reader), plus month-to-month subscription charges, Shopify Wisepad 3 works out as some of the costly readers available on the market.
That stated, if already use Shopify as your POS system, this might be a no brainer.
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Which is the very best card cost gadget?
By now you’ve both found the cardboard reader that’s proper for your enterprise, otherwise you’ve left bamboozled by a dizzying vary of various card cost machines, payment buildings and extra options.
If it’s the latter, don’t fear. For many small companies, we’d advocate SumUp. It’s an inexpensive gadget with one of many lowest transaction charges available on the market, and because it’s a flat price, it’s predictable and clear. We had been additionally impressed by its lengthy battery life, which may course of greater than 500 funds on a single cost.
MyPOS Go additionally actually stands out to us as one other nice choice for small companies. In addition to very aggressive transaction charges, it has nice added options like multi-operator mode, which make it an excellent selection for cafes and eating places. It’s additionally nice that you could entry funds immediately.
That stated, we’ve chosen all of the above card cost machines for his or her flexibility, simplicity and practicality, and every one can be an excellent choice in your small enterprise. Joyful promoting.
Want a card cost gadget quote?
Need to evaluate costs from all the very best card cost units we’ve listed above? Why not use our free comparability device to be matched with essentially the most appropriate supplier in your wants.
Merely fill in our free quote-finding type, and reply a number of questions on your enterprise (it takes lower than a minute). We’ll match you with essentially the most applicable card cost supplier.
Additional studying
Greatest cost processors for UK small companies – 11 of the very best
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