In an more and more cashless society, in the event you don’t have card fee machines, you threat dropping out on gross sales.
The 2025 UK Fee Markets report, discovered that debit card funds are by far the nation’s hottest sort, accounting for greater than half of all funds (26.1 of 49 billion transactions) made in 2024, whereas 39% of all funds have been made utilizing contactless playing cards or mobiles. In contrast, lower than 10% of all funds have been made in money.
Each one of many card fee machines on this web page accepts debit, cellular and card funds. However there are variations in options, charges and upfront prices which can make some roughly appropriate for your small business than others.
This text will break down the {hardware} and performance of one of the best card fee machines at the moment available on the market that will help you select the one which’s best for you.
Card Fee Machine Critiques
Leap straight to a specific card machine or uncover our full rating of the ten finest card fee machines for small UK companies in 2025.
- Sq. Reader
- Tide Card Reader
- TakePayments
- SumUp Air
- Zettle Reader 2
- MyPOS Go
- Barclaycard Smartpay Wherever
- Tyl (by Natwest)
- Shopify
- Worldpay DX800
How a lot does a typical card fee machine value?
Card fee machine prices are made up of the price of the gadget and the price of fee processing charges.
System value
Cellular card readers typically value between £20 and £60, countertop card machines value between £40 and £250.
You may both purchase the gadget outright or lease the gadget for a month-to-month value. This modifications from supplier to supplier.
The way to optimise money movement with cashless funds – The phrase ‘money is king’ has by no means been more true, however how can small companies like yours guarantee a wholesome influx of cash to cowl prices and make income?
Charges
Transaction charges are taken by your card fee supplier as a share of each fee made via your card machine. They’re usually between 1.5 per cent and a pair of per cent of the worth of the transaction, and typically have a hard and fast quantity in pennies (e.g. 20p) added on prime.
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 fee supplier.
Card fee suppliers will even 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, an internet or cellphone fee, or a recurring fee.
CNP charges are normally round 2.5 per cent. They’re larger for the easy purpose that there’s a better threat of fraud throughout these sorts of funds.
Countertop vs transportable vs cellular card readers
There are three kinds of card fee machine: countertop, transportable, and cellular.
Countertop card machines are designed for use at designated until factors in your retailer. Though they don’t provide any portability, they’re normally very dependable by way of their connectivity. They’re finest for companies with a hard and fast fee level corresponding to a grocery or small retailer.
Transportable bank card machines are battery-powered units that use Wi-Fi to take card funds anyplace in your website. They’re finest 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 might be. In addition they normally have Wi-Fi performance as properly. They’re nice for pop up retailers, markets, festivals, avenue meals vans – anyplace actually.
This text will predominantly give attention to cellular card readers, as they’re essentially the most inexpensive and provide essentially the most flexibility to rising small companies.
A lot of the suppliers under additionally promote different {hardware} corresponding to charging docks, receipt printers, countertop programs and tills.
You solely want the cardboard fee gadget to begin taking funds, however this stuff can help you improve your POS system as your small business grows.
8 fee programs for festivals, pop-ups and avenue meals markets – Check out this rundown of fee programs that are perfect for festivals, avenue meals markets, pop-ups and promotional occasions
Card fee machines – the choices
The ten card fee machines under are nice choices for small companies, providing aggressive charges and nice options.
Sq. Reader
| System value | £19 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.75% |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● Battery lasts 20 per cent longer than earlier mannequin ● 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, maybe, essentially the most modern, easy and inexpensive card reader available on the market. This appropriately square-shaped gadget prices simply £19 + VAT, a lot decrease than opponents.
And weighing in at simply 56g, it’s not simply the worth that’s low. All you must do is sync it to your cellphone by way of Bluetooth and begin promoting. You may then monitor and handle all of your gross sales from Sq.’s free app. All funds are deposited the following working day. As a Sq. person, you additionally get 24/7 fraud prevention, fee dispute and information safety included as commonplace.
It’s transportable, with an all-day battery, however will be docked for countertop use, and you may maintain promoting for twenty-four hours with out an web connection.
And Sq. additionally has a complete arsenal of different funds package you should purchase to create a full POS setup together with terminals, registers, and different {hardware} and equipment.
Companies that take greater than £200,000 a yr in card gross sales can request a personalized transaction payment.
Get began with Sq.
Tide Card Reader
| System value | £159 + VAT or improve to Card Reader Plus for £199 |
| Transaction payment | From 0.79% + 3p |
| CNP payment | TBC |
| Key options | ● Lifetime free 4G connectivity (price £5 pm) ● Settle for Contactless, Chip + Pin, Digital pockets ● Glossy and compact gadget to allow each in-store and cellular funds |
The Tide Card Reader is designed for mobility, so you should utilize it for in-store or on-the-go transactions.
With Tide Card reader, you possibly can settle for card and cellular funds on the go together with no month-to-month contracts and minimal transaction charges. You even have limitless 4G information, eliminating the necessity for Bluetooth connectivity. With a lifetime of free 4G connectivity and compatibility with Visa, Mastercard, ApplePay, and GooglePay, it’s time to unlock a brand new degree of fee comfort.
Tide’s card reader costs have jumped just lately, from £59 to £159 for the usual Reader and from £79 to £199 for the Card Reader Plus (all excluding VAT).
Nonetheless, you do have some choices with regards to fee. You may pay £99 (or improve to the Tide Card Reader Plus for £29.99) upfront, in addition to a month-to-month payment of £12.99. Or you possibly can lease the gadget for £24.99 per thirty days, with nothing to pay up entrance. Lastly, with the pay-as-you-go mannequin, you pay £159 upfront, however there’s no month-to-month payment. Transaction charges vary from 0.69% + 3p to 1.39% +5p.
Tide runs common promotions, so maintain your eye out. Presently, you should utilize code GETPAID to get the Tide Card Reader for £19.99, or a Reader Plus for £29.99 (inside 7 days of opening your Tide Account and subscribing to Promote In-Individual).
Open a Tide account
TakePayments
| System value | from £7.50 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | Based mostly on enterprise turnover however between 0.3%-2.5% + flat payment |
| CNP payment | Depending on fee 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 fee varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
Stockport-based TakePayments has supplied card terminals and on-line fee options for over 30 years. It is likely one of the fastest-growing card fee firms within the UK with over 70,000 clients.
takepaymentsplus card reader
A quick and dependable Android terminal that permits you to take each card and money funds.
Some key options embrace:
- Speedy 4G and WiFi connection
- Inventory and pricing administration from the gadget
- Means to separate funds
- Detailed transaction reporting to see how your small business is performing
- Entry to a Administration Portal to deal with your small business remotely
takepaymentsplus pricing: £25 + VAT month-to-month (18-month contract)
Or, in the event you’re simply seeking to take funds shortly, their A920Pro card machine and DX8000 terminal take solely 4 easy steps to arrange. Keep related with 4G and WiFi, and settle for Apple and Google Pay as commonplace.
Terminal rental from £15 + VAT.
The transaction payment based mostly on enterprise turnover and the CNP (card not current) payment relies on fee acquirer.
Personal POS system
TakePayments makes use of its personal EPOS system referred to as tPOS, which can’t be downloaded onto an iPad or different pill and has its personal pill register.
tPOS is on the market in two types, Counter and Full. Plus, their devoted workforce will present full coaching and buyer help seven days per week.
tPOS begins from £45 a month.
Some key options embrace:
- Product administration and inventory stock
- Means to separate funds and serve a number of clients without delay
- Mounted reductions and presents
- Means so as to add notes and configure orders
- Enhanced reporting
Get began with Take Funds
SumUp Air Card Reader
| System value | £30 (£34.80 with charging dock) Or £19 per thirty days with a (subscription) |
| Transaction payment | 0.99% (subscription) 1.69% (pay-as-you-go) |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● 500 transactions per cost ● Contactless & Chip & PIN ● Funds settled in 1 day ● Accepts all main fee varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership ● E mail and SMS receipts |
Because of its ease of use and practicality, this trendy and light-weight transportable card reader is at the moment 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 and PIN, and cellular funds from all main suppliers is to pair the gadget along with your smartphone, which takes minutes.
You may then begin utilizing the SumUp Air anyplace with Wi-Fi or information protection, and it will possibly course of 500 transactions on a single cost.
Obtainable for a one-off value of simply £34.80* with the charging dock, and with a transaction payment of simply 0.99 per cent in the event you subscribe to SumUp One (or 1.69 per cent for the pay-as-you-go choice), it’s additionally very inexpensive. And so they have additionally sped up the size of time for funds to look in your account to simply in the future.
You additionally get entry to a useful smartphone app, with a dashboard that lets you view your product catalogue, monitor gross sales, and ship digital receipts.
*Marketed value for one card reader for brand spanking new clients. Regular value is £49 + VAT.
Examine card fee machine quotes
Zettle Reader 2
| System value | from £29 + VAT (with Zettle Dock 2 £68) |
| Transaction payment | 1.75% |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● 8 hour battery life (100 transactions) ● Accepts all main fee varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless ● Funds settled in 1-2 enterprise days ● E mail and print receipts |
The Zettle Reader 2 is one other light-weight (simply 130g) gadget 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 fee varieties and has an honest eight-hour battery life – although this solely lasts for round 100 transactions, which isn’t 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 best business requirements, and is totally 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 per thirty days.
As with the SumUp Air, there are not any month-to-month charges – you simply pay a flat fee per transaction, although at 1.75 per cent, that is barely larger than its rival.
However at £29 + VAT, the Zettle Reader 2 is cheaper than the SumUp Air. Bear in mind that this value is just obtainable or new customers. Extra card readers are charged at £69 + VAT.
Examine card fee machine quotes
myPOS Go 2
| System value | £29 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.1% + 7p (Amex 2.45% + 7p) |
| CNP payment | 1.3% + 15p (Amex 2.5% + 15p) |
| Key options | ● Digital receipts by way of e mail or SMS; capability to pair with the myPOS Go 2 Printing Dock ● Immediate entry to funds at no added charges ● Accepts all main fee varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and native fee strategies corresponding to JCB, UnionPay and Bancontact, plus contactless and Chip & PIN ● Tracks particular person workers efficiency and splits ideas ● Tactile keyboard |
Weighing 180g, its design isn’t as modern and trendy as rivals, however below the hood, myPOS Go 2 is one other extremely useful and compact cellular card reader.
The gadget prices £29 + VAT and its transaction payment is 1.10 per cent + 7p (as much as £10,000 month-to-month turnover, customized charges from then on) however will be a lot decrease as your turnover will increase.
The Linux-driven myPOS Go 2 card reader has a number of different options that set it aside from opponents. You get a free e-money service provider account, with a devoted IBAN in 14 currencies, making it simple to take worldwide funds.
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 instantaneous entry to funds by way of your free VISA enterprise card.
We additionally just like the multi-operator mode, which lets you monitor particular person workers efficiency and cut up ideas accordingly.
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Barclaycard Smartpay Wherever
| System value | £29 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | Customised for every enterprise |
| CNP payment | n/a |
| Key options | ● Contactless and Chip & PIN ● Accepts main fee 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 ● E mail receipts ● Free FreshBooks account ● Powered by a characteristic packed app for iOS and Android optimised for each cellular and pill ● Consists of 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 answer. It doesn’t join with money drawers, or barcode scanners – however does connect 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).
Barclaycard has just lately modified its transaction payment construction to be customised for every enterprise. That implies that, doubtlessly, you would have the ability to entry very competitively priced charges.
It’s powered by a characteristic crammed app, and grants you entry to an online portal, which gives real-time information and perception into your small business efficiency.
Nonetheless, in contrast to some rivals, when making use of for Smartpay Wherever, you must undergo an internet 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 small business earlier than you pay for it.
The professionals are that it’s a compact and inexpensive card reader at £29 + VAT with low transaction charges and funds settled the following day (if transactions are completed earlier than 7pm).
Examine card fee machine quotes
Tyl (by NatWest)
| System value | From £13.99 + VAT month-to-month |
| Transaction payment | 1.39%-1.99% + 5p 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 fee varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
Tyl by NatWest presents a variety of card machines to go well with completely different enterprise setups, from mounted retail counters to cellular operations. Its line-up now focuses on PAX-branded units reasonably than the Clover Flex, giving companies choices that stability portability, options, and value.
On the entry degree, the PAX A80 is a sturdy countertop mannequin with versatile connectivity. For individuals who want one thing smaller, the PAX A50 is a pocket-sized cellular terminal with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G, whereas the PAX A920 Professional presents a bigger touchscreen and enhanced performance for each in-store and on-the-go funds. Tyl additionally helps Faucet to Pay on appropriate iPhone and Android units.
Month-to-month rental prices for Tyl’s card machines typically vary from round £13.99 to £19.99 + VAT, relying on the gadget. Transaction charges begin from 1.39% + 5p for UK and European private playing cards, with larger charges for different card varieties. Extra options like gross sales monitoring, reporting, and next-day settlement are included via the Tyl Portal, and elective on-line fee gateways can be found for companies that additionally promote remotely.
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Shopify WisePad 3 Reader
| System value | £59 + VAT |
| Transaction payment | 1.5%-2% on-line + 25p/1.5%-1.7% in individual |
| CNP payment | 2.5% |
| Key options | ● Absolutely built-in with Shopify POS ● Fee inside 3 working days ● 4-hour full cost for 500-600 transactions ● Accepts all main fee varieties together with Google and Apple Pay, Amex and Diners Membership, and contactless |
The Shopify WisePad 3 is a compact, Bluetooth-enabled card reader constructed to combine seamlessly with the Shopify POS ecosystem.
It helps contactless and cellular funds, and all main card varieties, together with Visa, Mastercard, American Specific, V Pay, Maestro, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. The gadget is EMV-certified and PCI-compliant, with built-in encryption to guard card information. A customer-facing show and built-in PIN pad present an expert checkout expertise whereas serving to construct belief on the level of sale.
Weighing 130g, the WisePad 3 is very transportable, making it appropriate for each mounted in-store setups and cellular promoting at pop-ups, occasions, or markets. It connects wirelessly to iPads, iPhones, and Android units inside a ten m vary, and has an all-day battery.
To make use of the WisePad 3, you’ll want a Shopify POS subscription, which hyperlinks in-person and on-line gross sales via a unified again workplace. Plans begin from as little as £1/month for the primary three months after a 3-day free trial, with clear in-person fee charges from 1.7% + 0p (excl. VAT). This integration means your gross sales, stock, and buyer information are all managed in a single place. At £59, the WisePad 3 is dearer than different card readers, however it’s an excellent choice if you’re a Shopify person.
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6 of one of the best fee programs for accepting US {dollars} – When you have a whole lot of clients Stateside, you’ll need them to have the ability to pay in US {dollars}. We take a look at one of the best fee programs for USD
Worldpay DX800
| System value | £15 per thirty days (particular provide: £1 per thirty days for 12 months on an 18-month contract) |
| Transaction value | Customized pricing or Simplicity tariff (1.50% per Mastercard and Visa transaction) |
| CNP payment | Varies relying on the pricing plan and card sort |
| Key options | ● Cellular & Wi-Fi enabled for funds on the go ● Accepts main playing cards ● Touchscreen show for simple navigation ● Prints receipts for purchasers ● Worldpay Dashboard entry for transaction monitoring and insights ● Subsequent-day terminal substitute service obtainable |
The Worldpay DX8000 is a cellular card machine designed for companies that want versatile, on-the-go fee processing.
It helps dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity, making it ideally suited for companies working throughout a number of indoor and outside areas. With a big touchscreen show, contactless reader, and receipt printing capabilities, the DX8000 enhances usability and improves transaction effectivity.
The DX800 additionally stands out due to its fee flexibility. In order for you a pricing mannequin that’s tailor-made to your small business, you possibly can go for the customized pricing tariff, although that is solely obtainable to companies taking £75k or extra yearly. When you have decrease income, or in the event you favor extra predictable pricing, you possibly can select the simplicity pricing tariff, which rolls all the usual prices into one clear month-to-month value.
With its versatile fee choices and powerful connectivity options, the Worldpay DX8000 is a superb alternative for small companies searching for a dependable and user-friendly card reader.
Examine card fee machine quotes
Which is one of the best card fee gadget?
By now you’ve both found the cardboard reader that’s proper for your small business, or you might be left bamboozled by a dizzying vary of various card fee machines, payment buildings and extra options.
If it’s the latter, don’t fear. Our prime picks could be Sq., Tide or Takepayments. Every presents an excellent stability of performance and cost-effectiveness, and delivers the extent of fee efficiency that you’ll want to succeed.
That mentioned, we’ve chosen all of the above card fee machines for his or her flexibility, simplicity and practicality, and each could be an excellent choice in your small enterprise. Comfortable promoting.
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Additional studying
Finest fee processors for UK small companies – 11 of one of the best – What’s one of the best fee system in your small enterprise? 11 of one of the best fee processors for UK SMEs reviewed
Different card fee options UK companies may take into account embrace: Dojo Go, Teya, Lightspeed, Ingenico, Revolut Reader
