There’s a much wider choice of card machines today than just a few years ago. While before, you had to do with a chunky chip and PIN machine stationed at a counter, small businesses can now take advantage of mobile card readers that work just as well.
In this shortlist, we look at contactless payment machines suitable for businesses with card transactions of less than £40k per month.
Three of the options are more traditional card machines for a till, table-side payments or mobile use. They are rented on a monthly basis with contractual lock-in, but then you get fees tailored for your business.
The others are mobile card readers that work with or without an app. These are no-contract, affordable and without complicated fees – making it much easier for new or small businesses to start accepting cards. They have no monthly fees, just a fixed rate per transaction after purchasing the card machine.
Card payment machines for small businesses:
Company | Card machine* |
Costs | Sign-up | Key facts |
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£19–£149 (purchase) | No monthly fee No lock-in Transaction fee 1.75% |
Short online form, quick acceptance: |
Best free POS and payment tools for all sales channels | |
£39–£129 (purchase) | No monthly fee No lock-in Transaction fee 1.69% |
Short online form, quick acceptance: |
Cheapest standalone terminals and low fixed rate | |
£7.50+/mo (rental) | 1- or 12-month contract £0-£150 setup fee Transaction fees 0.3%-2.5% + flat fee |
Get quote, personalised onboarding: |
Suited for £2k+/mo card turnover, tailored package, friendly service | |
£15-£20/mo (rental) | 1- or 6-month contract Monthly min. charge applies Transaction fees 1.4%-1.8% + 5p |
Get quote, start within a week: |
Better for > £10k+/mo card turnover, short contracts, great terminal | |
£17.95+/mo (rental) | 18-month contract Mix of costs Tailored transaction fees |
Tailored quote, personalised onboarding: |
Better fees for £250k+ annual sales, 24/7 support | |
£39–£209 (purchase) | No monthly fee No lock-in 1.1%-2.85% + 7p transaction fees |
Online registration with verification steps: |
Flexible, works across borders, with online account | |
£29–£199 (purchase) | No monthly fee No lock-in Transaction fee 1.75% |
Short online form, quick acceptance: |
Ergonomic terminals, easy and simple app | |
£10+/mo (rental) | 12-18 months’ contract £150 setup fee Tailored transaction fees |
Get quote, online sign-up: |
Better for existing Barclays customers with high turnover |
*Prices exclude VAT.
Pros:
Cons:
Square sells two card machines from its website: app-based Square Reader and freestanding Square Terminal with a touchscreen and receipt printer.
You only need to pay for the card machine upfront, then pay a fixed 1.75% per transaction. Refunds are free to process, should your customers request it.
Square Reader is the smallest, most light-weight card machine on this list, but it does need a Bluetooth connection to the free Point of Sale app on your phone or tablet. It is literally a square-shaped, plastic card machine that’s white all over, but the technology makes it just as reliable as push-button PIN pad machines.
When a transaction is entered in the iOS/Android app, your mobile device communicates with the card reader to accept the tap or chip card. Lacking a keypad, PIN codes are entered on your mobile screen in the POS app, which we didn’t have any trouble with.
The app makes it simple to add items from your product library to the shopping cart or enter a custom amount at checkout, before choosing a payment method.
Credit: Mobile Transaction

Frankly, Square Point of Sale has the most POS features out of all the free card machine apps. Specialised till apps for retail, restaurants and professional services are also offered by Square, including add-on subscriptions for customer loyalty, email marketing and team management.
If you prefer a standalone credit card machine, Square Terminal connects directly with a WiFi network. It has a touchscreen with Square Point of Sale features built in – perfect as a portable checkout on your premises.
You can also send e-invoices, accept phone payments and enter card details in the app for 2.5% per transaction. Transactions through Square’s online store, payment links and QR codes cost 1.4% + 25p for UK-/Europe-issued cards and 2.5% + 25p for international cards.
Accepted cards
Square accepts contactless cards and mobile wallets, chip and PIN, and chip and signature cards. This includes Visa, V Pay, Mastercard, Maestro and American Express as well as Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. You can also add Clearpay (buy now, pay later solution) as an option both in store and online.
Payments are usually deposited in your bank account the day after each transaction. Immediate payouts are also possible for an added 1% fee per transaction.
To get started, you complete an online sign-up form, then order the chosen card machine. It takes a few days to get your bank account verified, but you can start taking payments before that.
Pros:
Cons:
SumUp sells three card machines: the SumUp Air card reader that connects to a phone app, small and independent SumUp Solo and standalone SumUp 3G and Printer that prints receipts too.
SumUp has the lowest fixed card rate and there is no setup fee or shipping charge. You just pay for your choice of card machine, then a fixed 1.69% fee for chip and contactless payments.
SumUp Air | SumUp Solo | SumUp 3G & Printer | |
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Card machine | Card reader connected to phone/tablet app | Standalone touchscreen terminal (WiFi, 4G) | Standalone terminal with receipt printer (WiFi, 3G) |
Price (purchase) | £39 + VAT | £79 + VAT | £129 + VAT |
Website | |||
Transaction fee | 1.69% | ||
Contract | No lock-in, no monthly fee | ||
Payouts | Next day in SumUp Business Account, 2-3 working days in bank account |
SumUp Air |
SumUp Solo |
SumUp 3G & Printer |
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Card machine | Card reader connected to phone/tablet app | Standalone touchscreen terminal (WiFi, 4G) | Standalone terminal with receipt printer (WiFi, 3G) |
Price (purchase) | £39 + VAT | £79 + VAT | £129 + VAT |
Website | |||
Transaction fee | 1.69% | ||
Contract | No lock-in, no monthly fee | ||
Payouts | Next day in SumUp Business Account, 2-3 working days in bank account |
SumUp 3G and Printer is the cheapest standalone card machine with receipt printer in the UK. We liked the feeling of its simplified keys for PINs (makes it easy to use), and contactless cards can be tapped over the display in a few seconds.
Its printing cradle doubles as a charging stand that’s ideal for countertops. Otherwise, you can use SumUp 3G – with or without the receipt printer attached – anywhere with a WiFi, 3G or GPRS connection, since it has a SIM card built in free of charge.
There is also the new standalone SumUp Solo that, like SumUp 3G, comes with a SIM card and works with WiFi and mobile connections. Solo fits in your pocket and features a touchscreen with basic software built in to accept chip and contactless cards.
Credit: Mobile Transaction

But perhaps the most popular option is the cheap card reader called SumUp Air. It works with a user-friendly app that has a wide range of features including a product library and cash acceptance.
The app also gives access to payment links, email invoices and a basic online store creator at no monthly cost, just a 2.5% transaction fee. SumUp Virtual Terminal is available for eligible merchants for 2.95% + 25p per transaction.
SumUp accepts mobile wallets and most card brands.
Accepted cards
It takes up to 3 days for payments to reach your bank account, minus the transaction fee. You can also receive payouts in the complimentary SumUp Business Account the following day, even on weekends, and spend it with the free Mastercard.
It’s quick to sign up on SumUp’s website, after which you can order a card machine. Shipping takes up to a week, which is a bit longer than the other options on this list.
Pros:
Cons:
Takepayments is a popular merchant service provider in the UK, its main selling point being the monthly rolling or relatively short 12-month contracts. Regardless of your choice of plan, Takepayments is most beneficial with a monthly card turnover of at least £2,000.
If you are going to have contractual commitment, but can’t be sure of how your business fares beyond the next year, then Takepayments is one of the few that offers card machine rental with less than 18 months’ lock-in.
Takepayments – general | The Easy Deal | ||
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Card machine | Countertop (Ingenico iCT250), portable (Ingenico iWL250), mobile (Ingenico Move/3500 or PAX A920) | Mobile touchscreen terminal (PAX A920) | |
Cost (rental) | From £10 + VAT/mo | £7.50 + VAT/mo | |
Contract | 12 months No setup fee Monthly min. charge from £10 Early termination fee applies |
Monthly contract £150 + VAT setup fee No monthly min. charge Cancel with 30-day notice |
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Offer | |||
Transaction fees | 0.3%-2.5% + flat fee 30p refund fee £9 per chargeback |
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Payouts | Next day in bank account (free) |
Takepayments – general |
The Easy Deal | ||
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Card machine | Countertop (Ingenico iCT250), portable (Ingenico iWL250), mobile (Ingenico Move/3500 or PAX A920) | Mobile touchscreen terminal (PAX A920) | |
Cost (rental) | From £10 + VAT/mo | £7.50 + VAT/mo | |
Contract | 12 months No setup fee Monthly min. charge from £10 Early termination fee applies |
Monthly contract £150 + VAT setup fee No monthly min. charge Cancel with 30-day notice |
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Offer | |||
Transaction fees | 0.3%-2.5% + flat fee 30p refund fee £9 per chargeback |
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Payouts | Next day in bank account (free) |
The rental cost of the mobile, portable and countertop Ingenico or Verifone card machines starts at £10 + VAT on a year’s contract.
Alternatively, the smart POS terminal PAX A920 with a large touchscreen can be used as a mobile checkout, also with a year’s lock-in. It costs £25 + VAT per month (Takepaymentsplus) with a complete, but simple, till app on the device, allowing you to add a product library and monitor sales by staff members.
For £7.50 + VAT monthly (Easy Deal) and a £150 + VAT one-off charge, you only get basic payment software on the terminal so you can accept cards. This doesn’t have a minimum monthly service charge, includes PCI compliance, and only has a contract of 30 days that is cancellable any time with a month’s notice.
Credit: Mobile Transaction

We tested the PAX terminal with the Epos Now software offered by Takepayments, which turned it into a more sophisticated table-service terminal.
Transaction fees depend on your average transaction value, turnover and cards accepted, ranging between 0.3%-2.5% + flat fee. The quoted rates are better if your business usually accept high transaction values. You also pay fees for refunds and chargebacks.
On the annual plans, you get the following extra fees.
Firstly, an early cancellation fee equivalent to buying out the contract applies if you do not give an exit notice of two months – otherwise, it auto-renews. If you make less than an agreed amount during a month, there’s also a monthly minimum service charge. Monthly or annual fees for PCI-DSS compliance apply.
Accepted cards
Takepayments actually signs you up for two contracts – one for themselves and one for Barclaycard Business who provides your merchant account for card processing. Next-day settlement with Barclaycard is free.
For an additional cost, remote payments can be added, such as pay by link, telephone payments, QR codes for table-service, and an online payment gateway for ecommerce. For more extensive POS features, you can opt for a tPOS package with a touchscreen register and EPOS software tailored to your industry.
Signing up requires talking to a Takepayments sales rep, most likely in connection with a physical visit to your premises. After onboarding, you have access to customer support over the phone every day within working hours.
Pros:
Cons:
Dojo is a relatively new product powered by Paymentsense. For merchants making under £150k annually in card payments, the Dojo Go subscription has a 6-month contract and no setup fee. After the 6 months are up, it becomes a monthly, rolling contract.
Those with a card turnover above £150k annually can get a monthly contract from the start.
If you are locked into another card machine contract, Dojo can pay up to £3,000 of the exit fees to your old payment provider.
Dojo Go | ||
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Card machine | Mobile, standalone touchscreen terminal (PAX A920) | |
Cost (rental) | Below £12.5k/mo card turnover: £20 + VAT/mo Over £12.5k/mo card turnover: £15 + VAT/mo |
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Transaction fees | 1.4%-1.8% + 5p or custom 50p refund fee £28 + VAT per chargeback |
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Contract | Monthly or 6 months No setup fee £24.95 monthly min. charge Early termination fee applies |
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Payouts | Next day in bank account (free) | |
Offer |
Dojo Go | ||
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Card machine | Mobile, standalone touchscreen terminal (PAX A920) | |
Cost (rental) | Below £12.5k/mo card turnover: £20 + VAT/mo Over £12.5k/mo card turnover: £15 + VAT/mo |
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Transaction fees | 1.4%-1.8% + 5p or custom 50p refund fee £28 + VAT per chargeback |
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Contract | 6 months (1 month for some merchants) No setup fee £24.95 monthly min. charge Early termination fee applies |
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Payouts | Next day in bank account (free) | |
Offer |
There’s a monthly rental fee of £15 or £20 + VAT (depending on card turnover) for Dojo Go, plus transaction charges and a few other costs.
The plan is best suited for businesses with a consistent sales volume, because you’ll have to pay a minimum of £24.95 per month towards transactions (“monthly minimum service charge”).
Credit: Mobile Transaction

Transaction fees depend on the brand and type of card accepted. Consumer debit and credit cards from Visa, Mastercard and Maestro cost 1.4% + 5p per transaction. Business, premium and corporate cards cost 1.8% + 5p per transaction. Amex has their own (typically higher) fees that are custom to your business.
Above an annual card turnover of £150k, Dojo customises your rates which may fall between 0.3%-2% plus a fixed authorisation fee.
You get next-day payouts with Dojo for free, which is faster than most payment providers can guarantee.
Accepted cards
The card machine is a PAX A920 model with a large touchscreen and user-friendly interface. It comes with a built-in SIM card for mobile connectivity but works with WiFi. Add to that the long 10-hour battery life and you have a mobile card machine that’s ideal for use anywhere on the road, for table service and many other scenarios. It also integrates with most major POS systems, if you’re not using it on its own.
We found it tedious that you can’t add a description to transactions, though. It’s therefore not suitable for inventory tracking or checking what was sold, but a Dojo app does allow you to check sales figures remotely. Ecommerce integration and payment links are also available for slightly higher transaction fees.
Overall, Dojo is a great option for staffed businesses that consistently make several thousands of pounds a month and need a quality card machine for most situations. If onboarding goes smoothly, you should be up and running with Dojo Go within a week.
Pros:
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A major credit card processor in the UK, Worldpay continues to be a popular choice for traditional card machines. You can choose to rent a countertop, mobile or portable card machine with a contract of 18 months.
Worldpay can offer a fixed transaction rate (Simplicity plan) for businesses with an annual turnover below £100k in card payments. There is a Custom plan, but this is geared towards businesses with a monthly turnover of at least £20,000.
Worldpay | ||
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Card machines | Countertop (Ingenico Desk 5000), portable or mobile (Axium DX8000) | |
Cost (rental) | £17.95-£23 + VAT/month | |
Transaction fees | Custom or fixed rates | |
Contract | 18 months No setup fee Monthly min. charge depends on plan Early termination fee applies |
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Payouts | 1-3 working days to bank account (free) | |
Offer |
Worldpay | ||
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Card machines | Countertop (Ingenico Desk 5000), portable or mobile (Axium DX8000) | |
Cost (rental) | £17.95-£23 + VAT/month | |
Transaction fees | Custom or fixed rates | |
Contract | 18 months No setup fee Monthly min. charge depends on plan Early termination fee applies |
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Payouts | 1-3 working days to bank account (free) | |
Offer |
Additional fees may apply, like a monthly minimum service charge if you don’t make enough money one month. The Custom fee plan is overall better value than Simplicity, but it’s not available for lower-earning businesses.
To receive a quote on fees, you just need to sign up online and await a callback from a Worldpay consultant. Card machine packages are unique to your business, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all arrangement.
Credit: Mobile Transaction

Card machine rental starts at £17.95 + VAT for a standard model, and then you have transaction charges and merchant account fees on top. While Zettle by PayPal, SumUp and Square use their own merchant account for card processing, Worldpay gives you a unique merchant account that is better for payments stability.
Beware that Worldpay may not be transparent about all fees, so make sure you get them to explain all the costs and responsibilities involved. For instance, PCI-DSS compliance is required for a cost of £5 + VAT monthly on the Custom plan.
Accepted cards
The contactless card machines are high-quality models by Ingenico. There’s a stationary chip and PIN machine for the countertop (Desk 5000), but the portable and mobile smart POS terminal with a touchscreen (Axium DX8000) is ideal for most merchants. Having tested both, we felt the Axium DX8000 model feels more premium and versatile with its software options, but the physical PIN pad of Desk 5000 may be preferred at the till.
Worldpay accepts Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Diners Club, Discover, UnionPay, JCB, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, and optionally American Express with a separate agreement. Settlement takes up to three working days.
Email invoicing, an online payment gateway (for ecommerce), virtual terminal for phone payments and payment links are available from Worldpay at an additional cost.
A great thing about Worldpay is the free phone support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Pros:
Cons:
myPOS is a European payment company that sells card machines with a whole range of extras. This includes an online business account with accompanying prepaid Visa card, online payments and the ability to use the card machine across Europe.
There’s no lock-in contract or ordinarily a monthly fee. That said, a couple of inactivity fees amounting to £15 monthly kick in after 10 months of no transactions, so you do have to cancel the account by then to avoid those charges.