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.
Unlike traditional options, these app-based card machines are usually contract-free, affordable and without complicated fees – making it much easier for new or small businesses to start accepting cards.
In this shortlist, we look at card machines suitable for businesses with card transactions of less than £20k per month.
All the below options work in conjunction with an app on an iPhone, iPad or Android device connected to the internet through WiFi, 3G or 4G. Although portable, they work well on a counter too.
How it works
- The card machine connects to a mobile phone or tablet via Bluetooth
- An app on the mobile device operates the card machine
- Enter PIN or tap card on the reader just like a normal card machine
None of them have fixed monthly fees or require a contract (though some of them have subscription options). You just purchase the card machine and pay a transaction fee on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Best card payment machines for small businesses:
| Card machine | Price* | Best for | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. iZettle Reader | All-round safe choice for small businesses | ||
| 2. SumUp Air | Very simple, low fixed card rate | ||
| 3. Square Reader | £19 | Best free POS and payment features | |
| 4. PayPal Here | £45 | PayPal integration and online payouts | |
| 5. Worldpay Reader | £69 | Round-the-clock phone support |
*Prices excluding VAT.
| Card machine | Price* | Offer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. iZettle Reader | ||
| 2. SumUp Air | ||
| 3. Square Reader | £19 | |
| 4. PayPal Here | £45 | |
| 5. Worldpay Reader | £69 |
*Prices excluding VAT.
Widest range of accepted cards
White or black card machine
Fixed rate: 1.75% per transaction
Invoicing available through app
The UK market leader, iZettle Reader, is the most versatile card machine on our list. Its PIN pad machine is stylish, tamper-proof and comes in white or black – and there’s no setup or shipping fee.
Signing up is straightforward: on iZettle’s website, you just fill in some details about your business and bank account. They will verify your identity and perform a credit check to ensure everything is in order.
In most cases, you are accepted straight away and can order the card machine immediately.
iZettle accepts contactless, chip and PIN (or signature), all costing the same fixed percentage even for foreign and premium cards. Visa, Visa Electron, V Pay, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, JCB, Diners Club, UnionPay, Discover, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are all accepted.
The newest iZettle Reader 2 has a simple keypad and display that asks the customer to enter their PIN or add a tip, if tipping is switched on. Just note that you have to keep the card machine connected via Bluetooth to the mobile device in order to take payments.
That said, the iZettle app is user-friendly and feature-rich, with options to subscribe to ecommerce and more advanced features for your business.
Accepted cards
If you need to bill your clients remotely, you can accept payments through payment links and emailed invoices for 2.5% per transaction.
Payments are credited to your bank account within 1-2 working days, minus the transaction fee. Refunds are easy and free to process through the app – and you get the transaction fee back for each refund.
Learn more: iZettle review – UK’s favourite choice of card reader with app
Accepts the major card brands
Available in white
Fixed rate: 1.69% per transaction
Very simple payment app
SumUp Air is the most economical app-based card machine in the UK. It has the lowest card fee, and the free SumUp app has the basic functions needed to take credit and debit card payments. There is no setup fee or shipping charge. You just pay the one-off price for the card machine, then only a fixed percentage for card payments.
It’s quick to sign up on SumUp’s website, after which you can order the card machine. Shipping takes up to a week, which is a bit longer than the other options on this list.
SumUp accepts contactless, chip and PIN, and chip and signature cards.
The card machine is elegant and sturdy, with a shiny, flat surface over its keypad and display. It is certainly user-friendly with the simplified keys for PINs, and contactless cards can be tapped right over the card machine display.
SumUp’s free payment app is intuitive to use. You enter a custom amount or tap to add an item from your product library. At checkout, you can choose to pay by card or cash.
The app automatically connects with the card machine via Bluetooth when you tap to charge the customer’s card, whereafter the terminal will show the appropriate payment instruction to the customer on its display.
Accepted cards
It takes 2-3 days for payments to reach your bank account, minus the transaction fee. SumUp charges you the card fee for any refunds, if the transaction has been paid out already.
Existing SumUp users also have the option to activate over-the-phone payments at no monthly cost apart from a 2.95% + 25p transaction fee.
Learn more: SumUp review – the easiest, low-cost card reader with app
Most comprehensive free app
Available in white
Fixed rate: 1.75% per transaction
Key-in payments possible
Square Reader is the smallest, most light-weight card machine on this list. Instead of featuring a PIN pad on the card reader, PINs are entered in the free Point of Sale app on your mobile screen. It is literally a square-shaped plastic card machine that is white all over, but the technology makes it just as reliable as standard POS machines.
To get it, you first fill in Square’s sign-up pages online, then order the Square Reader. It takes about four days to get your bank account verified, but you can start taking payments before that.
Square accepts contactless cards and mobile wallets, chip and PIN, and chip and signature cards. Included in the package is also a magstripe reader you can plug into the earphone socket on your mobile device, for international magnetic stripe cards only.
A decent range of cards are accepted, including Visa, V Pay, Visa Electron, Mastercard, Maestro, and American Express. The card machine also accepts Google Pay, Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.
It’s simple to either add items from your product library to the shopping cart, or enter a custom amount at checkout, before choosing how your customer wants to pay.
Accepted cards
The mobile device will automatically connect to the card machine – provided it has already been paired with it – when ready to accept the card.
Hands down, the Square POS app has the most features of all the free card machine apps. On top of the free app features relevant to retailers and food-and-drink businesses, you get invoicing and an in-browser virtual terminal for phone payments at no extra monthly cost apart from a 2.5% transaction fee (relevant for other keyed-in payments and swipe). Entering card details in the app is possible at checkout.
Payments are usually deposited in your bank account the day after each transaction, depending on your bank’s processing times. Refunds are free to process, i.e. both the transaction amount you received and Square’s fee are returned to the customer.
Learn more: Square card reader review: should the lack of a PIN pad be a deal-breaker?
Accepts PayPal and major cards
Available in black
Card fees: 2.75%–1% + other charges
Fees depend on volume and card type
The PayPal Here card machine is integrated with your PayPal Business account for an overview of both face-to-face and online PayPal transactions. The machine accepts contactless, chip and PIN, chip and signature and swipe cards, and comes in black only.
All you need to get started is order the card machine from PayPal’s website and download the free PayPal Here app on your tablet or smartphone. If you don’t already have a PayPal account, you will be prompted to sign up for one. Verifying your bank account is usually quick, but some cases may require additional documentation.
While other card machines on our list automatically deposit transactions to your bank account, PayPal Here payments go directly into your PayPal account. In most cases, this transfer is immediate, but you then need to manually withdraw this money to your associated bank account.
The card reader only accepts the major cards Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard, Maestro and Amex, but also Apple Pay and Google Pay.
The payment app has the most important features needed for a mobile point of sale.
Accepted cards
You also have the option to send electronic invoices and take payments over the phone – both of which incur higher fees than contactless and chip payments.
The fee system is complicated, to say the least. PayPal Here operates on a sliding fee scale starting at 2.75% per transaction until you sell for over £1,500 per month where it goes down to 1.75%. Above £6,000 per month, you pay 1.5%, and 1% if you sell for over £15K. Because this is calculated on a per-month basis, you pay the fee qualified for the previous month. If you sell for less than that this month, your fee will be higher next month.
Chip and contactless Amex cards are always charged 2.75%, manual entry and swipe cards 3.4% + 20p, and foreign cards have additional fees added on top.
In other words, PayPal has no “simple fixed rate”, so your costs can vary month on month.
Learn more: PayPal Here UK review: is it competitive with SumUp and iZettle?
24/7 phone support
Available in black
Fees depend on turnover and more
Traditional payment company
Worldpay Reader is Worldpay’s attempt to break into the app-based mobile payment market. It is the priciest card machine on this list, costing £69 + VAT + purchase fee if you choose the pay-as-you-go plan without lock-in. After that, you pay a card fee determined by your monthly turnover, plus extra fees for premium cards and transaction authorisation fees. There is also a rental plan starting at £4.99/month, but this involves an 18-month contract.
You can order the Worldpay Reader card machine by signing up online, after which you will receive a quote on the fees.
Do note 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, they require PCI compliance, and if you fail to complete certain paperwork, you will be charged a £9.99 PCI non-compliance fee every month.
Worldpay only accepts Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay, and settlements take up to three days. The card machine is the same as that used by PayPal Here.
The accompanying Worldpay POS app is straightforward and frequently updated. There’s a product library with images that you can tap to add to the basket, or enter a custom item, before proceeding to payment by card.
Accepted cards
The mobile device will connect with the card machine through Bluetooth so the customer can enter their PIN on its keypad, swipe a card or tap a contactless card, phone or Apple Watch.
Worldpay’s main advantage is their free phone support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Learn more: Worldpay Reader review: mobile payment terminal from a traditional provider
Not making the cut
Barclaycard Anywhere is another card machine of the same model used by PayPal Here and Worldpay. It doesn’t make the cut, largely because the app is buggy and very basic, although the card fee is the lowest of all fixed rates: 1.6%. But given the fact it only accepts a few card brands and uses an unreliable app, we consider it too risky for merchants reliant on a smooth experience.
The Shopify POS card reader also comes with the attractive 1.7% rate, but this requires a Basic Shopify package for £23 per month. Shopify POS and the card reader can make sense for businesses with a significant online sales volume and who already use Shopify for their online store.
A few services have gone out of business: Elavon MobileMerchant (replaced by other terminals offered by Elavon), WorldPay Zinc (replaced by Worldpay Reader), Payatrader and Intuit Pay. We believe these did not measure up to the current top five. In the end, the fittest survive, which is good news for small businesses.
