At Mobile Transaction, we have spent the last ten years testing and comparing card machines so you don’t have to. The models in shops and on my desk used to be clunky, but now there are many sleek 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 £200k per month. I’ll reveal which one I wish I had when working in retail full-time, but depending on your needs, another one might suit you better.
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. I like them because they have no contract, are 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 buying the card machine.
| Card machine | Fees | Editor’s opinion |
|---|---|---|
|
Square Reader |
Purchase: £19–£149* No monthly fee or lock-in Transaction fee: 1.75% Quick online sign-up |
“Square keeps improving and has the most extensive free POS and payment tools for all situations, including several fast transfer options” |
|
takepaymentsplus |
Rental: £7.50 – £25*/mo 1- or 12-month contract Mix of costs Transaction fees: Custom Personalised onboarding |
“The tailored packages and friendly service are among the best for a card turnover above £2k+/mo” |
|
SumUp Solo |
Purchase: £22.50–£169 No monthly fee or lock-in Transaction fee: 1.69% Quick online sign-up |
“Some of the cheapest card readers with a low fixed rate, and I love how simple and accessible the add-ons are” |
|
Dojo Go |
Rental: £15+/mo Monthly or 12-month contract Transaction fees: £39.99/mo (fixed) or custom Personalised onboarding |
“Better for businesses making over £10k+/mo. The contracts are fair for the excellent terminal you get” |
|
Worldpay Ingenico DX8000 |
Rental: £17.95+/mo 18-month contract Mix of costs Transaction fees: Custom Tailored quote |
“Trusted provider for companies making £250k+/year. It’s not the most cutting-edge platform, though” |
|
myPOS Go 2 |
Purchase: £29–£229 No monthly fee or lock-in Transaction fees: 1.1%-2.85% + 7p Online sign-up with extra checks |
“The new, flexible card machines work across the EEA and have many extra tools and account features” |
|
Teya Essential |
Purchase: £69-£179/mo No monthly fee or lock-in Transaction fees: 1.49%-1.9% or custom Personalised onboarding |
“Impressed with their easy setup and fair plans for local, small businesses” |
|
PayPal Reader |
Purchase: £29–£249 No monthly fee or lock-in Transaction fee: 1.75% Quick online sign-up |
“Most ergonomic terminals for a small business, but rebrand from Zettle has affected the product” |
|
Barclaycard Smartpay Touch |
Rental: £15+/mo 12-18 months’ contract £150 setup fee Transaction fee: 1.6% Online sign-up and quote |
“Only worth it for existing Barclays customers with a high turnover. The products aren’t the best” |
*Prices exclude VAT.
Best card machines according to our research
We personally test the card machines with specific rating criteria in mind.
The most important criterion for card machines is the product: whether it accepts card payments in person well. We also give higher scores for a wide range of accepted payment methods, long battery life and features beyond the bare essentials.
Apart from the core product, we rate pricing, value-added features (extras), contract conditions, sign-up and transparency, and service in our reviews.
How the card machines compare on these criteria, based on our tests:
| Card machine | Product | Fees | Extras | Contract | Sign-up | Service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 5 | 4.8 | 3.6 |
| Takepayments | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 3.8 |
| SumUp | 4.2 | 4.6 | 4 | 4.6 | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| Dojo | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4 | 4.5 |
| Worldpay | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3 | 4 |
| myPOS | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
| Teya | 4.3 | 4 | 3.7 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.6 |
| PayPal | 4.2 | 3 .7 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 2.8 |
| Barclaycard | 4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.2 | 2.7 |
Summary of the best card machines in each area:
Best product: Takepayments and Worldpay offer the best-quality card machines with the most useful accessories included. Takepayments’ terminals come with tactile stickers for better accessibility, whereas Worldpay is very reliable in its service.
Best fees: SumUp has the lowest fees without a contract, starting at 0.99% per transaction if you go for a subscription. Square comes in second with its reasonable rates, very cheap Square Reader and an instant transfer option. Dojo and Teya have the simplest pricing for a high-end card machine.
Best extras: Square and myPOS have the widest range of value-added features to come with a card machine purchase. This includes online payment methods, POS systems, software integrations and much more.
Best contract: Square comes first with its lack of contract lock-in for all products, without complications. Though similarly commitment-free, SumUp requires lock-in for its EPOS and PayPal’s terms are unpredictable. Teya’s commitment-free plans are best for a merchant service provider.
Best sign-up and transparency: Square offers the easiest sign-up online, with SumUp and PayPal also quick and sales-free. PayPal is the Marmite of the industry, while SumUp may quietly sneak in changes like payout terms. Takepayments supports onboarding well, but could make fees more transparent pre-sales.
Best service: Dojo is most successful at offering a personal service, whereas Worldpay comes second in their support performance.
To learn more about why we gave the above scores, scroll down to read about the individual providers.
| Company | Contract | Purchase* | Monthly fee* | Transactions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square | None | £19–£149 | None | 1.75% |
| Takepayments | 1-12 months | n/a | £7.50-£25 | Custom |
| SumUp | None | £22.50–£169 | £0-£19 | 1.69% or 0.99%-1.99% |
| Dojo | 1-12 months | From £179 | From £15 | 1.2% or custom |
| Worldpay | 18 months | n/a | £17.95-£23 | Custom |
| myPOS | None | £29–£229 | None | 1.1%-2.85% + 7p |
| Teya | None | £69-£179 | None | 1.49%-1.9% or custom |
| PayPal | None | £29–£249 | None | 1.75% |
| Barclaycard | 12-18 months | n/a | £15-£29 | 1.6% or custom |
Fortunately, card machine contracts are no longer allowed to be more than 18 months, but most of our recommendations have either no or a shorter contract anyway.
New and very small businesses (e.g. single-person traders) are best off with a commitment-free card reader without a monthly fee, if unsure of the long-term success of the business, frequency of payments and transaction volume.
Typically, you get customisable and lower transaction rates with a contract. So even though fees are not transparent on a provider’s website, it’s not necessarily a bad thing as long as the tailored rates are presented clearly and in full when getting a quote.
Pros:
Cons:
We’ve always been impressed by Square’s user-friendly card terminals, unique designs and ever-evolving payment features. It’s one of the few commitment-free payment companies I’d wholeheartedly trust to work smoothly, as they invest a lot in their software and very affordable products.
After buying a Square card machine upfront, there’s only really a fixed rate per transaction, so the pricing is extremely simple.
Every time I use Square, I notice new features have been added to the payment app or back office account, or the software on the terminal runs smoother. You can tell they take product development seriously.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
Square sells two card machines from its website: app-based Square Reader and freestanding Square Terminal with a receipt printer.
Square Reader is the smallest, lightest card machine around, but it needs a Bluetooth connection to an app on your phone or tablet. It’s literally square-shaped and made of plastic plastic, but the technology is just as reliable as push-button PIN pad machines.
When a transaction is entered in the iOS or 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 haven’t had any trouble with.
The app makes it simple to add items from a product library to the shopping cart or enter a custom amount, before choosing a payment method.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
Most merchants use the general Square Point of Sale, which has the most POS features out of all free card machine apps in this comparison.
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 POS features built in – perfect as a portable checkout on your premises.
Accepted cards
Square accepts contactless cards, mobile wallets and chip-and-PIN. Apart from the above cards, you can accept Clearpay (buy now, pay later solution) in store and online.
Fees
Square’s fees are simple: purchase a card machine upfront and pay just 1.75% for chip and contactless transactions.
There’s no contract or monthly cost, unless subscribed to one of Square’s countless extra features like specialised POS systems or marketing tools.
| Square Reader | Square Terminal | |
|---|---|---|
| Card machine | Card reader connected to phone/tablet app | Standalone touchscreen terminal (WiFi) |
| Price (purchase) | £19 + VAT | £149 + VAT |
| Offer | ||
| Transaction fee | 1.75% | |
| Contract | No lock-in, no monthly fee | |
| Payouts | Next day (all days) in bank account, instant for 1.5% fee Free instant transfers to Square Card |
|
Payouts and other features
Square’s multiple fast payout options are unparalleled. Firstly, standard transactions are deposited in your bank account the very next day, even on weekends and Bank Holidays.
What’s more, immediate bank account payouts can be activated for 1.5% fee per transaction. If this fee is too much, you can choose to transfer payments instantly – free – to the prepaid Square Card, allowing you to withdraw the funds in cash immediately after transactions.
Among the many additional features, Square offers e-invoices, different types of payment links, phone payments, an online store and self-service payment options.
Signing up
To get started, you complete an online sign-up form, then order the chosen card machine. It took us a few days to get our bank account verified, but you can start taking payments earlier.
Pros:
Cons:
Takepayments is a popular merchant service provider in the UK, with a monthly or 12-month contract. Their card machines are most beneficial with a monthly card turnover of at least £2,000.
The company stood out to us from the start because of its eagerness to give customers fair contracts and a good onboarding experience. The team also understands small business thoroughly, offering some of the best fees for businesses that don’t qualify for low rates elsewhere.
We’ve always had a positive impression of the Takepayments customer service team. They clearly take a smooth onboarding seriously and will go out of their way to offer the best possible solution for your business.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
The most popular package, Takepaymentsplus, is a PAX A920Pro terminal with a large touchscreen, tactile sticker for the visually impaired and SIM card with mobile data.
Its software acts as a complete mobile checkout, proven easy to use in our tests. Among other features, it has a product library and staff sales tracking, so it would work for simple retail, table service and hair salons alike.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
If you want a different high-end card machine, Takepayments offers the Ingenico DX8000 terminal that’s black and also has a large touchscreen.
We find this better for dirty environments, as marks and stains don’t show easily on its dark exterior.
Accepted cards
Fees
Takepaymentsplus costs £25 + VAT per month and has a 12 months’ contract.
This has an early cancellation fee equivalent to buying out the contract applies if you do not give an exit notice of two months during the initial term. 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.
For £7.50 + VAT monthly (Easy Deal) and a £150 + VAT one-off charge, you only get basic payment software on the same terminal to 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.
| Takepaymentsplus | The Easy Deal | |
|---|---|---|
| Card machine | Mobile touchscreen terminal (PAX A920Pro) | |
| Cost (rental) | £25 + 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 |
| Offer | ||
| Transaction fees | 0.3%-2.5% + flat fee 30p refund fee £9 per chargeback |
|
| Payouts | Next day in bank account (free) | |
Transaction fees depend on your average transaction value, turnover and cards accepted, ranging between 0.3%-2.5% + a flat fee. The quoted rates are better if your business usually accepts high transaction values. Fees for refunds and chargebacks also apply.
Takepayments actually signs you up for two contracts: one for themselves and another for the merchant account.
Payouts and other features
Takepayments offers free next-day settlement for eligible users.
Remote payments can also 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, there’s a tPOS package with a touchscreen register and EPOS software tailored to your industry.
Signing up
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 every day within working hours.
Pros:
Cons:
SumUp’s card readers have long been a popular choice among merchants on a budget. Initially known for its beautiful, app-based card reader, the independent Solo terminal has become a staple in British small shops.
SumUp prioritises ease of use and being able to access features on your phone – even building an (extremely basic) online store is done in SumUp App. Those least techy will appreciate how simple their products are.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
SumUp sells three types of card machines: flat-surfaced Air that connects with a phone app, independent Solo with or without the most beautiful, ergonomic receipt printer we’ve tried, and Terminal with a large touchscreen, built-in printer and more POS features than Solo.
Standalone SumUp Solo and Printer is the cheapest card machine with a receipt printer in the UK.
Its black and white touchscreen is visible in bright daylight, with basic software for accepting tips, chip and contactless cards. With no product library or much to impress, we still find it effective for simple transactions.
The printing cradle doubles as a power bank, ideal for both countertops and on the go. It works with WiFi or 4G, since it has a SIM card built in free of charge.
You can also buy SumUp Solo with just a desktop charging stand. Either way, Solo can be taken out of its cradle or printer and put in your pocket for the most compact setup.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
The transaction flow of the SumUp Terminal we tested was easy for us.
The new SumUp Terminal is a more ambitious card machine on par with Takepaymentsplus, but with SumUp’s simple POS features installed. It has a large touchscreen on a slim body with a chunky receipt printer inside the top.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
SumUp’s cheaper card readers (Air, Solo and Solo & Printer) look unique, without push-buttons.
Alternatively, the cheap card reader SumUp Air has been a trusted option for years in the UK. It works with a user-friendly app with features like a product library and cash acceptance.
Accepted cards
Fees
SumUp has one of the lowest fixed card rates, and there is no setup fee or shipping charge. You just pay for your card machine, then a fixed 1.69% fee for chip and contactless payments.
| SumUp Air | SumUp Solo | SumUp Terminal | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card machine | Card reader connected with app | Standalone terminal with or without receipt printer (WiFi, 4G) | Standalone terminal with built-in receipt printer and POS app (WiFi, 4G) |
| Price (purchase) | £22.50 + VAT | £71–£125 + VAT | £169 + VAT |
| Website | |||
| Transaction fee | Pay-as-you-go: 1.69% Payments Plus plan (£19/mo): 0.99%-1.99% |
||
| Contract | No lock-in, no monthly fee | ||
| Payouts | Next day in SumUp Business Account, 2-3 working days in bank account | ||
With a monthly subscription (Payments Plus), the transaction fee drops to 0.99% for domestic consumer cards.
Payouts and other features
It normally takes 2-3 working 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.
SumUp App gives access to payment links, email invoices and a basic online store creator at no monthly cost. A virtual terminal is also available for eligible merchants. Additionally, merchants benefits from extra features like a booking system and cash advance option.
Signing up
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:
Powered by Paymentsense, Dojo offers 12-month card machine contracts for businesses making less than £100k annually through card payments. Higher-turnover merchants can get custom fees on a monthly rolling contract.
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.
I see small shops, market stalls and cafés using Dojo everywhere in London, so Dojo must be doing something right. My own testing of their terminal showed me it’s a good product, but the software features are quite basic.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machine
The Dojo Go 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.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
A smaller card terminal, Dojo Pocket, is available for table service, but this is only for Dojo Go customers who’s renting the PAX A920 terminal as well.
There’s also a Dojo Wired card machine for stationary points of sale or self-service kiosks. Like Dojo’s other card machines, it integrates with many POS systems, so choosing Dojo is also viable for those using specialised EPOS.
Accepted cards
Fees
Dojo Go can now be paid for upfront for at least £179 + VAT, or rented from £15 monthly if your annual card turnover is at least £100k. In addition, there’s a choice of card processing plans: Fix or Flex.
Fix is only for merchants below an annual card turnover of £100k. It charges £39.99 per month which covers transactions up to £3,999 monthly, including Amex.
With an annual turnover above £100k, you can go for Flex with a monthly platform fee of £10 + VAT and custom rates according to sales volume.
| Dojo Go | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card machine | Mobile, standalone touchscreen terminal (PAX A920) | |
| Hardware cost | Pay upfront: From £179 + VAT Pay monthly*: From £15 + VAT/mo |
|
| Card processing fees | Fix plan: £39.99/mo (fixed) for transactions up to £3,999/mo, 1% for transactions above Flex plan*: £10 + VAT/mo platform fee, custom transaction fees |
|
| Contract | Monthly* or 12 months No setup fee Early termination fee applies |
|
| Payouts | Next day in bank account (free) | |
| Offer | ||
*Requires an annual turnover above £100,000.
We don’t recommend Dojo to merchants making much less than £8.5k monthly, as the monthly fixed cost of transactions would then make the average transaction fee high.
On the other hand, of you’re locked into another card machine contract, Dojo can pay up to £3,000 of the exit fees to your old payment provider.
Payouts and other features
You get free next-day payouts with Dojo – including Bank Holidays and weekends – which is faster than most payment providers can guarantee.
Ecommerce integration and payment links can be set up for slightly higher transaction fees.
Signing up
To sign up, you need to complete an online form to request a quote from Dojo. If onboarding goes smoothly, you should be up and running within a week.
Pros:
Cons:
A major credit card processor in the UK, Worldpay continues to be a popular choice, especially for merchants making over £250k annually. You can choose to rent a countertop, mobile or portable card machine with a contract of 18 months.
Worldpay is more traditional in its approach to product development. Although the card machines are high quality, the backend software is still behind when it comes to design and usability.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
Worldpay’s 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.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
Worldpay accepts most cards, though American Express requires a separate agreement.
Accepted cards
Fees
Card machine rental starts at £17.95 + VAT for a standard model (Ingenico Desk/5000), and then you have transaction charges and merchant account fees on top. While SumUp and Square use their own merchant account for card processing, Worldpay gives you a unique merchant account that’s better for payment stability.
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 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card machines | Countertop (Ingenico Desk 5000), portable or mobile (Axium DX8000) | |
| Cost (rental) | £17.95-£23 + VAT/month | |
| Transaction fees | Custom, or fixed rates from 1.5% | |
| Contract | 18 months No setup fee Monthly min. charge depends on plan Early termination fee applies |
|
| 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.
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.
Payouts and other features
Worldpay offers next-working day settlement.
It’s also possible to set up email invoicing, an online payment gateway (for ecommerce), virtual terminal for phone payments and payment links have an additional monthly cost.
Support and signing up
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.
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.
On paper, myPOS holds great promise with its cross-border account features and highly flexible products. But for UK businesses, it’s not one of the quickest (or cheapest) card machines to get started with.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
myPOS sells a choice of card machines to meet the needs of any merchant. They all come with WiFi connectivity and a SIM card connecting with the local mobile network anywhere in the UK and EEA to process chip, swipe and contactless card payments.
The lowest-cost option is myPOS Go, which is in fact the cheapest standalone card reader in the UK. It looks simple, but exceeds even SumUp with its preauthorisation payments and ability to sell mobile top-ups.
If you get the bundle that includes a charging and printing dock (£169 + VAT), you can print receipts too.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
Our myPOS Go 2 worked fine, but is not the sturdiest card reader we’ve tested.
Standalone myPOS Ultra features multiple days’ battery power and a large touchscreen. Its selection of optional apps elevates it from a simple card machine to portable POS system. It comes with a built-in receipt printer too.
Accepted cards
Fees
myPOS has no lock-in contract or ordinarily a monthly fee. That said, a couple of inactivity fees amounting to £45 monthly kick in after 10 months of no transactions, so you do have to cancel the account by then to avoid those charges.
Transaction fees are 1.1% + 7p for domestic or EEA consumer Visa or Mastercard cards, 2.45% + 7p for Amex and 2.85% + 7p for all other debit and credit cards.
Other charges apply to certain account activities like cross-border transfers and chargebacks.
Payouts and other features
Transactions settle straight away in the complimentary business account, whereafter you can manually transfer (or schedule) funds to your bank account for £1.50 per payout.
Signing up
myPOS’s sign-up process is a bit longer than other pay-as-you-go services, as you’ll need to submit documentation and complete a video identification call. When ordering a card machine, myPOS also adds a £6 shipping charge.
Pros:
Cons:
Previously SaltPay, Teya was launched two years ago in the UK as a simplified card machine solution for small-to-medium businesses.
It is particularly good for companies with a physical local presence, such as corner shops, cafês, barbers, dry cleaners and independent retailers, because you also get some useful extras to boost the online presence so new customers can find you.
I found Teya’s card machine extremely easy to set up and use, and the support team is refreshingly honest in its guidance to new merchants.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
The main card machine is a PAX A920Pro smart POS terminal with a large touchscreen and receipt printer, a step up from the original PAX A920.
It comes with a white desktop holder and lime-coloured silicone casing to protect it from wear and tear. Its complimentary SIM card with unlimited free data enables you to use it straight out of the box, though WiFi can be set up too.
The payment app on the terminal is quite basic, allowing you to enter a transaction amount, add a transaction reference (if relevant) and proceed to accept a chip and PIN card or contactless payment. Some additional functions can be switched on, like tipping, Dynamic Currency Conversion or preauthorisations if you’re a hotel.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
Another model has been launched too: the Sunmi P2 Pro touchscreen card machine (Teya Pro). This is pricier than PAX A920Pro (Teya Essential), but with better speed, screen resolution and battery performance.
The cheaper Teya Go is also a decent alternative for using out and about with its SIM connectivity. It looks a bit like a mobile phone, but accepts chip and contactless payments in about a second.
When we received the PAX terminal for testing, it was extremely easy to set up. The long-lasting battery comes fully charged and the terminal has clear, simple instructions so it only takes minutes to accept the first card.
Accepted cards
Fees
Teya used to offer terminal rental plans, but has simplified the package so you can just pay upfront for your choice of card machine, followed by no monthly fee.
In the past, this gave you a terminal lease of 3 years, where you could leave Teya and return the terminal any time. The website doesn’t state this any more, but we suggest asking about it as Teya isn’t always transparent about terms.
Generally, no 30- or 60-day termination notice is required on any of Teya’s plans, as seen with other merchant service providers. You just request cancellation, and the contract ends the same day.
| Teya | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card machine | Mobile, standalone touchscreen terminal (PAX A920Pro, Sunmi P2 Pro or Teya Go) | |
| Cost | Pay upfront: £69-£179 + VAT No monthly fee |
|
| Transaction fees | Via and Mastercard: 1.49% American Express: 1.9% Custom plans available for £10k+/mo turnover |
|
| Contract | No lock-in or setup fee | |
| Payouts | Next working day in bank account (free) or Teya Business account (free) | |
| Offer | ||
Merchants pay 1.49% for Visa and Mastercard transactions and 1.9% for Amex. These fees cover PCI-DSS compliance, chargebacks and everything else traditional providers tend to charge extra for. The chip and tap rates even apply to payment links sent from the terminal.
Businesses accepting over £10k monthly can negotiate custom fees and monthly or annual terminal rental.
Payouts and other features
Transactions settle in your bank account the next working day morning or the Teya Business Account with a debit card and 0.5% cash-back.
The card machines work on its own or integrated with certain POS systems. If more point of sale features are needed, it’s possible to download the Loyverse POS app on the terminal for a free, portable checkout with a product library.
There’s no direct integration with accounting software, only some basic end-of-day reports and exports of card sales.
Support and signing up
Teya likes to meet its merchants in person for onboarding, so the service is good at the start.
Over the past year, Teya has expanded its support hours to cover weekends too, not just weekdays. And if a terminal breaks down, a new one is therefore sent (free) for the next working day.
Pros:
Cons:
Zettle used to be the leading card reader company in the UK, but was bought and rebranded by PayPal. What used to be Zettle Reader and Zettle Terminal are now PayPal Reader and PayPal Terminal, with blue details instead of purple.
During the rebrand, the product has given way to Square and SumUp competing in the same segments. The two latter has added more functionality in recent years, and SumUp’s transaction fee is the best in market for new businesses.
Still, PayPal sells a great card reader and terminal for no monthly fee, just a pay-as-you-go transaction rate.
PayPal’s card readers are among the best in terms of how easy they are to use, but PayPal’s rebrand of the products has not improved them much from Zettle’s original versions, only changed the look.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
In other words, PayPal Point of Sale is a more stripped-down product than Zettle, but connected with PayPal’s other features which some merchants will like.
Card machines
Tamper-proof PayPal Reader (upgraded version of Zettle Reader 2) comes in black or white, with a simple push-button keypad and touchscreen display asking the customer to add a tip or enter a PIN. The card payment machine connects via Bluetooth to a mobile device with the PayPal Point of Sale app to take payments.
The app is user-friendly with important POS features for most businesses. We found it extremely efficient for straightforward payments when testing it, but it is likewise too basic for complicated product ranges.
The company’s latest card machine feels like a smartphone: PayPal Terminal (rebranded version of Zettle Terminal).
It works without a phone or tablet, featuring a touchscreen with the Zettle app installed. The built-in SIM card connects directly with 4G if not using WiFi, and you can get it with a built-in barcode scanner or receipt printer attachment.
Credit: Mobile Transaction
Our Zettle Terminal (now PayPal Terminal) in the optional printing-and-charging dock.
PayPal Point of Sale accepts many card brands for the same fixed percentage, even for foreign and premium cards.
It also recently started to accept keyed entry transactions in the app, but only if the merchant has used a card reader first.
Accepted cards
Fees
There’s no setup or shipping charge, monthly fees or contractual commitment, so all you’re paying is the upfront card machine price and a fixed rate of 1.75% per transaction.
Refunds are free to process, and there’s no monthly minimum charge.
| PayPal Reader | PayPal Terminal | |
|---|---|---|
| Card machine | Card reader connected with mobile app | Standalone touchscreen terminal (WiFi, 4G) |
| Price (purchase) | First one: £29 + VAT Extras: £69 + VAT Shipping fee applies |
Without barcode scanner: £149 + VAT With barcode scanner or printer: £199 + VAT With barcode scanner + printer: £249 + VAT Shipping fee applies |
| Transaction fee | 1.75% | |
| Contract | No lock-in, no monthly fee | |
| Payouts | 1-2 working days in bank account | |
Payouts and other features
Payments are credited to your bank account within 1-2 working days, minus the transaction fee.
The PayPal Point of Sale app allows merchants to send payment links for customers to pay on their phone. Other online payment methods are available via the PayPal platform.
Signing up
Signing up is straightforward: on PayPal’s website, you just fill in some business and bank account details. The company then verifies your identity and performs a credit check. Most merchants are accepted straight away.
Pros:
Cons:
Barclaycard Business is one of the UK’s biggest credit card processors (competing with Worldpay). Many of its card machine contracts are sold through independent sales organisations, but you can also set up a merchant account and rent card payment machines directly from Barclaycard.
Barclaycard is still used by many businesses, but the bank has been slow to take their software into the 21st century. For example, they still promote a card reader with a very outdated app.
Emily Sorensen, Senior Editor at Mobile Transaction
Card machines
Barclaycard offers a range of card machines for portable, stationary and mobile use. They can be integrated with many POS systems or used on their own.
A contract for a mobile Ingenico Move 5000 terminal is 18 months long for a £15 + VAT monthly rental fee. Their recently-launched Smartpay Touch (PAX A920 terminal) with built-in POS features costs £29 + VAT per month to rent on a 12-month contract.
A standard agreement includes acceptance of Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club and Discover, but American Express can be added.
Accepted cards
Fees
Apart from the card machine rental, the merchant account included comes with separate, ongoing costs.
Businesses with a card turnover of less than £200k per year pay a fixed rate of 1.6% for any card accepted. For those with a higher turnover, rates will be tailored and depend on the type of card, transaction value and sales volume.
| Barclaycard Business | ||
|---|---|---|
| Card machines | Countertop, portable and mobile models | |
| Cost (rental) | £15-£29 + VAT/month | |
| Transaction fees | 1.6% fixed rate, or custom fees Fees apply to refunds and chargebacks |
|
| Contract | 12 or 18 months £150 setup fee Monthly min. charge applies £115 + VAT early termination fee |
|
| Payouts | 1-7 working days in bank account (free) | |
A monthly minimum service charge may apply when your turnover does not reach an agreed threshold.
The only way to know about all costs is to ask the bank. Only existing, high-volume Barclays merchants can get lower, custom rates.
The sales reps are not pushy like many merchant service providers, but new account holders need to stomach a £150 setup fee and accept an early termination fee of £115 + VAT at least (which is actually lower than most providers’ exit fees). Other fees for PCI-DSS compliance, refunds, chargebacks and more apply.
Payouts and other features
Payouts take up to 7 working days with a non-Barclays bank account or 1-3 working days with a Barclays account.
Merchants can accept online payments through Barclaycard’s payment gateway and over-the-phone payments through a virtual terminal, but these incur separate costs.
Signing up
The application process is a bit stricter than others, since your borrowing history and financial circumstances are assessed. This means new or financially risky businesses may be rejected.
Up-and-coming alternatives
Sometimes, the best card reader the one designed for your business account.
We considered including Revolut’s card machines and Tide Card Reader on our shortlist above, but we’re not convinced that the products deserve our full approval yet. Let’s have a brief look at them.
Revolut Reader and Terminal – low domestic rate, good account
The black and white card reader from Revolut (£49 + VAT) connects wirelessly with the Revolut app. Our experience of testing it has been mixed, with bugs and slow customer support to begin with, but it’s gradually improved.
For example, more point of sale (POS) features have been added to the app, but it took me some time to get used to finding the card reader function when I needed it. This was complicated by Revolut withdrawing the function repeatedly, asking me to resubmit proof of my business. So I’d say Revolut Reader probably works best if you’re using it often enough to get used to it.
The newly launched Revolut Terminal holds greater promise. It costs £169, looks smart with its large touchscreen and works independently. The user-friendliness is better, since you don’t have to go through the Revolut app to use it.
Freelancers can sign up very easily for the Revolut Pro account, whereas companies need Revolut Business with stricter verifications.
Revolut Terminal and Reader
Pros:
- Revolut Terminal is good value
- Low card rate for domestic consumer cards (0.8% + 2p)
- Convenient for impromptu payments
Cons:
- Only works with a Revolut account
- Card reader feels a bit cheap, with a visibly pixellated screen
- Reader’s flow feels a bit tedious (unless Revolut POS is used)
- If not used actively, you might have to verify the account repeatedly
Tide Card Reader – most affordable standalone terminals
Tide offers two freestanding card terminals:
- Card Reader: Small, smartphone-like card reader with very basic payment features (from £89 + VAT)
- Card Reader Plus: Larger touchscreen terminal with receipt printing and more software features (from £99 + VAT)
Our experience is that the product is still under development with important limitations, so it’s only worth considering as a Tide account holder. That said, we’ve noticed the business account has improved with more payment features over the past year.
Types of terminals
Listing merchant service providers is not always helpful when you have a particular type of card machine in mind, irrespective of brand.
So let’s look at what type of payment terminals we have, to have a better idea of which are suitable for your needs. We consider these the key aspects:
- Is it freestanding? This refers to whether it works on its own, without connecting with an external POS system or mobile device app.
- Does it connect with WiFi? If it does, it is basically wireless, portable and suitable for carrying around premises with a secure WiFi network.
- Does it connect with 4G? If it does, it is classed as a mobile card terminal. This typically comes with its own SIM card with data included.
- Does it print receipts? Most card machines can send email or text receipts, but not all have a receipt printer built in or attached.
Card readers linked with a mobile device
Let’s start with the card readers that don’t work on their own:
| Card reader | Standalone | WiFi | 4G | Printer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Square Reader | No | Via mobile device | Via mobile device | Integrations available |
| SumUp Air | No | Via mobile device | Via mobile device | Integrations available |
| PayPal Reader | No | Via mobile device | Via mobile device | Integrations available |
Square Reader, SumUp Air and PayPal Reader are operated through a phone/tablet app wirelessly linked to the card reader via Bluetooth. They do not accept cards independently. This makes them cheaper, with the added value of a free app that works as a portable POS system.
As a downside, you’ll need a stable Bluetooth connection to pair a phone with the card reader. We know some users (not all) of SumUp Air have frequently had to reconnect with the phone to take a card payment, which can be awkward when customers are waiting.
Independent, receipt-printing terminals (purchase less than £200)
In contrast, myPOS Go 2, SumUp Solo and PayPal Terminal are freestanding terminals purchased with or without a receipt printer attachment.
The SumUp and myPOS printers double as a mobile power bank, whereas PayPal’s has to be plugged in to charge the card reader and printer.
| Card machine | Standalone | WiFi | 4G | Printer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| myPOS Go 2 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, with attachment |
| SumUp Solo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, with attachment |
| PayPal Terminal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, with attachment |
| SumUp Terminal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Square Terminal | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, built in |
The cheapest independent card reader is myPOS Go 2, but the optional receipt printer bumps up the price considerably.
Square Terminal is the odd one out, because it comes with a receipt printer built in, so no additional attachment is required. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work with mobile networks so you can only use it around fixed premises with a secured WiFi network.
The latest SumUp Terminal is only slightly more expensive than Square Terminal and comes with 4G connectivity, so this is a better choice for mobile merchants.
PAX A920 touchscreen terminal (rental or lease)
Of the more sophisticated touchscreen terminals, PAX A920 is a recurring model offered by Takepayments, Dojo, Teya and Barclaycard. This is a popular terminal with a receipt printer, adaptable POS features, WiFi and mobile connectivity.
Over the recent year, an upgraded version is offered instead by some (not all) of the providers: PAX A920Pro.
| PAX A920 | Pro? | Standalone | WiFi | 4G | Printer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takepayments | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Teya Essential | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Dojo Go | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Barclaycard | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
The real difference between the providers is the software installed on PAX A920. Every solution comes with its own app that varies in complexity, but they all take card payments anywhere.
Takepaymentsplus and Barclaycard Smartpay Plus include the most advanced on-screen POS features with a product library, whereas Takepayments Easy Deal, Teya and Dojo Go only really take card payments with a basic or no optional transaction description.
Other high-end card machines (for rental or purchase over £200)
What about other high-end terminals? The more sophisticated model, myPOS Ultra, rivals PAX A920. It has a receipt printer and lots of optional apps for e.g. selling mobile top-ups and gift cards.
| Card machine | Type | WiFi | 4G | Printer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Takepayments Ingenico Axium DX8000 | Mobile, touchscreen, independent, optional till integration | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Worldpay Ingenico Axium DX8000 | Mobile, touchscreen, independent, optional till integration | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Worldpay Ingenico Desk 5000 | Stationary, with cable, push-button, optional till integration | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| myPOS Ultra | Mobile, touchscreen, independent | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
| Barclaycard Ingenico Move 5000 | Mobile, push-button, independent | Yes | Yes | Yes, built in |
Worldpay offers its own touchscreen terminal: Axium DX8000, which is the same as Takepayments’ DX8000 terminal. It has a simple payment app for contactless and chip and PIN acceptance, but the model – along with its Ingenico Desk 5000 – also integrates with POS systems.
Barclaycard offers the cheapest push-button card machine: Ingenico Move 5000. But we’re noticing payment providers phasing out push-button models in favour of portable touchscreen terminals such as PAX A920, so Ingenico Move (or Desk) 5000 may not be around for much longer.
Summary of solutions:
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