7 best card machines and mobile card readers for small businesses

Card machines can initially seem deceptively simple, but there’s a number of crucial factors to consider before choosing the best one for your small business – especially if you want to avoid hurting your bottom line with costly ongoing transaction charges.

As well as fees, you’ll need to weigh up the price of the card machine itself, the security measures it comes with, how quickly it transfers money to your bank account, and the suitability of the card reader model for your environment. The Square Terminal, for example, is suited to being left on the countertop of a cafe or salon, whereas the takepaymentsplus is easier to carry around a restaurant.

Using in-depth data and analysis from our dedicated research team in conjunction with hands-on user testing, we’ve put together a list of the top seven best card machines and readers to help your business flourish.

Comparison table

Below, we’ve rounded up our top picks of the best card machines, with essential need-to-knows including key features, prices, and credit card transaction fees:

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FEATURED PROVIDER	BEST OVERALL
Tide Card Reader Plus	takepaymentsplus	Barclaycard Smartpay Touch	Square Terminal	Zettle Reader 2	Clover Flex	SumUp Air
Best for Best for data and reporting	Best for All-round card reader	Best for If you’re already banking with Barclays	Best for Those who need an all-in-one solution	Best for Integrating with a POS system	Best for Sleek, modern hardware	Best for A quick and easy setup
Card machine score 4.3	Card machine score 4.7	Card machine score 4.3	Card machine score 4.1	Card machine score 4.0	Card machine score 3.9	Card machine score 3.8
Lowest transaction fee 1.5% 1% for the first 3 months and £150 cashback with the code EARNMORE	Lowest transaction fee Quote-based	Lowest transaction fee 1.6% (but bespoke quotes are available for businesses with a high sales volume)	Lowest transaction fee 1.75%	Lowest transaction fee 1.75%	Lowest transaction fee 0.2%	Lowest transaction fee 1.69%
Monthly cost None	Monthly cost £25 + VAT	Monthly cost £15 + VAT	Monthly cost None	Monthly cost None	Monthly cost None	Monthly cost None
Payout time One to three business days	Payout time Next business day	Payout time One to two business days	Payout time One business day (barring Friday and Saturday)	Payout time One to two business days	Payout time One business day (with Clover’s “faster funding”)	Payout time One to three business days (barring Friday and Saturday)
Contract length No contract required	Contract length One month minimum	Contract length 12 months	Contract length No contract required	Contract length No contract required	Contract length No contract required	Contract length No contract required

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1. takepaymentsplus: best all-round card reader

The takepaymentsplus card machine. Source: Startups.co.uk

How much does it cost?

takepayments stands out from its competitors by offering to tailor a bespoke transaction fee – as opposed to a standard fee – based on your business’ turnover and the kind of transactions you’ll be accepting. This will be hugely beneficial if you want more control over your spending.

You’ll have to keep in mind, though, that takepayments charges a flat £25 per month fee for using the platform. To put this into context, only one other card reader provider on this list, Barclaycard, charges a monthly fee and it’s £15 per month, so comparatively takepayments’ fees are high. Although, if you can negotiate good bespoke transaction fees, it might be worth paying the monthly fee.

What you need to know about the takepaymentsplus

The takepaymentsplus immediately stood out as a light and easy card machine to handle – especially compared to competitors like the beefier Tide Card Reader Plus – ideal for wait staff to carry around a busy cafe all day. The warm and colourful interface made it really simple to navigate around, making processing payments a cinch, and restaurant and bar staff will also appreciate the gratuity feature, which makes adding tips a breeze.

While testing it out, we loved how easily we could access in-depth reports straight from the card machine. Making quick adjustments or back-end changes on the card terminal was so fast and painless – issuing a refund in particular stood out as super fast and easy. Essentially, it’s a fully-integrated POS (point of sale) system you can fit in the palm of your hand. Plus, it’s worth knowing that takepayments offers lightning fast next business day payouts – it’s the only card machine provider on this list that does.

Some small quality of life issues did crop up during testing, including a difficulty in printing off reports. But the really key thing to be aware of is the fact that this card reader is leased on a monthly basis. If you’d rather pay upfront and own your card machine outright, take a look at the Clover Flex instead.

What our researchers think

I loved the takepayments plus card reader. It was super lightweight which made it easy to carry round and serve customers and with the built-in printer I could do everything portably. The interface was really easy to operate and adds items to a basket similar to how you would do online shopping. This is perfect for any sector and can be used with their countertop POS system too!

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

2. Barclaycard Smartpay Touch: best if you’re already banking with Barclays

The Barclaycard Smartpay Touch. Source: barclaycard.co.uk

How much does it cost?

For newer businesses that are taking mostly low-value transactions, Barclaycard starts its processing fees at a very reasonable 1.6% per transaction, which is on the lower end of average. It does also offer a bespoke variable monthly cost plan for more established businesses taking in a higher volume of sales.

You do need to bank with Barclays in order to use its card machines, however, if you’re looking to switch over from your current bank, Barclays can offer up to a very generous maximum of £3,000 to assist with any exit fees you’ll incur.

What you need to know about the Barclaycard Smartpay Touch

If your business is already banking with Barclays and is now looking to take card payments in person, this card reader is a no-brainer. It’s also a perfect fit for businesses that spend the bulk of their operating hours out and about – food trucks, stalls, and travelling workers – thanks to its nifty ability to accept credit and debit card payments using a connected smartphone or tablet’s mobile data. It can also last all day on a single charge!

The card reader is a great fit for the food and beverage industry, as it functions as a fully integrated handheld POS system. We particularly liked that it offers the ability to distinguish between different courses, separating starters, mains and snacks into separate areas on the interface for easy order-taking. The 24/7 active fraud monitoring will also take the stress out of any high-value transactions, such as jewellery or vehicles.

The Smartpay Touch is not without its drawbacks, though – we found the inventory function time-consuming, and its responsiveness could be slow. If you’re operating in a fast-paced, high pressure environment, this might not be the ideal reader for you. Its lack of offline functionality was also a miss for us, but the Clover Flex can provide this instead.

What our researchers think

I was a huge fan of the Barclaycard device thanks to its capacity as a miniature POS device. I could add my products in and have these ready to select when a customer ordered them. The use of colours on their interface was really smart and made it easy for me to navigate through the screens. As well as this the device itself was lightweight and easy to hold in the hand, which meant I could use this on the go all day.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

3. Tide Card Reader Plus: best for data and reporting

How much does it cost?

Tide offers a free plan to help you get started without any upfront costs, and when processing payments, it currently only charges a flat 1% transaction fee for three months (when you use the code EARNMORE at the checkout). This is at the cheaper end of the processing fee spectrum, and so if you’re particularly budget-conscious, Tide’s free plan and reasonable fees are definitely worthy of consideration.

What you need to know about the Tide Card Reader Plus

When we took the Tide Card Reader Plus for a spin ourselves, we were pleased to discover how user friendly and intuitive it was – actions like charging customers and inputting costs were simple and easy. Another major benefit of using the Tide Card Reader Plus is that you’ll gain access to its extensive dashboard and advanced reporting tools, so if you’re keen to see and act on in-depth data, the Tide Card Reader will have you covered.

The Tide Card Reader Plus’s major strength, though, is its stripped down simplicity. If you want a minimalist card reader that isn’t cluttered up with an overly complicated interface, and also won’t lock you into monthly fees, this card reader is a strong and simple option.

Our testers did discover some frustrations though — for example, it was difficult to make quick adjustments once a price had been added (you have to cancel the transaction and start from scratch if you want to change the amount). If you’re working in a fast-paced environment, this is the type of design issue that could really slow you down. You might want to consider the Square Terminal as a faster alternative.

What our researchers think

I liked that it didn’t have any other apps to make the process harder and kept it simple. I also liked that they went for a dark mode theme throughout and this might suit bars and nightclubs well, so there isn’t a bright screen lighting up. The hardware itself had a really big screen and gave really clear visual feedback when a payment was authorised or refused.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

4. Square Terminal: best for those who need an all-in-one solution

The Square Terminal in action at Got That Crystal Healing, a shop in Shoreditch, London. Source: Startups.co.uk

How much does it cost?

Square offers a free plan that comes with a 1.75% transaction fee for any payment taken by contactless, chip and PIN, or swiped – in other words, any card-present sale. Fee-wise, this is roughly on par with Zettle by PayPal, but not quite as competitive as Barclaycard’s rates. Essentially, it’s about average compared to the other card machine providers on this list.

That said, you’ll want to take note that transactions that are manually keyed-in via the Square Point of Sale app will be subject to an aggressive 2.5% fee, so be careful not to get caught out by this.

What you need to know about the Square Terminal

The Square Terminal’s sleek, modern interface, combined with some stellar hardware design, results in a pretty first-rate card machine that’s quick to set up and simple to use. This user-friendly machine has a slight edge over competitors like the Clover Flex, and its wide display makes it nice and easy for your customers to see their transaction total.

Overall, the Square Terminal is smooth to navigate around. In particular, being able to make quick sales amendments on the fly is incredibly helpful, and we loved how easy it was to switch back and forth from the price input screen to the product. If you do come across any major issues when using the Square Terminal, you’ll have the peace of mind of Square’s 24/7 phone support.

While the Square Terminal can be carried around by staff, we did feel that its natural home is on the countertop rather than in hand, due to its shape. We would have also liked to have seen Square include an option for using mobile data to take payments. If this is something you’ll need, take a look at the Barclaycard Smartpay Touch instead.

What our researchers think

I loved the Square Terminal as I think it can truly suit any business! The interface is really modern and easy to navigate around and if you’ve used any Square products before you’ll find it really easy to learn. The hardware itself is probably the most modern and sleek of any on the market and makes a great countertop device for any retail or food & drink business.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

5. Zettle Reader 2: best for integrating with a POS system

The Zettle Reader 2. Source: Startups.co.uk

How much does it cost?

Zettle by PayPal charges a 1.75% transaction fee for standard payments via credit or debit card (and PayPal QR codes), but it bumps up the cost to a more painful 2.5% for payment links and Zettle Invoices. The standard 1.75% fee is about average – but it’s not quite as affordable as SumUp or Square’s rates. Ultimately, if you think the Zettle Reader 2 is the perfect card reader for your business, the transaction fees shouldn’t be a deal breaker – but they’re nothing to write home about either.

It’s also worth noting that, if you’re taking £10,000 in card payments every month year-round, Zettle by PayPal will offer to create a custom plan for you.

What do you need to know about the Zettle Reader 2

The Zettle Reader 2 is controlled via a well-designed app that’s extremely easy to navigate, allowing for quick payments. It can also easily link to your PayPal account, which means you can input the amount you want to charge on either the reader’s app or the PayPal app, giving you a decent amount of control.

A concern that was raised in our testing, though, is that the card reader lacks privacy when a customer is inputting their PIN information. If you’re dealing with an older clientele that might be more security conscious, this could be an issue for you. However, you can take some comfort in the fact that Zettle by PayPal offers 24/7 fraud protection and transaction monitoring.

The simple reader would be suited to smaller-scale setups like little coffee shops, but for larger scale operations that need more advanced features, like printable receipts, the Square Terminal or Tide Card Reader Plus would be more suited.

What our researchers think

The Zettle Reader is a brilliant low cost choice and is especially great for businesses on the move or who don’t want to risk too much money at first. I managed to connect to my Zettle app in less than a minute and then I was ready to start taking payments. The Zettle app itself is really modern and has a really simple menu so you won’t spend ages looking around. I also really liked that the Reader had actual buttons rather than a touchscreen as these gave really nice feedback when entering a pin.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

6. Clover Flex: best for sleek, modern hardware

The Clover Flex. Source: Startups.co.uk 

How much does it cost?

Clover provides a quote-based rate for transaction fees — what you’re charged will depend on your turnover, so you should always read your card machine service agreement with diligence before signing up.

The only other thing to keep in mind is the expensive price tag on the Clover Flex itself, which costs a pretty steep £450 — not ideal if you want to avoid large upfront costs.

It’s worth knowing that, if you want to switch over from your current provider, Clover can offer up to £1,000 to help cover any exit fees you’ll incur.

What you need to know about the Clover Flex

User confidence and speedy payment processes are at the top of the list of what we like most about the Clover Flex. The inventory management system makes it a good fit for the hospitality and retail sectors, as well as its detailed sales reporting. Our users also particularly liked the extra details, such as the satisfying sound effects that sound when you click on the reader.

It also offers a useful automatic offline mode, meaning you can still take payments with no internet available — a great feature if your business is operating in areas with poor signal. While the Clover Flex only boasts an eight-hour battery life, we did like how fast and easy it was to charge up the terminal using its base.

It’s one of the larger devices we tested, though — it felt slightly too large to hold in one hand — so you’ll need to bear that in mind if you want your staff to carry it around. Our users also felt that navigation could be tricky, as the homescreen had a cluttered look to it. The simpler SumUp Air is a good option if you prefer a more minimalist look.

What our researchers think

The Clover Flex is a sleek and modern bit of kit that doesn’t just act as a payment device but essentially as a mini POS. The device has loads of apps that you can take advantage of for reporting and selling and the interface itself is relatively modern. It’s quite a large device which will suit most but not all sellers, so that may be something to bear in mind, but if you want top of the range hardware, this is the one for you.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

7. SumUp Air: best for a quick and easy setup

We observed a SumUp card reader taking payments at Jerry’s, a food and drink kiosk in London. Source: Startups.co.uk

How much does it cost?

SumUp charges a flat 1.69% charge on all transactions. This is cheaper than Zettle by PayPal and Square’s transaction fees — which are already quite competitive — but not quite as cheap as Barclaycard’s, which makes it about average compared to the other readers available. With this in mind, if you want to buy a card reader outright for a cheap price and avoid monthly fees, SumUp is a very strong choice.

Just bear in mind that SumUp can take one to three business days to provide payouts, whereas the standard for many other providers is just one to two days. In addition to this, SumUp does not transfer funds on Fridays and Saturdays, which could be a real issue if your business takes a lot of payments leading up to the weekend.

What you need to know about the SumUp Air

The SumUp Air can easily sync up to your phone, connecting via Bluetooth, for a fast and easy setup. It meant that we could hit the ground running, fully charged and ready to start taking payments in under an hour. Downloading the app and creating an account was a speedy and painless process. Accessing sales reports at the end of the day was also really straightforward.

We really appreciated how small and sleek this card machine is. The lightweight simplicity makes it a great fit for businesses on the go. The interface was modern and simple, especially when compared to more cluttered interfaces, like the Clover Flex’s. However, we did feel that the intensely monochrome interface might not be for everybody.

Our users felt that changing the price of a transaction could have been more straightforward, and they also would have liked more clear confirmation on whether a refund had been processed or not. SumUp’s bare bones approach might not be suited to everyone, and if you think you’d prefer using a built-in touchscreen interface rather than a connected smartphone app, the takepaymentsplus or the Square Terminal might be more useful to you.

What our researchers think

The SumUp Air device is a great choice for businesses just starting out. It’s really small and lightweight, so you can easily pack it away if you’re on the move and connecting it to your phone is really simple too. I liked that they haven’t overcomplicated it with a touchscreen and as a result kept the price low. The app itself is simple with just black and white colours and lands you on the payment screen every time ready to get selling.

Ollie Simpson Senior Research Executive

How we test card processing products and merchant services for small businesses

We tested 26 card machine providers, evaluating them on the criteria we deemed to be most useful and important to our readers, so we can most accurately recommend the right card machines to UK-based small businesses.

During the testing process, we conducted 45 tests over 22.5 hours in total, completing a total of 270 different tasks to thoroughly test out the card machines, how they work, and how easy they are to use.

Our rigorous process explores 78 areas of investigation across 23 subcategories, which themselves fall under four main categories. Having given a score for each of these categories, we then gave these scores a weighting so that the categories we felt were most important would have a larger impact on the card machine’s final overall rating. This is to ensure rankings are based on the most helpful insights to our readers as possible.

Our main testing categories for card machines are:

Hardware: Evaluating the card machines’ charging power, receipt printing, connectivity, and interface.

Software: Assessing suitability for POS integration, as well as how the card machine provider handles payouts, the data and reporting available, which payment types are accepted, what security measures are offered, and more.

Help and support: Appraising the type, availability, and accuracy of the support the platform provides for its merchants.

Pricing: Assessing the transaction fees, contract costs, monthly costs, and upfront fees that the card machine providers charge.

Buying guide: what to look for in a card machine

Here’s a rundown of the key considerations to make when choosing the right card machine for your business:

1. Pricing

You can either buy a card reader in one upfront purchase, or lease it for a monthly charge. Just remember that a higher price tag doesn’t always indicate higher quality.

2. Transaction fees

Transaction fees are charged on every sale, and are a percentage of each transaction’s value. Cheaper fees tend to start at around 1.5%, while more expensive fees sit closer to 3% (some providers will enable you to negotiate rates, so do ask about this if it feels appropriate). Examine whether a provider’s fees are:

• Fixed = the same percentage per transaction no matter what
• Variable = changeable depending on the type of payment, for example credit or debit card
• Tiered or sliding = cheaper the higher your transaction volume

3. Monthly fees

Watch out for sneaky additional monthly charges, such as security licence fees or chargeback charges (a fee incurred when a customer disputes a transaction). Some providers also levy fees for hardware maintenance, customer support access, or software updates. Evaluate these costs against the services provided and ensure they align with your business’s needs.

4. Contract lengths

Assess contract lengths (they’re typically a minimum of one year) and termination clauses, as you might be charged if you leave your contract early. Finding a provider that offers maximum contract flexibility is key, especially if your business is seasonal or just starting out.

Other considerations when choosing a card reader:

• Battery life: for mobile or portable machines, longer battery life means fewer interruptions during transactions, and more satisfied customers
• Accepted payment types: ensure your machine supports major card networks (such as Visa and Mastercard) as well as alternative methods like Apple Pay or Google Pay
• Features: such as inventory management, gratuity allocation and advanced data reporting tools
• Integration capabilities: make sure the card reader you choose is fully compatible with your existing POS system, which can streamline your operation and enhance efficiency
• Compliance: ensure your chosen machine adheres to Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements to safeguard sensitive payment information
• Support options: look for providers that offer reliable customer service, preferably with multiple channels of support
• Fund transfer times: certain platforms will offer next day payouts for your profits, whereas others may take up to three working days to clear