Best Mobile Card Readers for Small Businesses

All providers have been reviewed and tested by our Research team. By requesting a quote, we can match you with a potential supplier, and we may earn a small commission for this referral

Finding a card machine for your business can be difficult. With varying upfront, monthly, and ongoing costs (like transaction fees) as part of different packages, there’s a lot of choice on the UK market in 2024.

To cut through the noise, we’ve researched and tested 18 mobile card machine platforms, ranking them by how they function and what features they offer. We’ve also tallied up the exact fees you can expect to pay with each provider and analysed the customer support and hardware features that you’ll be provided with.

Barclaycard has come out on top, just edging out Square in our weighted scoring criteria for its reliable card reader options at a low monthly fee. But are these the best readers for your business? Read on to find out more about our top five, so you can decide which one is right for your business.


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Barclaycard

Square

SumUp

Zettle

Tide

Score
4.6
Score
4.6
Score
4.3
Score
4.2
Score
4.2
Monthly Fee

None (no contract)

or between £15 to £29 + VAT (varies by hardware; 12-18 month contract minimum)

Monthly Fee

None (no contract)

Monthly Fee

None (no contract)

or SumUp One for £19/mth (month-to-month)

Monthly Fee

None (no contract)

Monthly Fee

None (no contract)

Hardware Cost

Included as part of monthly fee

or purchase outright for £29 + VAT (pocket-sized card reader only)

Hardware Cost

From £19 + VAT

Hardware Cost

From £39 + VAT

Hardware Cost

From £29 + VAT

Hardware Cost

From £89 + VAT

Transaction fee

Highest: 1.6%

Lowest: Quote-based

Transaction fee

Highest: 2.5% (online)

Lowest: 1.75% (in-person)

Transaction fee

Highest: 2.5% (online)

Lowest: 1.69% (in-person) or 0.99% (with SumUp One – £19/mth)

Transaction fee

Highest: 2.5% (payment links or invoicing)

Lowest: 1.75% (in-person or PayPal QR codes)

Transaction fee

Highest: 1.95% (tide payment links)

Lowest: 1.5% (in-person)

Fund transfer time

1-2 business days

Fund transfer time

1 business day

Fund transfer time

1-3 business days

Fund transfer time

1-2 business days

or within minutes via PayPal Business account

Fund transfer time

1-3 business days

Get a Custom Quote for Your Business

If you’re short on time, you can also use our free comparison tool to compare the prices of merchant accounts. By providing us with a few brief details, our tool will match you up with providers who’ll then contact you with obligation-free quotes.

To learn how we picked the top mobile card readers, read our methodology.

1. Barclaycard – Best Mobile Card Reader

Edging out Square by just one and a half percentage points, Barclaycard earned the highest overall score across our five testing categories of hardware, software, support, pricing and usability.

As you might expect, we think it does a lot right. Here’s a rundown of what it can offer your small business.

Barclaycard logo
Barclaycard
4.6
Starting fee Bespoke
Quick overview

Barclaycard is the merchant account service offered by the British banking powerhouse, Barclays.

Our experts praised its mobile card readers, namely the Smartpay Touch, for their simplicity and ease of use, offering quick setup and intuitive navigation with vivid product imagery.

It simplifies payment processing with preset item prices and easy refund options, though responsiveness and screen aesthetics could be improved.

Suited for those banking with Barclays only, it also lacks offline mode and broader bank compatibility. But it came out on top compared to all our tested mobile card readers and is undoubtedly a solid choice for your business.

Strengths

User-friendly interface

Lightweight and portable card readers

24/7 customer support

Weaknesses

Only suitable for Barclays business bank accounts

No offline mode

Support not available through live chat or forum

Pricing
Transaction feeHardware
From 1.6% (quote-based) Included in £15 to £29 monthly fee
or purchase pocket-sized card reader outright £29 + VAT

Where Does Barclaycard’s Mobile Card Reader Shine?

During our usability testing of Barclaycard’s Smartpay Touch card reader, we were appreciative of how simple its handheld POS system made making a payment. After setting up a float to start the day you are straight into selling your products all on the card reader – unlike, say, SumUp which requires you to scroll down on its app to find your inventory.

barclaycard smartpay touch device on a wooden table being pressed by a person's finger
We tested the Barclaycard Smartpay Touch mobile card reader and enjoyed its use of vivid product imagery - Source: Barclaycard

It has separate areas for things such as starters, mains, and snacks (in the food and beverage industry model we tested) all with imagery making navigation easy.

Taking payment is painless too: each item has a pre-set price setup on it (setup via your POS portal on PC or tablet) which is then added to the basket before you click pay to finalise the bill. You can remove an item or cancel the sale in one click to start over, too, and easily issue a refund using the ID number found on a receipt (although if there was also an option to select a recent transaction that would be beneficial to businesses working at pace).

The hardware itself also impressed us. The Barclaycard Smartpay Touch device we tested is lightweight, making it easy to hold in one hand despite featuring a built-in printer. It’s the most feature-rich option available via Barclaycard for £29 + VAT per month on a 12-month contract minimum and has a charge that lasts all day.

There are two other mobile card readers Barclaycard offers at varying costs and contract lengths, as you can see below, all with the same transaction fees from 1.6%.

barclaycard card readers as shown on its website
Barclaycard advertises three different card readers, with each offering different features, contract lengths and price points - Source: Expert Market

It’s worth stating that Barclaycard users can get quote-based transaction fees customised to their business needs, especially if they take high-volume or high-value transactions. Barclaycard also provides up to £3,000 in switching fees for merchants trying to exit a current contract, which is an appealing signing-on bonus.

Elsewhere, Barclay’s active fraud security monitoring transactions gave us peace of mind and should be especially valuable to businesses making high-value sales.

You also get 24/7 customer support to help when you need it. Barclaycard’s support options aren’t as extensive as Square’s, which adds live chat and a forum to Barclaycard’s phone, email and knowledge centre options, but we think having 24/7 availability on limited lines is preferable to the former’s eight-hour weekday coverage. Only Tide matches Barclaycard for its any-hour help.

How Could Barclaycard Improve Its Mobile Card Reader?

There isn’t a whole lot wrong with Barclaycard’s card readers, with it earning the joint highest hardware score from the options on this page, so we’re nit-picking here.

However, we found the Smartpay Touch wasn’t as responsive as Clover’s hardware (not featured on this page due to comparatively poorer performance in other categories). The screen had a slight lag when inputting items, though we’d still say it impressed us more than all other options on this page, besides Tide.

The varied amount of colours on the home screen was a bit overwhelming for some testers and gave the interface a busy look – though whether this is an issue will inevitably vary depending on you and your staff’s preferences. I found it functioned well, even if it’s not as aesthetically pleasing as SumUp’s card reader.

smartpay touch interface
We found the Smartpay Touch interface pretty self-explanatory once you become acquainted with what each abbreviation means - Source: Barclaycard

We’d love to see Barclaycard’s card reader compatible with more banks than just Barclay’s, albeit this sort of limitation isn’t that unusual. Meanwhile, a lack of an offline mode with its card readers could pose a problem for businesses without reliable internet connectivity.

We found its accompanying smartphone software a little more limiting in one area, too: you can’t use its smartphone app for tap to pay on either Android or iPhone – unlike Zettle, Square, SumUp and Tide.

And perhaps crucially for some merchants, Barclaycard doesn’t supply a full, native POS system with the respective hardware, from countertop terminals and cash drawers to scanners and printers. It does integrate with third-party POS systems, so you should be covered if you need anything beyond its handheld POS devices pictured above, but it’s worth checking before you purchase if your hardware makes a good fit.

Who Is Barclaycard’s Card Reader Best Suited To?

Since it is only operational with a Barclay’s bank account, this card reader is best suited to merchants banking with Barclays. Its monthly payment structure will also appeal to businesses looking to avoid paying anything upfront, unlike other options on this page.

Meanwhile, a lack of offline payment support means those requiring functionality even when offline should look at Square instead.

2. Square – Best For Usability

During our testing sessions with Square’s Terminal card reader, we found the device to be the most user-friendly of all the products we tested by a significant margin

Here’s the topline summary of what you need to know about Square and its mobile card reader before we dive into the specifics.

Square
4.6
Quick overview

Square’s Terminal card reader is the most user-friendly option we tested. With its modern interface, large responsive display, and seamless functionality, even offline, it is a superb pick.

It features fast payout rates and low hardware costs, though it does have average transaction fees compared to some competitors. Those needing reliable offline payment options will also be well served by Square

Strengths

Free EPOS app with no contract commitments

Fast payout rate

Full offline capabilities

Weaknesses

Higher transaction fees than some competitors

Limited integration with other POS systems

No multi-currency support by default

Pricing
Transaction fee Hardware
1.75% card transaction From £19
2.5% payment links and invoices

Where Does Square’s Mobile Card Reader Shine?

Square’s modern, sleek interface is paired with a large, responsive display making it easy for customers to see their total while allowing us to operate it efficiently. This meant we could serve a customer faster than some smaller devices we used.

We particularly loved how you can switch between the product and price input screen with ease, as well as make quick sales amendments without needing to cancel an entire order. The layout is nearly identical across all Square hardware, too, so you’ll always be in familiar terrain. 

square terminal on a wooden table
If you’re familiar with any other Square products you’ll find the Square terminal (£149+VAT) easy to use as it follows almost identical layouts and designs across their menus - Source: Square

The card reader is fully functional when offline, too. It goes into offline mode when it loses connection (after initially being enabled first) and automatically processes payments when you get back online.

And with hardware prices starting from the cheapest we’ve seen – £19 + VAT for its Square Reader – its lack of major upfront costs is appealing. Albeit, the Square Terminal we tested retails for more at £149 + VAT, which is more inline with other providers, so this affordability will depend on the option you select.

Besides Worldpay – not listed on this page since it is best suited to business operations dealing with large transaction amounts and turnover – Square also offers the fastest payout rates at just one working day. The next fastest rates are with Barclaycard and Zettle, transferring funds in one to two working days, although it is worth saying that Zettle does offer near-instantaneous payouts for those with a PayPal Business bank account.

All transactions are monitored in real-time for your peace of mind too, with the platform also boasting PCI compliance and holding an ISO 27001 certificate, showing Square’s commitment to data protection.

How Could Square Improve Its Mobile Card Reader?

Our testing team found the Square Terminal wasn’t overly comfortable to hold in hand, so we’d recommend one of Square’s other products for wait staff or businesses where holding the terminal is a regular occurrence. Alternatively, we found Barclaycard’s Smartpay Touch to be light enough to carry around.

While Square has the cheapest hardware around, you’ll be paying back to the merchant account provider in the form of some fairly average transaction fee rates between 1.75% (in-person) and 2.5% (online). They aren’t bad rates by any means, or we wouldn’t recommend Square at all, but Barclaycard, SumUp and Tide all have lower potential transaction fees.

Square also doesn’t allow you to accept multiple currencies, but you can set up accounts in each of the countries your business is located in to accept the local currency. For an easier bet in this regard, Zettle has this included. And you won’t be able to integrate Square with any other POS systems either, since that isn’t supported.

Who Is Square’s Card Reader Best Suited To?

Square’s full POS, payments and e-commerce support make sense for businesses that want to use Square’s free EPOS software alongside the card reader and create a customised and comprehensive system. Likewise, its offline payment functionality means it is a great pick for businesses with spotty internet.

If you require a mobile data connection for your hardware, however, Square is lacking on that front. And if you already have a POS software system and you don’t want to change, we’d also recommend looking towards the more integrable Zettle.

3. SumUp – Best For On-The-Go Businesses

SumUp is well-suited to small mobile businesses since its SumUp Solo card reader (£79 + VAT) supplies a 4G connection to make it easy for businesses to process payments on the road.

Where a Wi-Fi connection may be dodgy or non-existent, this is the perfect choice that undercuts other providers in price. It also means you don’t need to connect your reader to your phone or tablet to access its mobile data or Wi-Fi, which can be problematic if you run into technical issues.

Alternatively, you can connect via either tablet or smartphone using the SumUp Air (£39 + VAT) for even less investment and it’s an equally solid choice to save on spending.

Here’s what else SumUp does well in short, followed by our in-depth discussion of its features.

SumUp
4.3
Quick overview

SumUp offers two effective card readers: the SumUp Solo, which includes a 4G connection ideal for mobile businesses with unreliable Wi-Fi, and the more affordable SumUp Air, which connects via Bluetooth to a phone.

Both devices work offline after syncing, are easy to use, and offer competitive transaction fees and speedy payouts. The SumUp Air has a limited battery life of around 500 transactions and customer support is restricted to weekday hours with no forum. Overall, SumUp is best suited for small, mobile businesses needing reliable payment processing on the go.

Strengths

4G connected reader

Ultra-portable and intuitive to use

Competitive fees and payout speeds

Weaknesses

No forum and support limited to certain weekday hours

Basic interface

Shorter battery life than competitors

Pricing
Transaction fee Hardware
1.69% card transaction From £39
2.5% invoices, online store, and payment links

Where Does SumUp’s Mobile Card Reader Shine?

We primarily tested the SumUp Air, its cheapest card reader, via our smartphone and we were impressed with its functionality.

Likely due to its pocket size, the device charged quicker than others at under one hour. Thereafter, we began taking payments almost immediately after connecting to our phone via Bluetooth. We just needed to download the app, create an account and sync the reader before going to the sale tab, inputting a price and clicking “pay by reader”. 

Alternatively, you can take payments directly from an Android or iPhone with their ‘tap to pay’ feature, as with all the other options on this page besides Barclaycard. This eliminates the need for any hardware or upfront payments whatsoever, which could appeal to startup businesses. 

In general, we found the interface was clean and modern, avoiding the clutter of other providers via a more bare-bones UI. Still, the black and white colour scheme might not be appealing to all users, as sometimes colours can be good indicators of what to click and when.  

sumup app on smartphone showing making a payment
Charging an amount via the SumUp Air card reader is a simple task in the connected smartphone application - Source: Expert Market

Elsewhere, payouts can be speedy at between one and three business days, matching the top fund transfer rates of other providers tested here. They also offer weekend payouts and the ability to customize your deposit schedule to match your own.

Its transaction fees are competitive too, especially when accounting for the low hardware costs and zero contract commitments. The SumUp One subscription, available for £19/mth, is an appealing alternative to get even cheaper transaction fees of 0.99% if you are selling at high volume or high value.


Read more about SumUp pricing for more details.


How Could SumUp Improve Its Mobile Card Reader?

Both the SumUp Solo and SumUp Air card readers cannot be used offline. That means if you don’t have a 4G connection then you won’t be able to take payment. And in the UK, a reliable 4G connection isn’t always a given, particularly in remote regions.

While it charges fast, the SumUp Air only has a battery life of around 500 transactions: the shortest duration we’ve tested. That’s understandable given the reader’s size compared to other POS devices, and 500 transactions isn’t small by any means, but it is something high-volume businesses should be aware of.

SumUp also scores the second lowest total of our top five picks for customer support, as it lacks a forum and, perhaps more importantly, only has support lines open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. Still, its range of help and support options is appealing, with live chat, email, phone and a knowledge centre all present and correct. That matches Zettle and Tide while beating the extent offered by Barclaycard.

Sumup customer support options
SumUp has a number of useful customer support options, such as live chat, but is limited to 8 hours per day from Monday to Friday - Source: Expert Market

Who Is SumUp’s Card Reader Best Suited To?

We recommend SumUp for small businesses that are on the move and need a reader with a 4G connection. Even its non-4G connected card reader, the SumUp Air, is a solid choice for on-the-go operations since it is more portable than any other card reader we’ve tested and works offline if you lose connection.

4. Zettle by PayPal – Best For PayPal Business Account Holders

For PayPal Business account holders, Zettle is an obvious choice.

Besides being designed to work with all things PayPal – naturally, since Zettle was purchased by PayPal back in 2018 (and was since renamed Zettle by PayPal (previously iZettle) in 2021) – Zettle has a specific benefit for PayPal Business account users: near-instantaneous payouts.

With all other options on this page, you’ll need to wait at least one or two business days, and that’s the case with Zettle if you have any other kind of business bank account. But by syncing your payment processing with your bank account, you can access your business income in just a few minutes. And that’s not all: here’s what Zettle can offer your business.

Zettle
4.2
Quick overview

For PayPal Business account holders, Zettle is highly recommended due to its integration with PayPal, offering near-instant payouts when payments are processed through PayPal accounts. This is a significant advantage over other providers, who typically require one or two business days for fund transfers.

On the downside, its transaction fees are relatively high compared to competitors. But its card reader performed well during our usability tests, linking up with the Zettle Go app for painless transactions.

Strengths

Near-Instant Payouts for PayPal Users

Highly compliant and safe for transactions

Free EPOS app and affordable hardware with no commitments

Weaknesses

Transaction fees are higher than competitors

Limited Privacy for PIN Entry on Zettle Reader

No offline mode

Pricing
Transaction feeHardware
1.75% card transactions £29 for first reader
2.5% payment links and invoices

Where Does Zettle’s Mobile Card Reader Shine?

Besides its record payout times for PayPal Business customers, Zettle has a few other tricks up its sleeve.

Namely, we loved how easy it is to get set up and instantly begin selling. It’s small Zettle Reader device we tested didn’t cost a lot to purchase at just £29 + VAT and thereafter, we could easily link to our PayPal account and sell for free without any contract commitments.

The reader itself linked to the Zettle Go app, which meant we could easily charge people what we wanted directly from there or we could manually add the price in ourselves and the haptic buttons gave us great touch feedback, as you see below. Our users felt that the interface was modern and well-suited to all types of businesses.

paying with zettle using card reader on table
After connecting the Zettle Reader to your smartphone application, you are all set to take payment - Source: Expert Market

Zettle also offers strong reporting capabilities, including sales forecasting, inventory management, and staff hours. Zettle offers the second-highest number of reports in our research, after Tide.

And we were fans of Zettle’s 24/7 transaction monitoring for security and fraud protection. With its expensive experience in the virtual payment space, PayPal-backed Zettle is one of the most reliable options for security.

How Could Zettle Improve Its Mobile Card Reader?

We had no problems in taking payment, though the small size of the card reader and the lack of privacy when inputting a pin could put off older customers due to the lack of a “secure feeling”. This may be something to consider, depending on the average age of your customers.

A Zettle card reader on a counter
We examined this Zettle Card Reader 2 as it took payments at Batch1 at Boxpark, London - Source: Expert Market

While Zettle’s strengths are in its features, it doesn’t score too well for pricing since it is one of the more expensive providers we looked at. Namely, Zettle charges 1.75% per card transaction and 2.5% for payment links and invoices, level with Square. The transaction fee impacts every transaction your business processes, so it’s an important consideration that could put off businesses of all kinds.

Who Is Zettle’s Card Reader Best Suited To?

Besides being the clear pick for PayPal Business account holders, Zettle is suitable for businesses that want to focus on processing card transactions with the ability to access EPOS features, such as inventory tools. This should appeal to businesses such as food trucks or mobile businesses that don’t need a comprehensive EPOS system. For more all-encompassing EPOS features, Square is a solid bet.

5. Tide – Best For Reporting

When it comes to reporting tools, Tide has some of the widest array of data visualisation dashboards. You can view all the financial and transaction data from its mobile card reader on your account via the connected application or a web browser. Here’s what else you should know about Tide.

Tide Logo
Tide
4.2
Quick overview

The Tide Card Reader Plus is a solid piece of kit as part of an appealing package. Namely, it offers advanced reporting tools and long battery life, lasting all day on a single charge. It also provides some of the lowest transaction fees among competitors, at 1.5% for in-person transactions.

However, it has major usability concerns as we found it a cumbersome process to adjust prices and issue refunds, which can delay transactions and deter customers. Additionally, the hardware is relatively expensive, starting from £89 + VAT, which may impact its overall attractiveness despite the low fees.

Strengths

Advanced reporting broken down by employee, card type, or item

Lower transaction fees of 1.5%

Long battery life for hardware

Weaknesses

Usability concerns

Comparatively high hardware cost

Slow refund issuing process

Pricing
Transaction feeHardware
1.5% in-person From £89
1.95% tide payment links

Where Does Tide’s Mobile Card Reader Shine?

Tide offers extensive dashboards with advanced reporting tools to view sales by employees, card types, or items. This can be a helpful tool to better understand your business finances live on Tide’s platform.

Despite some usability issues, as we’ll come to shortly, we were impressed with Tide’s hardware, too. Its Card Reader Plus has a battery that lasts all day on one single charge, bettering SumUp’s card reader, and its interface is attractive to the eye.

smartphone showing tide app with dashboard of data
Using the Tide smartphone app, you can see dashboards and data visualisations of your business income - Source: Tide

When it comes to pricing, Tide receives the lowest score of the providers on this page. That’s largely down to the relatively high cost of the hardware we tested, starting from £89 + VAT. However, we think this could be worth the price given it also has the lowest transaction fees of the options listed here, with just 1.5% for in-person, card-present transactions.

How Could Tide Improve Its Mobile Card Reader?

Compared to the card readers we’ve tested, Tide’s Card Reader Plus falls some way behind in terms of usability. While we found Tide’s Card Reader Plus to be simple for inputting a price and charging customers, changing the price required us to cancel the entire payment rather than make a quick edit.

Even more complex and time-consuming is the process of issuing a refund. We had to navigate away from the card reader to the mobile app for starters. Then, we could only request a refund online rather than process one immediately. The refund was only processed around three days later which is quite a lengthy period compared to the instant refunds of other mobile card readers.

Customers who want their refunds processed immediately are likely to be concerned by this delay and it may put them off becoming repeat customers should you be using Tide in a refund-heavy industry such as fashion and retail.

Who Is Tide’s Card Reader Best Suited To?

Merchants who need a long battery life on their hardware will struggle to find a better option than Tide’s mobile card reader. Equally, those requiring extensive reporting tools on a free plan (thereby reducing monthly costs) should be happy with what Tide has to offer.

If you require efficient offline payments, we’d recommend taking a look at Square’s mobile card readers instead.

How We Test Merchant Account Products and Services for UK Businesses

We tested 18 market-leading merchant account products and services to evaluate them in terms of functionality, usability, regulatory compliance, customer support, and more so we can make the most useful recommendations to UK businesses.

Our rigorous testing process means these products have been scored and rated in five main categories of investigation and 23 subcategories – in fact, we covered 78 areas of investigation in total.

To make sure all the card readers we reviewed performed well in reality, we also completed 45 ease-of-use tests on relevant hardware, including card readers, amounting to over 22.5 hours of hands-on testing.

We then gave each category score a ‘relevance weighting' to ensure the product's final score perfectly reflects the needs and requirements of Expert Market readers. And that's our product testing algorithm in a nutshell!

Our main testing categories for merchant account products and services are:

  • Hardware: Assesses a provider’s product connectivity, interface, receipts, and charging capabilities.
  • Software: Explores payment types, payouts, security, reporting, POS integration, and more.
  • Pricing: Looked at contracts, transaction fees, monthly and up-front costs, plus any other additional charges, to assess whether a provider offers good value for money.
  • Help & Support: Assessed the type, accuracy, and availability of support for merchants.
  • Usability: Reports usability in 2 aspects, the likelihood to recommend and user testing through specified tasks.
Verdict

Of the twenty-five mobile card readers our research team looked at, Barclaycard and Square scored the highest.

Both offer a lot of perks, though we’d recommend Barclaycard if you want high-quality hardware without any upfront costs. If usability is your primary concern, Square beats all the competition in this area and provides low-cost hardware to boot.

Tide offers the lowest fees for card-present transactions, though we found major usability concerns when changing prices and issuing refunds.

If you’re still unsure about which card reader is best for your small business, you can use our free quote tool. By giving us a few details about your business, we can match you up with trusted providers who will contact you with obligation-free quotes.

Our site is reader-supported. Some featured providers are our partners, so we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through our site. This is at no extra cost to our readers, and this doesn’t affect the independence of our reviews. Whether or not we have a partnership with a company does not affect our rating and review of the service.

Written by:
Matt Reed is a Senior Writer at Expert Market. Adept at evaluating products, he focuses mainly on assessing fleet management and business communication software. Matt began his career in technology publishing with Expert Reviews, where he spent several years putting the latest audio-related products and releases through their paces, revealing his findings in transparent, in-depth articles and guides. Holding a Master’s degree in Journalism from City, University of London, Matt is no stranger to diving into challenging topics and summarising them into practical, helpful information.
Reviewed by:
Ruairi uses his 3+ years of research experience to uncover insights which can help Expert Market provide the best business solutions for their users. He has done this by meeting with business owners to find out what is important to them and what challenges they face on a daily basis. Ruairi specialises in tools that can be used to grow your business and has done research for a wide range of categories on Expert Market, such as EPOS, Website Builders, and Merchant Accounts.