10 Best Card Machines

for Small Business

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We’ve helped over 100,000 businesses

Compare the 10 Best Card Machines for Small Business

Want to make it easier for a customer to simply tap their card or pay by chip and PIN? Looking for the best contactless payment machine compatible with Apple Pay or Google Pay? We’ve investigated the 10 best card machines for small businesses.

Card machines are a must-have for any business that takes payments in person. With more customers choosing to pay by debit card, credit card or contactless payments alongside the UK's shift to a cashless society, there have never been so many card payment machines to choose from. If your business is an SME, it's important to try to make decisions that help you maximise your profits, making it beneficial to compare card machines for small businesses. What better place to start than comparing the top 10 card machines for small business.

Businesses are no longer just limited to the old chip and PIN machines, with a wide range of affordable app-based card machines that connect to mobile devices via Bluetooth and an app to process payments, alongside portable card machines and countertop card machines that don’t require a mobile device. Find out which type of card machine is best for your business needs by comparing the features of our top 10 best card machines for small business.

Compare the 10 Best Card Machine Providers

In the table below, we've compared the types of card machines available from each card machine provider we've covered in our top 10 best card machines for small businesses list.

Company

Counter Top

Portable

Card Reader

Mobile Payments

Online Payments

POS System

Takepayments logo

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Square Payments logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Zettle by PayPal logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Worldpay by FIS logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Shopify logo

No

No

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Barclaycard logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

SumUp logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Ingenico logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

MyPos logo

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

PAX logo

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

Compare Card Machines

Card Machine FAQs

There are a variety of card machine device types available. Although each card machine provider may give each device a slightly different name, they typically operate similarly. The types of card machines to be aware of include the following:

  • Countertop and Portable Card Machines - These are what most people picture when they think of card machines. Allowing you to take payments by card and mobile devices in person, countertop card machines come in two varieties; wired and portable. Wired machines must be used at a specific location, but portable card machines have more range, with the potential of being used as an entirely mobile payment solution. Some card machine providers issue a cradle, allowing your card machine to be used as a countertop and portable card machine.

  • Card Readers - Card readers are similar to card machines but much smaller and more portable. Typically including fewer features than a countertop or portable card machine, card readers are a perfect solution for businesses looking for a simple portable payment solution.

  • Mobile Payment Systems - Mobile payment systems allow you to use a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet to process payments. They're an effective solution for businesses who already rely on such hardware. However, some consumers can be sceptical about using these.

  • POS Systems - These are more substantial than other in-person payment solutions, essentially providing an integrated payment system to be used at a point of sale (POS). Because these payment systems are only intended for use at the POS, they lack the portability afforded by other card machine types.

  • Online Payment Gateways - All other options we cover here are in-person payment solutions, meaning they're designed to allow your business to take payments when you're face-to-face with your customer. However, an online payment gateway allows you to take payments through a website or app. We've included these in our comparison table because it can be beneficial to have a unified in-person and online payment system for some businesses.

When trying to find the best card machine for your business, it's important to ensure that the device and provider offer everything you need to take payments. Some of the points your business should consider when comparing card machines are as follows:

  • The portability of the device

  • The features of the device

  • Which payment types the provider allows you to take

  • What features are included with the package (auto-invoicing and account management etc)

  • How much it costs to process payments

  • Whether there's a minimum subscription term

Whether you need an online payment gateway solution alongside a card machine depends on how your business operates. If you have or are considering making your products or services available online, then you may want to unify your payment solutions to make it easier to manage transactions.

Equally, if your business requires accurate inventory management, by unifying your online and in-person payments solution, and integrating these systems into your payments solution, you could save yourself a lot of time and effort.

No, not all countertop card machines are portable. Some devices require a wired connection to operate, however, some portable card machines allow you to use the device as a wired countertop card machine through the use of a cradle. How your business needs to take payments depends on how you service your customers, so make sure you consider what you need from a card machine before making a purchase.

Compare Card Machines

1. Takepayments - No.1 of the 10 best card machine for small businesses

Offering payment solutions that can be tailored to your business needs, Takepayments is number 1 on our Top 10 Best Card Machines for Small Businesses list for a good reason.

Takepayments Card Machine Benefits

  • Bespoke flexible payment solution

  • Great for SMEs

  • No setup fee

  • Fast 24-hour setup

  • Free next-day settlement (subject to terms and conditions)

Takepayments is a popular SME sector merchant services provider in the UK, offering reduced rates on a per contract basis with a 12-month commitment, no set-up fee and payment machines that are ready to use within 24 hours.

With the majority of their customers using payment partner Barclaycard, Takepayments can offer next-day settlements at no extra cost (subject to terms and conditions). With a variety of payment solution products, including card terminals, EPOS solutions, App based payment products and even web design, their payment consultants will work with you to create a bespoke solution around your business needs.

Takepayments Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

2. Square - One of the smallest card readers

At number 2 on our list of the 10 best card machines for small business is Square. Offering a card reader that’s small enough to fit into your pocket, Square claims to meet the digital payment processing needs of businesses of every size.

Square Card Machine Benefits

  • Small portable card reader

  • Variety of card machines to choose from

  • Range of payment methods accepted

  • Real-time sales reports through the app

  • No contract

Square payment solutions allow customers to pay via contactless, chip and PIN, Apply Pay, Samsung Pay and Android Pay, accepting payments via the Square app for Android and iOS devices. The feature-rich app provides detailed sales reports, with data taken from real-time sales.

By paying upfront for the card reader, there’s no contract period or monthly fee with Square. They offer in-person transaction fees ranging from 1.75% to 2.50%, with cash available in your bank account within 3-5 days, making them a great choice for small businesses that predominantly take payment by card.

Square Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

3. Zettle by PayPal - The best range of payment options out of our 10 best card machines for small business

he Zettle by PayPal card reader is the market leader in the UK. Designed to be versatile and accept the widest range of possible card payments out of all card readers, the Zettle by PayPal card reader is stylish and available in either white or black.

Zettle by PayPal Card Machine Benefits

  • Widest range of payment types

  • Stylish card reader

  • Can link to an eCommerce website

  • No contract or monthly fees

Payments are processed via the user-friendly Zettle by PayPal app that includes a range of innovative features, and as you would expect from PayPal, you have the ability to link your payments to an eCommerce website. Like most card machines the Zettle by PayPal card reader links to the mobile app via Bluetooth.

With Zettle by PayPal, you pay for the card machine up front, so there are no contract or monthly fees, and payment processing rates are fixed at 1.75% whether customers pay by chip and PIN or contactless. Because it accepts so many payment methods, from cards to mobile payment services and unsurprisingly Paypal, Zettle is a truly versatile payment solution for businesses of all sizes.

Zettle by PayPal Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

4. Worldpay from FIS - Best card machine for transaction fees if you have a high turnover

Worldpay from FIS card readers have a lot to offer businesses with a high turnover. The Worldpay card machine is available with an 18-month contract rental plan, and although rates aren’t especially competitive on their basic plan, they offer low transaction fees to businesses with a high monthly turnover.

Worldpay from FIS Card Machine Benefits

  • Option of custom rates (terms and conditions apply)

  • High-quality card payment machines

  • Email invoicing

  • Free 24/7 phone support

The Worldpay from FIS payment solution is better suited to businesses on the larger side of the small business scale because you can negotiate a custom plan and reduce your card machine rates if your business has a high enough turnover. The Worldpay from FIS app also allows your business to accept payments over the phone, send remote payment links and even send email invoices.

To gain access to Worldpay's custom fee plans, your business needs to have an annual turnover of at least £20,000. If your business turnover is less than this, you can only take advantage of their Simplicity plan. It's important to be aware that if your monthly turnover dips below £20,000 once you're on a Custom plan, you may have to pay an additional fee.

Worldpay from FIS Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

5. Shopify POS - Best for businesses with a Shopify eCommerce store

If your business is already hosting an eCommerce website with Shopify, then the Shopify POS might be the best option for you, as it provides seamless integration between your website and physical store.

Shopify POS Card Machine Benefits

  • Easy to integrate into your Shopify eCommerce website

  • Lite plan included with all Shopify plans

  • Credit card rates start at 1.5% + 0p

  • Pro plan includes a variety of features and reporting tools

  • Pro plan included in Shopify Plus plans

With credit card rates starting from 1.5% + 0p, the Shopify POS mobile card reader is one of the cheapest card payment solutions available. Depending on your Shopify plan, there may be an ongoing cost, but with the ability to integrate into your existing Shopify eCommerce store, this is a great card machine for small businesses.

Shopify POS Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

6. Barclaycard Anywhere - Best card machine for sole or seasonal sellers

The Bluetooth-enabled mobile Barclaycard Anywhere card reader works with your mobile device to allow you to quickly and easily take payments, wherever you are. Because of its flexibility, Barclaycard Anywhere may be the best card reader for craft fairs.

Barclaycard Anywhere Card Machine Benefits

  • Super mobile card reader

  • Real-time payment reports

  • Send digital receipts by email

  • One-off rental fee and pay-as-you-go contract

Although it’s not as feature-rich as some of the other payment solutions on this list, the Barclaycard Anywhere card reader is positioned as the ideal solution for sole traders and seasonal sellers.

Barclaycard Anywhere features a low fee for card payment fee of 1.6%, a one-off rental fee of £29 + VAT and a flexible pay-as-you-go contract length.

Barclaycard Anywhere Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

7. SumUp Air - Best value card machine

If you are looking for an economical card machine that can be used as little or often as needed, the SumUp Air may be your best option, as it features no monthly fees or extra costs.

SumUp Air Card Machine Benefits

  • Pay upfront for the machine - no monthly fees or extra costs

  • 1.69% transaction fee

  • Option to build a free online store

  • Send invoices in a few clicks

The SumUp Air card machine features everything you need to take chip and PIN, contactless and mobile payments via the free SumUp app. The machine itself is simple and modern, with a user-friendly design.

There’s no setup or delivery fee, simply purchase the machine and you will then be charged a fixed rate of 1.69% per in-person transaction. SumUp’s pay-as-you-go solution means you only pay for the payments you receive, and payments only take 1-3 days for payments to clear in your own bank account.

SumUp Air Card Machine Accepted Payment Methods

8. Ingenico iWL251 - Best payment terminal small business

Although the Ingenico iWL251 is a traditional countertop card PDQ machine, it’s a fully mobile machine which may suit the needs of many small businesses, which is why we've included it in our top 10 best card machines for small business list.

Ingenico iWL251 Card Machine Benefits

  • No need for an app or mobile device

  • Fully mobile

  • Good connectivity

  • Compatible with a variety of payment options

The Ingenico iWL251is small enough to fit into a pocket and will accept payments from all major cards via PIN and contactless payments. It is one of the best card machines for small businesses that need to process payments quickly and will help cut down on waiting times.

9. myPOS - Best range of card readers

myPOS offer a great selection of card readers, from portable readers to classic PDQs, and even an app that allows you to accept payments via your mobile phone with no need for additional hardware.

myPOS Card Machine Benefits

  • Good selection of payment solutions

  • Option to build an online store

  • eCommerce integration

  • Fast funds collection

myPOS includes a range of useful features for small business users, with a variety of payment machines to choose from, including the affordable myPOS Go, the Android-powered myPOS Carbon and the myPOS Combo. myPOS offers a range of additional add-ons, including multi-currency support, instant access to card payments, GiftCards and the ability to earn money by recharging phones through the device.

Payment fees through myPOS devices are in line with other card machines for small businesses, from 1.10% + 7p to 2.85% +7p per transaction.

10. PAX A920 - Best full feature card machine

The PAX A920 is a popular Android-powered mobile payment terminal (or SmartPOS) that includes a large range of features that make it one of the most versatile mobile card machines available.

PAX A920 Card Machine Benefits

  • Stylish design

  • Fully mobile without the need for a mobile device

  • High-capacity battery

  • Cameras for scanning vouchers and QR codes

  • Loyalty app integration

The PAX A920 Android SmartPOS has been designed with style and ergonomics in mind, but it’s not just a pretty machine, it’s packed with features. Due to its smartphone-like architecture, it’s designed to be fully mobile.

Finding the Best Card Machine for Small Business

The increasing availability of card machines has helped many small businesses to adapt and meet the ever-changing needs of their customers. We hope this list of the 10 Best Card Machines for Small Businesses has helped you compare the options available to you. We understand the importance of being able to compare deals, products and services, so always aim to help businesses find the best option available. To find out more about how we can help your business compare everything from loans to bank accounts, please contact our team today.

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