Small businesses can define the cheapest card payment machines in a few different ways: by card reader price, subscription or monthly fees, and more.
Transaction fees can’t be forgotten here. If you process a high volume of sales, those transaction costs are going to add up. This is especially true for subscription services, digital downloads, online dropshipping and other high-volume businesses.
To help keep your costs down, here are some of the cheapest card readers on the market.
>See also: How to start a dropshipping business – What is dropshipping, what are the advantages and how do you start a dropshipping business?
Square
Device cost: £19Transaction fee: 1.75 per cent in-person payment
Features
Accept Apple Pay and Google Pay
Start accepting payments within minutes
Funds settled either next day or instantly for a small fee
Offline mode allows you to take transactions for up to 24 hours without an internet connection
The Square card reader is just £19. The standard transaction fee is 1.75%, though custom rates are available for businesses that take more than £200,000 in card sales. Fraud protection, payment dispute management and data protection is included in the cost.
Get started with Square
Tide
Device cost: From £159Transaction fee: From 0.79% + 3p
Features
Payments cleared within 3 working days
Pay-as-you-go and subscription models available
Small and highly portable
The Tide Card Reader is a great option for businesses who already have a Tide Business account. With Wifi and lifetime free 4G connectivity, and weighing just 170g, you can take card payments either in store or on the go. There is a one-off cost of £159, or upgrade to the Tide Card Reader Plus for £199 + VAT for the device (plus £12.99 monthly fee). Or you can choose to rent the device for £24.99 per month with no upfront cost.
Get started with Tide
Revolut
Device cost: £49Transaction fee: From 0.8 per cent +2p (UK consumer cards), 1 per cent +20p for in-person
Features
Create your own catalogue, which sits in the Revolut app
Access funds the next day
No-fee refunds
Fraud monitoring solution included
Receive and settle in over 25 currencies
The Revolut reader has a one-time cost of £49, with no ongoing subscription fees. You’ll also have access to sales analytics, which can provide crucial insights into performance; you can request digital tips from your customers; you can add colour-coded products and categories to your store catalogue; and the battery lasts all day. Revolut claims you can accept payments in under 3 seconds, with funds settled in your account within 24 hours.
Get a quote today
MyPOS
Device cost: £29 (though keep your eye out for frequent promotional pricing)Transaction fee: 1.10 per cent – 2.45 per cent + 7p transaction (depending on card or transaction type)
Features
Integrated SIM card gives you 3G/4G connectivity
Send digital receipts – email or SMS
Instant payment settlement at no extra cost
Get e-money and IBAN account in over 14 currencies
MyPOS Go 2 is a lightweight but powerful card reader. The device itself weighs just 180g (smaller than many smartphones) and it has an all-day battery, making it a great choice for businesses that need a portable card payment solution. You can have funds settled in your merchant account within 3 seconds at no extra cost.
The price of the MyPOS Go 2 card reader is usually £29, though it regularly offers promotional discounts. If your business takes more than £10,000 a month, you can request a quote for custom transaction fees, which could work out cheaper.
Get a quote today
Dojo Go
Device cost: £15 per month or £79 upfrontTransaction fee: Fixed percentage rate of 1% or flat monthly fee from £39.99
Features
Accepts all major card types
Next-day settlement
24-hour card machine replacement
10-hour battery life
Dojo Go users benefit from built-in Wifi and 4G, next-day settlement of funds, as well as integration with more than 600 EPOS systems. Terminal fee starts from £15 per month. Flat £39.99 transaction rate covers turnover of up to £3,999, with takings over this charged at 1%. If your annual turnover is over £1m, you can access reduced rates and a tailored setup.
Dojo Go’s transactions are encrypted and require strong customer authentication (SCA), which both protects you and the customer and ensures simplified PCI compliance.
Get a quote today
Tyl by NatWest
Device cost: From £13.99 per month + VATTransaction fee (for turnover up to £50,000): UK/Europe personal cards – 1.39 per cent + 5p; all other cards – 1.99 per cent + 5p
Features
No charges for international card payments
No fees on refunds
Link with your accountancy package
Range of terminals available
With Tyl by NatWest, there is no additional charge for issuing refunds, and taking international, online, and over the phone payments. Device costs start from £13.99/month + VAT per month with a 12-month contract. Your choice of device is free for first three months. If you take over £50k a month, you can request custom pricing.
Choose from the PAX A80 (countertop), PAX A50 (pocket-sized), or PAX A920 Pro (smart terminal), which all accept contactless, chip & PIN and mobile wallet payments.
Get a quote today
Barclaycard Anywhere
Device cost: £29 + VATTransaction fee: Custom (per transaction)
Features
No contract – pay-as-you-trade model
Up to 700 sales a day on a full charge
Funds can be settled the next day
The Barclaycard Anywhere is a compact card payments solution that’s contract-free and settles your funds the next day. The terminal has a one-off cost of £29 and transaction fees are custom on a per-transaction basis.
Added benefits include 24/7 support and multi-user access.
Get a quote today
SumUp Air
Device cost: £25Transaction fee: 0.99 per cent (pay-as-you-go) or 1.69% subscription
Features
Card machine available with a free business account as your payout account
With this account, you’ll receive each sale within one day for a limited time
Free bank transfers
500 transactions on a single charge
A SumUp Air card reader costs £25 with no contracts or hidden fees. You can choose either a pay-as-you-go pricing model, charged at 1.69% per transaction for in-person payments and 2.5% for online, or a subscription model (£19 per month), charged at 0.99% for both (only available if you take £3,000 per month).
The device has an all-day battery and can be set up to start taking payments in minutes.
Get a quote today
PayPal POS
Device cost: £29Transaction fee: 1.75 per cent per transaction (including Amex)
Features
Point of sale integrations
Use PayPal debit card anywhere that MasterCard is accepted
POS software allows sales management and inventory tracking
Formerly Zettle, the PayPal POS card reader starts from £29 (New business users only – £69 for each additional card reader). When you take a payment, it typically arrives in your PayPal balance within minutes, and you can set up scheduled transfers to your business bank account at no extra cost. You can use the balance in your PayPal business account to pay for goods and services, or to pay your suppliers.
You can enhance your set-up with easy-to-use POS software, which allows you to track inventory, and manage products, orders and sales.
Get a quote today
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More on card payments
10 card payment machines ideal for small business – Featuring the SumUp Air, Zettle 2, and Square, we break down the fees and functions of the best card payment machines for UK small businesses
Five tips to get started taking card payments – Andy Macauley, chief operating officer of Handepay, gives some concise pointers to taking card payments
How to take a card payment over the phone using a virtual terminal – If you have a telephone, an internet connection, a merchant account, and a virtual terminal, you can start taking payments over the phone today
