Best card readers and card payment machines for UK small businesses (2026)

At a glance

The right card reader depends on how your business takes payments. For many small businesses, speed, flexibility and simplicity matter just as much as transaction fees. 

SumUp combines card readers, payment processing and a business account in one place. Hardware is bought outright, not rented. Pricing is transparent and stays flexible as your business grows. If you need more specialised hardware, bespoke transaction rates or you're already committed to a particular acquirer, it's worth comparing the alternatives below.

Card readers and prices compared

Note: Some of the companies do not publish standard flat transaction rates online - the stats provided are sourced from publicly available industry data; exact fees and monthly charges are non-published and provided via custom private quote.

SumUp

What it is: SumUp offers a range of card readers - from a pocket-sized Bluetooth reader and a standalone card reader with built-in 4G to a handheld POS terminal. Hardware is bought outright not rented, businesses can receive daily payouts with the free SumUp Business Account and lower transaction rates are available through Payments Plus as card turnover grows.

How much does it cost?

• Solo Lite: £25, a Bluetooth reader that pairs with your phone

• Solo: £79, standalone with a built-in 4G SIM and free unlimited data

• Terminal: £135, standalone with a built-in receipt printer and POS features

• Transaction fee: 1.69% flat pay-as-you-go, or 0.99% with Payments Plus (£19/month)

• Contract: none

What you get:

• The most downloaded Business Finance app in Europe - the SumUp Business app

  combines card payment acceptance, digital invoicing, payment links, and expense management in a single platform.

• Daily payouts by 7am with the free SumUp Business Account, including weekends and bank holidays

• Hardware bought outright, with no ongoing terminal rental fees

• Standalone card readers with built-in 4G and free unlimited data, so businesses can take payments everywhere

• A 30-day money-back guarantee on hardware

• Free POS software, with the option to upgrade to POS Plus or POS Pro

For small businesses looking to avoid contracts and recurring terminal rental, SumUp is one of the more flexible options in this comparison. Its standalone readers also have a relatively low upfront cost, while Payments Plus gives higher-turnover businesses the option of a lower transaction rate.

Barclaycard

What it is: Barclaycard Payments is a traditional bank acquirer focused primarily on long-term terminal leases and formal merchant accounts, though they also offer a basic entry-level card reader.

How much does it cost?

• Entry Hardware: Smartpay Anywhere is available for a one-off £29 + VAT purchase (contract-free entry option).

• Terminal rental: From £15/month (mobile), up to £29/month (touchscreen POS terminal).

• Transaction fee: Custom, or a fixed 1.6% for turnover under £200,000/year.

• Setup fee: Depends on contract, ranges from £0 to £150.

• Contract: 12–18 months for rentals, with an early termination fee from £115.

What you get:

• Payouts in 1 working day with a Barclays account, up to 7 working days to external accounts

• Integration with a wide range of POS systems

• A dedicated merchant account alongside your terminal setup

• Assessment of your borrowing history and financial circumstances as part of onboarding

Square

What it is: Square sells a small Bluetooth-paired reader alongside standalone touchscreen terminals, backed by a free point-of-sale app.

How much does it cost?

• Square Hardware: Entry-level Square Reader is £19 + VAT. Standalone options include Square Terminal at £149 + VAT and Square Handheld at £169 + VAT

• Transaction fee: 1.75% for UK cards

• Contract: none

What you get:

• A free, feature-rich app supporting integrated card payments, digital receipts, and virtual terminal transactions.

• 1-2 working days payouts to external bank accounts

• An optional instant payout to a bank account for a 1.5% fee

• No mobile data connectivity on Square Terminal - WiFi and Ethernet only (via optional hub)

Compare SumUp vs Square: See how SumUp and Square compare on pricing, card readers and features.

Dojo

What it is: Dojo offers standalone touchscreen terminals either purchased outright or rented, with fixed monthly plans for lower-turnover businesses and custom rates above that.

How much does it cost?

• Hardware: Available via continuous monthly rental (from £15–£20 + VAT/month) or upfront purchase (from £149–£239 + VAT).

• Transaction rates (Quote-based & unpublished online):

  • Under £100k/year turnover: Offered as a 1.2% blended rate on standard card transactions. The legacy

    Fix Plan at £39.99/month - covering fees for your first £3,999 in monthly card sales plus 1% above that - remains available in specific onboarding situations).

  • Over £100k/year turnover: Bespoke, custom-negotiated percentage rates + £10/month platform fee. Dojo does not publish flat pricing on its website; rates are assigned via private quote based on turnover:

• Contract: 12-month initial term (or 30-day rolling on select custom agreements)

• Authorization / Secure Fees: 3p–5p per-transaction authorisation fee (STF) applied to every swipe, tap, or online payment.

Compare SumUp vs Dojo: See our full SumUp vs Dojo comparison for a closer look at fees, hardware and features.

What you get:

• Free next-day payouts, including weekends and bank holidays

• Integration with most major POS systems if you’re not using Dojo standalone

• Up to £3,000 towards exit fees if switching from another provider’s contract (for businesses processing up to £150k in annual card turnover)

• Dojo terminals support both Wi-Fi and 4G

myPOS

What it is: myPOS sells standalone card machines with a multi-currency business account, aimed at businesses that want both hardware and money management from one provider.

How much does it cost?

• Hardware: From the myPOS Go 2 at £29, a compact standalone reader, to the myPOS Ultra at £229 + VAT, a larger touchscreen terminal with a built-in printer.

• Transaction fee: 1.1% + 0.7 p for domestic consumer cards, rising to 2.85% + 7p for other card types

• Contract: none

What you get:

• Instant settlement into a free myPOS business account, with manual transfers to your bank account for £1.50 per payout

• A companion prepaid Visa card for accessing funds immediately

• Internet connectivity across Europe included with all devices

• A longer sign-up process than most competitors, including video identity verification

Compare SumUp vs myPOS: See how SumUp and myPOS differ on fees, hardware and features.

Teya

What it is: Teya offers a standalone touchscreen terminal with a choice of subscription plans, designed for local, in-person businesses and onboarded face-to-face.

How much does it cost?

• Hardware:

  £69–£179 upfront, depending on the plan and terminal chosen

• Standard Transaction Fee (Start Plan): 1.59% on consumer cards with £0/month subscription (a £29.99 minimum activity fee applies if monthly turnover drops below £2,500).

• Custom Offers & Custom Plans: Tiered membership options and custom rates (for higher-volume merchants or competitor rate matching) are available upon request through Teya sales.

• Contract: none, cancel any time

What you get:

• Next-working-day settlement to your bank account or the Teya Business Account

• In-person onboarding, with support hours extended to weekends

• A free next-business-day replacement terminal if yours breaks down

• No direct accounting software integration - only basic end-of-day reports and exports

SumUp vs Teya: Compare SumUp and Teya in more detail.

Paymentsense

What it is: Paymentsense is one of the UK’s largest independent merchant service providers, supplying rented card machines and custom-quoted transaction rates through a partnership with Fiserv.

How much does it cost?

• Monthly service fee: from £9.95/month (under £50k annual turnover) up to £19.95/month (up to £1.2m annual turnover), lower on annual billing

• PCI compliance fee: £4.95/month

• Transaction fee: custom, blended pricing based on card mix and turnover

• Contract: 18–60 months, with early termination fees

What you get:

• Terminals typically delivered within three working days, with no setup fee

• Next-business-day settlement, seven days a week, with funds usually landing by around 10am

• 24/7 UK-based phone support and a named account manager

• Free terminal replacement if your device develops a fault

• A long contract by comparison with pay-as-you-go competitors, with reduced rates the longer you commit

Elavon

What it is: Elavon is a global payment processor and direct acquirer, owned by U.S. Bancorp, offering both a simple pay-as-you-go mobile reader and a full range of rented terminals for larger operations.

How much does it cost?

• Elavon Mobile reader: £19, pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee, transaction fee from 1.75%

• Full terminal range (countertop, portable, smart POS): rented, with custom quoted rates from around 0.99% for personal UK debit cards, rising for credit, business and international cards

• Contract: none on Mobile; typically 36 months on rented terminals

What you get:

• Direct acquiring status, meaning Elavon processes your payments without a third-party reseller in between

• Standard settlement within 48 hours, with faster options available for an extra fee

• Pricing isn’t published for the full terminal range - every quote is bespoke to your turnover and card mix

• Additional costs: Depending on the terminal plan, costs could include a Minimum Monthly Service Charge (MMSC), typically £15–£30/month, a PCI DSS fee of around £5–£6/month and authorisation fees of around 2p–4p per transaction.

How to choose the right card reader

A few questions worth asking before you commit:

Do you want to buy or rent your hardware?

Buying outright (SumUp, Square) avoids ongoing rental costs and long contracts; renting (Barclaycard, Paymentsense, most of Elavon’s range) can lower the upfront cost but ties you in.

How much do you take each month?

Flat-rate pricing is easier to predict at lower volumes; custom, quote-based rates tend to get more competitive as your turnover grows.

Do you need a broker or a direct relationship?

Some providers shop the market on your behalf; others, like Elavon, deal with you directly or through resellers, which can mean more room to negotiate at volume but less transparency upfront.

Are you comfortable with pricing you can’t see until you ask?

Several providers in this comparison — Barclaycard, Paymentsense, Elavon — don’t publish rates.

How do you plan to grow?

If you’ll want a full POS system down the line — multiple devices, staff logins, inventory — check whether your reader’s software can grow with you or if you’ll need to switch providers.