Best Card Readers for Small Businesses: Find Your Everyday Fit
Your card reader should be one of the easiest things in your business to use. Pick it up, enter the amount and let the customer pay. It should not keep borrowing your phone at the wrong moment or turn a simple refund into a search through unfamiliar screens.
The right choice depends on where you work and what you want it to do. A reader for a mobile hairdresser needs to be easy to carry. A florist may want a small counter setup that leaves room for wrapping orders. A café needs something staff can share without slowing the queue.
Our shortlist: Square Reader if you want a reader with useful app-based selling tools; SumUp Solo if you want to take payments without tying up your phone; PayPal POS if its reader and account suit you; and takepayments if you would like help choosing a complete terminal setup.
These are practical starting points based on published information, not a claim that we have tested every device. Some offer links are affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you.
First, decide whether you want to use your phone
A small reader connected to a phone can work well when one person handles the sales. The app manages the sale and the reader takes the card. You may already own the main device, which can keep the initial shopping list short.
The drawback appears when the same phone is needed for a customer call, a delivery message and a payment at once. If several staff share the checkout, a dedicated business tablet or a standalone machine may be easier to live with.
Standalone means the device does not need a paired phone to take a payment. It still needs a suitable connection and an approved payment account. Portable simply means you can carry it around; check how it connects rather than relying on the label.
Our card-machine guide explains the wider equipment choices. The important thing is to buy the complete setup you need, rather than discover missing pieces on your first trading day.
Four options worth comparing
The numbered summaries help you navigate. Each suits a different starting point; they are not a universal ranking.
Square Reader: a small reader with useful selling tools
Square Reader connects to compatible Android or iOS equipment and accepts contactless and chip-and-PIN payments. The app is an important part of the purchase, so judge the reader and software together. Source: Square Reader.
If you sell products, ask yourself whether entering an amount is enough or whether you would like to find the item on screen and keep a sales record. A florist might want to distinguish bouquets from plants; a salon might want to ring up a treatment and a retail product together. Check the exact Square app and plan for the tasks you need.
The reader is small, but the full counter setup may include a tablet, stand and receipt equipment. Make room for all of it before ordering. If staff will use a personal phone, think through how that works when its owner is not there.
- Best for
Small shops and service businesses that want payments alongside app-based sales tools.
- Why choose it
You can start with the everyday tasks and explore more software as your needs grow.
- Main watch-out
The reader needs a compatible device, and specialist software may cost extra.
- Useful links
View the Square offer, read our reader review or explore Square POS.
SumUp Solo: take payments without handing over your phone
SumUp Solo works independently, with Wi-Fi and an included SIM offering mobile data. It is a useful option to investigate if you mainly need to enter an amount and collect payment. Check the bundle if you want a printer, because receipt accessories affect what you buy. Source: SumUp Solo.
For a mobile hairdresser, keeping calls and payments on separate devices can remove a small daily annoyance. For a market seller, a compact independent machine may be easier to hand to a customer while the phone stays safely tucked away.
A SIM does not guarantee signal everywhere. Ask how the device handles a lost connection and check the places where you normally trade. Also think about a charging routine. A reader that lives loose in a bag is easy to forget until somebody is waiting to pay.
- Best for
Sole traders and small businesses wanting an independent payment device.
- Why choose it
Your phone remains available for calls, bookings and messages.
- Main watch-out
Confirm receipt accessories and whether you need a separate till for more involved sales.
- Useful links
PayPal POS: another reader and app to try
Zettle now appears under PayPal Point of Sale. Compare the current device rather than assuming an older Zettle review describes what you will receive. PayPal offers reader and terminal options, so be clear about whether you want a connected reader or an independent device. Source: PayPal POS products and pricing.
If you already use PayPal, the familiar account may make this an obvious option to investigate. Still try the software from the staff member's point of view. Finding a sale, correcting a mistake and giving a receipt should feel understandable.
Ask where the takings arrive and how transfers to your normal bank work. A familiar brand is helpful, but the account arrangement needs to suit how you pay your own bills.
- Best for
Owners comparing another reader-and-app option, including PayPal users.
- Why choose it
The software and account may feel comfortable for your business.
- Main watch-out
Current hardware and older Zettle accessories should not be assumed interchangeable.
- Useful links
Read our PayPal POS review and compare it with SumUp and Square.
takepayments: get help choosing the machine
Takepayments offers terminals and help getting started. It may suit an owner who would rather talk through the business than select a reader alone. Its A920 Pro offer includes a mobile connection where there is suitable 4G coverage. Source: takepayments card machines.
A café owner could explain where staff serve customers and whether the current till is staying. A salon owner could ask about receipts and taking payment away from the desk. The adviser should explain why the proposed equipment suits those jobs.
You are comparing a service arrangement as well as a machine. Check rental, payment charges, support and the separate agreements together. An inexpensive monthly device price does not tell you the whole cost.
- Best for
Businesses wanting help selecting and setting up a terminal.
- Why choose it
You can discuss your premises, staff and payment needs before choosing.
- Main watch-out
Read the equipment and acquiring terms together before signing.
- Useful links
Explore card-payment offers
Use the comparison below to investigate selected providers. Check the actual device, plan and full charges before choosing. Availability and order can change, and this is not the whole market.
