At a glance
- Card readers are now easy to use with a mobile or tablet device
- Options to scale into point of sale system if needed
- Payment services extend beyond physical cards to remote payments, PayPal and online.
Guide contents
- How do we review the best card machine and online payment services providers?
- Square – use with your own mobile for quick and easy payments
- SumUp – easy payments and good for ecommerce
- iZettle – widest selection of POS options
Browse all business products
Payments made in cash now only account for 23% of all total payments made in the UK. Data from trade body UK Finance shows that the number of people choosing cash for payments has declined since 2014 from just under half to now less than a quarter. 62% of all card payments are made using contactless debit and credit cards.
As paying by card and shopping online becomes more and more popular, small businesses need to find easy to use and low-cost options to accept card and online payments. Our guide reviews some of the best and most well-known companies offering card machines and online payment services.
How do we review the best card machine and online payment services providers?
Moneyfacts has over 30 years’ experience in providing impartial and accurate information about products in the financial services space. This review focusses on three specific brands and looks at their range of products and services to help small business to manage payments.
Featured Card and Online Payment Providers
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Barclaycard Anywhere Card Reader
Pricing: One-off device rental fee of £29 plus VAT and then PAYG - 1.6% per transaction
- Let’s you take credit, debit and digital payments in-store or on-the-move
- Suited to sole or seasonal sellers as you simply pay as you trade.
- It’s easy to manage payments in real-time with the Barclaycard Anywhere app on your mobile device
- Easy to connect your card reader via Bluetooth so you can trust that payments and data are encrypted.
- Works with iOS 10.0 or Android 5.0 and above.
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Square
- Tools to run your business - even when it's not business as usual
- Reach more customers online
- Take your business remote
- Sell a little more safely
- Get set up with the right solutions for you
- Sell in new ways
- More tools to meet every business challenge
- Hardware for every kind of sale
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Barclaycard Flex Card Reader
Pricing: PAYG - 1.6% per transaction or custom pricing
- Payment choice - Take payments instore or on-the-go using chip and PIN or contactless
- Virtual payments - Allows you to take virtual payments over the phone and by post.
- Greater connectivity - Switches between Bluetooth, GPRS, Wi-Fi and mobile data networks.
- Flexible pricing - Pay the way that suits your business with pay as you go or custom pricing.
- Accept up to 700 sales a day on a full charge
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GoCardless
- Collect one-off payments and automated recurring payments (even if dates or amounts change)
- Collect international payments from 30+ countries – with the option to use in-built FX at the real market rate
- Automatically retry failed payments, on the best day determined by data – recovering 70% of failed payments, on average
- An easy-to-use online dashboard
- Seamlessly connect to one of hundreds of other business softwares you might already use, to manage everything in one convenient place
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Barclaycard Payments Smartpay Touch (POS System)
Pricing - £29.00 (+VAT). Transaction fees of 1.6%
- Smart all-in-one card reader, designed to make running a business, in store or on the move, easier.
- One central and intuitive place to manage your business without the need for other apps
- Create more personalised customer experiences by booking appointments, sending SMS reminders, and saving their preferences for future business
- Free dedicated support team
- Online portal & reporting helping you run your business run more efficiently with real time sales performance data
Note
Links to third parties on this page are paid for by the third party. You can find out more about the individual products by visiting their site. Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will receive a small payment either if you click the links or if you use their services after you click through to their site. All information is subject is subject to change without notice. Please check all terms before making any decisions.
Disclaimer
The list of card and online payment providers on this page is a selection of services available and gives you an idea of the kind of options available. You can find out more about the individual products by visiting any of the providers listed. All information is subject to change without notice. Please check all terms before making any decisions. This information is intended solely to provide guidance and is not financial advice. Moneyfactscompare.co.uk will not be liable for any loss arising from your use or reliance on this information. If you are in any doubt, Moneyfactscompare.co.uk recommends you obtain independent financial advice.
Square – use with your own mobile for quick and easy payments
How does Square work?
Square offers businesses the ability to accept card payments including contactless cards for purchases made in store and online. They also offer point of sales (POS) systems.
Payment services from Square include hardware and software to process your payments both in store and online or in App. Hardware options include terminals to accept chip and PIN card payments and to print and email receipts.
The software from Square processes your business payments going through the relevant networks and acquirers. They are accountable for making sure all these payments are processed to the Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance standards, removing the burden from you and your business. They also complete anti-money laundering and know your customer (KYC) checks on all transactions too - free of charge. Payments made through Square are data encrypted for security processes.
Square also offers businesses the option to key in card details of their customers (useful for purchases made outside of an ecommerce site or remotely) and for sending digital invoices.
Point of sales services include the Square Stand that transforms an iPad into a point of sale system and can be used in conjunction with a reader to accept card payments. Businesses that have a point of sale system already can also integrate Square with systems including vend, Woo, Wix and Go Daddy.
Who owns Square?
Square was founded by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey. Jack Dorsey is Square’s CEO and Chairman and the CEO of Twitter. Jim McKelvey is a member of the board at Square. They are headquartered in San Francisco with additional offices in the UK, Canada, Japan, Australia and Ireland. The company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
How safe is Square?
Square has a team of fraud experts as well as sophisticated systems to monitor and identify suspicious payments. Square alerts their customers to any suspicious activity. Their platform is fully encrypted, and it operates to PCI compliance standards, meaning they do the hard work to keep your customers’ data away from hackers and fraudsters. Square also has 2-Step Verification to help keep your account safe too.
Any payment disputes are managed on your behalf by Square, that deals with your customer’s bank to resolve the issue. Square does not charge its customers for any disputed payments.
The firm is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under E Money regulations.
SumUp – easy payments and good for ecommerce
How does SumUp work?
SumUp offers payments services to help businesses receive payments in store, online and on the go. It is probably best known for its card reader devices, but it can also help with businesses needing to create ecommerce sites, manage invoices and with a business payment card.
SumUp offer three card reader devices to help your business accept credit card and contactless payments. SumUp Air connects to your smartphone or tablet through Wifi and you can use a free App to manage your payments. This device can make up to 500 transactions on a single charge. Businesses can also add a cradle to the SumUp Air that will show your customers that you are ready to accept card payments.
SumUp 3G works standalone and comes with an in-built SIM card with free and unlimited mobile data and Wifi connectivity. However, it is designed for fewer transactions, with one charge being able to make up to 50 payments. Businesses can also choose to upgrade this to include a printer. There is free access to a dashboard and reporting of your transactions plus telephone and email support. Payouts to your bank account will take between one to three days.
The Starter Plan from SumUp is an easy wat to get selling products online. Simply load up images and details of your products plus your shipping details to create an online store. The Starter plan is free of charge to use but all transactions made within will have the 1.69% transaction fee applied.
Businesses can have any funds received through SumUp devices or online stores paid into their bank account, taking between one and three days or into a SumUp Card and receive the money the next day.
The SumUp App allows you to create invoices easily and quickly. You can create new invoice templates and the system automatically allocates your invoice numbers and calculates prices and VAT. Your customers can pay their invoices to you easily and securely. All payments are then tracked and matched to your invoices automatically and any late invoices can be followed up.
Who owns SumUp?
SumUp was formed in 2012 and is backed by investors including American Express, BBVA, Groupon, Holtzbrinck Ventures and other venture capital investors. It was established to create a device that would accept card payments and fit into the pocket of busy retailers and small business owners. It is now present in 33 countries across Europe, North America and South America.
How safe is it?
The SumUp Air Card Reader has received full certification from a range of regulatory bodies for its security of processing payments. These include meeting the required standards of the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards, Mastercard and Visa accreditations.
SumUp is a brand of SumUp Payments Limited which is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK under the Electronic Money regulations 2011.
iZettle – widest selection of POS options
How does iZettle work?
iZettle has a range of ready built point of sale (POS) products and a card reader for payments called the iZettle Reader 2. This forms the heart of the iZettle offering and makes it highly flexible and scalable for businesses as they grow.
Businesses can use the iZettle Reader 2 to accept card and contactless payments. This card reader accepts all the major types of payments including Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Apply Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay. IZettle claims its card reader can process contactless payments in less than five seconds and for Chip and PIN in ten seconds. The battery life is eight hours or up to 100 transactions on one battery charge.
The iZettle Reader 2 is compatible with all devices that have Bluetooth and with a Wifi connection running on Apple iOS 10 and higher as well as Android 4.4 and higher. If a device is not compatible with an iZettle reader than they can claim a full refund up to 30 days after their purchase.
iZettle then expands this payments service into packages of kit into six different configurations suitable for different businesses depending on their size and sector:
- The Store Kit – Mobile is small and aimed at businesses potentially with a limited or no premises designed for customers.
- The Mini kit aimed at small businesses that are customer facing and where space is at a premium and simplicity is essential.
- The Food and Drink kit aimed at the hospitality sector
- The Retail kit for retail stores using barcode scanning
- The Full configuration kit for larger retailers and businesses
- The Ocean Reader and Dock Set – made with recycled plastic fishing nets and ropes
The iZettle Store Kit – Mobile includes a card reader, the iZettle Reader 2 and a receipt printer.
The iZettle Store Kit - Mini includes a card reader, the iZettle Reader 2, an iZettle Dock to hold the reader and an iZettle stand for iPads.
The iZettle Store Kit – Food and Drink has the same spec as the Mini plus a kitchen ticket and receipt printer and paper.
The iZettle Retail kit has the same spec as the Store kit but the printer is for receipts and there is the addition of a barcode scanner.
The iZettle full configuration kit includes a card reader, the iZettle Reader 2, dock, stand, printer and paper as standard. Businesses may then choose to add a scanner, kitchen printer and a compact cash drawer.
The iZettle Ocean Reader and Dock Set includes a card reader, the iZettle Reader and a dock. It is a limited edition.
iZettle Go App includes Payment Link, a service to accept payments when customers are not present. The app generates a link that can be sent to a customer by text, Whatsapp, social media meesaging or email. They can then simply click and pay.
The IZettle Go App now also includes an option for customers to pay using PayPal. This can be helpful if a customer forgets their credit or debit card. It also helps those not wanting to touch Chip and PIN devices. When the customer is ready to pay, the retailer can activate PayPal in the app and this will generate a QR code for the customer to use to scan and pay.
Who owns iZettle?
iZettle was established in 2010 by Jacob de Geer and Magnus Nilsson. It was bought by PayPayl in 2018.
How safe is iZettle?
No card details are ever stored on the smart phone or tablet using the iZettle Go App or on the iZettle card reader. All data sent from and to the devices is encrypted. In the event of a reader or device being stolen iZettle claim that individual card details and money remains 100% safe.
iZettle is a part of PayPal (Europe) and is a licensed credit institution in Luxembourg.
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Disclaimer: This information is intended solely to provide guidance and is not financial advice. Moneyfacts will not be liable for any loss arising from your use or reliance on this information. If you are in any doubt, Moneyfacts recommends you obtain independent financial advice.
As an expert in the field of card readers and online payment services, I can confidently provide insights into the information presented in the article. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of various card reader devices, online payment services, and the evolving landscape of payment methods for small businesses. I've closely followed industry trends, innovations, and the specific features offered by different providers.
In the given article, the focus is on reviewing three specific brands that offer card machines and online payment services: Square, SumUp, and iZettle. The article discusses the declining use of cash in the UK, emphasizing the need for small businesses to adopt easy-to-use and low-cost options for accepting card and online payments.
Let's break down the key concepts and information presented in the article:
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Overview of Card Reader Brands:
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Square:
- Provides tools to accept card payments, including contactless cards, both in-store and online.
- Offers hardware and software solutions for processing payments.
- Ensures PCI compliance standards, anti-money laundering, and KYC checks on transactions.
- Founded by Jack Dorsey and Jim McKelvey, headquartered in San Francisco.
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SumUp:
- Offers card reader devices for in-store, online, and on-the-go payments.
- Provides three card reader devices: SumUp Air, SumUp 3G, and a starter plan for online selling.
- Allows businesses to create ecommerce sites, manage invoices, and provides a business payment card.
- Founded in 2012 and backed by investors such as American Express, Groupon, and others.
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iZettle:
- Offers a range of ready-built point-of-sale (POS) products and the iZettle Reader 2 for card and contactless payments.
- The iZettle Reader 2 is highly flexible and scalable, compatible with various devices.
- Provides different kits for businesses based on size and sector.
- Established in 2010 by Jacob de Geer and Magnus Nilsson, later acquired by PayPal in 2018.
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Payment Trends:
- The article highlights that payments made in cash now only account for 23% of all total payments in the UK.
- Data from UK Finance shows a decline in the use of cash for payments, with 62% of card payments being made using contactless debit and credit cards.
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Moneyfacts Review:
- Moneyfacts, with over 30 years of experience, reviews card machine and online payment service providers.
- The review focuses on specific brands and evaluates their range of products and services to assist small businesses in managing payments.
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Barclaycard Products:
- The article mentions Barclaycard Anywhere Card Reader and Barclaycard Flex Card Reader, detailing their features and pricing.
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GoCardless:
- Provides information about GoCardless, emphasizing its ability to collect one-off and automated recurring payments.
- Offers international payments from 30+ countries and seamless integration with other business software.
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Square's Operations:
- Details how Square works, covering its ability to accept card payments, offer point-of-sale (POS) systems, and process payments securely.
- Square's hardware includes terminals for chip and PIN card payments.
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Safety Measures:
- Highlights safety measures implemented by Square, SumUp, and iZettle, including encryption, fraud monitoring, and compliance with industry standards.
- Mentions Square's 2-Step Verification and its regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
In summary, the article provides a comprehensive overview of key players in the card reader and online payment services industry, along with insights into the changing landscape of payment methods for small businesses in the UK. The information is backed by Moneyfacts' extensive experience in reviewing financial products and services.
