Mobile Point of Sale Devices
If your annual card turnover is less than £10,000 per year, then a traditional terminal rental agreement may not be your most cost effective option. There are now mobile point of sale (mPOS) devices available which you can purchase outright and which have no monthly rental fee or minimum monthly service charge. The mPOS devices “pair” with an iPhone/Android smartphone or tablet by bluetooth. The individual transaction charges are higher than a traditional terminal and most require upfront purchase of a device, but if your transaction volume is low then overall, these options are a cheaper way to accept cards. There are no lengthy contracts or monthly charges other than for transactions processed.
We have partnered with the best mPOS suppliers to present you with a range of devices to choose from. Here is a summary of the costs, scroll down for more detail on each device.
But remember, if your annual card turnover is greater than £10,000 then a traditional terminal lease may still be cheaper
| Provider | Upfront cost | Cost per transaction | Click to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp | £19 + VAT (exclusive to Cardswitcher users) | 1.69% | Check it |
| Zettle | £19 + VAT (exclusive to Cardswitcher users) | 1.75% | Check it |
| Square | £15 + VAT (until 9 November, normally £19 + VAT) | 1.75% | Check it |
| Payamobile | £79 + VAT | 1.99% for Cardswitcher customers (use promo code CS199) | Check it |
Recommended Providers
SumUp
- Device type: Chip and Pin
- Cards accepted: Mastercard, Visa, Amex
- Transactions accepted: Face to Face
- Transaction limits: No general limit
- Upfront cost: £19 + VAT (exclusive to Cardswitcher users)
- Cost per transaction:
- 1.69% per transaction
- Minimum monthly charge: nil
- Funds settlement time: 3-6 business days
About SumUp
SumUp was launched in 2012 and has since expanded into 11 countries across Europe and is now expanding globally. It has over 140 staff with major offices in London, Berlin, Dublin and Moscow. Its shareholders include American Express, BBVA Ventures and Groupon. In April 2016 it merged with Payleven and the enlarged group currently processes more than EUR 1 billion of transactions.
Zettle
- Device type: Chip & Pin (contactless including Apple Pay)
- Cards accepted: Mastercard, Visa, Amex, JCB, Diners
- Transactions accepted: Face to Face
- Transaction limits:
- £5,000 per transaction; £500,000 daily
- Maximum daily settlement £500,000
- Upfront cost: £19 + VAT (exclusive to Cardswitcher users)
- Cost per transaction:
- 1.75% per transaction ("Zettle Go")
- Option to purchase premium features for £20 per month - lifetime warranty, out of hours support, additional reporting ("Zettle Go Plus")
- Minimum monthly charge: nil
- Funds settlement time: 3 days
About Zettle
Zettle is payments made easy. The social payments company’s services are always secure, fantastically fast to set up, and super simple to use. The first iZettle service was launched in Sweden in 2011 and is now available to individuals and small businesses across Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Mexico and Brazil.
Square
- Device type: Chip & Pin and Contactless)
- Cards accepted: Mastercard, Visa, Amex
- Transactions accepted: Face to Face (Virtual Terminal available for CNP transactions at 2.5% per transaction)
- Transaction limits: £25,000 per transaction
- Upfront cost: £15 + VAT (until 9 November, normally £19 + VAT)
- Cost per transaction:
- 1.75% per transaction
- Minimum monthly charge: nil
- Funds settlement time: Next business day
About Square
Square Inc was founded in 2009 by Twitter creator Jack Dorsey and listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 2015 (symbol SQ). It is currently valued at around $30bn with reported annual revenues of $3.3bn. It is based in San Francisco with operations worldwide, employing over 2,000 staff and launched in the UK in 2017.
Payamobile
- Device type: Chip & Pin
- Cards accepted: Mastercard, Visa
- Transactions accepted: Face to Face + Telephone + Online + Invoice links
- Transaction limits: No general limit
- Upfront cost: £79.00 (+VAT)
- Cost per transaction:
- 1.99% for Cardswitcher customers (use promo code CS199)
- Minimum monthly charge: nil
- Funds settlement time: 4-9 business days
About Payamobile
Award Winning Value for Money With Payamobile you get so much more for your money - a full multi-channel service including face to face, telephone, online and email link card acceptance. Since launch in 2010, we have attracted the attention of the industry, winning two awards - Best Technology Initiative and Best Multichannel Payments Solution.
We pride ourselves in offering exceptional value for money and a personalised service to small businesses.