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Card machines for UK small business.
One machine, on a mobile network, so it works wherever you trade. What matters after that is the deal behind it, not which box a salesperson has a target to shift.
The terminal
The one we recommend, and why.
We highly recommend a mobile terminal. It runs on a SIM over the strongest available mobile network, with the option to connect to your broadband as well. It can be used on the go or anywhere in your business, and it can connect to your till system if required.
Mobile terminal
Runs on a SIM over the strongest available network, with broadband as an option. Takes payment at the till, across the room and out on a job, and connects to your till system if you need it to.
Other terminals are available, such as a countertop, if you would prefer one. Ask and we will talk you through the difference.
Before you sign
What actually matters on a terminal deal.
The machine is rarely the expensive part. These are the things worth checking before anything gets signed, and the questions we ask providers on your behalf.
The rental is usually a separate contract
Terminal hire and card processing are frequently two agreements with two different end dates and two notice periods. Merchants often assume that leaving one ends the other. It does not, and a forgotten terminal lease can quietly outlive the processing deal by years.
Your effective rate is the only honest number
Take your total charges for a month and divide by your total card turnover. That is what you actually pay, and it is almost always higher than the quoted headline rate, because the headline usually covers consumer debit cards only.
Average transaction value changes the maths
A fixed authorisation fee of a few pence is trivial on a £90 sale and significant on a £3.20 coffee. Businesses with low baskets should weigh the per-transaction fees at least as heavily as the percentage.
Settlement time is worth asking about
Next working day is common, but not universal. If cash flow is tight, the difference between one and three working days matters more than a few hundredths of a percent on the rate.
- Contract length — and what happens at the end of it
- Notice period — on both the processing and the hardware
- PCI compliance — whether it is included and what happens if the questionnaire lapses
- Support — who you actually ring on a Saturday, and what a replacement costs
Not sure which machine you need?
Tell us how you trade and we will tell you what fits — including when the one you already have is fine.