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Standard card machines take contactless, chip and PIN, and credit cards. What changes is the price for each card type. Here is what 12 UK providers charge, read 26 October 2026.
Published rates from every major UK card machine provider, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own takings.
The short answer
A contactless card machine, also called a chip and PIN machine or card terminal, takes tap, insert and phone payments from debit and credit cards. Prices start at £19 + VAT for a Square Reader. Rates differ by card: Paymentsense charges 1.40% on consumer credit cards and 1.99% on business cards, while Zettle charges 1.75% on all major cards including American Express. Prices read 26 October 2026.
Published prices read 26 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | In-person card rate | Monthly fee | Card machine | Contract | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Source | 1.69% pay as you go, or 0.99% on Payments Plus (domestic cards) | £0, or £19 on Payments Plus | Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 (ex VAT), bought outright | None, cancel anytime | Next day, 7am, weekends included |
| Dojo Source | 1.2% blended under £100k a year; custom above | £0 Essential; Plus £11.99 new customers (£25 list) | Go Max £149 or £25 a month; Pocket £239 or £20; Wired £179 or £15 | 30-day rolling or 12-month fixed (custom rate) | Next day |
| Square Source | 1.75% UK cards; +1.5% non-UK cards | £0, or Plus £29+ | Reader £19; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None, cancel anytime | Next day free; instant for 1.95% |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
| Paymentsense Source | 1.40% debit and credit (price tool); bespoke over £150k | Terminal £20 + VAT; minimum service charge £24.95 | Rental, £20 a month + VAT | Not published | 24 working hours |
| Tyl by NatWest Source | 1.39% + 5p personal cards (under £50k a year) | Machine hire from £13.99 + VAT | PAX A920 Pro £19.99, A50 £14.99, A80 £13.99 a month + VAT | 12 months | Next business day |
| Revolut Source | From 0.8% + 2p (UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) | £0 for the reader | Reader £49; Terminal £169 + VAT | None | Within 24 hours |
| Stripe Source | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards; 2.9% + 10p non-EEA | £0 | WisePad 3 £49; S700 or S710 £229 (ex VAT) | Pay as you go | Standard free; instant 1% |
| Viva Source | 1.69% UK consumer cards | £0 to £15.99 plans (min £3.99) | Not published | Change plan monthly | Real time |
| Barclaycard Source | Quote only (example 0.7% + 3p, representative) | £16 to £29 + VAT service fee | Smartpay Anywhere £29 + VAT | 12 to 18 months, or none for Anywhere | Next day |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| myPOS Source | From 1.10% + 7p (under £10k a month) | £0 | Device prices not on fees page | Not published | Instant to myPOS account |
VAT is excluded where the provider states it. Rates are for in-person UK consumer cards unless stated. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We compare the whole market, including the providers that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your takings and the right machine. You keep a named account manager who looks after you after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
The search terms differ but the machine is the same. A contactless payment machine, a chip and PIN machine, a credit card machine and a card terminal all describe a device that accepts card payments in person. Customers can tap a card, phone or watch (contactless), insert a card and type a PIN (chip and PIN), or swipe on older cards.
Standard card readers and terminals handle both contactless and chip and PIN. The exception is Tap to Pay on a phone, which is contactless only: Teya describes it as a way to turn your phone into a card machine for contactless payments. If customers often pay larger sums, or prefer to insert a card, choose a reader or terminal rather than a phone alone.
Credit cards, business cards and overseas cards often cost more to accept, because the card issuer charges higher interchange, the fee the card issuer takes from each payment. Some providers pass this on. Paymentsense's pricing tool shows 1.40% for consumer debit and credit, and 1.99% for business cards. Tyl by NatWest charges 1.39% + 5p for personal cards and 1.99% + 5p for all other cards under £50,000 a year.
Revolut charges 0.8% + 2p on UK consumer Visa and Mastercard, 1.7% on American Express and 2.6% on other cards. SumUp Payments Plus charges 0.99% on domestic debit and credit cards and 1.69% on premium, international and American Express cards. Flat-rate providers keep one price: Zettle charges 1.75% on all major cards including American Express, and Dojo 1.2% blended on all cards under £100,000 a year.
Take a gift shop with £4,000 a month in card sales: £3,000 on UK personal debit and credit cards and £1,000 on business, overseas and American Express cards. Average sale is £25, so 160 sales.
On Tyl by NatWest, £3,000 at 1.39% is £41.70 and £1,000 at 1.99% is £19.90, plus 5p on 160 sales (£8.00), so £69.60 before hire. On Zettle at 1.75% across the board, it is £70.00. On Dojo at 1.2% it is £48.00 before hardware. On Square, overseas cards cost 1.75% + 1.5%, so a shop with many tourists pays more there. Your card mix can change which provider is cheapest. Your current statements show your split of card types, so bring them when you compare.
Phone readers are the cheapest card terminals: Square Reader £19 + VAT, SumUp Solo Lite £25 excluding VAT and Revolut Reader £49. Standalone terminals with a screen and receipt printer cost more: SumUp Terminal £135, Square Terminal £149 + VAT or £25 + VAT a month for six months, and Revolut Terminal £169 + VAT. Stripe Reader S700 and S710 are £229 excluding VAT.
Countertop terminals, which sit by the till on a cable, suit busy counters. Dojo Wired is £179 upfront or £15 a month, and Barclaycard countertop £16 + VAT a month on an 18-month contract. Tyl rents its PAX A80 at £13.99 + VAT a month. Flatpay offers its PAX A920 Pro terminal at £0 to start, with 1.49% per transaction below £200,000 a year.
The cheapest contactless card machine depends on your card mix as much as your takings. We look at your real statements, including how many credit, business and overseas cards you take, and compare the whole market. Then we negotiate the rate and monthly fees for you, including the rates for the card types you take most, such as credit, business, overseas and American Express cards.
We handle the switch and setup, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after setup and checks your statements. If your card mix changes, for example more tourists in summer, we check whether your rate still fits. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
Standard card readers and terminals take contactless as well as chip and PIN. Phone-based Tap to Pay is contactless only, so customers cannot insert a card. If customers often insert cards, choose a reader or terminal. Readers start at £19 + VAT for Square Reader.
Yes. Chip and PIN machine, card machine, card terminal, PDQ machine and credit card machine all describe the same device. Modern machines take chip and PIN, contactless and mobile wallet payments from both debit and credit cards.
With some providers, yes. Paymentsense shows 1.40% on consumer credit cards but 1.99% on business cards. Revolut charges 1.7% on American Express and 2.6% on other non-standard cards. Zettle and Dojo charge one rate for all major cards. Rates read 26 October 2026.
For simple pricing on any card, Zettle at 1.75% including American Express or Dojo at 1.2% blended under £100,000 a year are strong options. If most customers use UK debit cards, a tiered rate such as Tyl's 1.39% + 5p or SumUp Payments Plus at 0.99% may cost less.
Most can. Zettle includes American Express at its 1.75% rate, SumUp charges 1.69% for American Express on both plans, Revolut 1.7% and Viva Wallet 2.65%. Tyl by NatWest says Tap to Pay acceptance of American Express is not currently available, so check card types if you rely on a phone.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.