Merchant services
Portable and mobile card machines compared.
A portable card machine works anywhere in your premises. A mobile card machine works anywhere at all, on a SIM or your phone's data. Here is what each costs, read 26 October 2026.
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A portable card machine works anywhere in your premises. A mobile card machine works anywhere at all, on a SIM or your phone's data. Here is what each costs, 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 portable card machine connects over Wi-Fi so you can take payments at the table or around your shop. A mobile card machine uses a SIM card or your phone's data, so it works anywhere. Readers start at £19 + VAT (Square) and £25 excluding VAT (SumUp Solo Lite). Dojo Pocket is £239 or £20 a month. Barclaycard portable is £18 + VAT a month. 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 |
| Revolut Source | From 0.8% + 2p (UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) | £0 for the reader | Reader £49; Terminal £169 + VAT | None | Within 24 hours |
| myPOS Source | From 1.10% + 7p (under £10k a month) | £0 | Device prices not on fees page | Not published | Instant to myPOS account |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| 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 |
| Clover Source | Quote only | Rental only | Flex Pocket £15, Mini £20, Station Duo £30 a month + VAT | Not published | Next business day |
| 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 |
| Lloyds Cardnet Source | Cardnet quote only; Lloyds Accept 1.5% + 20p | £10 minimum monthly charge (Cardnet) | Saturn £23 or Clover Flex £21 a month + VAT | Not stated; Lloyds Accept none | Not published |
| 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% |
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 words are often used for the same thing, but there is a useful difference. A portable card machine is cordless and connects over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, so you can walk it to a table or the till. It needs to stay within range of your network. Pubs and restaurants use these for paying at the table.
A mobile card machine has its own SIM card, or pairs with your phone and uses its data, so it works anywhere with a phone signal. Taxi drivers, market traders, tradespeople and delivery drivers need this kind. Some providers charge for the data: Stripe lists cellular at £7.00 per reader a month, and Lloyds Cardnet lists an optional £10 SIM on the Clover Flex.
Small readers that pair with your phone are the cheapest. Square Reader is £19 + VAT, SumUp Solo Lite £25 excluding VAT, the PayPal Reader from Zettle £29 excluding VAT for your first, Revolut Reader £49 and Stripe's BBPOS WisePad 3 £49 excluding VAT. SumUp Solo, which works on its own without a phone, is £79.
Standalone portable machines cost more. Dojo Go Max is £149 upfront on a launch offer or £25 a month, and Dojo Pocket £239 or £20 a month. Square Handheld is £169 + VAT. Flatpay's PAX A920 Pro terminal is £0 to start. Rented machines include Barclaycard portable at £18 + VAT a month on an 18-month contract, Clover Flex Pocket and Clover Flex at £15 + VAT a month, and Tyl's PAX A920 Pro at £19.99 + VAT a month.
Take a market trader with £3,000 a month in card sales at an average of £12, so 250 sales. On a SumUp Solo Lite at 1.69% she pays £50.70 a month, so £633.40 in the first year including the £25 reader. On Square at 1.75% she pays £52.50 a month, £649 in the first year with the £19 reader. Zettle comes to £659 with its £29 offer reader.
On a Revolut Reader at its starting rate of 0.8% + 2p she pays £29.00 a month, so £397 in the first year with the £49 reader. On Dojo Pocket at 1.2% she pays £36.00 in fees plus £20 a month rental, so £672 a year, or £671 if she buys the Pocket for £239. Small sales and fixed fees change the order, so test your own average sale.
Battery life and signal decide whether a mobile machine works through a full day outdoors, so ask the provider about both for your model. Check whether the machine needs your phone to work. Phone readers are cheaper but drain your phone battery and tie up your phone. Standalone machines such as SumUp Solo, Dojo Pocket and Square Handheld work on their own.
Check how quickly you are paid. SumUp pays into its business account by 7am the next day, including weekends. Teya pays next day, every day. myPOS pays into its account instantly. Check whether a printed receipt matters to your customers, since only some machines print one. Finally, check whether a SIM data charge applies, as it does on Stripe's cellular readers.
The right portable or mobile card machine depends on where you trade, your average sale and how much you take. We compare the whole market on your figures, including providers that only quote, and negotiate the rate and any rental for you. We also check signal, data charges and payout speed, which matter most when you trade away from your premises or at busy events.
We arrange the machine, handle any switch from your current provider, and give you a named account manager who stays with you after setup. If your trading changes, for example a new market or a second van, we review the setup with you. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
For low takings, SumUp Solo Lite at £25 excluding VAT or Square Reader at £19 + VAT with no monthly fee keep costs low. For steady takings, Dojo Pocket at 1.2% often costs less in fees, though it is £239 upfront or £20 a month. Flatpay's terminal is £0 at 1.49%.
Some do and some do not. Small readers such as the Square Reader, SumUp Solo Lite and PayPal Reader pair with your phone over Bluetooth. Standalone machines such as SumUp Solo, Dojo Pocket and Square Handheld have their own screen and connection, so they work without a phone.
Many standalone mobile card machines include a SIM so they work anywhere with a phone signal. Some charge for data: Stripe lists cellular at £7.00 per reader a month, and Lloyds Cardnet lists an optional £10 SIM on the Clover Flex, read 26 October 2026.
Readers start at £19 + VAT (Square Reader) and £25 excluding VAT (SumUp Solo Lite). Standalone machines run from £149 (Dojo Go Max launch offer) to £239 (Dojo Pocket). Rentals run from £15 + VAT a month (Clover Flex) to £20 a month (Dojo Pocket).
Yes, if it has a SIM or uses your phone's data. A Wi-Fi only machine will only work within range of your network. For markets, events and trades, choose a mobile machine with its own SIM or a reader that pairs with your phone, and check battery life for a full day.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.