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Square Reader
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Best Credit Card Readers for iPhone
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Input your business’s monthly transaction details and we’ll help you sort from the best valueProduct | Cost Estimate | Payment processing fees | Cost Estimate | Learn more | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Square Reader Learn more on Square Reader's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 5.0/5 Best for Integrating with full POS system | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Square Reader's secure website |
Helcim card reader Learn more on Helcim card reader's secure website | 4.5/5 Best for Volume discounts | In-person: 0.4% + $0.08 Online: 0.5% + $0.25 Plus interchange | $0.00 | Learn more on Helcim card reader's secure website | ||
Clover Go Learn more on Clover Go's secure website | 4.0/5 Best for Quick deposits | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $0.00 Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan. | Learn more on Clover Go's secure website | ||
SumUp Plus Learn more on SumUp Plus' secure website | 4.0/5 Best for iPhone credit card reader with a screen | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.15 | $0.00 for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan. | Learn more on SumUp Plus' secure website | ||
Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader | 4.0/5 Best for Reputation management tools | In-person: 2.69% + $0.00 Online: 3.49% + $0.19 | $0.00 | |||
PayPal Zettle | 4.0/5 Best for Alternative payment options | In-person: 2.29% + $0.09 Online: 3.49% + $0.09 | $0.00 | |||
QuickBooks card reader | 3.0/5 Best for Accounting integration | In-person: 2.5% + $0.00 Online: 2.99% + $0.00 | $0.00 |
Our pick for
Integrating with full POS system
In addition to offering multiple card reader options, Square sells a variety of POS hardware setups for restaurants and retail stores. You can buy a register kit with a cash drawer and receipt printer or piece your own setup together by purchasing an iPad stand and whichever accessories you need. Square offers free POS plans for these more robust hardware setups, too.
Square Reader
on Square Reader's secure website
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Pros
- Has a compact design.
- Square Reader for magstripe and POS app are free.
- Magstripe reader doesn’t have to be charged.
Cons
- Free Square Reader only lets you swipe cards; must purchase upgraded Square Reader to accept contactless and chip payments.
- Square Reader for contactless and chip payments takes roughly two to three hours to charge.
Our pick for
Volume discounts
Helcim stands out for its interchange-plus processing fees and volume discounts, making it a good option for high-volume businesses. The company offers lower interchange markups when your business processes more than $50,000 in card transactions each month.
Helcim card reader
on Helcim card reader's secure website
Pros
- Has volume discounts.
- Includes colored countertop stand, but is also portable enough to use on the go.
Cons
- Processing rates may increase if monthly transaction volume drops.
- No full POS register options to pair with.
Our pick for
Quick deposits
Businesses with occasional cash flow issues might benefit from Clover’s rapid deposit option, which lets you access card transaction funds within minutes. However, keep in mind that it comes with an extra 1.5% fee. And if you don’t want to use Clover as your payment processor, its hardware is also available through resellers that use separate payment processing services.
Clover Go
on Clover Go's secure website
Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.
Pros
- Can purchase from third-party payment processors.
- Uses passcodes for employees.
- Accepts chip, swipe and contactless payments.
Cons
- Takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge.
- Requires a monthly fee for advanced POS features.
Our pick for
iPhone credit card reader with a screen
The SumUp Plus card reader includes its own built-in screen that displays the amount owed and lets customers know when to tap, insert or swipe their cards and whether it’s necessary to leave a signature on the merchant’s iPhone. There’s also a keypad for manually keying in card information.
SumUp Plus
on SumUp Plus' secure website
for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan.
Pros
- Accepts chip, swipe and contactless payments.
- Has a screen to display transaction details.
- Can complete more than 500 transactions before having to recharge.
Cons
- Has less robust POS software features than other card readers.
Our pick for
Reputation management tools
Payanywhere has a unique reputation management feature that lets you monitor what people are saying about your business online, whether it’s through your Google Business profile or a social media platform. You can use the reputation management platform to receive notifications each time someone leaves a new review and quickly respond.
Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader
Pros
- No monthly fee.
- Transparent pricing.
- Can process all three payment types.
Cons
- No screen to display transaction details.
- POS software is not as advanced as some competitors.
- $3.99 per month inactivity fee for 12 months without a transaction.
Our pick for
Alternative payment options
PayPal’s Zettle card reader also has a built-in screen and keypad, but its ability to accept a wide variety of payment options is what really sets it apart from its competitors. In addition to debit and credit card payments, Zettle lets customers use Venmo, PayPal and a handful of digital wallets.
PayPal Zettle
Pros
- No long-term contract or termination fees.
- Accepts a variety of payment types, including Venmo and PayPal payments.
- Inexpensive card reader with a keypad, plus built-in payment processing and a free mobile app lets you quickly accept in-person payments on the go.
- Low in-person processing fees for a flat-rate processor.
Cons
- Accepting online transactions involves additional monthly fees, depending on your gateway.
- No offline mode.
Our pick for
Accounting integration
QuickBooks doesn’t offer its own in-house POS registers like some of its competitors, but its card reader is a convenient option for solopreneurs who take the occasional in-person payment and want to sync it directly with their QuickBooks Online accounting software.
QuickBooks card reader
Pros
- No monthly fee.
- Transparent pricing.
- Has a screen to display transaction details.
Cons
- Doesn't process swiped payments.
- Requires a QuickBooks account, which starts at $30 per month.
Clover Go: Best for quick deposits
- $0 for Payments plan.
- $14.95 for Essentials plan.
- $199 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $279 for countertop card reader.
- $649 for Clover Flex mobile POS with receipt printer.
- $599 for slimmer Flex Pocket with no printer.
- $799 for Clover Mini POS.
- $799-$899 + $25 per month for kitchen display system.
- $1,699 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Duo.
- $3,499 + $34.95 per month for self-ordering kiosk.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.
- The reader processes all three types of payments.
- Clover's transaction fees are transparent.
- Free monthly plan option available.
- The POS software is well developed.
- It doesn't have a screen to display transaction details.
SumUp Plus reader: Best iPhone credit card reader with a screen
- $54 for SumUp Plus card reader.
- $64 for SumUp Plus cradle bundle.
- $99 for SumUp Solo touchscreen.
- $169 for SumUp Solo Printer Bundle.
- SumUp POS bundle is quote-based.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.90% plus 15 cents for online invoice transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for card-not-present transactions.
- The reader processes all three payment types.
- There is no monthly fee.
- Fees are transparent and easy to understand.
- It has a screen to display transaction details.
- The free app has less functionality than some competitors’ offerings.
Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader: Best for reputation management tools
- 2.69% for in-person transactions.
- 3.49% plus 19 cents for online, keyed and virtual terminal transactions.
- Payanywhere doesn't charge a monthly fee for its POS app.
- Transaction fees are transparent.
- The 3-in-1 reader can process all three payment types.
- It doesn't have a screen to display transaction details.
- Payanywhere's POS software is not as advanced as that of some competitors.
- There's a $3.99 per month inactivity fee for 12 months without a transaction.
Square Reader: Best for integrating with full POS system
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans.
- $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
- $165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan.
- Custom pricing for Square Retail plan.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $59 for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer (monthly financing available).
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system (monthly financing available).
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions.
- 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.
- Square fees are transparent.
- Free monthly plan option available.
- Square's POS software is more robust than some competitors’ offerings.
- Square Reader for contactless and chip payments doesn’t let you swipe cards.
- Neither reader has a screen to display transaction details.
PayPal Zettle: Best for alternative payment options
- $29 for first card reader; additional readers cost $79. Price includes USB cable.
- $199 for terminal only.
- $239 for terminal with barcode scanner built in.
- $229 for Store Kit Mini (tablet stand with card reader and dock).
- $339 for Store Kit Portable kit with mobile card reader and printer.
- $479 for Store Kit Standard (tablet stand, card reader, dock and printer).
- $699 for Store Kit Plus (adds barcode scanner).
- 2.29% plus 9 cents for in-person and QR code transactions.
- 3.49% plus 9 cents for manual-entry card transactions.
- 2.99% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with card).
- 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with PayPal).
- Fees are transparent.
- Card reader has a screen to display transaction details.
- PayPal Zettle's POS app offers a variety of features.
- Zettle doesn't process swipe payments.
QuickBooks card reader: Best for accounting integration
- $39 for QuickBooks charging stand.
- $49 for QuickBooks card reader.
- $79 for QuickBooks card reader with charging stand.
- 2.5% for in-person payments.
- 2.99% for online and invoiced payments.
- 3.5% for manually keyed payments.
- 1% for ACH transactions.
- 2.4% plus 30 cents per in-person transaction.
- 3.5% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction.
- $3 per ACH transfer.
- 1.6% plus 30 cents per in-person transaction.
- 3.3% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction.
- $3 per ACH transfer.
- There's no monthly fee.
- Processing fees are transparent.
- It has a screen to display transaction details.
- Doesn’t process swiped payments.
- Requires a QuickBooks account.
Helcim card reader: Best for volume discounts
- $99 for a mobile card reader (with stand).
- $329 for a stand-alone terminal with built-in thermal printer (or 12 monthly payments of $30).
- Interchange plus 0.4% and 8 cents per in-person transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per online or manually keyed transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).
- 0.5% plus 25 cents for ACH payments (capped at $6).
- No monthly fees.
- Transparent pricing.
- Has volume discounts available.
- Has robust POS software features.
- Doesn’t accept swiped payments.
How to choose the best credit card reader for iPhone
