5 Best Credit Card Readers for Android of September 2025
Top options include readers from Clover, PayPal, SumUp, Square and Stripe.
Learn more Credit card readers for Android give business owners the option to accept debit and credit card payments in-store or on the go using their Android devices. The best Android card readers are affordable, integrate with the rest of your point-of-sale (POS) system
Why trust NerdWallet
Here are NerdWallet’s top picks for the best credit card readers for Android users.
Sponsored partner picks for
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$0
on Stripe's website
Pros
- Highly customizable online checkout options.
- No termination fees or long-term contracts.
- 24/7 chat support.
- Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
- No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Doesn’t sell full countertop POS setups; hardware is limited to handheld terminals and card readers.
- Deposits can take up to two business days.
- No phone or email support.
Stripe
Best for Customization
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$0
on Stripe's website
Pros
- Highly customizable online checkout options.
- No termination fees or long-term contracts.
- 24/7 chat support.
- Can process transactions in more than 135 currencies.
- No PCI compliance fees.
Cons
- Doesn’t sell full countertop POS setups; hardware is limited to handheld terminals and card readers.
- Deposits can take up to two business days.
- No phone or email support.
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10
Monthly fee
$0
Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.
on Clover's website
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.
Clover Go
Best for Quick deposits
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10
Monthly fee
$0
Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.
on Clover's website
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.
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$0
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
on Square's website
Pros
- Accepts chip credit cards and digital wallets.
- Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.
Cons
- Doesn’t accept magstripe credit cards.
- Doesn’t have a screen to show transaction details.
- Doesn’t accept offline payments.
- Doesn’t print receipts.
Square Reader
Best for Integrating with full POS setups
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Online: 2.9% + $0.30
Monthly fee
$0
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
on Square's website
Pros
- Accepts chip credit cards and digital wallets.
- Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.
Cons
- Doesn’t accept magstripe credit cards.
- Doesn’t have a screen to show transaction details.
- Doesn’t accept offline payments.
- Doesn’t print receipts.
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.
PayPal POS
Best for Accepting a variety of payment methods
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.29% + $0.09
Online: 3.49% + $0.09
Online: 3.49% + $0.09
Monthly fee
$0
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.
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.15
Online: 3.5% + $0.15
Monthly fee
$0
for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan.
on SumUp's website
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.
SumUp Plus
Best for Android credit card reader with a screen
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.15
Online: 3.5% + $0.15
Monthly fee
$0
for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan.
on SumUp's website
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.
Jump to
Our picks for the best credit card readers for Android
Clover Go
Best for quick deposits
Why we like it: Clover Go’s sleek design is easy to use on the go. You can accept all credit cards along with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, and it takes offline payments when you lose Wi-Fi or a cell signal. While you’ll have to choose a monthly plan, Clover offers a free option with basic POS features, including processing payments and sales tracking. Read our full Clover review
Monthly POS software fees
Hardware costs
Payment processing fees
Pros
Cons
PayPal POS
Best for accepting a variety of payment methods
Why we like it: PayPal POS accepts credit cards, digital wallet payments and QR codes for PayPal accounts. With no monthly fee, the platform offers a cheaper option for businesses that need to accept payments on the go. Read our full PayPal POS review
Monthly POS software fees
Hardware costs
Payment processing fees
Pros
Cons
SumUp Plus
Best for Android credit card reader with a screen
Why we like it: The SumUp Plus reader is small but efficient, processing magstripe and chip cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. It includes a screen to show transaction details and charges pay-as-you-go processing fees so you pay only when you charge customers. Read our full SumUp review
Monthly POS software fees
Hardware costs
Payment processing fees
Pros
Cons
Square Reader
Best for integrating with full POS setups
Why we like it: Square’s Reader accepts chip cards and contactless methods including Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. It uses a pay-as-you-go structure, so you don’t have a monthly fee and pay only when customers are charged. Square’s processing rates are competitive and come with POS features that include reporting and inventory management. Read our full Square POS review
Monthly POS software fees
Hardware costs
Payment processing fees
Pros
Cons
Stripe Reader M2
Best for customization
Why we like it: Stripe’s Reader M2 doesn’t require a contract and comes with pay-as-you-go pricing for accepting magstripe and chip cards as well as digital wallets. The reader requires you to use a software development kit, or SDK, to integrate it with your application, so some coding knowledge is helpful. But the POS comes with a lot of features that make customization and integrations easier, including embedded checkout, currency conversion, reporting, 24/7 support and a developer dashboard. With these features, skilled users can customize their reader to do more than most others on the market. Read our full Stripe review
Monthly POS software fees
Hardware costs
Payment processing fees
Pros
Cons
How to choose the best credit card reader for Android
Consider the following features to find the best credit card reader for Android.
POS system compatibility
If your business has a brick-and-mortar location with a full POS setup, make sure your Android credit card reader is either from the same POS system provider or is compatible with it. That way, you can centralize information from in-store and mobile credit card sales under the same software umbrella. This makes it easier to sync the complete data set with your accounting software and run reports.
Costs
Basic credit card readers for Android are typically well under $100 and can be paired with free POS apps for your Android device, making the barrier to entry relatively low. Payment processing fees, on the other hand, must be paid on an ongoing basis and can add up quickly. To compare different credit card processing companies
Mobile app
While customers will mostly interact with the card reader itself, you’ll interact more with the Android app it’s paired with. Read each accompanying mobile app’s reviews to check for common pain points and comments on ease of use. If you’d like to take payments with just your Android device (and no card reader), make sure the app includes a Tap to Pay option.
Explore more credit card reader options
Though the list above focuses on mobile card reader picks for Android smartphones and tablets, there are also more robust options for businesses that require receipt printers, barcode scanners, customer-facing displays or cash drawers. For additional mobile card reader, handheld terminal and full POS setup options, see NerdWallet’s roundup below.