Credit card readers for iPhone pair with a mobile point-of-sale app to help small businesses accept and process credit card payments. Ultimately, the best credit card reader for your iPhone should accept at least chip and contactless payments, be compatible with your POS system and offer cost-effective payment processing fees.
These iPhone-friendly credit card readers meet the criteria.
Best Credit Card Readers for iPhone
Calculate your monthly cost estimate
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 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clover Go Learn more on Clover Go's secure website | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | 4.0/5 Best for Overall card reader for iPhone | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 3.5% + $0.10 | $0.00 Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan. | Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. | Learn more on Clover Go's secure website |
SumUp Plus Learn more on SumUp Plus' secure website | 3.5/5 Best for Value | In-person: 2.75% + $0.00 Online: 2.9% + $0.15 | $0.00 | Learn more on SumUp Plus' secure website | ||
Square Reader Learn more on Square Reader's secure website | 5.0/5 Best for POS features | In-person: 2.6% + $0.10 Online: 2.9% + $0.30 | $0.00 Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations. | 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 High-volume sales | In-person: 0.4% + $0.08 Online: 0.5% + $0.25 Plus interchange | $0.00 | Learn more on Helcim card reader's secure website | ||
Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader | 4.5/5 Best for Small transactions | In-person: 2.69% + $0.00 Online: 3.49% + $0.19 | $0.00 | |||
PayPal Zettle | 4.5/5 Best for Alternative payment options | In-person: 2.29% + $0.09 Online: 2.99% + $0.49 | $0.00 | |||
QuickBooks card reader | 5.0/5 Best for Accounting integration | In-person: 2.5% + $0.00 Online: 2.99% + $0.00 | $0.00 |
Our pick for
Overall card reader for iPhone
Clover Go
Learn more
on Clover Go's secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.
Pros
- Charges via standard USB charger.
- Uses passcodes for employees.
Cons
- Takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge.
- Requires a monthly fee for advanced POS features.
Our pick for
Value
SumUp Plus
Learn more
on SumUp Plus' secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
Pros
- Accepts chip, swipe and contactless payments.
- Has a screen to display transaction details.
Cons
- Has less robust POS software features than other card readers.
Our pick for
POS features
Square Reader
Learn more
on Square Reader's secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Pros
- Has a compact design.
- Accepts chip, swipe and contactless payments.
Cons
- Doesn't swipe credit cards.
- Takes roughly two to three hours to charge.
Our pick for
High-volume sales
Helcim card reader
Learn more
on Helcim card reader's secure website
Monthly fee
$0.00
Pros
- Has volume discounts.
- Has robust POS software features.
Cons
- Might change processing rate if monthly transaction rate drops.
Our pick for
Small transactions
Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader
Monthly fee
$0.00
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 Zettle
Monthly fee
$0.00
Pros
- Solid core features.
- No monthly fees.
- No long-term commitment.
- Low initial costs.
- Easy to use.
Cons
- No add-on features available.
- Limited integrations.
- Funds are transferred to your PayPal account and not your bank account.
Our pick for
Accounting integration
QuickBooks card reader
Monthly fee
$0.00
Pros
- No monthly fee.
- Transparent pricing.
- Has a screen to display transaction details.
Cons
- Doesn't process all payment types.
- Requires a QuickBooks account, which starts at $30 per month.
Clover Go: Best overall card reader for iPhone
Why we like it: The Clover Go is a compact, portable card reader that connects to comprehensive POS software. Clover’s Essentials plan, which has a monthly fee, includes extra features such as tax reporting, real-time sales tracking and a customer database. The reader is able to accept payments even when your device is offline, although transactions won’t go through until you’re back online. Read our full Clover review.
Accepts: Magstripe, chip and contactless payment methods.
- $0 for Payments plan.
- $14.95 for Essentials plan.
- $49 for chip, swipe and contactless Clover Go card reader.
- $599 for Clover Flex mobile POS with printer.
- $799 for Clover Mini POS.
- $1,699 for Clover Station Solo.
- $1,799 for Clover Station Duo.
- 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 value
Why we like it: SumUp’s Plus reader can process more than 500 transactions on a single power charge. It has a screen to display transaction details, so you won’t have to share your personal device with the customer. SumUp offers a free app to use with the reader, which includes functionality for sales tracking and reporting and the ability to send digital receipts to customers. It doesn’t charge a monthly fee and doesn’t require a contract. Read our full SumUp review.
Accepts: Magstripe, chip and contactless payment methods.
$0.
- $39 for SumUp Plus card reader.
- $49 for SumUp Plus cradle bundle.
- $129 for SumUp Solo touchscreen.
- $199 for SumUp Solo Printer Bundle.
- $799 for SumUp POS bundle.
- 2.75% for in-person transactions with SumUp card readers.
- 2.90% plus 15 cents for online invoice transactions.
- 3.25% plus 15 cents for manually keyed card reader transactions or payment-linked transactions.
- 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions with SumUp POS system.
- 3.5% plus 15 cents for card-not-present transactions with SumUp POS system.
- 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.
» MORE: Best mobile POS systems
Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader: Best for small transactions
Why we like it: Payanywhere’s versatile card reader comes with low in-person payment processing rates with no fixed fee on top. This makes it a cost-effective option for brick-and-mortar businesses with smaller transaction totals — for example, transactions of $10 or less. Also included with the card at no additional cost is Payanywhere’s simple POS with basic functionality that includes inventory management and reporting. Read our full Payanywhere review.
Accepts: Magstripe, chip and contactless payment methods.
$0.
$59.95.
- 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 for contactless and chip cards: Best for POS features
Why we like it: Square’s free POS software is among the most feature-rich out there; it can give you the full range of business management capabilities, including customized and digital receipts, invoicing, customer profiles for repeat buyers, inventory management and more. Square also offers Tap to Pay on iPhone, which lets merchants accept card payments using only a regular iPhone with the Square POS app. Customers hold their cards or their own iPhone wallets near the merchant's phone to pay. Read our full Square review.
Accepts: Chip and contactless payment methods.
- $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
- $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
- $60 for Square Restaurant and Retail Plus plans.
- $69 for Square Appointments Premium plan.
- $0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).
- $49 and up for Square Reader contactless and chip card reader.
- $149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included).
- $299 for Square Terminal mobile card reader with built-in printer.
- $799 for Square Register two-screen system.
- 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.
- You can't swipe cards.
- It doesn't have a screen to display transaction details.
PayPal Zettle: Best for alternative payment options
Why we like it: Unlike some competitors, PayPal Zettle works with PayPal and Venmo. All transactions made with Zettle go straight into your PayPal account and can be transferred to your bank. Read our full PayPal Zettle review.
Accepts: Chip and contactless payment methods.
$0.
- $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.
- $249 for Store Kit Mini (screen terminal with card reader).
- $339 for Store Kit Portable kit with mobile card reader and printer.
- $499 for Store Kit Standard (adds 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
Why we like it: If you have a QuickBooks Online account, you can use this card reader to automatically record your transactions in the accounting software. Read our full QuickBooks Payments review.
Accepts: Chip and contactless payment methods.
$0.
- $39 for QuickBooks charging stand.
- $49 for QuickBooks card reader.
- $79 for QuickBooks card reader with charging stand.
For QuickBooks Online users
- 2.5% for in-person payments.
- 2.99% for online and invoiced payments.
- 3.5% for manually keyed payments.
- 1% for ACH transactions.
For QuickBooks Desktop users
Pay as you go plan (no monthly fee):
- 2.4% plus 30 cents per swiped transaction.
- 3.5% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction.
- $3 per ACH transfer.
Pay monthly plan (monthly fee):
- 1.6% plus 30 cents per swiped 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.
- It doesn't process all payment types.
- POS software options are limited without a QuickBooks Online account (here are some good QuickBooks POS integrations).
Helcim card reader: Best for high-volume sales
Why we like it: The purchase of a Helcim card reader also gives you access to its robust POS system, a virtual terminal and other tools at no additional cost. Helcim’s interchange pricing model and volume discounts make it a stronger fit for businesses with higher monthly transaction volumes. Read our full Helcim review.
Accepts: Chip and contactless payment methods.
$0.
- $109 for a mobile card reader (with stand).
- $349 for a standalone terminal with built-in thermal printer.
- 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.
- No monthly fees.
- Transparent pricing.
- Has volume discounts available.
- Has robust POS software features.
- Doesn’t accept all payment types.
Credit card readers for iPhone turn your smartphone into a standalone mobile POS system or an extension of a larger, existing POS system. This gives you the flexibility to accept in-person payments anywhere, whether that’s in your brick-and-mortar storefront or at a pop-up event. Ultimately, brick-and-mortar, mobile and online businesses all have the potential to expand their customer base by adding iPhone credit card readers to their tool kit.
You’ll start by downloading a mobile POS app on your iPhone. Some providers send you a card reader for free and others require you to purchase one — they typically cost around $50, but prices vary. From there, you’ll pair the iPhone credit card reader with the mobile POS app and start accepting payments. Credit card readers either plug directly into your iPhone or connect to it via bluetooth.
If your business already has a POS system that works well, the decision will be straightforward: The credit card reader your POS system provider offers is likely the most convenient option. That way, the accompanying app will integrate with the rest of your POS system (e.g., a stationary, countertop POS terminal).
However, if you’re looking for your first or a new POS system, consider these factors to narrow down the best iPhone credit card reader for your business.
Types of payments accepted
Since contactless payments are popular among consumers, card readers that let customers “tap to pay” are becoming more common. At a minimum, iPhone credit card readers should accept these contactless payments and EMV chip cards that customers insert or “dip” into the reader. Some readers also allow you to swipe credit cards’ magstripe, though this is becoming less typical.
Integrations
There’s no shortage of credit card readers for iPhone on the market, but not all of them will be compatible with your existing POS setup. If you already use POS software in some capacity, make sure the card reader you’re considering has a mobile app that seamlessly integrates with that software. Otherwise, your sales won’t be consolidated in the same system. If you run a very small business and only plan to accept payment with your iPhone credit card reader (and not through other channels), this doesn’t matter as much.
Cost
Take into account the cost of the iPhone credit card reader itself, payment processing fees and POS app fees. Depending on your provider, your first card reader may be free. If not, card readers usually cost somewhere around $50, but can range from $29 to over $100. Bluetooth card readers that come with charging stands typically cost more than ones that plug directly into your phone.
In addition to your mobile hardware, you’ll have to pay a per-transaction credit card processing fee. Those fees typically follow one of two pricing structures: interchange plus or flat rate. The former can be more transparent and help high-volume businesses save money, but the latter is simpler to understand. Look out for added chargeback fees and PCI compliance fees, too.
You might have to pay a monthly fee if you’re using more robust POS software on a countertop terminal, but apps are usually free to download.
Here is more information on how NerdWallet evaluates POS systems, payment processors, their accompanying apps and card readers:
Last updated on November 6, 2023