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Best Mobile Credit Card Processors and Readers

The best mobile card readers allow you to process payments from anywhere, offer competitive transaction fees and sync with your larger POS system.
By Lisa A. Anthony, Karrin Sehmbi, Hillary Crawford
Last updated on June 26, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

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The best mobile credit card processors and readers for your business let you accept in-person payments on the go. Processors, or processing companies, facilitate the flow of money from the customer’s bank account to your business’s account. They may also offer standalone, portable devices and/or that connect to smartphones or tablets, typically via Bluetooth.
Free or inexpensive credit card readers, competitive processing fees and compatibility with are some of the top features to consider. The range of payment options available — including magstripe, chip and contactless transactions — may also influence your decision.
Here are our top picks for mobile credit card processors and readers.

Best Mobile Credit Card Processors and Readers

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Estimates assume an average interchange fee of 1.81% + $0.10, based on our latest available data. Estimates provided reflect online and in-person transactions, but exclude any keyed transactions. Estimates are based on the lowest monthly plan and processing fees for each provider.

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Square

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on Square's secure website

Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.
5.0/5

Best for Overall mobile credit card processor

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's secure website

Clover Go

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on Clover Go's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Using third-party processors

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

PayPal Zettle

4.0/5

Best for Low card-present processing rates

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 3.49% + $0.09

$0.00

QuickBooks GoPayment

4.5/5

Best for QuickBooks loyalists

In-person: 2.5% + $0.00

Online: 2.99% + $0.00

$0.00

Helcim

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

5.0/5

Best for High-volume sales

In-person: 0.4% + $0.08

Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

$0.00

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Our pick for

Overall mobile credit card processor

Square’s free mobile credit card reader, free POS app, competitive payment processing rates and ease of use put it at the top of our list. Its POS plans also come with an e-commerce site so you can expand your reach online.

Learn more

on Square's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

Our pick for

Using third-party processors

Most mobile credit card readers are only compatible with in-house payment processing services, which don’t always offer the lowest rates. Alternatively, Clover gives you the freedom to choose your payment processor by allowing third-party processors to sell its hardware.

Clover Go

Learn more

on Clover Go's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.

Our pick for

Low card-present processing rates

At 2.29% plus 9 cents per transaction, PayPal Zettle’s in-person payment processing rates are lower than those of many of its competitors. Plus, in addition to credit and debit cards, you can also accept PayPal and Venmo payments.

PayPal Zettle

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

QuickBooks loyalists

Maybe integrating your accounting software with a separate POS software program feels too complicated or simply not worth the effort. If that’s the case, QuickBooks’ mobile credit card reader and GoPayment app can be a convenient way to accept the occasional in-person payment.

QuickBooks GoPayment

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

High-volume sales

Helcim’s mobile credit card reader uses interchange-plus pricing, as opposed to flat-rate pricing, and is especially advantageous for high-volume businesses. Its volume discounts kick in once your business makes more than $50,000 in credit card transactions per month.

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our picks for the best mobile credit card readers and processors

Square

Best overall mobile credit card processor
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.
Our editorial take: Square doesn’t require a contract, provides a free magstripe reader and offers a free plan and app. You can opt to purchase a chip card and contactless payments reader, and you can also upgrade to the Plus or Premium plans if you want more advanced features. Square's mobile credit card readers can’t print receipts, but you can provide customers with a receipt through text or email. Of the two readers, only the free magstripe reader can handle offline transactions. Phone support is limited to weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. Read our full .

Clover Go

Best for using third-party processors
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Android and Apple iOS devices with Bluetooth.
Our editorial take: If you want to use Clover as your payment processor, you can purchase the Clover Go mobile card reader directly through its website. Alternatively, you can also purchase it through resellers that program the reader to work with outside payment processors. This mobile card reader accepts swiped, chip and contactless payments, and the accompanying mobile app is free. Customers can receive their receipt via text or email. For more information, read our full

PayPal Zettle

Best for low card-present processing rates
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.
Our editorial take: PayPal Zettle offers one of the lowest card-present transaction rates. While its mobile credit card reader isn’t free, the first one is relatively inexpensive. The price increases for any additional card readers. You won’t be charged a monthly fee and the POS app is also free. There’s no long-term contract and daily phone support is available for businesses from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time. You can text or email your customers a receipt. Payment funds are transferred into your PayPal account, but you can then schedule deposits to your bank account. Read our full .

QuickBooks GoPayment

Best for QuickBooks loyalists
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.
Our editorial take: The QuickBooks GoPayment mobile app is a convenient option for QuickBooks accounting users. The POS app is free, and you won’t be tied to a long-term contract. Card-present transaction fees are competitive, but you’ll need a QuickBooks Online account in order to use GoPayment. The cheapest QuickBooks solopreneur plan starts at $20 per month, and customer support is limited to weekdays. Read our full for more details.

Helcim

Best for high-volume sales
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Android and Apple iOS devices with Bluetooth.
Our editorial take: Unlike many of its competitors that rely on a flat-rate pricing model, Helcim uses an interchange-plus model that has the potential to save high-volume businesses money in processing costs. You can use both of Helcim’s hardware options (the Smart Terminal and Card Reader) to track inventory, email receipts, track sales trends and accept contactless and chip credit card payments. There are no contracts or monthly fees. For more information, read our full .

How to choose a mobile credit card reader

Here are the major factors to consider while choosing the right mobile credit card reader and processor for your small business.

POS system integrations

If you operate primarily out of a brick-and-mortar location and already use a POS system, sticking with your current provider is likely the most convenient option when choosing a mobile card reader. If you don’t use a countertop POS register or subscribe to POS software, your options are much less restricted.

Cost

Simple mobile card readers are relatively inexpensive, especially compared to more robust that come with receipt printers or barcode scanners. In addition to the cost of the hardware itself, make sure to factor in any accompanying monthly POS software subscriptions and payment processing costs. Lots of basic POS software plans are free, but you will need to pay payment processing fees regardless.

Android vs. iPhone compatibility

While there’s certainly overlap between the best and the top , some card readers’ apps pair better with one or the other. Make sure to explore reviews of each app in Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store, depending on which type of smartphone you own, so you can ensure seamless credit card processing.

Types of payments accepted

For the most part, mobile card readers let customers “dip” their chip cards or use by tapping their phone or card to the reader. The ability to swipe magstripes, however, is becoming less common. Make sure you understand how your customer base prefers to pay you before choosing a reader.

Learn more about credit card processing

Understand the costs associated with accepting credit cards, as well as the differences between in-store, online and mobile sales.
Last updated on June 26, 2024

Methodology

NerdWallet’s ratings of payment processing providers rewards companies whose products and services are priced well and work in a variety of payment scenarios, among other criteria. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including overall cost, hardware and software options, system capabilities, customer service, contract requirements and integrations. Learn more about how we rate .
These ratings are a guide, but fees, hardware, software and contract requirements can vary widely from business to business and provider to provider. We encourage you to shop around and compare several providers.
NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our.
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