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5 Best Mobile Credit Card Processors of 2023

Versatile card readers and competitive transaction fees can influence your pick of a mobile credit card processor.

Mar 1, 2023

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The best app for credit card processing depends on your business needs. Free or inexpensive card readers, competitive pricing and device compatibility are some of the top features to consider when choosing a mobile credit card processor. Depending on your customer base, card readers that allow a range of payment options — including magstripe, chip and contactless transactions — may also influence your decision.

Here are our top picks for mobile credit card processors.

Best Mobile Credit Card Processors

Our pick for

Overall option

Square
Learn more

on Square's secure website

Square

Square

Payment processing fees

2.6% + 10¢

in-person; 2.9% + 30¢ online.

Monthly fee

$0

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

Learn more

on Square's secure website


Why we like it

Square is a strong overall choice for credit card processing because of its transparent pricing, lack of a monthly fee and free magstripe card reader. With no contract required, it’s easy to try Square before deciding to purchase additional hardware or upgrade to a plan with more features.

Pros

  • Free magstripe reader.

  • No monthly fees with the Free plan.

  • Offline mode with magstripe reader.

  • No long-term contract.

Cons

  • Offline mode not offered with chip card and contactless payments reader.

  • Phone support on weekdays only.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Customer support

Clover
Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website

Clover POS

Clover

Payment processing fees

2.3% + 10¢ or 2.6% + 10¢

in-person; 3.5% + 10¢ online.

Monthly fee

$15

$14.95 and up.

Learn more

on Clover POS's secure website


Why we like it

Clover Go is similar to Square, but you will need to purchase a card reader for $49 to get started. However, the Starter plan doesn’t have a monthly fee and you’ll get 24/7 phone support when you need it.

Pros

  • No monthly fees with Starter plan.

  • You can process offline sales after you reconnect.

  • 24/7 phone support.

Cons

  • No free reader.

  • May require a contract.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

Card-present transaction fee rate

PayPal Zettle

PayPal

Payment processing fees

2.29% + 9¢

in-person; 3.49% + 49¢ online.

Monthly fee

$0


Why we like it

PayPal Zettle offers a low-cost card reader for $29 and also has low card-present transaction fees. There’s no monthly fee or long-term contract, plus daily support is available, including weekends.

Pros

  • No long-term contract.

  • No monthly fee.

  • Low card-present transaction fee rate.

  • Daily phone support for businesses.

Cons

  • No free reader.

  • Money transferred into your PayPal account instead of a bank account.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

QuickBooks loyalists

QuickBooks
Read review

on NerdWallet's secure website

QuickBooks Payments

QuickBooks

Payment processing fees

2.4% + 25¢

in-person; 2.9% + 25¢ online.

Monthly fee

$0

QuickBooks subscription required.

Read review

on NerdWallet's secure website


Why we like it

For QuickBooks users who have an existing account, the QuickBooks GoPayment app may be a low-cost option to consider. There’s no long-term contract and the fees for card-present transactions are similar to other competitors.

Pros

  • Convenient for QuickBooks users.

  • No monthly fee with a QuickBooks account.

  • No long-term contract.

Cons

  • QuickBooks account is required.

  • Customer support is limited to weekdays.

Read Full Review

Our pick for

All-in-one option with built-in printer

Payanywhere

Payanywhere

Payment processing fees

2.69%

in-person; 3.49% + $0.19 online.

Monthly fee

$0

in person; $20 online


Why we like it

Payanywhere’s POS app is free, and the card reader allows for offline transactions. There’s no monthly fee for the credit card readers, but you may need to sign a contract.

Pros

  • Option to enable offline transactions.

  • 24/7 customer support.

  • Same-day funding is free.

Cons

  • Contract may be required.

  • Potential termination fee.

Read Full Review

Square: Best overall option

Reader cost: Free magstripe reader or $49 for chip card and contactless payments reader.

Compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.

POS app: Free.

Monthly fee: $0 with Free plan.

Card-present transaction fees: 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction.

Square doesn’t require a contract, provides a free magstripe reader and offers a free plan and free POS app. You can opt to pay $49 for a chip card and contactless payments reader, and you can also upgrade to the Plus or Premium plans that start at $29 monthly 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. 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.

Clover Go: Best for customer support

Reader cost: $49 for a reader that accepts magstripe, chip and contactless payments.

Compatibility: Android and Apple iOS devices with Bluetooth.

POS app: Free.

Monthly fee: $0 with Starter plan.

Card-present transaction fees: 2.6% plus 10 cents per transaction.

Clover is a strong competitor of Square. Clover Go offers a mobile card reader at an upfront cost of $49, and it accepts payments by swipe, dip or tap. The POS app is free and the Starter plan doesn’t have a monthly fee. Phone support is available around the clock, which sets it apart from other providers. Your customers have the option to receive a receipt by text or email. However, details about product options and pricing can be hard to find on the Clover website, and you may have to sign a contract to use Clover.

PayPal Zettle: Best card-present transaction fee rate

Reader cost: $29 for the first reader that accepts magstripe, chip and contactless payments.

Compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.

POS app: Free.

Monthly fee: No monthly fee.

Card-present transaction fees: 2.29% plus 9 cents per transaction.

PayPal Zettle offers one of the lowest card-present transaction rates at 2.29% plus 9 cents per payment. While the PayPal Zettle card reader isn’t free, your first one is relatively inexpensive at $29. Any additional card readers will cost you $79 each. 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.

QuickBooks GoPayment: Best for QuickBooks loyalists

Reader cost: $49 for the first reader that accepts magstripe, chip and contactless payments.

Compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.

POS app: Free.

Monthly fee: No monthly fee, when you have a QuickBooks online account.

Card-present transaction fees: 2.4% plus 25 cents per transaction.

The QuickBooks GoPayment mobile app may be a convenient option for QuickBooks users. A card reader costs $49, but the POS app is free and you won’t be tied to a long-term contract. Card-present transaction fees are competitive, but QuickBooks does charge a higher transaction fee of 25 cents compared to some of the other processors we looked at. Also, if you don’t currently have a QuickBooks account, you’ll need one in order to use GoPayment. The cheapest QuickBooks plan starts at $15 for three months and then $30 after that. Customer support is limited to weekdays.

Payanywhere: Best all-in-one option with built-in printer

Reader cost: $59.95 for a reader that also includes contactless payments.

Compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices.

POS app: Free.

Monthly fee: None with credit card readers.

Card-present transaction fees: 2.69% per payment.

Payanywhere offers a three-in-one reader that can be purchased for $59.95, but the POS app is free. There aren’t monthly fees for the card readers, but monthly software fees for other devices range from $9.95 to $39.95. Payanywhere also offers a robust hand-held reader with a built-in printer, touch screen and camera at a cost of $349.95 plus $9.95 a month in software fees. If you commit to a set contract term, note that there could be a termination fee of $295 or more if you decide to cancel.

Last updated on March 1, 2023

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 payment processing providers.

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 editorial guidelines.

To recap our selections...

NerdWallet's Best Mobile Credit Card Processors of 2023