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Best Mobile Credit Card Processors and Readers

Versatile card readers and competitive transaction fees can influence your pick of a mobile credit card processor.
By Lisa A. Anthony, Karrin Sehmbi, Hillary Crawford
Last updated on February 23, 2024
Edited byChristine Aebischer
Fact checked and reviewed

⏰ Estimated read time: 11 minutes

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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 credit card readers that connect to smartphones or tablets, typically via Bluetooth.
Free or inexpensive credit card readers, competitive processing fees and compatibility with point-of-sale (POS) systems 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

Learn more

on Clover Go's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Customer support

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 Card-present transaction fee rate

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 2.89% + $0.49

$0.00

QuickBooks GoPayment

4.5/5

Best for QuickBooks loyalists

In-person: 2.5% + $0.00

Online: 2.99% + $0.00

$0.00

Payanywhere

4.5/5

Best for All-in-one option with built-in printer

In-person: 2.69% + $0.00

Online: 3.49% + $0.19

$0.00

and up.

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

SumUp

Learn more

on SumUp's secure website

4.0/5

Best for Touchscreen card reader

In-person: 2.75% + $0.00

Online: 3.25% + $0.15

$0.00

For card readers; $199 for Essentials POS plan; $289 for Pro POS plan.

Learn more

on SumUp's secure website

Our pick for

Overall mobile credit card processor

Learn more

on Square's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

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

Our pick for

Customer support

Clover Go

Learn more

on Clover Go's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.

Our pick for

Card-present transaction fee rate

PayPal Zettle

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

QuickBooks loyalists

QuickBooks GoPayment

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

All-in-one option with built-in printer

Payanywhere

Monthly fee
$0.00

and up.

Our pick for

High-volume sales

Learn more

on Helcim's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

Our pick for

Touchscreen card reader

Learn more

on SumUp's secure website

Monthly fee
$0.00

For card readers; $199 for Essentials POS plan; $289 for Pro POS plan.

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.
Why we like it: Square doesn’t require a contract, provides a free magstripe reader and offers a free point-of-sale software 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 Square review.

Clover Go: Best for customer support

Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Android and Apple iOS devices with Bluetooth.
Why we like it: Clover is a strong competitor of Square. It offers the Clover Go, a mobile card reader that accepts payments by swipe, dip or tap. The Clover Go 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. Read our full Clover review.

PayPal Zettle: Best card-present transaction rate

Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.
Why we like it: 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 PayPal Zettle review.

QuickBooks GoPayment: Best for QuickBooks loyalists

Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices with Bluetooth.
Why we like it: 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 QuickBooks does charge a higher transaction fee compared with some of the other processors we looked at. Also, if you don’t currently have a QuickBooks Online account, you’ll need one in order to use GoPayment. The cheapest QuickBooks plan starts at $9 for three months and then $30 after that. Customer support is limited to weekdays. Read our full QuickBooks GoPayment review.

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

Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Apple iOS and Android devices.
Why we like it: Payanywhere offers a three-in-one reader for purchase, but the POS app is free when used with the reader (monthly software fees apply for other devices and range from $9.95 to $39.95). Payanywhere also offers a robust hand-held reader with a built-in receipt printer and touch screen. Read our full Payanywhere review.

Helcim: Best for high-volume sales

Why we like it: 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 Helcim review.
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Android and Apple iOS devices with Bluetooth.

SumUp: Best touchscreen credit card reader

Why we like it: SumUp’s inexpensive card reader options come with free, built-in software that lets you send digital receipts, accept tips and take chip and contactless card payments, plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. The less expensive Plus Card Reader also accepts magnetic stripe payments. If you need a more robust POS solution, the company sells a POS terminal that comes with additional features — like inventory tracking, menu management, onboarding tools and a customer rewards database — for a monthly fee. For more details, read our full SumUp review.
Mobile credit card reader compatibility: Android and Apple iOS devices with Bluetooth.

What is a mobile credit card reader?

Mobile credit card readers are a must if your business needs the flexibility to accept in-person payments from more than one location. Instead of being tied down to a countertop register, they let you accept customers’ debit and credit cards at farmers markets, pop-ups or project sites. You just need the reader and your smartphone.
The company providing the reader typically offers payment processing services, too. That way, you don’t need to integrate the reader with a third-party payment processing company.

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.

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 mobile POS systems 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 credit card readers for Androids and the top credit card readers for iPhones, 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 contactless payments 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.
Last updated on February 23, 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 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.
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