8 Best Mobile Payment Apps for Small Businesses

Small-business payment apps don’t require additional hardware to accept payments from customers. There’s also often no monthly fee.
Hillary Crawford

Written by

Hillary Crawford
Hillary Crawford
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Last updated on Nov 22, 2024

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Hillary Crawford

Written by

Hillary Crawford
Hillary Crawford
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Ryan Lane

Edited by

Ryan Lane
Last updated on Nov 22, 2024

Fact checked and reviewed

Why trust NerdWallet

Advertiser disclosure

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Best overall POS system
Square
Best overall POS system

Square POS

Square POS
External link icon Learn more

on Square's website

Mobile payment apps let small businesses accept contactless payments, like digital wallets, with just their smartphones. Businesses with a brick-and-mortar location will likely need a more complete point-of-sale (POS) system, including hardware, in addition to a payment app. But the apps alone can be sufficient for very small businesses with no physical storefront.
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Best all-in-one payments service
Square

Square

5.0  

Best for Overall mobile payment app

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
External link icon Learn more

on Square's website

Best all-in-one payments service

Square

Square

Best for Overall mobile payment app

5.0  
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.15
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
External link icon Learn more

on Square's website

Stripe

Stripe

5.0  

Best for International businesses

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Learn more

on Stripe's website

Stripe

Stripe

Best for International businesses

5.0  
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Learn more

on Stripe's website

Helcim

Helcim

5.0  

Best for High-volume businesses

Payment processing fees
In-person: 0.4% + $0.08
Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Learn more

on Helcim's website

Helcim

Helcim

Best for High-volume businesses

5.0  
Payment processing fees
In-person: 0.4% + $0.08
Online: 0.5% + $0.25

Plus interchange

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Learn more

on Helcim's website

Shopify

Shopify Payments

4.2  

Best for Online-first businesses

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$39

Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.
External link icon Learn more

on Shopify's website

Shopify Payments

Shopify

Best for Online-first businesses

4.2  
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 2.9% + $0.30

Monthly fee
$39

Basic plan; $105 Shopify plan; $399 Advanced plan.
External link icon Learn more

on Shopify's website

Clover

Clover

3.8

 

Best for Built-in loyalty program

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10

Monthly fee
$0

and up.
External link icon Learn more

on Clover's website

Clover

Clover

Best for Built-in loyalty program

3.8

 
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Online: 3.5% + $0.10

Monthly fee
$0

and up.
External link icon Learn more

on Clover's website

Venmo Business Account

Venmo Business Account

3.8  

Best for Accepting payments with a QR code

Payment processing fees
1.9% + $0.10

Between Venmo accounts.

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Read Review

Venmo Business Account

Venmo Business Account

Best for Accepting payments with a QR code

3.8  
Payment processing fees
1.9% + $0.10

Between Venmo accounts.

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Read Review
QuickBooks

QuickBooks GoPayment

4.0  

Best for Invoicing

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.5% + $0.00
Online: 2.99% + $0.00

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Read Review

QuickBooks GoPayment

QuickBooks

Best for Invoicing

4.0  
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.5% + $0.00
Online: 2.99% + $0.00

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Read Review
PayPal

PayPal POS

4.1  

Best for Variety of payment options

Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.29% + $0.09
Online: 3.49% + $0.09

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Read Review

PayPal POS

PayPal

Best for Variety of payment options

4.1  
Payment processing fees
In-person: 2.29% + $0.09
Online: 3.49% + $0.09

Monthly fee
$0

External link icon Read Review

Our picks for the best mobile payment apps for small businesses

Square

Best overall mobile payment app
Why we like it: Square is a good fit for a variety of business types, whether you’re self-employed and mostly work on the go or operate a brick-and-mortar location that requires a more built-out POS system. Customers can pay using their mobile wallets, and merchants can accept contactless payments through the app — no hardware (besides a smartphone) needed. Square’s basic POS app is free to use, meaning you only pay transaction fees. For more details, read our full Square POS review.
  • $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans.
  • $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan.
  • $69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans.
  • $89 for Square Retail Plus plan.
  • $165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan.
  • Custom pricing for Square Retail plan.
  • 2.6% plus 15 cents for in-person transactions with all free plans.
  • 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions with paid restaurant plans.
  • 2.5% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions with paid retail and appointments plans.
  • 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
  • 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions.
  • 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.

Stripe

Best for international businesses
Why we like it: First and foremost, Stripe is a customizable online payment platform for businesses selling internationally. However, it also allows merchants to accept contactless in-person payments through the mobile app. If you need a slightly more robust in-person POS device, card readers are available. For more details, read our full Stripe Payments review.
  • $0 for standard services.
  • $10 for custom domain.
  • 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person transactions.
  • 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions.
  • 3.4% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions.
  • 4.4% plus 30 cents for international card transactions.

Helcim

Best for high-volume businesses
Why we like it: Helcim’s free mobile POS app includes a Tap to Pay on iPhone feature that lets you accept contactless payments with just your smartphone. And unlike most of the options listed here, the provider uses interchange-plus as opposed to flat-rate pricing for payment processing, which can be advantageous for higher-volume businesses. For more details, read our full Helcim review.
$0.
  • 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 (capped at $6).

Shopify

Best for online-first businesses
Why we like it: Online retailers will appreciate Shopify’s variety of website template options and integrated approach to both online and in-person transactions. In addition to selling hardware for brick-and-mortar shops that also have an online presence, its mobile app lets you accept contactless payments with just your phone. For more details, read our full Shopify review.
Shopify e-commerce plans:
  • $29 for Shopify Basic when billed annually (or $39 when paid monthly).
  • $79 for regular Shopify when billed annually (or $105 when paid monthly).
  • $299 for Shopify Advanced when billed annually (or $399 when paid monthly).
  • Custom pricing for Shopify Plus.
  • All e-commerce plans come with POS Lite for selling in-person. Upgrading to POS Pro for brick-and-mortar businesses costs an extra $89 per location.
Shopify’s alternative solutions for mainly selling in-person:
  • $5 for Starter plan, which includes one POS Lite location.
  • $79 (when billed annually) for Retail plan, or $89 when paid monthly; includes one POS Pro location.
  • 2.5%, 2.7% or 2.9% plus 30 cents for online payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.
  • 2.4%, 2.5% or 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person payments for Advanced, Shopify or Basic plan, respectively.

Clover

Best built-in loyalty program
Why we like it: Clover’s built-in loyalty program and customer engagement tools give businesses the opportunity to boost brand loyalty and build a strong customer base. Plus, the program comes with an app for customers so they can track their rewards. Most competitors only offer this functionality as an add-on. Clover sells a variety of POS hardware, but you can also use its mobile app to accept payments without it on iPhones. For more details, read our full Clover review.
  • $0 for Clover Go Payments, Retail Starter and Personal Services Starter plans.
  • $14.95 for Clover Go Essentials, Professional Services Starter, and Standard and Home & Field Services Starter and Standard plans.
  • $84.95 for Retail Standard and Professional, Personal Services Standard and Advanced, and Home & Field Services Advanced plans.
  • $89.95 for Full-Service Dining Starter and Quick-Service Dining Starter and Standard plans.
  • $104.90 for Retail Advanced plan.
  • $109.90 for Full-Service Dining Standard and Quick-Service Dining Advanced plans.
  • $129.85 for Full-Service Dining Advanced plan.
  • 2.3% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Full-Service and Quick-Service Restaurant plans.
  • 2.5% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on Retail Standard and Advanced plans, Professional and Personal Services Standard and Advanced plans, and the Home and Field Services Advanced plan.
  • 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions on the Retail and Personal Services Starter plans and the Home and Field Services Standard plan.
  • 3.5% plus 10 cents for online or keyed-in transactions.

QuickBooks GoPayment

Best for invoicing
Why we like it: The QuickBooks GoPayment app lets QuickBooks Online users accept invoice payments in person. And since QuickBooks Online and the payment app sync with each other, the payment gets transferred right into your books. For more details, read our full QuickBooks GoPayment review.
  • $0 if you already have a QuickBooks Online plan.
  • $35 for Simple Start plan for new QuickBooks users.
  • $65 for Essentials plan for new QuickBooks users.
  • $99 ($45 for first three months) for Plus plan for new QuickBooks users.
  • $235 ($100 for first three months) for Advanced plan for new QuickBooks users.
  • QuickBooks Desktop users pay an annual subscription fee for the accounting software.
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 in-person transaction.
  • 3.5% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction.
  • 1% per ACH transfer.
Pay monthly plan ($20 monthly fee):
  • 1.6% plus 30 cents per in-person transaction.
  • 3.3% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction.
  • 1% per ACH transfer.

Venmo

Best for accepting payments with a QR code
Why we like it: Venmo isn’t an all-in-one payments platform and POS solution like Square, but its QR codes make it easy for customers to pay small businesses at pop-up events, festivals and farmers markets. Customers can transfer money from their Venmo balance or from a separate linked account. Rates are lowest for Venmo balance transfers, but merchants can also use Tap to Pay to accept contactless payments. For more details, read our full Venmo business account review.
$0.
  • 1.9% plus 10 cents per transaction between Venmo accounts.
  • 2.29% plus 9 cents per contactless “Tap to Pay” payment.
  • 1.75% fee for instant transfers.

PayPal POS

Best for variety of payment options
Why we like it: The PayPal POS app can be a great choice for mobile businesses that want to let customers make payments with Venmo, PayPal or their mobile wallets. Card-present transaction rates are more competitive, but you can also manually enter card information. For more details, read our full PayPal POS review.
$0.
  • 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).

Need to pair your payment app with a card reader?

Portable card readers coupled with a mobile app can give your customers even more payment options.

What is a mobile payment app?

Mobile payment apps turn smartphones into their own POS devices. While it's common for credit card processing companies to offer mobile apps, these may require add-ons to accept payments. NerdWallet’s list of best payment apps for small businesses let you complete at least one type of transaction without any POS hardware.
Transaction types fall into at least one of the following categories:
  • Contactless payments via Tap to Pay. 
  • QR code payments.
  • In-person invoice payments. 
  • Manually keyed-in payments. 
  • Money transfers. 

Does my business need to accept mobile payment apps?

It’s increasingly important for businesses to accept mobile payments. Apps are not only a convenient way for customers to pay quickly, but they also continue to grow in popularity. In fact, digital wallets (like Apple Pay) are the fastest growing payment method in the United States, according to research from J.D. Power.
Typically, mobile payments fall into two categories: money transfers and digital wallets. Taking digital wallet payments can be straightforward. Mobile apps from POS providers and payment processors often enable such payments via methods like Tap to Pay, QR code or synchronization with a card reader or other hardware. Your business won’t necessarily use a digital wallet itself.
That’s not always the case with money transfer services, like Venmo or Cash App for Business. You’ll need an account to use those, and in some instances, to download a separate app. Still, these can be budget-friendly options for very small businesses — transactions via Zelle for Business are free, for instance — or make sense if they’re popular among your customer base.
Last updated on November 22, 2024