The 5 Best Credit Card Readers & Terminals for Small Businesses 2023

There are hundreds of different card readers on the market—some are mobile and some are packed with point-of-sale features.

We chose Square’s Contactless and Chip Reader as our number one pick because it’s mobile and it connects you to Square’s top-notch POS system.

Whether you go with the Square reader or something else, this article will help you choose the best credit card reader for your business and point-of-sale (POS) system.

There’s a reason we picked Square as the best mobile credit card reader and app for small business—actually, there are several reasons. Square readers connect to any iPhone, Android phone, or tablet to accept payments from just about anywhere. And our favorite Square credit card reader is the $49 Contactless and Chip Reader. It’s light, it’s compact, and it can accept EMV chip cards and NFC payments.

No magstripe reader, you ask? Square also throws in a free swipe reader with your contactless and chip reader purchase. One potential drawback: you’ll need to use Square’s free mobile app to use the reader and pay Square’s transaction fees, which are 2.6% + 10¢ for swiped, dipped, and tapped transactions or 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed transactions.

If you run a brick-and-mortar shop and are looking to upgrade from a simple mobile credit card reader and app, we recommend Shopify's Build Your Own Bundle. It’s the best all-in-one solution for accepting credit cards, securely storing cash, and printing customer receipts. The bundle offers a Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader, a Chip & Swipe Reader, a Shopify Retail Stand for iPad, a bluetooth receipt printer, a cash drawer, and a barcode scanner.

Shopify’s POS software works on iOS and Android, but the bundle only comes with an iPad stand, which means you’ll need to have or purchase an iPad. And each product is above the $100 mark—so, the bundle's equipment is much more expensive than our other credit card reader picks. But if you have a Shopify store and you need a permanent solution for taking every type of customer payment, it’s an excellent option.

Mobile credit card readers and apps may be the fancy new kids on the block, but that doesn’t mean more traditional credit card terminals are entirely out of fashion. Ingenico is a reputable manufacturer of POS solutions, and its iCT220 Dual Com Terminal is one of the best credit card readers available. Customers can use EMV-enabled cards, use contactless payments like Apple Pay, or swipe their traditional magstripe cards.

The reader features a bright display, easy-to-read buttons, and a PIN-obscuring privacy shield for debit card transactions. You’ll pay more for a terminal than for most mobile card readers. But you can connect the iCT220 to almost any existing POS system—via ethernet cable or cellular communication—and use any major credit card processing provider.

Moving from all-in-one with Shopify to one-and-done with PayAnywhere, the 2-in-1 Bluetooth Credit Card Reader is a simple and cheap way to take customer payments on the go. This reader lets you accept traditional magstripe credit cards and EMV chip cards—a lot of functionality at such a low price tag.

Purchasing a reader also grants you access to PayAnywhere’s Payments Hub, a software package equipped with business management tools, data-driven reports, and a  virtual terminal.

PayAnywhere isn’t the most loved credit card processing company. It’s user reviews complain of poor customer service. But its reader comes with a price tag below $40 and an affordable 2.69% transaction rate. These low costs make the PayAnywhere PAR-1 mobile card reader a smart choice for food trucks, boutique storefronts, and pop-up retailers.

If you need to save a buck and want to process credit cards, the PayAnywhere reader is a great choice.

For a simple, affordable, and versatile way to receive payments using a PC, Mac, or existing POS terminal, consider the MagTek 21040145 SureSwipe Reader. This credit card reader connects to any USB-enabled device (like a PC or POS terminal) and gets power through the same connection.

Setup is just as simple: simply plug in the six-foot cable and launch your POS software—no separate drivers required. The biggest downside? The reader is for swipes only—no EMV or NFC payments allowed. Still, the SureSwipe is durable and flexible, and it can upgrade to just about any mobile POS system.

Our five faves we picked above aren’t the only credit card readers out there—they’re just our favorites. But if you’re looking for more options, we uncovered three more swipe-only credit card readers that might work with your POS system.

Fill out the form below to help us match you with the perfect credit card terminal solution for your specific business type. From food trucks to medical facilities, every business has specific processing needs we can address.

A credit card reader is any device that can translate the encrypted data on a credit card into information that your POS system can use to process a payment.

Whether your small business is a traditional retailer, a roving food truck, or a nomadic pop-up shop, you need to accept customer payments on their terms. More customers than ever are going cashless, and new technology allows them to make payments without traditional credit card methods. One of our picks for the best credit card readers should let you help more customers and take more payments.

Now that you've picked out a credit card reader, you may want to consider a point-of-sale system. We've reviewed the top options in our guide to the best small-business POS systems to help you find the best method for processing and tracking payments.

Disclaimer

At Business.org, our research is meant to offer general product and service recommendations. We don't guarantee that our suggestions will work best for each individual or business, so consider your unique needs when choosing products and services.