Compare Card Machines: Find the Best Terminal for Your UK Business
Choosing the right card machine or PDQ terminal can impact costs, speed, support, and how you serve customers. Below, we simplify the selection process and show why Truepos offers the most flexible and cost-effective options.
1. Basic PDQ Readers – Simple & Pocket-Sized
Typical use cases: Market stalls, mobile vendors, appointments, or budget-conscious startups.
- SumUp Air/Solo or Square Reader alternatives
- Flat-rate card fees (~1.69–1.75%)
- No setup or monthly costs, but no hardware rental
- Good for beginners — limited advanced features
Truepos offers:
Castles S1MINI2 via Truepos — free terminal, pocket-sized, works on 4G/Wi‑Fi, touchscreen, €0 rental, no contract, and negotiable rates. A step up in durability and flexibility — ideal for anyone outgrowing plug-and-play readers.
2. Smart Touchscreen Card Machines
Typical use cases: Retail tills, cafés, salons needing a touchscreen interface and standalone operation.
- Examples: Square Terminal, SumUp Solo, PAX A920, Ingenico Move/Desk
- Accepts contactless, chip & PIN, wallet payments
- Built-in printer is common
- Usually flat-to-medium card fees
Truepos offers:
PAX A920 or Ingenico DX80000 via Truepos — Free or contracted terminals, smart Android touchscreen terminal with built-in printer, negotiable rates, next-day payouts, and optional contract or monthly plan. High-volume merchants can save thousands a year vs flat-rate models.
3. Full EPOS Systems – Integrated Till + Payments
Typical use cases: Restaurants, multi-site retailers, hospitality venues, service businesses with table or stock management needs.
- Brands: Square POS, Worldpay Fusion, Lightspeed, etc.
- Have tiered subscription plans, hardware bundles, and onboarding fees
- Contracts may vary
Truepos offers:
SkyTab POS via Truepos — complete touchscreen EPOS system including card terminal, tipping, kitchen/user tools, and cloud reporting — starting at £39/month, €0 upfront, and 1.25% transaction rates. SkyTab offers everything you need without costly hardware or steep flat fees.
What About Barclaycard Card Machines?
Barclaycard offers a range of countertop, portable, and mobile terminals — but often with longer contracts, upfront costs, and less pricing transparency. While a trusted brand, many small businesses find the support and flexibility lacking compared to newer providers.
Truepos offers the same hardware (Ingenico, PAX, etc.) with lower fees, faster onboarding, and real UK-based support — making it a more agile choice for SMEs and startups.
Why Truepos Stands Out
- Flexible plans: No contract OR contract — your choice
- Zero rental fees: On most terminals
- Negotiable pricing: Volume-based reductions
- Next-day payouts to any UK bank
- UK-based support, 7 days a week — live, local assistance
- Broad hardware spectrum: From pocket PDQs to SkyTab full POS
Ready to Find Your Fit?
Whether you need a simple mobile reader or a full-featured POS system that scales, Truepos has a solution that aligns with your volume, sector, and future goals.
- Want the easiest to use and simple mobile reader? → Castles S1MINI2
- Need a card terminal with the lowest rates for medium sized businesses? → PAX A920
- Looking for a rugged & reliable pdq machine for large businesses and long term growth? → Ingenico DX8000
- After an all-in-one POS with no upfront cost? → SkyTab POS
