Anna Lynn Dizon

is a point-of-sale (POS) system with inventory and order management capabilities that rival top competitors like Lightspeed. It earned an overall score of 4.01 out of 5 in our 31-point criteria for the best POS for small businesses, standing out for its advanced inventory and flexible payment processing at a very competitive price point. It is an ideal choice for small retailers looking for a scalable and more-budget friendly POS. We highly recommend Hike for small specialty retail shops requiring advanced features like composite product management, lay-by and on-account sale, and integrated label printing at a price point well below the competition. If you have seasonal pop-ups or need to add additional registers for your busy season, you can upgrade your plan and then downgrade once the season is over. Hike’s native iPad app offers the mobility and compact size required for on-the-go and popup store sales. On the other hand, while Hike is less expensive than our other recommended POS inventory systems, it does not have a free plan. Monthly fees start at $59 but expect to pay at least $89 per month if you need to manage more than one store location or set up an online store with your POS system. If these are deal breakers, consider a free POS system like , which also provides scalable features, or if you primarily sell online. Hike POS Deciding Factors Hike POS Alternatives Not sure if Hike is right for you? See how it compares with our top POS inventory systems and leading retail POS systems. Hike has three subscription tiers—Essential, Plus, and Enterprise—starting at $69 per month ($59 per month if billed annually). Each of these plans has one register included, but you can purchase extra registers at $39 per month. The main differences between the plans are the ability to sell online and available integrations (multistore management, inventory accounting, marketing, and ecommerce, and marketplaces). Hike offers a wide range of seamless payment processing methods including custom payment types. On top of a touch-screen register and customizable interface, the system can even allow you to easily create unique custom sale items right at checkout. However, ecommerce functionalities are somewhat limited and access to some advanced features will require you to have a higher subscription plan. Hike offers excellent inventory and order management functionalities, customized reporting, and employee management features that easily rival popular retail POS software in the market. However, similar to its register and checkout features, most advanced management tools will require an upgraded subscription. Hike’s marketing features are also limited to integrations. Intuitive user interface Offline mode Touch screen Help center Video tutorials and webinars Dedicated account manager and customized onboarding for those under the Enterprise plan 24/7 email and chat support Customer callback for demos and sales Hike is one out of three POS software that earned a perfect score for ease of use. The system is easy to set up and compatible with a wide range of hardware without the need for professional installation. It also works offline and even offers 24/7 customer support and extensive user guides on its website. Hike nearly earned a perfect score for this category, if not for the fact that it does not have a free plan and a lot of user reviews online. The system can also benefit from improvements on its available ecommerce features. Otherwise, its value for money—a key factor for small businesses—is one of the best when compared to top inventory management POS systems. Some small businesses would not need most of the features that they pay for in a basic POS plan with advanced invoicing tools. So, while Hike does not have a free plan, we particularly like how the system is easily scalable. Allowing users to upgrade or downgrade their subscription at any time means the cost of using Hike will always match the business needs whether it's a busy season or not. What Users Say in Hike POS Reviews At the time of publication, Hike reviews have generally improved, although there are still not many available online. User sentiments still remain mainly positive with Hike consistently receiving excellent feedback for customer support. They said its agents are extremely helpful, are responsive, and would go the extra mile to resolve issues. Hike’s robust inventory features earned praise for the ability to handle complete inventory as well. Recent feedback also mentioned Hike’s excellent messaging app. On the other hand, occasional platform glitches and downtime are still the main concern. Hike earned the following scores on popular user review sites: Trustpilot: 4.8 out of 5 based on over 140 reviews Capterra: 3.9 out of 5 based on around 40 reviews G2: 4.2 out of 5 based on about 5 reviews We also observed user review trends, similar to our previous update: Methodology: How We Evaluated Hike POS We test every POS software ourselves when evaluating small business POS systems. We gauged each one, including Hike, for affordability and value-for-money features that not only include, but also go beyond, basic POS functions—such as the ability to handle complicated inventory, multiple payment methods, and multichannel features. We also evaluated each system’s scalability and flexibility ideal for small businesses. Overall, Hike performed well in our evaluation, standing out for its inventory and order management capabilities, competitive pricing, and ease of use. Click through the tabs below to see the full evaluation criteria. Hike POS Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Hike is an inventory POS system that allows you to expand your business without costing an arm and a leg. Its basic plan offers valuable inventory, store management, and accounting integrations to let you efficiently manage your business across multiple locations. It is a perfect POS system if your business needs to be mobile and in several locations (offline, in-store, and even warehouses) where real-time inventory syncing is crucial. Sign up with Hike for a 14-day free trial—no credit card required.

Square is a mobile payment company that offers a suite of business software, point-of-sale (POS) systems, payment hardware products, and small business services. Unlike most payment processors, Square is available to businesses of all sizes and offers the most comprehensive free POS system on the market. The Square payment and POS app has been downloaded more than 33 million times and has more than 2 million active sellers. Should You Use Square? We’ll get into more detail on Square’s specific products below. But, generally, for any small business processing less than $120,000 per month, Square is the best POS and payment processing solution because it comes with no fixed monthly costs and offers incredible value with the free POS system. Visit Square to create your free account. Square’s Services: Why Small Businesses Love It Square is the original mobile payment processing app and card reader. When it first launched, it had high adoption rates because it allowed businesses to accept card payments anywhere instead of having to rely on cash or peer-to-peer payment apps. It also did away with the complex contracts and long-term commitments required by many merchant services. Unlike most credit card processing companies, Square does not require an application or approval process and has no monthly fees or minimum requirements. Every free Square account comes with three main functions: payments, POS software, and online ordering. How Does Square Work? Square starts with simple, flat-rate payment processing that includes credit cards, contactless payments, and ACH transfers. Then, it offers various products within its ecosystem that all work together to form a complete small business management solution. However, some of the solutions, like Payroll, can be used as a standalone. Square continues to add to its offerings for small businesses, from improvements to the software to new systems (like a kitchen display system) to, most recently, banking services. Easy, Flat-Rate Payment Processing You can use Square to complete credit card transactions online, in your brick-and-mortar store, and on your mobile device when you’re on the go. Square charges a flat rate price per credit card transaction. This means that the credit card company, customer’s bank, and merchant account processor fees are all wrapped up into one flat-rate fee. This is regardless of the type of card you are processing. The only differences in rates are whether or not you have to key in the numbers. Square Payment Processing Fees The advantage of this pricing model is its simplicity. You don’t have to worry about figuring out how much you are paying in credit card processing fees because you know in advance exactly how much you’re going to pay. It’s the same flat rate no matter what type of card your customer uses. Top-Rated Merchant Services Square’s affordable and user-friendly payment processing is one of the best merchant services available for small businesses. In addition to mobile and in-store payments, every free Square account comes with a virtual terminal, invoicing, online payments, and tools to monitor and dispute chargebacks. What’s New With Square Free & Low-cost POS Software In addition to excellent merchant services, Square also offers free POS apps that can be downloaded onto iOS and Android smartphones and tablets or used with one of Square’s proprietary hardware products. The free, user-friendly app has an offline mode, making it suitable for both mobile and in-store sales. On top of the standard free Square POS app, Square offers free and paid POS software subscriptions for retail, restaurant, and appointment-based businesses. Each POS software product includes payment processing, inventory management, basic employee management, customer relationship management (CRM), reporting, analytics, and industry-specific functions. For example, in November 2020, Square added a kitchen display (KDS) solution with detailed ticket views, timers, alerts, options for different prep stations, and an Expeditor Mode. Click through the tabs below to learn more about each Square POS offering. Free Online Ordering Website Builder is the third free solution that comes with every Square account. It’s a user-friendly site builder that can be used to create a business website or a basic ecommerce site or to add online ordering or order-ahead functionality to your business. You can also use Square Online for online appointment booking. It includes a range of templates for retail, restaurant, event, appointment, and other business types. It automatically syncs orders, inventory, and customers with your POS and can be used to process curbside pickup, shipping, or local delivery orders. Business Management Solutions In addition to Square’s three free business tools: payments, POS, and online store, Square offers an array of business management solutions that can be used as a standalone tool or in conjunction with any of Square’s other products. One of the advantages of using Square is that businesses can mix and match the solutions they need to create the best setup for their needs. Some of the most popular solutions include: : Track time, pay employees, manage benefits, and automatically file tax forms. Read our Square Payroll review to learn more. : Square offers small business loans of up to $100,000. This is only available for Square sellers but has fast approval and fast funding without a hard credit check. Square also has paid add-ons for email and SMS marketing, team management, customer loyalty programs, and advanced online sales. Square Banking The company has taken the next logical step in its business services with . While Square, Inc. is a financial services company, not a bank, these services are provided by Square’s banking affiliate, Square Financial Services, Inc. or Sutton Bank. It offers business checking and savings accounts, along with the small business loans mentioned above. Your income from Square sales can flow directly into the accounts, giving you greater access to your funds. Square banking comes with no overdraft fees, no minimum balance, no opening deposit, and no account fees, so it’s a no-brainer for businesses that use Square. The savings account earns 0.5% APY. Like other banks, Square has debit cards. It allows automated payments, including paying off business loans through Square Capital. Bottom Line Square has become the go-to solution for pay-as-you-go flat-rate payment processing. Every year, Square continues to enhance the features of its free POS software, including solutions specifically designed for retail, restaurants, and appointment-based businesses like salons, in addition to its generic small business POS. Even more, it offers business tools from payroll and marketing to banking. Overall, Square is one of our favorite solutions for small businesses. Visit Square to create a free account. You May Also Like… Learn about Square’s top competitors. See our top picks for the best merchant services for small businesses and the best POS systems.

Mobile credit card processing allows merchants to sell products and accept card payments from almost anywhere with a smartphone or tablet. The best mobile credit card processor should be reliable, have affordable transaction fees, come with a free business management app, and function offline. Based on our evaluation, the best mobile credit card processors are: : Best overall mobile credit card processing app : Best for businesses with an existing merchant account : Best for small, mobile businesses with low-volume sales : Best for ecommerce businesses expanding to in-person sales : Best for occasional sales and PayPal users : Cheapest for small businesses with high-volume sales Best Mobile Payment Processors Compared *Rates will vary depending on your processor. The rates shown are from Fiserv (First Data). Square Offers the Best All-around Payment Solution In general, we recommend Square as the best all-around mobile payment processor for its free iPhone and Android processing solutions, affordable and high-tech mobile card readers, and feature-rich payment app. When You’ll Grow Out of Square Square is geared toward small businesses and individuals, as is PayPal. Once your business grows and is consistently processing over $10,000 monthly, you can get lower fees and a better overall value by switching from either of those to solutions like or , which offer interchange-plus pricing. If your business is ecommerce, you’ll likely want a mobile payment processor that’s connected to your online store. In this case, offers a much more robust online selling solution, and its mobile POS app is the best for multichannel sales. If You Already Have a Merchant Account If you already have a merchant account and just need a mobile card reader, is a popular mobile POS and hardware solution that works with many merchant accounts. Get a Personalized Recommendation Unsure which credit card processor is best for you? Take this four-question quiz to find out. You’ll get a recommendation without being redirected to another page. Square: Best All-purpose Mobile Credit Card Processing is the best mobile credit card processor for small businesses. The mobile payment processing option has no monthly or startup fees, and the application is easy. You can get up and running in no time with the free POS app while you wait for the free credit card reader to arrive. The app works offline, is compatible with Android and iOS, and has an excellent inventory program. Square’s transaction fees are the most expensive on our list. However, it offers the most features. For example, it has banking services, something only PayPal offers to a lesser degree. It has specialty POS software for restaurants and appointment-based businesses, something only Clover offers. Square also has an online store; Shopify, for example, charges for this, although Shopify offers greater features. That said, Square does offer custom volume discounts for businesses processing over $250,000 annually with average transactions over $15. It also has checking and savings, payroll, and other plans you can add as your needs grow. Clover Go: Best for Existing Merchant Account Holders offers everything a standard mobile processor does, including payment processing, inventory management, and analytics reporting. After Square, Clover has the most feature-packed point-of-sale app on this list. Specific plans include credit card pre-authorization, next-day deposits, exchanges, a detailed item library, and a weight-scale integration. What makes Clover interesting is that it requires a traditional merchant account. You can either set up your account through Fiserv, which owns Clover, or one of its authorized resellers. (Fiserv offers three plans for Clover, with different prices.) While Clover provides more variety than any other app on our list, the pricing and support you receive can vary greatly depending on which merchant account provider you choose. SumUp: Best for Small Mobile Businesses With Low-volume Sales After its most recent upgrades, began making its way up our rankings by offering a unique line of advanced, yet cost-effective mobile card reader solutions. Its card readers are some of the most advanced in the industry, supporting both mobile-device-compatible and standalone card readers. User interface ranges from the basic 3-in-1 (swipe, chip, and tap) reader to touch-screen keypads—and all at an affordable price point ($35–$99). SumUp charges a flat, per-transaction fee of 2.75%, which is most economical for small ticket sales. The other options on this list charge a 10–30 cent transaction fee, which can be expensive for businesses selling $5–$20 items. Although the mobile app user reviews have not improved (even after significant upgrades), ratings are still expected to climb and improve as this provider catches up on features. At the moment, SumUp provides in-person payment processing methods, as well as a virtual terminal and online invoicing solution. It also includes a basic inventory management system plus a suite of application programming interfaces (APIs) and software development kits (SDKs) for customizing payment features. However, SumUp can still use additional flexibility with ecommerce and multichannel sales integrations. We recommend SumUp for small retailers and other mobile businesses that have simple inventory needs and an average ticket sale well below $50. Shopify: Best for Online Businesses Needing a Mobile App for In-person Sales If you want to sell primarily online but need a mobile app for in-person sales, then could fit the bill. It’s our top pick for best ecommerce platforms and scores very well for mobile apps and merchant services. Other apps on our list, like Square, come with online stores, but none have the power of Shopify. It ties your online store to your mobile POS so that as you sell items, inventory stays up-to-date in both applications. Like PayPal, Shopify has a wide international reach—133 countries. Its transaction fees are close to Square’s, and, like Square, it offers some business services. However, while Square has banking, Shopify has marketing and shipping tools. PayPal Zettle: Best for Occasional Payments & PayPal Users is one of the most popular payment processors because of its versatility. It works online and in person, and with other payment processors or on its own. Plus, it even handles international sales. It also does not charge monthly fees for inactivity. This makes it great for the solopreneur and hobbyist as well. Like Square, PayPal can deposit sales instantly, but rather than charging, it limits this to deposits into your PayPal account. PayPal recently replaced PayPal Here with Zettle. As of this writing, Zettle’s US version still has a long way to go before it can become as feature-rich as Here, although Zettle’s interface is more modern. We can expect more significant improvements as PayPal develops it further—but right now, Square’s sales features are more robust. Payment Depot: Best for Small, Fast-growing Businesses has adopted feature upgrades since it was acquired by Stax (formerly Fattmerchant). It now offers all-in-one subscription-based plans, wholesale transaction rates, and Stax payment processing tools at a more affordable price range. And, because it is a dedicated payment processor, Payment Depot can offer secure payment processing and reliable software to small, growing businesses processing up to $500,000 per year. As for mobile payments, Payment Depot partners with SwipeSimple for credit card processing. With the SwipeSimple mobile payments app, you can add tips, save payment information, use a product catalog, and process returns. You can also view analytics reports and accept payments offline like Square and PayPal. Note that Payment Depot also offers free equipment reprogramming and free equipment to qualified merchants. Payment Depot Card Readers Payment Depot Mobile App How We Evaluated the Best Mobile Credit Card Processors For this update, we prioritized affordability and value-for-money when evaluating each mobile credit card processor. Our goal is to offer the best recommendations for small merchants—from startups to growing businesses. We made sure each provider is convenient, flexible, and reliable and has low or no upfront costs and competitive processing rates. We evaluated over a dozen mobile credit card processors based on price, ease of use, the mobile app, reliability, and web-based and general account features, then narrowed the list down to the six best solutions. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria: Mobile Credit Card Processing Fee Calculator Compare your estimated monthly fees when using our recommended mobile credit card processors. Mobile Credit Card Processing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Whether you’re a brand-new business that is starting out with mobile credit card processing or an established store looking to take your business on the go, you need a solution that is cost-effective, reliable, and easy to use. It'd be even better if you didn’t have to deal with monthly transaction minimums, fees, or contracts. Square is a great mobile credit card processing company for small businesses. It is easy to use, has a full POS, and lets you accept payments anywhere, even offline. No applications, startup fees, or hardware costs mean it’s a risk-free investment. Plus, the Square app comes with the point-of-sale features you need to manage a business on the go. Visit Square to get started with a free account and mobile card reader.

is a merchant services provider that enables merchants to process credit card payments at wholesale rates. Standout features include rate protection, free access to its virtual terminal and payment gateway services, and free equipment reprogramming. In our review of merchant service providers, Payment Depot earned an overall score of 4.09 out of 5, offering lower fees compared to most other processors on the market. We highly recommended Payment Depot for established or growing retail, restaurant, and professional services, including B2Bs. Through years of reviewing merchant accounts and payment processors, I don’t often come across subscription-based merchant service providers I would readily recommend for smaller businesses. Payment Depot’s midrange monthly plans combined with zero percentage markup—certainly two of the most significant improvements since it was acquired by Stax—have changed all that. However, startups and businesses with low-volume sales will still find alternatives that provide free merchant accounts more cost-effective. And although Payment Depot works with SwipeSimple to offer mobile processing, merchants will get better support for running a mobile business with a payment processor that offers a native mobile point-of-sale (POS) solution. That said, we consider Payment Depot the best solution for small businesses that have outgrown their startup payment processors. It has made wholesale transaction rates that can potentially provide huge discounts, available to actively growing, established small businesses. Payment Depot Deciding Factors Payment Depot Fees Calculator Enter your monthly sales volume information to get an estimate of Payment Depot fees. Top Payment Depot Alternatives Payment Depot performed better than Stax in terms of pricing, mainly because it offers midrange plans and processing limits that are more compatible for small businesses. And unlike Stax, all Payment Depot features are available at every subscription level. However, one factor to consider is the range of processing limits. Active businesses can easily go from $10,000 to more than $20,000 in monthly sales in less than a year, which means moving to a higher Payment Depot subscription plan. Access to Payment Depot’s range of built-in payment services is covered in the monthly subscription fee. However, this provider does not support its own mobile payment solution and instead integrated with the popular and reliable SwipeSimple for both hardware and mobile apps. It also does not have its own recurring billing and card-on-file payment services, which merchants can instantly get from Stax’s basic subscription plan. Payment Depot does not have a same-day funding option but most transactions (except for ACH) are deposited into your account the next business day. Payment processing services are free to use but key payment methods like recurring billing and card-on-file transactions will require integration. On the other hand, Payment Depot offers 24/7 customer support with excellent user reviews. It also provides your first payment terminal and equipment reprogramming free of charge. Overall, the question we would like to answer here is: “Is Payment Depot worth its price for merchants?” The answer is “Yes, if your goal is to actively grow your small business.” Payment Depot is both cost-effective and reasonably priced for a subscription-based merchant services provider. It also offers a reliable suite of integration options including mobile payments, and while reviews are limited, users unanimously praise Payment Depot’s customer service. What Users Say in Payment Depot Reviews Payment Depot users mostly enjoy using the platform. There are lots of positive reviews about the cost and customer support, though not everyone agrees about its affordability. Trustpilot: 4.6 out of 5 stars based on over 1,200 reviews Capterra: 4.7 out of 5 stars from about 60 reviews Payment Depot has excellent user reviews, which is unusual for a payment processor. However, in addition to limitations on high-risk and international businesses, it does not offer as many internal tools as other processors. For example, it lacks an extensive online knowledge base and doesn’t offer sleek tools like a proprietary mobile app and billing software. Below are trends we noticed when reading through Payment Depot reviews: Methodology—How We Evaluated Payment Depot We test each merchant account service provider ourselves to ensure an extensive review of the products. We also took a closer look into pricing methods and identified providers that offer zero monthly fees, pay-as-you-go terms, and low transaction rates. Finally, we evaluated the range of payment processing features, scalability, and ease of use to compare the overall cost-effectiveness of each product. The result is our list of the best overall merchant services. However, we adjust the criteria when looking at specific use cases such as for different business types and merchant categories. This is why every merchant services provider has multiple scores across our site depending on the use case you are looking for. Click through the tabs below for our overall merchant services evaluation criteria: Payment Depot Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line If you are actively growing your small business, Payment Depot’s easy-to-use features and all-in midrange subscription pricing fits the bill. It bridges the gap between payment processing for startups and larger established businesses. So, while you may need third-party integrations for some payment tools (consider upgrading to Stax once you outgrow Payment Depot’s features), access to free payment services and wholesale interchange fees makes Payment Depot a cost-effective solution. New subscribers get a 90-day risk-free trial. To find out if it is a fit for your business, contact Payment Depot for more information.

is a highly secure online payment processing service. It is best known for sophisticated online payment processing, advanced fraud prevention, and dispute management tools—without a high price tag. Stripe is an affordable and versatile payment processing company for small businesses. It earned an overall score of 3.8 out of 5 in our review of merchant service providers, particularly for online, ecommerce, and B2B payments. Using Stripe to process in-person and mobile payments requires extra configuration, which prevents it from earning a higher score. Stripe has always been a top consideration for most of our buyer’s guides way before I started writing about merchant accounts. It ticks most of the boxes for features we look for in small business payment providers, particularly for ecommerce and B2Bs. Its highly customizable nature easily keeps up with fast-growing businesses that process recurring online payments and provides the most flexible and scalable solution for designing checkout carts. It also includes the assurance of strict PCI (Payment Card Industry) compliance—all in a free account. On the other hand, Stripe may not be the best fit for all types of ecommerce businesses, as some small online businesses do not require a highly customized checkout process. So, while subscribing to Stripe is free, the complexity of its “developer-first” platform setup process affected Stripe’s ranking in our evaluation. For in-person checkouts, most small businesses would be better served with a plug-and-play option that does not require a custom build. Stripe Deciding Factors Stripe Fee Calculator Top Stripe Alternatives Stripe offers a free account so merchants don’t need to worry about upfront cost, unless they opt for add-on tools and upgraded features. Transaction fees are competitive and discounts are available upon request. Card readers can be directly purchased from the Stripe dashboard and chargeback fees are refundable. The system lost points for chargeback fees, volume discounts, and hardware purchasing options. Stripe offers a wide range of online payment methods including ACH Debit and Credit functions, as well as B2B payment processing. However, Stripe does not offer a readily available virtual terminal. And while a mobile POS is available, you will need custom integration which can take some time to set up. Stripe stands out from its competitors for making advanced fraud management and data security available to small merchants. It also offers a variety of business management tools. However, like most free merchant account providers, Stripe charges add-on fees for certain features like invoicing and recurring billing tools. You will also need to pay extra for same-day fund transfer processing. It comes as no surprise that Stripe gets excellent marks for pricing, popularity, and integrations. At zero monthly fees, Stripe provides advanced payment processing and security features you would often find for larger businesses. It also earns above-average user reviews in spite of the generally complex setup. Stripe has over 450 integrations that go beyond ecommerce tools such as accounting software, CRM platforms, and POS systems making the system a highly scalable solution that we look for and recommend to small businesses. On the other hand, ease of use is Stripe’s biggest challenge. While it offers code-free payment processing tools, familiarizing with the dashboard alone can take a while and can be challenging for small and new merchants. What Users Say of Stripe Stripe continues to receive generally positive feedback. Users like Stripe for its seamless integration with popular online platforms. In particular, users found Stripe’s customization and subscription features extremely useful for creating invoices and recurring payments. Capterra: Over 2,600 users rated Stripe an average of 4.7 out of 5 stars. G2: More than 200 users rated Stripe an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars. Common negative Stripe reviews include lengthy payment holding time and refunds being provided to customers without prior notice. Users also cite a learning curve in using most of Stripe’s features, so if your business lacks access to a certain degree of software development skills, Stripe may not be the right fit. Methodology—How We Evaluated Stripe We test each merchant account service provider ourselves to ensure an extensive review of the products. We then compare pricing methods and identify providers that offer zero monthly fees, pay-as-you-go terms, and low transaction rates. Finally, we evaluate each according to a range of payment processing features, scalability, and ease of use. The result is our list of the best overall merchant services. However, we adjust the criteria when looking at specific use cases, such as for different business types and merchant categories. This is why every merchant services provider has multiple scores across our site depending on the use case you are looking for. Click through the tabs below for our overall merchant services evaluation criteria: Stripe Payments Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Stripe is a well-known brand in ecommerce payment processing—and rightfully so. It provides a free merchant account with exceptional data security and global payment capabilities that sets the standards for other payment processors in the market. And while the system is developer-friendly, Stripe also offers an array of simple customization tools that do not require coding skills. Head over to Stripe to create a free account.

is a payment processor that specializes in online sales and offers everything from payment buttons to hosted checkout pages and ecommerce store integrations. It provides merchants with integrated payment tools—both simple and advanced customization options, supported by Stripe’s well-renowned payment security features. Stripe also works with millions of companies in over 40 countries. What Should You Use Stripe For? Stripe is an excellent choice for growing ecommerce businesses because of its flat-rate pricing, easy integration with hundreds of other applications, flexible payment processing, and customizable payments security features. While it is a “developer-centric” platform, merchants who do not have access to developers can use its simple customization tools. Businesses with technical expertise can also use Stripe to create highly customized online payment platforms. B2Bs and merchants accepting international payments will appreciate the versatility and level of payment security that it can provide. Why Online Businesses Love Stripe Stripe’s sophisticated software makes it highly flexible for creating custom checkouts—and at 2.9% + 30 cents per transaction, it’s competitively priced. It offers open-source online checkout tools, programmable in-person payments, smart invoicing and subscription management, and multiparty payments. In addition, it has fast payouts, global support, and dispute management. It also provides payment processing services to 47 countries, accepts payments in over 135 currencies, integrates with over 650 applications, and has financial services for growing businesses. How Does Stripe Work? Stripe offers a range of online payment processing services but has also recently expanded to accepting in-person payments. And because it offers a high degree of customization, Stripe can easily adapt its features as you grow your online platform. Stripe for Online Payments Stripe made our list of the best merchant services specifically for online sales and integrations. It accepts over 135 currencies and dozens of different payment methods, making it perfect for internet sales. You can sell products and subscriptions, run recurring payments (like for dues or utilities), or add it to other marketplaces. You can create hosted payments pages, design your own payments form on your website with Stripe Elements, accept payments via app with Stripe’s SDKs, and produce payment links for sharing on social media. Stripe for In-person Payments Need in-person payment processing to complement your online sales? While Stripe integrates with popular POS systems like Lightspeed and WooCommerce, it also provides you the coding to integrate into your own POS system. In addition to a choice of readers that accept swipe, chip, or tap payments, it has SDKs and tools for ordering and managing readers from the Stripe Dashboard. Your POS needs to be web-based or mobile. Stripe Terminal is currently available in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, and the Netherlands and is in beta in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. Stripe for Fraud Protection Fraud protection is vital for online sales. Stripe is PCI DCS Level 1 compliant, has SSAE18/SOC 1 type 1 and type 2 and SSAE18/SOC 2 type 1 and type 2 reports, is PSD2 and Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) compliant, and has e-money licenses in the EU and UK. Stripe for Business Management Stripe is easy to integrate with third-party business management tools such as QuickBooks and Salesforce for CRM. But aside from an all-in-one dashboard that gives you an overall view of your business, Stripe also comes with a range of revenue and financial management tools. These are optional add-ons but you may want to consider these features as your business grows. How Stripe Can Help Grow Your Business In addition to providing excellent payment processing, Square has tools to help you with your financial needs and your customers’ and employees’ needs. The availability of some is limited to specific countries, while others are best for large corporations—or the ambitious entrepreneur with excellent programming skills. What Is Stripe: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line Stripe has long been a popular and highly regarded payment processor for online businesses. In recent years, it’s acquired other companies to expand its offerings to online businesses. It’s not just for websites and online stores, but for any small business doing online payment processing, even with invoices. In addition, it offers banking services, credit cards, and business financing. Sign up today.

Stripe and Braintree are popular and highly customizable payment processors typically used for online payments. They both have excellent developer tools, standard flat-rate transaction fees for smaller businesses, and custom interchange-plus pricing available for larger companies. While Braintree came out ahead for stability and affordability, Stripe is better for ecommerce and international sales tools, billing and invoicing, in-person payments, and security, making it the best overall online payment processor. : (Best overall) Best for availability of prebuilt integrations with popular small business software, excellent developer documentation, international sales, recurring billing, and marketplace sales. : Best for free sandbox testing tools, individual merchant accounts, accepting PayPal and Venmo payments, and affordability. Stripe vs Braintree Quick Comparison The major difference between the two is that Braintree offers individual merchant accounts, which are stabler but require approval and time to set up. Stripe, meanwhile, is purely an aggregator, which means it can onboard you fast but is more likely to have problems with frozen funds. While Stripe edged out Braintree in our evaluation of best merchant accounts, both are good platforms. If you have a small business, the best online payment processor for you is likely the one that is easy to integrate with your existing software and website. Most Affordable: Stripe *If you have your own Amex account, the fee is 15 cents per transaction. While Braintree has cheaper transaction rates, Stripe’s set of available features offer more value for what you pay. It also does not charge separate fees for certain credit card brands, supports more payment methods, and offers 24/7 customer support. This is why Stripe also scored better vs Braintree in our evaluation of Cheapest Credit Card Processing Companies and Free Merchant Accounts. Braintree, while receiving decent scores for its affordable rates, did not make our roundup. Best for Ecommerce: Stripe Both of these payment processors do an excellent job managing sales on other websites, but Stripe offers more features. For example, Stripe Checkout gives you a prebuilt hosted payment page for one-time purchases and subscriptions. It offers a mobile app for back-end management like getting notices of new payments, issuing refunds, and viewing sales data. It also has invoicing and billing tools. Braintree, meanwhile, requires a third-party integration for invoicing, although it handles subscriptions. Stripe made our list of top payment gateways for small businesses with a score of 4.54 out of 5 Best for Billing & Invoices: Stripe Stripe’s invoicing tools make it the better choice for billing and subscriptions. Braintree requires a third-party integration for invoices, but Stripe Invoicing lets you create and send an invoice in minutes with no coding. It also lets you automate payment requests, such as for billing. Stripe offers a choice of payment options, from ACH to Google Pay, and supports any country where Stripe is offered. B2B merchants often use invoicing and ACH payment processing features and Stripe excelled in both criteria, not to mention offering several B2B-specific software integrations. It joins our list of top B2B payment processors with an overall score of 4.15 out of 5. Meanwhile, Braintree only allows ACH payments for US-registered businesses and only in USD to US banks. This limits its usefulness for international invoicing, even with a third-party app. Best for International Sales: Stripe While both are powerhouses for international payment processing, in Stripe vs Braintree, Stripe wins. It offers more options, both in languages and payment methods. For example, it’s better suited for Asia because it takes AliPay, GrabPay, and WeChat Pay, which are popular near-field communication (NFC) providers for China and Southeast Asia. They are similar in the number of countries in which they accept merchants and are accepted as payment processors. Braintree may have a small advantage in Europe, while Stripe has a greater presence in Asia and the Americas. Best for Security: Stripe You can trust both Stripe and Braintree to ensure highly secure transactions, even across borders, but Stripe wins this feature by a small margin. Not only are the chargeback fees refundable, but Stripe also supports online identity verification that’s both highly customizable and proprietary so that there’s no need to pay any additional cost of integrations. Best for Ease of Use: Stripe *Ease-of-use score is based on the average score over multiple third-party user-review sites, but in the ease-of-use category alone. Stripe is the clear winner for ease of use, from help features to user feedback. Both services are developer-centric, but Stripe has more tools that can be used by the layperson such as building an online checkout page. It also offers video tutorials for many of its key tasks. It has 24/7 customer support. Braintree does, too, but by contact form. Braintree does come out ahead for issues with frozen accounts. An analysis by CardPaymentOptions.com showed it has fewer complaints of held funds than Stripe. This is in part because of each merchant having its own account. In addition, it only occasionally creates a reserve fund. However, Braintree is not as responsive as Stripe in responding to complaints. Bottom Line In the argument of Braintree vs Stripe, the devil is in the details. We found Stripe to be better overall, including for multichannel commerce (online and in-person) as well as invoicing and billing. It offers an aggregated merchant account, which is good for startups and quick approval but can have account stability issues. Braintree, meanwhile, offers independent merchant accounts, which are more stable and great for established businesses. Its subscription tools surpass Stripe’s, and it has the advantage of being a member of the PayPal family.

If you need a mobile and easy-to-handle payment processor for on-the-go sales, many credit card readers work with iPhones and iPads. Some providers might require you to get your own merchant account, but many of the best credit card readers for iPhone can also handle credit card, touchless, and, in some cases, digital check payments right from your smartphone. Based on our evaluation of over a dozen options, the best credit card readers for iPhones are: Best overall (and best free): Best for high-volume sales: Best for online businesses: Best for solopreneurs: Best for low-volume sales: Best for small mobile restaurants: Best Credit Card Readers for iPhone Compared See fullscreen table × iPhone Card Reader Fee Calculator Find out how much you would pay in monthly credit card processing fees with each of our recommended credit card readers for iPhone. Square: Best Overall Credit Card Reader for iPhone offers competitive rates with no monthly fees or upfront costs. It provides reliability, security, and a suite of business management tools and scalable hardware, making it the best overall credit card reader for the iPhone. Small businesses like food trucks and cafes choose Square for its easy setup and simple payment processing rates. In addition, if you expand and find yourself needing payroll, scheduling, or other software, Square also has these. With rates of 2.6% + 10 cents, Square’s transaction pricing is average—not the most expensive and not the cheapest. However, what makes Square stand out is a truly powerful free point-of-sale (POS) system and inexpensive card readers, plus no monthly fees. It tops the charts with 4.79 out of 5 stars. Its pricing, ease of use, and integration capabilities are top-notch, as is its suite of payment options, which includes a virtual terminal and invoicing. Square didn’t earn a perfect score because it does not offer 24/7 phone support. You’ll find Square on our lists of best credit card apps, most recommended credit card readers for Android, leading credit card readers, and best mobile credit card processors, usually in the top slot. In fact, Square is our top merchant service for small businesses. Square Hardware Square Features POS app: Square’s POS app is packed with more features than all the other solutions on our list. With Square, you can record both cash and card payments, add tips to each transaction, split sales between different payment methods, and send customer receipts via text or email. Square works offline so that you can accept card payments even without an internet connection. Business management: Square has additional features such as invoicing, appointment booking, employee management, and customer email marketing. Furthermore, Square integrates with many other business programs, including accounting and delivery management. Chargeback policy: Unlike most credit card processing services, Square does not charge extra fees when a chargeback occurs; there is only the fee from the cardholder’s bank should the dispute be unsuccessful. It will notify you of a chargeback via email and dispute it automatically should you forget or miss the deadline. It is highly recommended, however, that you add supporting documents via the Square Dashboard to improve your chances of a successful dispute. Mobile app: As of this writing, Square ties with SwipeSimple (Payment Depot) for best ratings on the Apple App store. It has 4.8 out of 5 stars with some 320,000 ratings. (SwipeSimple only has 4,400+). It ranks No. 19 in business in the App Store (previously No. 34). People love the app but hate customer support. There are also many complaints of held funds (on our list, PayPal is the worst for this, followed by Square). Ease of use: Real-world users give Square high marks for customer satisfaction: 4.5 out of 5 on third-party software review sites and 4.8 for mobile iOS. Ease of use, flexibility, and price are the most praised features. What Square Is Missing Flexible payment processing: The other credit card readers on our list offer merchant accounts (like Payment Depot) or integrate as a payment system with other payment channels (like PayPal). Square is self-contained. Round-the-clock customer support: Phone, chat, and email support are available Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time. Most of the others on our list have 24/7 support. Lowest pricing: If low transaction fees are most important, consider PayPal Zettle or—if you do high-volume sales—Payment Depot, which offers interchange-plus pricing for a monthly fee. Payment Depot by Stax: Best for High-volume Sales As a traditional merchant account provider, has some of the lowest credit card processing fees available, especially if your average sale is over $25. All three Payment Depot plans provide the same features; the difference lies in the transaction fees. If you do high-volume or high-ticket sales, these rates can save you money over most of the flat-rate processors on our list. Although Payment Depot requires an application and a monthly subscription fee, each account also comes with a free SwipeSimple mobile account and account stability, meaning you’re much less likely to deal with frozen or delayed funds. Payment Depot and the connected SwipeSimple app is a consistent strong contender for our list of best mobile credit card apps. Payment Depot earned 4.54 out of 5 stars overall in our evaluation, with high marks for payment types and mobile features. Its competitive pricing also contributed to its high score; however, it fell behind Square because it does come with a monthly fee and doesn’t include a free credit card reader. Other factors that prevented Payment Depot from earning a perfect score include its chargeback resolution process issues and lack of a proprietary card reader and payment app. Payment Depot by Stax Hardware Payment Depot by Stax Features Mobile app: As of this writing, SwipeSimple ties with Square as one of the highest-rated apps, with 4.8 out of 5 stars with 4,400+ ratings. The highest ratings came in 2019/2020, but ratings fell in 2021 after an update. This seems typical for this kind of software. SwipeSimple is used by many merchant services, and there are complaints about some of them. However, most people said it worked well and was easy to use. Invoicing: While not part of SwipeSimple, Payment Depot allows you to email invoices to customers and receive payments. This is typical of most payment processors, but makes Payment Depot even more suited for B2B. Level 2 and 3 processing: If you do B2B or government sales, you can benefit from Level 2 and 3 payment processing, which lowers the interchange rates. Payment Depot works with PayTrace, which can get Level 2 and Level 3 rates on business cards. PayTrace automatically fills the data fields required to process Level 2 and Level 3 transactions, so you can enjoy the lower rates that come with these data levels. Additional business services: Your Payment Depot subscription does more than get you payment processing through the app. You also have access to business funding, free POS equipment and chargeback risk monitoring (with certain plans), and a free payment gateway for online transactions. The other services on our list offer some of these, but not all. Square and PayPal, for example, also have business funding, but not free POS equipment. Customer support and user reviews: Phone and email support are available 24/7, which puts it ahead of Square. Payment Depot’s support team is highly rated by customers, as is SwipeSimple. Other apps like PayPal have numerous complaints about customer service. What Payment Depot Is Missing Simple chargeback dispute process: Unlike Square and Shopify, Payment Depot does not have a simplified chargeback dispute process. Better pricing for low-volume merchants: If you process less than $10,000 a month in transactions, the monthly fees make this more expensive than free, flat-rate options like Square. Shopify: Best for Online Businesses Accepting In-person Payments is a powerhouse name for ecommerce businesses, providing its users with outstanding omnichannel tools so you can reach customers anywhere. It lets you sync online and in-person sales, process curbside and pickup orders, and start sales in-store and finish them online. These features rank Shopify among our best retail POS systems and bring it to the top of our list of multichannel POS systems. Shopify offers a 2-in-1 (Shopify Tap and Chip) and 3-in-1 (Shopify Chipper 2X BT Reader) both at $49 which are more affordable options for expanding a mobile business setup when compared to PayPal Zettle. The POS app is free; however, you need a Shopify ecommerce account ($29–$299/month) to access Shopify’s POS features. Its reporting functionality is only available from the mid-level subscription at $79 per month, which is the same monthly fee as Payment Depot, though Payment Depot offers lower transaction fees. Based on our evaluation, Shopify earned an overall score of 4.25 out of 5, gaining its highest score for payment types, and its lowest from its pricing and contract. While other providers in this list like Square and PayPal Zettle offer next-day funding with optional same-day fund transfer for a fee, Shopify requires two business days to give you access to your funds. Shopify Hardware Shopify Features Omnichannel selling: Shopify provides a seamless shopping experience for your in-store and online customers. You can design QR codes that open product pages from their mobile device while they browse in-store and email carts that allow them to complete their in-store purchase online. Shopify helps you accept returns or exchanges of online purchases at retail outlets. You can also sell from wherever stock is available and then send it out to the customer when in-store inventory is low. Order and product management: With Shopify’s Smart Inventory, you can use a barcode scanner to receive inventory and conduct physical counts, and request and track stock transfers. You can also create and manage purchase orders from your Shopify POS platform. It provides advanced reporting and analytics features to suggest which items are worth ordering and which are slow-moving. Mobile app: The Shopify POS app earned an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Apple App store from over 7,000 reviews as a solid, dependable app with flexible features. However, the most recent feedback, even from those who have given the platform high ratings, is that latest updates to design and user interface are less favorable. It’s important to note, however, that developers are quick to respond to every complaint, with suggestions and guides on how to improve user experience. What Shopify Is Missing Free mobile credit card reader: Shopify’s chip and swipe reader is now only available for lease included in a retail bundle. Users will need to purchase a mobile credit card reader for $49 to start accepting payments on the go. For a free mobile card reader, consider Square. Better offline payment capability: Without internet connection, you can only use Shopify to accept cash and digital wallet payments such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. You will not be able to process credit card and gift card payments while offline. Consider Square, or Payment Depot for better offline payment functionality. PayPal Zettle: Best for Solopreneurs & PayPal Users The card reader is simple but powerful and, combined with PayPal’s ability to accept all kinds of payments (from credit cards to bitcoin and even cross-border payments), is a top contender for one of the best mobile credit card processors in the market. And, while it does not offer a free device, PayPal’s reader includes a PIN pad that can process chip, tap, or swipe transactions, which is more than most free readers can do. You can get your first PayPal Zettle card reader at a discounted price of $29. Zettle works fine for stores with simple inventory needs; however, for this list, we like Zettle best for the solopreneur or craftsman who sells their wares at conventions, craft fairs, and other part-time venues. (Square is also a great choice for this.) Zettle’s software is completely free, and it does not charge for premium plans. The only way to get better rates is with interchange-plus pricing like Payment Depot, but that comes with a monthly fee. PayPal Zettle earned 4.04 out of 5 on our rubric, which is lower than the previous update and has caused Zettle to slide down to the third spot in our rankings. The POS system is basic, but like Shopify, the lack of an offline mode for payment processing is what brought the score down. However, the software is easy to use and, like Square, is on our lists of best credit card apps and top credit card payment apps for Android. PayPal Zettle Hardware PayPal Zettle Features Great for small-scale or infrequent sales: Zettle is simple enough to learn and set up in a couple of minutes if your inventory is small. It does not charge monthly fees or require monthly use or impose contracts. You can put it away for months and use it again as if it had been a day. The charges are cheaper than most flat-rate processors and not dependent on your sales volume. Same-day deposits to PayPal: If you use PayPal, then Zettle gets you your money quickly as it deposits directly into PayPal each day. The other credit card readers on our list may get you your money as early as the next day, although some, like Square, charge extra for expedited deposits. Mobile app: As of this writing, Zettle has 3.3 out of 5 stars on the Apple App store with about 300 reviews. One of the most recent complaints is that data from PayPal Here does not carry over. Users also had problems with setup, including being unable to change the app from Spanish to English. Customer support also received complaints. For more responsive help, consider Payment Depot. What PayPal Zettle Is Missing Offline mode: Zettle says it needs to be connected to a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi to process transactions. All the other mobile card readers on our list have at least a limited offline mode. More integrations: While PayPal itself integrates with just about anything you can imagine, Zettle is limited to BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Shopify, and WooCommerce. For more variety, consider Square. Better policy for holding funds: PayPal ranks among the highest payment processors for complaints about held funds or canceled accounts. In addition, its customer service is often not helpful with this kind of issue. If that concerns you, then look at Payment Depot, which has very few complaints. SumUp: Best for In-person Businesses With Low-volume Ticket Sales is a mobile-first payment processor that comes with a virtual terminal and basic inventory management features built for small businesses. It does not charge any monthly fees or tie you up in a long-term contract, making SumUp one of the most affordable merchant services providers in the industry. The system is ideal for small in-person businesses with low-volume ticket sales. Its fully mobile payment processing service stands out among the rest of the providers on our list. And, while it carries the most expensive in-person transaction rate, SumUp offers a better range of credit card readers that support features such as standalone functionality, keypad security, and touch-screen technology. It also supports POS features such as employee and management tools in its mobile payment app. SumUp earned a score of 4.01 out of 5, a significant improvement from our previous round of evaluation after it launched upgraded card readers. It fared well for its overall mobile features, with reliable mobile app functionality and the ability to provide small and micro businesses easy access to all types of credit card payment methods. Meanwhile, poor mobile app user ratings, limited multichannel features, and business hours-only customer support prevented SumUp from earning a better score. SumUp Hardware SumUp Features Two-step signup: Getting a merchant account only takes minutes with SumUp two-step sign-up. Request your card reader during sign-up and receive it within three to four business days. SumUp dashboard: SumUp allows you to process payments, create and manage invoices, and access reports from the dashboard. Application programming interface (API) and software development kit (SDK) integrations: SumUp is supported by a host of API and SDKs that allow for custom features such as accepting international payments and adding user interface screens for customers of different business models. Payout features: Process daily payouts and track the transfer progress from your dashboard at no extra cost. SumUp also provides you with daily and monthly payout reports. Customer support can be requested to update the payout frequency. Inventory management: SumUp’s mobile app includes a product catalog that provides you with basic inventory management tools such as adding products, categories, and variants, and assigning sales tax rates. A step-by-step guide helps you build your catalog. POS app: The SumUp App not only allows you to accept payments and create and send payment links and invoices, but it also supports a point-of-sale function that includes a product catalog, smart tipping, tax setting, refund issuing, and employee management tools. Basic pre-made reports, such as revenue, payout, and transaction reporting, are also available. Your monthly payment processing fee for using SumUp can also be found here. What SumUp Is Missing Multichannel sales: While it allows you to accept payments through invoice, SumUp provides limited options for ecommerce integration (WooCommerce and Wix) so it’s not the most viable option for businesses compared to other providers in our list. Consider alternatives like Shopify and Square that support strong, built-in ecommerce functionality at no extra cost. Business integrations: Although it provides you with reporting tools that include accounting functions for employee management, SumUp does not support integration with accounting software like QuickBooks or Xero. You will need to sign up for SumUp’s restaurant POS system if you want software and hardware integrations (and even then, it’s very limited at the moment). Consider Square for a more well-rounded payments and point-of-sale solution. Payanywhere: Best for Low-volume Restaurants & Food Trucks is an all-in-one payment processing solution that offers recurring payments and invoicing tools, inventory and employee management, and virtual terminal processing features. It also comes with a mobile app that supports restaurant-specific tools such as splitting checks, opening tabs, and tipping. This is the only provider in this list aside from Square that supports these features, making it a great choice for low-volume restaurants and food trucks. Although limited, Payanywhere supports 3-in-1 mobile card readers with the first one free upon signing for a merchant account. It also offers a pay-as-you-go payment plan option with no long-term contracts or monthly fees; however, there is also a fee of $3.99/month after 12 months of inactivity and a $25 chargeback fee. Custom plans with a three-year contract are also available, with likely better rates. Payanywhere’s card-present transaction fee is competitive, but is still slightly more expensive than Square. All things considered, Payanywhere earned a total score of 3.96 out of 5. It scored well for pricing and payment types, losing points only for inactivity and for lack of ACH payment options. Limited customer support also caused Payanywhere to fall behind the other providers in our evaluation. While it provides numerous restaurant features, Payanywhere is not a full-fledged restaurant POS system, but it did make our list of the best credit card payment apps. Payanywhere Hardware Payanywhere Features Payment types: Process all major credit cards with Payanywhere. You can also manage payment methods with tab splitting, invoicing, and recurring payment transactions. Virtual terminal: You can connect your card reader to a desktop and accept payments through Payanywhere’s virtual terminal. The cloud-based dashboard syncs your sales records in real time with your mobile transactions. Mobile payments: While limited in functionality, Payanywhere offers mobile payment processing that’s easy to learn and simple to use. It provides swipe, tap, and dip payments, along with NFC contactless payments, including digital wallets like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Point-of-sale app: Payanywhere account includes a free mobile POS app, which allows you to process payments from a compatible smartphone or tablet. It comes with POS features such as inventory and employee management, and offline payment processing function that lets you accept swipe credit cards without internet connection. Free same-day funding: Payanywhere offers free same-day funding for late-night food businesses such as bars and restaurants. Cut off time is 10 p.m. but you can select the “same-day” funding option with a 10:30 a.m. cutoff. What Payanywhere Is Missing ACH and e-check payments: Payanywhere currently does not offer ACH and e-check payment options. While it does not affect your ability to accept in-person payments, this prevents you from expanding your business to other channels such as ecommerce and larger recurring payment transactions. Consider Square and SumUp for alternatives. Decide With a Quiz Still not sure which iPhone credit card reader is best for you? Take this quiz for our recommendation. It is only three questions and will provide a result without redirecting you to another page. Mobile Payment Alternatives If you’re looking for more mobile payment solutions, check out our recommendations below: How We Chose the Best iPhone Credit Card Readers The best mobile credit card processing services work with both iOS and Android, so we chose those that had the best ratings in the Apple store or were more popular in iOS. Then, we weighed them according to pricing, types of payments provided, additional features, how quickly you can access your earnings, and how well it compared to the others on the list in our evaluation and the opinion of users. ranks as the best for features and price. With clear-cut pricing and no contracts, a feature-rich POS system and invoice capabilities, and easy access to your funds, it’s a strong choice for individuals and businesses of all sizes. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria: Credit Card Readers for iPhone Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Bottom Line COVID-19 changed how we do business, emphasizing the importance of being able to accept payments on your mobile phone or iPad for maximum flexibility. The credit card readers we considered not only provide multiple ways to accept on-the-go payments, but many have virtual terminals and online options to help. Overall, for versatility and price, Square is our top choice. It can be a little more expensive if you have small transactions, but it’s good for the occasional user or the regular business and can grow with you. Download the Square app and sign up for an account today.