7 Best Credit Card Readers for iPhones

Who should use it:

Small and new businesses that need a built-in POS system

Why I like Square’s iPhone card reader:

Square 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 overall best iPhone credit card reader.

Small businesses, such as 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.

Square’s transaction fees are average — not the cheapest, but the powerful free point-of-sale (POS) system and inexpensive card readers make Square a favorite among small merchants.

• Monthly fee: $0
• In-person (including contactless): 2.6% plus 10 cents tap, dip, or swipe
• Keyed-in: 3.5% plus 15 cents
• Online, recurring, and invoicing: 2.9% plus 30 cents
• Chargeback fee: Waived up to $250 per month
• Free POS software
• Next-day funding, same-day with fee
• Card reader: $0 to $49 for chip and tap (one free swipe reader)
• • Accepts tap, dip, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other NFC payments
  • Offline payment processing

Square’s POS app 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 also works even without an internet connection.

As of this writing, Square ties with Clover and SwipeSimple (Payment Depot) for the best ratings on the Apple App Store. It has 4.8 out of 5 stars with some 557,000 ratings.

Who should use it:

Occasional sellers, such as pop-up stores in tourist spots and solopreneurs or gig workers with PayPal accounts

Why I like PayPal’s iPhone card reader:

The PayPal POS card reader (formerly PayPal Zettle) is simple but powerful and, combined with PayPal’s ability to accept all kinds of payments (from credit cards to bitcoin, Venmo, and cross-border payments), makes it a top contender for one of the best mobile credit card processors on the market.

PayPal’s reader includes a PIN pad that can process chip and tap transactions for both credit and debit cards. The actual price is higher than some at $79, but you can purchase your first device at just $29.

I like PayPal best for individual users because, while it is very easy to use, its POS functionality for larger operations is limited. It also doesn’t charge monthly fees for inactivity.

Learn more about PayPal:

• PayPal vs Square
• Pros & Cons of PayPal
• PayPal Business Review

• Monthly fee: $0
• Card-present (including contactless): 2.29% plus 9 cents
• Keyed-in: 3.49% plus 9 cents
• QR code payments: 2.29% plus 9 cents
• Chargeback fee: $20
• Free POS Software
• Next-day funding, same day with fee
• Card reader: $79 (first one, $29)
• • One-year limited warranty
  • Accepts debit and credit EMV cards, NFC payments, gift cards, and Venmo payments

PayPal POS is a complete POS app for your mobile device — from ringing up credit card sales to generating sales reports. It has an inventory management system with product images integrated into your main countertop software for seamless selling in-store, curbside, and on the go.

As of this writing, PayPal has 3.1 out of 5 stars on the Apple App Store with more than 900 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.

Who should use it:

Online businesses using the Shopify platform participating in trade shows or setting up pop-up shops

Why I like Shopify’s iPhone card reader:

Shopify is a powerhouse name for ecommerce businesses, providing its users with outstanding omnichannel tools so you can reach customers anywhere. It offers a 2-in-1 credit card processor for iPhones and Androids at $49 (similar to Square).

Additionally, Shopify enables you to sync online and in-person sales, including curbside and pickup orders, pop-up shops, and sales at trade shows. These features make Shopify among our best retail POS systems and bring it to the top of our list of multichannel POS systems.

• Monthly fee: $5 to $89 (plus $5 to $399 for a Shopify ecommerce account)
• In-person transaction (including contactless): 2.4% to 2.6% + 10 cents
• Online transaction: 2.4% + 30 cents to 2.9% + 30 cents
• Chargeback fee: Varies
• Funding: 2 business days
• Card reader: $49
• • Tap, dip, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other NFC payments
  • One-year limited warranty plus two-year extended warranty with a POS Pro plan

The Shopify POS app comes free for all Shopify plans, including the free Shopify POS Lite. It has a built-in inventory and CRM features that work with Shopify’s omnichannel system, allowing for seamless selling to your in-store, curbside, and on-location customers.

The Shopify POS app has earned an impressive 4.5 out of 5 stars on the Apple App Store, based on more than 7,400 reviews, as a solid and dependable app with flexible features. However, the most recent feedback, even from those who have given the platform high ratings, is that the latest design and user interface updates are less favorable.

Who should use it:

Small and new businesses that don’t need a POS software and are looking for a cheaper alternative to Square

Why I like SumUp’s iPhone card reader:

SumUp is a mobile-first payment processor built for small businesses. Like Square, it does not charge any monthly fees or tie you up in a long-term contract, except that its card reader and transaction rates are cheaper. This makes it one of the industry’s most affordable payment processors.

I like how SumUp’s card readers have developed over the years since I first evaluated the system. It now offers improved payment processing tools and even a full-sized POS system, which earned it a significant boost in real-life user reviews. SumUp also comes with a virtual terminal, basic inventory management features, and reliable app functionality.

• Monthly fee: $0 (without POS)
• In-person transaction (including contactless): 2.6% + 10 cents
• Online transaction (payment gateway): 3.5% plus 15 cents
• Virtual terminal processing: 3.5% plus 15 cents
• Chargeback fee: $10 per transaction from acquirer and passed on to merchant
• Funding: 1 to 2 business days
• Card reader: $54 to $169
• • Accepts EMV chip, contactless (NFC), Apple, and Android Pay
  • 1-year warranty

The SumUp App supports a POS function that includes a product catalog, smart tipping, tax setting, refund issuing, and employee management tools. It also allows merchants to process payments, create and manage invoices, and access reports from the dashboard.

Real-life user reviews for SumUp’s iPhone mobile app have considerably improved over the past years, from a low score of 2.7 to a 3.7 out of 5 stars. Still, the actual number of reviews is only about 550, which affected our evaluation of its popularity.

Who should use it:

Small food sellers, including food-based retailers

Why I like Payanywhere’s iPhone card reader:

Payanywhere is an all-in-one payment processing solution with a mobile app, and it provides you with a 3-in-1 mobile card reader when you sign up for a merchant account. What I like most, though, is that aside from Square, this is the only provider in this list that offers restaurant-specific tools, such as splitting checks, opening tabs, and tipping.

While not the cheapest, Payanywhere does not charge a fixed fee per in-person transaction, and its flat-rate fee for manual entry payments is the lowest I’ve seen so far. There’s an inactivity fee, though, so it’s not the best option if you run a seasonal business. Consider PayPal as an alternative.

• Monthly fee: $0
• In-person transaction fee (including contactless): 2.69%
• Keyed-in transaction fee: 3.49% plus 19 cents
• Contract length: Month-to-month for pay-as-you-go; minimum three years, with one year auto-renewal, for custom plans
• Inactivity fee (for pay-as-you-go plan): $3.99 per month after 12 months of inactivity
• Chargeback Fees (for pay-as-you-go plan): $25
• Offline payment processing
• Free next-day and same-day funding
• Card reader: $59.95
• • Accepts traditional magstripe credit cards, EMV chip cards, and NFC contactless payments

Payanywhere account includes a free mobile POS app, which allows you to process payments from a compatible smartphone or tablet. It comes with inventory and employee management tools and an offline payment processing function.

Payanywhere’s mobile app used to be among the most well-rated software in our list, although ratings have recently declined this past year 4.3 to 3.7 out of 5 with more than 600 reviews.

Who should use it:

Growing businesses that want to upgrade their card reader without losing their current payment processor

Why I like Clover’s iPhone card reader:

Clover hardware is compatible with most popular payment processors, so you’ll find it offered on multiple payment provider websites. Available POS features depend on the hardware you use, so businesses only pay for what they need according to their business size.

This compatibility with multiple payment processors is why Clover stands out in this list. I like how it allows merchants to keep their current provider while seamlessly upgrading to their hardware. One downside, however, is that Clover has no control over the pricing plan when sold by a third party so you’ll need to shop around on your own to find the best deals.

• Monthly fee: $0 to $84.95
• In-person transaction fee (including contactless): 2.6% + 10 cents
• Keyed-in transaction fee: 3.5% + 10 cents
• Contract length: Month-to-month
• Chargeback fees: $25
• Card reader: $199
• • Accepts traditional magstripe credit cards, EMV chip cards, and NFC contactless payments

Clover’s credit card reader comes with its proprietary POS software, which merchants can use with their preferred payment processing provider. What’s unique about this is that available POS functions are determined by the hardware. Merchants using Clover Go can choose between a free account for simple payment processing and payment tracking, while those who require basic inventory management tools can subscribe to the paid plan at $29.95 per month.

Clover Go is both popular and highly rated, earning a score of 4.8 out of 5 from nearly 47,000 user reviews on the Apple App Store.

Who should use it:

Growing businesses with high-volume sales

Why I like Payment Depot’s iPhone card reader:

Payment Depot’s mobile payments are powered by SwipeSimple. The app comes with a product catalog and allows you to not only accept payments, but also add tips, process returns, and even save payment information. And while you can also get this device with other payment processors, it’s the combination with Payment Depot’s pricing and features that sets it above the other providers I’ve reviewed for this guide

As a traditional merchant account provider, businesses are less likely to deal with frozen or delayed funds with Payment Depot. It also offers custom interchange-plus pricing ideal for high-volume sales without the monthly fees. This means you get all the features your business needs and only have to worry about one simple pricing.

Also read: 9 Cheapest Credit Card Processing Companies in 2025

• Monthly plans: $0
• Card-present (including contactless): Custom interchange plus
• Card-not-present: Custom interchange plus
• Chargeback fee: $25
• Card reader: Starts at $49
• • Accepts tap, dip, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other NFC payments
  • May offer free hardware, depending on custom contract

As of this writing, SwipeSimple ties with Square as one of the highest-rated apps, with 4.8 out of 5 stars with 5,400-plus ratings. 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.