6 Best Mobile Credit Card Processors for 2022
Meaghan has provided content and guidance for indie retailers as the editor for a number of retail publications and a speaker at trade shows. She is Fit Small Business’s authority on retail and ecommerce.
This article is part of a larger series on Payments.
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:
- Square: Best overall mobile credit card processing app
- Clover Go: Best for businesses with a merchant account
- PayPal Zettle: Best for occasional sales
- Stax by Fattmerchant: Best for growing businesses with high monthly transactions
- Shopify: Best for online stores needing a mobile app for in-person sales
- Payment Depot by Stax: Best for established businesses looking for cheaper rates
Best Mobile Payment Processors Compared
Card present rates | Card not present rates | Monthly fees | Chargeback rates | Card reader | Payout time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2.6% + 10¢ | 3.5% + 15¢ | $0 | $0 | Free magstripe; $49 for chip and tap | Next day; instant for +1.5% | |
2.3% + 10¢ and up | 3.5% + 10¢ | $9.95+ | $25 | $49 | 1–3 days | |
2.29%+ 9¢ | 3.49% + 15¢ | $0 | $20 | $29 for first; $79 after | 1–2 days; instant to PayPal account | |
Interchange + 8¢ | Interchange + 15¢ | $99+ | $25 | First one free; $100 | Same-day available | |
2.7% | 2.9% + 30 | $29+ | $20 | $29–$49 | 5+ day | |
Interchange + 8¢ | Interchange + 15¢ | $59+ | $0 | $49 | 1–2 business days |
*Rates will vary depending on your processor. The rates shown are from Fiserv (First Data).
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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 Payment Depot or Stax by Fattmerchant, 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, Shopify 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, Clover is a popular mobile POS and hardware solution that works with many merchant accounts.
Not seeing what you’re looking for? Check our guide to the best merchant services.
Square: Best All-Purpose Mobile Credit Card Processing
Square
Overall Score: 4.78
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Mobile, in-store, and online sales channels
- Free top-rated POS
- Instant signup—no application or approval required
- Grows with you—business tools, banking, payroll add-ons possible
What's Missing
- Expensive for large businesses
- Account instability
- It can be difficult to reach customer service
- Not suitable for high-risk or high-volume businesses
Square Pricing
- Monthly fee: $0
- Card reader: Free magstripe, $49 chip and tap
- Card-present transactions: 2.6% + 10 cents
- Keyed-in transactions: 3.5% + 15 cents
- Invoices and ecommerce transactions: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Chargeback fee: $0
Square Features
- Next-day deposits
- Instant payouts for a 1.5% fee
- Free invoicing
- Free online ordering page
- QR code payments
Square is the best credit mobile credit card processor for small businesses. The mobile payment processing option has no monthly or startup fees, and the application is easy—there is none. 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, and then to a lesser degree. It has specialty POS software for restaurants and appointment-based businesses, something only Clover also 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.
Want to learn more before you decide? Read our full Square review.
Clover Go: Best for Existing Merchant Account Holders
Clover Go
Overall Score: 4.04
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Works with a variety of merchant accounts
- Supports barcode scanning
- Robust smartphone POS
- Easy to use
What's Missing
- Pricing and contract varies depending on who you sign up with
- Monthly fee
- Poor customer service
Clover Go Pricing*
- Monthly fee: $9.95+
- Card reader: $49
- Card-present transactions: 2.3% + 10 cents +
- Keyed-in transactions: 3.5% + 10 cents
- Chargeback fees: $25
Clover Features
- Add multiple employees and permission levels
- Extensive app market
- Offline processing
*Pricing from Clover website for Clover Go product. Available at different rates through resellers and other merchant service providers.
Clover offers everything a standard mobile processor does, including payment processing, inventory management, and analytics reporting. However, 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.
Learn more in our comparison of Clover vs Square or our Clover review.
PayPal Zettle: Best for Occasional Payments
PayPal Zettle
Overall Score: 4.01
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Easy to set up and use
- Affordable for small transaction values
- Instant payout to your PayPal account
- Trusted by consumers
What's Missing
- Account stability issues
- Limited inventory management features
- Weekly limit for swiped and keyed-in payments
- May freeze funds at any time; 30-day hold on funds over weekly limit
PayPal Zettle Pricing
- Monthly fee: $0
- Card reader: $29 for the first; $79 after
- Card-present transactions: 2.29%+ 9 cents
- Keyed-in transactions: 3.49% + 15 cents
- QR code transactions: 2.4% + 5 cents to 1.9% + 10 cents
- Invoices and other commercial transactions: 3.49% + 15 cents
- Chargeback fee: $20
PayPal Features
- Accept PayPal payments
- Payouts in 1–2 business days
- Instant payouts into PayPal account
- Simple product catalog
- Configure tax and tip settings
PayPal 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. It even handles international sales. Plus, it does not charge monthly fees for inactivity fees. 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. We did not find the US version of Zettle as feature-rich as Here, although the interface is updated. This may change as PayPal develops it further. While more expensive, Square’s sales features are more robust.
Learn more about PayPal Zettle through our Zettle review and our comparison of Square vs PayPal.
Stax by Fattmerchant: Best for Growing Businesses With High Transactions
Stax by Fattmerchant
Overall Score: 4.00
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Easy-to-use software
- Stable merchant account
- Responsive customer support
What's Missing
- High monthly fee
- Best for large or growing businesses
- No offline mode unless using SwipeSimple app instead of Fattmerchant’s
Stax by Fattmerchant Pricing
- Monthly fee: $99
- Card reader: First one free; $100
- Card-present transactions: interchange + 8 cents
- Keyed-in transactions: interchange + 15 cents
- ACH fees: 1%
- Chargeback fee: $25
Stax by Fattmerchant Features
- Use your smartphone to scan card payments
- Invoicing, billing, and recurring payment software
- Text2Pay
- Same-day funding available
Stax by Fattmerchant, like Payment Depot, offers interchange-plus pricing. Its small business plans start at $99 each month, with interchange-plus at 8 to 15 cents per transaction. This is the most expensive monthly fee on our list, but the rates are excellent, especially if you process more than $15,000 a month. Like Payment Depot, you can use SwipeSimple as your mobile app, although Fattmerchant has one of its own. Its reader includes a full POS system and even lets you scan barcodes with your phone.
Stax, with its interchange-plus pricing, beats Square for the cheapest credit card processing company. Learn more about Stax by Fattmerchant in our review.
Like Clover and Payment Depot, Stax by Fattmerchant is also a traditional merchant account, meaning you’ll need to apply. The trade-off is a very secure merchant account (in other words, no frozen funds) with excellent customer support.
Shopify: Best for Online Stores Needing a Mobile App for In-Person Sales
Shopify
Overall Score: 3.90
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 24/7 support
- Powerful reporting tells you which items are most likely to sell
- Integrates multichannel selling
What's Missing
- Costs at least $29/month for a full ecommerce store
- No low-stock alerts without upgrade
- Can’t process credit cards offline
Shopify Pricing
- Monthly fee: $29–$299
- Card reader: $29 chip and swipe; $49 chip and tap
- Card-present transactions: 2.7%
- Keyed-in transactions: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Online transactions: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Additional fee if not using Shopify Payments: 2%
- Chargeback fee: $20
Shopify Features
- International sales
- Includes online store
- Gift card processing
- Multichannel sales
- Marketing and shipping tools
- Dropshipping functions
If you want to sell primarily online but need a mobile app for in-person sales, then Shopify could fit the bill. It’s our top pick for best ecommerce platforms and scores very well for mobile app 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.
Tip: If you sell primarily online, then it’s worth learning more about Shopify; read our review here. Also, learn more about Shopify vs Square.
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.
Payment Depot by Stax: Best for Established Businesses Needing Cheap Rates
Payment Depot
Overall Score: 3.89
OUT OF 5
What We Like
- Low transaction fees for all payment types
- Transparent pricing model
- Free payment gateway and virtual terminal
- 90-day money-back guarantee; no cancelation fees
What's Missing
- Monthly fees starting at $59
- Not suited for high-risk businesses
- Businesses processing less than $10,000 monthly may not be approved
Payment Depot/SwipeSimple Pricing
- Monthly fee: $59+
- Card reader: $49
- All transactions: Interchange + 8–15 cents
- Chargeback fee: $0
Payment Depot Features
- Uses SwipeSimple for mobile payments
- Payouts in 1–2 business days
- Process returns
- Basic analytics reports
Like Stax by Fattmerchant, Payment Depot uses a subscription-based model, which means businesses pay a monthly fee to access wholesale mobile credit card processing fees. Its monthly fees are less than Fattmerchant’s, and its interchange-plus fees are competitive. Unlike most other processors on this list, Payment Depot is a dedicated payment processor. Therefore, its security, reliability, setup, and fees are attractive for merchants of all sizes, especially established ones.
Learn more in our complete Payment Depot review and find out why it’s a top Square competitor for credit card processing.
Payment Depot partners with SwipeSimple for mobile payments, and the app works offline like Square and PayPal. 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.
How We Evaluated the Best Mobile Credit Card Processors
The best mobile credit card processor is convenient and flexible with low or no upfront costs and competitive processing rates. It also has to be reliable—you need to depend on it in many different environments, even with an unstable internet connection.
We evaluated 12 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 five best solutions. Click through the tabs below for our full evaluation criteria:
20%
Pricing
20%
Payment Types
20%
Mobile Features
20%
Account Features
20%
Expert Score
20% of Overall Score
To receive a perfect score, mobile processors need to offer month-to-month billing with no contracts, cancelation fees, chargeback fees, monthly minimums, or strict application processes. Square alone earned a perfect score.
20% of Overall Score
We awarded points for each type of payment each mobile processor can handle, including point-of-sale, invoice, virtual terminal, and contactless payments. We also awarded points for mobile apps with split tender options and flexible tipping solutions. Square got a perfect score, followed by Stax by Fattmerchant with a 4.63 out of 5.
20% of Overall Score
20% of Overall Score
We prioritized mobile processors with free 24/7 customer support, fast deposit times (next day or sooner), multiple card reader options, and robust sales tax management. The mean score here was 3.88, with most solutions losing points for lack of 24/7 support.
20% of Overall Score
*Percentages of overall score
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.
