Card machines
Card machines for UK businesses.
Countertop, portable and mobile terminals for taking card payments in person — chosen around the way your business actually trades.
One category, three very different jobs.
In-person card payments are handled by three broad types of terminal. A countertop machine sits at a fixed till point and connects through your broadband. A portable machine works across your premises from a base station. A mobile machine uses a mobile network so you can take payment anywhere you trade.
The right choice is rarely about the device itself. It is about where the customer is standing or sitting at the moment they pay, and how quickly you need that payment to complete.
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Contactless, chip and PIN and mobile wallet acceptance as standard on modern terminals
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Terminal types matched to counter service, table service or trading on the move
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Options that can sit alongside an existing EPOS or till system
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Guidance on connectivity so terminals stay reliable during busy trading
Suited to
Businesses this typically suits
Retail & convenience
A fixed countertop terminal at each till point.
Restaurants & cafés
Portable terminals so bills are settled at the table.
Pubs & bars
Fast contactless at the bar, portable units for outside.
Salons & clinics
Compact terminals for reception and treatment rooms.
Trades & mobile
Mobile terminals that work on a mobile network.
Hotels
Reception, restaurant and bar payments handled consistently.
Choosing between terminal types
Start by mapping where money changes hands during a normal day. If it always happens at one counter, a countertop terminal is the simplest, most dependable answer. If your team walks to the customer, a portable terminal removes wasted journeys. If you trade away from a fixed site, only a mobile terminal will do.
Many businesses end up with a combination — and there is nothing wrong with that. Tell us how you trade and we will discuss what fits.
Get a quoteFAQs
Questions about this solution
What type of card machine does my business need?
It depends on where the payment happens. A countertop terminal suits a fixed till point, a portable terminal suits table or chair service within a venue, and a mobile terminal suits businesses that take payment away from a fixed site. If you take payment in more than one way, a combination is often sensible. The Ideal Merchant Service team can talk through which setup fits your day-to-day operation.
Can I accept contactless payments?
Contactless acceptance, including mobile wallets on phones and smartwatches, is standard on modern card terminals. We can discuss the options that support the payment types your customers use most.
Ready to talk about your payments?
Tell us how your business takes payments today and we will discuss the options available to you.