Can A Credit Card Reader Be Cleaned?

The 8 Best Mobile Card Readers For Android Phones & Tablets

More companies are starting to empathize the importance of accepting Android, including Square, PayPal, Clover, and more than.

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Apple tree seems to dominate the field when information technology comes to credit card reader apps. Later all, at that place are plenty of iOS exclusives, but I can count on one hand the number of Android-sectional POS apps. Information technology's enough to hurt my Android-loving heart.

In part, the difficulty with credit card apps for Android is the fractured nature of the Android space — there are so many devices, and updates to the OS depend on both the device and the cellular carrier. However, good mobile POS apps for Android credit card processing do be and then long as yous know where to look. Fortunately, many companies are coming to understand the importance of accepting Android, and I've recently seen several mobile POS offerings co-operative into the Android space.

Nosotros desire to highlight your best options for mobile credit card readers that are compatible with Android phones and tablets. Which ones offer the best experience? The best hardware? The best pricing? Keep reading and notice out!

Learn More About Our Superlative Picks

Other Featured Options:

• PayPal Zettle: Best for PayPal sellers.
• Intuit GoPayment: All-time for existing QuickBooks users.
• Helcim: Best for higher-volume sellers.

Read more below to learn why nosotros chose these options.

What Makes A Groovy Credit Card Reader For Android Phones & Tablets?

The same qualities that make for a adept mobile card reader for Android phones and tablets make for skilful card readers in full general. Let'south go through what you'll want from your Android-based carte reader.

Bluetooth

If your mobile carte reader is Bluetooth-enabled, you'll be able to connect to your telephone or tablet wirelessly, making mobile processing more convenient. Of course, this ways y'all'll need to keep your device charged.

EMV Support

Early mobile card readers were typically magstripe-only (Foursquare still offers a gratis magstripe-simply reader), merely in today'southward fraud-witting earth, being able to accept chip card (EMV) transactions is a must. Your customers are likely to be increasingly wary of swiped transactions, given the security issues such transactions present.

NFC Support

With consumers increasingly using their smartphones to make purchases via mobile wallet apps such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, being able to have NFC transactions volition position you well for the future.

The eight All-time Credit Bill of fare Readers For Android

The best credit carte readers for Android connect to a POS app on your mobile device. The best mobile readers besides offer affordable processing rates, good client support, and helpful features, such as reporting and invoicing. However, the best Android credit menu reader for you depends on your particular selling needs.

1. Foursquare

Square	Visit Site Read our Review

Best overall for virtually small-scale businesses.

Square features in a lot of our articles, as it is i of the best mobile processing options out there. Square ranks nearly the top when information technology comes to features, pricing, hardware — you name it. As for Square Indicate of Auction, this free app (yeah, information technology's costless) has more than features than your standard POS app, even if information technology doesn't quite match the abilities of a full-fledged POS system. What's more, Square throws in invoicing, a customer database, intermediate inventory tools (including particular counts), and a free online store, all at no additional cost.

Square readers run on a broad range of Android phones and tablets. Withal, Android tablets and smartphones don't ever support particular features and hardware. For case, Square's $49 Bluetooth reader for contactless and chip works with Android devices, but peripheral Bluetooth hardware accessories don't. In addition to the contactless reader, Square also has a magstripe plug-and-play swiper that comes free with every account and works with an Android device with a headphone jack. If you desire more accessories for a full annals setup, you lot tin purchase additional POS hardware from the Square website, including Android-uniform tablet stands.

Square payments process at 2.vi% + $0.x for swiped, dipped, or tapped transactions using Foursquare POS and a mobile card reader. The type of third-party merchant business relationship that Square offers is best for small businesses processing less than $10K/calendar month. Third-political party processing tin can exist decumbent to funding holds and account terminations, particularly for higher-hazard businesses, and is less affordable for businesses with large transaction sizes.

Pros

• No monthly fee
• Free headphone jack reader
• Free online store
• Affordable contactless and chip reader

Cons

• Expensive for college-volume businesses
• Less business relationship stability compared to a merchant business relationship

Get Started with Square

Read our in-depth review

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2. SumUp

SumUp	Visit Site Read our Review

Best for low-volume sellers.

Suppose you lot don't procedure credit cards regularly, but y'all demand a simple, straightforward mobile processing pick with an Android-uniform credit carte reader. In that example, SumUp should be at the acme of your list. SumUp is a third-political party payment processor similar to Square and PayPal Zettle, delivering all of the essentials with a sleek, unproblematic approach.

SumUp payments procedure at 2.75% per swiped, dipped, or tapped transaction, with no monthly fee. While you're not going to save boatloads over the alternatives, low-volume sellers with modest transaction sizes may save a modest amount if they use SumUp instead of Foursquare, as that actress $0.10 actually adds up when you have a lot of sales under $10. Having said that, SumUp doesn't offering all the bells and whistles Square offers. See our Square vs. SumUp comparison for a closer wait at how SumUp stacks upward with Square in terms of features and execution.

SumUp also offers ii Bluetooth credit card readers: SumUp Plus ($19) and SumUp Pro ($59). Each reader includes a Pin pad and even a modest screen. Most upwardly-to-date Android devices should work with SumUp Plus, including devices by Samsung Galaxy, OnePlus, Huawei, and others. You tin utilize the SumUp Plus reader to accept magstripe, debit, EMV, and NFC payments on your Android phone, while the SumUp Pro is a standalone device and doesn't even need to be paired with your phone or tablet. The gratuitous SumUp app also includes a product itemize, acquirement reports, employee management, and digital receipts, forth with some pandemic-friendly remote payment options, including QR code payments, payment links you tin ship via text, email, etc., digital gift cards, and a virtual last.

Pros

• No monthly fee
• The card reader has a screen and a Pin pad
• The menu reader is only $19
• The 2.75% processing is cheaper than Square for modest transactions

Cons

• Non as many features as Square
• Third-party processor (less business relationship stability than a merchant account)

Read our in-depth review

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3. Clover Become

Clover Become	Visit Site Read our Review

Best for Clover POS sellers.

Clover Go is the mobile app linked to the Clover suite of POS products, owned by merchant account provider Fiserv (formerly Start Data). Clover is Fiserv's flagship POS service, and appropriately, all Clover devices are sold with a Fiserv merchant account. If yous're already a Clover user — that is, you use a countertop Clover solution such as Clover Station or Clover Mini — and y'all want to go mobile with your POS, the Android-friendly Clover Go app is the obvious answer because it's built to be an extension of the full Clover POS app.

Diverse entities sell Clover. Therefore, pricing for the Clover Get app, payment processing, and hardware will vary depending on the reseller. If you buy from Clover direct, you lot'll pay $69 for the reader itself and then $ix.95/month on top of your existing Clover software fee, plus ii.7% + $0.x for processing on the Annals Light plan. Clover also has a $39.95/month programme with cheaper processing, but this programme'due south features can't be accessed on the Clover Go; yous'll demand to use Station, Flex, or Mini. While these plans aren't that affordable if all you need is mobile processing, Clover Go is a good Android credit card reader for existing Clover users who desire to add mobile processing that syncs up with their Clover POS sales.

Exist enlightened that not all Clover Go sellers offer fair rates and fees. One Clover reseller we recommend for businesses of all sizes is National Processing. If you sign up for National Processing, you'll become a costless Clover Get, and you lot'll pay a $10 monthly fee and interchange plus a 0.2% + $0.10 markup per transaction. Check out our Square vs. Clover Go comparison to run across how it measures up to Square.

Pros

• Information technology comes with your own merchant business relationship
• Available from numerous Clover resellers
• Affordable processing rates are available
• Syncs with sales from your other Clover devices

Cons

• Non all Clover sellers offering off-white rates and fees
• Not the best standalone processing solution if you don't employ other Clover POS devices

Get Started with Clover Go

Read our in-depth review

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four. Shopify Lite

Shopify Lite	Visit Site Read our Review

Best for occasional mobile sellers.

People know Shopify as an eCommerce giant, only not everyone is aware that Shopify POS is available as a standalone payment processing option for small retail businesses that demand a mobile app for selling at markets, fairs, or pop-ups only don't need a full-fledged online store. The $9/month Shopify Lite plan gives you access to the Shopify POS app (available on Android devices with versions 5.0+) equally well as a few extra tools that permit you to sell on social media — Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. The app also comes with invoicing and customizable "buy" buttons for your website.

Shopify Lite mobile payments procedure at 2.7% per swiped, dipped, or tapped transaction. Invoiced, keyed, and online transactions procedure for 2.ix% + $0.thirty per transaction. Y'all can accept payments using Shopify'south mobile card reader, the Chip & Swipe Reader, which retails for $29. Shopify also has a Bluetooth Tap & Chip reader for $49 while besides offering the Chipper 2X BT reader, also for $49. Unfortunately, the Tap & Bit Reader is currently on backorder, and the Chip & Swipe Reader shows as "Sold Out" — you may have to look a scrap to get your easily on either reader.

If you desire something more resembling a traditional POS setup, with staff PIN access, register shifts, and and then on, you'll need to upgrade to the higher Shopify programme tiers. However, Shopify doesn't charge any per-device subscriptions, then $79/month for the Shopify standard plan gets yous a very powerful eCommerce program, discounted processing rates, plus a POS that runs on unlimited devices with quite a few features that bring it on par with traditional POS apps.

Pros

• Simply $9/month
• Social media selling tools
• Affordable mobile carte readers

Cons

• Not as many features as Square

Get Started with Shopify Light

Read our in-depth review

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5. Payment Depot Mobile (SwipeSimple)

Payment Depot Mobile	Visit Site Read our Review

Best for sellers seeking their own stable merchant business relationship.

Payment Depot has mostly operated as a wholesale merchant account provider, offering a whole range of merchant services, from eCommerce to mobile processing. Even so, nosotros're happy to say that Payment Depot is now offering an exclusive mobile processing plan to Merchant Maverick readers, one that's targeted at even low-volume businesses. You can bank check out our Payment Depot Mobile review for more information.

Payment Depot'southward mobile plan includes admission to the SwipeSimple app. Payment Depot is offer its mobile programme for $10/month, with payments processing at 2.six% + $0.10 per transaction. In that location are no monthly minimums and no other fees involved. And over again, this is a Merchant Maverick exclusive, so you lot need to employ our link to sign up for this plan! As well, high-volume businesses can still admission PD's standard interchange-plus pricing, which may exist more cost-effective for them.

The card reader Payment Depot/SwipeSimple uses is the SwipeSimple B250. This powerful and portable $99 Bluetooth reader tin can accept contactless, EMV, and magstripe cards using any Android telephone or tablet (or iOS device).

The SwipeSimple app and mobile credit card readers are an accommodating solid offering, combining essential mobile POS app features with a customer database, intermediate inventory (including item counts), and a virtual terminal, all with the stability of your own merchant account. While information technology won't come close to replacing a full-fledged POS app, mobile businesses that need a reliable app and a stable merchant account will savor the flexibility that Payment Depot (and SwipeSimple) offer. Payment Depot is also known for its fantabulous customer back up.

Pros

• Affordable plans for low-volume and high-book businesses
• It comes with your own merchant account
• Corking customer support

Cons

• Monthly fee
• Pricey card reader

Become Started with Payment Depot Mobile

Read our in-depth review

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6. PayPal Zettle

PayPal Zettle	Visit Site Read our Review

Best for PayPal sellers.

PayPal is a juggernaut of commerce, and if you desire to sell online, accepting PayPal Zettle is an easy solution. If y'all want to take payments in person, PayPal'southward free mobile POS app, PayPal Zettle, offers a solid range of features. Information technology includes the ability to send invoices from the app or in the dashboard and accept all payment types, from credit cards to Google Pay to PayPal. If y'all're already a PayPal seller, you also go the benefit of same-solar day funding to your PayPal account. The PayPal Zettle app and readers work with nigh Android smartphones (version 5+) and most Samsung tablets.

PayPal Zettle processes in-person transactions at ii.29% + $0.09 per swipe, dip, or tap — cheaper than Square's in-person transaction rate of 2.6% + $0.10. Note that PayPal is a third-party payment processor like Square, so your account could experience the same business relationship stability problems that plague Foursquare — for case, withheld funds on large or suspicious transactions.

PayPal Zettle users can get their start Zettle Reader ii for $29 (each subsequent 1 will be $79). It'due south an all-in-one device that accepts NFC and EMV payments and includes a PIN pad (owing to its European heritage). PayPal Zettle also now offers contactless QR lawmaking payments. With this feature, customers scan a QR code on your Zettle app with their PayPal app and pay correct from their phone, with the payment processing at the same rate as ordinary Zettle transactions. Note that your customers will demand to have the PayPal app on their phones to pay with this method.

PayPal Zettle isn't quite as robust as Square, and PayPal mostly recommends integrating with one of its POS partners if y'all need more advanced software features. If you're curious about how PayPal Zettle compares to Square, see our Square vs. PayPal article.

Pros

• No monthly fee
• Same-day funding to your PayPal business relationship
• Zettle Reader 2 is inexpensive and has a PIN pad
• Have in-person PayPal payments via a QR code

Cons

• Business relationship stability issues
• Not as robust every bit Square

Read our in-depth review

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7. QuickBooks GoPayment

Intuit GoPayment	Visit Site Read our Review

Best for existing QuickBooks users.

QuickBooks GoPayment (formerly Intuit GoPayment) is a mobile payment app and card reader that works with Android phones and tablets. Feature-wise, GoPayment doesn't quite stack up with the likes of Square. However, if you're already a happy QuickBooks user, y'all'll be able to integrate with the QuickBooks platform, giving yous a solid mobile processing solution.

The Bluetooth-enabled QuickBooks Bill of fare Reader currently goes for $49 and accepts both EMV (chip) and NFC (mobile wallet) transactions. What y'all pay per transaction will depend on your payments plan. Under the non-monthly program, you'll pay no monthly fees and 2.4% + $0.25 per transaction. With the monthly program, you'll pay $twenty/month and 1.6% + $0.25 per transaction.

Pros

• Easy to utilise
• Inexpensive menu reader
• Discounted processing for merchants who pay $20/calendar month
• No setup or application fee

Cons

• Poor customer support
• Express features

Get Started with Intuit GoPayment

Read our in-depth review

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eight. Helcim

Helcim	Visit Site Read our Review

All-time for higher-volume sellers.

With interchange-plus pricing and a strong feature lineup, Helcim provides a solid mobile processing option for businesses processing upward of $5K-$10K/month. It'south also a scalable option — you can apply it either for mobile processing just or on a tablet or desktop. Features include customer management, inventory tracking, and foodservice management.

At $109, the Helcim Card Reader is a bit pricier than other options, though this represents a price cut compared to a short time ago when the reader was going for $199. It is fully mobile, includes a PIN pad, and works with Android devices. All in all, Helcim is a great selection for college-volume sellers seeking the stability of a traditional merchant account.

Pros

• Excellent customer back up
• Sectional interchange-plus processing rates
• Accepts international payments
• Processing costs decrease with business concern growth

Cons

• The bill of fare reader is a flake pricey
• Processing costs decrease with business organization growth

Go Started with Helcim

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison nautical chart

Android Credit Card Processing Options Without A Carte du jour Swiper

Equally it happens, new technology provides merchants with several ways to have payments without fifty-fifty requiring a card swiper. Permit's explore a few of these payment methods.

• QR Codes: With QR code payments, your client scans a two-dimensional barcode with their phone's camera and is then prompted to open a website or app through which the payment is completed, using either a credit carte du jour or a mobile wallet, such as PayPal or Apple Pay.
• Payment Links: With payment links, y'all can directly invoice your customers by sending them a URL (or a QR code as described above) via text, electronic mail, or messaging app. When clicked, the link launches the online transaction process.
• Virtual Terminal: A virtual terminal allows you lot to manually enter your client'southward credit card data via an internet browser and submit the transaction for processing. A virtual final lets you accept payments remotely or in person from your estimator.

How To Detect The All-time Android Credit Carte Reader For Your Business

If you need a mobile POS app that's compatible with your Android device, or you're debating between an Android or iOS device, don't fret. In that location are plenty of great Android-based credit carte reader apps to cull from, with great pricing and great hardware. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide which service is right for you — consider the features you need every bit well as the pricing.

When choosing a mobile credit card solution, you'll also need to consider business particulars. These include your monthly sales volume, your boilerplate transaction size, and which other sales channels you sell on or want to sell on — whether that's social media, PayPal, your business concern website, your countertop POS annals, or cash sales. For instance, near higher-book mobile sellers processing more than $10K/month will get lower rates with a merchant account than by using a 3rd-party processor such as Square. Businesses that process a lot of greenbacks sales in addition to credit cards may want to make sure that their Android POS app lets them record cash transactions every bit well.

Here's some farther reading to help you expand to a countertop Android POS hardware solution when the time comes, find out more about mobile credit card readers in full general, acquire how Square compares to a merchant business relationship, or see what mobile POS options are bachelor for iOS:

• How To Accept Android Pay
• How To Take Credit Menu Payments On Your Phone: The Complete Guide To Mobile Credit Card Readers
• The Best Mobile Credit Card Readers For iPhone & iPad Credit Card Processing
• Foursquare VS Merchant Account: Which Is Amend For Your Business?

In Summary: The 8 Best Credit Card Readers For Android

1. Square: Best overall for almost small businesses.
2. SumUp: All-time for depression-book sellers.
3. Clover Become: Best for Clover POS sellers.
4. Shopify Low-cal: Best for occasional mobile sellers and businesses that sell on social media.
5. Payment Depot Mobile: All-time for sellers seeking their ain stable merchant account.
6. PayPal Zettle: Best for PayPal sellers.
7. Intuit GoPayment: All-time for existing QuickBooks users.
8. Helcim: All-time for higher-volume sellers.

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Jason Vissers has been researching, analyzing, and writing about small business organization software and finance since 2022. His financial expertise has been cited in numerous publications, including The Ladders. Jason graduated with a Political Science degree from San Diego State University in 2001.

View Jason Vissers'due south professional experience on LinkedIn.

Source: https://www.merchantmaverick.com/the-best-credit-card-reader-apps-for-android/

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