Card machines for small businesses

In many ways card machines are the same, they all take card payments, give refunds, print receipts, and most terminals nowadays will accept contactless payments too. However, there’s still not a ‘one size fits all’ approach when it comes to finding the best card machine for your small business.

Assuming ‘the best’ means ‘the most suitable technology for your needs’, that decision should be driven by how and where you would use the card machine.

Typically, card machines are grouped by connection method. Think about your business and consider which of the following options apply most:


A countertop card machine is used at a single point of sale, like at a sales desk in a clothes shop or a checkout in a supermarket, and is connected by ethernet cable to broadband internet. In some older models you can also use a phoneline.

A portable card machine is used anywhere within a business premises, rather than being tethered to a fixed point. For example, a restaurant where it’s carried to different tables. Portable terminals can be connected using the business’ Wi-Fi or via Bluetooth paired with a charging base.

A mobile card machine can be used anywhere that has a mobile network present and uses a GPRS SIM card to connect, just like a mobile phone would. These are normally used by businesses that don’t have access to wired internet or Wi-Fi, and can operate their business from almost anywhere, like a mobile mechanic.

Choose a card machine suited to your business setup carefully. If you run a mobile food van operating at festivals, a countertop card machine would not be an option because you wouldn’t have access to wired internet. If you run a retail store where customers pay at the counter, technically you could use a mobile card machine, but it wouldn’t make much sense when you could have a reliable wired connection.


When choosing a card machine, remember to consider:


Countertop card machine – Used at a fixed sales point
Portable card machine – Used at multiple sales points within one premises
Mobile card machine – Used anywhere with a phone signal

If you would like to discuss the other factors that influence your card machine choice, contact our sales team.

Step 1: Understand the different options

So you’ve decided you need to take card payments from your customers. Firstly, it’s good to understand that although all card machines do the same thing (take card payments), the way in which they are setup can differ depending on the physical constraints and connections within your business.

As a rule of thumb, the options below are what normally decides which card machine is most suitable for your business setup. When going through the options, take note of the different uses and connection options and compare them to your business:


Countertop card machines
Used at: A fixed point of sale like a sales desk or counter
Connection: Wired internet (ethernet) or phoneline
Used by: Retail stores, garages, hotel receptions

Portable card machines
Used at: Multiple points of sale within one premises
Connects with: Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth
Used by: Restaurants and pubs with multiple tables

Mobile card machines
Used at: Anywhere
Connects with: Mobile network signals
Used by: Mobile mechanics, food vans, market traders


Step 2: Choose a payment provider

When picking a merchant services provider, explore their levels of customer service, reputation and the range of products and technology the have to offer.

It’s always worth getting a full quote before signing any agreements, so you can understand the full costs involved. Agreement lengths and rates can vary quite drastically between providers and you could be miss out on a saving by choosing the wrong pricing model for your projected usage.

Once you have decided, you will need to make an application for a merchant account with the provider. They will help you complete this at the point of sale. The reason you can’t be given a card machine then and there, is because the application provides a means of proving you are who you say you are to the acquiring bank. A number of credibility checks will be run against you, which must be met before your account is approved.


Step 3: Start taking payments

Once your merchant account is approved, your card machine will be delivered. Most modern terminals can be set up within 5-10 minutes straight out of the box and don’t need a dedicated engineer. Any technical issues can normally be resolved over the phone.


Are you ready to start taking card payments? Get a free quote.

Technically, most card machines used by small business are ‘rented’ from the merchant services provider for the duration of their merchant agreement. Once that agreement is over, the card machines are returned.

Here at Retail Merchant Services we will always own the card machine. This way, we can provide ongoing technical support and replace the machine next day if it develops a warranty fault or the technology becomes obsolete.

How much this costs will depend on:


The duration of your agreement
Your usage and transaction rates
Membership or merchant account fees
Cost of PCI compliance
Whether you choose to pay monthly or upfront

Some mobile card machines (also known as card readers) can be bought outright for a smaller cost. There’s no rental agreement and you’ll own the card machine forever, but these pricing plans tend to have much higher rates of transaction, so the overall cost in the long run is questionable.

Some merchant services providers will loan card machines to businesses on a short-term hire basis. Say for example, a fleet of 50 card machines being used for a 3 day festival, but these arrangements are normally bespoke.

If you want to learn more, get a free quote from Retail Merchant Services today.

Not all card machines need Wi-Fi to work, but ultimately, this will depend on the model of card machine you have, and what connection options are open to you.

In order to take payments, a card machine needs a connection point. If you don’t have a Wi-Fi connection available within your business, you could connect your card machine using a wired (ethernet) internet connection and in some cases a phoneline.

Portable card machines can operate using a Bluetooth signal which is paired back to the card machine’s charging base, which in turn is connected to broadband or a phoneline. Alternatively, a mobile card machine can function solely by connecting to a mobile network.

Some card machines, like the Verifone V240m, have multiple connection options (known as dual or tri-comm) and some are limited to just one option.

If you want to learn more about which connection method would be most suitable for your business, please get in touch.

To accept and process a card payment using a card machine, follow the steps below to complete a sale transaction:


From the idle screen, enter the sale amount using the number keys and then press enter.

Ask the customer to insert their card or tap it onto the display if contactless payment is available.

Ask the customer to enter their PIN if they have inserted the card.

The card machine connects and receives an approval response from the host.

A copy of the merchant’s receipt is printed automatically.

Press enter to print the customer’s copy of the receipt if this is required.

The card machine prompts the customer to remove their card before returning to the idle screen.

Note: Some operating instructions may vary between card machine models. For more information on card machine functions and features specific to your model, go to our user guides.

A card reader machine, card machine, PDQ machine, payment terminal, chip and PIN machine are all the same thing; a device that can accept card payments from your customers.

Sometimes a ‘card reader’ may refer to a small, mobile card machine that can be bought outright for a lower upfront cost, but much higher rates of transaction, meaning you can end up giving away more revenue per sale than you need to. However, whatever you call it, the basic functions are the same.

Are you looking for a card machine for your small business?
Get free a quote today.

The most reliable way to find your merchant number (also known as a ‘MID number’) is printed on any merchant copy receipt. It will also print out on the End of Day report; the process that settles funds taken from card payments into your account.

Some card machines will display your merchant number on-screen when the terminal is sitting idle, but that will depend on the model, manufacturer and software installed.

Note: Each card machine will be assigned its own merchant number, so if you have multiple terminals, you will need to identify the number for each one.

Firstly, it’s worth noting that you may need special permissions enabled on your card machine to process a sale by manually entering the card number, but this will depend on your model and provider.

Usually, you would only enter the debit or credit card number manually if you’re running a Customer Not Present (CNP) transaction. This is a payment made where the cardholder does not, or physically cannot, present their card to you at the time of purchase. For example, a takeaway taking payment over the phone, or a mail order catalogue taking orders through the post.

Follow the steps below to complete a CNP transaction:

The card machine is ready to start a sale transaction from the idle screen.

Enter the sale amount using the numbers and then press the enter key.

When prompted to 'present, key in or insert the card', type the long card number into the card machine using the number keys.

You will then need to key in the following information (order may vary):

Expiry Date - Formatted as MM / YY.

The customer's address – The first line and a house or flat number.

The customer’s postcode – Usually only the numbers

CVV number – The 3 digits on the back of the card

The card machine connects and receives an approval response from the host.

A copy of the merchant’s receipt is printed.

For more information on card machine tips and functions, visit our User Guides.