Mobile card machines

A mobile card machine is a wireless payment terminal used by business owners that don’t have access to fixed connection points, like broadband internet or a phoneline, due to the nature of how their business operates.

For example, a market stall trader that attends the same pitch each week but doesn’t have access to Wi-Fi or a phoneline. Or a mobile food van that travels to different sites each week to attend events like festivals or weddings.

These card machines come equipped with a free integrated SIM card and can be used anywhere in the UK Or Ireland where there’s a mobile phone network present.


How to spot a mobile card machine

Used by mobile businesses or those without access to fixed connections points
Connects anywhere with a mobile signal using 3G/GPRS & SIM card
No wires, can be hand carried

All card machines need a connection to successfully take payments. Mobile card machines use GPRS to connect wirelessly to a mobile network, and just like a mobile phone, they have an integrated SIM card (this is supplied free of charge).

This means, that anywhere in the UK or Ireland where you can successfully find a mobile signal, you can also take payments from your customers using a mobile card machine.

There a various names for card machines, including:

Card terminals
PDQ machines
Chip & PIN machines
Card readers

…and the list goes on, but what’s important to remember is they all take card payments, irrespective of what they’re called. Where they tend to differ is by business use case.

Where you take payments and the connection method you use (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G or phoneline) will determine which type of card machine you need.


Card machine types in short:

Mobile card machines
Used by businesses who mainly operate outside or on the road and don’t have access to fixed communication points, like a street food vendor. These are completely wireless devices.


Portable card machines
Ideal for environments with Wi-Fi, where your staff can take payments at various points on the premises, like from table to table within a restaurant. These card machines are also wire-free.


Countertop card machines
Do your customers expect to pay in the same place, like next to a till or on a counter? Countertop card machines use wired internet or phoneline connections to offer a fast and reliable service.

To take a contactless payment on a card machine, you need a secure connection of some sort, which can be either Wi-Fi, mobile data, phoneline or a wired broadband connection.

If your card machine doesn’t have a connection, the attempted payment will be declined instantly.

A ‘card machine’ is a handheld device used by a business to collect payments from their customers who choose to pay for goods or services by credit card, debit card or a digital wallet such as Google Pay or Apple Pay.

They are typically connected to the internet or a mobile a network to accept payments electronically and send data to the acquiring bank.

When payments are successful, it’s normal practice for the funds to be transferred from the customer's bank to the business' merchant account. Settlement time is dependent on the provider (Retail Merchant Services offer Same Day Settlement).

Enter the transaction amount into your card machine, using the number keys or display.

When prompted, the customer can either:

Insert their credit or debit card and then enter their PIN
Tap their credit or debit card for a contactless payment
Tap their smartphone or smartwatch for a contactless payment

The customer’s card, smartphone or smartwatch will communicate with the card machine, which then sends encrypted transaction data to your merchant account.

Once received, the acquiring bank will send an authorisation request to the card provider, who will request authorisation from the customer’s bank.

The card provider will verify the card details are correct and pass the authorisation request to the customer’s bank, who will then confirm there are sufficient funds or credit available to make the payment.

Once the payment has been authorised, your card machine will display if it’s been successful. The customer can then remove their card if it was inserted and merchant and customer copies of the receipt will print.

The funds from the transaction will be settled into your business bank account normally in three to five days, unless you have a Same Day Settlement service enabled.