UK card terminal providers divide neatly on one behaviour: whether they publish a rate. Eleven of the thirty two read for this index do. Ten publish none and route to a quote. Two refuse to be read at all. That distribution shapes how a shortlist can be built more than any feature comparison does.
What each group offers
App based providers publish a flat rate, sell hardware outright and impose no minimum term. Bank owned acquirers underwrite you, publish partially and attach a term. Resellers sell another firm's acquiring through a consultant and publish nothing. Each is a legitimate business model; only the first lets you compare before committing time.
Wifi terminals and the premium
A wifi terminal frees the machine from a paired phone without paying for mobile data. It is the middle option: cheaper than a SIM machine, more reliable than Bluetooth, and useless the moment you leave the network. Zettle prices its wifi and 4G terminal separately from its Bluetooth reader, which shows the step clearly.
Hardware bought outright, and what happens on exit
Terminals are certified to one provider's platform, so a machine bought outright cannot be sold on or moved. Its resale value outside that provider is nil. That is worth knowing before paying 179 pounds for a ruggedised model on a provider you are not sure about, and it is worth asking about before accepting a free one.
Questions people ask about card terminal providers
Which UK card terminal providers publish their rates?
Eleven of the thirty two read for this index print an in-person rate on their own pages. Ten publish none and route to a quote, and two refuse automated reading altogether.
Is a wifi credit card terminal worth it?
On a fixed site with a reliable network, yes, because it removes the dependence on a paired phone without paying for mobile data. Away from a network it is no better than a Bluetooth reader.
Can I sell a card terminal I bought outright?
Not usefully. Terminals are certified to one provider's platform, so the hardware has no value to another provider's merchant.