Every card reader in this index is a contactless payment card reader, and every one of them also has a PIN pad, because contactless carries both a per transaction ceiling and a cumulative limit before a card asks for verification. A reader that could only tap would turn away a sale several times a week in most shops, which is why the category does not really exist.
How the limits behave on a contactless credit card reader
A contactless payment above the single transaction ceiling is declined and the customer is asked to insert the card. Separately, a card that has been tapped repeatedly without verification will ask for a PIN even on a small sale, to satisfy strong customer authentication. Neither is a fault in your machine, and staff who understand this stop apologising for it.
Contactless payment UK limits: who sets them now
The single transaction contactless threshold in the UK was set by the regulator for years and firms now have more discretion over the limits they apply, which means the ceiling is no longer one national number but a distribution across card issuers. For a merchant that changes little day to day: the terminal enforces what the card tells it, and you cannot raise or lower it.
What contactless costs you
Nothing extra. Contactless is a presentation method, not a card type, and every provider here charges its in-person rate whether the customer taps, inserts or uses a phone wallet. What does change the rate is the card behind the tap: a commercial or overseas card costs more however it is presented.
Questions people ask about contactless card reader
How much does a contactless reader cost?
Published hardware prices in this index run from 11 pounds plus VAT for Tide's Nano to 179 pounds excluding VAT for the myPOS Ultra, and every one of those readers takes contactless. The account behind it is the larger cost: published in-person rates run from 0.79% to 1.75% of each sale.
Is every card reader a contactless payment reader?
Yes. Every card reader in this index accepts contactless, and every one also has a PIN pad for the sales a tap cannot complete, because contactless carries a per transaction ceiling and a cumulative limit before a card asks for verification.
Is a touchless card reader different from a contactless one?
No. Touchless is another name for contactless: the customer taps a card or a phone wallet on the reader instead of inserting the card. Every reader in this index does it, from Tide's Nano at 11 pounds plus VAT upward, and every one also keeps a PIN pad for the sales a tap cannot complete.
Does a contactless credit card reader cost more than a chip and PIN one?
No. Every current UK reader does both, so there is no price premium for contactless. Published hardware prices here run from 11 pounds plus VAT upward and the difference between models is connectivity and screen, not tap support.
Do contactless payments cost the business more?
No. Providers charge their in-person rate regardless of how the card is presented. The cost varies by card type rather than by tap or insert.
Why do some customers get asked for a PIN on a small sale?
Because strong customer authentication requires periodic verification after a run of contactless payments, and the card decides when. Your terminal is simply doing what the card instructs.