A contactless reader is a card terminal that accepts a tap, and in the UK that means every terminal sold. The buying decision is therefore about connection, battery and whether the device stands alone, not about contactless support. Published hardware prices in this index run from 11 pounds plus VAT to 179 pounds excluding VAT.
Connection decides the machine
Bluetooth readers borrow a phone's connection and cost least. Wifi terminals need a network on site. Machines with their own SIM work wherever there is mobile coverage and cost most. Zettle prices its Bluetooth reader, its wifi and 4G terminal and its store kits separately, which makes the price of independence from a phone visible on one page.
What a contactless terminal must still do
Accept a chip and PIN fallback when the card refuses the tap, handle a refund, print or send a receipt, and take a phone wallet as readily as a card. A device that cannot do the first will lose sales. A device that cannot do the last will annoy customers, since wallet payments are now a large share of UK contactless volume.
Small business use away from a counter
Market traders, mobile therapists, taxi drivers and tradespeople need a machine that works without wifi and survives a day on its battery. That points at the standalone SIM devices rather than the cheapest Bluetooth reader, and the myPOS portable range prices that step from 39 pounds excluding VAT for the entry model up to 179 pounds for the ruggedised one.
Questions people ask about contactless reader
Do I need a separate contactless machine?
No. Every current UK card terminal takes contactless, chip and PIN and phone wallets on one device. There is no separate contactless product to buy.
What is the cheapest contactless machine for a small business?
Tide's Nano at 11 pounds plus VAT is the lowest printed hardware price here, and Elavon's entry plan carries a five pound one-off device cost. The account rate behind each matters more over a year than the device price.
Will a contactless terminal work without wifi?
Only if it has its own mobile SIM. Bluetooth readers depend on the paired phone's connection, and wifi terminals need a network. Buy the SIM version if you trade away from a fixed site.