PDQ means a card payment terminal. In UK retail it is the everyday word for the machine a customer taps or inserts a card into at the counter, and it is used interchangeably with card machine, chip and PIN machine and payment terminal. No manufacturer sells a product under the name, which is why the word appears on quotes but rarely on websites.
Where the word comes from
The trade reading is process data quickly, and it has been in British retail use long enough that the origin is not documented in any authoritative source. It is a piece of shop floor vocabulary rather than an industry standard, which is exactly why a search for it produces marketing pages from acquirers rather than a definition from a regulator or a card scheme.
What you are buying when someone quotes for a PDQ
Two things, always. The terminal, which is hardware, and the merchant acquiring account behind it, which is the contract. A quote that names only a monthly figure is usually pricing the terminal rental and leaving the transaction rate to a separate schedule. Ask for the rate, the authorisation fee, the minimum monthly charge and the term in one place.
Words you will meet on the same quote
Chip and PIN is the cardholder verification method, not a machine type. Contactless is the tap. An acquirer is the regulated firm that processes the payment and pays you. Interchange is the part of your rate that goes to the card issuer and is capped for UK domestic consumer cards. Merchant service charge is the whole percentage you are billed.
Questions people ask about pdq meaning
Is a PDQ machine the same as a card machine?
Yes. They are two names for the same device, and UK suppliers use both. If a supplier answers a request for a PDQ machine with a quote headed card terminal, nothing has changed except the vocabulary.
Is PDQ an official industry term?
No. It is trade vocabulary, not a standard set by a card scheme or a regulator. That is why the expansions you will find online differ and none is authoritative.
Do I ask for a PDQ or a card terminal when getting quotes?
Either. Sales teams recognise both. Asking for a card terminal and a merchant acquiring account together tends to produce a more complete quote, because it names the contract as well as the box.