Retail POS systems and card readers

For a shop, the processor and the point of sale usually come as one decision, so compare three things together: the in-person card rate, what the hardware costs, and how long the contract holds you.

In-person rates usually sit below online rates, because a chip or tap payment carries less fraud risk. Flat-rate providers charge one price per sale, such as Square's 2.6% + $0.15 with no monthly fee. Interchange-plus providers pass the card networks' cost through and add a small markup, which tends to cost less as volume grows. Some POS systems bundle hardware and software into a monthly plan instead.

Hardware is where costs spread out. Some systems are bought outright, while countertop setups are often financed or paid monthly: Toast lists a 14 inch Flex terminal at $749 plus $50 a month, and a Clover Station Duo on Retail Growth is $180 a month for 36 months. Watch the contract too. Clover, Toast and Elavon sit on long-term agreements, and leaving Clover early can cost the balance remaining on the contract.

Our picks

How we picked: among processors without a long-term contract, the cheapest fixed in-person rate with no monthly fee in each pricing model, and for higher volume the lowest published markup over interchange. Listing tier plays no part.

• Smaller store, flat rate: SumUp, 2.6% + $0.10 per in-person sale in the US, with no monthly fee on the standard plan.
• Growing store, interchange-plus: Helcim, interchange + 0.40% + $0.08 in person, with no monthly fee and no contract.
• Higher-volume store: Stax, interchange + $0.08 in person with no percentage markup, for $99 a month on month-to-month terms.