Today, card payments make up the vast majority of all payments processed in the UK. For example, 61% of all payments in the UK were made with a card. 38% of those were contactless, meaning consumers pay with a tap or with a digital wallet.
That increasingly means that even small and micro businesses like taxi drivers need a card reader. Luckily, there are dozens of choices on the UK market, ideal for small, mobile businesses.
While there are plenty of choices of card readers for taxi drivers, this list includes some of the best based on features, pricing, and what you get for the money. Let’s take a look!
Top 8 Best Card Readers For Taxi Drivers
These 8 card readers make up our selection of the best card readers for taxi drivers. We selected based on price, suitability, features, and recurring costs.
1. Square Terminal – £179
Square is a payment processor offering a card reader, online software, and extras. With no monthly fees, you won’t have to worry about anything but transaction costs.
The card terminal itself offers an integrated printer for digital or paper receipts. It also supports contactless and chip and pin payments.
- Tap to pay for iOS and Android
- Instant payouts
- Payment links and virtual terminals
- Invoicing
- Contactless & Chip & Pin
- All day battery
- 1.75% flat transaction rate for all payments
- Touchscreen
USP for Square: You can set up online booking and allow customers to schedule their rides for free.
2. Lloyds Bank Cardnet MPOS – £49
If you want to work with a bigger bank, Lloyds Bank Cardnet is one of the best options out there.
The MPOS is a pocket-size card reader complete with a keypad, small digital screen, and receipt functionality. Unlike other Lloyds Bank Cardnet card machines, it also doesn’t have a minimum contract.
- 1.75% flat rate for all payments
- 8-hour battery, recharge with USB
- Contactless and Chip & Pin payments
- Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or 4G connectivity
- SMS or Email receipts
- 3-day payment processing
USP for Lloyds Bank Cardnet: One of the largest banks in the UK, so you get peace of mind.
3. Handepay Castles Saturn
With the Handepay Castles Saturn, you can skip a pricey upfront investment. Instead, you’ll pay monthly for your card reader.
In most cases, you can expect that to be about £10-£20 per month depending on your contract. That means you need to keep a card machine for 2-4 years before it becomes cheaper to buy outright.
You’ll also get the first 400 transactions included for free every month, which means costs are predictable.
What else? With local UK cards starting at just 0.5%, Handepay can be a great choice for taxi drivers moving local passengers.
- 0.5% – 3% transaction rate
- £10-£30 monthly
- Integrated printer and camera
- E or paper receipts
- Accept contactless and chip & pin payments
- Natively integrates into taxi apps
- Next-day payment processing
- 12 hour battery life
Handepay USP: The first 400 transactions are included in monthly costs, so you might not pay additional transaction fees.
4. Tide Card Reader Plus – £79
At just £79 for the first card reader (second purchases cost £199), Tide offers a great incentive for new businesses to choose their brand. Plus, the card reader comes with no monthly fees and a flat 1.5% transaction fee for all payments.
The card reader itself features Android 9, a receipt printer for e or paper receipts, and lifetime free 4G connectivity. You’ll also get a 5.5” display and a 12 hour battery life.
- 1.5% transaction rate
- £0 monthly fee
- Integrated printer
- E or paper receipts
- Accepts contactless and chip & pin payments
- Android based
- Free 4G
Tide USP: Pay just 1.5% no matter where the card is from.
5. SumUp Solo & Printer – £139
The SumUp Solo & Printer delivers a smart card terminal with a printer dock. The dock also includes a charger, so your card machine lasts for 12 or more hours. The machine also includes free 4G for processing payments on the go.
SumUp also integrates into taxi apps, supports splitting costs between passengers, and delivers e and paper receipts.
- 1.69% transaction fee
- £0 monthly fee
- Printer for paper or e-receipts
- Accepts contactless and chip & pin payments
- Free 4G
- 12-hour battery life
SumUp USP: The printer can be connected via USB inside your car, so you can automatically recharge your card reader while you’re driving.
6. Lopay Card Reader – £24
At just £24, the Lopay card reader is the cheapest option on this list. That doesn’t mean it’s the worst. Instead, you get a feature-rich mini card reader with options to take pin and contactless payments.
You will have to link it to your phone for 4G connectivity. However, if you set up a Lopay account first, you can get it for just £12.
What are the cons? You’ll need an app to use it. And, you can only issue receipts via the app.
- 0.79% per transaction
- £0 monthly fee
- Thursday settlements
- Accept contactless & chip & Pin payments
- Connect via Bluetooth
- Free app
Lopay USP: This is the cheapest card reader for taxi drivers.
7. Teya Essential – £179
Teya has made a name for itself as a small-business card reader company. For taxi drivers, it offers two different card models, however, we’ve opted to highlight the more affordable of the two.
You get an Android-powered terminal, a 5.5” touchscreen, integrations, and a receipt printer. Plus, the battery lasts for 6+ hours and recharges with USB.
- 1.49% fee for most cards
- £0 monthly fee
- Next-day payouts
- Lifetime warranty
- Local support
Teya USP: Teya offers a free lifetime warranty and accident cover for all card machines – which might be important for taxi drivers.
8. myPOS Go 2 – £29
With a keypad, free 4G, digital screen, and digital receipts, the myPOS Go 2 is the most feature-rich budget card reader out there.
In addition, it’s the only card reader we’ve found under £50 that also accepts magstripe payments. That means you can even accept international cards from areas outside the EEA.
The reader itself is pocket-sized but comes packed with features like tipping, splitting payments, and setting up online receipts.
- 1.10% + 7p transaction fee
- £0 monthly fee
- Digital receipts
- Instant payouts
- 2-year warranty
- Free SIM card with free 4G
- Full day battery
myPOS USP: Probably our top choice for starters looking to control costs.
Comparing Card Readers for Taxi Drivers
All of these compare very well to each other, so you’ll want to look at individual offers and how they suit your specific needs.
| Provider | myPOS | Lloyds Bank Cardnet | SumUp | Handepay | Tide | Lopay | Square | Teya |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cardreader Cost | £29 | £49 | £139 | £10-£20 monthly | £79 | £24 | £179 | £179 |
| Monthly Fee | £0 | £0 | £0 | £9.99 | £0 | £0 | £0 | £0 |
| Transaction Fee | 1.10% + 7p | 1.75% | 1.69% | Included in monthly | 1.5%-1.95% | 0.79% | 1.75%-2.5% | 1.49%+ |
| Battery Life | 8+ hours | 8 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours | 12 hours | 8+ hours | 8+ hours | 6+ hours |
| Payouts | Instant | Next day | 1-3 business days | Next day | 1-3 business days | Thursdays | 1-2 business days, Instant | Next day |
| Contract Length | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | 12-months or monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly or 12-months |
| Receipts | Digital | SMS + Email | Digital + Paper | Digital + Paper | Digital + Paper | App | Digital + Paper | Digital + Paper |
| 4G SIM | Free | £10 monthly | Free | Yes | Free | No | No | Free |
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.2 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 |
What Functionality Does A Taxi Driver Need In A Card Reader?
You need a card reader that’s flexible, capable of meeting the needs of all your customers, and able to last all day.
Receipts
Many people taking taxis are doing so for business purposes. That means they need receipts. You should prioritize receipt-enabled card machines, whether they’re sending e-receipts or printing them out.
PIN Supported Payments
Look for a card that accepts PIN payments, even if a PIN has to be added to your phone. Most contactless charges don’t accept payments over £100.
Long Battery Life
Taxi drivers can work long hours. You want your card machine to last as long as you do. Look for a battery that you won’t have to plug in all day.
4G
You can often connect your card machine via your phone. However, you might want a direct 4G connection so you don’t have to.
Competitive Rates
Taxi drivers don’t always have a predictable income, which means it might be important for you to lower costs as much as possible. That means looking for competitive transaction rates and low or no monthly fees.
Here, you’ll want to pay especially close attention to card rates based on the card. For example, if you work in a small town and mostly process local cards, you can look for a big bank that offers discounts for domestic UK cards.
On the other hand, if you work near the airport and frequently transport customers with international credit and debit cards, it’s going to be more important to look for a blended rate that costs more for local but can be as much as 70% cheaper for international cards.
Choosing The Best Card Reader For Your Taxi Business
Choosing a card reader means picking from dozens of options. For taxi drivers, there are plenty of options ranging from the extremely affordable to the feature-rich. Often, this is a highly competitive market, so your best option is to compare competitors and get the best price and value. All you have to do is keep hidden fees, monthly fees, receipts, and mobile connectivity in mind.
Want help? Use the form below and we’ll request competitive quotes from top card machine providers, match them to your needs as a taxi driver, and send you the best ones!