Alternatives to Stripe Reader S700: 5 Better-Fit UK Card Machines in 2026
If you are looking at alternatives to Stripe Reader S700, the usual reason is one of two things: higher upfront cost at £229 excl. VAT, or the fact that Stripe Reader S700 is the wrong fit for plug-and-play SMB without developer time. The five UK card machines below solve one or both of those problems. Adyen for Platforms is our strongest-fit alternative (rate: interchange-plus pricing, quoted per merchant; contract: quoted per merchant (not published)). BBPOS WisePOS E runs with no contract if lock-in is the blocker. The rest of this page is the 5-card shortlist, then a short "when to stick with Stripe Reader S700" block for balance, then how we picked, then FAQs. Rates, contracts and hardware prices come from the same terminal data as our full reviews.
Top 5 alternatives to Stripe Reader S700
| Alternative | Rate | Hardware | Contract | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Adyen for Platforms | Interchange-plus pricing, quoted per merchant | Quoted per merchant; usually bundled by the platform | Quoted per merchant (not published) | Larger merchants with high card volume |
| 2. BBPOS WisePOS E | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA cards when used with Stripe | Not listed on Stripe's UK pricing page (checked 2 Oct 2026); the Stripe Reader S700 is £229 excl. VAT | No contract when used with Stripe | Tech-led businesses with developer resource |
| 3. Stripe Reader M2 | Custom (Stripe pricing) | Not on Stripe UK pricing (Stripe lists the Reader M2 as US only) | Stripe terms | Existing Stripe online merchants |
| 4. PAX A920 Pro | Acquirer-dependent | Often rented through the acquirer or ISO; confirm the price with them | Not published; often 12 to 36 months via the acquirer or ISO (our estimate) | Hospitality, retail and salons via a broker or ISO |
| 5. Worldpay terminals (legacy estate) | Negotiated per merchant; blended or interchange-plus | Rental (typical), £15 to £30 per terminal per month | 12 to 60 months | Existing Worldpay merchants on a fair-priced contract |
Interchange-plus pricing, quoted per merchant · Quoted per merchant; usually bundled by the platform · Quoted per merchant (not published)
Adyen is an enterprise acquirer used by larger UK merchants, marketplaces and platforms. It offers interchange-plus pricing and global coverage but is not a small-business product.
- Interchange-plus pricing.
- Global multi-currency coverage.
- Quoted per merchant and aimed at larger merchants.
1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA cards when used with Stripe · Not listed on Stripe's UK pricing page (checked 2 Oct 2026); the Stripe Reader S700 is £229 excl. VAT · No contract when used with Stripe
BBPOS WisePOS E is a countertop reader built for Stripe Terminal apps, which you customise through the Stripe Terminal SDK.
- Customisable via the Stripe Terminal SDK.
- Countertop reader designed for Stripe Terminal apps.
- Not a standalone product; needs Stripe or another acquirer's software.
Custom (Stripe pricing) · Not on Stripe UK pricing (Stripe lists the Reader M2 as US only) · Stripe terms
Stripe Reader M2 is the smaller mobile reader in Stripe's in-person line-up, companion to the larger S700. Pairs with a phone, tablet or POS via Bluetooth and runs through the Stripe Terminal SDK.
- Pocket-sized Bluetooth reader that pairs with a phone, tablet or POS.
- Tight Stripe online + in-person integration on one stack.
- Not standalone; needs a paired device running a Stripe Terminal app.
4. PAX A920 Pro
Acquirer-dependent · Often rented through the acquirer or ISO; confirm the price with them · Not published; often 12 to 36 months via the acquirer or ISO (our estimate)
PAX A920 Pro is an Android-based handheld payment terminal with a built-in receipt printer, supplied in the UK through acquirers, ISOs and brokers.
- Android platform that acquirers can customise.
- Receipt printer built in.
- Often rented rather than bought, with lock-in through the acquirer contract.
Negotiated per merchant; blended or interchange-plus · Rental (typical), £15 to £30 per terminal per month · 12 to 60 months
Worldpay's terminal estate covers a long tail of older Verifone and Ingenico hardware plus newer PAX deployments. Pricing is rarely competitive vs the modern fintech acquirers.
- Well-supported across UK retail and hospitality.
- Specific integrations with legacy POS systems.
- Pricing rarely competitive vs Dojo, SumUp, Square.
When to stick with Stripe Reader S700
Stripe Reader S700 is still the right choice for existing Stripe online merchants and tech-led businesses with developer resource. The two strongest reasons buyers stay: tight Stripe integration (online + in-person on one stack), and touchscreen UI with custom apps via Stripe Terminal SDK.
If your business sits inside existing Stripe online merchants, switching is friction without upside. The alternatives above are for buyers who hit a real blocker on Stripe Reader S700, not for buyers who are just shopping rate.
Read the full Stripe Reader S700 review for the year-one cost model, hardware detail and full verdict.
How we picked these alternatives
Each shortlist starts from a hand-curated seed of the 4 most-considered alternatives for the source terminal in UK 2026 buyer journeys, then tops up to 5 with the next-highest-rated terminal in our database that shares at least one best-fit cluster with the source. The intent is to keep the shortlist semantically meaningful: an alternative to a sole-trader reader is another sole-trader reader, not an enterprise platform.
Ratings, rates, contracts and hardware costs are pulled from the MerchantHQ terminals dataset. Headline rates are verified against each acquirer's public pricing; bespoke rates apply above roughly £20k monthly card volume so always verify the live commercials before signing.
MerchantHQ is owned and operated by Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937), directed by Oliver Mackman. Editorial methodology: how we score UK card terminals.
FAQ
What is better than Stripe Reader S700 in 2026?
Adyen for Platforms is the strongest-fit of the five alternatives to Stripe Reader S700. Rate: interchange-plus pricing, quoted per merchant. Contract: quoted per merchant (not published). Hardware: quoted per merchant; usually bundled by the platform. The honest caveat: "better" depends on your card volume and trade. For existing Stripe online merchants, Stripe Reader S700 still holds up.
Is there a free alternative to Stripe Reader S700?
BBPOS WisePOS E runs with no contract; hardware is not listed on Stripe's UK pricing page (checked 2 Oct 2026); the Stripe Reader S700 is £229 excl. VAT. No UK card terminal is truly free once you account for the transaction rate, but BBPOS WisePOS E at 1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA cards when used with Stripe has the lowest commitment of the five alternatives on this page. Best fit: tech-led businesses with developer resource.
What is the cheapest alternative to Stripe Reader S700?
Of the alternatives that publish a percentage rate, BBPOS WisePOS E starts lowest (1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA cards when used with Stripe; hardware not listed on Stripe's UK pricing page (checked 2 Oct 2026); the Stripe Reader S700 is £229 excl.
VAT; contract no contract when used with Stripe). Alternatives priced per merchant are not directly comparable until you have a quote. Cheapest on rate is not always cheapest on year-one cost once you factor in hardware, monthly fees and ecosystem lock-in (not a standalone product; needs Stripe or another acquirer's software). Use the MerchantHQ quote tool for a modelled comparison against your actual volume.
Which alternative is best for existing Stripe online merchants?
Stripe Reader M2 is the strongest pick on the shortlist for existing Stripe online merchants. Its main strength: pocket-sized Bluetooth reader that pairs with a phone, tablet or POS; the main watch-out: not standalone; needs a paired device running a Stripe Terminal app. The card above has the detail.
Should I switch from Stripe Reader S700?
Switch if you are hitting higher upfront cost at £229 excl. VAT or if plug-and-play SMB without developer time. Stay if your business is in existing Stripe online merchants and the current contract is reasonable. MerchantHQ runs switching support across 40+ UK card-payment providers. Quote enquiries go to one card-payments broker, Merchant Advice Service, which pays us a fee for each introduction; acquirers do not pay us commission on quote enquiries. That fee never affects a ranking.
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Get matched →Last updated: . Written by Adam Parker for Best Business Loans Ltd (16833937).