Best card machine for Edinburgh taxi UK 2026
Compare the UK shortlist below, then get matched quotes from the acquirers most likely to approve you and beat your current pricing.
For Edinburgh City Council licensed Hackney carriage and PHV drivers. Mix of city-centre trade (Edinburgh Festival August surge), Edinburgh Airport transfers, Leith and Murrayfield event-day routes. International-traveller-heavy especially August festival season; multi-currency support and AMEX matter.
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology. Last reviewed 2026-05-11.
The ranking
1. Revolut Card Reader
3.7 / 5Best for festival-season international fares
Compact Bluetooth-paired reader · 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) · Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan)
Revolut Card Reader at £49 with 0.8% to 1.0% rate (Revolut Business Premium). Multi-currency settlement (GBP, EUR, USD) and low FX fees on the international passenger volume during Edinburgh Festival August surge.
2. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
4.2 / 5Best Edinburgh taxi zero-hardware setup
iPhone XS or later running iOS 16.4+, no separate terminal · Matches your chosen acquirer (about 1.69% to 1.75%) · No fixed term
Tap to Pay on iPhone: zero hardware, no contract, supports Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless. Best for the typical Edinburgh PHV outside festival season.
3. Square Terminal
4.1 / 5Best Edinburgh airport-transfer driver
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 with built-in receipt printer for Edinburgh Airport corporate transfers and festival-time hotel runs.
4. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best dedicated Edinburgh taxi reader
Portable terminal with built-in receipt printer (Solo Lite is no-printer) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo at £99 with 1.69% rate, standalone 4G works on Old Town and Royal Mile cobbled-street signal blackspots.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Revolut Card Reader | 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) | £49 hardware | Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan) |
| #2 | Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal) | Matches your chosen acquirer (about 1.69% to 1.75%) | £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) | No fixed term |
| #3 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 to £199 | No contract |
| #4 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract |
FAQs
What is the best card machine for an Edinburgh taxi driver?
Tap to Pay on iPhone for typical year-round trade. Revolut Card Reader for festival-season drivers with high international-passenger mix needing multi-currency settlement. Square Terminal at £149 with built-in printer for airport-transfer drivers.
How do Edinburgh Festival drivers handle the August surge?
August Edinburgh Festival (Fringe + International Festival + Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo + Book Festival) creates 4x normal taxi demand for 3 weeks. Card-machine reliability matters: standalone 4G readers (SumUp Solo, Square Terminal, Tap to Pay on iPhone) win over Bluetooth-only readers because phone signal is saturated. Battery life and contactless reliability are the differentiators.
Does Edinburgh City Council mandate card acceptance?
No statutory mandate currently. Edinburgh City Council licensing conditions cover accessibility and metering. Commercial reality demands card acceptance: visitor-driven trade (festival, tourism) is overwhelmingly card-payment.
How do Edinburgh drivers handle international card fees on customer side?
Customer's home-bank handles their FX. Some non-EU customers see a "non-sterling" fee on their card statement (1-3% on top of the fare in their home currency); that is between the customer and their bank, not the merchant. Drivers using Revolut Card Reader can offer to settle in EUR or USD instead, which removes the customer-side FX fee but adds Revolut conversion on the merchant side.
How we rank
Rankings are built by desk research from each provider's published rates, upfront costs, contract lengths and settlement terms, held in a dated record per terminal (last-reviewed date shown on this page) and re-checked when published pricing changes. We do not hands-on test every device; specs are taken from provider documentation and cited. No provider pays for inclusion or position. MerchantHQ is an introducer: acquirers, including some brands ranked here, pay us commission on completed introductions. Commission never affects a ranking. See our methodology and how we are funded.
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Reviewed by Oliver Mackman, Director, Best Business Loans Ltd. Last reviewed: 2026-05-11.