Best card machine for London PCO driver 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 PCO-licensed (Private Hire Vehicle, PHV) drivers operating in London. Distinct from green-badge / yellow-badge Hackney carriage Knowledge drivers. PCO drivers cannot ply for hire on the street and must be pre-booked via Uber, Bolt, FreeNow, Wheely, Addison Lee, Veezu or a local operator. TfL does not mandate card acceptance on PHV the way it does on black cab, but off-platform corporate, hotel-concierge and direct-account fares need a card-reader.
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology.
The ranking
Ranked on fit for this use case. The score beside each pick is that terminal's overall review score across all uses, so a lower-scored terminal can rank higher here when it suits this job better. The rate, hardware and contract lines come from the same terminal data as the comparison table below.
1. Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal)
Review score 4.2 / 5Best London PCO setup
Software on an iPhone Xs or later, no separate terminal · Set by the provider you use it with; see that provider's own pricing page · No fixed term for the feature itself; any contract is with your provider
Tap to Pay on iPhone is the cheapest PCO setup: zero hardware, no monthly fees, contactless to £100, Apple Pay, Google Pay, chip-and-PIN fallback. Best for drivers whose platform-fare share (Uber, Bolt, FreeNow) handles 95% of trips and who only need card-reader for the off-platform 5%.
2. SumUp Solo
Review score 4.2 / 5Best dedicated PCO reader
Portable standalone touchscreen terminal (no built-in printer; Solo Lite is the cheaper phone-paired version) · 1.69% per transaction · No contract
SumUp Solo at £79 + VAT with 1.69% rate. Worth the hardware spend if more than 20% of fares are off-platform (corporate accounts, hotel concierge, repeat private bookings). Standalone 4G means no phone tether.
3. Square Terminal
Review score 4.1 / 5Best for executive PCO with airport runs
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 + VAT with 1.75% rate and built-in printer. Worth it for PCO drivers doing Heathrow, City Airport or Gatwick corporate transfers where business-traveller customers need on-the-spot receipts.
4. Stripe Reader S700
Review score 4.0 / 5Best for PCO operator with online booking
Touchscreen handheld smart terminal, 5.5in display, Android 10 (no built-in printer; external receipt printer via the optional dock or hub) · 1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA (Stripe standard Terminal pricing) · No contract (Stripe standard pay-as-you-go terms)
Stripe Reader S700 at £229 plus Stripe Checkout for online booking. Best for PCO sole-traders running their own booking site (corporate accounts paying by Stripe invoice plus in-car card payment for ad-hoc).
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Tap to Pay on iPhone (no terminal) | Set by the provider you use it with; see that provider's own pricing page | £0 hardware (you already have the iPhone) | No fixed term for the feature itself; any contract is with your provider |
| #2 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £79 + VAT list price (SumUp often discounts it) | No contract |
| #3 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 + VAT | No contract |
| #4 | Stripe Reader S700 | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards, 2.9% + 10p non-EEA (Stripe standard Terminal pricing) | £229 excl. VAT | No contract (Stripe standard pay-as-you-go terms) |
FAQs
Do London PCO drivers need a card machine?
Not by TfL mandate, but commercially yes for any meaningful off-platform business. Platform fares (Uber, Bolt, FreeNow, Wheely) settle in-app. Off-platform fares (corporate accounts, hotel concierge, direct bookings, repeat private clients) need a card-reader.
What is the difference between PCO and Knowledge for card-machine choice?
Knowledge (Hackney carriage, green or yellow badge) must accept card on every metered fare by TfL mandate, so card-machine is non-optional and per-transaction rate matters on every fare. PCO (Private Hire) is platform-mediated for most trips so card-machine only handles the off-platform slice; hardware payback period is longer.
Can PCO drivers charge a card surcharge?
No. UK card surcharging on consumer transactions has been illegal since January 2018. Applies equally to PCO direct fares and Hackney carriage metered fares. Card-acceptance cost must be priced into the agreed fare, not added at point-of-sale.
How do Wheely chauffeur PCO drivers handle card payment?
Wheely fares settle in-app to the customer's saved card; driver receives weekly net payout from Wheely. No card-reader needed for the platform side. Some Wheely drivers also accept direct corporate accounts where a Square Terminal or Stripe Reader S700 with emailed receipt is the standard setup.
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. 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. See our methodology and how we are funded.
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