Best card machine for Stansted 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 taxi and private-hire drivers running Stansted Airport transfers. Heavy budget-airline customer mix (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air) so smaller average fare than Heathrow or Gatwick, more debit-card and prepaid-card use, more contactless under £100. Significant Eastern European inbound tourism through Stansted: Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Lithuanian customer cards common.
Based on MerchantHQ terminal reviews and our ranking methodology. Last reviewed 2026-05-12.
The ranking
1. SumUp Solo
4.2 / 5Best Stansted 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. Best fit for the typical Stansted fare profile (£35 to £75 to Cambridge, Bishops Stortford, North London, Essex). Standalone 4G clears the M11 corridor and Stansted Airport perimeter signal blackspots.
2. Revolut Card Reader
3.7 / 5Best for international tourist Stansted driver
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% UK / 1.3% non-UK rate. Cheapest UK rate plus the best international card handling for the Eastern European tourist customer mix typical of Stansted.
3. Square Terminal
4.1 / 5Best Stansted business-transfer driver
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal at £149 with 1.75% and built-in printer for the smaller business-traveller share at Stansted needing on-the-spot receipts.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | SumUp Solo | 1.69% per transaction | £99 to £149 hardware | No contract |
| #2 | Revolut Card Reader | 0.8% to 1.0% per transaction (depending on subscription tier) | £49 hardware | Subscription-tier dependent (Revolut Business plan) |
| #3 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 to £199 | No contract |
FAQs
Is the Stansted Airport taxi customer mix different from Heathrow?
Yes. Stansted is dominated by budget-airline (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air) leisure traffic so card profile skews to debit and prepaid (not AMEX), fare value is lower (£35 to £75 typical vs £75 to £170 at Heathrow), and Eastern European tourist cards are common.
What is the Stansted Airport taxi departure supplement?
£5.50 in 2026, set by Stansted Airport, applied to fares departing from the airport. Same no-surcharge-for-card rule applies.
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: 2026-05-12.