Best card payment setup for UK online businesses 2026
Compare the UK shortlist below, then get matched quotes from the acquirers most likely to approve you and beat your current pricing.
For UK ecommerce stores, marketplaces, subscription billing, donation platforms and any business taking card payments via a website checkout. Payment gateway rather than physical card machine. The right answer depends on your platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, custom), volume, B2B-vs-B2C mix and whether you also trade in-person.
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. Stripe Reader S700
Review score 4.0 / 5Best for tech-led ecommerce on Stripe
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 plus Stripe Checkout is the strongest UK omnichannel setup for tech-led businesses in 2026. The same Stripe acquirer relationship runs both your in-person hardware and your online checkout. 1.5% + 20p UK online, custom interchange-plus above £100k monthly. Best fit for ecommerce stores with development resource.
2. Square Terminal
Review score 4.1 / 5Best for click-and-collect retail
All-in-one countertop terminal with receipt printer · 1.75% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Square Terminal plus Square Online is the strongest UK setup for click-and-collect or retail-plus-ecommerce SMBs. Shared inventory between in-person and online checkout. 1.4% + 25p UK online, 1.75% in-person. No monthly fee on the standalone Square Online tier.
3. Adyen for Platforms
Review score 4.0 / 5Best for high-volume omnichannel
Range of Adyen terminals, usually supplied through a platform · Interchange-plus pricing, quoted per merchant · Quoted per merchant (not published)
Adyen Terminal plus Adyen Web is the strongest UK omnichannel setup for £1m+ monthly merchants. Bespoke interchange-plus pricing, direct UK acquirer relationship, best-in-class SCA exemption flagging (preserves 2-5 percentage points of UK ecommerce conversion vs gateways that force every transaction through challenge).
4. Tide Card Reader
Review score 3.8 / 5Best for Tide Business banking customers (in-person side)
Compact Bluetooth-paired reader (similar to Zettle / SumUp) · 1.5% per transaction (UK) · No contract
Tide Card Reader pairs to Tide Business banking; pair with Stripe Checkout or another gateway for the online side. 1.5% per transaction in-person, same-day to Tide account. Cheap option if you bank with Tide and need separate-but-reconciled online and in-person rails.
Quick comparison
Headline rate, hardware cost, contract and form factor at a glance.
| Rank | Terminal | Rate | Hardware | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 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) |
| #2 | Square Terminal | 1.75% per transaction (UK) | £149 + VAT | No contract |
| #3 | Adyen for Platforms | Interchange-plus pricing, quoted per merchant | Quoted per merchant; usually bundled by the platform | Quoted per merchant (not published) |
| #4 | Tide Card Reader | 1.5% per transaction (UK) | £49 hardware | No contract |
FAQs
What is the best card payment setup for a UK online business?
Depends on platform and volume. Shopify stores: native Shopify Payments (powered by Stripe) is the strongest at 1.5% + 20p plus avoids Shopify's alternative-gateway surcharge. Tech-led custom checkout: Stripe Checkout (1.5% + 20p) wins on developer ecosystem. Click-and-collect retail: Square Online plus Square Terminal (shared inventory). Above £1m monthly: Adyen Web on bespoke interchange-plus pricing.
Do I need a different acquirer for in-person and online sales?
No, ideally not. Omnichannel acquirers (Stripe, Adyen, Square, Worldpay) run both rails on one merchant agreement, giving you one statement, one settlement schedule, one chargeback workflow and one set of reconciliation. SumUp, Dojo and Tide are in-person-led with weaker online stories; Shopify Payments and GoCardless are online-only. Match the omnichannel acquirer to your dominant channel.
What is the difference between card-present and card-not-present pricing?
Card-not-present (online) transactions carry higher interchange than card-present (in-person). UK consumer-debit online interchange is around 0.2% (same as in-person), but the acquirer markup on online is typically 0.3% to 0.7% higher to cover the increased fraud and chargeback risk. Expect 0.3% to 0.7% more on your online rate vs your in-person rate from the same acquirer.
Does MerchantHQ cover online payment gateways too?
Yes. The 40+ UK providers we compare include 8 online gateways (Stripe Checkout, Adyen Web, Shopify Payments, Square Online, GoCardless, PayPal Checkout, Opayo, Mollie) plus 9 high-risk specialist online acquirers. See /online-payments/ for the full set.
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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