Best Credit Card Readers for Android

Running a small business on the Android operating system can sometimes limit what you can do, but finding a good credit card reader isn’t an area where you need to settle. Several companies now offer sleek designs with competitive processing rates and useful point-of-sale, or POS, software to help businesses grow in their markets.

Here are the top five credit card readers that made our list for Android users.

Clover Go: Best for payment processing fees

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $49.
Payment processing: 2.6% plus 10 cents per in-person transaction.
Why we like it: The Clover Go’s sleek design is easy to use on the go. You can accept all credit cards along with Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay, and it takes offline payments when you lose Wi-Fi or a cell signal. While you’ll have to choose a monthly plan, Clover offers a free option with basic POS features, including processing payments and sales tracking.

• Doesn’t have a screen to view transaction details.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

• Requires paid monthly plan for advanced features.

PayPal Zettle: Best for QR codes

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $29 for new customers; $79 per additional reader.
Payment processing: 2.29% plus 9 cents per card transaction.
Why we like it: PayPal’s Zettle accepts credit cards, digital wallet payments and QR codes for PayPal accounts. QR code transactions are charged from 1.9% plus 10 cents to 2.4% plus 5 cents per transaction for a cheaper alternative to traditional credit cards. Without a monthly fee, the platform offers a cheaper option for businesses that need to accept payments on the go.

• Accepts chip and contactless payments and digital wallets.

• Creates QR codes for an additional payment method.

• Has a screen to show transaction details.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t swipe magstripe credit cards.

• Doesn’t support offline payments.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

SumUp Plus: Best low-cost option

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $19.
Payment processing: 2.75% per chip, swipe or contactless payment.
Why we like it: The SumUp Plus reader is small but efficient, processing magstripe and chip cards as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. It includes a screen to show transaction details and charges pay-as-you-go processing fees so you pay only when you charge customers.

• Accepts magstripe and chip credit cards and digital wallets.

• Has a screen.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

• Doesn’t process offline payments.

Square Reader for contactless and chip: Best for POS features

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $49.
Payment processing: 2.6% plus 10 cents per chip or contactless payment.
Why we like it: Square’s Reader accepts chip cards and contactless methods including Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. It uses a pay-as-you-go structure, so you don’t have a monthly fee and pay only when customers are charged. Square’s processing rates start at a competitive 2.6% plus 10 cents and come with POS features that include reporting and inventory management.

• Accepts chip credit cards and digital wallets.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t accept magstripe credit cards.

• Doesn’t have a screen to show transaction details.

• Doesn’t accept offline payments.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

Stripe Reader M2: Best for customization

Runs on: Android or iOS.
Style: Handheld.
POS: Free.
Hardware: $59.
Payment processing: 2.7% plus 5 cents per card transaction.
Why we like it: Stripe’s Reader M2 doesn’t require a contract and comes with pay-as-you-go pricing for accepting magstripe and chip cards, as well as digital wallets. The reader requires you to use a software development kit, or SDK, to integrate it with your application, so some coding knowledge is helpful. But the POS comes with a lot of features that make customization and integrations easier, including embedded checkout, currency conversion, reporting, 24/7 support and a developer dashboard. With these features, skilled users can customize their reader to do more than most others on the market.

• Accepts magstripe and chip cards and digital wallets.

• Doesn’t require a contract or monthly fee.

• Doesn’t accept offline payments.

• Doesn’t have a screen to show transaction details.

• Doesn’t print receipts.

Comparison table