Table: sorted by transaction cost, promoted deals first
What is Paymentsense?
Cash is on its way out, and physical cards might be heading the same way. According to UK Finance, a third of all debit card payments are now contactless. With a contactless card reader, you could make more sales, save time and cut the hassle of getting paid in cash.
Paymentsense provides more than 70,000 businesses with card machines and remote payment solutions. Should you join them? We uncover what you need to know about the Paymentsense range.
More about Paymentsense card readers
Below are the key features for each of the Paymentsense card readers:
Portable
100m range with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
No upfront cost
Accepts all cards, plus contactless and mobile payments
Payout is next working day
Monthly price varies
30-day rolling contracts
Mobile
Built-in SIM works on 3G/4G
No upfront cost
Charged battery lasts all day
Accepts all cards, plus contactless and mobile payments
Payout is next working day
Monthly price varies
30-day rolling contracts
Countertop
Connect via Ethernet cable or Wi-Fi
No upfront cost
Charged battery lasts all day
Accepts all cards, plus contactless and mobile payments
Payout is next working day
Monthly price varies
30-day rolling contracts
How to order a Paymentsense card machine
On the Paymentsense website, you can complete a form to get a free online price quote. You’ll find a number on the website if you prefer to get a quote over the phone.
Someone from Paymentsense will call you with a price, but don’t be tempted to order right away. Compare the price against other card reader brands to make sure you’re getting the best deal as well as all the features you need. Then you can order by email or phone. Your card reader should be with you in 3 days.
Pros and cons
Pros
Simple range includes mobile, portable and countertop options
Speedy payout
No initial fee
All models can print receipts
Cons
Monthly fees aren’t made clear upfront
Our verdict
We love the simplicity of Paymentsense’s range of products. No complicated names or model numbers: just 3 options, Mobile, Portable or Countertop, making it easy to select the one you need.
Wondering about the difference between “Mobile” and “Portable”? It’s easy: the Portable model is for carrying around inside your place of business, e.g. to individual restaurant tables. The Mobile one is for use on the go.
What’s not so great is the opacity of the pricing. Monthly fees vary depending on several factors including the turnover of your business, how many card readers you use and the cards accepted. For example, it’s usually more expensive to accept Amex.
To find out what a Paymentsense merchant account would actually cost your business each month, you have to hand over some details about your business. That’s not a major hassle, but it’s not ideal when you’re trying to compare prices across multiple brands.
What’s more, a lack of transparency around fees seems to be a bit of a theme. Although most customers seem to love their Paymentsense card readers (79% of its Trustpilot reviews are 5*), some negative reviews refer to hidden charges. See below for more.
Paymentsense seems to value customer service, with a 24/7 UK call centre that customers seem to appreciate. If you’re all about having that ongoing relationship with a supplier, you might like the Paymentsense approach. If you’re thinking of switching from another provider, Paymentsense could even cover your cancellation fees up to £3,000.
Paymentsense reader customer reviews
Over on Trustpilot, Paymentsense has a rating of “excellent” (updated December 2022), with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars based on almost 7,000 reviews. The positive reviews rave about good customer service. Around 1 in 10 reviews are negative and refer mostly to hidden payments and difficulties that come up when trying to end the contract.
Frequently asked questions
Customers can
Insert a card to enter their PIN
Tap a contactless card
Tap a contactless device (phone or watch) to pay with Apple, Google or Samsung Pay.
Paymentsense will send you instructions and a set-up guide along with your card reader, and you can call customer support 24/7 if you’re having trouble.
For instructions, call Paymentsense on 0800 103 2959.
Yes, you can use your Paymentsense machine to accept card payments by all major debit and credit cards, including Visa, Mastercard and American Express.
George Karibian and Jan Farrarons, who founded Paymentsense in 2008, own the company.
We show offers we can track - that's not every product on the market...yet. Unless we've said otherwise, products are in no particular order. The terms "best", "top", "cheap" (and variations of these) aren't ratings, though we always explain what's great about a product when we highlight it. This is subject to our terms of use. When you make major financial decisions, consider getting independent financial advice. Always consider your own circumstances when you compare products so you get what's right for you. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables has the source: Moneyfacts Group PLC. In other cases, Finder has sourced data directly from providers.
Grace was a Finder writer specialising in credit and loans. She's been writing about personal finance for several years and enjoys helping consumers sort the facts from the fluff. See full bio
In this guide, we compare the most popular card reader products from SumUp and Barclaycard.
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