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Do you currently process card payments?
Compare payment processors and secure the lowest credit card processing fees for your business
- Receive preferential rates from trusted payment processors
- Compare multiple merchant service providers from a single source
- Back-up support throughout the agreement with the provider you choose
You'll only deal with us. We are not a lead generation company.
No multiple sales agents. No call centres. No referring your details.
Compare payment processors and secure the lowest credit card processing fees for your business
Fast and reliable card machines with low fees for every type of business
We can find you the right credit card terminals for your business with low card processing rates.
We’ll work to secure you the shortest card machine contract at the most competitive rates. We believe you don’t need to tie yourself into a card machine contract for anything longer than 12 months unless the card processing rates are substantially lower.
Looking to take payments on the move or at the till? We've got you covered.
Allow your customers to pay with a single tap using any of the major card types and mobile wallets.
Countertop
They are always connected to a power source as well as a phone line or broadband router.
- Small, compact design
- Connect by broadband or phone
- Fast receipt printing
Portable
Portable card machines connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G/4G/5G for some models.
- Small and lightweight
- Long battery life
- 50m - 100m range via Bluetooth or WiFi
Mobile
Uses a SIM card to connect via 3G, 4G or GPRS, you’ll be able to take payments anywhere with network coverage.
- Built-in GPRS SIM card
- Connect anywhere there's a 4G signal
- Long battery life
Countertop Card Machines
- Best for businesses with a fixed point of sale, such as a till
- Typical users include retail stores, fast food outlets and grocery stores
- Wired power and internet connection
- High uptime and processing speeds
Countertop terminals are always connected to a power source and a phone line or broadband router via an ethernet cable. This makes them ideal for businesses that have a fixed point of sale such as a till.
Given that they are wired to both a power source and the internet, countertop card machines are usually very reliable with high uptime and fast processing speeds.
Often seen in retail stores with tills, fast food outlets with a fixed order desk and supermarkets with checkouts, countertop terminals are the machines of choice for many small businesses globally.
Portable Card Machines
- Best for businesses taking payment in various locations across their premises
- Typical users include restaurants, hotels and pubs
- Battery-powered with wireless connection via Wi-Fi or mobile networks
- Flexible and portable but can encounter connectivity issues
The main strength of a portable card machine is in its name. These terminals are portable and connect to the internet using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or mobile networks.
Portable card machine terminals are perfect for businesses that take payments from customers away from a till or across a number of locations.
Since they are not directly connected to a power source at all times, most portable terminals have a charging dock on which they can be placed to keep their batteries charged. This, combined with their wireless connection to the internet, affords a far greater level of flexibility.
That said, the greatest strength of portable terminals is also their greatest weakness. Given that their internet connection is wireless, these machines are susceptible to drops in service and losses in connection. This can be a real problem in large premises or outside areas where the terminal may become disconnected from the router.
Mobile Card Machines
- Best for accepting payments outside and/or in a wide variety of locations
- Typical users include taxi drivers, mobile food vans and market stalls
- Battery-powered with wireless connection exclusively via mobile networks
- Highly flexible but dependent on mobile network coverage
The most flexible of the three types of terminal, mobile card machines connect exclusively to the internet using mobile networks. This means that they operate using either 3G, 4G or GPRS to process payments.
Again, the flexibility that comes with a mobile terminal can also be its undoing. Certain locations will have poor network coverage and processing times can fluctuate wildly based on signal strength. There may also be places where you simply cannot connect to the internet and process payments.
Examples of some of the card machines available through our trusted partners
Don’t take our word for it.
Here are some of our latest reviews on Trustpilot.
See more reviews on Trustpilot here
Why Use Us
Preferential fees
Our buying power and long-established relationships enable us to secure preferential rates for processing card payments.
One Point Of Contact
Compare multiple providers without the hassle. You’ll only need to deal with us directly and avoid pushy sales teams and incessant call centres.
Market Access
We have access to 90% of the UK’s leading acquiring banks and can save you weeks of obtaining bespoke quotes and negotiating terms.
Quotes You Can Easily Compare
Our quotes will be formatted in a way that allows easy comparison across providers. They will also be unbiased. Whilst we have our preferred payment providers, we are independent and have no allegiance to any of them.
Expert Payment Processing Advice
Each of our payment consultants has years of experience negotiating fees, scrutinising contracts and dealing with merchant service providers. We’ve advised thousands of businesses with turnovers ranging from £25K to over £350 million.
Provider & Contract Due Diligence
Avoid being overcharged, rate increases mid-contract, hidden fees, poor after-sales service, punctuative exit penalties or roll-over agreements that stop you from giving 30 days notice at the end of the agreement.
Popular Android powered portable / mobile card machine.
PAX A920Portable, Mobile - PAXBiz® powered by Android 7.1
- 5″ IPS Touchscreen
- 2″ Thermal Printer, 80mm/sec
- 4G (LTE) and WiFi 2.4 GHz
- PCI PTS 5.x
Great countertop option that can easily integrate with your till solution.
Ingenico Desk 5000Countertop - PELIUM Tetra Operating System
- 3.5" touch screen
- Thermal Printer, 20 lines a sec
- PCI PTS 5.x & 4.x online & offline certified
Designed for both indoor and outdoor use.
Ingenico Move 5000Portable, Mobile - PELIUM Tetra Operating System
- 3.5" backlit screen
- Thermal Printer, 30 lines a sec
- Automatic network switching between 4G, 3G, 2G, Dual SIM, Bluetooth and WiFi
Robust mobile card terminal with built in NFC reader.
Castles VEGA 3000MPortable, Mobile - Linux based OS
- 2.4" - 3.5” Color TFT LCD Display
- Printer, 100mm/sec
- Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G
Smart payment and commerce solution for in-store use.
Ingenico Axium DX8000Portable, Mobile - AXIUM OS (Android 10 Security OS)
- 5.5" - 6″ HD Touchscreen
- 4G, 3G, GPRS, Bluetooth and WiFi
- Android & PCI PTS V6 compliancy
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Excellent Honest Advice
Gavin was excellent, provided brilliant advice for us to update and make savings on our card terminals. Highly recommended.
Gavin was excellent, provided brilliant advice for us to update and make savings on our card terminals. Highly recommended.
Evan McPherson6 Sept 2022
Brilliant 5 Star Company
Sometimes you just stumble across a company which is absolutely brilliant and Independent Merchant Services is one of those. They really are a 5* and ‘must go to’ company!
Sometimes you just stumble across a company which is absolutely brilliant and Independent Merchant Services is one of those. They really are a 5* and ‘must go to’ company!
Sentinel Aviation Ltd13 Jan 2022
Excellent rates
I approached IMS as I had a 33% hike in fees in two years from Worldpay. don’t deal with cold callers. They asked a few questions about the business, gave two recommendations on new providers of which I chose the slightly more expensive one. I achieved a 2/3 reduction in fees. Great service throughout.
I approached IMS as I had a 33% hike in fees in two years from Worldpay. don’t deal with cold callers. They asked a few questions about the business, gave two recommendations on new providers of which I chose the slightly more expensive one. I achieved a 2/3 reduction in fees. Great service throughout.
Sara Hoare3 Apr 2022
Excellent Integrity
The recommendation that came back was that we are already on a competitive deal with our existing provider. This is a good indicator that the advice given is impartial and trustworthy.
The recommendation that came back was that we are already on a competitive deal with our existing provider. This is a good indicator that the advice given is impartial and trustworthy.
Paul Sweeting13 April 2022
Wish I had found this company sooner
Extremely helpful in finding a provider that suited my business and cut my costs dramatically. In one phone call Gavin gave me all the facts and figures. Would highly recommend. Wish I had found this company sooner.
Extremely helpful in finding a provider that suited my business and cut my costs dramatically. In one phone call Gavin gave me all the facts and figures. Would highly recommend. Wish I had found this company sooner.
Sophie9 Feb 2022
Excellent company to help any company through the minefield of what’s on offer
Darren is definitely the man to go to. He gives a full understanding of the best offers available and it has been our pleasure to work with him for our company's advantage.
Darren is definitely the man to go to. He gives a full understanding of the best offers available and it has been our pleasure to work with him for our company's advantage.
D Hunt18 May 2022
100% recommend – top service from everyone
After hearing so many horror stories about companies not keeping the promises and not backing up the talk with action. I can say that Gavin has been amazing. This was been the easiest money saving exercise I have done for a long time. Thanks one and all!
After hearing so many horror stories about companies not keeping the promises and not backing up the talk with action. I can say that Gavin has been amazing. This was been the easiest money saving exercise I have done for a long time. Thanks one and all!
M Prin30 May 2022
Great communication. No pushy sales tactics.
Great communication. No pushy sales tactics. A very pleasant and easy method of switching card suppliers without the hassleplus they're available after switching if you have any problems or concerns. A good company to deal with.
Great communication. No pushy sales tactics. A very pleasant and easy method of switching card suppliers without the hassleplus they're available after switching if you have any problems or concerns. A good company to deal with.
Afron1st March 2023
Fantastic experience
Fantastic experience! Gavin was approachable, knowledgeable and made the process of choosing a new merchant services provider really simple.He was even on hand after the selection process to help with further queries. Would highly recommend.
Fantastic experience! Gavin was approachable, knowledgeable and made the process of choosing a new merchant services provider really simple.He was even on hand after the selection process to help with further queries. Would highly recommend.
Sharon Ormston1st Dec 2022
Seamless and huge cost savings
From 1st contact with Roger the whole process was seamless. As a small independent business we need to control costs and on Roger's advice we saved a great deal of money and it was an easy process to change suppliers and we were guided through each step fantastically well. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.
From 1st contact with Roger the whole process was seamless. As a small independent business we need to control costs and on Roger's advice we saved a great deal of money and it was an easy process to change suppliers and we were guided through each step fantastically well. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.
Warren Brew24th Jan 2023
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Additional benefits
You’ll receive the following features and benefits with the card machines:
Easy integration with other systems
Connect the card machines to a range of business tools (e.g. EPOS systems, web services, accounting software).
Omni-channel solutions
Whether your business takes card payments in person, online or over the phone, you can combine data from all touchpoints to create a better multichannel shopping experience
Real-time reporting
Secure portal providing online real-time access to all your online, mobile and point-of-sale payment transactions.
24/7 support
All providers have 24/7 support teams on hand for any assistance you may need with your card machines. We’re also available at any time during your agreement to help resolve any issues.
What is the best card machine for small businesses?
Now you have a better idea of the types of card machines available the next question is: which type of terminal is best for your small business?
Allow us to answer that question with another question: where do you take customer payments?
If you have a fixed point of sale, such as a till or checkout, a countertop terminal is the way to go. Their wired connection and power source provide a high level of reliability, uptime and processing speed.
If you are taking payments from customers across your business premises, such as in a restaurant or pub, consider using a portable terminal. By connecting through Wi-Fi or mobile networks, portable terminals allow you to take payments from wherever your customers are located in your venue.
If being on the move is part of your business model — for taxi companies, food trucks and pop-up stores, for example — a mobile card machine is your best bet. Connecting through mobile networks alone gives you the flexibility to take payments wherever and whenever, all around the world.
Payment Solutions
Merchant Finance
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Merchant Savvy is a division of VUBO Ltd (Company Number 09017066).
Address: Spaces, 9 Greyfriars Rd, Reading, RG1 1NU.
