7 Best Credit Card Readers for iPhone of September 2024

Card readers that connect with a POS app on your iPhone make it easy to accept payments from anywhere.

Whitney Vandiver is a writer at NerdWallet and has been published in the The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times and The Independent. She earned a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Central Oklahoma and a master's degree and doctorate in linguistics from Purdue University. When she's not writing about finances, she enjoys reading, exploring nature and spending time with her husband and son.

Content Management Specialist

Karrin Sehmbi is a content management specialist on the small-business team. She has more than a decade of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and a tutor. Karrin is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

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Credit card readers for iPhone pair with a mobile point-of-sale (POS) app to help small businesses accept and process credit card payments. Ultimately, the best credit card reader for your iPhone should accept at least chip and contactless payments, be compatible with your POS system and offer cost-effective payment processing fees.

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NerdWallet's small-business software content, including ratings, recommendations and reviews, is overseen by a team of writers and editors who specialize in business software, including POS systems, payment processing, accounting and payroll. Their work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Nasdaq, Entrepreneur, ABC News, Yahoo Finance and other national and local media outlets. Each writer and editor follows NerdWallet's strict guidelines for editorial integrity to ensure accuracy and fairness in our coverage.

20% off hardware

Requirements to qualify

Best Credit Card Readers for iPhone

Calculate your monthly cost estimate

on Square Reader's secure website

Best for Integrating with full POS system

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

on Square Reader's secure website

Helcim card reader

on Helcim card reader's secure website

Best for Volume discounts

In-person: 0.4% + $0.08

on Helcim card reader's secure website

on Clover Go's secure website

Best for Quick deposits

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.

on Clover Go's secure website

on SumUp Plus' secure website

Best for iPhone credit card reader with a screen

In-person: 2.6% + $0.10

for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan.

on SumUp Plus' secure website

Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader

Best for Reputation management tools

In-person: 2.69% + $0.00

Online: 3.49% + $0.19

Best for Alternative payment options

In-person: 2.29% + $0.09

Online: 3.49% + $0.09

QuickBooks card reader

Best for Accounting integration

In-person: 2.5% + $0.00

Online: 2.99% + $0.00

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Integrating with full POS system

In addition to offering multiple card reader options, Square sells a variety of POS hardware setups for restaurants and retail stores. You can buy a register kit with a cash drawer and receipt printer or piece your own setup together by purchasing an iPad stand and whichever accessories you need. Square offers free POS plans for these more robust hardware setups, too.

Square Reader

on Square Reader's secure website

Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.

Square doesn't charge a monthly fee for use of its basic point-of-sale system, which makes this low-cost reader and its software an affordable and efficient option for business owners.Read full review

• Has a compact design.
• Square Reader for magstripe and POS app are free.
• Magstripe reader doesn’t have to be charged.

• Free Square Reader only lets you swipe cards; must purchase upgraded Square Reader to accept contactless and chip payments.
• Square Reader for contactless and chip payments takes roughly two to three hours to charge.

Helcim stands out for its interchange-plus processing fees and volume discounts, making it a good option for high-volume businesses. The company offers lower interchange markups when your business processes more than $50,000 in card transactions each month.

Helcim card reader

on Helcim card reader's secure website

Helcim’s card reader accepts chip and contactless payments, and it provides POS software with well-developed features.

• Has volume discounts.
• Has robust POS software features.
• Includes countertop stand, but is also portable enough to use on the go.

• Processing rates may increase if monthly transaction volume drops.

Businesses with occasional cash flow issues might benefit from Clover’s rapid deposit option, which lets you access card transaction funds within minutes. However, keep in mind that it comes with an extra 1.5% fee. And if you don’t want to use Clover as your payment processor, its hardware is also available through resellers that use separate payment processing services.

Clover Go

on Clover Go's secure website

Payments plan; $14.95 Essentials plan.

This credit card reader by Clover works with phones and tablets via Bluetooth. It accepts chip, swipe and contactless payments.Read full review

• Charges via standard USB charger.
• Uses passcodes for employees.

• Takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes to charge.
• Requires a monthly fee for advanced POS features.

iPhone credit card reader with a screen

The SumUp Plus card reader includes its own built-in screen that displays the amount owed and lets customers know when to tap, insert or swipe their cards and whether it’s necessary to leave a signature on the merchant’s iPhone. There’s also a keypad for manually keying in card information.

SumUp Plus

on SumUp Plus' secure website

for card readers only; $99 for Connect Lite plan; $199 for Connect Plus plan; $289 for Connect Pro plan.

The SumUp Plus credit card reader works through Bluetooth with Apple and Android devices and promises more than 500 transactions on one charge.Read full review

• Accepts chip, swipe and contactless payments.
• Has a screen to display transaction details.

• Has less robust POS software features than other card readers.

Reputation management tools

Payanywhere has a unique reputation management feature that lets you monitor what people are saying about your business online, whether it’s through your Google Business profile or a social media platform. You can use the reputation management platform to receive notifications each time someone leaves a new review and quickly respond.

Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader

Payanywhere’s card reader comes with low in-person payment processing rates with no fixed fee on top. Also included with the card at no additional cost is Payanywhere’s simple POS with basic functionality that includes inventory management and reporting.Read full review

• No monthly fee.
• Transparent pricing.
• Can process all three payment types.

• No screen to display transaction details.
• POS software is not as advanced as some competitors.
• $3.99 per month inactivity fee for 12 months without a transaction.

Alternative payment options

PayPal’s Zettle card reader also has a built-in screen and keypad, but its ability to accept a wide variety of payment options is what really sets it apart from its competitors. In addition to debit and credit card payments, Zettle lets customers use Venmo, PayPal and a handful of digital wallets.

PayPal Zettle

PayPal Zettle delivers the essentials at a relatively low cost with a small commitment. On top of accepting credit and debit cards (customers can either dip or tap them to the device), Zettle accepts other payment methods like Venmo, PayPal and digital wallets. But consider other options if you want features like customer loyalty and email marketing programs. Although Zettle can expand through hardware, it doesn’t offer plan upgrades or those types of add-ons.Read full review

• No monthly software fees for accepting in-person payments.
• No long-term contract or termination fees.
• Accepts a variety of payment types, including Venmo and PayPal payments.
• Inexpensive card reader with a keypad, plus built-in payment processing and a free mobile app lets you quickly accept in-person payments on the go.

• Accepting online transactions involves additional monthly fees, depending on your gateway.
• No offline mode.

QuickBooks doesn’t offer its own in-house POS registers like some of its competitors, but its card reader is a convenient option for solopreneurs who take the occasional in-person payment and want to sync it directly with their QuickBooks Online accounting software.

QuickBooks card reader

If you have a QuickBooks Online account, you can use this card reader to automatically record your transactions in the accounting software.Read full review

• No monthly fee.
• Transparent pricing.
• Has a screen to display transaction details.

• Doesn't process swiped payments.
• Requires a QuickBooks account, which starts at $30 per month.

Our picks for best iPhone credit card readers

Clover Go: Best for quick deposits

Why we like it: The Clover Go is a compact, portable card reader that connects to comprehensive POS software. Clover’s Essentials plan, which has a monthly fee, includes extra features such as tax reporting, real-time sales tracking and a customer database. The reader is able to accept payments even when your device is offline, although transactions won’t go through until you’re back online. Read our full Clover review.

SumUp Plus reader: Best iPhone credit card reader with a screen

Why we like it: SumUp’s Plus reader can process more than 500 transactions on a single power charge. It has a screen to display transaction details, so you won’t have to share your personal device with the customer. SumUp offers a free app to use with the reader, which includes functionality for sales tracking and reporting and the ability to send digital receipts to customers. It doesn’t charge a monthly fee and doesn’t require a contract. Read our full SumUp review.

Payanywhere 3-in-1 reader: Best for reputation management tools

Why we like it: Payanywhere’s versatile card reader comes with low in-person payment processing rates with no fixed fee on top. This makes it a cost-effective option for businesses with smaller transaction totals — for example, in-person transactions of $10 or less. Also included with the card at no additional cost is Payanywhere’s simple POS with basic functionality that includes inventory management and reporting. Read our full Payanywhere review.

Square Reader: Best for integrating with full POS system

Why we like it: Square’s free POS software is among the most feature-rich out there; it can give you the full range of business management capabilities, including customized and digital receipts, invoicing, customer profiles for repeat buyers, inventory management and more. Square also offers Tap to Pay on iPhone, which lets merchants accept card payments using only a regular iPhone with the Square POS app. Customers hold their cards or their own iPhone wallets near the merchant's phone to pay. Read our full Square review.

Accepts: Depends on which version of the Square Reader you purchase; The free Square Reader for magstripe only accepts swiped payments; The upgraded Square Reader accepts chip and contactless payment methods.

$0 for Square magstripe-only card reader ($10 for each additional reader) or if using Tap to Pay for iPhone (iPhone not included).

$149 for Square Stand iPad POS or Square Stand Mount (iPad not included; monthly financing available).

PayPal Zettle: Best for alternative payment options

Why we like it: Unlike some competitors, PayPal Zettle works with PayPal and Venmo. All transactions made with Zettle go straight into your PayPal account and can be transferred to your bank. Read our full PayPal Zettle review.

QuickBooks card reader: Best for accounting integration

Why we like it: If you have a QuickBooks Online account, you can use this card reader to automatically record your transactions in the accounting software. Read our full QuickBooks Payments review.

Helcim card reader: Best for volume discounts

Why we like it: The purchase of a Helcim card reader also gives you access to its robust POS system, a virtual terminal and other tools at no additional cost. Helcim’s interchange pricing model and volume discounts make it a stronger fit for businesses with higher monthly transaction volumes. Read our full Helcim review.

Interchange plus 0.4% and 8 cents per in-person transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).

Interchange plus 0.5% and 25 cents per online or manually keyed transaction (if $50,000 or less in monthly card transactions).

What is an iPhone credit card reader?

Credit card readers for iPhone turn your smartphone into a standalone mobile POS system or an extension of a larger, existing POS system. This gives you the flexibility to accept in-person payments anywhere, whether that’s in your brick-and-mortar storefront or at a pop-up event. Ultimately, brick-and-mortar, mobile and online businesses all have the potential to expand their customer base by adding iPhone credit card readers to their tool kit.

You’ll start by downloading a mobile POS app on your iPhone. Some providers send you an iPhone credit card reader for free and others require you to purchase one — they typically cost around $50, but prices vary. From there, you’ll pair the iPhone credit card reader with the mobile POS app and start accepting payments. Credit card readers either plug directly into your iPhone or connect to it via bluetooth.

How to choose the best credit card reader for iPhone

Types of payments accepted At a minimum, iPhone credit card readers should accept contactless payments and EMV chip cards that customers insert or “dip” into the reader. Some readers also allow you to swipe credit cards’ magstripe, though this is becoming less common.

Integrations If you already use POS software in some capacity, make sure the card reader you’re considering has a mobile app that seamlessly integrates with that software so all your sales are consolidated in the same system. If you only plan to accept payment with your iPhone credit card reader, this doesn’t matter as much.

Cost Card readers can range from free to over $100. Also factor in credit card processing fees and whether you’ll need to pay a monthly POS software fee. Look out for added chargeback fees and PCI compliance fees, too.

Explore more payment processing options

Payment processing companies often sell their own proprietary card readers or readers from a third-party company, like Clover. If you didn’t find what you’re looking for in the list above, here are some additional payment processors with competitive rates and hardware options.

Methodology

Here is more information on how NerdWallet evaluates POS systems, payment processors, their accompanying apps and card readers:

Meet the editorial team

Writer | Home services, Home warranties

Whitney Vandiver writes for NerdWallet, currently focusing on home services, and has been published in the The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Seattle Times and The Independent. When she's not writing, she enjoys reading with a good cup of coffee and spending time with her husband and son. She is based in Houston.

Education: B.A. in English from University of Central Oklahoma, M.A. in linguistics from Purdue University, Ph.D. in linguistics from Purdue University

Lead Content Management Specialist | Small business

Karrin Sehmbi is a lead content management specialist on the small-business team. She has more than a decade of editorial experience in the fields of educational publishing, content marketing and medical news. She has also held roles as a teacher and tutor. Karrin is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Previous experience: Copy and production editor, AuntMinnie.com, Assistant managing editor, Weber Shandwick, Development editor, Bedford/St. Martin's

Lead Writer | Business software

Hillary Crawford is a small-business writer at NerdWallet, with a special focus on business software products. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Yahoo Finance and Entrepreneur, in addition to other publications. She is based in Traverse City, Michigan.

Assistant Assigning Editor | Small-business finance, personal finance

Christine Aebischer is an former assistant assigning editor on the small-business team at NerdWallet who has covered business and personal finance for nearly a decade. Previously, she was an editor at Fundera, where she developed service-driven content on topics such as business lending, software and insurance. She has also held editing roles at LearnVest, a personal finance startup, and its parent company, Northwestern Mutual. She is based in Santa Monica, California.

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