Why I chose Clover Compact

Clover Compact stands out as the best overall standalone credit card reader because it offers a strong balance of features, durability, and ease of use. It delivers reliable payment processing and a smooth user experience in a compact, countertop-friendly design.

It’s the only device on this list with a built-in tactile PIN pad, making it well-suited for businesses that process debit transactions. While the screen is smaller than some alternatives, it’s splash- and scratch-resistant and includes a built-in receipt printer, which many small businesses still rely on.

Compared to the Clover Flex, which is designed for mobility, the Compact works better as a dedicated checkout station. It supports multiple payment methods and fits well in retail, service, and food-based environments that need a simple but durable payment terminal.

Why I chose Clover Flex

Clover Flex is the best credit card reader with full POS functionality because it combines payment processing and business management tools in a handheld device. It includes a built-in receipt printer, barcode scanner, camera, and inventory management, making it far more capable than basic card readers.

Unlike countertop-focused devices like Square Terminal, Clover Flex supports 4G LTE and Wi-Fi, allowing businesses to accept payments anywhere. Its offline mode also helps prevent missed sales during internet outages.

While Clover Flex has a higher upfront cost, its all-in-one design and ability to scale with Clover’s larger POS systems make it a strong choice for growing businesses that need a mobile checkout solution with full POS features.

Why I chose Square Register

Square Register is the only dual-screen countertop POS on this list, making it the best choice for businesses that want a dedicated checkout station with a customer-facing display. Customers can review totals and complete payments on the second screen, which helps speed up checkout and reduce staff workload.

Compared to Square Terminal, Square Register is better for staffed counters and higher-traffic checkout areas where multiple employees take payments throughout the day. And compared to Square Handheld — built for mobile selling and line-busting — Register is the better fit when you want a fixed, professional counter setup.

Square also keeps pricing straightforward with no monthly software fee for its core POS tools and no long-term contract, making Square Register a strong option for businesses that want a modern dual-screen experience without paying ongoing software costs.

Why I chose Square Terminal

Square Terminal stands out for its compact design and comprehensive user-friendly ecosystem. It is cost-effective with its low device cost and zero monthly fees, making it the best credit card reader for new businesses. Its all-in-one design includes a built-in receipt printer and robust inventory management capabilities, making it more affordable than full-fledged POS systems like the Square Register and easy for businesses to get started without additional equipment.

I like that it works effortlessly with other Square hardware and software, allowing businesses to scale up easily as they grow. Plus, with transparent pricing and no monthly software fees, it’s an excellent choice for businesses that need a reliable, cost-effective payment solution without hidden costs.

Why I chose Clover Mini

Clover Mini is the best compact countertop POS for small businesses that want full POS functionality without committing to a large, dual-screen register. It delivers nearly the same feature set as Clover’s larger systems in a smaller footprint, making it ideal for retail counters, cafés, and service-based businesses with limited space.

I like that Clover Mini balances power and size. It includes a built-in receipt printer, a responsive touchscreen, and access to Clover’s full app marketplace for inventory management, employee permissions, customer engagement, and reporting. Compared to Clover Compact, the Mini offers a larger screen and more advanced POS capabilities. Compared to Square Register, it takes up far less counter space while still supporting complex workflows.

While Clover Mini is more expensive than entry-level terminals like Square Terminal or SumUp Solo, it’s a strong fit for businesses that need a permanent checkout station with advanced POS features and room to scale.

Why I chose Toast Go

Toast Go stands out as the best handheld POS for restaurants because it’s purpose-built for food service operations. Its restaurant-grade durability, long battery life, and offline mode make it reliable in fast-paced environments where spills, drops, and connectivity issues are common.

I find it especially well-suited for tableside ordering and mobile payment workflows. Unlike general-purpose handheld card readers from Square or Clover, Toast Go is designed to work seamlessly within Toast’s full restaurant management ecosystem, including kitchen display systems, online ordering, team management, and inventory tracking.

The Pay-as-you-Go plan lowers the barrier to entry by eliminating upfront hardware costs, making Toast Go an attractive option for restaurants that want industry-specific tools without a large initial investment.

Why I chose SumUp Solo

Compared to other readers on this list, SumUp Solo is one of the most lightweight and compact options, making it a strong choice for businesses that are frequently on the move. While the main unit lacks a built-in receipt printer, purchasing the dock-and-printer bundle still makes it cheaper than most standalone terminals.

It also lacks advanced inventory and third-party integrations, but its affordability, portability, and pay-as-you-go pricing model make SumUp Solo a strong entry-level option for businesses that want a straightforward way to accept in-person payments.

Why I chose Square Handheld

Square Handheld is the best handheld smart terminal for retail and event-based selling where mobility and fast checkout matter. It’s designed for businesses that need staff to move freely — scanning products, taking payments, and managing inventory without being tied to a fixed counter.

What differentiates Square Handheld from Square Terminal is its built-in barcode scanner, which makes it especially useful for retail stores, pop-up shops, and events with SKU-based inventory. While Square Terminal is better suited for stationary checkout with a built-in receipt printer, Square Handheld excels in line-busting and floor-based sales workflows. Compared to Clover Flex, Square Handheld offers a simpler setup with Square’s free POS software and flat-rate pricing, making it easier to deploy quickly for temporary or mobile locations.

It doesn’t include LTE connectivity or an integrated printer, but for retail and event sellers that prioritize speed, mobility, and barcode-driven checkout, Square Handheld is a strong fit.

Why I chose PayPal POS

PayPal Point of Sale (formerly Zettle) is the best option for businesses that rely heavily on PayPal and Venmo payments. Its tight integration with PayPal’s ecosystem makes it especially appealing for sellers who already use PayPal for online payments, invoicing, or peer-to-peer transactions and want a seamless way to accept those same payment methods in person.

I like that PayPal Point of Sale keeps costs predictable. Among the card readers on this list, it offers some of the lowest flat-rate processing fees, which can translate into meaningful savings for small and mid-sized businesses. The terminal also includes a pre-loaded SIM card at no extra cost, allowing businesses to accept payments without depending entirely on Wi-Fi.

While it doesn’t support magstripe payments or offline mode, the optional barcode scanner and dock with built-in receipt printer make it well-suited for retail environments. Overall, PayPal Point of Sale stands out as a simple, cost-effective solution for businesses that prioritize PayPal and Venmo acceptance and want a straightforward in-person checkout experience without monthly software fees.

Why I chose Helcim Smart Terminal

The Helcim Smart Terminal stands out as the best option for businesses that want transparent interchange-plus pricing and lower long-term processing costs. It’s also featured in our lists of the best mobile credit card processing solutions and the cheapest credit card processing providers, thanks to its clear pricing structure and lack of monthly fees. 

Unlike flat-rate processors, Helcim passes interchange costs directly to merchants and applies a transparent markup, which often results in lower processing fees as transaction volume grows. I like that Helcim also offers automatic volume discounts, reducing rates over time without requiring contract renegotiations.

The terminal’s built-in receipt printer, inventory tracking, and employee log-ins make it practical for everyday retail use, while the surcharging option allows businesses to offset processing costs by passing fees to customers where permitted. Although Helcim doesn’t offer offline mode or a broad hardware ecosystem, its combination of interchange-plus pricing, zero monthly fees, and automatic discounts makes it one of the most cost-effective card readers for fee-conscious small businesses.

Why I picked Adyen

I chose Adyen because it delivers exceptional value for larger businesses that process high volumes or operate internationally. While its pricing structure is more complex than flat-rate options like Square or PayPal, Adyen’s transparent interchange-plus model often results in lower effective processing costs for enterprises. 

Unlike low-cost processors built for small merchants, Adyen combines global payment acceptance, advanced fraud prevention, and enterprise-level reliability in a single platform. For mid- to large-sized companies looking to minimize fees without sacrificing scalability or global reach, Adyen offers one of the most cost-efficient solutions available.

Why I picked Helcim

I like that Helcim’s fees are no fuss — no monthly, set-up, or cancellation fees. This means monthly credit card processing costs are limited to the payment processing fees. Aside from this, Helcim uses an interchange-plus pricing structure, which often incurs lower costs compared to flat-rate or tiered pricing structures. There is also an automatic volume discount, meaning the fees Helcim charges automatically decrease per transaction as you scale.

Another thing I like is Helcim’s surcharging option for passing on processing fees to customers, potentially further reducing expenses for businesses where surcharging is allowed. When I simulated processing fees for certain total monthly volumes and average transaction values, Helcim has one of the cheapest total processing fees for a total monthly transaction volume of up to around $40,000. If your business processes higher total monthly amounts than this, Stax will be a cheaper option.

Why I picked Stax

I chose Stax because it delivers some of the lowest overall processing costs for high-volume businesses, even with its higher monthly fee. Stax uses an interchange-plus pricing model with no percentage markup, meaning costs remain predictable and transparent. For businesses processing around $40,000 to $50,000 or more each month, the savings on transaction fees can quickly outweigh the platform’s monthly cost.

Beyond its pricing advantage, Stax provides robust reporting tools, detailed analytics, and seamless POS integrations, helping larger merchants manage payments more efficiently. While Helcim is best suited for smaller businesses seeking no monthly fee, Stax stands out for established companies that need enterprise-level insights and lower per-transaction costs at scale.

Why I picked PayPal

PayPal is an excellent choice for businesses looking to add a cost-effective, additional payment method. With its global recognition and trusted reputation, PayPal can help businesses increase customer trust and conversion rates. It does not charge any monthly fees and has no monthly minimum transaction volume.

I think PayPal is particularly beneficial for online transactions and international sales — it offers a secure and familiar option for customers worldwide. Most ecommerce platforms and POS systems offer one-click PayPal integrations that make it easy for businesses to add PayPal as a payment option for their customers. The ease of integration with various e-commerce platforms and POS systems makes it a convenient addition to any existing payment processing setup.

Additionally, PayPal’s robust security features and buyer protection policies benefit both businesses and customers. It also allows businesses to accept Venmo and PayPal Credit payments, which are not available through the other payment providers in this guide.

Why I picked Square

For new and small businesses processing only up to around $10,000 or businesses with average transaction amounts of up to $50, I would say that Square is the best option for an all-in-one solution. 

Its flat-rate pricing simplifies payment processing, making it easy for businesses to predict and manage their monthly costs without dealing with complex interchange fees. Square’s transparent fee structure eliminates the guesswork, allowing for straightforward financial planning.

Square offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including point-of-sale (POS) systems, invoicing, and e-commerce capabilities, all seamlessly integrated into one platform. This integration streamlines operations, allowing businesses to efficiently manage sales, inventory, and customer data in one place. Additionally, Square provides robust analytics and reporting features, offering valuable insights to help businesses make informed decisions.

With no monthly fees, Square is an attractive option for businesses that seek flexibility without long-term commitments. Its user-friendly interface and excellent customer support ensure that even those new to payment processing can easily adopt and utilize its features. For small businesses looking for an affordable, all-in-one solution, Square is a suitable choice.

Why I picked Stripe

Stripe is the best choice for small online businesses. It offers a powerful and flexible payment processing solution. Its competitive, transparent pricing model makes it easy for businesses to predict and manage their costs.

Stripe excels in online payment processing, with extensive developer tools and APIs that allow businesses to customize their payment solutions to fit their specific needs. This flexibility is ideal for small online businesses looking to scale and adapt quickly. Additionally, Stripe supports a wide range of payment methods and currencies, making it easier for businesses to cater to a global customer base.

In my estimates of monthly costs, Stripe landed with Square for businesses that process up to around $10,000 in total monthly transaction volume and around $50 in transaction amount. If your business processes higher monthly volumes or average transaction amounts, then Helcim could be a cheaper option. However, Stripe also offers custom and volume-discounted pricing for larger businesses, upon request.

Why I picked CardX

If your business is located in one of the 48 states that CardX serves and you want free credit card payment processing, I think CardX is the best choice for zero-cost credit card processing. It offers businesses a unique solution to eliminate processing fees entirely by passing the processing costs to the customer through surcharges. This can significantly enhance profit margins, especially for businesses with high transaction volumes.

CardX provides a surcharging solution that’s fully compliant with all state and federal regulations to ensure that businesses can confidently implement this zero-cost solution. Businesses can also expect training and signage that will make it easier for them to implement surcharging for their business.

Why I picked PaymentCloud

I always recommend PaymentCloud as the best choice for high-risk businesses, offering specialized services and solutions tailored to these industries. None of the other providers included in this guide offer support for high-risk businesses, while PaymentCloud excels at navigating the complexities and challenges associated with high-risk payment processing.

The pricing is not readily available on the website, especially since actual processing rates depend on the business’s risk status. Despite the seeming lack of readily available fees, PaymentCloud’s range of rates is cost-effective, and it has a high approval rate for all kinds of businesses. Additionally, PaymentCloud’s expertise in fraud prevention and chargeback management helps high-risk businesses mitigate potential risks and protect their revenue.

Like most high-risk merchant account providers, the application and setup process can take longer than that for low-risk businesses. But PaymentCloud’s dedicated support team ensures that high-risk businesses receive personalized assistance throughout the application and set-up process.

Why I chose Helcim

Helcim is a traditional merchant account services provider known for its free and automated payment processing features, including a virtual terminal. You can use the virtual terminal to accept one-time and recurring payments from an unpaid invoice or simply from pulling up a customer profile. It can process credit card, ACH, and EFT payments. Plus, Helcim has tools for free credit card processing that you can access any time, which pass along the processing fees to your customers. 

I chose Helcim for its strong cost optimization features. Aside from zero monthly fees and interchange plus rates, what makes Helcim stand out is its automatic volume discounts. In other words, your per-transaction fees will decrease automatically as your business scales and hits certain processing volumes. For B2B businesses, Helcim’s payment processing features automatically pull level 2 and 3 data so every qualified transaction can get discounted rates.

This makes Helcim the ideal solution for fast-growing small and mid-size businesses in industries like retail, professional services, automotive, healthcare, education, and wholesale.

Choose Helcim if: You want a low-cost virtual terminal with no monthly VT fee, interchange-plus pricing, ACH support, invoicing, recurring billing, and room to grow.

Avoid Helcim if: You are a brand-new business that needs instant approval or you prefer a flat-rate processor with minimal underwriting.

Related: B2B payments guide

Why I chose Payment Depot

Payment Depot supports a variety of virtual terminal platforms from popular payment gateway integrations such as NMI, Authorize.net and PayTrace. There are no additional monthly fees, as Payment Depot’s custom pricing already includes every payment service that a business opts into, including a virtual terminal.

Until recently, Payment Depot operated under a similar subscription model (wholesale transaction rate + monthly fee) used by its parent company, Stax. It has since remodeled to custom interchange plus pricing. This makes Payment Depot more affordable and attractive to mid-size businesses that have yet to reach volume levels that can maximize savings with a monthly fee and wholesale rates.

Choose Payment Depot if: You process steady monthly volume and want custom interchange-plus pricing with access to multiple virtual terminal options, such as NMI, Authorize.net, or PayTrace.

Avoid Payment Depot if: You need same-day funding, built-in ACH without an add-on, or a processor that supports businesses outside the US.

Why I chose PaymentCloud

PaymentCloud is a traditional merchant services provider that supports all types of payment processing methods. While it caters to nearly all business types, PaymentCloud is particularly known for its expertise in working with high-risk businesses, which no other provider in our list can do. Virtual terminals are in-demand among these business types because most of these companies accept mail-order/telephone-order (MOTO) payments.   

I especially like PaymentCloud’s attention to detail when handling accounts for high-risk merchants. It works with clients right from the application to provide the highest chance of being approved for a merchant account. I also like PaymentCloud’s flexibility as it can customize its rates based on what a potential client is familiar with and adapt the customer’s current payment gateway platform avoiding business downtime.

Choose PaymentCloud if: You run a high-risk business, accept MOTO payments, or need help getting approved for a merchant account with gateway flexibility and chargeback support.

Avoid PaymentCloud if: You want transparent published rates, instant setup, or the lowest monthly software cost.

Why I chose Stax

Stax is a popular merchant services provider, offering wholesale interchange rates ideal for high-volume businesses. Its virtual terminal is built into Stax Pay, allowing businesses to accept card and bank payments, set recurring transactions, send invoices, payment links, and even SMS to collect payments. 

What’s also great about Stax is that it offers a range of products that can easily keep up with fast-growing businesses and large, enterprise-level companies. For example, Stax Bill offers advanced billing and recurring payment services for businesses that run subscriptions. There’s also Stax Connect for software vendors that want to integrate an end-to-end payment processing service to their software platforms (SaaS). 

Choose Stax if: You process enough volume to justify a monthly subscription and want wholesale-style transaction pricing with strong invoicing, recurring billing, and reporting tools.

Avoid Stax if: You process low or inconsistent monthly volume. The monthly fee can outweigh the savings if your virtual terminal use is occasional.

Learn more: Cheapest credit card processing companies

Why I chose Square

Square is the ideal all-in-one business solution for new businesses. There are no monthly fees for using its payment processing service, which comes built into Square’s suite of POS software. Square’s virtual terminal is also free with every merchant account and can just as easily handle all the payment methods supported by the other providers on our list. You can use it to manually enter card information, record a cash or check payment, and send a payment link. But what makes Square stand out from the rest is its overall small and new business friendly features.

Unlike Helcim, Payment Depot, PaymentCloud, or Stax, there is no application process to go through with Square, making it ideal for startups that don’t have a payment processing history. I particularly like how Square offers an all-in-one business solution of POS, hardware, ecommerce, and payments processing with the most feature-rich free account you’ll ever find in the market today. And while flat rate fees are not as cost-effective as interchange plus rates, this pricing structure is simple to manage particularly for new merchants. Square even offers proprietary business management tools, most of which you can get for free.

For larger businesses, Square now has an enterprise solution that allows you to create customized POS and payment processing platforms that will work with your current business set up. You can also qualify for custom rates if you process more than $250,000 in annual sales. However, note that you can only process ACH payments on Square’s virtual terminal if the transaction goes through an invoice. And while you can accept credit card payments from other countries, you will only be able to hold funds in your local currency.

Choose Square if: You are a new or small business that wants a free virtual terminal, fast setup, built-in POS tools, invoices, payment links, customer profiles, and simple flat-rate pricing.

Avoid Square if: You process high monthly keyed-in volume or need custom underwriting, high-risk approval, or the lowest possible interchange-plus rates.

Learn more: Best mobile credit card processors

Why I chose PayPal

PayPal is the pioneer of mobile payment platforms and the most trusted brand with over 400 million active users around the globe to date. Like Square, the merchant account is easy to set up and free to use with no long term contracts. And while it can’t match Square’s versatile POS software options, PayPal stands out among my list of providers for its ability to handle 100+ currencies, making it the best mobile payment solution for businesses that accept international payments.  

As a virtual terminal I particularly like PayPal because of how easy it is to use. While I can say the same for other contenders like Helcim, Square, and CardX which I all tried, PayPal’s layout and interface is simply more user-friendly. Whether you are preparing a quick manual order, pulling an outstanding invoice, or creating an invoice within the virtual terminal itself, all you need to do is choose a different option from the choices in the dropdown boxes. Plus, you also get instant access to your funds from your PayPal balance.

A few caveats if you choose PayPal though: First, its virtual terminal can only process credit and debit card payments unless you use PayPal enterprise to upgrade the service with developer tools. Second, unlike Square and Helcim, PayPal charges a monthly fee to use the virtual terminal platform. Third, manual payments processed on the customer’s behalf are not covered by PayPal’s seller protection policy so make sure to have solid chargeback protection protocols in place to protect you from fraudulent claims. 

Choose PayPal if: You need a recognizable payment brand for remote and international customers, or you already use PayPal for online payments and want to keep payment activity in one ecosystem.

Avoid PayPal if: You mainly need a low-cost US virtual terminal. The monthly VT fee and transaction costs can make PayPal less competitive than no-monthly-fee providers.

Related: Best online payment processors

Why I chose CardX

CardX is the leading expert in credit card surcharging services and is the exclusive surcharging partner for Mastercard. It comes with built-in invoicing and a virtual terminal feature that users can access at no extra cost. CardX also provides businesses with the necessary surcharging signage and staff training to assist with start-up. 

I chose CardX primarily for its credit card surcharging service. While other merchant account service providers in this list, like Helcim and PaymentCloud, also offer this feature, it’s hard to ignore CardX’s expertise. This makes CardX an overall more reliable solution for businesses where credit card surcharging is a key consideration. 

However, like PayPal, CardX only supports credit and debit card payments, which is partly why the two land at the tail end of this buyers’ guide. CardX also charges a monthly merchant account fee which may be a deal breaker for those looking to minimize their monthly operating expenses, but keep in mind that the surcharging means there are no transaction fees to be paid unless your customer uses a debit card. CardX also does not charge extra for its subscription/recurring billing tools which will cost you an additional $10 per month with PayPal.

Choose CardX if: You want a virtual terminal built around surcharging and need automated tools to help pass eligible credit card processing costs to customers.

Avoid CardX if: You operate in a state or industry where surcharging is restricted, or you do not want customers to see added card fees at checkout.

Why I chose Square

Square is an all-in-one POS and payments platform with a built-in credit card payment app. The mobile app connects directly to Square’s processing service and integrates with its in-store POS and online store, so you can use the same system for card-present payments, invoices, and basic ecommerce. 

You do not need a separate merchant account, which makes Square especially appealing for new or very small businesses that want to accept cards without a long underwriting process. In my testing, account signup was quick, and the guided setup inside the app made it easy to run first test transactions and configure basic payment settings within minutes.

From a credit card payment app standpoint, Square scored highly in my rubric because it covers the core use cases most small businesses care about. The app supports tap, chip, and swipe payments with a compatible reader, and you can accept Tap to Pay directly on a phone. It also lets you key in card details, send payment links, create simple invoices, add items, track basic inventory, view real-time sales, and issue digital receipts without upgrading to a paid POS plan.

That breadth is what makes Square stand out from simpler payment apps. It is not just a way to collect card payments. It gives small businesses enough POS, reporting, inventory, and checkout tools to run early-stage sales from one account. User reviews support this experience, with many reviewers praising Square for its easy setup, smooth checkout flow, and ability to manage payments, bookings, inventory, and sales tracking in one place.

The tradeoff is flexibility and account control. Square’s credit card payment app only works with Square’s own processing, so you cannot plug it into another POS system or bring an outside merchant account to negotiate separate rates. Some users also report account stability issues, fund holds, and difficulty reaching timely customer support, which is worth considering if your business has higher-risk transactions, unusual sales patterns, or needs predictable access to funds.

I would not use Square if you already have a preferred merchant account, need custom-negotiated processing rates, or want a payment app that can sit on top of another POS or processor. But if you want an all-in-one provider that handles the app, POS tools, card readers, online payments, and processing in one place, Square is still the strongest starting point for most small businesses.

Why I chose Helcim

Helcim is a strong choice for businesses that want the stability and lower long-term costs of a full merchant account. While Square emphasizes simplicity and Stripe leans into online-first infrastructure, Helcim is built for growing small and midsize businesses that want transparent pricing, account stability, and more control over processing costs.

Its credit card payment app is part of a broader integrated platform that includes inventory tools, a CRM, invoicing, payment links, ACH payments, and a secure card vault with no monthly software fee. That gives Helcim more back-office depth than many free mobile payment apps, especially for businesses that sell through more than one payment channel.

Helcim scored well in my rubric because its mobile POS app ties directly into the merchant account and unlocks more advanced features than most free apps offer. You can accept chip and tap payments, store cards securely for later use, create detailed customer profiles, and run itemized transactions from a centralized catalog. 

The standout benefit with Helcim is its interchange-plus, volume-based pricing model. As your sales increase, your rates adjust automatically, so you do not need to renegotiate or upgrade plans the way you would with many flat-rate providers. The platform also includes automated surcharging for businesses that choose to offset card fees, giving it more built-in cost-control tools than many competitors.

The tradeoff is onboarding. Unlike Square, where you can sign up and start accepting payments in minutes, Helcim requires a full merchant account approval process. That means stricter requirements and a longer wait before you can process live transactions. The upside is that you can still explore the app while waiting for approval, and once approved, you gain access to more advanced features and lower long-term rates than most aggregator-based providers offer. 

I would not use Helcim if you need to start taking card payments today, process very low monthly volume, or want the simplest possible app with the least setup. It is also not the best fit for sellers that only need occasional mobile payments and do not want to go through merchant account underwriting. Helcim is a better fit for growing businesses that care about transparent pricing, account stability, invoicing, customer management, and lower long-term processing costs.

Why I chose Shopify

Shopify is the strongest option on this list for businesses that operate primarily online but also need a reliable credit card payment app for in-person sales. While Square is built around brick-and-mortar simplicity and Stripe focuses on online payments with developer tools, Shopify is the better fit when ecommerce is the center of the business.

As an ecommerce expert, I consistently recommend Shopify as one of the best ecommerce platforms because its ecosystem goes beyond payment acceptance. It includes an online store builder, checkout tools, marketing features, fulfillment support, marketplace integrations, and a POS system that runs on phones and tablets. For retailers that sell online, in person, and across multiple channels, that connected setup is the main reason to choose Shopify over a simpler payment app.

From a credit card payment app standpoint, Shopify scored well in my rubric because its POS app is tightly integrated with Shopify Payments and the broader ecommerce platform. Card-present sales, whether tapped, dipped, or manually entered, flow into the same dashboard used to manage online orders, abandoned carts, shipping, customer profiles, and product inventory.

Compared with providers like PayPal or SumUp, which are better suited for simple in-person or occasional transactions, Shopify offers deeper inventory management, cleaner product syncing, and more complete customer data. That makes it one of the best choices for ecommerce brands that are adding pop-ups, markets, retail events, or permanent in-person selling.

User reviews support this strength, with many Shopify POS users praising its online store integration, inventory tools, and organized app experience. However, reviewers also report card reader connectivity issues, payout holds, and limited customer support during account problems. Those complaints matter because Shopify is strongest when your sales channels are connected, but payment or account delays can disrupt both online and in-person operations.

I would not use Shopify mainly as a standalone credit card payment app if you do not already sell online or plan to build an ecommerce store. It can be more setup than a small service business, mobile seller, or occasional vendor needs. But if your online store is the source of truth for products, inventory, orders, and customer data, Shopify is one of the best payment apps for bringing in-person sales into the same system.

Why I chose Stripe

Stripe is a strong pick for businesses that treat payments as part of a broader online operation rather than just a simple mobile card reader setup. Compared with Square, which is built around plug-and-play POS tools, Stripe is better suited to businesses that sell across websites, apps, marketplaces, subscriptions, or multiple brands and want one payment platform behind those channels.

Stripe scored well in my rubric for flexibility and scalability. Used with Stripe Terminal and compatible readers, Stripe lets businesses accept chip and contactless cards in person, then sync those payments with online sales data. It also supports manual card entry and can be built into custom payment flows through Stripe’s APIs.

Stripe gives businesses more room to customize checkout, connect payments to internal systems, support recurring billing, manage online and in-person payments together, and expand across countries and currencies. If your business has a developer, uses custom software, or needs payments embedded into an app or platform, Stripe is usually stronger than a plug-and-play provider like Square, PayPal, or SumUp.

However, Stripe’s in-person payment tools are not as turnkey as Square’s mobile POS, and setup can feel more technical if you are not already using Stripe online. In my evaluation, Stripe made the most sense when it was part of a larger payment infrastructure, not when used as a standalone credit card payment app for a small shop or mobile seller.

I would not use Stripe if you mainly need a simple phone-based POS app, fast in-person setup, built-in retail workflows, or the easiest way to start taking card payments today. It is also not the best fit if you do not have the technical resources to configure and maintain a more flexible payments setup.