POS & Card Machine Guides
No jargon, no fintech waffle. Just clear answers to the questions UK business owners actually ask before choosing how to take payments.
Basics
What Is a POS System? (Plain-English Guide)
What 'POS' actually means, how a POS system differs from a card reader, and what features matter for UK small businesses.
Read guideMerchant Account vs Payment Facilitator
The difference between a traditional merchant account and a payment facilitator like SumUp or Square.
Read guideHow Long Do Card Payments Take to Clear?
Payout and settlement times for UK card machines, and which providers pay out fastest.
Read guideChoosing
POS System vs Card Reader: Which Do You Need?
The difference between a simple card reader and a full POS system - and how to tell which one your UK business actually needs.
Read guideHow to Choose a Card Machine (UK Checklist)
A practical checklist for choosing a UK card machine: fees, contracts, payouts, hardware and features.
Read guideNo-Contract Card Machines in the UK
Which UK card machines have no contract and no monthly fee - and when a contract is worth it anyway.
Read guideFees
Card Machine Fees Explained (UK)
Transaction fees, monthly fees, hardware costs, payout charges and the sneaky extras - every card machine fee, explained in plain English.
Read guideHidden Card Machine Fees to Watch For
The card machine fees that don't make the homepage - chargebacks, PCI, authorisation and exit fees.
Read guideFeatures
Not sure what you need?
Tell us how your business takes payments and we'll point you towards providers that actually fit - not whoever's paying the biggest bounty this month.