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Best Mobile Credit Card Processing Apps For 2024

These mobile payments apps provide reasonable and transparent pricing and robust features for almost any industry.

    Chris Motola

  • Last updated onUpdated

    • Shannon Vissers

  • REVIEWED BY

    Shannon Vissers

    Lead Staff Writer

Our content reflects the editorial opinions of our experts. While our site makes money through referral partnerships, we only partner with companies that meet our standards for quality, as outlined in our independent rating and scoring system.

Credit card processing apps can be powerful tools for merchants. Instead of investing in an expensive POS system, a credit card processing app works on a smartphone or tablet, allowing merchants to use low-cost hardware with an affordable (or even nonexistent) software fee.

The terminology can be a bit inconsistent — sometimes credit card payment apps are called point of sale/POS apps or even mPOS (mobile point of sale) apps. But in the end, we’re talking about applications you can run on your phone to process credit cards, typically with the aid of a small reader.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

CompanyHighlightsNext StepsHighlights
Square

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  • Best Mobile Processing With No Overhead
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Readers start at $0
  • Best Mobile Processing With No Overhead
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Readers start at $0

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SumUp

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  • Best Square Alternative
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Readers start at $54
  • Best Square Alternative
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Readers start at $54

Visit Site

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Intuit GoPayment

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  • Best For Easy QB Integration
  • 1.6% + $0.30- 2.5% per transaction
  • Readers are $49.50
  • Best For Easy QB Integration
  • 1.6% + $0.30- 2.5% per transaction
  • Readers are $49.50

Visit Site

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PayPal Zettle

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  • Best Value
  • 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction
  • Readers start at $79 (first is $29)
  • Best Value
  • 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction
  • Readers start at $79 (first is $29)

Visit Site

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Toast POS

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  • Best For Restaurants
  • 2.49% + $0.15 (Standard plan)
  • Readers start at $0
  • Best For Restaurants
  • 2.49% + $0.15 (Standard plan)
  • Readers start at $0

Visit Site

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Helcim

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  • Best For High-Volume Mobile Processing
  • Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08
  • Readers start at $99
  • Best For High-Volume Mobile Processing
  • Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08
  • Readers start at $99

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Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

A Closer Look At 6 Best Mobile Payment Apps For Small Businesses

A credit card processing app can be the primary service a credit card processor offers or a secondary feature. Either way, you’ll want one that meets your particular business needs.

Compare The Best Credit Card Processing Apps

App CostIn-person Transaction FeeHardware Cost
Square$0+/month2.6% + $0.10$0+
SumUpFree2.6% + $0.10$54+
Intuit GoPayment$0 or $20/month1.6% + $0.30 to 2.5%$49.50
PayPal ZettleFree2.29% + $0.09$29+
Toast POS$0+/month2.49% - 3.09% + $0.15$0
HelcimFreeInterchange + 0.4% + $0.08 (volume discounts available)$99+

Square: Best Mobile Processing With No Overhead

Square

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Read our Review

Total Rating 4.8
Fees & Rates5.0

Products & Services4.7

Contract4.3

Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0

Customer Service4.9

User Reviews4.9



Get a free card swiper from Square at no cost when you create a free account. Claim your card reader.

Pros

  • No long-term contracts
  • Simple processing fees
  • Loads of integrations

Cons

  • Account stability issues
  • Free plan is not as robust as paid options

Why Square Is The Best Choice For Payment Processing With No Overhead

Square is one of the best-known names among credit card processing apps. Just about anyone can sign up for a Square account and start accepting credit card payments.

We've found the Square Point of Sale app to be one of the most advanced mPOS options available, with an extensive array of supported features on both iOS and Android. Square began with a focus on simple, accessible mobile processing, and it remains among the best in its class for that purpose. It's also among the most affordable entry points for merchants who want to accept credit cards, and spells out its fees and terms in clear, transparent language.

The free magstripe reader that comes with every account doesn't hurt either.

Square Features

The real value of Square is its all-in-one platform. Square offers free invoicing, a virtual terminal (you just pay the transaction costs), eCommerce integrations, a free online store, plus premium POS apps with competitive pricing tailored to various industries.

Features include:

  • Multi-store support
  • Virtual terminal
  • Contactless payments
  • Multichannel selling
  • Marketing tools
  • Online ordering
  • Inventory management
  • Reporting
  • Employee management
  • Text messaging

Square Pricing

  • No setup or application fees
  • $0/month for Square Free account ($29+/month for Square Plus accounts)
  • 2.6% + $0.10/card-present transaction
  • 2.9% + $0.30/online transaction
  • 3.5% + $0.15/manually keyed-in transaction
  • 2.9% + $0.30/invoice paid via credit or debit card
  • 3.5% + $0.15/invoice paid via card on file
  • 1%/ACH transaction (minimum $1 charge)
  • No ACH reject or chargeback fees
  • Square Contactless & Chip Reader: $59

When To Use Square

  • To process low-volume mobile transactions
  • To minimize upfront processing fees
  • To get a free mobile magstripe reader

Get Started With Square

Read our in-depth review

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SumUp: Best Square Alternative

SumUp

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Read our Review

Total Rating 4.5
Fees & Rates4.8

Products & Services3.5

Contract4.8

Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0

Customer Service4.3

User Reviews4.0



Pros

  • No long-term contracts
  • No monthly fee or monthly minimum
  • Next-day payouts with SumUp business checking account

Cons

  • Account stability issues
  • Limited features

Why SumUp Is The Best Mobile App For Small Transactions

While SumUp is somewhat lean on features, it has the essentials merchants need for in-person sales. If you don't need any fancy features and just want a simple, well-designed mobile processing app similar to Square, SumUp is a great choice.

SumUp has the same transaction rate as Square---2.6% + $0.10--- making this mPOS solution best for small transactions and low-volume businesses in general. Overall, because it is so similar, SumUp is a good Square alternative if you like Square but can't use it for whatever reason. SumUp's processing hardware, which includes both Bluetooth card readers and standalone touchscreen devices, are also slightly cheaper than Square's.

SumUp uses a pay-as-you-go model, so you can cancel at any time without penalty. Just be aware that SumUp will automatically terminate inactive accounts after two years, so be sure to empty your account of funds before that happens.

SumUp Features

Though it is something of a minimalist solution for mobile processing, SumUp covers most of the bases, including:

  • Item library
  • Virtual terminal
  • Quick-sale mode
  • Tipping
  • Cash recording
  • Basic analytics
  • Invoicing
  • Email/SMS receipts
  • QR code payments
  • Remote payments (payment links, virtual gift cards, etc.)
  • Next-day payouts (when used in conjunction with SumUp’s business bank account)

SumUp Pricing

  • No setup or application fees
  • 2.6% + $0.10/card-present transaction
  • 3.5% + $0.15/virtual terminal or payment link transaction
  • 2.9% + $0.15/invoice paid online
  • SumUp Plus Bluetooth mobile reader (has PIN pad and small screen): $54
  • SumUp Solo standalone reader with touchscreen: $99
  • SumUp Solo printer bundle (standalone touchscreen card reader with built-in printer): $169

When To Use SumUp

  • To process small transactions
  • For a simple app that provides fundamentals
  • To process international transactions

Get Started With SumUp

Read our in-depth review

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Intuit GoPayment: Best For Easy QuickBooks Integration

Intuit GoPayment

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Read our Review

Total Rating 3.7
Pricing4.1

Ease Of Use5.0

Features2.4

Customer Service3.3

User Reviews4.2



Pros

  • Good value for businesses with high average tickets
  • Easy integration with QuickBooks
  • Includes dedicated merchant account

Cons

  • Not the best choice for non-QuickBooks users
  • Somewhat confusing pricing
  • Some public complaints

Why We Chose Inuit GoPayment For Its Easy QuickBooks Integration

QuickBooks is still one of the most recognizable names in accounting software, so it's no surprise that Intuit has leveraged the brand into mobile payment processing. Unlike many of the other options on this list, QuickBooks GoPayment is not a third-party processor. Instead, you'll get your own comparatively stable merchant account.

As you might expect, GoPayment integrates seamlessly with the rest of the QuickBooks software suite, making it an extremely convenient solution for QuickBooks users.

GoPayment pricing can get a little confusing because it depends on whether you use QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop. However, GoPayment's flat transaction fee for QB Online users is lower than Square's and SumUp's; GoPayment transaction fees for QuickBooks Desktop users are such that merchants with high average tickets (such as service-based businesses like plumbers, mechanics, or contractors) can save a lot in transaction fees.

QuickBooks GoPayment Features

QuickBooks GoPayment can work as a standalone solution or as part of your current QuickBooks software package.

Features include:

  • QuickBooks integration
  • Instant deposits for QuickBooks Checking users
  • Merchant service center
  • Apply discounts at point of sale
  • Item library
  • Item sync
  • QuickBooks checking account
  • Invoicing
  • Estimates
  • Expense tracking
  • Live bank feeds
  • Mileage tracking
  • 1099 tax support

QuickBooks GoPayment Pricing

  • $0-$20/month
  • 2.4% + $0.30 or 2.5%/card-present transaction with $0/month plan (for QB Desktop or QB Online users, respectively)
  • 1.6% + $0.30 with $20/month plan (for QB Desktop users)
  • QuickBooks Card Reader (chip and tap): $49.50

When To Use QuickBooks GoPayments

  • To easily integrate QuickBooks into your mobile processing
  • If you have a high average ticket size
  • If you don’t mind paying a monthly account fee to get low flat-rate transaction fees

Get Started With Intuit GoPayment

Read our in-depth review

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PayPal Zettle: Best For Low Transaction Costs

PayPal Zettle

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Read our Review

Pricing

No monthly fee

Contract

None

Equipment Cost

$29 for your first card reader

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Supports PayPal payments
  • Free sub-user accounts

Cons

  • Account stability issues
  • Not ideal for high-volume merchants

We PayPal Zettle Is A Great Choice For Lowering Transaction Costs

Formerly PayPal Here, PayPal Zettle represents the eCommerce giant's foray into in-person payment processing. Ironically, as PayPal's eCommerce pricing has become more expensive, PayPal Zettle remains a competitive POS option with some of the lowest flat-rate processing costs for mobile payments.

PayPal leverages its extensive infrastructure to make the most of Zettle. In addition to processing credit and debit cards, you'll be able to process PayPal and Venmo transactions by scanning QR codes. Throw in inventory management, reports, and at-register discounts, and you have a well-rounded app that integrates with PayPal's longstanding features, such as invoicing, same-day funding, and recurring billing.

Overall, we think PayPal Zettle is a great value for the average mobile merchant. With no monthly fee and a transaction fee that isn't too expensive for either small- or high-value transactions, it can accommodate a wide variety of circumstances.

PayPal Zettle Features

In keeping with the PayPal brand, Zettle is both easy to use and functional. Features include:

  • PayPal and Venmo QR codes
  • Cash payments
  • Item library
  • Reports
  • Discounts
  • Custom gift cards
  • Support for register setups
  • Refunds and partial refund
  • Integration with PayPal business account features

PayPal Zettle Pricing

  • No monthly fee
  • 2.29% + $0.09/card-present and QR code transactions
  • 3.49% + $0.09/keyed-in transaction
  • Zettle Reader: $29 (first unit), $79 (additional units)

When To Use PayPal Zettle

  • If you like the PayPal ecosystem
  • To get competitive flat-rate processing with no monthly fee
  • You only need a single reader for your mobile operations

Get Started With PayPal Zettle

Read our in-depth review

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Toast POS: Best For Restaurants

Toast POS

Visit Site

Read our Review

Total Rating 4.0
Pricing2.6

Ease Of Use4.7

Features5.0

Customer Service5.0

User Reviews4.1

Pricing Range

$0-$69 plus custom plan

Online Ordering

Yes

$0+

Pros

  • All-in-one POS
  • Android base reduces hardware costs
  • Advanced employee management tools
  • Free plan & free hardware available

Cons

  • High transaction fees on free plan
  • Long-term contract with termination fee
  • Expensive hardware if purchased outright

Why Toast POS Provides The Most Comprehensive Mobile App For Restaurants

Toast is an Android-based POS system built specifically for restaurants. While it's not the cheapest way to process mobile transactions by any means, we do believe the highly honed feature set is a good fit for full service restaurants that want to bill at the table.

Toast provides a comprehensive, industry-focused toolset that can scale to restaurants of just about any size and accommodate online and delivery orders as well as in-house transactions. Getting "free" processing equipment with a Pay-As-You-Go plan is a nice perk for new restaurants that may not have a lot of spare cash to throw around. (However, businesses on the free plan will pay higher transaction fees.)

Toast POS Features

Toast’s feature set is highly focused on its industry. Features include:

  • Cloud-based POS
  • Customer care
  • Real-time fraud monitoring
  • Custom configuration
  • Mobile orders
  • Online ordering and delivery
  • Gift cards
  •  Marketing
  • Loyalty program

Toast POS Pricing

  • $0  or $69/month (for one device and core features)
  • 2.49% + $0.15/in-person transaction (Standard plan)
  • 3.09% + $0.15/in-person transaction (Pay-As-You-Go plan)

Hardware can be included as part of your Pay-As-You-Go costs for no additional upfront cost. However, this option raises your processing fees. If you want to buy POS hardware kits outright, a handheld starter kit is $799.20.

When To Use Toast POS

  • If you want an all-in-one solution specifically designed for restaurants
  • If the feature sets of cheaper mobile apps don’t meet your processing needs
  • If you need advanced employee management tools

Get Started With Toast POS

Read our in-depth review

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Helcim: Best For High-Volume Mobile Processing

Helcim

Visit Site

Read our Review

Total Rating 4.9
Fees & Rates5.0

Products & Services4.4

Contract5.0

Sales & Advertising Transparency5.0

Customer Service4.8

User Reviews4.5



Pros

  • Uses interchange-plus pricing exclusively
  • No long-term contracts
  • No monthly fee

Cons

  • Does not accept high-risk merchants
  • May be expensive for very low-volume businesses

Why Helcim Is The Best Choice For High-Volume Mobile Processing

Mobile processing is typically a low-volume transaction solution, but if your business happens to process a lot of transactions and some or all of these are mobile transactions, you probably want a solution that offers interchange-plus pricing.

Enter Helcim, a mobile-friendly processor that offers high-volume discounts and an extremely versatile app. Best of all, there's no monthly fee for using it, so you'll only pay fees when you process a transaction. We also love that the more transactions you process, the lower your per-transaction cost will be. Just be prepared to pay a little more upfront in hardware costs. While the Helcim card reader is a great piece of hardware, it's substantially more expensive than the other entry point mobile readers on our list.

Helcim Features

Helcim offers features that scale well to a variety of business needs:

  • Full merchant account
  • Support for international payments
  • Product service catalog
  • Invoicing
  • Discount codes
  • Automatic tax calculations
  • Virtual terminal

Helcim Pricing

Volume discounts are available for transaction fees.

  • No monthly fee
  • Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08/in-person transaction
  • Interchange + 0.5% + $0.25/keyed and online transaction
  • Helcim Card Reader: $99

When To Use Helcim

  • If you want interchange-plus pricing with no monthly account fees
  • If you’re a high-volume merchant
  • If you don’t mind paying more in hardware costs

Get Started With Helcim

Read our in-depth review

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Payment Processing Rating Methodology

Merchant Maverick has been researching the payment processing industry since 2009. Our writers have reviewed hundreds of credit card processors, merchant account services, and mobile payment apps, evaluating each provider carefully on several different metrics.

Weighted Rating Breakdown

Fees & Rates 35%
Contract 20%
Products & Services 15%
Sales & Advertising Transparency 15%
Customer Service 10%
User Reviews 5%

When comparing different payment processing companies and applications to one another, we consider numerous data points. Our experts start by comparing credit card processing rates, the presence of additional fees, contract length, sales practices, and the presence or absence of additional features and services, like point of sale software. Each provider is judged on its own merits and how well it stacks up to industry standards; then it is weighed against the other providers on the list.

We spend an average of 10-15 hours researching and updating each one of our lists, making sure every company or application included meets our internal standards for quality and reputation. Any list of recommended payment processors on our site might contain a mix of standard merchant accounts, third-party payment processors, mobile payment devices, and high-risk payment processors, depending on what our expert feels is the best fit for certain scenarios or business types.

For additional details about Merchant Maverick’s review and rating processes, please refer to any or all of the following methodology pages:

15

Years reviewing payment processors

100+

Providers evaluated

25

Attributes and features assessed per vendor

40+

Years combined experience


Why We Don't Recommend These Credit Card Processing Apps

There are far more credit card processing apps than the ones we’ve covered above. Let’s look at two apps that didn’t quite make our list.

Clover Go

Clover is one of the most recognizable brands in payment processing, with distinct, attractive, and inexpensive hardware. So you’d expect Clover Go, the brand’s mPOS offering, to be a pretty straightforward, user-friendly experience, right?

Unfortunately, Clover Go suffers from some of the issues plaguing the Clover ecosystem more generally. Your terms and pricing may be inconsistent from one processor to another. Worse, you may have to pay additional fees to access features that Clover Go’s competitors will give you for free.

Clover Go may work as a convenience for merchants already using Clover, but businesses that only need an mPOS can probably find a better deal elsewhere.

Payanywhere

Payanywhere is an unusual case. On the surface, Payanywhere’s services are completely adequate, with a competitive 2.69% flat rate for transactions. It’s what Payanywhere doesn’t tell you upfront that can get you in trouble.

The biggest issue with Payanywhere is the two-tiered merchant account agreement that can change the terms of your contract abruptly should you exceed $100,000 in transaction charges for a particular card/service within a specified period. You must enter into a direct agreement with American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or PayPal. At that point, your pay-as-you-go contract becomes a three-year contract, complete with early termination fees.

Add in monthly software subscription fees for hardware, and Payanywhere can pile on the extra charges if you’re not careful.

How To Take Credit Card Payments On Your Phone?

To accept credit card payments on your phone, you’ll need to open an account with a payment processor that supports your device. After you’ve done this, you can accept credit card payments on your phone. To process transactions as card-present transactions (tapped, dipped, or swiped) you’ll need a mobile card reader, ideally a NFC-capable device.

Can I Take Credit Card Payments On My Phone Without A Card Reader?

Mobile card readers are increasingly unnecessary for mobile payments, though be aware that transaction fees may be higher if you don’t use one. Other ways to process payments on your phone include:

  • Tap-to-Pay for iPhone (available to use with some, but not all, mobile POS apps)
  • Send a payment link or scan a QR code
  • Key-in credit card information through a virtual terminal

How Do I Select A Mobile Credit Card Reader?

While mobile credit card readers are no longer a requirement for cost-effective mobile credit processing, they are still often the best solution for secure, high-volume transactions. It’s also the interface that asks the least of your prospective customers. They can simply present their credit or debit card to be dipped, swiped, or tapped.

Our guide to credit card readers can get you started. If you have a favored device, you can easily find a credit card reader for iPhone or a credit card reader for Android.

Can I Get A Free Mobile Card Reader?

Mobile credit card readers generally add upfront costs in exchange for security and convenience. As you might expect, there’s no such thing as a free lunch in the world of mobile credit card processing. With some rare exceptions, like Square’s free magstripe reader (and you’ll only get one), getting “free” hardware usually means locking yourself into long-term contracts.

If you’re looking to minimize mobile hardware costs, our guide to free card readers can help.

How To Choose The Best Credit Card Payment App For Your Business

Credit card processing apps can make it easy to take non-cash payments without a complicated hardware setup. When looking for the best credit card processing companies, take stock of your needs, budget, transaction volume, and even how you physically take transactions at POS.

When choosing a credit card payment app, you’ll want to consider several factors:

  • User Experience: Is the app easy and convenient to use on your available devices?
  • Cost: Does the app’s payment processor charge reasonable fees for your transaction volume?
  • Supported Payment Methods: Can the app process the payment methods your customers prefer to use?
  • Security: Does the app offer security features like tokenization? Or does it mainly function as a virtual terminal?

The best credit card payment processing app will be the one that makes your life easier and increases your sales.

Looking for a more stationary setup? Check out our list of the best POS systems for small business.

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Chris Motola

Chris Motola

Expert Contributor at Merchant Maverick
Chris has been writing about small business topics since 2003. He has been featured in Fox Business, ABC News, Yahoo Finance, GoBankingRates, Newsweek, BizJournals, and other publications. He has a Bachelor’s of Arts in English Writing Arts from SUNY Oswego, and a Masters of Science in Interactive Media from the University of Central Florida. He currently resides in the Hudson Valley region of New York.
Chris Motola
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