Advertiser Disclosure

💳 Save money on credit card processing with one of our top 5 picks for 2024

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

  • Frank Kehl
  • REVIEWED BY

    Frank Kehl

    Senior Staff Writer

Advertiser Disclosure: Our unbiased reviews and content are supported in part by affiliate partnerships, and we adhere to strict guidelines to preserve editorial integrity.

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

Read More

  • Best Free App
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Readers start at $0
  • Best Free App
  • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
  • Readers start at $0

Visit Site

Read More

SumUp

Read More

  • Best For Small Transactions
  • 2.75% per transaction
  • Readers start at $35
  • Best For Small Transactions
  • 2.75% per transaction
  • Readers start at $35

Visit Site

Read More

Intuit GoPayment

Read More

  • Best For Easy Integrations
  • 2.5% per transaction
  • Readers start at $49
  • Best For Easy Integrations
  • 2.5% per transaction
  • Readers start at $49

Visit Site

Read More

PayPal Zettle

Read More

  • 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

Read More

Toast POS

Read More

  • Best For Restaurants
  • 2.99% + $0.15 (Pay-as-you-Go plan)
  • Readers start at $0
  • Best For Restaurants
  • 2.99% + $0.15 (Pay-as-you-Go plan)
  • Readers start at $0

Visit Site

Read More

Show More Options
Helcim

Read More

  • 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

Visit Site

Read More

Show Fewer Options

Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

Compare Best Credit Card Processing Apps

Vendor App Cost In-person Transaction Fee Hardware Cost
Square $0+ 2.6% + $0.10 $0+
SumUp Free 2.75% $35+
Shopify $39+ per month 2.70% $49+
QuickBooks GoPayment $30+ per month 2.5% $49+
PayPal Zettle Free 2.29% + $0.09 $29+
Toast POS $0+ 2.99% + $01.5 $0+
Helcim $0+ Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08 $99+

A Closer Look At 7 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.

Square: Best Mobile Processing With No Overhead

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 One Of The Lowest Cost Entry Points Into Mobile Processing

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.

The free app, Square Point of Sale, is 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.

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

square reader

 

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:

  • Multistore 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

Get Started With Square

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

SumUp: Best For Small Transactions

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 minimums
  • Free virtual terminal for qualifying businesses

Cons

  • Account stability issues
  • Limited features

Why SumUp Is So Cost Effective For Processing Small Mobile Transactions

SumUp is a bit like Square's sophisticated, minimalist European cousin. SumUp's standalone mPOS app works in many European countries and expanded into the US a while back. While SumUp's app is the simplest option on this list, it has the essentials that merchants need for in-person sales. If you don't need a lot and just want a well-designed mobile processing app, SumUp is a great choice.

Perhaps most importantly, the 2.75% processing rate with no flat markup fee makes it an excellent option for processing small transactions.

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 pro card reader

 

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.)

sumup payment link on smartphone

SumUp Pricing

  • No setup or application fees
  • 2.75%/card-present transaction
  • 3.25% + $0.15/virtual terminal or payment link transaction
  • 2.9% + $0.15/invoice paid online
  • SumUp Plus mobile reader: $39

Get Started With SumUp

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

Intuit GoPayment: Best For Easy QuickBooks Integration

Intuit GoPayment

Total Rating 3.7
Pricing4.1

Ease Of Use5.0

Features2.4

Customer Service3.3

User Reviews4.2



Pros

  • Inexpensive hardware
  • Easy integration with Quickbooks
  • Supports PayPal payments

Cons

  • High monthly fees
  • High fees for low-value transactions
  • Numerous public complaints

Why QuickBooks GoPayment Can Be A Painless Mobile Processing Solution For QuickBooks Users

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 have your own comparatively stable merchant account.

As you might expect, GoPayment integrates seamlessly with the rest of the QuickBooks software suite, making it a more appealing solution if you're already heavily invested in the ecosystem.

For standalone users, GoPayment is respectably free of bloat, with straightforward pricing. One highlight: GoPayments allows up to 50 users to operate on a single account.

QuickBooks GoPayment Features

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

Features include:

  • QuickBooks integration
  • 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 Review

QuickBooks GoPayment Pricing

  • $30+/month
  • 2.5%/card-present transaction
  • 3.5%/keyed-in transaction
  • 2.99%/online or invoiced transaction
  • 1% (max $10) per ACH transaction
  • QuickBooks Card Reader: $49

QuickBooks Card Reader

 

Get Started With Intuit GoPayment

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

PayPal Zettle: Best For Low Transaction Costs

PayPal Zettle


Visit Site

Pricing

No monthly fee

Contract

None

Equipment Cost

$29 for your first card reader

Pros

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

Cons

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

Why PayPal Zettle Is A Cost Effective Way To Process Mobile Transactions

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.

paypal pos

 

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)

paypal zettle

 

Get Started With PayPal Zettle

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

Toast POS: Best For Restaurants

Total Rating 4.0
Pricing2.6

Ease Of Use4.7

Features5.0

Customer Service5.0

User Reviews4.1

Pricing

$0-$165 plus custom plan

Online Ordering

Yes

Equipment Cost

$0+

Pros

  • All-in-one POS
  • Android base reduces hardware costs
  • Advanced employee management tools

Cons

  • Limited pricing disclosed online
  • Early termination fee

Why Toast POS Is A Great Mobile Credit Card Processor For Restaurants

Toast is an Android-based POS system built specifically for restaurants.

Toast provides a comprehensive, industry-focused toolset that can scale to restaurants of just about any size. Getting "free" readers with Pay-As-You-Go plans is a nice perk for new restaurants that may not have a lot of spare cash to throw around.

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 programs

toast go

Toast POS Pricing

  • $0 – $165/month
  • 2.99% + $0.15/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, prices range from $609 to $999.

toast flex kit with flex, tap, router

Get Started With Toast POS

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

Helcim: Best For High-Volume Mobile Processing

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 Choice For High-Volume Mobile Credit Card 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.

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 POS inventory management

 

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

helcim card reader

Get Started With Helcim

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

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.

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 a 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 reader or two NFC-capable devices

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:

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 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.

Jump back to comparison chart

Chris Motola

Chris Motola

Senior Staff Writer at Merchant Maverick
Chris has been writing about small business topics since 2003. In 2015, he joined Merchant Maverick, where he writes about business financing, payment processing, and demographic trends in entrepreneurship. Chris 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
View Chris Motola's professional experience on LinkedIn.
Chris Motola

Latest posts by Chris Motola (see all)