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7 Best Mobile Credit Card Processing Apps For October 2023

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 processing 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.

But where do you start to look? What features do you need? How much do these apps cost, and which ones lead the pack? Let’s start by taking a closer look at some very important aspects to consider when choosing a credit card processing app. Then, we’ll take a look at our favorite providers.

Learn More About Our Top Picks

CompanyHighlightsNext StepsHighlights
Square

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  • 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

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SumUp

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  • 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

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Shopify Lite

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  • Best for fast growth
  • 2.7% per transaction
  • Readers start at $49
  • Best for fast growth
  • 2.7% per transaction
  • Readers start at $49

Visit Site

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Intuit GoPayment

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  • Best for easy integrations
  • 2.4% + $0.25 per transaction
  • Readers start at $49
  • Best for easy integrations
  • 2.4% + $0.25 per transaction
  • Readers start at $49

Visit Site

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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
  • 2.99% + $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

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Helcim

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  • Best for high-volume mobile processing
  • Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08
  • Readers start at $109
  • Best for high-volume mobile processing
  • Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08
  • Readers start at $109

Visit Site

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Show Fewer Options

Read more below to learn why we chose these options.

Best Credit Card Processing Apps To Take Payments Anywhere

Best Mobile Payment Apps For Small Businesses

Credit card processing apps 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, SumUp, Shopify Lite, QuickBooks GoPayment, PayPal Zettle, and Toast POS are some of the best credit card payment apps currently on the market.

1. Square: Best Free App

Square


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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
  • Intuitive interface
  • Loads of integrations

Cons

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

Why We Chose Square For Best Mobile Processing App

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: $49

Get Started With Square

Read our in-depth review

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2. SumUp: Best For Small Transactions

SumUp


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Pros

  • No long-term contracts
  • No monthly minimums
  • Free virtual terminal for qualifying businesses

Cons

  • Account stability issues
  • Limited features

Why We Chose SumUp For Best Mobile Processing App

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

3. Shopify: Best For Fast Growth

Shopify Lite


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Pros

  • Solid feature set
  • Easy to scale
  • Supports PayPal payments

Cons

  • Account stability issues
  • Full online store not included
  • Monthly fee

Why We Chose Shopify For Best Mobile Processing App

Shopify started solely as an eCommerce provider, but it’s slowly built up its products into a powerful all-in-one platform. You can sell seamlessly online and in person using its branded third-party payment service powered by Stripe.

The Shopify platform makes it easy to grow your business within its ecosystem. You can just pay for as much Shopify as you need.

Shopify POS is included for free with all Shopify eCommerce plans, which start at $39/month.

Shopify Features

Shopify’s eCommerce tools are top-of-the-line, and its POS app, simply called Shopify POS, is constantly improving.

Features include:

  • Embeddable buy buttons
  • Sell on social media
  • Create invoices
  • Product library
  • Customer list
  • Analytics and reports
  • Discounts at POS
  • Order fulfillment
  • Tip collection

Shopify Pricing

  • $39+/month
  • 2.7%/card-present transaction
  • 2.9% + $0.30/online transaction
  • + 2%/transaction with processor other than Stripe
  • Shopify Tap & Chip Card Reader: $49
  • Chipper 2x BT Reader: $49

shopify tap and chip reader

Get Started With Shopify Lite

Read our in-depth review

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4. QuickBooks GoPayment: Best For Easy Integrations

Intuit GoPayment


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Pros

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

Cons

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

Why We Chose QuickBooks GoPayment For Best Mobile Processing App

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 POS
  • 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
  • 2.4% + $0.25/card-present transaction
  • 3.4% + $0.25/keyed-in transaction
  • 2.9% + $0.25/invoiced transaction
  • QuickBooks Card Reader: $49

QuickBooks Card Reader

 

Get Started With Intuit GoPayment

Read our in-depth review

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5. PayPal Zettle: Best Value

Zettle


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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 We Chose PayPal Zettle For Best Mobile Processing App

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.

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 Zettle

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

6. Toast POS: Best For Restaurants

Toast POS


Visit Site

Pricing

$0-$165 plus custom plan

Online Ordering

Yes

Equipment Cost

$0-$847

Pros

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

Cons

  • Limited pricing disclosed online
  • Early termination fee

Why We Chose Toast POS For Best Mobile Processing App

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

7. Helcim: Best For High-Volume Mobile Processing

Helcim


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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 We Chose Helcim For Best Mobile Processing App

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: $109

helcim card reader

Get Started With Helcim

Read our in-depth review

Jump back to comparison chart

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.

Methodology: How We Chose Our Top Picks For Mobile Payment Apps

Merchant Maverick reviews payment processors and rates them based on criteria including rates and fees, contract terms, features, and customer reviews. The payment processors are then assigned an aggregate score that we use to compare them to similarly situated companies.

For the best mobile payment apps we gave additional weight to companies that provide a strong mobile payment processing experience. That includes apps or dashboards that work well on mobile devices and excellent, affordable hardware for capturing credit card information.

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 small business credit card processing apps, 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 a number of 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.

Want a deeper look into hardware? Check out our post on the best credit card machines and terminals.

FAQs: Credit Card Processing Apps

What are the best credit card processing apps?

The best credit card app is the one that suits the needs of your business. Seven strong contenders include:

  • Square
  • SumUp
  • Shopify Lite
  • QuickBooks GoPayment
  • PayPal Zettle
  • Toast POS
  • Helcim

What is a credit card processing app?

A credit card processing app is software that you can run on a non-dedicated device, such as a mobile phone, to process credit cards.

In Summary: Best Mobile Payment Apps For Small Businesses

  1. Square:
    • Best free app
    • 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction
    • Readers start at $0
  2. SumUp:
    • Best for small transactions
    • 2.75% per transaction
    • Readers start at $35
  3. Shopify Lite:
    • Best for fast growth
    • 2.7% per transaction
    • Readers start at $49
  4. Intuit GoPayment:
    • Best for easy integrations
    • 2.4% + $0.25 per transaction
    • Readers start at $49
  5. Zettle:
    • Best value
    • 2.29% + $0.09 per transaction
    • Readers start at $79 (first is $29)
  6. Toast POS:
    • Best for restaurants
    • 2.99% + $0.15 (Pay-as-you-Go plan)
    • Readers start at $0
  7. Helcim:
    • Best for high-volume mobile processing
    • Interchange + 0.4% + $0.08
    • Readers start at $109
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.