The card machine for small businesses

The best card machine for your small business depends on how and where you trade. For mobile businesses, tradespeople, and outdoor traders, Zeller Terminal 1x is a rugged, handheld card machine with integrated 4G SIM connectivity and an all-day battery, so you can take payments anywhere without relying on Wi-Fi. For retail, hospitality, and salon businesses, Zeller Terminal 2 offers a sleek, modern design with a large touchscreen and built-in POS software, putting a complete point-of-sale system in one portable device. Whichever way your small business operates, Zeller's fee-free monthly model and low transaction rates starting at 1.3% make it one of the most straightforward and affordable card machine solutions available in the UK.

Using a card machine for small business is straightforward. Once your account is set up and your terminal is charged, you enter or select the payment amount, and the customer pays by tapping their contactless card or mobile wallet, inserting their chip card and entering their PIN, or swiping their card. The transaction is processed in seconds, and you can issue a digital receipt via email or SMS, or print one on the spot. With Zeller, your dashboard updates in real time so you can track every sale as it happens.

Card machine costs for small businesses typically fall into two models. Pay-as-you-go means buying the hardware outright and paying a per-transaction fee, with no monthly charges. Monthly subscription models offer the hardware at a lower upfront cost or free, in exchange for a recurring fee of around £10 to £25 per month, often tied to a longer-term contract. For most small businesses with moderate transaction volumes, pay-as-you-go is the more cost-effective and flexible option — you pay only for what you process, with no fixed overheads eating into quieter months. Zeller follows this model: card machines start from £99 with low transaction fees from 1.3% and zero monthly charges.

Getting a card machine for your small business is simple. With Zeller, order the card machine directly from the Zeller Shop, and it will be dispatched with free express shipping. While you wait, sign up for your free Zeller Account in minutes (no lengthy application process or credit checks required), then once your terminal arrives, it's ready to use straight out of the box, with no lock-in contracts and no setup fees to worry about.

A countertop card machine is a wired, fixed device designed for high-volume checkout points, typically found in larger retail environments or venues with a permanent front desk. A portable card machine connects wirelessly via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and can move freely around a premises, ideal for tableside payments in restaurants or roaming retail assistants. A mobile or handheld card machine goes further, using an integrated 4G SIM card to process payments anywhere with cellular coverage — no Wi-Fi required. For most small businesses, a wireless portable or mobile card machine, like Zeller Terminal, offers the greatest flexibility without sacrificing reliability.

If you accept payments with Zeller Terminal, you will receive funds overnight into your free Zeller Business Account, or the next business day if you prefer to settle into a third-party bank account. Either way, your takings are available quickly, helping you manage cash flow, pay suppliers, and keep your business moving without waiting days for funds to clear.

Zeller's card machines for small businesses accept all major payment methods, including Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, as well as contactless payments via Apple Pay and Google Pay. Customers can pay by tapping a card or mobile wallet, inserting a chip card, or swiping — covering the full range of ways UK customers pay in person today.

No. Unlike basic card readers that rely on a Bluetooth connection to a smartphone app, Zeller Terminal is a fully standalone, wireless card machine. It connects independently via Wi-Fi or an integrated 4G SIM card, meaning you don't need a phone nearby to take payments. This makes it particularly well-suited to small businesses that need a reliable, handheld card machine without the dependency on a paired device.

For small businesses across the UK, finding the right card machine for small businesses means more than just being able to take a payment. It means finding a solution that's affordable to run, reliable enough to depend on every day, and flexible enough to grow with you. Zeller was built with exactly that in mind: a modern, all-in-one financial ecosystem that gives small businesses the tools they need to get paid, stay on top of their finances, and run more efficiently, without the fees and complexity that come with traditional payment providers.

A portable, handheld card machine built for the way small businesses work

At the heart of Zeller's offering is Zeller Terminal: a wireless, portable card machine designed for small businesses that need reliability wherever they trade. Zeller Terminal connects via Wi-Fi or an integrated 4G SIM card, meaning you're never dependent on a venue's broadband to take a payment. Whether you're serving customers at a market stall, taking payment on a job, or processing transactions at a busy café counter, the card machine goes where your business goes. With an all-day battery and fast transaction speeds, it keeps up with the pace of a working day without getting in the way.

No monthly costs and transparent pricing for UK small businesses

One of the most common frustrations for small businesses card machines is being hit by fees they didn't see coming. Monthly rental charges, PCI compliance fees, chargeback fees, and minimum monthly transaction requirements can significantly erode the value of a cheap headline rate. Zeller operates differently. There are no monthly fees, no lock-in contracts, and no hidden charges of any kind. You purchase the card machine outright, then a small percentage fee per transaction starting at 1.3% on domestic Visa and Mastercard payments. No subscriptions, no contracts. It's that simple. For small businesses that experience quieter periods, like seasonal traders, event-based businesses, or those just starting out, this fee-free monthly model means your card machine costs you nothing when it's not in use. You only pay when your customer does.

All-in-one POS Terminal: A free, built-in POS system for small businesses

Traditional point-of-sale software can be a significant ongoing cost for small businesses, which is why Zeller Terminal comes with Zeller POS Lite built in at no extra charge. Designed for micro, small, and mobile businesses, Zeller POS Lite allows you to build an item library, manage product variants and modifiers, apply discounts, and generate itemised receipts, all directly from your handheld terminal, or managed remotely via the Zeller Dashboard or app. For small businesses that already use a third-party POS system, Zeller Terminal also integrates with external platforms, so you don't have to change the way you work.

Overnight settlement and real-time cash flow visibility

Cash flow is one of the most persistent challenges for small businesses, and slow settlement from a payment provider can compound the problem significantly. Zeller settles funds overnight into a free Zeller Business Account, so your takings from the day are available the next morning: before your next service begins, before you need to pay a supplier, before the week's payroll is due. If you prefer to settle into a third-party bank account, funds arrive the next business day. Alongside fast settlement, Zeller's real-time Dashboard gives small business owners an instant view of every transaction processed through their card machine, updated as each payment comes in. Rather than waiting for a monthly merchant statement to understand how the business is performing, you can track sales, monitor trends, and make informed decisions about stock, staffing, and operations in real time.

A free Zeller Business Account and debit card

Zeller's card machine for small businesses is the entry point into a broader financial ecosystem designed to make running a business simpler. Every Zeller account includes a free Zeller Business Account, with a sort code and account number, no monthly fees, and no minimum balance requirements. Pair it with a Zeller Debit Card and you have immediate, frictionless access to your settled funds as soon as they arrive. For small businesses managing multiple expenses or team members, Zeller lets you create multiple sub-accounts and issue additional debit cards at no extra cost — giving each team member or expense category its own account without surrendering control as the business owner.

Send invoices and get paid beyond the counter

Not every small business transaction happens in person. Zeller's invoicing tool allows you to create and send professional, branded invoices directly from your Zeller Dashboard, with customers able to pay securely online via a payment link using any debit or credit card. Automated payment reminders reduce the time spent chasing outstanding invoices, and all payments flow directly into your Zeller Business Account. For small businesses that work across both in-person and remote billing (tradespeople, consultants, mobile service providers) this means a single platform handles every type of payment without needing a separate invoicing tool.

Seamless integration with accounting software

Keeping on top of bookkeeping is one of the most time-consuming aspects of running a small business. Zeller integrates directly with Xero, syncing your transaction and settlement data automatically via Xero Bank Feeds and eliminating the need for manual reconciliation at month-end. For small businesses already using Xero for invoicing or bookkeeping, connecting Zeller takes minutes and immediately reduces the administrative burden of managing finances.

Add your small business branding to your card machine

Zeller Terminal isn't just a payment device, it's a customer-facing touchpoint that can be customised to reflect your brand. Personalise the screensaver with your own logo or imagery, and tailor your receipts with your business details, social media handles, or a returns policy. For small businesses where the checkout experience matters, such as salons, boutiques, hospitality venues, this level of customisation adds a professional finish that generic bank-issued terminals simply don't offer.

Security and compliance, built in

Every transaction processed through a Zeller card machine for small businesses is protected by end-to-end encryption and PCI-DSS certified security. Zeller's team monitors transactions continuously for suspicious activity, and handles payment disputes on behalf of merchants — reducing the time and cost that chargebacks would otherwise impose on small business owners. There are no separate PCI compliance fees, and no additional setup required to meet your obligations as a card-accepting business.