Card processing FAQs

A countertop terminal stays by the till. A portable terminal can be carried around your premises, for example for table service. A mobile terminal uses a cellular connection for payments away from the premises. Connectivity, battery life and receipt options depend on the model and provider.

Compare mobile, portable and countertop terminals →

Staff enter the amount on a standalone terminal separately from the till. An integrated terminal receives the amount from the electronic point of sale (EPOS) system and returns the payment result. This can reduce manual entry mistakes, but compatibility must be checked with both providers.

Read our terminal and EPOS guide →

Some providers offer Tap to Pay on compatible phones. Check supported payment methods, connectivity, receipts, fees and what happens if a customer needs another way to authenticate. Whether it replaces a dedicated terminal depends on your operation.

A card issuer or payment provider may ask for extra verification as a fraud control. Since March 2026, eligible firms have more flexibility to set contactless limits; do not assume one fixed UK limit applies to every card. Follow the terminal prompt rather than repeatedly retrying a declined tap.

A suitable mobile-data backup may keep a terminal connected. Some providers offer offline payments, but supported cards, devices, time limits and liability differ. An offline payment may later fail or expire, so check the provider’s terms before enabling it.

Compare total costs over the time you expect to use it. Ask who owns the device, whether it is tied to a provider, what support and replacements include, and whether a separate rental agreement continues if you stop processing.

Read our card-machine buying guide →

Your bill may include a merchant service charge for transactions plus terminal rental, authorisation, monthly minimum, PCI administration, refund or dispute fees. International and commercial cards may cost more. Ask for a written breakdown using your actual sales and card mix.

Read the full card-processing fees guide →

The acquirer is the financial institution that handles card acceptance for your business. Interchange is generally paid by the acquirer to the customer’s card issuer. Card schemes charge fees for their networks and processing, and the acquirer has its own costs and margin. These contribute to what a merchant pays. A cap on some consumer-card interchange fees does not cap your whole processing bill.

Interchange++ (IC++) normally passes through applicable interchange and scheme or processing fees, with an additional acquirer charge. The total can change with your card mix. Ask how each component appears on the statement and compare the full cost with a simpler quoted rate.

Compare card-processing pricing models →

No. It may be simpler to predict, but total cost depends on sales volume, card mix and other charges. Compare the same period of real sales, including terminal costs, minimums, refunds, overseas cards and contract terms.

Some contracts specify a minimum monthly processing or service charge. If eligible charges fall short, the provider may bill the difference. Check which fees count towards the minimum and whether it applies in quiet months.

Check both agreements separately: they may have different end dates, notice rules and exit costs. Request a written breakdown before switching, and confirm whether your current terminal can be reused.

Understand terminal contracts and exit costs →

UK rules generally prohibit payment-method surcharges on consumer debit and credit cards and certain other consumer payments. Commercial-card rules can differ, but other legal and card-scheme conditions may apply. Check current guidance for the specific payment type first.

The terminal sends an authorisation request through the payment provider and card network to the customer’s card issuer. Approval is followed by capture, clearing and settlement before the payout reaches your bank account. “Approved” does not mean the money has arrived.

Timing varies by provider, account, cut-off time and bank holidays. A provider may advertise next-day or faster payouts, but check when the clock starts, which days count and whether faster payout costs extra.

Read our guide to payout timing and contracts →

The provider may deduct processing fees, refunds, chargebacks or other adjustments before paying you. Others pay gross sales and bill fees separately. Compare the settlement report, bank credit and merchant statement.

Check its capture, batch and payout status in the provider dashboard. Keep the terminal receipt or reference and compare it with the settlement report. Contact the provider promptly; do not charge the customer again until the original payment’s status is clear.

Yes. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is intended for card-accepting merchants of every size. How you demonstrate compliance depends on your setup and acquirer or card-brand requirements. Ask your provider what you must do.

There is no single questionnaire for every terminal. Your payment channels, connections, integrations and any card-data storage affect eligibility. Ask your acquirer or compliance provider which Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) you need; do not choose one based only on the terminal model.

No. A till integration that does not handle card data may reduce scope, and a validated point-to-point encryption (P2PE) solution may simplify assessment. Neither automatically removes every obligation. Confirm your actual setup and eligibility with the acquirer.

A refund is a repayment the business initiates. A chargeback is a card-payment dispute raised through the customer’s issuer under card-scheme rules. You may be able to challenge it with evidence; the outcome and any fee depend on the case and provider terms.

Keep the order, receipt, delivery or collection evidence, refund policy and relevant customer communications. Check the provider’s dispute deadline and submit evidence through its secure process. Authorisation alone does not prove delivery or completion.

Possibly. Ask your EPOS supplier which payment providers and terminal integrations it supports. You may keep the till software but need a new terminal or connector. Check migration and exit costs before signing.

Bring a recent merchant statement, terminal agreement, approximate monthly card turnover, average transaction value and details of your EPOS and connectivity. Remove unnecessary customer card data before sharing statements. Compare overall cost and practical fit, not just the headline rate.