5 Best Credit Card Readers for Android in 2022

In the complex world of digital payments, credit card readers are one direct way to cross-check your payment method. With a variety of different functions and options for purchase, it’s important to find a reader that fits your needs.

From food trucks to trade exhibitions, credit card scanners for Android phones and tablets make it simple for retailers to make transactions and take credit cards. You may also utilize them in your brick-and-mortar business using modern point-of-sale (POS) technology supplied by various firms and powerful card readers.

The following are the best credit card scanners for Android:

Comparison of the Best Credit Card Readers for Android

The best credit card reader for your requirements may not always be the one at the top of the list.

You don’t have an Android device? Check out our picks for iPhone credit card readers.

Square; is the best credit card reader for Android in general

4.63 OUT OF 5

What We Enjoy

• Free POS
• There are no charges for chargebacks.
• Simple to use and adaptable
• Free dispute resolution, active fraud monitoring, and alerts

What Isn’t There

• Only during business hours is live help available.
• An EMV (chip) card reader is an additional expense.
• A large number of complaints concerning unclaimed payments have been filed in the app store.

Pricing

• 2.6 percent + 10% if a card is present
• 3.5 percent + 15 percent keyed-in
• There is no chargeback cost.
• Free POS system
• $49 for a card reader (one free swipe reader)
• Hardware for the POS: $299+

Square is compatible with phones running Google Android 4.0 and above, while the exact version varies depending on the phone brand. It’s a fantastic card reader for Android phones that also has a POS system and other features that may be used for a full retail shop, service company, or restaurant. Square is the best mobile credit card processor and also the best credit card app on our list.

Pricing

Square’s transaction cost is the most expensive on our list, at 2.6 percent + 10 cents. It does not, however, impose monthly fees and provides low-cost card readers as well as a top-of-the-line POS system. The rate of keyed-in is competitive. Consider Zettle (PayPal) for general usage or Depot for Payments for high-volume sales if price is more essential than POS functionalities.

Features

Square is our top credit card reader for Android, with a rating of 4.63 out of 5 stars. The pricing is reasonable, since there are no monthly fees or minimums, making it an excellent alternative for the casual user. Furthermore, it features an exceptional chargeback policy as well as a full-featured POS system that is appropriate for full-time organizations. You may send invoices, take care of offline transactions, and so much more. It gets great marks from users for its simplicity of use and features.

Among the apps on our list, Square’s POS app has the most functionalities. (Image courtesy of Google Play)

• Square’s free online POS system is robust enough for restaurants or brick-and-mortar companies, but it’s also perfect for crafters who do the odd weekend fair. You may purchase extra services like as scheduling, appointment booking, and client management for a fee. On our list, it is by far the most feature-rich and flexible POS.
• Tools for business management: You may use the app to create customer lists with contact information and comments, as well as send messages to customers. Add-ons for payroll, marketing, and financial services ranging from checking accounts to loans are also available via Square. Overall, it boasts more business-growth options than any other provider on our list, while PayPal comes close.
• Square provides free dispute handling, active fraud prevention, and reporting of questionable conduct as part of its fraud protection. Risk management is available for 6 cents every transaction. Square is the only company on our list that doesn’t charge for chargebacks (up to $250 per month). Shopify offers better fraud prevention (although Square isn’t bad either!) but does charge for chargebacks.
• Square is the finest free iPhone credit card reader and the top mobile credit card reader on our list of best mobile credit card readers. With over 135,000 reviews, Android users have given it a 4.4-star rating. It’s the top-rated mobile POS app among users, as well as the most popular by a factor of ten.
• Other credit card readers on our list provide merchant accounts that connect with other POS systems (like Depot for Payments) or integrate as a payment system with other payment channels, so you’re not limited to Square (like PayPal). Square is completely self-contained.
• Customer service and user reviews are accessible Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern time by phone, chat, and email. PayPal gives service 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but QuickBooks simply has an online contact form.
• Complaints about held money: Square has the most complaints regarding held funds of any of the companies on our list, second only to PayPal. (It is, nevertheless, one of the largest payment processors.) Consider Depot for Payments if you’re looking for the most dependable.

PaymentDepot; is the best option for high-volume transactions.

4.26 OUT OF 5

What We Enjoy

• Pricing based on the interchange.
• App is highly rated on mobile.
• Customers laud the customer service.

What Isn’t There

• Low-volume, seasonal sales are not well served by a monthly charge.
• It requires the completion of an application procedure.
• Only merchants based in the United States are eligible.

Pricing

• Monthly prices range from $79 to $299.
• Interchange + 7 to 15 percent of the transaction charge, depending on the plan
• Fee for a chargeback: $15
• System of point-of-sale (point-of-sale):
• $99 for a card reader
• Hardware for POS: $499–$1,699

PaymentDepot uses the SwipeSimple mobile app by CardFlight for processing cards. SwipeSimple is a highly rated app used by several payment processors. PaymentDepot charges a monthly fee in exchange for lower, interchange-plus transaction charges. If you’re processing over $10,000 monthly, you may find this credit card processor more cost-effective, even with the monthly fee. Traditional merchant accounts like PaymentDepot provide greater account stability as well.

Pricing

Depot for Payments offers three plans, all with the same features, but different processing limits and rates:

• Starter (sales of up to $50,000 per month): $79 per month, plus interchange +15 cents
• Membership (up to $150,000 in monthly sales): $99 per month, plus $10 in interchange.
• Enterprise (sales of $300,000 or more per month): $199 per month with interchange plus seven cents

If you do high-volume or high-ticket sales, Pricing based on interchange + can save you money over most of the flat-rate processors on our list, which fold the interchange rate into their higher transaction rates. In general, you should consider this option if you process over $10,000 a month.

Features

Depot for Payments scored 4.26 out of 5 stars. It topped our rubric for mobile features and payment types but lost a few points here and there for being good, but not great in account features and pricing. For example, the chargeback fee of $15 is reasonable, but Square’s is excellent.

• Pricing based on interchange +: High-volume, high-transaction sellers can save hundreds to thousands of dollars a month with Pricing based on interchange +, even with the monthly fees. The other apps on our list charge a flat rate that is higher than interchange. That percentage adds up quickly. PaymentDepot can analyze your monthly transactions and tell you how much you can save.
• Excellent customer service: We rarely find customers raving about a payment company’s customer support, but PaymentDepot reviews on Trustpilot consistently praise customer service people for responding quickly and taking time to answer questions and resolve issues.
• Additional business services: PaymentDepot gives you access to business funding, free POS equipment, chargeback risk monitoring, and a free payment gateway for online transactions. The other services on our list offer some of these, but not all. (Benefits vary by plan.) Square and PayPal, for example, also have business funding, but not free POS hardware.
• SwipeSimple is a mobile app that has received 4.3 out of 5 stars from over 800 users as of this writing. The greatest ratings were in 2019/2020, however following an upgrade, as is common with applications, they dropped in 2021. Unlike the other applications on our list, SwipeSimple is used by numerous merchant services, and there have been complaints about some of them, lowering the score. The majority of users complimented the app and thought it was simple to use.
• Chargeback Policy: Unlike Square, PaymentDepot charges a nonrefundable $15 chargeback fee.
• Low-volume retailers should avoid this: The monthly costs make this more costly than free, flat-rate services like Zettle (PayPal) or Square if you do less than $10,000 in transactions each month.

Zettle (PayPal); is ideal for freelancers and crafters.

Zettle (PayPal)

4.21 OUT OF 5

What We Enjoy

• There is no minimum use requirement for free POS.
• It is quite simple to use.
• Pay using PayPal.

What Isn’t There

• There is no offline mode.
• Features that are limited
• There have been several complaints concerning blocked accounts and money that have been retained.

Pricing

• 2.29 percent + 9 percent = 2.29 percent + 9 percent = 2.29 percent + 9 percent = 2.29 percent Plus
• 3.49 percent + 9 percent (keyed-in)
• Fee for a chargeback: $20
• Free POS system
• Card reader costs $79 (the first one is $29).
• POS hardware costs between $249 and $699.

Zettle runs on Android 5.0 and above. Zettle is a simple yet effective point-of-sale tool that’s ideal for solopreneurs and small businesses with little inventory. It’s a better alternative for the solopreneur or artisan who sells their items at conventions, craft fairs, and other part-time venues, thanks to PayPal’s ease and the lack of monthly responsibilities. It’s on our top credit card applications, best credit card reader for iPhone, and best mobile credit card processors lists, just like Square.

Features

Zettle is more simple, and its absence of an offline payment processing method detracted from its ranking. Nonetheless, it is simple to use and has a significant following in Europe, where it had already established a solid following before PayPal’s takeover in 2018.

Zettle is a POS software that is both easy and comprehensive. (Image courtesy of Google Play)

• Ideal for sales on a small scale or infrequently: Zettle is so easy to use that you can set it up and understand it in a matter of minutes. There are no monthly or minimum costs, and there are no commitments. This is also true for Square, although Zettle’s rates are better, making it the ideal option for infrequent users.
• Deposits to PayPal the same day: Zettle makes daily deposits to PayPal. Other credit card readers on our list may be able to get you your money within a day or two. For faster deposits, Square charges a fee.
• Zettle has almost 39,000 reviews on Android, with a 3.9 rating. The most common complaints are about card reader connectivity troubles (see SwipeSimple for a more stable connection) and bad customer support.
• Offline mode: To conduct transactions, Zettle requires a connection to a 3G, 4G, or Wi-Fi network. The majority of the other mobile card readers on our list feature some kind of offline capability.
• Limited integrations: PayPal connects with almost anything you can think of. Zettle, on the other hand, is only available for BigCommerce, QuickBooks Online, Shopify, and WooCommerce. Consider Square if you want more variation.
• Reputation for held funds: PayPal ranks among the highest for payment processors for complaints about held funds or canceled accounts. Its customer service is often not helpful with this kind of issue, either. Square also has a lot, especially in 2020.

GoPayment; is ideal for freelancers and business-to-business sales.

Overall Score: 4.08 OUT OF 5

What We Enjoy

• Recurring billing and invoicing
• Processing of ACH and digital checks
• QuickBooks native integration
• For high-volume sales, a discount is available.

What Isn’t There

• Small payments aren’t ideal.
• A QuickBooks Online account is required.
• The POS system is an additional cost that is paid on a monthly basis.

Pricing

• $15–$150 each month (for QuickBooks)
• Processing charge in person: 2.4 percent plus $25 per transaction
• Processing cost for keyed-in transactions starts at 3.4 percent + 25 cents per transaction.
• Discounted pricing is available for high-volume customers.
• Card readers start at $49 and go up from there.
• POS Hardware: Stands start at $119. (iPad not included)
• Fees for chargebacks: $25
• Free trial for 30 days

GoPayment works on Android 4.1 JellyBean and higher. It is a great choice for QuickBooks users, especially those who process large payments and want ACH transfer capabilities as well. With Level 2 and 3 processing and invoicing functions, it’s the best for freelancers and B2B sales. While it promises quick deposits, many customers said it took several days for payments to go into their accounts.

Features

QuickBooks Go has a rating of 4.08 stars out of a possible five. Because to the $25 chargeback cost and the monthly fee, it lost some points. It also lost marks for its online-only assistance tools and deposit timeframes, which may take three or more days. Despite this, it received good marks in practically every other area.

GoPayment includes inventory with images. (Source: Google’s Play store)

• B2B tools: QuickBooks is one of the greatest B2B payment systems, and GoPayment makes accepting payments on the go simple. Invoicing is simple and integrated with QuickBooks. Level 2 and 3 processing reduces the cost of accepting corporate credit cards and B2B payments. Finally, it offers competitive ACH rates—Square, for example, has a $1 minimum and no maximum, while QuickBooks has no minimum and a $10 maximum.
• Artists and authors who work on commission or contract and sell their actual products in person may send invoices or set up regular payments using freelancer tools. Square and Shopify both allow you to create invoices, but QuickBooks connects directly to your accounting software and notifies you when they’ve been paid.
• GoPayment data syncs smoothly with QuickBooks and is compatible with other Intuit products, including QuickBooks’ POS system (extra purchase). Other applications on our list would need the acquisition of accounting software and the coordination of integration. TurboTax and Mint are also compatible with QuickBooks.
• Mobile app: The GoPayment app on Android has 4.2 out of 5 stars with about 7,300 votes. GoPayment has card photo capability for accepting payments without a reader, something few apps offer.
• POS system: While the app offers a basic POS system, you’ll need to acquire QuickBooks POS separately if you want a countertop version. Square is your best choice if you want a free system that works with your countertop POS.
• This program is not available in a free version; you must buy QuickBooks to use it. Look to Square or PayPal for free, flat-rate credit card processing for Android.
• Online shop: QuickBooks interfaces with a variety of eCommerce solutions, but unlike the majority of the services on our list, it does not include an online store. For eCommerce, Shopify is the greatest option.

Shopify POS; is the best solution for multichannel sales.

3.85 OUT OF 5

What We Enjoy

• Syncs with your Shopify webshop automatically.
• Reliable
• Inventory management software with a large number of options

What Isn’t There

• There is a fee for utilizing a third-party payment processor.
• Shopify charges a monthly fee.
• There is no offline mode.

Pricing

• $29-$299 per month for a POS system
• Money-back guarantee for 90 days
• The processing charge for cards that are present: 2.4 percent—2.7 percent
• Processing cost for keyed-in transactions starts at 2.4 percent + 30 percent per transaction.
• Fees for chargebacks: $15, refundable
• Card readers start at $29 and go up from there.
• POS Hardware Starts at $179.
• Free trial for 14 days

Shopify is a popular eCommerce platform that comes with a free mobile point-of-sale app. Shopify’s credit card processing prices are competitive, but it’s the simplicity that really sets it apart. All online and in-person transactions are synced to your Shopify dashboard, ensuring that your income, inventory, and customer information are always up to date—ideal for brick-and-mortar businesses that also sell online.

Pricing

To utilize the app, you must first acquire the company’s eCommerce software. Depending on the features you choose, Shopify’s prices range from $29 to $299 a month. If this is too much for you, Square, which also features multichannel processing and the greatest integrations, is a good option.

Transaction costs vary per plan, with lower rates on the more costly ones. Shopify offers a wonderful feature in that it only charges a percentage for in-person purchases, which might save you money if you conduct a lot of low-ticket transactions.

Shopify charges a fee if you wish to use an alternative payment processor, which might offset the benefit. However, only Shopify gives delivery reductions.

Features

Shopify has a lot of features, but its user interface isn’t as nice as some others. (Image courtesy of Google Play)

• Top-of-the-line eCommerce platform: Shopify is one of the greatest eCommerce platforms available. It offers other sales channels and processes payments ranging from cash to bitcoin, in addition to a full-featured POS system. Shopify is best known for eCommerce, but it also offers a sophisticated POS platform for mobile and in-store transactions, making it a perfect multichannel solution. Shopify is compatible with over 2,000 applications and programs.
• Dropshipping: Shopify makes it simple to add dropshipping to your revenue stream in addition to eCommerce. It has Oberlo, which interfaces with hundreds of dropshipping firms.
• Reductions on shipping: If you handle mail orders, sell on eBay, or ship a lot of your items, Shopify is worth looking into only for the shipping discounts. Your savings might cover the cost of the program. This benefit is not available with any other credit card processor on our list.
• Fraud protection: Shopify’s machine learning tools analyze transactions for suspicious charges and bring them to your attention. It’s one of the best fraud prevention tools for POS. It charges $15 for chargebacks, which is as good as Depot for Payments, but it also refunds that if you win the dispute. The only better offer is Square, which waives up to $250 in chargeback fees regardless.
• Shopify’s mobile app has 2.6 stars and over 1,300 reviews. It has the lowest user review rating of all the applications on our list. It received either positive or negative feedback.
• Offline mode: If you’ll be selling in an area where internet access is poor, Square or QuickBooks are better choices. When you’re offline, Shopify’s app allows you to accept cash purchases but not credit card transactions.
• Must purchase Shopify: The only way to use the Shopify POS (Point of Sale) app is with a Shopify account. This is great if you need an eCommerce site, but otherwise, look at Square or PayPal.

How We Selected Android Credit Card Readers

When it comes to mobile POS systems, most people think of iPads, but many payment processors also have outstanding Android choices. Some even have their own credit card processing accounts. We selected trusted payment processors with high-ranking applications in the Google Play store. To identify the best solutions, we looked at cost, functionality, and how soon you could collect your money.

Square, like the best card readers for iOS, came in first for Android systems. It offers competitive prices and a cutting-edge POS system for smartphones, tablets, and the web that can scale with your business.

20% of the overall score

We preferred payment processors that did not have monthly or cancellation fees, nor did they need contracts or a monthly minimum charge. Although all of the processors received good marks, only Square received a perfect grade.

20% of the overall score

All processors should take swipe payments and have the ability to handle NFC (touchless) payments, even if you need to purchase a different reader. We also considered invoice capability, virtual terminals, e-checks, and stored payments for repeat customers. Square and Depot for Payments both earned 5 out of 5.

20% of the overall score

We gave points to readers with an offline mode and the ability to save credit card data and send invoices.

20% of the overall score

We sought 24-hour customer service, short deposit times, and chip and swipe mobile card readers. This sector had the lowest marks, with PayPal coming in best with a score of 4.13 out of 5 and QuickBooks coming in the bottom with a score of 2.25 out of 5.

20% of the overall score

This number is derived from a combination of our overall assessment of pricing and convenience of use, as well as ratings from real-world consumers on reputable third-party review sites.

Conclusion

To find a great mobile credit card reader, first look at the best payment processors such as Square, PayPal, and PaymentDepot. Each has strengths and pricing structures that make it better for specific business types and sizes. Because there is such a wide variety of Android devices, however, check that the credit card reader you prefer is compatible with your device.

Our best selection, Square, is compatible with Google Android 4.0 and above. It’s a low-cost payment processor with great functionality for in-store, online, and other purchases utilizing the phone app. Start using Square right now.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best card reader app for Android?

A: A card reader is a device that plugs into the slot of your computer and allows you to read data from magnetic strips on credit cards. The best app for Android would be EzCardReader, which can also accept gift cards.