What's the best card reader for contractors?
You get paid in a crawl space, a mechanical room or a driveway, and your tickets run in the hundreds or thousands. Here's what each reader really costs on those amounts.
Short answer: SumUp is the best card reader for most contractors who want one flat rate and next-day payouts, at 2.6% + 10¢ in person with no monthly fee. Square charges almost the same and wins if you live in invoices. But on a contractor's tickets, the reader's price barely matters. The rate does. On a $4,000 final payment, SumUp takes $104.10, Square $104.15 and PayPal POS $91.69. Helcim's own markup on that payment is $16.08, before the card network's interchange fee, which is why it gets cheaper the bigger your jobs. The other trap is held funds: a large payment taken before the work is done is exactly what triggers a reserve. We compared six readers on three contractor situations: the service call, the final payment and the remote deposit.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored spot is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best reader for the way you get paid
2.6% + 10¢, no monthly fee
Best for invoicing customersInvoices, card on file and reader in one app
Cheapest on big jobsInterchange + 0.40% + 8¢, no contract
Best if your software runs on Stripe2.7% + 5¢, M2 reader $59
Lowest flat rate without a developer2.29% + 9¢, first reader $29
Your bank already offers itPolished hardware, pricing on quote
6 card readers for contractors compared
The "on a $4,000 job" column shows what each provider takes on a single final payment. That's the number that matters when your tickets are big. Prices come from official pricing pages. Scores are the same as in our overall card reader ranking; SumUp, missing from that one, keeps the score it has across our card reader family.
| Best for | On a $4,000 job | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | SumUp | Best overall for contractors | $104.10 | 4.1/5 | $0/mo + 2.6% + 10¢ | ✓ | Solo contractors | Visit → |
| 2 | Square | Best for invoicing customers | $104.15 | 4.0/5 | $0/mo + 2.6% + 15¢; reader $59 | ✓ | Contractors who invoice | Visit → |
| 3 | Helcim | Cheapest on big jobs | $16.08 + interchange | 3.8/5 | Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢; reader $199 | ✓ | Busy contractors, big tickets | Visit → |
| 4 | Stripe Terminal | Best if your software runs on Stripe | $108.05 | 3.5/5 | 2.7% + 5¢; M2 $59 | ✓ | Contractors with field software | Visit → |
| 5 | PayPal POS | Lowest flat rate without a developer | $91.69 | 3.4/5 | $0/mo + 2.29% + 9¢; reader $29 | ✓ | Contractors paid via PayPal | Visit → |
| 6 | Clover | Your bank already offers it | On quote | 2.9/5 | Pricing on quote | — | Contractors tied to a bank | Visit → |
Scores on five criteria specific to card readers, the same across our card reader rankings. Prices read in 2026 on official pages; in-person card rates, our math.
How we compared and scored
A contractor doesn't get paid like a coffee shop. You take few payments a month, but big ones: a water heater swap for a few hundred dollars, a deposit on a bathroom remodel, a final payment in the thousands. Often in the customer's basement or mechanical room, where your phone has one bar. And part of the money comes in remotely, when the customer pays the deposit from home after signing the estimate.
So we priced each reader on three situations: a $350 service call, a $4,000 final payment, and a $10,000 month made of ten $1,000 payments. Then we added a $1,500 deposit paid remotely, where the provider publishes that rate. Rates, hardware and payout times come from official pages, read in 2026. We then read user reviews and trade press, starting with the worst: payments held for months, readers that drop in basements, support you can't reach. We didn't open accounts with these providers: we compared what they publish and what their customers report.
Rank follows the overall score, the same in all our card reader rankings, so the best pick for your case is in the awards above. Field service suites like Housecall Pro or Jobber also take card payments inside their scheduling and invoicing software. We left them out of the ranking because you pay for the whole suite, not a reader, and we couldn't read their processing rates on an official page. If you already run one, check its rate before adding a separate reader.
- Processing feesIn-person and remote rates, fixed fee per payment, monthly fee. Priced on $350, $4,000 and $10,000 a month.25%
- Hardware and mobilityReader price, Bluetooth or standalone, offline mode, Tap to Pay on your phone.20%
- Payouts and cash flowHow fast the money lands, and how likely it is to be held.20%
- Freedom (contract, account)Contract, monthly minimum, required account.20%
- Support and reliabilityReachable support, hardware failures and frozen funds in recent reviews.15%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
SumUp
SumUp charges 2.6% + 10¢ per in-person payment, with no monthly fee, no contract and no minimum. On a $350 service call, that's $9.20; on a $4,000 final payment, $104.10 (our math). The rate doesn't change with the card, so a customer's business card or rewards card costs you the same as a basic debit card.
Payouts arrive the next business day. For remote payments, keyed-in cards and online payments cost 3.5% + 15¢: a $1,500 deposit taken that way costs $52.65 (our math). That's steep, so for deposits a bank transfer or check is still worth asking for.
The catch: like every aggregator, SumUp reviews unusual activity, and a first big payment on a new account can trigger a check. Reviews often describe support that's hard to reach. And on large jobs, the flat 2.6% costs more than interchange-plus pricing like Helcim's.
- One flat rate on every card
- Next-day payouts
- No monthly fee or contract
- ✓The simplest pricing to plan around
- ✓Low 10¢ fixed fee
- ✓No minimum volume
- ✗3.5% + 15¢ on keyed-in and online payments
- ✗Flat rate costs more than Helcim on big jobs
- ✗Support hard to reach in reviews
The best pick for most contractors who want simple, predictable fees. Take deposits by transfer to avoid the 3.5% remote rate.
Square
Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ per in-person payment on its free plan, with no contract. On a $350 service call, that's $9.25; on a $4,000 final payment, $104.15 (our math), a nickel more than SumUp. The contactless and chip reader costs $59; the Terminal, a standalone device with its own screen, $299.
Square's strength for contractors is everything around the reader: invoices your customer pays by card, cards saved on file for the final payment, and a free point of sale in the same app. If you invoice more than you swipe, it's the most complete free setup in this list. Square also has an offline mode, with limits: up to 24 hours, and no contactless payments while offline.
The catch is serious for contractors, and Square says it in its own help pages: it can place a reserve when customers pay before the service is delivered, when activity is irregular, or when an account is new. A deposit taken before the job checks all three boxes. A contractor told a plumbing trade magazine that Square held 30% of each of his payments for months.
- Invoices, card on file and reader in one app
- Free point of sale
- Offline mode up to 24 hours
- ✓Most complete free invoicing setup
- ✓Standalone Terminal for bigger crews
- ✓No monthly fee or contract
- ✗Reserves on payments before the work is done
- ✗No contactless while offline
- ✗15¢ fixed fee, higher than SumUp
The right tool if you invoice a lot and already have a history. Avoid taking your first big deposit on a brand-new Square account.
Helcim
Helcim doesn't charge a flat rate. It passes through interchange, the fee the card networks set for each card, and adds a markup of 0.40% + 8¢ per in-person payment below $50,000 a month. There's no monthly fee, no contract and no cancellation fee. On a $4,000 final payment, Helcim's markup is $16.08 (our math). Add interchange on top, which depends on the card.
That's why Helcim gets cheaper the bigger your tickets. Flat-rate providers bake their margin into 2.6% or 2.29% of every dollar; Helcim's margin on a $4,000 job is a fraction of that. A debit card costs you much less than a premium rewards card or a business card, and you see that difference on your statement instead of paying the average.
The catch is the hardware and the paperwork. The Card Reader costs $199 and the Smart Terminal $349, more than any flat-rate reader here. Interchange-plus statements take longer to read, and you can't know your exact cost before your first month. Ask Helcim to estimate a statement with your real card mix before you switch.
- Interchange + 0.40% + 8¢
- No monthly fee, no contract
- Markup falls as volume grows
- ✓The lowest markup on big tickets
- ✓You see what each card really costs
- ✓No cancellation fee
- ✗$199 reader, the priciest entry point here
- ✗Statements harder to read
- ✗No single rate to compare before signup
The best math once your jobs regularly run into the thousands. Stick with a flat rate if you want one number you never think about.
Stripe Terminal
Stripe Terminal charges 2.7% + 5¢ per in-person payment, and 1.5% more on international cards. On a $350 service call, that's $9.50; on a $4,000 final payment, $108.05 (our math), the most expensive flat rate in this list on a big ticket. The M2 reader costs $59 and the S700 smart terminal $299. Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android adds 10¢ per payment.
Why it's here: some field service and quoting software takes payments through Stripe. If yours does, the reader plugs into the jobs, estimates and invoices you already manage, and your online and in-person payments land in one account.
The catch: Stripe Terminal isn't plug and play. You need software that supports it, or a developer to connect it. For a solo contractor without either, the reader is useless out of the box.
- Works inside Stripe-based software
- M2 reader $59
- Online and in-person in one account
- ✓Low 5¢ fixed fee
- ✓Solid hardware lineup
- ✓One account for online and on-site
- ✗Needs compatible software or a developer
- ✗2.7% costs more on big tickets
- ✗+1.5% on international cards
Only if your software already runs on Stripe. Otherwise, SumUp or Square do the same job without a developer.
PayPal POS
PayPal POS, formerly Zettle, charges 2.29% + 9¢ per in-person payment, with no monthly fee. On a $350 service call, that's $8.11; on a $4,000 final payment, $91.69 (our math): $12.41 less than SumUp on a single job. Your first reader costs $29, extra readers $79, and the standalone Terminal $199.
Money lands in your PayPal balance within minutes. If customers already pay your invoices through PayPal, in-person and remote payments end up in the same place.
So why fifth, behind Stripe? Its overall score is lower: the reader depends on your phone, reliability reviews are among the weakest in this list, and PayPal says transactions may be held. On a big contractor payment, a hold hurts more than a few dollars of fees.
- Lowest flat rate in this list
- First reader $29
- Money in PayPal within minutes
- ✓Cheapest flat rate on big tickets
- ✓No monthly fee
- ✓Handy if customers already pay via PayPal
- ✗Transactions may be held
- ✗Reader relies on your phone's signal
- ✗Weak reliability reviews
The cheapest flat rate for a contractor who doesn't want to deal with interchange. Move the money out of PayPal often.
Clover
Clover makes some of the most polished card hardware on the market, from the small Clover Go reader to the Flex handheld. That's where its score comes from. The rest is harder to judge, because Clover is sold both directly and through banks and resellers, each with its own rates and terms. The official pricing page we read didn't show its processing rates, so we can't price it on a $4,000 job.
Some reseller deals come with multi-year contracts and early termination fees. Hardware bought through one processor can't always move with you to another.
If your bank offers Clover, ask in writing for the processing rate on consumer and business cards, the monthly fee, the contract length and the early termination fee. Then compare the twelve-month total with Helcim and SumUp.
- Polished handheld hardware
- Sold through many banks
- Wide device lineup
- ✓Good-looking, sturdy devices
- ✓Local bank support if you go through one
- ✓Grows into a full point of sale
- ✗Rates not shown on the page we read
- ✗Terms vary by reseller
- ✗Contracts and termination fees in some deals
Only after you've read the contract. For most contractors, a no-contract reader is the safer bet.
What a card reader really costs on contractor jobs
On a contractor's tickets, the reader pays for itself on the first job. What adds up is the percentage taken on every payment. Here are three situations, in person, in our math from official rates.
- A $350 service call: PayPal POS $8.11; SumUp $9.20; Square $9.25; Stripe $9.50; Helcim $1.48 markup plus interchange.
- A $4,000 final payment: PayPal POS $91.69; SumUp $104.10; Square $104.15; Stripe $108.05; Helcim $16.08 markup plus interchange.
- A $10,000 month in ten $1,000 payments: PayPal POS $229.90; SumUp $261; Square $261.50; Stripe $270.50; Helcim $40.80 markup plus interchange.
- A $1,500 deposit keyed in or paid online with SumUp: $52.65. By bank transfer or check: $0.
Two takeaways. Between the flat-rate readers, the gap on a $10,000 month is about $40. Interchange-plus is where the real difference sits once your jobs get big. And for deposits, a transfer or check is still the cheapest option when the customer isn't in a hurry.
You mostly do service calls
You run jobs with a deposit and a final payment
You bill property managers and businesses
- Price your average final payment, not a $25 sale.
- Check the remote or keyed-in rate for deposits.
- Test the reader in a basement before you rely on it.
- Describe your trade and deposits at signup.
- Keep signed estimates and invoices ready to send.
- Sweep your balance to your bank every week.
Holds, no signal, remote deposits: the contractor traps
Most card reader rankings are written for coffee shops and $20 baskets. Contractors talk about other things: a share of every payment held for months, a reader that drops in the mechanical room, a customer who wants to pay the deposit from the couch. Six points from those reports and the providers' own terms.
The big payment that triggers a hold
Cash flowSquare's help pages list the triggers for a reserve: payments taken before the service is delivered, irregular activity, a new account. PayPal says transactions may be held. A $3,000 deposit on an account opened last week fits the risk profile perfectly. A contractor told a trade magazine that Square held 30% of each of his payments for months, thousands of dollars in total.
What helps: describe your trade and your deposit practice at signup, run a few small payments before the first big one, keep the signed estimate and invoice ready to upload, and call support before an unusual payment.
- Habit
- Signed estimate ready to send
The deposit paid from home
Getting paidThe customer signs the estimate at night and wants to pay the deposit right away. A remote card payment doesn't cost what an in-person one does: SumUp charges 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-in and online payments, against 2.6% + 10¢ in person. On $1,500, that's $52.65 instead of $39.10 (our math).
A guide for plumbers recommends payment links for deposits, because the customer pays before you order parts. Fine, but ask for a bank transfer or check when the customer isn't in a hurry.
- $1,500 deposit, SumUp remote
- $52.65
The mechanical room with one bar
HardwareA plumbing payments guide puts it bluntly: signal in basements and mechanical rooms is patchy at best. The Bluetooth reader drops from the phone, the customer waits, and you end up walking upstairs to take the payment. Every Bluetooth reader in this list depends on your phone's signal.
Square's offline mode can store payments for up to 24 hours, but not contactless ones. Simplest fix: take the payment upstairs, at the front door, before you pack up.
- Square offline
- Up to 24 hours, no contactless
The reader that lives in the toolbox
HardwareThe same guide describes readers damaged in the van and the toolbox. A $29 or $59 reader is cheap to replace; a $199 or $299 terminal is not. Keep the reader in a case, away from the tools, and charge it at night with your phone.
And keep Tap to Pay on your phone as a backup: if the reader dies on site, you can still take a contactless payment.
- Backup
- Tap to Pay on your phone
Business and rewards cards
MathProperty managers, landlords and general contractors pay with business cards, which carry higher interchange. A flat rate (SumUp, Square, PayPal POS) charges you the same either way. Interchange-plus (Helcim) passes the real cost through.
If most of your customers pay with debit cards, interchange-plus wins clearly. If most pay with business or premium rewards cards, the gap shrinks. Look at three months of payments before you switch.
- Flat rate
- SumUp, Square, PayPal POS
The fixed fee doesn't matter, the percentage does
MathSmall shops obsess over the fixed fee: 5¢, 9¢, 10¢ or 15¢. On a $4,000 payment, the fixed fee is noise. The percentage is the bill: PayPal POS costs $12.41 less than SumUp on that one job, and $12.40 of it comes from the 0.31-point gap in rate (our math).
So rank providers by their percentage on your typical final payment, then by how likely they are to hold your money. The reader's price comes last.
- Gap on $4,000
- $12.41 PayPal vs SumUp
What you need around your card reader
You have your reader. For the rest of your billing, here are our other rankings.
CRMs that also bill your customers.
You run a shop or a high-volume counterAll card readersOur overall card reader ranking.
You take small payments, not big jobsSelf-employed readersReaders priced at $1,000 and $2,500 a month.
Card readers for contractors · FAQ
What is the best card reader for a plumber or electrician?
For most, SumUp or Square: no monthly fee, about 2.6% per in-person payment, and a cheap reader. If your jobs regularly run into the thousands, look at Helcim: its markup on a $4,000 payment is $16.08 plus interchange, against $104.10 with SumUp.
Can I take a deposit by card before starting the job?
Yes, in person or remotely. But remote rates are higher: SumUp charges 3.5% + 15¢ for keyed-in and online payments. And payments taken before the work is done are one of the triggers Square lists for a reserve. Keep the signed estimate ready in case you're asked for it.
Why is my card processor holding my money?
Almost always for a review: new account, unusually large payment, or payment taken before the service. Ask for the reason in writing, send your estimate and invoice right away, and keep a cash buffer so one hold doesn't stall your next job.
Is a payment link better than a card reader for contractors?
They do different jobs. A link or invoice is best for deposits, when the customer isn't there. A reader is best for the final payment on site. Most contractors need both, and both Square and SumUp do both in one account.
Can I just use my phone to take card payments?
As a backup, yes. Tap to Pay reads contactless cards with no hardware; Stripe charges 10¢ more per payment for it. But it needs signal, and your customer's card must be contactless. A reader is still safer as your main tool.
How much does a card reader cost for a contracting business?
Between $0 and $299 for the hardware. Tap to Pay on your phone needs no reader, Bluetooth readers cost $29 (PayPal POS, first one) to $59 (Square), Helcim's Card Reader $199, and standalone terminals $199 to $299. On big jobs, the processing rate costs far more than the reader within a month.
How fast do I get paid after a job?
From minutes to one business day. PayPal POS puts money in your PayPal balance within minutes; SumUp pays out the next business day. A hold or reserve can delay that, which is why your first big payment deserves a call to support.
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