Get £200 Cashback - Use Tide Card Reader Referral Code: TCRPOS
If you run a café with a lunchtime rush, a pop-up at the weekend market, or a mobile trade that’s always on the move, taking card and wallet payments quickly (and securely) is non-negotiable. Tide’s card readers plug straight into your Tide business account so you can accept Visa/Mastercard and popular digital wallets, reconcile faster, and keep cash flow moving—without juggling multiple providers. tide.co
Two devices. Same seamless Tide experience.
1) Tide Card Reader (portable)
Designed for sellers on the move—think stalls, events, client visits. It’s lightweight and compact, connects via Wi-Fi or built-in 4G (SIM included), and emails receipts to customers. Pair with your Tide account and you’re taking payments in minutes. Funds land in your account within three working days as standard.
2) Tide Card Reader Plus (with printer)
Perfect for in-store or higher-throughput environments. You get the same Wi-Fi/4G connectivity, but with an integrated receipt printer for instant paper receipts—ideal for hospitality and retail. It’s robust, built for steady footfall, and plugs neatly into your daily operations. Standard settlement is up to three working days.
Good to know: Tide processes reader payments with Adyen, using a PCI PTS-approved secure device and encrypted transactions end-to-end.
Pricing paths that flex with your takings
Tide offers three ways to pay, so you can optimise for your current volume and cash-flow needs:
Option A: Sell In-Person (buy device)
- Monthly fee: £12.99 + VAT
- Device cost: from £99
- Card reader fee (domestic consumer debit): 0.79% + 3p
- Tap to Pay on iPhone fee: 0.79% + 9p
This is a strong “steady volume” setup that lowers your per-transaction fees while keeping ownership of the hardware.
Option B: Sell In-Person (rent device)
- Monthly fee: £24.99 + VAT for the first device
- Device rental: £0 upfront (12-month minimum)
- Extra devices: £14.99 + VAT each per month
- Card reader fee (domestic consumer debit): 0.69% + 3p
- Tap to Pay on iPhone fee: 0.69% + 9p
Great if you want the lowest ongoing fee per transaction and no upfront device spend—especially useful for multi-device sites.
Option C: Pay As You Go
- Monthly fee: £0
- Device cost: from £159
- Card reader fee (domestic consumer debit): 1.39% + 5p
- Tap to Pay on iPhone fee: 1.5% + 11p
A no-commitment route if you’re just starting out or have occasional card takings.
Tip: If you regularly take £2,200+ per month in card payments, Sell In-Person can be cheaper overall than PAYG. And if your takings are £8,300+ per month,
Speed up cash flow with Next-Day Settlement
Need your money sooner? Add Next Day Settlement for £2.99 + VAT/month and get your reader and online takings the next business day—rather than waiting up to three working days. For many small businesses, this alone can justify the subscription. tide.co
Why UK businesses pick Tide readers
- All-in-one simplicity: Payments feed straight into your Tide account, so you can reconcile faster and keep an eye on cash flow in one place.
- Connectivity that just works: Wi-Fi and lifetime-free 4G mean fewer dead zones and more successful transactions on the go.
- Security built-in: PCI PTS-approved hardware, encrypted transactions, and Adyen’s proven acquiring stack.
- Flexible entry points: Own your device, rent to keep costs low upfront, or go PAYG—then layer on Tap to Pay and other Tide “Get Paid” tools as you grow.
Beyond card readers: more ways to get paid
Tide also offers Tap to Pay on iPhone, Payment Links, QR payment codes, and more—handy when you need to take a quick remote payment or add a no-hardware option while you wait for delivery. Fees for Tap to Pay align with your chosen plan (see above), and everything flows into your Tide account.
Getting started
- Open a free Tide business account (if you haven’t already).
- Order your Card Reader in the Tide app.
- Power up and take payments—no separate merchant account setup needed.
The bottom line
Tide’s card readers are an easy recommendation for UK sole traders and SMEs who want reliable hardware, transparent pricing choices, and tight integration with a modern business account. Pick the Card Reader for portability, the Card Reader Plus for in-store printing—and choose Sell In-Person (buy or rent) or Pay As You Go depending on your volume and cash-flow priorities. Add Next Day Settlement to accelerate your cash cycle, and round out your toolkit with Tide’s Tap to Pay and payment links as you scale.