Taking cards used to mean a bank merchant account, a monthly terminal rental and an eighteen month contract. None of that is necessary now, and if you are still paying for it you are almost certainly overpaying.
The four ways to get paid
Tap to pay on your phone. The card touches your handset and that is the whole setup. No hardware, nothing to charge, nothing to lose in the van. Best for mobile work and anyone who does not want a device on the counter.
A card reader. A small physical device paired to your phone or till. Worth it when several people take payment at once, when you want a printed receipt or when the counter is busy enough that handing over a phone is awkward.
A payment link. Sent by text, email or WhatsApp, paid whenever the customer opens it. This is the one that fixes chasing: the invoice and the means to pay it arrive together.
Payment at online booking. The strongest option, because it takes the money before the appointment rather than after. Deposits taken at the point of booking are also the single most effective thing you can do about no shows.
Which suits which business
| Method | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Tap to pay on phone | Mobile work, solo operators | One phone means one person taking payment |
| Card reader | Busy counters, multiple staff | Hardware cost and something else to charge |
| Payment link | Invoiced work, trades, landlords | Still relies on the customer acting |
| Pay at booking | Appointments, deposits, courses | Needs a booking system behind it |
Understanding what it costs
Card fees are a percentage plus a fixed amount per transaction, and the fixed amount is the part that decides whether small sales are worth taking on card.
At 2.5% plus 35p, a £12 sale costs 65p to process, which is 5.4%. The same rate on a £480 job costs £12.35, or 2.6%. If your average ticket is small, the percentage in the advert tells you very little.
Work out your blended rate instead: last month's total card fees divided by total card takings. That one number is more useful than any pricing page, and it is the only fair way to compare providers.
Also check whether the platform fee is inside the card rate or billed separately. A low advertised rate with a separate per booking or new client charge is not cheaper, it is differently shaped.
The things people get caught by
Surcharging. You cannot add a fee to a consumer for paying by debit or credit card in the UK. If cards cost you money, build it into your prices rather than adding it at the till.
Payout speed. Standard settlement is usually a couple of working days. Paying extra for faster payouts is a recurring cost that is easy to switch on and forget about.
Chargebacks. If a customer disputes a payment you will be asked for evidence. Booking confirmations, reminder messages and a record of your cancellation policy win these. Screenshots assembled after the fact usually do not.
Minimum spends. Refusing cards under a fiver annoys people and, on a percentage plus fixed fee, is often solving a problem worth about thirty pence.
Getting set up
- Work out your average transaction value first
- Compare on blended rate, not headline percentage
- Check whether the platform fee is inside the card rate
- Take deposits at booking, not payment at the end
- Put a payment link in every invoice
- Never surcharge a consumer for using a card
- Check the default payout speed and what faster costs
- Keep booking and reminder records for chargebacks
Keep reading
- Money
What to put on an invoice
The details a UK invoice must carry, what changes once you are VAT registered, how invoice numbering has to work and how long to keep the records.
- Running your business
How to reduce no shows
What actually cuts no shows in a UK service business: deposits, reminder timing, cancellation windows and waitlists. With the rules on charging a no show fee legally.
- Choosing software
Switching booking software without losing clients
A step by step plan for moving to new booking software: what to export, how to run both systems in parallel, when to switch your links and how to tell your regulars.