Barclaycard Payments review for Barclays card machines
Barclaycard publishes its reader prices but not its transaction rates: the Portable costs £18.00 + VAT a month on an 18 month contract, and every rate is a quote. For a £5,000 a month shop on that portable reader, the quote has to come in under 0.99% all in to match Dojo and under 1.18% to beat SumUp.
Verdict
Barclaycard's own representative debit rate, 0.7% + 3p, would be a good price. The trouble is that it covers personal debit cards only, and everything that pushes a bill up (credit, business and international cards, the minimum monthly charge, chargebacks) is priced in a contract you see after applying. The 18 month term on the Portable and Countertop is longer than the contract at Tyl (12 month contract) or Elavon (12 month contract). Take a Barclaycard quote only once you have run it through the table below.
Barclays customers who want a bank-backed terminal and next-day money, and businesses switching in who can use the exit fee cover
You want a published rate or a contract shorter than 18 months on a standard terminal
Checked 1 November 2026 against Barclaycard's card readers page and statement guide. No rating: we review published terms, not our own use.
What is Barclaycard Payments?
Barclaycard Payments is the merchant services arm of Barclays: card machines, online gateways and the merchant account that settles card takings into your bank. Barclaycard is a trading name of Barclays Bank PLC and Barclaycard International Payments Limited. Barclays Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the FCA and the PRA (Financial Services Register number 122702). Barclaycard Payments serves over 160,000 UK businesses (Barclaycard’s own figure), and its readers accept Visa, Mastercard and, when selected, American Express.
Barclaycard card machines and prices
| Reader | Cost | Contract | Cancellation cost | Connectivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclaycard Portable | £18 + VAT monthly service fee | 18 months | Variable | 4G SIM included, plus Wi-Fi |
| Barclaycard Countertop | £16 + VAT monthly service fee | 18 months | Variable | Wi-Fi, optional Ethernet through MagicBox |
| Smartpay Touch | £29 + VAT monthly service fee | 12 months | £0 | Smart SIM using Wi-Fi or the strongest mobile network |
| Smartpay Anywhere | £29 + VAT one-off fee | No contract | £0 | Wi-Fi and mobile data networks |
Source: barclaycard.co.uk card readers page, checked 1 November 2026. Transaction rate on all four: customised pricing.
The two standard terminals, the Portable and the Countertop, are the ones with the 18 month contract and the variable cancellation cost. Smartpay Touch (an all-in-one point of sale) and Smartpay Anywhere (a pocket reader bought outright) carry no cancellation cost, which makes Smartpay Anywhere the lowest-risk way to try Barclaycard.
Barclaycard merchant services fees
Customised pricing on all four readers; no standard rate is published. Barclaycard does give two representative examples, which are the closest thing to a published rate:
- 0.7% + 3p for a Visa or Mastercard personal debit card in person: a £50 item costs £0.35 + £0.03 = £0.38.
- 2.05% + 3p for a Visa or Mastercard personal credit card by phone: a £50 item costs £1.03 + £0.03 = £1.06.
Barclaycard says these rates are representative only; you get a tailored pricing plan on application. On top, Barclaycard lists a minimum monthly service charge, chargeback fees and PCI DSS management; the amounts are not published: full details are in your contract. Its statement guide explains the minimum billing charge: if your card transaction charges for the month come to less than your minimum billing amount, Barclaycard charges the difference. Payments that are not chip and PIN, contactless or 3D Secure can carry an extra percentage, shown as "Non Qual" on the statement.
Barclaycard fees on a £5,000 a month shop
Take the house example: £5,000 a month in 250 sales of £20 (our assumption), on the Barclaycard Portable. If every sale were a personal debit card at Barclaycard's representative rate:
£5,000 × 0.7% = £35.00
250 sales × 3p authorisation = £7.50
Barclaycard Portable = £18.00 + VAT
Floor: £60.50 a month
That is a floor, not a forecast: credit cards, business cards and any minimum monthly charge all push it up, and none of them are published. The useful number is the ceiling in the next table.
What rate to accept from Barclaycard
The ceiling is the highest all-in percentage, across every card you take, at which Barclaycard still costs no more than the alternative: (benchmark − reader fee − £7.50 authorisation) ÷ £5,000. The benchmarks: SumUp pay as you go (1.69%), £5,000 × 1.69% = £84.50; Square (1.75%), £5,000 × 1.75% = £87.50; Dojo (1.2% blended, Dojo Wired rented), £5,000 × 1.2% = £60.00, plus £15.00 for the Dojo Wired = £75.00.
| Barclaycard reader | Monthly fee | Max rate to beat SumUp | To beat Square | To match Dojo with a rented terminal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclaycard Portable | £18.00 | 1.18% | 1.24% | 0.99% |
| Barclaycard Countertop | £16.00 | 1.22% | 1.28% | 1.03% |
| Smartpay Touch | £29.00 | 0.96% | 1.02% | 0.77% |
| Smartpay Anywhere | £0 (£29 + VAT one-off fee) | 1.54% | 1.6% | 1.35% |
For example, the Barclaycard Portable: (£75.00 − £18.00 − £7.50) ÷ £5,000 = 0.99%. Dojo on rate alone is £5,000 × 1.2% = £60.00. The 3p authorisation fee is Barclaycard's representative figure. Barclaycard checked 1 November 2026; SumUp and Square 25 August 2026; Dojo November 2026. Reader fees exclude VAT.
Ask Barclaycard for the rate on each card type and the minimum monthly charge, apply them to your last statement, and divide the total by your takings. If the result is above the figure in the last column, you would pay more than with Dojo, before counting the longer contract.
Barclaycard contract and cancellation
The cancellation fee depends on the card reader, how many readers you have and how many months remain on the contract. Barclaycard's example: £10 × two months left in your contract = £20 plus VAT, for one portable card reader (Barclaycard’s representative example). Cancellation fees do not apply to the all-in-one (Smartpay Touch) and pocket-sized (Smartpay Anywhere) readers. Two terms remain unpublished: the notice period (not published; depends on the age of the agreement) and the hardware return rules (not published). Both will be in your agreement. The steps for leaving are in our guide to cancelling Barclaycard merchant services.
Switching in works the other way: Barclaycard offers up to £1,000 towards exit fees when you switch to Barclaycard (new merchant acquiring customers with annual card turnover under £6.5 million, subject to eligibility, terms and approval). Dojo's own switching cover is up to £500 (annual card turnover under £180,000), or up to £3,000 (annual card turnover over £180,000).
Barclaycard settlement and support
Barclaycard offers next-day settlement on all four readers; transactions must be taken before 7pm, or before 9pm on the countertop and portable readers. It notes that settlement terms may vary depending on your financial circumstances and borrowing history. New customers call 0800 158 5149, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm; existing customers 0800 161 5343, Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Reader prices and contract lengths published
- Next-day settlement on every reader
- Smartpay Anywhere has no contract and no cancellation cost
- Up to £1,000 towards exit fees when you switch to Barclaycard when switching in
Cons
- No published transaction rate
- 18 month contract on Portable and Countertop
- Minimum monthly and chargeback fees not published
- Notice period not published
Barclaycard or Dojo?
Dojo publishes 1.2% blended for businesses with annual card turnover below £100,000, one rate across every card; Barclaycard quotes per card type. If a Barclaycard quote clears the ceiling above, the bank link and settlement are good reasons to take it. The full comparison is in Dojo vs Barclaycard, with Worldpay vs Barclaycard for the other big acquirer. The short profile is at /providers/barclaycard, and the wider field is in our card machines guide.
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Barclaycard questions
How much is a Barclays card machine?
Barclaycard lists four readers: Barclaycard Portable £18 + VAT monthly service fee (18 months); Barclaycard Countertop £16 + VAT monthly service fee (18 months); Smartpay Touch £29 + VAT monthly service fee (12 months); Smartpay Anywhere £29 + VAT one-off fee (no contract). The transaction rate on every one is customised pricing, quoted on application.
What transaction fees does Barclaycard charge?
Customised pricing on all four readers; no standard rate is published. Its representative examples are 0.7% + 3p for a Visa or Mastercard personal debit card in person (a £50 item costs £0.35 + £0.03 = £0.38) and 2.05% + 3p for a Visa or Mastercard personal credit card by phone (a £50 item costs £1.03 + £0.03 = £1.06). Barclaycard says these rates are representative only; you get a tailored pricing plan on application.
What does it cost to cancel Barclaycard merchant services?
The cancellation fee depends on the card reader, how many readers you have and how many months remain on the contract. Barclaycard's own example: £10 × two months left in your contract = £20 plus VAT, for one portable card reader (Barclaycard’s representative example). Cancellation fees do not apply to the all-in-one (Smartpay Touch) and pocket-sized (Smartpay Anywhere) readers.
Does Barclaycard charge a minimum monthly fee?
It can. Barclaycard lists a minimum monthly service charge, chargeback fees and PCI DSS management as possible extras, with amounts not published: full details are in your contract. If your card transaction charges for the month come to less than your minimum billing amount, Barclaycard charges the difference.
When does Barclaycard pay out?
Barclaycard offers next-day settlement on all four readers: transactions must be taken before 7pm, or before 9pm on the countertop and portable readers. Barclaycard adds that settlement terms may vary depending on your financial circumstances and borrowing history.
Will Barclaycard pay my exit fees if I switch?
Barclaycard offers up to £1,000 towards exit fees when you switch to Barclaycard, for new merchant acquiring customers with annual card turnover under £6.5 million, subject to eligibility, terms and approval.