# Card payments machine **URL:** \ **Category:** Shop Talk\ **Created:** [21 September 2025 06:24 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252 "2025-09-21T06:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 06:24 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/1 "2025-09-21T06:24:32Z")
Hi I am brand-new to craft fairs and was hoping for some recommendations for a card reader please. I’m on a budget and would appreciate advice on card payment readers. Many thanks ---
**Author:** ![craftypenguinhandmade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f17d59/32.png) [@craftypenguinhandmade](https://talk.folksy.com/u/craftypenguinhandmade)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 06:55 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/2 "2025-09-21T06:55:17Z")
Hi Tracy. I recently purchased a SumUp Air card reader based on a number of reviews I read across a number of websites. I haven’t actually taken it out of the box and used it yet (I purchased it in preparation for fairs I hope to do next year), but I believe you download an app, connect it via Bluetooth and then there’s a small (%) transaction fee. I got mine for £20. Hope that helps. Kim x ---
**Author:** ![Caroleecrafts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/folksy/user_avatar/talk.folksy.com/caroleecrafts/32/184659_2.png) [@Caroleecrafts](https://talk.folksy.com/u/Caroleecrafts)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 07:01 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/3 "2025-09-21T07:01:35Z")
I use the SumUp and brilliant. Plus you can send invoices from them as well. ---
**Author:** ![OrchardFelts](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/folksy/user_avatar/talk.folksy.com/orchardfelts/32/117858_2.png) [@OrchardFelts](https://talk.folksy.com/u/OrchardFelts)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 07:44 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/4 "2025-09-21T07:44:05Z")
You can take payments on your phone via the sum up app (think PayPal/square probably do similar) - you don’t actually need the machine. My daughter started doing craft fair recently and has only ever used her phone for payment. The sum up app is free - you just have to pay 1.69% on any payments you receive. ---
**Author:** ![SashaGarrett](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/folksy/user_avatar/talk.folksy.com/sashagarrett/32/1432_2.png) [@SashaGarrett](https://talk.folksy.com/u/SashaGarrett)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 08:12 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/5 "2025-09-21T08:12:06Z")
As Roz has said if your phone has NFT then you can take card payments via an app on your phone without the need for the card reader. I have a zettle (part of PayPal) card reader because my phone doesn’t have NFT, my partner also has the zettle app on his phone and he can take payments by having people wave their card/ phone/ smart watch at his phone. ---
**Author:** ![DeborahJonesJewellery](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/folksy/user_avatar/talk.folksy.com/deborahjonesjewellery/32/8672_2.png) [@DeborahJonesJewellery](https://talk.folksy.com/u/DeborahJonesJewellery)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 10:06 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/6 "2025-09-21T10:06:47Z")
I use Square and they have been faultless. ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 10:39 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/7 "2025-09-21T10:39:30Z")
Hi Kim many thanks, I will ok into this, yes sumup has been recommended by a few people. 🙂 Kind regards Tracy ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 10:45 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/8 "2025-09-21T10:45:45Z")
Thank you this is really good ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 10:46 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/9 "2025-09-21T10:46:44Z")
Thank you this is really helpful ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 10:47 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/10 "2025-09-21T10:47:30Z")
Thankyou thisis good to know ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [21 September 2025 10:48 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/11 "2025-09-21T10:48:05Z")
Will look into this ---
**Author:** ![charlescottage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@charlescottage](https://talk.folksy.com/u/charlescottage)\ **Post date:** [25 September 2025 15:57 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/12 "2025-09-25T15:57:17Z")
Hi - I use Square and have a SumUp for backup. Both reliable. The best thing about Square is that it gives you an almost instant email confirmation of the payment which is reassuring when like me you used to have a full-blown PDQ with a print-out ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [25 September 2025 17:04 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/13 "2025-09-25T17:04:46Z")
That sounds ideal thank you. Kind regards Tracy ---
**Author:** ![azimuthimages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@azimuthimages](https://talk.folksy.com/u/azimuthimages)\ **Post date:** [27 September 2025 08:10 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/14 "2025-09-27T08:10:57Z")
Late to the show but another vote for SumUp. We’ve got out ours set up so that we can also use the app on our phone and / or use our phone as a fifi hotspot if the unit itself struggles. If you use an accounting package (we use Xero) it can integrate to that too. ---
**Author:** ![tracyfoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@tracyfoot](https://talk.folksy.com/u/tracyfoot)\ **Post date:** [27 September 2025 16:24 UTC](https://talk.folksy.com/t/card-payments-machine/32252/15 "2025-09-27T16:24:44Z")
Thank you all recommendations appreciated. Kind regards Tracy