{"id":470222,"date":"2022-11-29T11:05:16","date_gmt":"2022-11-29T11:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/?p=470222"},"modified":"2026-10-29T14:32:52","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T14:32:52","slug":"square-vs-barclaycard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.finder.com\/uk\/card-readers\/square-vs-barclaycard","title":{"rendered":"Square vs Barclaycard – compare card readers"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you\u2019re choosing a card reader, you need one that fits in with the way you and your customers do business. Square is one of the most popular card reader providers, and Barclaycard has been offering card readers for a number of years as part of its support for business customers. So which one is better? We put both brands through their paces.<\/p>

Square vs Barclaycard: provider overview<\/h3>

Square and Barclaycard are some of the bigger brands dominating card reader market, offering slick and afforable machines to their business customers. In this guide, we are comparing 2 of their most popular machines.<\/p>

\"Square\"
<\/figure>
\n \n
Products<\/th>Square Reader, Square Terminal<\/td><\/tr>
Payment methods<\/th>Contactless, Chip and Pin<\/td><\/tr>
Alternative payment methods<\/th>Payment link,Over the phone<\/td><\/tr>
Apple Pay<\/th>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
Google Pay<\/th>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity<\/th>Bluetooth<\/td><\/tr>
Requires connection to a phone or tablet<\/th>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
Battery life<\/th>Designed to last all day<\/td><\/tr>
Warranty period<\/th>24 months<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div><\/div>
\"Barclaycard\"
<\/figure>
\n \n
Products<\/th>Barclaycard portable, Barclaycard countertop, Smartpay Touch, Smartpay Anywhere<\/td><\/tr>
Payment methods<\/th>Contactless, Chip and Pin, Magnetic swipe<\/td><\/tr>
Alternative payment methods<\/th>Payment link,Over the phone<\/td><\/tr>
Apple Pay<\/th>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
Google Pay<\/th>Yes<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity<\/th>SIM card,Bluetooth,WiFi<\/td><\/tr>
Requires connection to a phone or tablet<\/th>No<\/td><\/tr>
Battery life<\/th>700 sales<\/td><\/tr>
Warranty period<\/th>12 months<\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div><\/div><\/div>

The Square Reader vs the Barclaycard Flex Mobile: product overview<\/h3>

The Flex Mobile and the Square Reader are the go-to products from each provider: how do they compare?<\/p>

\"Square
<\/figure>

Square Reader<\/em><\/p><\/div>

\"Barclaycard
<\/figure>

Barclaycard Flex Mobile<\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div>

Compare rates and fees<\/h4>

One of the most important things to look at when you\u2019re comparing card readers is the difference in the rates and fees each provider charges: not just the headline cost of each product, but the more \u2018hidden\u2019 fees too. For further explanations of the different charges you might come across in your research, use our handy guide<\/a>.<\/p>

The Barclaycard Flex Mobile and Square card readers are both at the less pricey end of the market, but the way they charge is quite different.<\/p>

For example, Barclaycard charges no upfront fee for the Flex Mobile, while the Square Reader is \u00a319. However, the Flex Mobile comes with a \u00a315 monthly fee (plus VAT), whereas the Square Reader charges no monthly fees at all. On the other hand, the Square Reader\u2019s monthly transaction fee is a little higher, at 1.75% compared to the Flex Mobile\u2019s .<\/p>

\n \n
Product<\/th>\"Square<\/a><\/td>\"Barclaycard<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Product Name<\/th>Square Reader<\/td>Barclaycard Payments Flex Mobile<\/td><\/tr>
Contract<\/th>No contract<\/td>18 months<\/td><\/tr>
Initial cost<\/th>\u00a319<\/td>\u00a30<\/td><\/tr>
Monthly cost<\/th>\u00a30<\/td>\u00a315<\/td><\/tr>
Transaction cost<\/th>1.75%<\/td>Subject to status <\/span><\/td><\/tr>
Transaction cost (card not present)<\/th>2.5%<\/td>A fixed 0.25% on all CNP transactions<\/td><\/tr>
Settlement <\/th>1 working day<\/td>1-2 working days<\/td><\/tr>
Money-back guarantee<\/th>No<\/td><\/td><\/tr>
Chargeback cost<\/th>\u00a30<\/td><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Compare features<\/h4>

Despite being similar products, there are some subtle differences.<\/p>

For example, the Square Reader was designed with contactless cards in mind, so customers will have to use a connected device like a smartphone or tablet if they need to enter a PIN. The Flex Mobile has a keypad, so customers can enter their PIN straight into the device.<\/p>

For a full insight into the different features you should look out for when comparing card readers, you can use our helpful guide<\/a>.<\/p>

\n \n
Product<\/th>\"Square<\/a><\/td>\"Barclaycard<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Product Name<\/th>Square Reader<\/td>Barclaycard Payments Flex Mobile<\/td><\/tr>
Networks<\/th>\"google\"apple\"american\"visa\"mastercard<\/td>\"google\"apple\"american\"visa\"mastercard<\/td><\/tr>
Connectivity<\/th>Bluetooth<\/td>SIM card, Bluetooth, WiFi<\/td><\/tr>
Payment methods<\/th>Contactless, Chip and Pin<\/td>Contactless, Chip and Pin, Magnetic swipe<\/td><\/tr>
Alternative payment methods<\/th>Payment link, Over the phone<\/td>Payment link, Over the phone<\/td><\/tr>
Requires connection to phone or tablet<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Battery life<\/th>Designed to last all day<\/td>700 sales<\/td><\/tr>
Printer attached<\/th><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>
Add ons<\/th>
  • Dock<\/li>
  • Phone mount<\/li>
  • Compatible with a range of third-party receipt printers and barcode scanners<\/li>
    <\/ul><\/td>
<\/use><\/svg><\/td><\/tr>\n <\/tbody>\n <\/table><\/div>

Bottom line<\/h3>

There\u2019s a lot to like about both providers, but we think that for many businesses Barclaycard is the way to go. This is in part because both Barclaycard\u2019s readers offer a great ease of use for customers who aren\u2019t using contactless, whereas if your customers need to enter a PIN with Square you\u2019ll have to either hand over your connected smartphone if you\u2019re using the Square Reader, or fork out for the much pricier Square Terminal.<\/p>

On the other hand, if your customers are almost all contactless users, you might prefer to opt for the sleeker design of Square\u2019s card readers. The Square Reader works out cheaper than either of the Barclaycard options if your takings are less than \u00a36660 a month.<\/p>

In the end, it\u2019s up to you: just make sure you take the time to compare the two providers thoroughly before choosing the one that\u2019s right for your business. Compare both ranges in full below.<\/p>

Compare the Square and Barclaycard range<\/h3>
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<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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{\"userFilters\":[{\"config\":{\"MULTISELECT\":true,\"VALUES\":\"Amex,Visa,Mastercard\"},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.NETWORKS\"},\"dataType\":\"TEXT\",\"label\":\"Networks\",\"order\":1},{\"config\":{\"MULTISELECT\":true,\"VALUES\":\"Contactless,Chip and Pin,Magnetic swipe\"},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.PAYMENT_METHOD\"},\"dataType\":\"TEXT\",\"label\":\"Payment method\",\"order\":2},{\"config\":{\"MULTISELECT\":true,\"VALUES\":\"SIM card,Bluetooth,WiFi,Ethernet\"},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.CONNECTIVITY\"},\"dataType\":\"TEXT\",\"label\":\"Connectivity \",\"order\":3},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.PRINTER\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Printer attached\",\"order\":4},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.REQUIRES_CONNECTION\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Requires connection to a phone or tablet\",\"order\":5},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.APPLE_PAY\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Apple pay\",\"order\":6},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.GOOGLE_PAY\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Google pay\",\"order\":7},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.CASHBACK_FILTER\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Cashback\",\"order\":8},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"FEATURES.MONEY_BACK_GUARANTEE\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Money-back guarantee \",\"order\":9},{\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"UI_FILTER_COMPONENT\",\"fieldCode\":\"SPECIAL_OFFERS\"},\"dataType\":\"BOOLEAN\",\"label\":\"Special offers\",\"componentType\":\"SpecialOffersFilter\",\"config\":{\"VALUES\":\"1\",\"fields\":[{\"value\":\"exclusive_only\",\"label\":\"Finder Rewards & exclusives\"},{\"value\":\"all_offers_no_rewards\",\"label\":\"All offers\"}]},\"options\":{\"comparator\":\"eq\"},\"queryParameter\":\"special-offers\"},{\"config\":{},\"dataSelector\":{\"recordType\":\"product\",\"fieldCode\":\"GENERAL.PROVIDER_ID\"},\"dataType\":\"UUID\",\"label\":\"Provider\",\"order\":10}],\"niche\":{\"currencySymbol\":\"\\u00a3\",\"decimalPoint\":\".\",\"decimalPlaces\":\"2\",\"thousandsSeparator\":\",\",\"filterBoundsMap\":{\"product.FEATURES.NETWORKS\":null,\"product.FEATURES.PAYMENT_METHOD\":null,\"product.FEATURES.CONNECTIVITY\":null,\"product.FEATURES.PRINTER\":null,\"product.FEATURES.REQUIRES_CONNECTION\":null,\"product.FEATURES.APPLE_PAY\":null,\"product.FEATURES.GOOGLE_PAY\":null,\"product.FEATURES.CASHBACK_FILTER\":null,\"product.FEATURES.MONEY_BACK_GUARANTEE\":null,\"product.GENERAL.PROVIDER_ID\":null}},\"prefilled\":false,\"experimental\":false}<\/div>