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Getting paid should be the easy part of running a business, yet the number of options can be overwhelming. Card readers, online checkouts, wallets, invoicing and bank transfers all have their place, and the right mix depends on how your customers buy. This guide runs through every main way to take payment and helps you choose, without paying for channels you do not need.
In short. Most small businesses need at least a card reader and a way to take payment online, plus invoicing if you bill other businesses. Contactless is now around 76 percent of debit card payments, so accepting cards is essential rather than optional, and cash alone turns customers away.
Card reader. A countertop, portable or mobile machine that takes chip and PIN and contactless. Essential for any business serving customers face to face.
Tap to pay on a phone. Turns a compatible smartphone into a contactless reader with no separate hardware, handy for very small or occasional traders.
Cash. Still accepted, but declining fast as customers reach for cards and wallets first. Worth taking, but no longer enough on its own.
Online checkout. A payment gateway on your website takes card and wallet payments for ecommerce.
Payment links. A link you send by email or message that lets a customer pay without a full online shop, ideal for service businesses.
Digital wallets. Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal, now a large and growing share of online payments, so worth supporting wherever you sell.
Invoicing. If you bill other businesses, clear invoices with an online payment option get you paid faster than waiting for a manual transfer.
Bank transfer. Low cost and common for larger business to business payments, though slower to reconcile than card payments.
Recurring payments. If you bill regularly, a subscription or direct debit setup saves chasing and smooths your cash flow.
✓ Serving customers in person: a card reader is essential.
✓ Selling online: a gateway that supports digital wallets.
✓ Billing other businesses: invoicing with an online payment option.
✓ Billing regularly: recurring payments or direct debit.
✗ Relying on cash alone, which turns paying customers away.
✗ Paying for channels you do not use, such as a full online shop when payment links would do.
Each method carries a cost, from card transaction fees to gateway charges and monthly fees. The trap is signing up for several separate services that each add a fixed cost. Where you can, use one provider that covers in person and online, so you are not paying two sets of monthly fees. Compare providers on total cost, not the headline rate, and review your setup as you grow, because the right mix on day one is rarely the right mix two years later.
Match your payment methods to how your customers actually want to pay. Every point of friction at the checkout, in person or online, is a chance for a sale to slip away, and every unused service is a fixed cost you do not need.
The good news is that starting is fast. A payment facilitator can have you taking cards in person and online within a day, with no lengthy setup, which is why most small firms begin there. As your takings grow, revisit the maths, because a dedicated merchant account or a different mix of tools may cost less at scale. Start simple, get paid, then refine, rather than trying to build the perfect setup before you have made a single sale.
The right mix looks different from one business to the next, so it helps to think in terms of your sector. A shop or cafe needs a fast, reliable card reader above all, with contactless and wallets built in. A tradesperson or mobile service benefits most from tap to pay on a phone and payment links sent after a job. An online seller needs a smooth checkout with wallet support, while a consultancy or agency billing other businesses needs clean invoicing with an online payment button. A subscription business needs recurring payments to avoid chasing every month. Starting from what you actually sell, and to whom, stops you bolting on tools you do not need and missing the one that would get you paid faster.
Whatever your sector, keep the customer experience front of mind. People abandon purchases when paying is awkward, whether that is a card machine that will not connect, an online checkout with too many steps, or an invoice with no easy way to pay. Every method you offer should make paying quicker and simpler, not harder. Test each one as a customer would, fix any friction you find, and review the whole setup as your business grows, because the mix that suits a one person startup rarely suits the same business a few years and several staff later.
For most businesses, yes. Contactless alone is around 76 percent of debit card payments, and customers increasingly expect to tap or pay by wallet.
Bank transfer has the lowest direct cost but is slower and harder to reconcile. For everyday sales, a well chosen card and online setup usually wins on convenience and conversion.
Yes. Tap to pay on a phone, payment links and online checkouts all let you take card payments without traditional hardware.
Add an online payment option to your invoices, set clear terms, and send them promptly. Card or wallet payment on an invoice is far faster than a manual transfer.
Often yes. A single provider covering in person and online avoids paying two sets of monthly fees and keeps your reporting in one place.