Card machines for independent retailers

Competitive rates, reliable counter payments, and honest advice from someone who isn't tied to a single provider.

Common challenges

  • Overpaying on transaction fees compared to what's available
  • Locked into a contract you didn't fully understand
  • Current provider is unresponsive when you need support
  • Want to accept contactless and mobile payments
  • Not sure if you're on the best deal for your volume

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Recommended solutions

PAX A800

Portable/countertop Android terminal with 5.7-inch touchscreen and Payment & POS functionality. Built-in Wi-Fi & 4G connectivity, along with thermal printing. Includes merchant branding on-screen, an intuitive over-the-phone payment flow, on-board POS features, and is configurable for full POS integration.

  • 5.7-inch HD touchscreen
  • Built-in printer
  • Wi-Fi & 4G
  • Contactless, Chip & Pin, over-the-phone
  • Fast contactless transacting
  • Integrates with its provider's own POS only
  • Android POS and payments
Contract
negotiable

Solo

Compact, buy-outright card machine with Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity. No monthly fees, no contract - just a one-off hardware cost and a simple flat transaction rate. Ideal for very low volume merchants.

  • 3.5-inch greyscale touchscreen
  • Wi-Fi and multi-network 4G
  • Contactless, Chip & Pin, Payment-Links
  • No monthly fees
  • No contract
  • Buy outright - yours to keep
Contract
No contract

Why independent retailers choose uno

Independent shops deserve the same quality of payment advice that chains get - without the corporate overhead or provider lock-in. We’ll assess your operation, understand your volume and transaction mix, and find the deal that genuinely works for your business.

Counter payments

Most independent retailers need a reliable countertop terminal. The PAX A800 is rental-free for your first machine - straightforward and cost-effective.

Higher volume?

If your monthly card turnover is higher, the PAX A920, with a lower rate and a fixed monthly fee, can work out cheaper overall. We’ll do the maths for your specific numbers.

Just getting started?

The Solo, bought outright with no monthly fees, is a low-risk way to start accepting cards. A higher transaction rate, but zero fixed costs.

What you get from uno

  • An assessment to understand your shop and its payment needs
  • Real cost comparison across three providers
  • The right terminal for your current volume - with room to switch as you grow
  • On-site setup and ongoing UK-based support

Common questions from independent owners

We sell items from £1 to £500 - what's the best card machine to handle such a wide range of prices?

In essence every option is a compromise - those offering a single, all-encompassing 'blended rate' (often with no rental or other monthly fees) can be the cheapest for lower value transactions, but can work out more expensive for higher value items. For higher-value items deals offering lower transaction rates often prove cheaper. So it's a balancing act - which is why uno comparing each provider offer with this in mind is so valuable.

I'm a one-person shop - do I really need a card machine?

If any of your customers ever ask 'do you take card?' then yes. Every customer who walks out because you're cash-only is a sale you don't see in your takings - you only see the customers who stayed and paid cash. Independent retailers who add a card machine typically see an increase in average basket value too, because customers spend more freely on card.

General questions about uno
Which card machine is right for my business?

The right card machine depends on how the business trades. A fine-dining restaurant in Covent Garden, a market trader at Glasgow's Barras and a pub beside Cardiff Arms Park take payments in completely different ways, and no single machine suits all three. uno starts by understanding how a business actually operates, and only then recommends - from a range of providers rather than from one.

Do all the card machines uno recommends take contactless?

Yes, every one of them. Apple Pay, Google Pay and contactless cards are accepted as standard on every machine uno recommends; contactless is how most UK customers now pay, and every machine features it as standard.

Will I be able to take 'over-the-phone' payments?

For most merchants, yes - available on-screen along with contactless and Chip & Pin. The small minority of high-risk business-types that are not offered over-the-phone payments by default are the exception - for the vast majority, 'over-the-phone' payments will be offered as standard.

How can we process refunds?

From the card machine, in a few taps. Refund a sale on the same day and it is cancelled outright, with the money never leaving the customer's account; refund it after the provider's daily cut-off and the customer's bank typically takes 3-5 days to return it. Every machine uno recommends handles both, and the difference is only in how quickly the customer sees the money.

Is PCI compliance as much of a chore as it is with my current provider?

With several of the providers uno works with the merchant does nothing at all, because the provider handles PCI on their behalf; with the others it is a few minutes once a year. Nobody uno works with makes it complicated, and uno tells a merchant which they are getting before anything is signed.

How long does it take to get set up?

Most businesses are up and running within a few days. uno handles the installation and configuration, then walks the merchant and their staff through everything.

Ready to choose the right card machine?

We make the effort to understand how you operate, and only then recommend the solution that's right for your business - not the provider's.

Get Started 07395 451520