Intuit POS VS Square

Getting paid with plastic used to mean a host of fees, expensive hardware, and complicated gateway services. Those days are long gone now, thanks to a growing plethora of card readers and other payment processors with simple, straightforward fees, access to inventory management tools, Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, and so much more. Now your smartphone or tablet can handle the bulk of your selling needs, making things a whole lot easier if you’re a small business, freelancer, or just want an easier way to accept credit cards and the new EMV chip they house.

Related: You say you want a revolution? Digital wallets are about to bring one

A while back, we looked at a number of the big competitors out there that let you set up mobile payments. This year, we’re diversifying. Below, we break down seven different card readers or payment processors that might be the right choice for your business. Each offers a variety of features, along with different fees for accepting credit cards and using their POS solutions.

What are your needs?

Everyone’s business is different, and whether you’re a freelancer with occasional credit card customers or a brick-and-mortar business with a large inventory to manage, there’s something here that will meet your everyday needs. Here, we’ll break down the fees, accessories, and support for each of these payment providers, and spend some time talking about frozen accounts and other issues that might come up while using a mobile card reader.