Barclaycard Payments is the UK’s second-largest merchant acquirer, processing billions of card payments each year. Backed by Barclays PLC, it offers card machines from £16/month for contracted terminals plus a £29 pay-as-you-go reader – combining major-bank security with flexible hardware options.
We rate Barclaycard Payments 6.5 out of 10. The Smartpay Anywhere reader (£29 one-off, no contract) is a flexible pay-as-you-go option, and high-volume businesses can negotiate competitive rates on contracted terminals. But quote-only pricing across the range, weekday-only general support and 18-month auto-renewing contracts are serious drawbacks that push most SMEs toward better alternatives.
This review covers Barclaycard’s card machines, pricing, contract terms, and the Brookfield partnership that’s reshaping ownership – plus where its customer service falls short. This guide was last updated in October 2026.
FREE QUOTE COMPARISON
Compare Merchant Account Quotes from Trusted Suppliers
✓ Save up to 40% on card processing fees
100% free • No obligation • Takes under 2 minutes
- Backed by Barclays, serving 160,000+ UK businesses - UK’s second-largest merchant acquirer backed by Barclays PLC’s financial strength
- Best for Barclays customers - Existing business banking clients benefit from integrated account management and reporting
- Complex pricing structures - Multiple fees and charges make total costs difficult to predict compared to flat-rate alternatives
- Contracted rates are quote-only - Traditional acquiring quotes are negotiated per business, so total cost is hard to predict against flat-rate PSPs like Square, SumUp, or Stripe
- Full hardware range - Four card machines from a £29 PAYG reader, plus enterprise Connect+ Trinity, cover small retailers through major enterprises
What Barclaycard Offers
Barclaycard provides card machines ranging from a £29 PAYG pocket reader to enterprise integrated POS. The UK’s second-largest acquirer with 24/7 fraud support and next-day settlement.
Barclaycard Payments sits within Barclays PLC and has been processing UK card payments for decades. In April 2025, Barclays announced a strategic partnership with Brookfield Asset Management – investing £400 million over three years to modernise the platform, with Brookfield having the option to acquire 70-80% ownership between years 3 and 7.
The brand stays as “Barclaycard Payments” and remains the sole payment provider for Barclays business customers for at least 10 years. For merchants, this means potential platform improvements but also ownership uncertainty – contracts signed today may be serviced by a partially Brookfield-owned entity before they expire.
Card Machines
Four products: Countertop (£16/mo), Portable (£18/mo), Smartpay Touch (£29/mo), and Smartpay Anywhere (£29 one-off, no contract). Plus Connect+ Trinity for enterprise.
| Product | Monthly Cost | One-Off Cost | Transaction Rate | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Countertop | £16 + VAT | – | Custom (negotiated) | 18 months |
| Portable | £18 + VAT | – | Custom (negotiated) | 18 months |
| Smartpay Touch | £29 + VAT | – | Custom (negotiated) | 12 months (£0 exit) |
| Smartpay Anywhere | £0 | £29 + VAT | Custom (negotiated) | None |
All devices accept contactless up to £100, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. The Countertop connects via Wi-Fi or Ethernet with RNIB-designed accessibility features (high contrast display, audio guidance). The Portable adds 4G SIM with 8-12 hour battery for tableside payments.
The Smartpay Touch is the most capable – an all-in-one POS with stock tracking, bookings and reporting, long battery life and intuitive switching between Wi-Fi and 4G. The Smartpay Anywhere is the PAYG option: a pocket reader paired to your phone, similar to SumUp or Square, though Barclaycard quotes your rate individually.
Connect+ Trinity is the enterprise product – integrated countertop, portable, or mobile terminals with point-to-point encryption and multi-site device management. Quote-based, typically for £1M+/year businesses.
Pricing and Fees
Barclaycard publishes no standard rate on any product: every rate is quoted on application. Representative examples show debit at 0.7% + 3p and credit at 2.05% + 3p on a £50 sale. Ask about setup fees and PCI charges before you sign.
| Cost | Amount |
|---|---|
| Smartpay Anywhere / Touch rates | Customised (quoted on application) |
| Debit card (contracted, representative) | 0.7% + 3p |
| Credit card (contracted, representative) | 2.05% + 3p |
| Setup fee (contracted terminals) | Not published (ask in your quote) |
| PCI DSS management fee | Charged monthly (amount in your contract) |
| Early termination (portable reader, representative) | £10/remaining month + VAT per reader |
| Settlement | Next banking day |
Barclaycard does not publish a PAYG rate, so you cannot compare it with SumUp (1.69%) or Square (1.75%) until you have a quote. Both publish their rates, and neither has a setup fee or PCI charge. High-volume merchants on contracted terminals can negotiate lower debit rates (Barclaycard’s own representative example is 0.7% + 3p) – this is where Barclaycard’s value sits.
Watch for auto-renewal. Countertop and Portable contracts auto-renew at 18 months unless cancelled within the notice window. Miss it and you’re locked in again. Smartpay Touch carries a £0 cancellation fee and Smartpay Anywhere has no contract.
Customer Experience
24/7 fraud and technical support is the one bright spot. General queries are Mon-Fri only, with no live chat. Barclaycard’s Trustpilot profile is dominated by its credit card customers rather than merchants, so it tells you little about the card machine service and we don’t quote its score here.
The friction we can document is contractual. Countertop and Portable machines sit on 18-month contracts that auto-renew unless you cancel within the notice window, and leaving early costs a fee for each remaining month, so diary the renewal date the day you sign.
24/7 phone support for technical issues and fraud is genuinely useful. But general customer service runs Mon-Fri 8am-6pm only, chargebacks Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, and there’s no live chat or email support. For a bank-backed provider serving millions of transactions, this is below par.
Pros and Cons
Major-bank backing and next-day settlement are genuine strengths. Weekday-only general support, opaque pricing, and 18-month auto-renewing contracts make it hard to recommend for most SMEs.
Barclaycard vs Alternatives
Barclaycard quotes every rate individually, which makes it hard to compare with the published rates below. For most SMEs, modern alternatives offer better value and service.
| Provider | PAYG Rate | Entry Price | Contract | Trustpilot (Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barclaycard | Quote only | £29 (Smartpay Anywhere) | None (PAYG) / 12-18 mo | Not comparable* |
| SumUp | 1.69% | From £25 + VAT | None | 4.2/5 |
| Square | 1.75% | £19 + VAT (reader) | None | 3.9/5 |
| Dojo | 1.2% blended (under £100K/yr) | £0 Tap to Pay on iPhone; machines from £149 (launch offer) | 12-month price lock; Tap to Pay no contract | 4.2/5 |
| Tide | 1.5% + 5p | From £49 | None | 4.4/5 |
*Barclaycard’s Trustpilot profile is dominated by its credit card customers, so its score does not measure the card machine service.
Barclaycard does not publish a PAYG rate, while SumUp (1.69%), Square (1.75%), Tide (1.5% + 5p) and Dojo (1.2% blended under £100K a year) all do. If you already bank with Barclays and process high volumes, the negotiated rates may justify the friction. For everyone else, SumUp, Square, or Tide offer better all-round experiences.
Our Verdict
We rate Barclaycard Payments 6.5/10 – a major-bank processor with next-day settlement and negotiable rates, but weekday-only general support, quote-only pricing and auto-renewing contracts undermine the proposition.
Major-bank backing and next-day settlement, but weekday-only general support and 18-month auto-renewing contracts make it hard to recommend for most SMEs
FREE QUOTE COMPARISON
Compare Merchant Account Quotes from Trusted Suppliers
✓ Save up to 40% on card processing fees
100% free • No obligation • Takes under 2 minutes
Barclaycard Payments trades on the Barclays name, and for high-volume businesses that can negotiate custom rates, the economics can work – debit card processing from 0.7% is genuinely competitive. The 24/7 fraud and technical support adds peace of mind that smaller providers can’t match.
But the 18-month auto-renewing contracts, opaque pricing, phone-only support, and Brookfield ownership transition all add friction. For the majority of UK SMEs, modern providers offer lower costs, better service, and more transparency. For a full comparison, see our best card machines guide or compare payment processing costs.
