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Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere: Which Is Better In 2025?


Last Updated: 20 May 2025
Reviewed By: Ian Wright (Managing Director)

Is the Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere better for your UK small business?

We compare both machines based on real user reviews, prices and what features they each offer.

You can also find our comparison of all the best card machines here.

Square Reader homepageBarclaycard Smartpay Anywhere homepage

Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere: The Basics

Square ReaderBarclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Payment Company NameSquareBarclaycard
Machine TypeCard MachineCard Machine
Where To Buy It?Click Here To Buy The Square ReaderClick Here To Buy The Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere

Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere: Which Is Cheaper

Below we compare the cost of buying the Square Reader compared to the Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere and how much each charge you to use them.

You can also see if either qualify as one of the 7 Cheapest Card Readers.

Square Reader pricingBarclaycard Smartpay Anywhere pricing
Square ReaderBarclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Price For The Machine (excluding VAT)£19£29
Minimum Monthly FeeNoneNone
Standard Debit Card Transaction Fee1.75%1.60%
Standard Credit Card Transaction Fee1.75%1.60%
Amex Card Fee1.75%1.60%
Standard Card Not Present Fee1.4% + 25p for UK cards 2.5% + 25p for non-UK cards1.60%
Contract RequiredNoYes
Minimum Transaction Amount£1No
How Soon Can You Get Your MoneyNext Buisness Day or Instant Option for 1% FeeNext Banking Day
Data taken from each company’s website

Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere Reviews

Does the Square Reader or the Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere have better reviews? We compare Trustpilot, iPhone and Android app reviews below.

Square ReaderBarclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Trustpilot Rating4.31.3
Number of Trustpilot Reviews2,2903,158
iPhone App Rating4.81.5
Number of iPhone Reviews10,30020
Android App Rating4.81.4
Number of Android Reviews213,00020

Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere Accepted Cards

Both the Square Reader and Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere accept standard debit and credit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard. But do they accept other card types? We compare below:

Square ReaderBarclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Accept VisaYesYes
Accept MastercardYesYes
Accept AmexYesYes
Accept Apple PayYesYes
Accept Google PayYesYes
Accept Union PayNoYes
Accept JCBNoYes
Accept DiscoverNoYes

Square Reader vs Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere Features


Square Reader
Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere
Mobile Phone RequiredNoYes
Built-In PrinterNoNo
Touch ScreenNoNo
Take Phone PaymentsYesYes
Take Online PaymentsYesYes
Business Bank Account IncludedNoNo

Square Reader Features

Square Reader features

  • Chip and PIN and contactless card reader
  • 24/7 fraud prevention and payment dispute management at no extra cost
  • Get money in your bank account as soon as the next working day, or instantly for a fee
  • Packs a powerful battery in a pocket-sized POS
  • Square Reader stays connected to your device

Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere Features

Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere features

  • Accept cards and digital wallets, including Amex and Apple Pay
  • Free FreshBooks account
  • Real-time sales data
  • Compatible with Android 10 and iOS 15 and above
  • Comes with a USB charging cable
  • 24/7 help and support

Click Here To Buy The Square ReaderClick Here To Buy The Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere

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Disclaimer: Businessfinancing.co.uk is a business finance and lending research and information website publisher. We are not a lender, bank, broker and/or other financial institution and as such we are not authorised or regulated by the FCA to offer financial advice. We can't recommend any of the products and/or services featured on the site. Companies are ranked in no particular order and higher ranking does not imply one company is better than another. We work with FCA authorised and regulated firms who may pay us a commission for referring you to them but this has no impact on our content and helps keep this website free to use.



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