Is the Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Flex 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.
Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Flex: The Basics
Tide Card Reader Plus | Barclaycard Flex | |
Payment Company Name | Tide | Barclaycard |
Machine Type | Mobile POS | Card Machine |
Where To Buy It? | Click Here To Buy The Tide Card Reader Plus | Click Here To Buy The Barclaycard Flex |
Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Flex: Which Is Cheaper
Below we compare the cost of buying the Tide Card Reader Plus compared to the Barclaycard Flex and how much each charge you to use them.
You can also see if either qualify as one of the 7 Cheapest Card Readers.
Tide Card Reader Plus | Barclaycard Flex | |
Price For The Machine (excluding VAT) | £79 | Monthly Rental Fee |
Minimum Monthly Fee | None | £15 |
Standard Debit Card Transaction Fee | 1.50% | 1.60% |
Standard Credit Card Transaction Fee | 1.50% | 1.60% |
Amex Card Fee | No | 1.60% |
Standard Card Not Present Fee | 1.50% | 1.60% |
Contract Required | No | Yes |
Minimum Transaction Amount | £5 | No |
How Soon Can You Get Your Money | 1-3 business days | Next Banking Day |
Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Flex Reviews
Does the Tide Card Reader Plus or the Barclaycard Flex have better reviews? We compare Trustpilot, iPhone and Android app reviews below.
Tide Card Reader Plus | Barclaycard Flex | |
Trustpilot Rating | 4.2 | 1.3 |
Number of Trustpilot Reviews | 18,090 | 3,158 |
iPhone App Rating | 4.8 | No Rating |
Number of iPhone Reviews | 64,800 | No Reviews |
Android App Rating | 3.9 | No Rating |
Number of Android Reviews | 16,200 | No Reviews |
Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Flex Accepted Cards
Both the Tide Card Reader Plus and Barclaycard Flex accept standard debit and credit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard. But do they accept other card types? We compare below:
Tide Card Reader Plus | Barclaycard Flex | |
Accept Visa | Yes | Yes |
Accept Mastercard | Yes | Yes |
Accept Amex | No | Yes |
Accept Apple Pay | Yes | Yes |
Accept Google Pay | Yes | Yes |
Accept Union Pay | No | Yes |
Accept JCB | No | Yes |
Accept Discover | No | Yes |
Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Flex Features
Tide Card Reader Plus | Barclaycard Flex | |
Mobile Phone Required | No | No |
Built-In Printer | Yes | Yes |
Touch Screen | Yes | No |
Take Phone Payments | Yes | Yes |
Take Online Payments | Yes | Yes |
Business Bank Account Included | Yes | No |
Tide Card Reader Plus Features

- Robust and reliable, for taking frequent payments
- Lifetime FREE 4G conneInitiate payments from the device or the Tide appctivity
- Paper and email receipts
Barclaycard Flex Features

- Take payments in store or on-the-go using chip and PIN or contactless
- Virtual payments over the phone and by post
- Switches between Bluetooth, GPRS, Wi-Fi and mobile data networks
- Flexible pricing
- Accept up to 700 sales a day on a full charge
- Lightweight yet durable 320g
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