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Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch: Which Is Better In 2025?


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

Is the Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch 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 homepageBarclaycard Smartpay Touch homepage

Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch: The Basics

Tide Card Reader PlusBarclaycard Smartpay Touch
Payment Company NameTideBarclaycard
Machine TypeMobile POSMobile POS
Where To Buy It?Click Here To Buy The Tide Card Reader PlusClick Here To Buy The Barclaycard Smartpay Touch

Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch: Which Is Cheaper

Below we compare the cost of buying the Tide Card Reader Plus compared to the Barclaycard Smartpay Touch 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 pricingBarclaycard Smartpay Touch pricing
Tide Card Reader PlusBarclaycard Smartpay Touch
Price For The Machine (excluding VAT)£79Monthly Rental Fee
Minimum Monthly FeeNone£29
Standard Debit Card Transaction Fee1.50%1.60%
Standard Credit Card Transaction Fee1.50%1.60%
Amex Card FeeNo1.60%
Standard Card Not Present Fee1.50%1.60%
Contract RequiredNoYes
Minimum Transaction Amount£5No
How Soon Can You Get Your Money1-3 business daysNext Banking Day
Data taken from each company’s website

Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch Reviews

Does the Tide Card Reader Plus or the Barclaycard Smartpay Touch have better reviews? We compare Trustpilot, iPhone and Android app reviews below.

Tide Card Reader PlusBarclaycard Smartpay Touch
Trustpilot Rating4.21.3
Number of Trustpilot Reviews18,0903,158
iPhone App Rating4.8No Rating
Number of iPhone Reviews64,800No Reviews
Android App Rating3.9No Rating
Number of Android Reviews16,200No Reviews

Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch Accepted Cards

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

Tide Card Reader PlusBarclaycard Smartpay Touch
Accept VisaYesYes
Accept MastercardYesYes
Accept AmexNoYes
Accept Apple PayYesYes
Accept Google PayYesYes
Accept Union PayNoYes
Accept JCBNoYes
Accept DiscoverNoYes

Tide Card Reader Plus vs Barclaycard Smartpay Touch Features


Tide Card Reader Plus
Barclaycard Smartpay Touch
Mobile Phone RequiredNoNo
Built-In PrinterYesYes
Touch ScreenYesYes
Take Phone PaymentsYesYes
Take Online PaymentsYesYes
Business Bank Account IncludedYesNo

Tide Card Reader Plus Features

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 Smartpay Touch Features

Barclaycard Smartpay Touch features

  • Take payments in store or on-the-go using chip and PIN, contactless and more
  • Booking tools to minimise no-shows and maximise customer numbers
  • Full reporting and dashboards
  • Accept digital wallets, such as Apple Pay, as well as credit cards, debit cards, and telephone payments
  • Real-time insight
  • Hand-held device, software package, and portal access are all included for £29 plus VAT per month

Click Here To Buy The Tide Card Reader PlusClick Here To Buy The Barclaycard Smartpay Touch

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