Is the Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 vs Tide Card Reader 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.
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 vs Tide Card Reader: The Basics
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 | Tide Card Reader | |
Payment Company Name | Zettle By Paypal | Tide |
Machine Type | Card Machine | Card Machine |
Where To Buy It? | Click Here To Buy The Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 | Click Here To Buy The Tide Card Reader |
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 vs Tide Card Reader: Which Is Cheaper
Below we compare the cost of buying the Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 compared to the Tide Card Reader and how much each charge you to use them.
You can also see if either qualify as one of the 7 Cheapest Card Readers.
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 | Tide Card Reader | |
Price For The Machine (excluding VAT) | £29 | £49 |
Minimum Monthly Fee | None | None |
Standard Debit Card Transaction Fee | 1.75% | 1.50% |
Standard Credit Card Transaction Fee | 1.75% | 1.50% |
Amex Card Fee | 1.75% | No |
Standard Card Not Present Fee | 1.75% | 1.50% |
Contract Required | Yes | No |
Minimum Transaction Amount | £1 | £5 |
How Soon Can You Get Your Money | 1 – 2 business days | 1-3 business days |
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 vs Tide Card Reader Reviews
Does the Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 or the Tide Card Reader have better reviews? We compare Trustpilot, iPhone and Android app reviews below.
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 | Tide Card Reader | |
Trustpilot Rating | 2.8 | 4.2 |
Number of Trustpilot Reviews | 4,115 | 18,090 |
iPhone App Rating | 4.6 | 4.8 |
Number of iPhone Reviews | 10,400 | 64,800 |
Android App Rating | 3.9 | 3.9 |
Number of Android Reviews | 42,600 | 16,200 |
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 vs Tide Card Reader Accepted Cards
Both the Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 and Tide Card Reader accept standard debit and credit cards issued by Visa and Mastercard. But do they accept other card types? We compare below:
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 | Tide Card Reader | |
Accept Visa | Yes | Yes |
Accept Mastercard | Yes | Yes |
Accept Amex | Yes | No |
Accept Apple Pay | Yes | Yes |
Accept Google Pay | Yes | Yes |
Accept Union Pay | Yes | No |
Accept JCB | Yes | No |
Accept Discover | Yes | No |
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 vs Tide Card Reader Features
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 | Tide Card Reader | |
Mobile Phone Required | No | Yes |
Built-In Printer | Yes | No |
Touch Screen | No | Yes |
Take Phone Payments | Yes | Yes |
Take Online Payments | Yes | Yes |
Business Bank Account Included | No | Yes |
Zettle By Paypal Card Reader 2 Features

- Accept most major cards and contactless
- Set up fast, sell straight away
- Charge quickly for all-day battery
- PCI-certified device
- Works with a range of POS apps
- Appointment booking or large-scale table management
- Automate bookkeeping with leading cloud accounting platforms
Tide Card Reader Features

- Lightweight and compact, for taking payments on the move
- Tide app required to initiate payments
- Proof of transaction by email only
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