Card machine for your coffee shop

Fast contactless payments that keep your queue moving - with competitive rates that make sense for £3 coffees.

Common challenges

  • Transaction fees wiping out margins on low-value sales
  • Slow payment processing holding up the queue
  • Need tipping functionality for counter service
  • Current provider's rates crept up without notice
  • Want something simple the whole team can use

Published:

Recommended solutions

Shift4

Pax A800

Portable/countertop Android terminal with 5.7-inch touchscreen and Payment & POS functionality. Built-in Wi-Fi & 4G connectivity, along with thermal printing. Includes merchant branding on-screen, an intuitive over-the-phone payment flow, on-board POS features, and is configurable for full POS integration.

  • 5.7-inch HD touchscreen
  • Built-in printer
  • Wi-Fi & 4G
  • Contactless, Chip & Pin, over-the-phone
  • Fast contactless transacting
  • Integrates with its provider's own POS only
  • Android POS and payments
Contract
negotiable

Dojo

Pax A920

Portable/countertop Android terminal with 4.9-inch touchscreen, built-in Wi-Fi & 4G connectivity, and thermal printing. Its form-factor means it's ideal when payments need to be taken away from the counter. Easily handles over-the-phone payments, and is configurable for full POS integration with many third-party POS systems.

  • 4.9-inch HD touchscreen
  • Built-in printer
  • Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity
  • Contactless, Chip & Pin, over-the-phone
  • Can be integrated with multiple POS systems
  • Android payment-only terminal
Contract
negotiable

Why coffee shops choose uno

Coffee shops live and die by speed. When there’s a queue out the door at 8am, every second counts - and every penny on transaction fees matters when your average sale is under a fiver.

Speed at the counter

Contactless payments process in under a second. No fumbling with Chip & Pin for a flat white. Tap, done, next customer.

Rates that work for small transactions

Per-transaction fees hit harder when your average sale is £3–£5. We compare rates across providers to find the most competitive deal for high-volume, low-value transactions.

Tipping made easy

On-screen tipping prompts let customers add a tip naturally at the point of payment - no awkward jar on the counter needed.

What you get from uno

  • A fast terminal suited to high-volume coffee shop trading
  • Competitive rates compared across providers
  • Tipping functionality built in
  • On-site setup and staff walkthrough

Common questions from coffee shop owners

Can the card machine keep up with a busy morning coffee rush?

Contactless transactions take literally a few seconds. When you've got a queue of commuters at 8am all buying a flat white and a pastry, every one of those seconds at the till adds up. The terminals we'd recommend would be optimal for exactly this kind of sustained, rapid-fire processing.

Are card machine fees worth it when most of my sales are under £5?

Yes - because the alternative is losing customers entirely. Fewer and fewer people carry cash, and a customer who walks past because you're cash-only is a sale you never see again. On a £4 coffee at a blended rate of 1.25%, you're paying 5p per transaction. The cost of turning away card-paying customers is far higher than the processing fee.

I've got limited counter space in my café - how big are the terminals?

The terminals we supply are compact by design and can sit neatly beside a till or on a narrow counter. Many of the card machines we recommend are handheld and doesn't need counter space at all - they can charge on a cradle placed anywhere, and work wherever they're needed.

General questions about uno
Which card machine is right for my business?

It really does depend on how your business operates - there's no one 'best solution' for all, as a Fine Dining restaurant in Covent Garden has completely different operational requirements to a Market Trader in Glasgow's bustling Barras, or a Cardiff Arms Park pub. We make the effort to truly understand how your business actually operates - before recommending the best solution from a range of providers, not just one.

How much does a card machine cost?

It varies by provider and model. With some providers, your first card machine comes with no upfront cost, no monthly rental, and no per-transaction fees - so your only cost is the processing rate on each sale you make. Additional terminals - or those from other providers - may well carry rental or per-transaction fees. The exact cost depends on your terminal type, provider, and monthly card turnover. Because uno works across multiple providers, we compare the real-world, overall costs and then find the most competitive deal for your specific situation.

How long will it take for me to receive my takings?

We know for many UK independent businesses cashflow is a daily struggle. We can offer various options, with settlement times ranging next morning, to the full three days it takes providers to actually receive your customers money. Whatever your working requirements are, we'll find the ideal solution to match those needs.

Do all uno card machines accept contactless payments?

Yes. Every payment terminal we recommend accepts contactless payments, including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and standard contactless cards. Contactless is now the default way most customers pay in the UK.

Will I be able to take 'over-the-phone' payments?

For most merchant-types this will be offered as a default payment option, available on-screen along with contactless and Chip & Pin. There are a small number of exceptional businesses operational-types where this is not the case - but for most, 'over-the-phone' payments will be offered as standard.

How can we process refunds?

Any terminal uno suggests would allow you to easily identify the original transaction. If still within the same day as the sale, then the transaction could then be 'voided'(aka 'reversed'). Voids/Reverses are typically instantaneous. However, if that trading day's 'banking window' had closed (typically at Midnight) then it would technically be classed as a 'refund' - which would then be subject to the bank's standard 3-5 day processing timeframe to complete.

Will we need to do complicated PCI compliance like we do with our current provider?

The great news for you is none of the providers uno works with have complicated anything! For those that require PCI of any sort at all, it really is a simple, painless process that just takes a few minutes per year!

Am I locked into a contract?

Not with every provider. Several of the solutions we offer have no long-term contract - you can switch or cancel without penalty. We'll always be upfront about contract terms before suggesting you commit to anything.

How long does it take to get set up?

Most businesses are up and running within a few days. We handle the supply, installation, and configuration so you can focus on serving your customers. We walk you through everything on-site - so you're confident from day one.

Why go through uno instead of going direct to a provider?

Going direct means you only see a single provider's products, at a single provider's prices. Because uno works across multiple providers, we can genuinely compare options and recommend the solution that suits your business - not just the only one we happen to sell! You also get a dedicated point of contact for ongoing support.

Ready to find the right card machine?

We make the effort to understand how your business works, and only then recommend the solution that genuinely fits - not the one with the biggest commission.

Get Started 07395 451520