Card machines for festivals

Take card payments at any festival - portable 4G terminals that handle mud, crowds, and long days.

Common challenges

  • No Wi-Fi at festival sites
  • Need a terminal that survives outdoor conditions
  • Battery must last a full festival day
  • Only trade at a handful of festivals each year
  • High-volume quick-service transactions need speed

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

Why festival traders choose uno

Festivals are the ultimate stress test for a card machine - outdoors, no Wi-Fi, thousands of customers, and you need to keep trading from opening to close. We supply terminals that handle it.

Built for the field

4G connectivity, all-day battery, and hardware that copes with outdoor conditions. Your terminal needs to work in a muddy field as well as it does on a shop counter.

Speed under pressure

Festival queues are relentless. Contactless payments process in under a second - tap, done, next customer. No time wasted.

No year-round contract

If you only trade at festivals a few times a year, you shouldn’t be paying monthly fees the rest of the time. We offer flexible terms for seasonal festival trading.

What you get from uno

  • Portable terminals proven in outdoor conditions
  • 4G connectivity - no venue Wi-Fi dependency
  • Flexible terms for seasonal festival trading
  • Support before, during, and after events

Common questions from festivals owners

We're in a field with no Wi-Fi and limited mobile signal - what are our options?

4G terminal coverage depends on the location. Most UK festival sites have adequate mobile signal - we've set up traders at festivals across the country. For known low-signal sites, we check coverage before you commit. Some festival organisers provide Wi-Fi for traders, but we wouldn't rely on it as the sole connection method.

We process hundreds of transactions over a festival weekend - are the rates competitive?

High-volume trading over a short period is exactly where rate differences matter. A festival vendor processing 500 transactions in three days at an average of £8 will save around £18 over the weekend by using a 1.25% rate instead of 1.69%. We find the rate that works for your volume.

I'm a festival trader, not a permanent business - can I still get a card machine?

Yes. You don't need a shop or a permanent address to get a card machine. Festival traders, market vendors, and temporary operators are all eligible. The SumUp Solo needs no contract and no monthly fees - ideal for traders who only work event weekends.

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