If you're comparing card machines for your small business, you've probably noticed that the headline transaction rate is the number every provider leads with. 1.75%. 1.5%. Even 0.99%. It looks straightforward. Until you realise the headline rate is often the least important number on the page.

Running a small business is expensive enough without paying for software you don't actually need to pay for. Right now, most small businesses are handing over anywhere from £25 to £200 a month for an EPOS system—and that’s before factoring in the transaction fees from their card machine.

Your card reader just stopped working. Mid-service. Mid-queue. The customer's card is out, and your terminal has gone blank. That's not just inconvenient, it's money walking out the door. On a busy Saturday market or a packed Friday dinner service, even twenty minutes of downtime can cost you hundreds of pounds in missed sales and customers who don't come back.

You’ve had a brilliant week. Sales are strong, the momentum is real, and then you hit a wall because the cash hasn’t caught up yet. That’s not a business problem. That’s a timing problem. And a cash advance is built to solve exactly that.

IIf your business goes wherever you go, your card reader needs to keep up. Whether you're a market trader, a personal trainer visiting clients at home, or a tradesperson wrapping up a job on-site, taking payment should not involve a bulky terminal and a tangle of cables. For mobile businesses, accepting payments should be simple. The right card reader makes it seamless.

Learn about the Lopay WisePad 3 card reader: pricing, setup, who it suits, battery life, dimensions, and FAQs for taking fast in-person payments.