A countertop payment terminal might seem like the most straightforward part of your checkout setup, but choosing that device can be one of your most important decisions. Your payment terminal affects how fast your queues move at checkout, how flexible your system is and how well your in-person payments connect with the rest of your business.

Below, we'll provide details on what you need to evaluate countertop payment terminals, including an explanation of what they are, features to look for, and more.

What's in this article?

• What is a countertop payment terminal?
  
• Types of countertop payment terminals
  
• What payment methods can countertop terminals accept?
  
• What features should businesses look for in a countertop payment terminal?
  
• How to choose the best countertop payment terminal provider
  
• How Stripe can help
  

What is a countertop payment terminal?

A countertop payment terminal is a fixed, wired device that lets you accept card and digital wallet payments at your checkout counter. Because the device doesn't move, it's built for steady, high-volume use in one location, such as a till, front desk or other payment station. The device typically uses Ethernet or a phone line to connect to your payment processor and it plugs into a power source, so you're not relying on a battery.

Countertop terminals typically support all standard card-present payment methods (i.e. chip, swipe and tap) and digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay. They also often have built-in receipt printers. They're straightforward and secure, and designed to move people through checkout quickly and reliably.

Though many businesses are moving to handheld options such as Tap to Pay, countertop payment terminals still make sense in certain industries and can be used alongside mobile devices. Countertop terminals accounted for more than 32% of all smart payment terminals globally in 2023.

Types of countertop payment terminals

All countertop terminals are built for fixed-location use. But within that category, there's a range of designs and capabilities. Choosing the right fit depends on your needs, integration requirements and how much flexibility you want at the point of sale. These are the main types of devices you'll see on the market:

Traditional standalone terminals

These are the card machines that have powered checkout counters for decades. They work best for businesses that want a reliable, dedicated device to handle card payments but don't need additional features. They're especially common in quick-service environments and high-volume retail counters where speed and simplicity matter most.

Features include:

• Wired connection via Ethernet or phone line

• Built-in keypad, a small monochrome or backlit display and sometimes an integrated receipt printer

• Support for EMV chip, magnetic stripe and sometimes contactless payments

Smart countertop terminals

Smart terminals run on modern operating systems (often Android) and support a wider range of use cases beyond just accepting payments. They're well suited to businesses that want more interaction and customisation at checkout, whether that's displaying detailed purchase information, collecting customer feedback or capturing digital signatures. They're especially useful in service-oriented businesses where interface and flow make a difference, such as salons, clinics or boutique retail.

Features include:

• Touchscreen interface for easier navigation and customer prompts

• Custom apps for tipping, loyalty programmes, refunds, digital receipts, and more

• Support for EMV chip, magnetic stripe, contactless and QR code payments

• Might offer remote device management, cloud connectivity and richer analytics

Integrated POS terminals

These terminals are designed to connect more deeply to a broader point-of-sale (POS) system rather than operate independently. The terminal might look traditional or smart, but it communicates differently with the rest of your tools. These terminals work best for retailers, restaurants and service businesses that use full-featured POS software and need payment hardware that fits into a larger system, and allow for more advanced reporting and customer tracking. Many of these setups help businesses manage payments, inventory and staff activities from one dashboard.

Features include:

• Automatic transaction amount transfers from the POS system to the terminal

• Real-time syncing of sales, inventory and customer data

• Workflows for printing receipts, splitting payments, applying discounts, and more

These categories aren't mutually exclusive. A traditional device and a smart terminal can be integrated with a POS system. What matters is understanding the workflow you're designing for and choosing the terminal that can support it best.

What payment methods can countertop terminals accept?

Modern countertop terminals are built to handle the full range of in-person payments. A good terminal accommodates how people prefer to pay across regions and devices. Here are the payment methods they typically support:

EMV chip cards

These are the norm for card payments in many markets, including the US and Europe. Customers insert their chip card into the reader and the terminal authenticates the transaction using encrypted, one-time-use codes. Countertop terminals typically have a built-in PIN pad or an attached, customer-facing PIN pad for chip transactions that require a PIN.

This payment method is:

• More secure than those that accept magnetic stripe cards

• Paired with PIN entry in some regions

• Required for shifting fraud liability from the business to the card issuer

Magnetic stripe cards

Swipe transactions are considered less secure than chip or tap, but many terminals still include magnetic stripe readers for compatibility with older cards.

These are:

• Useful if the chip is damaged

• Still common for gift cards

• Gradually being phased out in many regions

Contactless payments

Near-field communication (NFC) enables customers to pay by tapping a card, phone or wearable device on the terminal. NFC capability also means you can pay with digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay.

These are:

• Safer than magnetic stripe cards

• Fast to use, with no physical contact required

Some terminals can generate QR codes for customers to scan and pay with their phone.

Gift cards and loyalty rewards

Depending on your setup, countertop terminals can process:

• Store-issued or third-party gift cards

• Loyalty cards or digital rewards

Whether this payment method is included usually depends on your processor and how your POS system is configured.

What features should businesses look for in a countertop payment terminal?

The best countertop terminals support your operations, speed up checkout and adapt to how your business runs. Here's what to look for when you're choosing one:

Support for all core payment methods

A good terminal can accommodate every major in-person payment type from the start, including EMV chip (with or without PIN), magnetic stripe, digital wallets and optional support for QR codes and gift cards, if relevant.

Reliable, flexible connectivity

Countertop terminals usually connect via Ethernet or a phone line. Some have mobile backup or dial-up as a fail-safe, but that's less common. Choose one that fits your network setup, but make sure your device can stay online consistently.

Built-in receipt printing

Many countertop terminals include a printer. That's useful if:

• You're required to offer printed receipts

• Your customers regularly ask for them

• You want to avoid setting up a separate receipt printer

If you plan to go paperless, make sure the terminal supports email or text receipts.

Fast, intuitive interface

A good terminal shouldn't slow you or your customers down.

Look for:

• Clear prompts and fast processing

• A bright, easy-to-read display

• Tactile keypads or responsive touchscreens, depending on your preference

• Easy navigation to common actions, such as refunds or receipt reprints

If it takes more than a few minutes to train someone to use the terminal, it's likely too complicated.

Built-in security measures

Make sure your terminal is:

• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant

• Using point-to-point encryption (P2PE)

• Built with tamper-resistant hardware

You need to know your terminal meets global payment security standards.

POS system integration

If you're running a full POS system, your terminal should sync with it to avoid manual entry, allow for shared reporting and inventory updates, and create unified customer records and receipts. The more your systems can talk to each other, the simpler your operations will be.

Customisability and advanced features

Depending on your business model, you might also want to seek out these functions:

• Tipping prompts

• Multi-language support

• Digital signature capture

• Custom branding or on-screen messages

• Application programming interfaces (APIs) or software development kits (SDKs) if you're building your own POS system flow

Some smart terminals support loyalty enrolment or customer feedback on the screen.

Performance and durability

You don't want a device that lags during a sales rush. Look for:

• Fast payment processing

• Stable connectivity

• Solid construction

Remote management

If you have multiple locations or terminals, cloud-based tools can help you monitor their status, push updates remotely and see real-time transaction data across sites so you don't have to troubleshoot on-site.

How to choose the best countertop payment terminal provider

Hardware matters, but the provider matters more. Your countertop terminal is only as reliable, flexible and efficient as its payment infrastructure. Below are considerations to note as you decide.

Compatibility with your platforms

Start with what you're using. If you have a POS system, e-commerce platform or back end you rely on, check how easily the terminal can plug into it. Be sure to ask the provider:

• Can you sync transactions between online and in-person channels?

• Does the terminal integrate with your POS system or does it require manual workarounds?

• Can you track customer activity or inventory across systems?

If you're using Stripe for online payments, Stripe Terminal extends that setup into the physical world. You can use the same account and the same Dashboard, with all your data in one place.

Ease of integration and customisation

Some businesses only need a plug-and-play solution, while others want more control to customise.

Here's how to determine which you need:

• If you're building your own POS system or embedding payments into a custom app, look for open APIs and SDKs.

• If you want immediate functionality, make sure the provider has pre-built integrations for your stack.

• If you need branded flows, custom tipping screens or loyalty programme prompts, see what the terminal's interface can support.

Stripe Terminal devices offer developer tools and customisable user interfaces (UIs) that are especially well suited to businesses that want to move beyond a generic checkout process.

Transparent pricing and fees

Look at the full cost of ownership, including:

• Hardware costs

• Transaction fees

• Monthly minimums

• Setup fees

• Cancellation terms

Stripe has no monthly fees or surprise charges. Other providers might offer lower top-line rates but make up for it with add-on fees. Run the numbers based on your sales volume, and factor in flexibility. Can you scale up or down without being penalised?

Performance, support and reliability

This is key infrastructure – it must work, always.

Be sure to check:

• Does the provider have a reputation for uptime and transaction speed?

• Is there real-time support if problems come up?

• Does the provider offer overnight replacements or other backup options for hardware failures?

• Are software updates automatic and included?

Look for a provider with a strong track record and support services that match your operating hours. Stripe offers remote device monitoring and pushes software updates directly to its terminals – no manual intervention required.

Environment and future fit

The right provider can act as more than just a terminal. Look for a device with:

• Built-in support for online payments and Tap to Pay

• Tools for managing multiple locations or device fleets

• Features such as recurring billing, fraud prevention or reconciliation

• A road map that keeps pace as customers' payment preferences shift

Choose a provider that can give you room to grow in the long term.

How Stripe can help

Stripe Terminal allows businesses to grow their revenue with unified payments across in-person and online channels. It supports new ways to pay, simple hardware logistics, global coverage and hundreds of POS and commerce integrations to design your ideal payments stack.

Stripe powers unified commerce for brands like Hertz, URBN, Lands' End, Shopify, Lightspeed and Mindbody.

Stripe Terminal can help your business:

• Unify commerce: Manage online and in-person payments on a global platform with unified payments data.

• Expand globally: Scale to 24 countries with a single set of integrations.

• Integrate your way: Develop your own custom POS app or connect with your existing tech stack using third-party POS and commerce integrations.

• Simplify hardware logistics: Easily order, manage and monitor Stripe-supported countertop smart readers, wherever they are.

Learn more about Stripe Terminal or get started today.