New businesses should set up card payments before opening day because payment approval, terminal delivery, EPOS integration, staff training and transaction testing can all take time. Preparing early allows the business to accept customers’ preferred payment methods from its first sale, avoid checkout delays and start with accurate payment reporting.
Card payments are no longer an optional extra for most UK retail and hospitality businesses. UK Finance reports that cards represented 64% of all UK payments in 2024, while 19.2 billion contactless debit and credit card payments were made during 2025.
Whether you are opening a café, takeaway, convenience shop, restaurant, bar or mobile phone store, your payment system should be installed and fully tested before customers arrive.
Key Takeaways
| Key point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Apply before opening day | Approval, equipment delivery and installation may take longer than expected |
| Test real transactions | Testing helps identify connectivity, receipt and settlement problems |
| Choose the right terminal | Countertop, portable and mobile terminals suit different business models |
| Consider EPOS integration | Integrated payments reduce manual entry and simplify reconciliation |
| Train employees early | Staff should understand payments, refunds, declined transactions and receipts |
| Review every cost | Compare transaction fees, rental, contract terms and additional charges |
| Protect payment information | Businesses accepting cards must follow relevant payment-security requirements |
Why Card Payments Should Be Ready Before Your Business Opens
Opening a business involves dozens of interconnected tasks. You may be arranging stock, menus, suppliers, licences, signage, insurance and employee rotas at the same time.
It can therefore be tempting to treat the card machine as a final purchase that can be installed shortly before opening. That approach creates unnecessary risk.
Accepting card payments requires more than ordering a terminal. A new business may need to:
- Select a payment provider
- Submit business and identification information
- Complete provider checks
- Connect a business bank account
- Review pricing and contract terms
- Receive and activate the card machine
- Configure connectivity
- Integrate the terminal with an EPOS system
- Train employees
- Test payments, refunds and receipts
Completing these tasks before opening gives you time to resolve problems without a queue of customers waiting at the till.
What Can Go Wrong When Card Payments Are Arranged Too Late?
You may have to operate as cash-only
A business that opens without an active payment terminal may have to ask customers to pay with cash or bank transfer.
Some customers may not carry enough cash, particularly when purchasing meals, electronics, groceries or higher-value items. They may abandon the purchase rather than find a cash machine or complete a manual transfer.
You should still decide whether your business will accept cash, but cash should not become an emergency replacement for an unfinished payment setup.
The terminal may not work properly
Receiving a card machine does not guarantee that it is ready for trading.
The terminal may need activation, a software update, network configuration or a connection to your EPOS system. A portable terminal may also require pairing with its base station or Wi-Fi network.
Discovering these issues during a quiet test is manageable. Discovering them during the opening-day rush can damage the customer experience.
Employees may enter incorrect amounts
With a standalone card terminal, employees normally enter the sale total manually. Under pressure, someone could enter £9.50 as £95.00, select the wrong transaction type or forget to complete the payment after closing the order on the till.
Training should therefore cover more than tapping a card. Employees need to understand:
- Taking chip and PIN payments
- Accepting contactless and mobile-wallet payments
- Handling declined transactions
- Cancelling incorrect payments
- Processing authorised refunds
- Providing receipts
- Checking whether a transaction completed successfully
Your first day’s records may be inaccurate
Businesses need a reliable way to compare till sales with card transactions.
A rushed or disconnected setup can lead to differences between EPOS reports, payment-terminal totals and bank settlements. Starting with a tested process makes daily reconciliation easier from the beginning.
Seven Benefits of Setting Up Card Payments Early
1. You can accept more ways to pay
A modern card machine can allow customers to pay using debit cards, credit cards and compatible mobile wallets.
For more information, read the Switch & Save guide to the different card payment options for retail and hospitality.
Providing familiar payment options removes unnecessary friction at checkout. The customer can concentrate on the purchase rather than whether they have the correct payment method.
2. You can test your internet connection
Your card terminal may depend on Ethernet, Wi-Fi or mobile connectivity. The connection should be tested in the exact area where payments will be taken.
For example, a restaurant may have strong Wi-Fi near the counter but poor coverage at outside tables. A mobile business may require a terminal with reliable cellular connectivity rather than one designed for a fixed broadband connection.
Testing different parts of the premises helps you select the correct setup and identify coverage problems.
3. You can compare payment costs properly
Transaction rates are important, but they are not the only cost.
A new business should examine:
- Terminal purchase or rental charges
- Debit and credit card rates
- Authorisation or transaction fees
- Minimum monthly charges
- PCI-related fees
- Refund or chargeback charges
- Contract length
- Early termination terms
- Replacement-terminal charges
- Optional EPOS integration costs
The cheapest headline rate may not produce the lowest overall cost. Your expected turnover, average transaction value, card mix and trading model can all affect which option is suitable.
Switch & Save’s card machine solutions for UK businesses allow businesses to discuss these requirements before selecting a provider.
4. Your employees can practise before serving customers
A short training session before opening can prevent avoidable mistakes.
Create several sample situations, such as:
- A normal contactless payment
- A chip and PIN payment
- A declined transaction
- An incorrect amount
- A customer requesting a receipt
- A manager-approved refund
- A split payment, where supported
Employees should also know who to contact when the terminal or internet connection fails.
5. You can connect payments to your EPOS
A card machine processes payments, while an EPOS system manages sales, products, stock, employees and reporting. The difference is explained in the Switch & Save guide to POS systems versus card machines.
With integrated payments, the EPOS system can send the transaction amount directly to the card terminal. The employee does not have to type it again.
This can help to:
- Reduce incorrect payment amounts
- Speed up checkout
- Connect payments with individual orders
- Simplify end-of-day reconciliation
- Produce clearer sales reports
Switch & Save offers EPOS options that combine sales management, stock control, reporting and integrated card payments for UK retail and hospitality businesses.
6. You can create a backup plan
Even a well-prepared payment system can occasionally be affected by connectivity, power or provider problems.
Before opening, decide what employees should do if card payments become temporarily unavailable. Your plan might include checking the broadband router, restarting equipment safely, using an approved secondary connection or contacting support.
Never invent a payment procedure during a busy service. Define it in advance and make sure employees understand which actions they are authorised to take.
7. You can focus on customers on opening day
Opening day should be spent welcoming customers, checking service quality and resolving normal operational issues.
It should not be spent activating terminals, searching for login credentials or asking staff to use a payment system they have never seen.
Early preparation removes one significant source of avoidable pressure.
When Should a New Business Apply for Card Payments?
A new business should begin comparing providers as soon as it has a reasonably clear opening date, business structure, bank account and expected payment requirements.
Do not plan around the assumption that everything will be approved, delivered, installed and tested on the final day.
A practical preparation schedule could look like this:
Several weeks before opening
- Estimate monthly card turnover
- Estimate average transaction value
- Decide where payments will be taken
- Compare countertop, portable and mobile terminals
- Review provider costs and agreements
- Confirm EPOS compatibility
- Submit the application
One to two weeks before opening
- Receive and inspect the terminal
- Complete activation
- Install or connect the EPOS system
- Test Wi-Fi, Ethernet or mobile connectivity
- Configure receipts and user access
- Confirm the support process
During the final week
- Process test transactions
- Confirm refunds and cancellations
- Train every authorised employee
- Check card and EPOS reports
- Prepare a downtime procedure
- Store support details securely
Actual onboarding times vary between providers and applications, so build additional time into your opening plan rather than relying on the shortest possible schedule.
Choosing the Right Card Machine for a New Business
The correct terminal depends on how and where customers pay.
Countertop card machines
Countertop machines are suitable for businesses where customers normally pay at a fixed till, such as:
- Convenience stores
- Grocery shops
- Mobile phone shops
- Bakeries
- Service counters
They are designed to remain close to the EPOS terminal and are often connected through broadband or Ethernet.
Portable card machines
Portable terminals are useful when employees need to bring the card machine to the customer.
Common examples include:
- Restaurants
- Cafés
- Bars
- Table-service venues
- Larger retail premises
Check the terminal’s connection range throughout the premises before opening.
Mobile card machines
Mobile terminals use a cellular connection or a compatible mobile setup and can be suitable for:
- Market traders
- Mobile services
- Pop-up shops
- Events
- Delivery businesses
- Tradespeople
A business operating across different locations should test coverage in its normal trading areas.
Why New Businesses Should Consider Integrated Card Payments
Integrated card payments connect the card terminal with the EPOS system so the payment amount can pass directly from the order to the terminal.
Consider a busy takeaway where an order total is £27.60. With a standalone terminal, the employee must read the total from the till and enter it into the card machine. With integration, the amount can be transferred automatically.
Removing that manual step becomes increasingly valuable when the business is processing hundreds of transactions.
Restaurants can learn more in the Switch & Save guide to integrated card payments for restaurants.
Integration should be discussed before purchasing the terminal. Not every card machine connects with every EPOS platform, and compatibility should be confirmed before entering a contract.
How to Test Card Payments Before Opening Day
Complete at least one controlled end-to-end test covering the entire payment journey.
Test a successful payment
Create a low-value test order, complete the card transaction and confirm that both the terminal and EPOS show a successful payment.
Check the receipt
Review the merchant receipt and customer receipt. Confirm that business details, amount, date and transaction status appear correctly.
Check EPOS reporting
Open the relevant sales and payment reports. Confirm that the order is assigned to the correct payment method and employee.
Check the provider portal
Sign in to the provider’s reporting portal and confirm that the transaction appears correctly.
Test an authorised refund
Use an approved test procedure to confirm that authorised employees understand how refunds are processed and recorded. Access to refunds should be restricted to the appropriate roles.
Reconcile the totals
Compare the EPOS card total with the card-terminal or provider report. Any unexplained difference should be investigated before the business opens.
Card Payment Security and UK Compliance
Businesses that store, process, transmit or otherwise affect the security of cardholder data fall within the scope of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, commonly called PCI DSS. It establishes baseline technical and operational requirements for protecting payment account data.
Use provider-approved equipment, protect passwords, restrict employee permissions and avoid writing down or storing customers’ card details unnecessarily. Additional guidance is available in the Switch & Save article on securing card payments for your business.
Businesses should also remember that UK rules generally prohibit adding a surcharge because a consumer chooses to pay with a personal debit or credit card or another covered payment method.
Your payment provider should explain the PCI validation steps and security responsibilities that apply to your particular setup.
Card Payment Checklist for Opening Day
Before opening the doors, confirm that:
- The merchant account has been approved
- Every terminal has been delivered and activated
- The terminal connects reliably
- Contactless, chip and PIN and compatible mobile wallets work
- EPOS integration has been tested
- Receipts show the correct business information
- Payment reports are accessible
- Employees understand declined transactions
- Refund access is restricted
- Support telephone numbers are available
- Login details are stored securely
- A payment-downtime procedure has been prepared
- Pricing and contract terms have been reviewed
- Card and EPOS totals reconcile correctly
Do not assume a successful terminal activation means the entire process is ready. Test the full journey from entering the order to checking the transaction report.
How Switch & Save Supports New Businesses
Switch & Save helps UK businesses prepare their payment and EPOS operations before opening.
Depending on your requirements, the team can help you compare:
- Card machines for retail and hospitality
- Countertop, portable and mobile payment options
- Integrated EPOS and card payment systems
- Sales, stock and payment reporting
- Retail and hospitality EPOS workflows
- Hardware and software packages
- Payment costs and operational requirements
- Business finance options for eligible businesses
The aim is to choose a system that fits how your business will actually operate, rather than installing disconnected products that create additional work.
Switch & Save helps UK businesses reduce costs with AI-powered EPOS systems, card payment solutions and business finance. Check your savings today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a new business get a card machine?
Yes. New businesses can apply for card-payment services, although acceptance and commercial terms are subject to the provider’s application, verification and risk-assessment process.
Prepare accurate information about your business activity, ownership, bank account, expected turnover, average transaction value and sales channels.
How early should I arrange card payments?
Begin the process several weeks before your planned opening where possible. This creates time for comparison, approval, delivery, activation, integration, employee training and testing.
Do I need a business bank account to accept card payments?
Requirements vary by provider and business structure. Ask the provider which account types it accepts and confirm that the account name and business details meet its onboarding requirements.
What card machine is best for a new business?
A countertop terminal is usually suitable for a fixed checkout. A portable terminal is useful for table service, while a mobile terminal may suit businesses that trade at different locations.
The best choice depends on your premises, connectivity, transaction volume, average sale value and EPOS requirements.
Should I choose the lowest card transaction rate?
Not automatically. Compare the total expected cost, including rental, authorisation charges, minimum fees, PCI-related charges, contract length and termination terms.
A slightly different transaction rate may produce better overall value when the complete package is considered.
Do I need an EPOS system as well as a card machine?
A card machine can accept payments without a full EPOS system. However, an EPOS system provides additional functions such as product management, stock control, employee permissions, sales reporting and order processing.
Businesses with regular retail or hospitality transactions may benefit from using both systems together.
What are integrated card payments?
Integrated card payments allow an EPOS system to send the sale amount directly to the card terminal. This reduces manual data entry and helps connect the payment with the correct order.
Can I charge customers extra for paying by card?
Businesses are generally prohibited from adding surcharges to consumer payments made using personal debit cards, credit cards and other covered payment methods. Different rules may apply in limited circumstances, so seek appropriate advice where necessary.
What should I do if the card machine stops working?
Check the terminal connection, power and provider status using your approved troubleshooting process. Contact your payment or EPOS support team when the issue cannot be resolved safely.
Employees should never use unapproved methods to record or retain customers’ card information.
