Stripe Terminal now offers more reader choices than ever, and the right one depends on where and how you sell. This post covers every option that works with the Payment app, from the free one already in your pocket to a countertop terminal with a built-in receipt printer.
The lineup
| Reader | Price | Connectivity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tap to Pay (your phone) | Free | Your phone | US, UK, CA, AU + more |
| Stripe Reader M2 | $59 | Bluetooth | US only |
| WisePad 3 | Varies by region | Bluetooth | 20+ countries |
| WisePOS E | ~$249-299 | WiFi or Ethernet | 15+ countries |
| Stripe Reader S700/S710 | $349+ | WiFi (S710 adds cellular) | Stripe Terminal countries |
| Verifone V660p | Via Stripe Dashboard | WiFi + Ethernet | US |
All of them process at Stripe's in-person rate, 2.7% + 5¢ in the US, which is lower than the 2.9% + 30¢ card-not-present rate you'd pay keying cards in manually.
Start with Tap to Pay (it's free)
If you have a reasonably recent iPhone or an NFC-equipped Android phone, you already own a card reader. Tap to Pay accepts contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay with no hardware at all. The limitations: contactless only (no chip slot, no swipe), and it requires an internet connection. For many businesses just getting started, this is the answer, and you can add hardware later once volume justifies it.
On the go: M2 or WisePad 3
The Stripe Reader M2 is a $59 pocket-sized Bluetooth reader that adds chip and swipe on top of contactless, and supports offline payments. US only. Outside the US, the WisePad 3 is the portable choice, with a built-in PIN pad (required in many countries) and availability in 20+ countries including Canada, Australia, Singapore and most of Europe.
At the counter: WisePOS E or S700
The WisePOS E is a customer-facing smart terminal: the customer sees the amount, picks a tip, and taps or inserts their card themselves. Your phone still drives the sale. The Stripe Reader S700 goes a step further and runs the Payment app directly on the device, so there is no phone in the loop at all. If you want one device at the register instead of two, the S700 is the cleaner setup. Choose the S710 variant if you need built-in cellular.
Need receipts? The V660p
The Verifone V660p is Stripe's countertop reader with a built-in receipt printer, and it supports standalone mode out of the box. For businesses where customers expect a printed receipt (restaurants, salons, repair shops), it's the only Stripe reader that prints one.
Our recommendation
Start free with Tap to Pay. Add an M2 (or WisePad 3 internationally) when you need chip cards or offline mode. Move to the S700 or V660p when you want a dedicated counter device. And remember the readers aren't exclusive: many businesses run Tap to Pay for the market stall and a countertop reader in the shop, all flowing into the same Stripe account.
Compare all the readers side by side: https://paymentforstripe.com/card-readers
