Small-business payment apps don’t require additional hardware to accept payments from customers. There’s also often no monthly fee.
Hillary Crawford Last updated on January 18, 2024 Christine Aebischer ✅ Fact checked and reviewedMany or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This may influence which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money.
Payment apps, typically offered through payment processing companies, are convenient because they let small businesses accept contactless payments with just a smartphone. Businesses with a brick-and-mortar location will likely need a more complete point-of-sale (POS) system, including hardware, in addition to a payment app. But the apps alone can be sufficient for very small businesses with no physical storefront.
Mobile payment apps can simplify transactions on customers’ side, too. For example, Venmo uses QR codes that allow customers to send money using a saved payment method within the mobile app — no card needs to be present.
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Here are our top picks for small-business payment apps.on Square's secure website
Get an estimated monthly cost for your business.Best for Pairing with a larger POS system
In-person: 2.6% + $0.10
Starts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Get an estimated monthly cost for your business. Learn moreon Square's secure website
Learn moreon Stripe Payments' secure website
Best for Online-first businesses
In-person: 2.7% + $0.05
Learn moreon Stripe Payments' secure website
Read ReviewBest for Invoicing
In-person: 2.5% + $0.00
Online: 2.99% + $0.00
Read ReviewVenmo Business Account
Best for Accepting payments with a QR code
Between Venmo accounts.
Read ReviewBest for Variety of payment options
In-person: 2.29% + $0.09
Online: 3.49% + $0.09
Read ReviewSmart money moves for your small business Grow your small business with tailored insights and recommendations.
Sign up for freePairing with a larger POS system
on Square's secure website
Monthly feeStarts at $0/month for unlimited devices and locations.
Why we like itSquare certainly isn’t the only POS system provider, but its options are some of the most versatile. Entrepreneurs selling across a variety of venues can opt for a free magstripe card reader, purchase a chip reader or accept contactless payments with just the smartphone app. Those with a storefront may choose to purchase the countertop POS system as well.
Pros & Conson Stripe Payments' secure website
Monthly fee Why we like itStripe can be a good solution for small businesses that sell mostly online as opposed to in person. If you need to complete the occasional in-person transaction, though, the Stripe Dashboard mobile app lets you accept contactless payments with your smartphone using Tap to Pay.
Pros & ConsQuickBooks GoPayment is a convenient payment app for merchants that use QuickBooks Online for their accounting needs. While it works best with the paired card reader, you can also use the app to manually key in your customer’s card info and accept invoice payments in person. Just know that keyed-in processing rates are higher than those for accepting invoice payments online or with the card reader.
Pros & ConsAccepting payments with a QR code
Between Venmo accounts.
Monthly fee Why we like itVenmo is a payments app that both merchants and consumers can use to send and receive funds. With a Venmo business account, you can receive a free QR kit and then display your QR code at pop-up events, allowing customers to scan and pay for their purchase on the spot. The funds come out of the customer’s Venmo balance or another linked account and get transferred to the business’s Venmo account. That way, you don’t have to worry about POS hardware.
Pros & ConsVariety of payment options
Small businesses use PayPal Zettle to accept a wide range of payment options, including credit cards, Venmo, PayPal, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay. You can use the free payment app’s Tap to Pay feature to accept contactless payments with just a smartphone or pair the app with a card reader or portable POS terminal.
Pros & ConsWhy we like it: Square is a good fit for self-employed people who mostly take payments on the go and small businesses that require a more built-out POS system. Customers can pay using their mobile wallets and merchants can accept contactless payments through the app — no hardware (besides a smartphone) needed. For more details, read our full Square POS review.
Monthly costs $0 for Square POS, Restaurant, Retail and Appointments Free plans. $29 for Square Appointments Plus plan. $69 for Square Appointments Premium and Square Restaurants Plus plans. $89 for Square Retail Plus plan. $165 for Square Restaurant Premium plan. Custom pricing for Square Retail plan. Payment processing fees 2.6% plus 10 cents for in-person transactions. 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions. 3.5% plus 15 cents for manually keyed transactions. 3.3% plus 30 cents for invoices.Why we like it: First and foremost, Stripe is a customizable online payment platform for e-commerce businesses. However, it also allows merchants to accept contactless in-person payments through the mobile app. If you need a slightly more robust in-person POS device, card readers are available. For more details, read our full Stripe Payments review.
Monthly costs $0 for standard Stripe Connect.$2 per account for Stripe Express (for marketplaces) or Stripe Custom (the white-label option that allows businesses to customize the checkout process).
Payment processing fees 2.7% plus 5 cents for in-person transactions. 2.9% plus 30 cents for online transactions. 3.4% plus 30 cents for manually keyed transactions. 4.4% plus 30 cents for international card transactions.Why we like it: The QuickBooks GoPayment app lets QuickBooks Online users accept invoice payments in person. And since QuickBooks Online and the payment app sync with each other, the payment gets transferred right into your books. For more details, read our full QuickBooks GoPayment review.
Monthly costs $0 if you already have a QuickBooks Online plan. $30 ($15 for first three months) for Simple Start plan for new QuickBooks users. $60 ($30 for first three months) for Essentials plan for new QuickBooks users. $90 ($45 for first three months) for Plus plan for new QuickBooks users. $200 ($100 for first three months) for Advanced plan for new QuickBooks users. QuickBooks Desktop users pay an annual subscription fee for the accounting software. Payment processing fees For QuickBooks Online users 2.5% for in-person payments. 2.99% for online and invoiced payments. 3.5% for manually keyed payments. 1% for ACH transactions. For QuickBooks Desktop users Pay as you go plan (no monthly fee): 2.4% plus 30 cents per in-person transaction. 3.5% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction. $3 per ACH transfer. Pay monthly plan ($20 monthly fee): 1.6% plus 30 cents per in-person transaction. 3.3% plus 30 cents per keyed-in or invoiced transaction. $3 per ACH transfer.Why we like it: Venmo isn’t an all-in-one payments platform and POS solution like Square, but its QR codes make it easy for customers to pay small businesses at pop-up events, festivals and farmers markets. Customers can transfer money from their Venmo balance or from a separate linked account. Rates are lowest for Venmo balance transfers, but merchants can also use Tap to Pay to accept contactless payments. For more details, read our full Venmo business account review.
Monthly costs Payment processing fees 1.9% plus 10 cents per transaction between Venmo accounts. 2.29% plus 9 cents per contactless “Tap to Pay” payment. 1.75% fee for instant transfers.Why we like it: The PayPal Zettle app can be a great choice for mobile businesses that want to let customers make payments with Venmo, PayPal or their mobile wallets. Card-present transaction rates are more competitive, but you can also manually enter card information. For more details, read our full PayPal Zettle review.
Monthly costs Payment processing fees 2.29% plus 9 cents for in-person and QR code transactions. 3.49% plus 9 cents for manual-entry card transactions. 2.99% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with card). 3.49% plus 49 cents for invoicing (payment made with PayPal).It’s common for credit card processing companies to offer mobile apps that are meant to be paired with POS hardware. But in order to make NerdWallet’s list of best payment apps for small businesses, the apps above must also turn smartphones into their own POS devices. In other words, you should be able to complete at least one type of transaction with just the app. Transaction types fall into at least one of the following categories:
Contactless payments via Tap to Pay. QR code payments. In-person invoice payments. Manually keyed-in payments. Money transfers.There are payment apps geared toward customers, too. But instead of enabling you to accept payments with your phone, they let you make payments with your phone. Some examples include money transfer apps and digital wallets.
Meet the editorial team
Lead Writer | Business software
Hillary Crawford is a small-business writer at NerdWallet, with a special focus on business software products. Her previous roles include news writer and associate West Coast editor at Bustle Digital Group, where she helped shape news and tech coverage. Her work has appeared in The Associated Press, The Washington Post, Yahoo Finance and Entrepreneur, in addition to other publications. She is based in Traverse City, Michigan.
Education: B.A. with high honors in political science from University of Michigan Previous experience: Bustle Digital Group, GenFKDAssistant Assigning Editor | Small-business finance, personal finance
Christine Aebischer is an former assistant assigning editor on the small-business team at NerdWallet who has covered business and personal finance for nearly a decade. Previously, she was an editor at Fundera, where she developed service-driven content on topics such as business lending, software and insurance. She has also held editing roles at LearnVest, a personal finance startup, and its parent company, Northwestern Mutual. She is based in Santa Monica, California.
Education: B.A. in English and journalism from The College of New Jersey Previous experience: Fundera, Northwestern Mutual, LearnVest NerdWallet Home Page Finance Smarter Credit Cards Financial Planning Financial News Small BusinessDownload the app
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