It can be challenging living in a non-UK British territory and you’re trying to find a payment solution that works.
Many merchant service providers advertised in the UK do not work in Isle of Man, Channel Islands or British Overseas Territories – for example, iZettle does not. But we have found some that do.
SumUp
SumUp has the best low-cost card readers and remote payments for non-UK residents with a small business – without contractual commitment.
There are two card readers to choose from: SumUp Air that works with a basic point of sale (POS) app, and SumUp 3G that works independently anywhere with a mobile or WiFi network.
The service works in Channel Islands (Jersey and Guernsey), Gibraltar and Isle of Man only.
Learn more about SumUp in our review.
Going to another country?
See international card machine options for UK businesses
Worldpay / FIS
The major payment processor Worldpay offers card machines and other payment services in the Channel Islands, British Overseas Territories and Isle of Man.
Worldpay terminals are traditional card machines from Ingenico. Contracts are typically 18 months, but then you are able to get relatively good rates according to your monthly turnover and type of business.
Learn more about Worldpay in our review here.
Square
The small-business payment company Square has recently started offering card machines to the Falkland Islands, and they’re looking to expand services to Virgin Islands (yet to be finalised). The company doesn’t offer payments in the other British territories apart from the Falklands.
Square’s in-person card terminals include Square Reader that works with a mobile app and Square Terminal that works independently. The company also offers remote payment options like ecommerce, invoicing, a virtual terminal and payment links.
Learn more about Square in our review here.
PayPal Here
PayPal’s card reader service, PayPal Here, is offered on a case-by-case basis to merchants in Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man and Gibraltar only.
The card reader works with an app with basic POS features to suit a simple shop or on-the-go payments.
Learn more about PayPal Here in our review here.
myPOS
myPOS sells a range of mobile card terminals linked to an online e-money account and business Visa card. All the card machines can be used in any country where myPOS operates, even when you are registered in just one country.
Currently, you can open a myPOS account in Gibraltar only.
Learn more about myPOS in our review here.
Online gateways
In contrast to in-person payments, it is easier to find ecommerce solutions in the territories outside United Kingdom. It will, however, vary which online gateways (the payment processing system of an online store) are available in the different regions.
The best ecommerce platform for online businesses is Shopify. This will work nearly everywhere and gives you a choice of payment solutions specific to your area.
To search the online gateways available in your region, we recommend looking up your geographical location here.
Stripe, unfortunately, does not support businesses in the British Crown Dependencies (Guernsey, Jersey, Isle of Man) or any British Overseas Territories.
How to find out more
If we haven’t covered your area above – or prefer a different payment solution – there are a few other ways you can look for options:
- Ask local businesses with card terminals about where they got theirs from. Or just look at the card machine display, which often gives away the name of the payment provider.
- Find your regional business support organisation and ask about payment solutions.
- Ask your local bank.
- Contact acquiring banks individually.
- Search online, but beware: small merchant service providers in your area may have hidden contract terms you should be wary of before making a decision.
If you know of other payment solutions that work in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or British Overseas Territories, please let us know via our contact form so we can add it here. We will update this article as we become aware of more payment solutions.
