How to Choose the Right Payment Terminal for Your Merchant

Last Updated on November 13, 2026

The right payment terminal depends on how your merchant takes payments, whether they need printed receipts, and whether they run the business from a phone or need a full point-of-sale system. Answer those questions first, and the device choice usually makes itself. For most retail, restaurant, and service merchants, the answer is a single device that works at the counter and on the move.

Here’s how to get there, and how to keep hardware from slowing down a deal you’ve already closed.

Why hardware stalls deals

You found the merchant. You closed the deal. Then the terminal turns into its own project: a vendor to find, a device to set up, and a box that shows up and doesn’t work on the first try.

None of that is the merchant’s fault, but it lands on you. A merchant waiting on hardware isn’t processing, and a merchant whose first week goes badly remembers who sent them there. The fix is to get the device decision right early and hand off the setup to someone who does it every day.

Four questions to ask your merchant

1. Where do they take payments?

This is the question that decides the most. A merchant who checks customers out in one spot needs a countertop terminal, a device that stays at the register and usually connects by Ethernet or Wi-Fi. A merchant who goes to the customer, at the table, in the field, or at an event, needs a portable terminal, a handheld device with its own battery and, often, a cellular connection. Many merchants do both, and that’s worth knowing before you pick.

2. Do they need printed receipts?

Restaurants, retail counters, and anyone whose customers expect a paper receipt need a built-in printer. Mobile and field-service merchants often don’t. Texting or emailing receipts keeps the device smaller and lighter, and fewer parts means fewer things to break.

3. Do they run the business from a phone or tablet?

Some merchants already manage everything from a phone or tablet and want the card reader to fit in. For them, a PIN pad makes sense. It’s a compact card reader that can run on its own or pair with the phone or tablet the merchant already uses.

4. Do they need a full POS, or only a payment terminal?

A payment terminal takes payments. A POS system (point of sale) runs the business around the payment: menus, tables, kitchen orders, inventory, and loyalty programs. Full-service and quick-service restaurants usually need the second. Most other merchants don’t, and putting a POS in front of a merchant who only needs a terminal adds cost and complexity they won’t use.

Matching the merchant to the device

Once you have those answers, the match is usually straightforward.

For most retail, restaurant, and service merchants: CodePay P5K. It’s countertop and handheld in one device, with a touchscreen, a physical keypad, and a built-in printer. It runs on Wi-Fi or cellular, so it works at the register and wherever the sale goes. If you’re not sure where to start, start here.

For the merchants it doesn’t fit:

If your merchant…	Consider
Works in the field, at markets, or at events, and doesn’t need paper	PAX A77
Checks out at a fixed counter with steady volume	PAX A80
Takes payments at the table, busts lines, or delivers	PAX A920 Pro
Runs the business from a phone or tablet	Ingenico Link/2500 LE
Is a restaurant that needs a complete POS station	BLogic Terminal

For specs on each device, see the full hardware lineup. [Link to the hardware page.]

Rent or buy: what to consider

The device is half the decision. The other half is whether the merchant rents it or buys it, and the right answer depends on how much the merchant wants to think about hardware after it arrives.

Renting covers the things that tend to go wrong. A rented Nexio terminal includes:

• Up to two no-questions-asked replacements a year, with the same model
• Unlimited technical support
• Software included on the CodePay P5K

Buying is a one-time purchase, and the device belongs to the merchant. Purchased devices don’t include replacements, and a purchased CodePay P5K needs a separate monthly software subscription.

A few questions help sort it out:

• How hard is the merchant on equipment? Food trucks, field crews, and busy restaurants drop things. Renting means a broken device is a replacement, not a repurchase.
• Who will they call when something stops working? Renting includes unlimited technical support, so the call doesn’t come to you.
• Do they want one predictable cost or one up-front cost? Some merchants would rather pay once. Others would rather not think about it.

What Nexio handles

Every device Nexio ships is programmed and key-injected before it leaves, so it arrives ready to take payments. You place the merchant. We put the right device on the counter.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a payment terminal and a POS system?

A payment terminal accepts card payments: chip, tap, swipe, and mobile wallets. A POS system does that and also manages the business around it, such as menus, tables, orders, inventory, and customer loyalty. Most merchants need a terminal. Restaurants that want to run the whole operation from one station usually need a POS.

What is key injection, and why does it matter?

Key injection is the process of loading a terminal with the encryption keys it uses to protect card data from the moment a card is read. It has to be done in a secure environment before the device can take payments. Nexio handles it before shipping, so the merchant never has to.

Does a payment terminal need Wi-Fi to work?

Not always. Many portable terminals, including the CodePay P5K, PAX A77, PAX A920 Pro, and Ingenico Link/2500 LE, can run on a cellular connection, which makes them a good fit for merchants without reliable Wi-Fi. Countertop terminals like the PAX A80 typically connect by Ethernet or Wi-Fi.

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