Card Machine for a UK Council or Public Body

UK councils and public bodies usually procure card acceptance through Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework agreements, particularly RM6118 (Payment Acceptance) and successor frameworks. Direct application to a private acquirer is possible for smaller public bodies but most use a framework for procurement compliance. Worldpay, Elavon, Barclaycard, Lloyds Cardnet, NatWest Tyl and Allpay are typical providers under public-sector frameworks. Pricing through framework is usually competitive because of volume aggregation.

What this means for your business

Public sector procurement is governed by Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (which transposed EU rules), now updated by the Procurement Act 2023. Any contract value above the relevant threshold (currently around £214,000 for goods and services for central government, around £663,000 for sub-central authorities) must follow a competitive process. Card acceptance contracts typically clear the threshold for medium and large authorities, so a framework agreement is the compliant route.

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) frameworks aggregate buyer demand and pre-tender a panel of suppliers. The buyer (council, NHS trust, government department) then runs a call-off competition or direct award from the framework. RM6118 Payment Acceptance is the main framework for card and other payment processing. Worldpay, Elavon, Barclaycard, Lloyds Cardnet, NatWest Tyl and Allpay are typical providers on the panel. Pricing through the framework is usually significantly below open-market rates because of the aggregated volume.

Smaller public bodies (parish councils, very small NHS trusts, charity-arm bodies) below the procurement threshold can procure directly. The criteria are the same as commercial: pricing, settlement, dispute handling, hardware suitability. Some specialist providers (Allpay for benefits administration, Civica for council tax payments) focus on public-sector payment flows and offer integration with council ICT systems that mainstream acquirers do not.

Key points

Public sector procurement is governed by Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and Procurement Act 2023
CCS framework RM6118 Payment Acceptance is the main route for card acceptance
Worldpay, Elavon, Barclaycard, Lloyds Cardnet, NatWest Tyl and Allpay are typical panel providers
Framework pricing is usually significantly below open-market rates
Smaller public bodies below the procurement threshold can procure directly
Specialist providers (Allpay, Civica) focus on public-sector payment flows with system integration
Procurement threshold is around £214k central government, £663k sub-central authorities (PCR 2015 levels)

Common pitfalls

Direct procurement above the threshold, this breaches Public Contracts Regulations and can be challenged
Forgetting that framework call-off still needs a documented evaluation, not just a sole-supplier nomination
Choosing a mainstream acquirer without checking integration with council ICT, this can create reconciliation pain
Underestimating the public-sector data protection obligations on card data, GDPR and DPA 2018 apply fully

Get quotes from acquirers that take this case

We disclose the specifics of your application to the right acquirer panel from the start, so you do not waste time on providers that will decline. Quote requests are free and you are not committed to anything.

Open quote form →