Best card machine for Import-export and international trade
Independent import-export businesses, freight forwarders, international trade counters. Cross-border invoicing, multi-currency settlement, B2B-heavy with commercial cards common.
Our pick
Adyen or Stripe Reader S700
Acquirer: Adyen for above £30k monthly; Stripe for invoice-pay-by-card flows
Import-export sees high cross-border interchange exposure (subject of the current PSR cap appeal; see /learn/visa-mastercard-cross-border-update-2026/) and high commercial-card mix. Adyen IC+ exposes the cross-border rates transparently; Stripe handles invoice-pay-by-card plus optional in-person hardware on one stack. Below £30k monthly, Stripe usually wins for invoice-led businesses.
Why this trade matters
- Cashflow shape
- Invoice-led with monthly or quarterly settlement. Multi-currency exposure where international suppliers and customers settle in EUR, USD, INR or AED.
- Average transaction
- £200 to £5,000+
- Contactless share
- ~10% (most flow is card-not-present invoice payment)
Watch outs
- Cross-border interchange is the biggest cost line; ensure pricing model exposes it (IC+ not blended).
- Multi-currency settlement adds fx markup unless the acquirer supports native multi-currency accounts.
- KYC requirements for international trade are stricter; expect deeper underwriting.
- Sanctions-screening and OFSI compliance affect onboarding for some trade corridors.
- High-value transactions trigger SCA more often; 3DS configuration matters for invoice-pay-by-card.
- Some acquirers refuse import-export MCC at no-contract pricing.
Alternatives
- Worldpay terminals (multi-currency tier-one)
- Tap to Pay on iPhone (visiting trade representatives)
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How Adyen or Stripe Reader S700 stacks up
Import-export and international trade by location
Locations we cover for Import-export and international trade.
- Leicester
- Southall (Ealing)
- Wembley (Brent)
- Harrow
- Birmingham (Handsworth and Soho Road)
- Smethwick (Sandwell)
- Slough
- Coventry (Foleshill and Stoney Stanton)
- East Ham (Newham)
- Manchester (Cheetham Hill and Rusholme)
- Leeds (Harehills and Chapeltown)
- Wolverhampton (Bilston Road and Whitmore Reans)
- Tooting (Wandsworth)
- Bradford
- Forest Gate (Newham)
- Hounslow
Related on our sister sites
Need finance for your Import-export and international trade business?
Card flow is the security on which most Import-export and international trade businesses borrow. See our sister site BestBusinessLoans by sector for editorial reviews of UK lenders that fund Import-export and international trade.
Founder & Managing Director, Muswell Rose, MerchantHQ
Adam is the founder and managing director of Muswell Rose and a founder of Best Business Loans Ltd, the company behind MerchantHQ. His career runs through insurance, mortgages, commercial finance and fintech lending, including payments and merchant services. He writes the MerchantHQ library.
Last reviewed: 10 May 2026