Mobile Card Reader Market Report 2025

The mobile card reader market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $14.76 billion in 2024 to $17.66 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.7%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to e-commerce growth, rise in mobile payments, small business adoption, regulatory support for card security, increased consumer expectations, emergence of contactless payments.

The mobile card reader market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $41.3 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.7%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to mobile wallet integration, rise in micro-merchant and SME adoption, focus on security features, global expansion of cashless payments, integration of value-added services. Major trends in the forecast period include enhanced user experience, expanded compatibility, subscription-based models, integration with point-of-sale (pos) systems, enhanced data analytics.

The increasing adoption of smartphones for digital payments is expected to drive the growth of the mobile card reader market in the future. A smartphone is defined as a mobile phone that connects to the internet and operates software similar to that found on laptops. Digital payments refer to transactions conducted online or through digital channels without the need for a physical exchange of cash, meaning both the payer and the payee complete transactions electronically. The integration of physical card features with smartphone functionalities is advancing the future of card payments, consequently boosting demand for mobile card readers in retail environments to enhance shopping experiences. For instance, in June 2024, Exploding Topics, a U.S.-based tool that helps users identify emerging trends, reported that smartphone ownership is expected to continue rising over the next 3-4 years. By 2024, the global number of smartphones is projected to exceed 7 billion, further increasing the divide between smartphones and traditional mobile phones. Additionally, forecasts suggest that by 2025, 72% of internet users will rely exclusively on mobile devices for internet access. This trend underscores the growing dominance of smartphones in our digital lives.

The increasing demand for contactless payments is anticipated to drive the growth of the mobile card reader market in the future. Contactless payments allow transactions to be completed by tapping or waving a card, mobile device, or wearable near a compatible payment terminal, thus eliminating the need for physical contact or card insertion. Mobile card readers, which are equipped with technologies like Near Field Communication (NFC), cater to the rising consumer preference for contactless transactions. These devices enable quick and secure payments, aligning with higher spending limits for contactless methods. For instance, in July 2024, Marqeta Inc., a U.S.-based financial services company, reported that 71% of U.S. consumers surveyed feel neutral or unconcerned about moving towards a cashless society. Additionally, nearly one-third of respondents indicated they use cash less frequently than a year ago, while 28% admitted to feeling awkward when paying with cash. This illustrates a growing comfort with digital payment methods among American consumers.

Technological innovation emerges as a prominent trend in the mobile card reader market, with major players focusing on launching innovative products to strengthen their market position. For instance, Revolut, a UK-based financial technology company, introduced the Revolut Reader in July 2022, a compact card reader with instant contactless payment options via debit and credit cards. This card is adaptable to other existing point-of-sale systems, including an SDK/API solution, providing flexibility to larger merchants.

Major companies in the mobile card reader market are developing new products, such as NFC-integrated card readers, to gain a competitive advantage. NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a short-range wireless technology enabling communication and data exchange between devices in close proximity. Nidec Corporation, a Japan-based electric motors company, launched an NFC-integrated card reader in May 2023. This reader addresses space constraints within terminal chassis, reading magnetic data on conventional cards and contact-type IC cards while also being equipped with NFC for communication with contactless IC cards, mobile phones, and RFID tags. The NFC-integrated card reader, certified according to the EMV standard for credit card transactions, is anticipated to find applications in various settings, including GAS-POS terminals and kiosk checkout devices.

In May 2024, Gallant Capital Partners, a U.S. firm specializing in control investments within the technology, industrial, and business services sectors, announced its acquisition of Fime for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition aims to bolster Gallant Capital's efforts in the development, integration, and validation of digital payment systems crucial for mobile card readers and other payment technologies. Fime SAS, a UK-based manufacturer of mobile card readers, focuses on offering testing and consulting services for various payment solutions, including mobile card readers.

Major companies operating in the mobile card reader market include Electronic Merchant Systems Inc., Ezetap Mobile Solutions Private Limited, Ingenico Group, LifePay ZAO, Mswipe Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Miura Systems Limited, PayAnywhere LLC, PayPal Holdings Inc., Block Inc., Clover Go, Shopify Inc., Zettle by PayPal, PaySimple Inc., CardFlight Inc., Clover Network Inc., Ehopper Services Inc., Poynt Co., Worldpay Inc., Adyen N.V., Global Payments Inc., Elavon Inc., Total System Services Inc.

North America was the largest region in the mobile card reader market in 2024. The regions covered in the mobile card reader market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the mobile card reader market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

A mobile card reader is a compact device that can be connected to a phone or tablet, enabling the collection of payments through the cardholder's credit card. Its versatility facilitates card swipe, chip card, and contactless payment transactions, streamlining and expediting the payment process.

Mobile card readers come in two primary types, hardware and software. Hardware denotes devices capable of reading and writing data storage, such as memory cards or memory sticks. Various technologies, including chip and pin, magnetic stripe, and near field communication (NFC), are employed in both on-premises and cloud settings. These readers find applications across diverse sectors such as entertainment, retail, healthcare, hospitality, restaurants, warehouses, and others.

The mobile card reader market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides mobile card reader market statistics, including mobile card reader industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a mobile card reader market share, detailed mobile card reader market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the mobile card reader industry. This mobile card reader market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The mobile card reader market consists of revenues earned by entities by providing software services to enable mobile card payments. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. The mobile card reader market also includes sales of portable card readers, virtual card readers and associated hardware components which are used in providing mobile card reader services. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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