What does a payment terminal cost in 2026?

The short answer

A payment terminal has two costs, not one. There is the hardware, the physical terminal you rent or buy, and there is a fee on every transaction you take through it. The hardware is the number providers put on the price tag; the transaction fee is the one that quietly runs up the bill over a year.

As indicative market levels for 2026: the terminal itself is roughly a few hundred kroner a month to rent, or from a few thousand kroner as a one-off purchase. The transaction fee is a small percentage of each sale plus, in some models, a fixed amount per transaction. All the figures here are guideline levels for the market, not a price list, and not a SEJR quote.

The two cost buckets: hardware and fees

Every terminal offer, however it's dressed up, is built from these two buckets. Keep them apart in your head and any quote becomes readable.

1. The hardware: rent or buy

This is the physical card terminal itself: a countertop unit, a portable one for table service, or a mobile terminal that goes in a pocket. You either rent it (a monthly fee, support and replacements usually included) or buy it outright (a larger one-off, cheaper over the long run if it lasts). As a guideline, rental sits around a few hundred kroner a month; a purchase runs from a few thousand kroner up, depending on the model. See our payment terminal for the hardware side.

2. The transaction fee: per sale

Every time a customer pays by card, a fee is taken out of that sale before the money reaches you. It's usually a percentage, sometimes with a small fixed amount added per transaction. On a single coffee it's invisible; across a year of turnover it's the biggest line in the whole calculation. That's why the next section is the important one.

Countertop, portable or mobile terminal

A card terminal and a payment terminal are the same thing. What changes the price is the type, and it shows up in the hardware bucket above. The fee per payment is usually the same whichever type you choose.

Countertop terminal

Stays at the counter on mains power and cable or Wi-Fi, often next to the till. No battery and no 4G, so it is usually the cheapest hardware. Right for a shop or a kiosk where the customer comes to you.

Portable terminal

Goes round the room on Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, with a battery for the day. Right for a café or restaurant that takes payment at the table.

Mobile terminal

Has its own 4G and a battery, so it works without the shop's internet. Right for events, markets and food trucks and for tradespeople out on the job.

At SEJR, the SEJR Terminal costs 0 kr. a month, and the SEJR Mobile terminal with 4G costs 149 kr. a month, or 0 kr. with SEJR Samlet. See every price.

What makes up the transaction fee

The fee on a card payment isn't one charge. It's three stacked on top of each other. Understanding the split is what lets you tell a fair price from a padded one.

• Interchange. Goes to the customer's bank (the card issuer). It's regulated in the EU: capped at 0.2% for consumer debit cards and 0.3% for consumer credit cards. Corporate cards and cards issued outside the EU are not capped and cost more.
• Scheme fee. Goes to Visa or Mastercard for running the network. Small per transaction, but it's there on every single one.
• Acquirer margin. Goes to the provider that settles the payment and pays the money into your account. This is the part that's actually negotiable, and the part where offers differ most.

Because interchange and scheme fees are largely fixed, the honest way to compare providers is on the acquirer margin, and on how transparently they show all three. We break the whole split down in our guide to interchange, scheme and acquirer fees.

The three pricing models on the market

Danish and European providers price terminal payments in one of three shapes. None is automatically cheapest. It depends on how much you turn over and how large your typical basket is.

1. 1. Fixed monthly fee.
   You pay a set amount each month and take unlimited card payments within that. Predictable and easy to budget. It suits businesses with steady, high card volume. The more you sell, the lower the effective rate per sale. It's poor value if your turnover is low or very seasonal, because you pay the same in a quiet month as a busy one.
2. 2. Pure per-transaction.
   No monthly commitment on the payment side. You pay a percentage (and sometimes a small fixed amount) on each sale, and nothing when the terminal is idle. This is the flexible option for smaller, seasonal or starting-up businesses. As an indicative market level, blended per-transaction rates for small merchants often land somewhere around 1%–2% of the sale, heavily dependent on card mix.
3. 3. Blended / bundled.
   One combined rate covers hardware, payment and support together, often as a single percentage or a percentage plus a small monthly amount. Simple to read and simple to compare, as long as you check what the blend actually contains, because a tidy single number can hide a fat acquirer margin.

The figures above are indicative market ranges to orient yourself by, not quotes. What a fixed fee, a per-transaction rate or a blended rate works out to for you comes down to your turnover and card mix. SEJR's own rates and monthly prices are on our pricing page.

Hidden costs to watch for

The headline rate is rarely the whole story. These are the line items that turn a cheap-looking offer into an expensive one. Ask about each before you sign.

• Minimum monthly fee. A "per-transaction only" deal often carries a floor, a minimum you pay even in a month with almost no sales. Deadly for seasonal businesses.
• PCI compliance fee. Some providers add a recurring charge for PCI DSS card-security compliance, and a penalty on top if you don't file the annual self-assessment. Ask whether it's included.
• Payout delay. When does the money actually land? A few days' delay is a real cost to cash flow. SEJR settles to your account the next banking day.
• Lock-in and exit terms. A 12- or 24-month binding period, an early-termination fee, or a long notice period can trap you in a rate that stops being competitive. Read the special-terms section.
• Extras that aren't in the headline. SIM/connectivity fees for mobile terminals, statement fees, chargeback handling fees, hardware insurance. Individually small; together they move the real price.

How SEJR prices a terminal

The terminal itself costs 0 kr. to set up and 0 kr. a month, with service and replacement included, and it stays ours. What you pay is one rate on your card turnover, set by your annual card turnover: 1,19 % at 1–2 mio. kr., 0,99 % at 2–5 mio. kr., 0,89 % at 5-10 mio. kr. and a tailored price above 10 mio. kr. Interchange and the scheme fee pass through at cost on top. Below 1 mio. kr. we quote on your own figures.

You send us your latest settlement from your current provider. We read it through and come back with one annual figure for your own turnover, laid out so you can see the split, no marketing phrasing. One agreement covers cards and Vipps MobilePay in the terminal, with the money in your account the next banking day and Danish support on the phone when something needs sorting.

If you also need a till, it's worth reading what a POS system costs alongside this. The cheapest overall setup is usually POS and payment in a single agreement rather than two.

Checklist before you sign

• 1 Do you have hardware and transaction fee as one annual figure for your own turnover?
• 2 Is the transaction fee shown split into interchange, scheme and acquirer margin?
• 3 Is there a minimum monthly fee, and what does it cost you in a quiet month?
• 4 Is a PCI compliance fee included, or added on top?
• 5 When does the money land in your account: same day, next banking day, or later?
• 6 Is there a lock-in, and what does it cost to leave the agreement?

If a provider can answer all six clearly, you're comparing on an honest basis. And you'll spot which offer is genuinely cheapest for your shop.

Frequently asked questions

Is a card terminal the same as a payment terminal?

Yes. Card terminal, payment terminal and Dankort terminal all mean the same thing: the device the customer pays on with a card or a phone. The price depends on whether it is countertop, portable or mobile, and on the fee per payment, not on what it is called.

What does a countertop payment terminal cost?

A countertop terminal stays at the counter on mains power and the internet, with no battery or 4G, so its hardware is usually the cheapest of the three types. Over a year, though, the fee per payment matters more than the hardware. At SEJR, the SEJR Terminal costs 0 kr. a month and 0 kr. to set up.

What does a payment terminal cost per month?

The terminal itself sits at an indicative few hundred kroner a month to rent, or from a few thousand kroner as a one-off purchase. But the hardware is only one cost. On top comes a fee per transaction, every time a card is tapped. It is those two figures together you should look at, not the terminal price tag alone.

What is a typical card terminal cost per transaction?

It depends on your card mix. The EU interchange caps are 0.2% for debit cards and 0.3% for consumer credit cards, and on top the schemes and the acquirer add their share. Corporate cards and cards from outside the EU cost more. That is why two businesses with "the same terminal" can have very different overall rates. The card mix decides it.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy a payment terminal?

Buying is often cheapest over many years, if the hardware lasts and your needs do not change. Renting gives you a low up-front cost, support in the package and the right to newer hardware as standards move on. For most smaller businesses the hardware difference is small next to what the transaction fees add up to over a year.

What does a payment terminal cost at SEJR?

The terminal costs 0 kr. to set up and 0 kr. a month, with service and replacement included. You pay a rate on card turnover that follows your annual card turnover: 1,19 % at 1–2 mio. kr., 0,99 % at 2–5 mio. kr., 0,89 % at 5–10 mio. kr. and a tailored price above 10 mio. kr., plus interchange and the scheme fee at cost. Below 1 mio. kr. we quote on your own figures.

Does SEJR's terminal take MobilePay?

Yes. Vipps MobilePay is accepted in the terminal in the physical shop and via checkout online. You get cards and MobilePay in the same agreement, so you don't have to juggle several providers and settlements.