A tourist at your counter holds up a phone. A local regular taps a card without breaking conversation. Someone on the terrace wants to pay without walking inside. If your only answer is "cash, or come to the till," you're making every one of them work harder to give you money.
Card payments in Malta are no longer optional. In the euro area, 83% of in-person card payments were contactless in the first half of 2025, according to the European Central Bank. Visitors expect to tap, and more locals do too.
The good news: taking cards has never been simpler. You have two main routes, Tap to Pay on a phone or a dedicated card terminal, and plenty of businesses use both. Here's how to decide.
Option 1: Tap to Pay on your phone
Tap to Pay turns a supported smartphone into a card reader. The customer taps their contactless card, phone, or watch against the back of your phone, and the payment goes through. There's no extra device to buy, charge, or lose.
It works well when:
- You're just starting out, or trading from a market stall, pop-up, or food truck.
- You serve away from the counter, on a terrace, at the table, or on a delivery doorstep.
- You need a second till on busy days, when one payment point isn't enough.
There's a catch: Tap to Pay needs a contactless card, phone, or watch. A customer whose card won't tap needs another option. For that reason, most businesses treat Tap to Pay as a flexible extra rather than their only way to take cards.
We covered the phone-as-till idea in more depth in your phone is a full POS.
Option 2: A dedicated card terminal
A card terminal is a device built for one job: taking payments. It accepts tap, chip and PIN, and usually swipe, so it covers every customer, not just the contactless ones.
SumUp card readers
SumUp's readers, such as the Solo, are small, light, and portable. They sit comfortably on a café counter, travel easily between tables, and suit businesses that want a straightforward, no-fuss way to take cards. If you're new to SumUp, you can order a reader through Twine's SumUp page.
Other card terminals
Most banks and payment providers in Malta offer their own terminals, from countertop machines that sit beside the till to handheld units staff carry to the table. If you already have one through your bank, you may not need anything new; just check that it works with your till.
Whichever you choose, check the current fees and plans directly with the provider. Most charge per transaction, and rates change over time.
Which option suits your business?
There's no single right answer. It comes down to how and where your customers pay. Ask yourself three quick questions.
Where do customers pay?
- Always at one counter: a card terminal by the till is simple and covers every card.
- All over the venue: a portable reader or Tap to Pay on staff phones keeps payment where the customer is.
- Only occasionally away from the till: Tap to Pay on a phone is often enough.
How busy do you get?
A single payment point can become a bottleneck at peak times. In August, a queue of five at a Sliema café is a reason for a passing tourist to walk on. A second payment point, even just a phone with Tap to Pay, is one of the cheapest ways to keep the line moving.
What do you already use?
If you already have a card terminal you're happy with, you probably don't need to switch. Changing card provider rarely pays for the disruption. Instead, make sure your till works with the provider you have.
Don't forget cash
Taking cards doesn't mean turning cash away. Malta is still the most cash-reliant country in the euro area: 67% of in-person payments were made in cash in 2024, according to the ECB's SPACE study. The same survey found that 16% of people in Malta had a problem paying by card at least once in the previous month.
So the aim isn't card-only. It's giving every customer an easy way to pay, whether that's a tap, a PIN, or a €20 note. We looked at this balance in is Malta going cashless?
The Bottom Line
Your customers already expect to tap. Tap to Pay on a phone is the quickest, lowest-cost way to start and a great second till. A dedicated card terminal covers every card type and suits a busy counter. Many businesses end up using both.
Before you choose, it's worth knowing which payment options your till supports. Twine POS works with Tap to Pay, SumUp, and a range of other card terminals, so you can see the payment options and pick what fits your counter. For the other questions to ask any POS supplier, read choosing a POS in Malta: 7 questions to ask first.
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