Clover Go

Clover Go is the smallest way into the Clover range, and it works differently from everything else in it. There is no terminal. You use the phone or tablet you already own, a free Clover app, and a reader that fits in a pocket and pairs over Bluetooth. Sales sync to the same Clover dashboard as every other Clover device, so a business running a till in a shop and a Go reader at a market sees one set of figures.

On a recent iPhone you may not need the reader at all. Tap to Pay on iPhone lets the phone itself accept contactless cards and wallets through the Go app, using hardware already built into the handset.

The reader measures about 3.2 by 2.2 inches and weighs two and a half ounces. It charges over micro USB and takes roughly 160 chip or 130 contactless transactions between charges. An optional dock holds it on a counter, charges it, and takes a security lock, which is the sensible setup if it spends most of its life in one place and only occasionally leaves.

One thing to confirm before you order, and it is worth reading twice. Clover's own developer documentation contradicts itself on whether the current reader takes swiped magnetic stripe cards: the Clover Go SDK page states plainly that magnetic stripe is not supported, while Clover's device specification page lists a magnetic stripe reader. The sales documentation we hold describes the reader as being for insert and contactless payments only. We have not picked a side on this page. If any of your customers still present cards that can only be swiped, ask us and we will confirm it in writing with Clover before you commit.

Because this is a bring-your-own-device product, the practical specification is your phone: the app needs iOS 14 or later, or Android 7.1 or later. There is no printer, so receipts go by email or text.