Virtual Terminal: UK 2026 Pricing & Fee Calculator
A virtual terminal lets you key in card details manually to take payments by phone or post (MOTO). Because the card is not present, rates are higher than in-person, typically around 2.5% + 20p.
What Virtual Terminal charges
| Fee | Rate |
|---|---|
| Keyed / MOTO rate (typical) | About 2.4% to 2.9% + 20p |
| Hardware | None (web based) |
| Monthly fee | Varies by provider |
How the fees work
A virtual terminal is a secure web page where you type a customer card number, expiry and security code to take a payment over the phone or by mail order. There is no card reader, so any internet-connected device works.
Manually keyed (card-not-present) transactions carry more fraud risk than chip and PIN, so processors charge more, typically around 2.4% to 2.9% plus a fixed fee. The figures here are representative; exact rates depend on the provider.
Strong fraud controls matter with keyed payments because you, the merchant, usually carry liability if a keyed transaction turns out to be fraudulent. Use AVS and CV2 checks where available.
Check the official pricing
Fees change. Confirm the current rate at Stripe (card-not-present benchmark).