Take payments over the phone with a virtual terminal
Have your customers got you on speed dial? Accept payments over the phone with our handy virtual terminal - all your need is a computer or tablet and an internet connection.
Included as standard with our online payment package, the virtual terminal comes with a flexible plan. You can end it at any time with 1 month's notice, so you stay in control.
Tyl eligibility criteria, terms, conditions and fees apply.
Phone payments using the virtual terminal
Taking payments over the phone
A virtual terminal is perfect for businesses that need to accept payments without a physical POS system. It’s ideal for phone or mail orders (MOTO), service providers like freelancers, lawyers, and mechanics, home-based businesses, and retailers or restaurants seeking flexible, hardware-free payment options for orders, deposits, or mobile sales.
Simply put, any business that benefits from securely processing card payments online using an internet-connected device could leverage a virtual terminal, making it a great solution for remote or varied payment scenarios.
Benefits of a virtual terminal
For some businesses, processing payments on a virtual terminal may be a preferable alternative to ‘card not present’ transactions on a card machine, especially if you serve many customers by telephone or email.
Take phone payments
With a virtual terminal, face-to-face payments aren’t necessary. You can just take phone payments using its simple modern platform
Create secure payment links
Simply send the links digitally through your virtual terminal – via email, instant messenger or social media – and your customers can complete the secure payment.
Transaction Management
Easily manage your transactions. View payment history, issue refunds, run reports, and track who has paid for your products and services.
FAQs about phone payments
What is a virtual terminal?
A virtual terminal lets you take card payments over the phone by entering the customer’s payment details into an online system. No card machine needed.
Is it secure to take payments over the phone?
Yes. Our virtual terminal is designed to meet PCI security standards, helping protect card details during processing. For security reasons, and to ensure you and your business remains compliant against PCI-DSS regulations, you should never record, write down, or store any card information shared by a customer.
Can I issue refunds or check historic transactions?
Yes. You can view transaction history, track payments, and issue refunds directly through the virtual terminal reports menu.
What types of businesses typically use a virtual terminal?
It’s commonly used by retailers, service providers, trades people, home‑based businesses, call centres, and much more. It is especially useful for those taking phone orders, deposits, or invoice payments.
Is there another way to take phone payments without using a virtual terminal?
Yes. If you have a compatible physical card machine, you can manually key the customer’s card details directly into the terminal to process a payment, even if the customer is not present.
For security reasons, and to ensure you and your business remains compliant against PCI-DSS regulations, you should never record, write down, or store any card information shared by a customer.