In short: Card machines that dial out over an analogue phone line will be affected by the PSTN switch-off on 31 January 2027. Check whether your terminal plugs into a phone socket; if it does, ask your payment provider to move you to a terminal that connects over broadband, Wi-Fi or mobile data, and test it before the line closes.
Why some card machines are affected
Card terminals need a connection to authorise payments. Older countertop terminals do this by dialling out over a phone line, just as a fax machine does. These dial-up terminals were designed for the analogue network, and they may not work reliably once the line becomes digital.
Openreach lists payment terminals among the devices that may be affected by the move to digital phone lines and advises checking compatibility with your provider or device supplier. BT's switch-off guide also lists point-of-sale machines among the equipment affected. Most newer terminals connect over broadband, Wi-Fi or mobile data, but a dial-up machine can still be lurking in a back office, on an older till or at a seasonal site.
How to check your card machine
- Follow the cable. If the terminal or its base has a cable running to a phone socket or a phone line splitter, it is probably a dial-up terminal.
- Look at the settings or receipts. Many terminals show their connection type in the settings menu, and some print it on a test receipt.
- Check your phone bill. A separate line on your bill with no phone attached may be the card machine's line.
- Ask your payment provider. They can tell you how your terminal connects and what they recommend instead.
If the terminal connects with a network cable to your router, over Wi-Fi or with its own SIM card, it does not depend on the phone line, though it is still worth knowing how it is connected.
Your options
| Connection | How it works | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband (IP) | The terminal or its base plugs into your router with a network cable | Fixed tills and counters with a reliable connection |
| Wi-Fi | The terminal connects to your business Wi-Fi | Table service and moving around a shop floor |
| Mobile data | The terminal has its own SIM and uses the mobile network | Deliveries, markets, events and back-up when broadband is down |
| Combined | The terminal uses broadband or Wi-Fi and falls back to mobile data | Busy sites that cannot afford to stop taking payments |
The terminal itself comes from your payment provider, under your agreement with them, so they arrange the swap. Ask what it involves, how long it takes, and whether your agreement changes. We do not supply card terminals.
Retail and hospitality: planning the change
For shops, pubs, restaurants and hotels, the card machine is how the business gets paid, so treat the move as a priority:
- Do it at a quiet time. Swap and test terminals outside your busiest days, not on a Saturday before Christmas.
- Check your connection and Wi-Fi. A broadband or Wi-Fi terminal is only as reliable as the network it uses. Make sure the signal reaches every till and table.
- Plan a back-up. A mobile data terminal or a terminal that can fall back to mobile keeps you trading if broadband drops.
- Keep payment traffic separate. Your payment provider will have security requirements for connecting terminals to your network; ask for them and follow them.
- Look at the other lines too. Shops and pubs often have an alarm, a fax or a spare line on the same bill. See alarm and special lines.
Our page on BT Cloud Voice for retail and hospitality covers the phone side, from cordless phones on the shop floor to routing calls between branches.
Where BT Cloud Voice fits
BT Cloud Voice replaces your phone lines and phone system; it does not carry card payments. Once your card machine is on broadband or mobile data, the analogue line it used can be cancelled, and your voice calls move to BT Cloud Voice or, for a small business with a few numbers, BT Cloud Voice Express.
The order matters. Move the card machine first, test it with real transactions, then cancel the old line. If the same line also carries your business number, the number is ported to BT Cloud Voice on go-live day, before the line is cancelled.
How we help
Our line audit finds every line on your bills and tells you which one the card machine uses, so you can take a clear question to your payment provider. We then move your voice service to BT Cloud Voice and cancel the old lines only when you confirm the terminals are working on their new connection.
If your broadband needs upgrading to carry card payments and calls reliably, see BT Business Broadband from our sister site.
Contact us to book a line audit. For the wider picture, read our PSTN switch-off 2027 guide.
Why buy BT Cloud Voice from Forever Communications Limited
Forever Communications Limited is part of Forever Group and a BT Business Partner. We supply, set up and support BT Cloud Voice for UK businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations, from a handful of users to multi-site teams.
- A named partner who plans your numbers, call flows, user feature packs and handsets with you
- Number porting managed for you, timed to avoid downtime
- Connectivity checked first, so call quality is right from day one, with BT business broadband and BTnet available if you need it
- Help with the digital switchover, including alarms, lifts, card terminals and other analogue lines
- Training and ongoing support for the apps, Microsoft Teams integration, moves, adds, changes and faults
BT Cloud Voice is a business service. We do not sell consumer or home phone products.
Want a BT Cloud Voice quote for your business?
Tell Forever Communications what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
Will my card machine stop working when the phone lines switch off?
If it is a dial-up terminal that uses an analogue phone line, it may. Terminals that connect over broadband, Wi-Fi or mobile data are not affected by the PSTN switch-off. Check how yours connects and ask your payment provider.
How do I know if my card machine uses a phone line?
If the terminal or its base has a cable into a phone socket or line splitter, it probably dials out over the phone line. The settings menu or your payment provider can confirm.
Can I plug a dial-up card machine into a digital phone line?
Dial-up terminals were designed for analogue lines and may not work reliably on a digital one. The safer answer is a broadband, Wi-Fi or mobile data terminal from your payment provider.
Who replaces my card terminal?
Your payment provider, under your agreement with them. Forever Communications Limited does not supply card terminals, but our line audit tells you which line the terminal uses and when it is safe to cancel it.
Do mobile card machines need a phone line?
No. Mobile terminals use their own SIM and the mobile network, so they are not affected by the PSTN switch-off. They also make a useful back-up when broadband is down.