Hi @DizLun ,
Thank you for reaching out today with your question. Our card readers are region-specific, meaning the UK card reader can only be used by merchants in the UK with a Shopify Payments account, and the same rule applies to the US reader. For this reason you would not be able to use the reader sold on the US hardware store if you’re based in and operating your business in the UK.
I do not have specific details as to why the prices are different, but each reader we sell is built and designed with the regional market it is being sold in in mind, as card processing in the US works differently in some ways in comparison to the UK. As you’ll likely have noticed, for example, the UK reader includes a PIN pad whereas the US one does not, as I believe in the US it is more common for businesses to use card readers without PIN pads. It’s also worth noting that the UK reader offers EMV chip card support whereas the US one does not, as EMV usage is in general far more common in the UK and Europe than it is in North America.
I hope this explains things, and that the UK card reader still represents good value for you and your business. I do not believe we have a new card reader set to be released in the UK in the near future but an announcement will be made if this changes. Please let me know if you have more questions.
Kind regards,
Victor | Shopify Social Care