iPad & iPhone POS Sled Buyer's Guide: Linea Pro and the Alternatives (UK 2026)

A POS sled is a rugged case that snaps onto an iPhone or iPad and adds an enterprise-grade barcode scanner — and, on payment models, a card reader — to a device your team already knows how to use. For retailers and field teams that want to standardise on Apple hardware without carrying a separate scanner gun, it is one of the neatest pieces of kit in the category. This is how to choose one. Last updated: June 2026. Why a sled instead of a phone camera or a separate scanner A phone camera can read a barcode, but it is slow, drains the battery and struggles at volume or in poor light. A separate handheld scanner works, but now staff carry two devices. A sled is the middle path: one device, native scanning, full shift battery, and a familiar iOS app on top. It is the standard answer for queue-busting, click-and-collect, line-busting and mobile stock work. Linea Pro: the established choice Linea Pro, made by Infinite Peripherals, is the sled most UK retailers will have seen. The range adds an enterprise barcode scanner, a magnetic-stripe reader and — on payment models — an encrypting card reader, all in one rugged case. It is the established standard, with a model cut for each iPhone and iPad generation. The Infinite Peripherals brand page lists the device-fit range, and our iPad POS sleds solution covers retail rollouts. The one thing that catches people out: device-fit Sleds are device-specific. A case cut for one iPhone generation will not fit the next, because the camera, ports and dimensions move. Before you order anything, confirm the exact handset or tablet your team uses — and think about what happens at the next refresh. The most common ordering mistake in this category is buying for "an iPhone" rather than the specific model. If you are about to upgrade handsets, sort the phone decision first, then the sled. Payment variants: MSR, chip, or scanner-only Sleds come in three broad flavours: Scanner-only — barcode imaging, no payments. Right for stock work, goods-in, and click-and-collect where payment happens elsewhere. Scanner + MSR — adds a magnetic-stripe swipe. Increasingly legacy, but still requested. Scanner + encrypting card reader — integrated chip-and-PIN-style payments on the sled itself. If you want to take payment on the sled, confirm the payment variant and your processor/gateway compatibility before ordering — a sled's card reader has to be certified to work with your acquirer. For a primer on the underlying choices, see chip and PIN vs tap to pay. iPhone cases vs iPad sleds The same idea scales two ways. An iPhone scanner case is the pocketable tool for staff roaming the shop floor or working in the field. An iPad sled turns a tablet into a fixed-or-mobile till — bigger screen, better for a counter or a pop-up. Match the device to the job: pocket vs counter. Rollout: it is a fleet, not a gadget Once you are past one or two devices, treat sleds as a managed fleet. That means mobile device management for app deployment and lockdown, a charging plan, and a spares policy. We cover this in depth in MDM for iPad POS fleets and multi-store iPad POS rollouts. Getting the management layer right is what separates a smooth deployment from a drawer of half-charged tablets. Questions before you buy iPhone or iPad — and exactly which model? Scanner-only, or do you need payments on the device? If payments: MSR, or an encrypting card reader certified for your acquirer? How many devices, and who manages the fleet? Getting it right Tell us your handset or tablet and what the team does with it, and we will match the correct sled and payment variant. Browse the full range, use the Solution Builder, or talk to our team.