ACR39U vs ACR40U — Smart Card Reader Comparison

The ACR39U and ACR40U are both current USB contact smart card readers from ACS with a single full-sized ISO 7816 card slot, CCID/PC/SC compliance, and EMV Level 1 / PBOC Level 1 certification. The ACR40U is ACS's newer addition to this category — it adds a second LED, on-device user data storage and remote firmware upgrade support, and is also smaller, lighter, adds a USB Type-C option, and adds iOS/iPadOS driver support. The ACR39U remains separately available with its own certifications and OS support. This page compares both, factually, so you can choose the right one for your deployment.

The ACR39U is a USB contact smart card reader from ACS with a full-sized ISO 7816 card slot, EMV Level 1 and PBOC Level 1 certification, and support for Windows, Linux, macOS, Solaris and Android. See the full ACR39U product page for complete specifications, or BSD Infotech's existing ACR39U-UF setup guide for the Android-compatible variant it supplies.

The ACR40U is ACS's newer compact USB contact smart card reader, covering the same core use cases as the ACR39U with a smaller footprint, USB Type-C support, iOS/iPadOS compatibility, and firmware upgradability.

• Both are current ACS products; the ACR40U is the more recently released of the two.
• The ACR40U is roughly 40% lighter and noticeably more compact than the ACR39U.
• The ACR40U adds a USB Type-C interface option; the ACR39U is USB Type-A only.
• The ACR40U adds iOS/iPadOS driver support, which the ACR39U's documentation does not list.
• The ACR40U adds firmware upgradability and on-device user data storage; the ACR39U's documentation doesn't mention either.
• They use different Windows driver packages — not interchangeable at the driver level, though both are PC/SC compliant.

If USB Type-A alone is sufficient, you don't need iOS/iPadOS support, or you're matching an existing ACR39U deployment. It remains a currently available ACS product with its own certifications — see the ACR39U product page for full specifications.

For any new deployment, or if you want USB Type-C connectivity, iOS/iPadOS support, or a smaller physical footprint. The ACR40U is also available in a Premium configuration with a stand accessory — see the ACR40U product page for details.

Both readers are PC/SC compliant, so most PC/SC-based applications should work with either with minimal change. However, they use different underlying Windows driver packages (the ACR39U uses ACS's legacy Unified Driver, the ACR40U uses the newer CCID driver), so re-test any code that installs or references driver files directly rather than going through PC/SC.

If you choose to move an existing ACR39U deployment to the ACR40U, verify your application against the ACR40U's driver before a full rollout, and note the physical size difference if the reader is mounted in a fixed enclosure or kiosk. Contact BSD Infotech for a migration plan and supply of either reader.

BSD Infotech supplies both the ACR39U and ACR40U across India, including bulk and dealer orders. Use the enquiry form below, or on either product page, and specify quantity and which reader you need.