This disclosure relates to systems and methods for processing electronic payments for customer purchases. In some implementations, a mobile computing device receives a payment request identifying a sales transaction between a merchant and a customer. The payment request indicates a purchase amount owed by the customer to the merchant, and carries a set of instructions. The mobile computing device activates a card reader based at least in part on the set of instructions, receives customer authorization for electronic payment of the purchase amount, instructs the card reader to process a credit card for the purchase amount based on receiving the customer authorization, and receives confirmation of payment of the purchase amount from the card reader.