Fabric Reinforced Cementitious Matrix (FRCM) can be used to improve the shear strength of masonry walls. The contribution of the FRCM is evaluated, accordingly to existing standard (ACI 549.6R-20), taking into account the FRCM-to-substrate bond strength and the tensile strength of bare fabrics, neglecting the mortar matrix. Nevertheless, to date, there are no experimental tests that provide the actual shear capacity of the FRCM alone and not bonded to the substrate. To this scope, a four-hinge articulated steel frame was designed to investigate the shear behaviour of small-scale square specimens, as well as the mechanism of shear stress transfer between the fabric and the mortar. This paper presents the outcomes of shear tests performed on four FRCM composites, comprising of two basalt fabrics embedded in either lime- or cement-based mortars, in order to assess the influence of the single components. Digital image correlation (DIC) was also used to determine the displacement fields, strains and to detect the crack pattern of the specimens.