What does a card machine really cost a UK small business?
Eight card machine providers, priced by what a month really costs at your takings: any plan fee, plus the percentage, plus the fixed fee on every payment. Under each total are the cheapest machine, the first 12 months, the contract and the extras that catch people out.
Last checked: 11 Nov 2026 · every rate read off the provider's own page · UK consumer cards, £20 sales, machines before VAT · no affiliate links
This page is for payments in person. For taking payments online instead, see its companion page.
Jump to: the short answer · when the cheapest isn't the answer · how the totals are worked out
The short answer
Cheapest a month: myPOS at £1,000 (£14.50), SumUp Payments Plus at £10,000 (£118) and SumUp Payments Max at £50,000 (£394). Counting the machine, the cheapest first 12 months are the same three: myPOS £213 (the £39 Go 2 + 12 × £14.50), SumUp Payments Plus £1,441 and SumUp Payments Max £4,753 (each with the £25 Solo Lite). All on UK consumer cards at a £20 average sale, on each provider's standard published in-person rate.
SumUp's paid plans pay for themselves above £2,714 a month. From there Payments Plus (£19 a month, 0.99% instead of 1.69%) is cheaper than pay as you go, and Payments Max (£49 a month, 0.69%) beats Plus above £10,000. At exactly £10,000 both cost £118, against £169 on pay as you go, and Plus is the shorter commitment: 12 months against 24. The lower rates are for UK consumer cards only; business, premium, international and Amex cards stay at 1.69%.
At small volumes the machine matters most; at larger volumes the plan fee and the rate do. At £1,000 a month Square and Zettle both charge £17.50, but Square's reader is £19 and Zettle's £69, so their first 12 months are £229 and £279. Worldpay's £20 hire and £5 PCI fee, and Teya's £29.99 fee, each cost more than the card percentage itself (£15 and £15.90). At £50,000 the machine barely registers: SumUp Payments Max's £49 plan and 0.69% come to £394 a month, against £875 at Square's and Zettle's 1.75%.
Not every provider publishes a price at every level. Dojo publishes only a 1.2% headline rate below £100,000 a year: £12 at £1,000 a month is the least it could cost, because its fee schedule leaves most other fees 'Based on your agreed plan', and above that it quotes. Teya publishes rates up to £7,500 a month and myPOS up to £10,000, so myPOS's £145 at £10,000 sits exactly on the edge of its tier. Worldpay's indicative custom quote, from all debit to all credit cards, is £97.50 to £167.50 at £10,000 and £337.50 to £587.50 at £50,000: below its Simplicity figures (£175 and £775) whatever the card mix, but a quote, not a published price.
The cheap rates come with lock-ins. SumUp's pricing pages make Payments Plus a 12-month commitment (£228 of plan fees) and Max 24 months (£1,176), although an older SumUp help-centre article still says Plus can be cancelled 'anytime'. Worldpay hires its machines on an 18-month minimum term (£360 of hire). Teya's card-machine page says 'No long-term contract', while its help centre describes 12-month fixed contracts with a cancellation fee it doesn't publish. Square, Zettle, Stripe Terminal, myPOS and SumUp pay as you go have no contract.
Square's 1.6% plans pay off only for a busy business of their kind. Appointments Plus (£29 a month) is cheaper than the Free plan only above £19,333 a month, and Retail Plus (£49) above £32,667. At £50,000 they come to £829 and £849, against £875 on the Free plan.
Stripe Terminal is shown apart. Its reader runs from a POS app (your own, a third party's or Stripe's no-code option) rather than working out of the box. At £19, £190 and £950 a month it isn't the cheapest anyway: its 10p a payment makes 1.4% + 10p work out at 1.9% of a £20 sale.
When the cheapest is not the answer
- Your customers pay with business cards, Amex or foreign cards. Teya charges 1.90% for international, business and Amex cards (1.59% for consumer cards); myPOS 2.45% + 7p for Amex and 2.85% + 7p for business and other cards; Square adds 1.5% for cards from outside the UK; Stripe Terminal charges 2.9% + 10p for cards from outside the UK and EEA; and SumUp's 0.99% and 0.69% plan rates are for UK consumer cards only, the rest paying 1.69%. Worldpay's custom quote prices business cards at 2.6%, 2.2% and 2% at the three levels, and Dojo's surcharges are 'Based on your agreed plan'. Zettle (1.75%) and SumUp pay as you go (1.69%) charge every card the same.
- You expect disputes. Square charges no chargeback fee; SumUp £10, non-refundable; Teya and Worldpay £20; Stripe £20, plus £20 to counter it, refunded if you win. Zettle and myPOS publish no merchant chargeback fee, and Dojo's is set by your plan.
- You need the money fast. myPOS pays out instantly and free to its own account (£1.50 per transfer to a UK bank); Zettle in minutes to a PayPal Business account; SumUp next day by 7am and Teya next day, weekends included, to their own business accounts; Worldpay the next business day; Dojo at 10am the next working day; Square in 1–2 working days free, or instantly for 1.95%; Stripe's first payout comes 7–14 days after the first payment.
- The machine breaks. Square's reader has a two-year warranty; SumUp's, Zettle's and myPOS's one year, and SumUp's paid plans replace readers free even out of warranty. Worldpay includes next-day replacement. Dojo charges up to £400 + VAT for a replacement if you opt out of its maintenance service. Teya promises a 'lifetime warranty' that its terminal terms limit, and Stripe's reader warranty wasn't found.
Who made this page
An AI agent read each provider's UK pricing page, fee page, help centre and terms in a real browser set to UK English and London time, filled in Worldpay's online quote tool at £12,000, £120,000 and £600,000 a year with a £20 average sale, and copied the sentence behind every rate; code checked each sentence was really on the page before it could be used, and worked out every total. Dojo's fee schedule and terms are PDFs, read as text. Revolut's pages showed a security check, which wasn't got round; nothing was bypassed and no form was submitted.
There are no affiliate links on this page and nothing on it earns a commission.
How the totals are worked out
total a month = any plan fee + percentage × takings + fixed fee × payments + any fee that certainly applies, at £1,000 / £10,000 / £50,000 of in-person card takings a month and a £20 average sale (50 / 500 / 2,500 payments); first 12 months = the cheapest machine, before VAT, + 12 × that month
- The cards: every payment in person on a UK-issued consumer card (personal debit or credit, Visa or Mastercard). Business, premium, Amex and non-UK cards cost more with most providers; each line says how much.
- The plan: each provider's standard published UK in-person rate, on its cheapest plan open to any business at that level, named at the start of its line. For SumUp that is pay as you go at £1,000, Payments Plus at £10,000 (it ties with Max at £118 and is the shorter commitment) and Payments Max at £50,000. Square's 1.6% Appointments Plus and Retail Plus plans are for those kinds of business, so its figure is the Free plan and they are in its line. Custom and volume pricing isn't published, so it isn't used.
- Fees that certainly apply: counted in the month: SumUp's plan fees, Teya's £29.99 under £2,500 a month, and Worldpay's £20 hire and £5 PCI fee (its machines are hire only).
- The machine: kept out of the monthly figure and added in the first 12 months, at its regular price before VAT. SumUp, Square, Zettle, Stripe, myPOS and Teya quote their machines before VAT; Dojo and Worldpay don't say.
- VAT: card transaction fees carry none (SumUp and Teya say so). Teya charges VAT on membership, rental and its Pay Once fee; SumUp, Square and Dojo don't say whether their plan fees include it.
- Not in the figure: currency conversion, chargebacks, payout fees, refunds and optional extras such as Tap to Pay or mobile data. Each line lists the ones that apply. Promotions aren't used either: they are listed below.
| Provider | £1,000 a month | £10,000 a month | £50,000 a month |
|---|---|---|---|
| myPOSits own example says a £100 payment leaves £98.76 (£1.24 in fees), where 1.10% + 7p on £100 is £1.17 | £14.50Pay as you go: no monthly fee + 1.10% (£11) + 50 payments × 7p (£3.50) = £14.50. Machine: myPOS Go 2 £39 excl. VAT (£46.80 with VAT), standalone with built-in mobile data. First 12 months: £39 + 12 × £14.50 = £213. Contract: none ('no lock-in contract'); 60-day money-back guarantee. Extras: Amex 2.45% + 7p, EEA consumer cards 2.20% + 7p, business (commercial) and all other cards 2.85% + 7p; merchant chargeback fee not found; payouts instant and free to the myPOS account, £1.50 per transfer to a UK bank; no PCI fee listed; no minimum (inactivity fees only after 10 months without payments); no early-termination fee. · ≈$19.46 | £145.00Pay as you go: no monthly fee + 1.10% (£110) + 500 payments × 7p (£35) = £145. £10,000 is exactly the edge of the 'Under £10,000' tier this rate is published for; over £10,000 myPOS gives a custom offer. Machine: myPOS Go 2 £39 excl. VAT (£46.80 with VAT), standalone with built-in mobile data. First 12 months: £39 + 12 × £145 = £1,779. Contract: none ('no lock-in contract'); 60-day money-back guarantee. Extras: Amex 2.45% + 7p, EEA consumer cards 2.20% + 7p, business (commercial) and all other cards 2.85% + 7p; merchant chargeback fee not found; payouts instant and free to the myPOS account, £1.50 per transfer to a UK bank; no PCI fee listed; no minimum (inactivity fees only after 10 months without payments); no early-termination fee. · ≈$194.63 | no planCustom offer: over £10,000 a month myPOS quotes ('Get a bespoke quote') instead of publishing a rate, so there is no figure. Machine: myPOS Go 2 £39 excl. VAT (£46.80 with VAT), standalone with built-in mobile data. First 12 months: no figure without a quote. Contract: none ('no lock-in contract'); 60-day money-back guarantee. Extras: Amex 2.45% + 7p, EEA consumer cards 2.20% + 7p, business (commercial) and all other cards 2.85% + 7p; merchant chargeback fee not found; payouts instant and free to the myPOS account, £1.50 per transfer to a UK bank; no PCI fee listed; no minimum (inactivity fees only after 10 months without payments); no early-termination fee. |
| SumUpthe cheapest SumUp plan at each level; custom pricing over £10k a month, by sales | £16.90Pay as you go: no monthly fee + 1.69% (£16.90) + no fixed fee = £16.90. Payments Plus would be £28.90 here and Payments Max £55.90. Machine: Solo Lite £25 excl. VAT (£30 with VAT), pairs with your phone; VAT on the £19 and £49 plan fees isn't stated. First 12 months: £25 + 12 × £16.90 = £227.80. Contract: none on pay as you go. Extras: the same 1.69% for business, international and Amex cards; chargebacks £10, non-refundable; payouts next day by 7am to a SumUp Business Account, weekends included, or 1–2 business days to another bank, no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee on pay as you go. · ≈$22.68 | £118.00Payments Plus: £19 a month + 0.99% (£99) + no fixed fee = £118. Payments Max ties at £118 (£49 a month + 0.69%), but Plus is the shorter commitment; pay as you go would be £169. Machine: Solo Lite £25 excl. VAT (£30 with VAT), pairs with your phone; VAT on the £19 and £49 plan fees isn't stated. First 12 months: £25 + 12 × £118 = £1,441. Contract: 12 months on SumUp's pricing pages (£228 of plan fees), though an older SumUp help-centre article says Plus can be cancelled 'anytime'; Max is 24 months. Extras: 0.99% is for UK consumer cards only: business (corporate), premium, international and Amex cards stay at 1.69%; chargebacks £10, non-refundable; payouts next day by 7am to a SumUp Business Account, weekends included, or 1–2 business days to another bank, no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no separate early-termination fee published, but you must stay on the plan for the full commitment. · ≈$158.39 | £394.00Payments Max: £49 a month + 0.69% (£345) + no fixed fee = £394. Payments Plus would be £514 and pay as you go £845. Machine: Solo Lite £25 excl. VAT (£30 with VAT), pairs with your phone; VAT on the £19 and £49 plan fees isn't stated. First 12 months: £25 + 12 × £394 = £4,753. Contract: 24 months ('you must stay on it for the full commitment period'): £1,176 of plan fees. Extras: 0.69% is for UK consumer cards only: business (corporate), premium, international and Amex cards stay at 1.69%; chargebacks £10, non-refundable; payouts next day by 7am to a SumUp Business Account, weekends included, or 1–2 business days to another bank, no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no separate early-termination fee published, but you must stay on the plan for the full commitment. · ≈$528.85 |
| Squarethe Free plan; bespoke plans over £200k a year, by sales | £17.50Free plan: no monthly fee + 1.75% (£17.50) + no fixed fee = £17.50. Square's 1.6% plans are for those kinds of business: Appointments Plus (£29 a month) pays for itself only above £19,333 a month and Retail Plus (£49) above £32,667; here they'd be £45 and £65. Machine: Square Reader £19 excl. VAT (£22.80 with VAT), pairs with your phone or tablet. First 12 months: £19 + 12 × £17.50 = £229. Contract: none; plans can be changed or cancelled any time. Extras: the same 1.75% for UK Visa, Mastercard and Amex, with no separate business-card rate published; cards from outside the UK +1.5% (3.25%); no chargeback fee (Square covers the disputes it fights); payouts free in 1–2 working days, or instantly for 1.95%; no PCI fee; no minimum; no early-termination fee. · ≈$23.49 | £175.00Free plan: no monthly fee + 1.75% (£175) + no fixed fee = £175. Square's 1.6% plans are for those kinds of business: Appointments Plus (£29 a month) pays for itself only above £19,333 a month and Retail Plus (£49) above £32,667; here they'd be £189 and £209. Machine: Square Reader £19 excl. VAT (£22.80 with VAT), pairs with your phone or tablet. First 12 months: £19 + 12 × £175 = £2,119. Contract: none; plans can be changed or cancelled any time. Extras: the same 1.75% for UK Visa, Mastercard and Amex, with no separate business-card rate published; cards from outside the UK +1.5% (3.25%); no chargeback fee (Square covers the disputes it fights); payouts free in 1–2 working days, or instantly for 1.95%; no PCI fee; no minimum; no early-termination fee. · ≈$234.90 | £875.00Free plan: no monthly fee + 1.75% (£875) + no fixed fee = £875. Square's 1.6% plans are for those kinds of business: Appointments Plus (£29 a month) pays for itself only above £19,333 a month and Retail Plus (£49) above £32,667; at £50,000 Appointments Plus would be £829 and Retail Plus £849. Machine: Square Reader £19 excl. VAT (£22.80 with VAT), pairs with your phone or tablet. First 12 months: £19 + 12 × £875 = £10,519. Contract: none; plans can be changed or cancelled any time. Extras: the same 1.75% for UK Visa, Mastercard and Amex, with no separate business-card rate published; cards from outside the UK +1.5% (3.25%); no chargeback fee (Square covers the disputes it fights); payouts free in 1–2 working days, or instantly for 1.95%; no PCI fee; no minimum; no early-termination fee. · ≈$1,174.48 |
| Zettle by PayPalbeing renamed PayPal Point of Sale; custom rates only by separate agreement | £17.50Standard: no monthly fee + 1.75% (£17.50) + no fixed fee = £17.50. Machine: PayPal Reader £69 excl. VAT (£82.80 with VAT), pairs with your phone. First 12 months: £69 + 12 × £17.50 = £279. Contract: none. Extras: the same 1.75% for every card, Amex included; no fixed chargeback fee published, though its terms let it charge one on notice; funds in minutes to a PayPal Business account, or in 1–2 business days to a bank (no weekend deposits), no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee. · ≈$23.49 | £175.00Standard: no monthly fee + 1.75% (£175) + no fixed fee = £175. Machine: PayPal Reader £69 excl. VAT (£82.80 with VAT), pairs with your phone. First 12 months: £69 + 12 × £175 = £2,169. Contract: none. Extras: the same 1.75% for every card, Amex included; no fixed chargeback fee published, though its terms let it charge one on notice; funds in minutes to a PayPal Business account, or in 1–2 business days to a bank (no weekend deposits), no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee. · ≈$234.90 | £875.00Standard: no monthly fee + 1.75% (£875) + no fixed fee = £875. Machine: PayPal Reader £69 excl. VAT (£82.80 with VAT), pairs with your phone. First 12 months: £69 + 12 × £875 = £10,569. Contract: none. Extras: the same 1.75% for every card, Amex included; no fixed chargeback fee published, though its terms let it charge one on notice; funds in minutes to a PayPal Business account, or in 1–2 business days to a bank (no weekend deposits), no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee. · ≈$1,174.48 |
| Worldpaymachines are hire only; the quote figures are 'indicative only' | £40.00Simplicity pricing: no plan fee + 1.50% (£15) + no fixed fee + terminal hire £20 + PCI DSS fee £5 = £40; the £20 hire and £5 fee are from the Payment Systems Regulator summary on Worldpay's own quote page. Its indicative custom quote, from all personal debit to all personal credit cards (with 4.5p a payment and a £15 minimum monthly charge), is £40 to £42.25. Machine: hire only, £20 a month (in the figure) on an 18-month minimum term; VAT not stated. First 12 months: nothing to buy, 12 × £40 = £480. Contract: 18-month minimum hire (£360 of hire). Extras: no premium-card charge on Simplicity; Amex, JCB, Diners and other schemes have 'different fees', not published; the custom quote prices business cards at 2.6%; chargebacks £20; settlement next business day, no payout fee published; PCI DSS fee £5 a month (in the figure); no minimum on Simplicity (£15 on custom pricing); no early-termination fee published. · ≈$53.69 | £175.00Simplicity pricing: no plan fee + 1.50% (£150) + no fixed fee + terminal hire £20 + PCI DSS fee £5 = £175; the £20 hire and £5 fee are from the Payment Systems Regulator summary on Worldpay's own quote page. Its indicative custom quote, from all personal debit to all personal credit cards (with 4.5p a payment and a £15 minimum monthly charge), is £97.50 to £167.50. Machine: hire only, £20 a month (in the figure) on an 18-month minimum term; VAT not stated. First 12 months: nothing to buy, 12 × £175 = £2,100. Contract: 18-month minimum hire (£360 of hire). Extras: no premium-card charge on Simplicity; Amex, JCB, Diners and other schemes have 'different fees', not published; the custom quote prices business cards at 2.2%; chargebacks £20; settlement next business day, no payout fee published; PCI DSS fee £5 a month (in the figure); no minimum on Simplicity (£15 on custom pricing); no early-termination fee published. · ≈$234.90 | £775.00Simplicity pricing: no plan fee + 1.50% (£750) + no fixed fee + terminal hire £20 + PCI DSS fee £5 = £775; the £20 hire and £5 fee are from the Payment Systems Regulator summary on Worldpay's own quote page. Its indicative custom quote, from all personal debit to all personal credit cards (with 4.5p a payment and a £15 minimum monthly charge), is £337.50 to £587.50. Machine: hire only, £20 a month (in the figure) on an 18-month minimum term; VAT not stated. First 12 months: nothing to buy, 12 × £775 = £9,300. Contract: 18-month minimum hire (£360 of hire). Extras: no premium-card charge on Simplicity; Amex, JCB, Diners and other schemes have 'different fees', not published; the custom quote prices business cards at 2%; chargebacks £20; settlement next business day, no payout fee published; PCI DSS fee £5 a month (in the figure); no minimum on Simplicity (£15 on custom pricing); no early-termination fee published. · ≈$1,040.25 |
| Teyapublished rates only up to £7,500 a month | £45.89Start plan: £0 membership + 1.59% (£15.90) + no fixed fee + Minimum Volume Fee, charged under £2,500 a month, £29.99 = £45.89. Machine: Teya Lite £89 + VAT (£106.80 with VAT), a non-refundable 'Pay Once' fee for three years' use, and the machine stays Teya's property; or rent from £14.99 a month. First 12 months: £89 + 12 × £45.89 = £639.68. Contract: Teya's card-machine page says 'No long-term contract', while its help centre describes 12-month fixed contracts, where leaving early costs the remaining rent plus a cancellation fee it doesn't publish; check which you are offered. Warranty: its pricing page promises a 'Lifetime warranty From theft to water damage', while its terminal terms exclude water damage from free replacement. Extras: international, business and Amex cards 1.90%; chargebacks £20; payouts next day, weekends included, to a Teya Business Account, or +0.10% on fees to another bank; no PCI fee listed; minimum: the £29.99 fee under £2,500 a month; early exit from a fixed contract: the remaining rent plus an unpublished cancellation fee. · ≈$61.60 | no planCustom offer: Teya's published Start plan stops at £7,500 a month; above that it quotes ('Let us tailor a plan for you'), so there is no figure. Machine: Teya Lite £89 + VAT (£106.80 with VAT), a non-refundable 'Pay Once' fee for three years' use, and the machine stays Teya's property; or rent from £14.99 a month. First 12 months: no figure without a quote. Contract: Teya's card-machine page says 'No long-term contract', while its help centre describes 12-month fixed contracts, where leaving early costs the remaining rent plus a cancellation fee it doesn't publish; check which you are offered. Warranty: its pricing page promises a 'Lifetime warranty From theft to water damage', while its terminal terms exclude water damage from free replacement. Extras: on the Start plan, international, business and Amex cards 1.90%; chargebacks £20; payouts next day, weekends included, to a Teya Business Account, or +0.10% on fees to another bank; no PCI fee listed; minimum: the £29.99 fee under £2,500 a month; early exit from a fixed contract: the remaining rent plus an unpublished cancellation fee. | no planCustom offer: Teya's published Start plan stops at £7,500 a month; above that it quotes ('Let us tailor a plan for you'), so there is no figure. Machine: Teya Lite £89 + VAT (£106.80 with VAT), a non-refundable 'Pay Once' fee for three years' use, and the machine stays Teya's property; or rent from £14.99 a month. First 12 months: no figure without a quote. Contract: Teya's card-machine page says 'No long-term contract', while its help centre describes 12-month fixed contracts, where leaving early costs the remaining rent plus a cancellation fee it doesn't publish; check which you are offered. Warranty: its pricing page promises a 'Lifetime warranty From theft to water damage', while its terminal terms exclude water damage from free replacement. Extras: on the Start plan, international, business and Amex cards 1.90%; chargebacks £20; payouts next day, weekends included, to a Teya Business Account, or +0.10% on fees to another bank; no PCI fee listed; minimum: the £29.99 fee under £2,500 a month; early exit from a fixed contract: the remaining rent plus an unpublished cancellation fee. |
| Stripe Terminalnot a plug-in card machine: it needs a POS app, so it suits a shop already on Stripe online | £19.00Standard: no monthly fee + 1.4% (£14) + 50 payments × 10p (£5) = £19. Machine: BBPOS WisePad 3 £49 excl. VAT (£58.80 with VAT); it runs from a POS app: your own, a third-party one or Stripe's no-code option. First 12 months: £49 + 12 × £19 = £277. Contract: none. Extras: cards from outside the UK and EEA 2.9% + 10p; no separate business-card or Amex rate published for Terminal; disputes £20, +£20 to counter (refunded if you win); first payout 7–14 days after the first payment, then on your schedule, no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee; optional +10p per Tap to Pay payment and £7 a month mobile data per reader. · ≈$25.50 | £190.00Standard: no monthly fee + 1.4% (£140) + 500 payments × 10p (£50) = £190. Machine: BBPOS WisePad 3 £49 excl. VAT (£58.80 with VAT); it runs from a POS app: your own, a third-party one or Stripe's no-code option. First 12 months: £49 + 12 × £190 = £2,329. Contract: none. Extras: cards from outside the UK and EEA 2.9% + 10p; no separate business-card or Amex rate published for Terminal; disputes £20, +£20 to counter (refunded if you win); first payout 7–14 days after the first payment, then on your schedule, no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee; optional +10p per Tap to Pay payment and £7 a month mobile data per reader. · ≈$255.03 | £950.00Standard: no monthly fee + 1.4% (£700) + 2,500 payments × 10p (£250) = £950. Machine: BBPOS WisePad 3 £49 excl. VAT (£58.80 with VAT); it runs from a POS app: your own, a third-party one or Stripe's no-code option. First 12 months: £49 + 12 × £950 = £11,449. Contract: none. Extras: cards from outside the UK and EEA 2.9% + 10p; no separate business-card or Amex rate published for Terminal; disputes £20, +£20 to counter (refunded if you win); first payout 7–14 days after the first payment, then on your schedule, no payout fee listed; no PCI fee listed; no minimum; no early-termination fee; optional +10p per Tap to Pay payment and £7 a month mobile data per reader. · ≈$1,275.15 |
| Dojoonly its headline rate is published; most other fees are 'Based on your agreed plan' | no planEssential plan: free + 1.2% blended rate 'for all card transactions' (£12) = at least £12. That is the least it could cost, not a full price: Dojo's fee schedule leaves the secure transaction (PCI) fee, card machine service, mobile data, minimum monthly payment, chargeback and early-closure fees 'Based on your agreed plan'. Machine: Dojo Wired £179 to buy (VAT not stated), or from £15 a month to rent. First 12 months: at least £179 + 12 × £12 = £323. Contract: a minimum term set by your plan; the early-closure fee is 'Based on your agreed plan', and there is none in the first 30 days. Extras: business, Amex and non-UK card surcharges 'Based on your agreed plan'; chargeback fee set by your plan; payouts at 10am the next working day, weekends at extra cost; PCI: a secure transaction fee set by your plan, or £15 + VAT a month if you aren't compliant; minimum monthly payment set by your plan; early-closure fee set by your plan. | no planCustom rate: Dojo publishes a rate only below £100,000 a year of card takings; £10,000 a month is £120,000 a year, so it quotes and there is no figure. Machine: Dojo Wired £179 to buy (VAT not stated), or from £15 a month to rent. First 12 months: no figure without a quote. Contract: a minimum term set by your plan; the early-closure fee is 'Based on your agreed plan', and there is none in the first 30 days. Extras: business, Amex and non-UK card surcharges 'Based on your agreed plan'; chargeback fee set by your plan; payouts at 10am the next working day, weekends at extra cost; PCI: a secure transaction fee set by your plan, or £15 + VAT a month if you aren't compliant; minimum monthly payment set by your plan; early-closure fee set by your plan. | no planCustom rate: Dojo publishes a rate only below £100,000 a year of card takings; £50,000 a month is £600,000 a year, so it quotes and there is no figure. Machine: Dojo Wired £179 to buy (VAT not stated), or from £15 a month to rent. First 12 months: no figure without a quote. Contract: a minimum term set by your plan; the early-closure fee is 'Based on your agreed plan', and there is none in the first 30 days. Extras: business, Amex and non-UK card surcharges 'Based on your agreed plan'; chargeback fee set by your plan; payouts at 10am the next working day, weekends at extra cost; PCI: a secure transaction fee set by your plan, or £15 + VAT a month if you aren't compliant; minimum monthly payment set by your plan; early-closure fee set by your plan. |
Offers seen on 11 November 2026, not used in the figures:
- SumUp's Black Friday sale: Solo Lite £15 before VAT instead of £25; no end date shown.
- Zettle: a new business's first PayPal Reader £29 before VAT instead of £69; no end date shown.
- Dojo: Go Max £149 as a 'Launch offer', against £229; its Plus software plan £11.99 a month instead of £25 for new customers from 24 August 2026; no end dates shown.
- Teya launch offers: Go £109 + VAT (was £149) and Pro £139 + VAT (was £239); no end dates shown.
- Worldpay: no terminal hire for the first 12 months of an 18-month hire for sign-ups by 31 December 2026, if you take £10,000 in 180 days, which a £1,000-a-month business won't reach.
Exchange rates (used only for the dollar view and myPOS's €100 referral threshold). ECB euro reference rates of 2026-11-10, the latest published when checked (the 11 Nov rates appear around 16:00 CET): 1 EUR = 0.83545 GBP and 1 EUR = 1.1214 USD, so 1 USD = 0.74501 GBP.
Left out: Barclaycard — quote only: every reader's rate is 'Customised pricing', so there is no monthly total (its machine fees are published: £18 + VAT a month portable or £16 + VAT countertop on 18-month contracts); takepayments — quote only: a specialist builds 'a pricing package', with a 12-month contract and a separate contract with an acquiring bank it nominates; Revolut — its Terminal and pricing pages showed a security check that we didn't get round, so its prices weren't read ('starting from 0.8% + £0.02' on another page is a lowest rate, not used); custom tiers — Teya over £7,500 a month, myPOS over £10,000 a month, Dojo over £100,000 a year, Square over £200k a year, and SumUp and Stripe for large volumes quote instead of publishing, so the figures use each one's standard published rate.
There are no affiliate links on this page. Square UK, SumUp and myPOS run affiliate programmes whose rates they don't publish; myPOS also pays an existing customer £30 for referring a business once it has taken €100 (about £83.55); Dojo offers referral partners 'upfront rewards' it doesn't publish; and takepayments gives a customer six months' free rental (up to £25 a month), or anyone else a £100 voucher, for a referral. This site hasn't joined any of them. The research is done by AI agents reading each provider's own pages. Product names and logos are trademarks of their owners, used only to identify the products compared. No analytics cookies, no tracking scripts, no third-party requests. A personal project, separate from the author's day job.
Questions people ask
What is the cheapest card machine for a small business in the UK?
On each provider's standard published UK in-person rate, for UK consumer cards at a £20 average sale: myPOS at £1,000 a month (£14.50 a month, or £213 for the first 12 months with its £39 Go 2), SumUp Payments Plus at £10,000 (£118, or £1,441) and SumUp Payments Max at £50,000 (£394, or £4,753). The cheapest machine to buy is Square's £19 Reader, before VAT.
Is SumUp Payments Plus worth it?
On fees, above £2,714 a month of card takings: Plus costs £19 a month and cuts the in-person rate from 1.69% to 0.99%, for UK consumer cards only. At £10,000 a month it is £118 against £169 on pay as you go, and Payments Max (£49, 0.69%) beats it above £10,000. SumUp's pricing pages make Plus a 12-month commitment, though an older help-centre article says it can be cancelled 'anytime'.
How much does a Square card reader cost in the UK?
The Square Reader is £19 before VAT, and the Free plan charges 1.75% on every in-person payment with a UK card, Amex included, with no monthly fee: £17.50 on £1,000 a month and £175 on £10,000. Cards from outside the UK cost 1.5% more. Its 1.6% Appointments Plus (£29 a month) and Retail Plus (£49) plans pay for themselves only above £19,333 and £32,667 a month.
Does Dojo publish its card machine fees?
Only its headline: a 1.2% blended rate below £100,000 a year, which is £12 on £1,000 a month. Its fee schedule leaves the secure transaction fee, card machine service, minimum monthly payment, chargeback and early-closure fees 'Based on your agreed plan', so £12 is the least it could cost. Its cheapest machine is the £179 Dojo Wired, or rental from £15 a month, and above £100,000 a year it quotes.
Answers use the figures on this page, last checked 11 Nov 2026.