From the blog · Comparison
Card machine fees: an honest comparison of Dojo, Teya, Square & SumUp.
Most UK card machines charge somewhere between 1.5% and 3.5% per transaction. The headline rate is rarely the whole story.
Here's the like-for-like version across the four providers people ask about most, from someone who's spent 40 years in hospitality and earns no commission for steering you anywhere.
Last reviewed: 7 June 2026
Most UK card machines charge between roughly 1.5% and 3.5% per sale, plus, depending on who you sign with, a monthly fee, a contract, and a few charges they don't put on the front page.
The headline rate is rarely the whole story. So here's the like-for-like version across Dojo, Teya, Square and SumUp.
UK card transactions topped £1 trillion in 2024, including 18.9 billion contactless payments (UK Finance). At that scale, every fraction of a percent on your machine is real money. I make the same whether or not you pick any of these, so I can tell you straight. Want the bigger picture first? Here are the systems and payment partners we work with.
At a glance
Card machine fees compared.
Square and SumUp are pay-as-you-go with no contract, which suits smaller or seasonal trade. Dojo and Teya use custom or flat-rate pricing and can be cheaper at higher volume, but read the contract before you sign. Here's the side-by-side.
| Provider | In-person rate | Online / keyed | Monthly fee | Contract | Hardware from | Settlement |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dojo | Custom (typically negotiated) | Custom / keyed rate | Subscription (varies) | Yes, minimum term | Rental, included in plan | Next business day |
| Teya | Flat rate, published | Flat rate | None on standard plan | No long lock-in | Rental / monthly | Next business day |
| Square | 1.75% | 2.5% keyed | None (pay-as-you-go) | No contract | Reader from ~£19, Terminal £149+VAT | Next business day (instant for a fee) |
| SumUp | 1.69% | 2.5% | None on pay-as-you-go | No contract on PAYG | Reader from ~£25 | 2 to 3 business days |
Rates correct as of 7 June 2026. Providers change pricing often, so check the current figures before you commit. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: verify every cell against each provider's live pricing at time of publish, including Dojo's current custom-rate structure and Teya's published flat rate.]
How it works
There are only three things that decide what a card machine really costs you.
Get your head round these three and you can read any quote, from any provider, in about a minute. The regulator found that most small merchants never do this comparison, which is exactly why so many overpay (PSR, 2021).
1. The transaction rate
A percentage of every sale. In the UK, in-person credit card fees usually run 0.7% to 3.4%, and debit 0.4% to 1.7% (Merchant Savvy). That spread is wide enough that two near-identical businesses can pay double.
2. Fixed costs
The monthly fee, the hardware, the bits that don't move with sales. A £29 monthly fee is nothing on £40,000 of trade. On £4,000, it's a chunk.
3. The contract
Minimum term, exit fees, and how fast you actually get paid. The cheapest rate means little if you're locked in for three years or waiting three days for your money.
Provider by provider
The four providers people ask about most.
Provider 1
Dojo card machine fees
Dojo doesn't publish one rate, because it doesn't have one. Its pricing is custom and subscription-based, set against your turnover and card mix, which means a busy pub or restaurant can negotiate a genuinely competitive deal. The catch is the contract. There's usually a minimum term and a fee schedule that takes some reading.
Are Dojo machines any good? For higher-volume venues, often yes, the hardware and next-day settlement are solid. But "custom pricing" cuts both ways. If you don't push for a sharp rate, you won't get one. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: Dojo's current rate structure and the specific contract catch he warns clients about, for example the minimum term and exit terms.]
Provider 2 · Credo is a partner
Teya card machine fees
Full disclosure first, because it matters: Credo is a Teya partner. I'm telling you that up front so you can weigh what follows, and I'll give you the straight pros and cons regardless, because a soft ride would make this whole page worthless.
Teya's pitch is a transparent flat rate with no long lock-in, which is genuinely refreshing in a market the regulator says doesn't publish prices clearly. The nuance worth knowing: hardware is usually rented rather than owned, and "no hidden fees" still means you should check what's covered, like instant transfers and chargebacks. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: Teya's current published flat rate, the hardware rental terms, and exactly what the no-hidden-fees claim does and doesn't cover.]
Provider 3
Square reader fees
Square is pay-as-you-go and dead simple: 1.75% in person, 2.5% on keyed payments, no contract, and a reader from around £19 (the Terminal is £149+VAT). For a market stall, a pop-up, or a small café, that's hard to beat for getting started.
The catch is settlement. Standard payout is next business day, but if you want your money instantly, that's an extra fee. Worth knowing if cash flow is tight. We go deeper on Square's fees and setup over on our products and partners page. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: Square's current rates and instant-transfer fee.]
Provider 4
SumUp card machine fees
SumUp undercuts most on the headline number: 1.69% in person on pay-as-you-go, no monthly fee, and a reader from around £25. If you take the odd card payment and don't want fixed costs, it's a sensible, cheap entry point.
Two things to watch. Payouts can take two to three business days, slower than the next-day crowd. And the SumUp subscription tiers change the maths once you're busy, so do the sum at your real volume. Past a certain turnover, a flat 1.69% stops being the cheapest option. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: the specific SumUp catch he flags for hospitality, for example the turnover point where a subscription provider wins.]
The bits they don't advertise
The catches each one buries.
The headline rate is the bit they put in the advert. These are the four that quietly add up. The regulator found that the card-acquiring market "does not work well for small and medium-sized merchants," partly because providers "don't typically publish their prices," which makes fees hard to compare (PSR, 2021).
1. Settlement timing
How fast you actually get paid. Next day with some, two to three days with others. On thin margins, that gap matters.
2. Instant-transfer fees
Want your money today instead of tomorrow? That convenience usually carries a percentage fee that never makes the pricing page.
3. Contract terms
Minimum term, auto-renewal, and exit fees. A great rate is no bargain if you're locked in for three years and can't move.
4. PCI and monthly minimums
PCI compliance charges and minimum monthly fees can apply even in a quiet month. Small numbers, every month, forever.
Not sure what your statement is really charging? Andy will read it with you and point out the lines you weren't told about.
The verdict
Which card machine suits whom?
There's no single best card machine. Only the best one for your numbers. Here's how I'd point people, with no commission riding on the answer.
Low-volume or mobile trader
Cheap hardware, no monthly fee, walk away anytime. Square or SumUp on pay-as-you-go. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: his actual pick here.]
Busy café, small tickets
Lots of small transactions means the flat-rate maths matters. Compare a flat published rate against the per-transaction sting. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: his actual pick here.]
Higher-turnover pub or restaurant
Volume gives you room to negotiate a better rate. A custom rate with Dojo, or a sharp flat rate with Teya, often beats pay-as-you-go here. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: his actual pick here.]
Rural venue, patchy broadband
Here the headline rate isn't the problem. A machine that drops mid-service is. Get the connectivity right first, then worry about the percentage. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: his connectivity recommendation.]
A worked example of what this is worth: a venue doing about £15,000 a month, moved from roughly 2.9% to around 1.1%, saved in the region of £3,200 a year. Same machine on the counter. Different deal behind it. [ANDY TO CONFIRM: a real anonymised fee-saving example with the actual numbers.]
Stuck on which to pick?
Send me your card statement and I'll do the sum at your real volume, then tell you straight whether you'd be better off switching.
That's the whole point of the no-commitment fee review. I earn the same whether or not you pick any of these providers, so I've no reason to talk up one deal over another. I just read the bill the way I'd read my own.
Send Andy your statement
Before you sign
Get an independent second opinion before you commit to anything.
There's no single best card machine, only the best one for your numbers. Before you sign a contract or renew one, it costs nothing to have an independent set of eyes on the deal. I read the statement, do the sum at your real volume, and tell you whether you're getting a fair price.
That's the whole of a no-commitment fee review. And if you're a Somerset or South West venue, I can come to you. Want the human side of this trade? Read why community pubs still matter.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about card machine fees.
Most UK card machines charge between roughly 1.5% and 3.5% per transaction in person, and a bit more for online or keyed payments. On top of that you might pay a monthly fee, a hardware cost, and a few charges that don't make the front page, like instant-transfer fees or PCI charges. SumUp and Square sit around 1.69% to 1.75% with no monthly fee on pay-as-you-go. Dojo and Teya use custom or flat-rate pricing that can work out cheaper at higher volume, but you need to read the contract.
You avoid a 3% rate by switching to a provider whose published in-person rate is well under it. SumUp (about 1.69%) and Square (1.75%) are both pay-as-you-go with no monthly fee, so a small or mobile trader can land near half of 3%. Busier venues can often negotiate a custom rate with Dojo or take a flat published rate with Teya that beats 3% comfortably. The trap is the bundled stuff: a low headline rate with an instant-transfer fee or a monthly minimum can quietly push your real cost back up. Read your statement, not the advert.
A card machine fee has three layers. First, the transaction rate, a percentage of every sale (in person, usually 1.5% to 3.5% in the UK). Second, fixed costs, which might be a monthly fee, a hardware rental, or a one-off purchase. Third, the contract terms, including minimum term, exit fees, and how fast you actually get paid. Square and SumUp keep it simple on pay-as-you-go: a flat rate and no monthly. Dojo and Teya wrap more into a plan, which can be cheaper at scale but harder to compare.
In the UK, in-person credit card processing fees are typically between 0.7% and 3.4% of the transaction, and 0.4% to 1.7% for debit cards (Merchant Savvy). That spread is wide enough that two near-identical businesses can pay double, depending on the provider and the pricing model. Pay-as-you-go providers publish a single blended rate (Square 1.75%, SumUp 1.69%), while subscription providers like Dojo quote a custom rate that depends on your turnover and card mix.
Neither is better outright. It depends on your turnover. SumUp is better for low-volume, mobile, or seasonal traders: no monthly fee, cheap hardware, and you can stop using it without penalty. Dojo tends to suit higher-turnover venues, busy pubs and restaurants, where a negotiated custom rate and faster, fuller features earn their keep, but you're signing a contract with a minimum term. If you do under a few thousand pounds a month, SumUp usually wins on simplicity. Above that, Dojo can win on rate, if you actually negotiate it.
Square and SumUp both have no monthly fee on their pay-as-you-go plans. You buy the reader once (Square from around £19, SumUp from around £25) and then only pay the per-transaction rate. Teya's standard plan also avoids a long monthly lock-in, though hardware is usually rented. Dojo, by contrast, runs on a subscription, so there's a recurring fee built into the plan. If keeping fixed costs at zero matters most, pay-as-you-go with Square or SumUp is the straightforward route.
Not sure you're getting a fair deal?
Send me your card statement and I'll do the sum at your real volume, tell you what I see, and give you a straight answer on whether to switch.
No commission. No contract to sign.