Best Card Machine for a Small Business in the UK
Under about £3,060 a month in card sales, buy a pay-as-you-go reader outright: SumUp charges 1.69% per transaction, Square and Zettle 1.75%, all with £0 monthly fee.
Above roughly £3,060 a month, Dojo's published rate usually works out cheaper: 1.2% all-in for all card transactions for businesses under £100,000 a year in card turnover, even after renting a Dojo Wired at £15/month.
Above £100,000 a year (about £8,300 a month), the quote is custom: Dojo prices per business on a 12-month fixed plan or 30-day rolling, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses.
Rates checked: 27 August 2026
Verdict by Monthly Card Volume
| Monthly card takings | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under ~£3,060 | Pay-as-you-go reader (SumUp 1.69%, Square or Zettle 1.75%) | £0 monthly fee; at low volume the flat rate costs less than 1.2% plus a rented terminal |
| ~£3,060 to ~£8,300 | Dojo published rate (1.2% all-in) | 1.2% plus a rented Dojo Wired (£15/month) beats 1.69% flat once takings pass ~£3,060/month (~£5,100 with the Dojo Go Max); with a free terminal through MerchantSwitch it is cheaper at any volume |
| Above ~£8,300 (£100k/year) | Custom quote (Dojo or other acquirers) | Priced per business; we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% at high turnover |
The bands overlap because bespoke pricing varies with your card turnover and card mix. The full data behind this table (every provider we track, with fees checked 27 August 2026) is on our UK card machine rates page.
Worked Example: £3,000/Month in Card Sales
Assumptions: £3,000/month card turnover; costs shown are card processing only (transaction fees plus any terminal rental).
Dojo's published 1.2% rate assumes annual card turnover under £100,000. The terminal is £0 upfront with no monthly rental through MerchantSwitch; going direct it is bought upfront from £149 or rented from £15/month, and renting wipes out the saving at this volume. Dojo’s fees schedule also lists a secure transaction fee, a refund fee and a minimum monthly payment, each set by your agreed plan; the amounts are not published.
Worked Example: £10,000/Month in Card Sales
Assumptions: £10,000/month card turnover. That is £120,000 a year, above the £100,000 ceiling for Dojo's published 1.2% rate, so Dojo quotes a custom rate per business at this volume; we show a conservative 1% benchmark, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses.
Even at the conservative 1% benchmark the custom quote saves £69/month (£828/year) against SumUp and £75/month (£900/year) against Square or Zettle. Compare quotes at your real volume: the quote is driven by turnover, average transaction value and card mix, and only your own quote confirms the number.
The Main Small-Business Options Compared
| Provider | Transaction fee | Monthly fee | Setup fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp | 1.69% flat | £0 | Buy reader outright |
| Square | 1.75% flat | £0 | Buy reader outright |
| Zettle by PayPal | 1.75% flat | £0 | £0 |
| Dojo | 1.2% all-in for all card transactions (under £100k/year card turnover); custom quote above | Essential software plan free; terminal bought upfront from £149 or rented from £15/month (free through MerchantSwitch); minimum monthly payment not published | £0 |
For a closer look at the flat-rate trio, see our SumUp vs Square vs Zettle shootout, or the head-to-head Dojo vs SumUp comparison if you're weighing pay-as-you-go against a negotiated deal. If your priority is simply the lowest headline cost, start with the cheapest card machines in the UK.
Common Questions
What is the best card machine for a small business in the UK?
It depends on your monthly card volume. Under roughly £3,060/month, buy a pay-as-you-go reader outright: SumUp charges 1.69% per transaction and Square and Zettle charge 1.75%, all with £0 monthly fee. Above roughly £3,060/month, Dojo's published rate usually works out cheaper: 1.2% all-in for all card transactions for businesses under £100,000 a year in card turnover, even after renting a Dojo Wired at £15/month. The terminal is bought upfront from £149, rented from £15/month, or free through MerchantSwitch. Above £100,000 a year, Dojo quotes a custom rate per business, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses.
How much does a card machine cost a small business taking £3,000 a month?
At £3,000/month in card sales, SumUp at 1.69% costs £50.70/month (£608.40/year) and Square or Zettle at 1.75% cost £52.50/month (£630/year), with no monthly fee. Dojo's published rate costs £3,000 × 1.2% = £36.00/month, £14.70/month cheaper than SumUp with the terminal free through MerchantSwitch. Rent a Dojo Wired yourself at £15/month and it becomes £51.00, £0.30 more than SumUp, so at this volume renting does not pay.
How much does a card machine cost a business taking £10,000 a month?
At £10,000/month, SumUp at 1.69% costs £169/month (£2,028/year) and Square or Zettle at 1.75% cost £175/month (£2,100/year). £10,000/month is £120,000 a year, above the £100,000 ceiling for Dojo's published 1.2% rate, so Dojo quotes a custom rate per business at this volume. As a conservative benchmark, a 1% quote would cost £100/month (£1,200/year), saving £69 to £75/month against the flat-rate readers, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses.
At what card volume should a small business switch from pay-as-you-go?
Above roughly £3,060 a month in card takings if you rent the terminal. Dojo's 1.2% plus a Dojo Wired at £15/month beats SumUp's 1.69% above £15 ÷ (1.69% − 1.2%) = roughly £3,060/month (roughly £5,100 with the Dojo Go Max at £25/month). Below that, no-monthly-fee readers win because the rental outweighs the per-transaction saving: at £2,000/month, Dojo is £2,000 × 1.2% + £15 = £39.00 against SumUp's £33.80, so stay put. With the terminal free through MerchantSwitch there is no rental, and 1.2% is cheaper than 1.69% at every volume.
Quick Sanity Checks Before You Choose
- Growing fast? If you expect to pass roughly £3,060/month within a year, it can be worth getting quotes now; above £100,000 a year of card turnover, bespoke rates improve with turnover.
- Seasonal trade? A £0-monthly-fee reader costs nothing in quiet months; a rented terminal charges you whether you trade or not.
- Already paying a monthly fee? Work out your effective rate first. Our guide to reducing card processing fees shows the calculation.
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