Cheapest Card Machine UK 2026

Top 3 Cheapest Card Machines

1. Square Reader - Cheapest Upfront (£19)

• Hardware: £19 + VAT
• Transaction Fee: 1.75%
• Monthly Fee: £0
• Best for: Very low volume (under £5k/month)

2. SumUp Solo - Cheapest Per Transaction (1.69%)

• Hardware: £29 + VAT
• Transaction Fee: 1.69%
• Monthly Fee: £0
• Best for: Low to medium volume

3. Dojo - Often Cheapest Overall (Higher Volume)

• Hardware: from £149 upfront (Dojo Go Max, launch offer) or hired from £15/month
• Transaction Fee: published 1.2% blended rate under £100,000 a year in card turnover; custom quote above (as low as 0.29% seen for high-turnover businesses)
• Setup Fee: £0
• Best for: businesses taking more than roughly £4.5k-£5k/month in card sales

True Cost Comparison

Based on £10,000/month card sales over 36 months:

• Square: £6,319 total (£10,000 × 1.75% × 36 = £6,300 fees + £19 hardware)
• SumUp: £6,113 total (£10,000 × 1.69% × 36 = £6,084 fees + £29 hardware)
• Dojo: at the published 1.2% + £25/month for a Dojo Go Max, £5,220 (£4,320 fees + £900 hardware). And £10,000/month is £120,000 a year, above the £100,000 published-rate threshold, so you would actually get a custom quote, typically at or below 1.2%

The honest verdict: at this volume Dojo beats the pay-as-you-go readers even at the 1.2% ceiling, and only your own quote can confirm by how much more.

How to Choose

Under £4k-£5k/month sales: a no-monthly-fee reader. SumUp has the lowest rate (1.69%), Square the cheapest hardware (£19)
Over £4.5k-£5k/month: Dojo, at its published 1.2% or a custom quote above £100k/year turnover
Over £50k/month: negotiate hard, custom rates are standard at this volume