Can You Get a Free Dojo Card Machine?
Yes. Arranged through MerchantSwitch, the Dojo terminal comes with £0 upfront and no monthly terminal rental for the life of your contract. Going to Dojo direct, terminal rental is typically from £20/month, so this offer removes at least £240 a year.
What you still pay is Dojo's bespoke transaction rate: typically 1.2% to 1.9%, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses (your quote depends on turnover, card mix and average transaction value). The offer waives the hardware cost; it does not change the rate you are quoted. If you are locked into another provider's contract, it stacks with up to £3,000 towards your exit fees(Dojo's switcher offer; eligibility confirmed at quote).
Rates checked: August 2026
What “free” covers, and what it doesn't
Covered: the terminal
- £0 upfront for the Dojo terminal
- No monthly terminal rental for the life of your contract
- £0 setup fee (standard with Dojo)
- £0 exit fees from Dojo itself, with 12-month or rolling contracts
Still paid: the rate
- Dojo's bespoke transaction rate: typically 1.2% to 1.9% depending on card turnover, with quotes as low as 0.29% seen for high-turnover businesses
- Quoted per business on turnover, average transaction value and card mix
- The same bespoke quote process as going direct
The saving is straightforward arithmetic: rental from £20/month is £20 × 12 = £240 a year minimum, or £480 over a typical two years of trading. That saving runs for the life of the contract, not just an introductory period.
Dojo direct vs Dojo via MerchantSwitch vs a PAYG reader
| Cost line | Dojo direct | Dojo via MerchantSwitch | PAYG reader |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | £0 | £0 | Buy the reader (e.g. Square Reader £19) |
| Monthly terminal rental | Typically from £20/month | £0 for the life of the contract | £0 |
| Transaction rate | Bespoke, typically 1.2%-1.9% | Bespoke, typically 1.2%-1.9% (unchanged) | Flat 1.69% (SumUp) to 1.75% (Square, Zettle) |
| Contract | 12-month or rolling | 12-month or rolling | None |
| Exit fees | £0 | £0 | None (no contract) |
| Contract buyout | Dojo switcher offer, subject to eligibility | Up to £3,000 towards your old provider's exit fees (stacks with the free terminal) | None |
Figures are providers' published or typical advertised pricing, checked August 2026. Bespoke rates are quoted per business, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses; always confirm with a current quote. Buyout eligibility is confirmed at quote.
Is a free terminal actually a good deal?
Honestly: only if the transaction rate is right too. The terminal is the small number. Rental from £20/month is £240 a year, but on £15,000 a month of card takings, every 0.1% on your rate is £15 a month, £180 a year. A rate just 0.2% worse than it should be (£30 a month, £360 a year) would cost more than the free terminal saves. At £30,000 a month, 0.1% is £30 a month. The rate dominates completely.
So judge any quote (including a Dojo quote through us) on the effective rate: total monthly card fees divided by monthly card turnover. Our guide to reading your merchant statement shows how to compute it from your current statement, and our UK average card processing fees benchmarks tell you whether the number you get is competitive. The free terminal is the bonus on top of a good rate, not a substitute for one.
At low volume the calculus flips the other way: below roughly £4,000-£5,000 a month of card takings, a pay-as-you-go reader with no monthly fee is usually cheapest overall, free terminal or not.
How to claim the offer
- Tell us your monthly card takings: use the quote form or call 0333 041 3933. We respond in under 5 minutes.
- Get your bespoke Dojo rate, quoted on your turnover, average transaction value and card mix. Check it against your current effective rate.
- Locked into another contract? Get your exit fee in writing. Dojo pays up to £3,000 towards it when you switch (eligibility confirmed at quote).
- Terminal arrives with £0 upfront and no rental, for the life of your contract, not an introductory period.
MerchantSwitch is a free comparison service; we are paid by providers when we successfully match a business. The free-terminal offer does not change the transaction rate you are quoted. We are an introducer, not a lender or acquirer, and we are not regulated by the FCA.
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Free Dojo terminal (no rental) through MerchantSwitch. We respond in under 5 minutes.
Claim the free Dojo terminal
£0 upfront, no monthly rental for the life of your contract, and up to £3,000 towards your exit fees if you are switching. We respond in under 5 minutes.