Dojo Card Machine Review 2026: Is Dojo Any Good?
Editorial review of Dojo's card machines: what the bespoke pricing actually means, worked costs at two turnover levels, contract terms, and who should look elsewhere.
Quick Verdict
Dojo is our top pick for established UK businesses taking roughly £4,000+ a month on cards (the terminals, settlement speed and contract terms are genuinely strong), but the bespoke pricing means you cannot know your rate without getting a quote.
Restaurants, pubs, cafes and retailers taking £4,000+/month on cards who want next-day settlement and a terminal-led setup
Very low-volume or occasional sellers. The £20/month terminal rental erodes any rate advantage below roughly £4,000/month
Our offer, separate from the review above
Switch to Dojo through MerchantSwitch
- • Free Dojo terminal: £0 upfront and no monthly terminal rental for the life of your contract when arranged through MerchantSwitch. The from-£20/month rental applies going direct.
- • Up to £3,000 contract buyout: Dojo pays up to £3,000 towards your existing provider's exit fees when you switch (Dojo's switcher offer; eligibility confirmed at quote).
- • We respond in under 5 minutes.
Disclosure: MerchantSwitch is a Dojo partner. This offer is how we're paid; it hasn't changed the verdict above. More detail: how the free Dojo card machine offer works.
Rates checked: August 2026 · Based on providers' published and typical advertised pricing
How we score: this is our editorial assessment of published pricing, features and contract terms, not aggregated user reviews. See our editorial standards.
What is Dojo?
Dojo is a UK payments provider that supplies card terminals and merchant services to high-street businesses: restaurants, pubs, cafes, salons and shops. Unlike app-based readers such as SumUp or Square, Dojo is built around rented, full-featured terminals (Dojo Go and Dojo Pocket) with a negotiated transaction rate rather than a published flat fee. That model is the key to understanding both its strengths and its main weakness.
The practical package is impressive on paper: next-day settlement including weekends, built-in 4G backup if your WiFi drops, pay-at-table technology included at no extra cost, point-to-point encryption, integrations with 600+ EPOS systems and UK-based support seven days a week. Dojo quotes 99.99% uptime for its network.
Dojo Pricing 2026: What You'll Actually Pay
Dojo does not publish a rate card. Pricing is bespoke: typically 1.2% to 1.9% per transaction, 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). Terminal rental is from £20/month. Higher-turnover businesses get quoted towards the bottom of the range; smaller ones towards the top. Setup is £0 and, unusually, exit fees are £0 too.
Pricing Breakdown
| Cost | Dojo |
|---|---|
| Transaction fee | Bespoke: typically 1.2%-1.9% depending on card turnover (quotes as low as 0.29% seen for high-turnover businesses) |
| Terminal rental | From £20/month |
| Setup fee | £0 |
| Exit fee | £0 |
| Contract | 12-month or rolling |
| Settlement | Next day, including weekends |
Figures are Dojo's typical advertised pricing, checked August 2026. Your quote will vary with turnover, sector and card mix. See our full card machine rates table.
Worked Cost Examples: £3,000 and £15,000 a Month
Because Dojo's rate is negotiated, the honest way to cost it is to show both ends of the typical 1.2%-1.9% range and compare against the flat-rate readers. Quotes below the range do happen (we have seen 0.29% for high-turnover businesses), and any quote under 1.2% only strengthens Dojo's side of the arithmetic below.
At £3,000/month card turnover
- • Dojo, best case: £3,000 × 1.2% = £36, + £20 rental = £56/month
- • Dojo, worst case: £3,000 × 1.9% = £57, + £20 rental = £77/month
- • SumUp at 1.69% flat: £3,000 × 1.69% = £50.70/month (no rental)
- • Square at 1.75% flat: £3,000 × 1.75% = £52.50/month (no rental)
Even on Dojo's best typical rate, the £20 rental means a flat-rate reader is cheaper at this volume. That is the arithmetic, not a matter of opinion.
At £15,000/month card turnover
- • Dojo, best case: £15,000 × 1.2% = £180, + £20 rental = £200/month (£2,400/year)
- • Dojo, worst case: £15,000 × 1.9% = £285, + £20 rental = £305/month (£3,660/year)
- • SumUp at 1.69% flat: £15,000 × 1.69% = £253.50/month (£3,042/year)
- • Square at 1.75% flat: £15,000 × 1.75% = £262.50/month (£3,150/year)
The break-even quote against Square at this volume is (£262.50 − £20) ÷ £15,000 = 1.62%. Quoted below 1.62%, Dojo wins; quoted above it, the flat-rate readers stay cheaper. A 1.2% quote saves £62.50/month against Square, £750 a year.
Features: Where Dojo Earns Its Rental Fee
The £20/month rental buys hardware and service that app-based readers do not match. Next-day settlement runs seven days a week, which matters enormously for hospitality businesses that trade hardest at weekends: takings from Saturday night arrive Sunday, not Tuesday. The Dojo Go terminal has built-in 4G, so a broadband outage does not stop you trading. Pay-at-table is included, and there are integrations with more than 600 EPOS systems, so it slots into most existing till setups. Support is UK-based and available seven days a week.
None of this is decorative. For a table-service restaurant, pay-at-table plus weekend settlement is a genuine operational upgrade over passing a phone-paired reader around.
Contract and Exit Terms
Dojo offers 12-month or rolling contracts with no setup fee and no exit fee. This is the part of the package we rate most highly, because it removes the classic trap of terminal-rental providers: being locked in for 18-48 months with a £200-£500 early termination charge. With Dojo, if the quoted rate stops being competitive, you can leave without a penalty. Terminal rental is a monthly cost for as long as you stay, so factor it into every comparison you run.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Next-day settlement, including weekends, rare and valuable for hospitality
- £0 setup and £0 exit fees on 12-month or rolling contracts
- Competitive rates at volume: typically 1.2%-1.9%, below the 1.69%-1.75% flat readers for busier merchants, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high turnover
- 4G backup, pay-at-table, 600+ EPOS integrations included
- UK-based support seven days a week
Cons
- No published rate card: you cannot know your price without a quote, and two similar businesses can pay different rates
- £20/month rental makes it poor value at low volume: below roughly £4,000/month the flat-rate readers win on cost. This applies going to Dojo direct. Free Dojo terminal (no rental) through MerchantSwitch
- Top-of-range quotes (1.9%) are more expensive than SumUp or Square at any volume
- UK-only: no use if you trade internationally or want a multi-country provider
Alternatives to Dojo
SumUp (1.69% flat, £19 reader, no monthly fee)is the better choice below roughly £4,000/month, where Dojo's rental outweighs its rate advantage. See our Dojo vs SumUp comparison.
Square (1.75% flat, free EPOS software) is strongest if you want a free point-of-sale system and sell online as well as in person. See our Dojo vs Square comparison.
Worldpay (bespoke rates, enterprise features) is worth quoting against Dojo at higher volumes, though contracts are typically longer. See Worldpay vs Dojo.
For the wider market picture, our full rates table and best card machine for small businesses guide cover every provider we track.
Verdict: Is Dojo Any Good?
Yes, for the right business. If you take £4,000+ a month on cards, Dojo's combination of negotiated rates, weekend settlement, serious hardware and no-penalty exit terms is the strongest terminal-led package we track, and it earns its 4.5/5. The half-point we hold back is for pricing opacity: a provider this good should publish its rate card, and until it does, your only defence is to get the quote in writing and compare it against 1.69%-1.75% flat before signing. Below £4,000/month, skip the rental and use a flat-rate reader.
See What Dojo Would Quote You
Tell us your monthly card takings and we'll compare Dojo against SumUp, Square and the rest at your volume. Free, no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Dojo cost per month?
Dojo does not publish a single rate. Pricing is bespoke: typically 1.2% to 1.9% per transaction, 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). Terminal rental is from £20/month when you go to Dojo direct. There are no setup fees and no exit fees. On £15,000/month of card takings, a 1.2% quote plus £20 rental works out at £200/month. Free Dojo terminal: £0 upfront and no monthly terminal rental for the life of your contract when arranged through MerchantSwitch.
Does Dojo have a contract or exit fees?
Dojo offers a choice of 12-month or rolling contracts, with £0 setup fees and £0 exit fees. That is unusually flexible for a provider that rents terminals: many traditional acquirers charge £200-£500 to leave early.
Is Dojo cheaper than SumUp or Square?
It depends on your volume and the rate you are quoted. Below roughly £4,000/month, SumUp (1.69% flat, no rental) or Square (1.75% flat, no rental) usually cost less because Dojo's £20/month terminal rental outweighs any rate saving. Above that, a competitive Dojo quote typically wins: at £15,000/month, 1.2% plus £20 rental is £200/month against Square's £262.50. That arithmetic assumes Dojo's direct rental. Free Dojo terminal (no rental) through MerchantSwitch, which shifts the break-even further in Dojo's favour.
How fast does Dojo settle funds?
Dojo offers next-day settlement, including weekends. Pay-as-you-go readers typically settle in 1-3 working days, so this is one of Dojo's strongest practical advantages for cash-flow-sensitive businesses like hospitality.
What happens if my internet goes down with Dojo?
Dojo Go terminals have built-in 4G connectivity. If your WiFi drops, the terminal switches to 4G automatically so you can keep taking payments.