Dojo vs Square UK 2025: Which Card Machine is Better?

Head-to-Head Comparison Table

Detailed Fee Comparison

Transaction Fees Breakdown

The fee structure fundamentally differs:

Dojo: 0.9% + 9p per transaction

• Lower percentage (0.9% vs 1.75%)
• Fixed 9p fee per transaction
• Better for transactions over £10.59

Square: 1.75% flat

• Higher percentage but no fixed fee
• Better for transactions under £10.59
• Simpler to calculate

Real Cost Examples (2025)

Scenario 1: Small Cafe (£8,000/month, avg £4.50)

• Dojo: (£8,000 × 0.9%) + (1,778 trans × £0.09) = £232/month
• Square: £8,000 × 1.75% = £140/month ✅
• Winner: Square (saves £92/month = £1,104 annually)

Scenario 2: Restaurant (£25,000/month, avg £32)

• Dojo: (£25,000 × 0.9%) + (781 trans × £0.09) = £295/month ✅
• Square: £25,000 × 1.75% = £438/month
• Winner: Dojo (saves £143/month = £1,716 annually)

Scenario 3: Retail Shop (£15,000/month, avg £18)

• Dojo: (£15,000 × 0.9%) + (833 trans × £0.09) = £210/month ✅
• Square: £15,000 × 1.75% = £263/month
• Winner: Dojo (saves £53/month = £636 annually)

Free Software: Square's Massive Advantage

Square includes completely free business software that would cost £50-£150 monthly if purchased separately:

Square for Free (Worth £100+/month)

• POS System: Full point-of-sale with inventory (normally £50-£80/month)
• Square Appointments: Booking system (normally £30-£50/month)
• Team Management: Staff clock-in, performance tracking
• Customer Directory: CRM with purchase history
• Analytics Dashboard: Sales reports, insights
• Square Online: Free e-commerce website
• Marketing Tools: Email campaigns, loyalty programs

Dojo Charges Extra For

• POS Software: Partner with external providers (£40-£80/month)
• Booking System: Third-party integration required
• Analytics: £14.50/month for Dojo Insights
• Online Payments: Not available (use separate provider)

Features Comparison

Payment Features

Business Features

Which is Better for Your Business Type?

Dojo Wins For:

• ✅ Restaurants (higher average transactions)
• ✅ Retail shops (£15+ average, already have POS)
• ✅ Pubs & bars (high volume, don't need booking)
• ✅ Tradespeople (£200+ jobs, simple needs)
• ✅ High-volume businesses (£15,000+ monthly)
• ✅ In-person only (no online sales)

Square Wins For:

• ✅ Cafes (low transaction values £3-£7)
• ✅ Salons/barbers (need booking system)
• ✅ New businesses (want free POS software)
• ✅ Omnichannel (online + in-person sales)
• ✅ Service businesses (appointments, client management)
• ✅ Retail with e-commerce (unified inventory)

Customer Support Comparison

Dojo Support

• Location: UK-based call centers (Manchester, London)
• Hours: 8 AM - 8 PM weekdays, 9 AM - 5 PM weekends
• Channels: Phone, email, live chat
• Response time: Average 2-3 minutes phone, 15 min chat
• Reviews: 4.2/5 on Trustpilot (support specifically)

Square Support

• Location: International (mainly Dublin, US)
• Hours: 24/7 phone for Premium, limited hours for free
• Channels: Phone (limited), email, help center
• Response time: Average 8-12 hours email, 5-10 min chat
• Reviews: 3.8/5 on Trustpilot (support issues mentioned)

Winner: Dojo for responsive UK-based support

Hardware Comparison

Dojo Terminals

• Dojo Go: Portable, 4G/WiFi, built-in printer, FREE on contract
• Dojo Mini: Compact countertop, FREE
• Durability: Good (commercial grade)
• Battery life: Full trading day

Square Terminals

• Square Reader: Bluetooth mobile, £49
• Square Terminal: All-in-one WiFi/4G, £269
• Square Stand: iPad-based POS, £129 (iPad separate)
• Durability: Consumer-grade (less rugged)
• Battery life: 8-10 hours

Winner: Dojo for professional-grade hardware

Integration & Ecosystem

Dojo Integrations

• Lightspeed POS
• Shopify POS
• Shortcuts (salon software)
• Phorest (salon software)
• Xero accounting

Square Ecosystem

• Square POS (native)
• Square Appointments (native)
• Square Online (native)
• Square Invoices (native)
• Xero, QuickBooks integration
• 1,000+ app marketplace integrations

Winner: Square for ecosystem and integrations

Contract Terms & Flexibility

Dojo Contract

• Length: 12 months typical
• Exit fee: £295 if leaving early
• Terminal: Must return if free rental
• Auto-renewal: Continues month-to-month after initial term

Square Terms

• Length: No contract
• Exit fee: £0 - stop anytime
• Terminal: You own it (keep forever)
• Flexibility: Complete freedom

Winner: Square for flexibility and no lock-in

Pros & Cons Summary

Final Verdict: Dojo or Square?

The answer depends on your business volume and type:

Choose Dojo If:

• You process £5,000+ monthly with £12+ average transactions
• Hospitality businesses (restaurants, pubs, hotels) - Dojo's infrastructure is purpose-built for hospitality and handles peak service brilliantly
• You want the lowest total processing costs (0.9% saves significantly at scale)
• You already have POS software or don't need it
• You value UK-based support (2-3 minute phone response times)
• You need reliable offline mode (100 transactions stored)
• You're a high-volume business where every 0.1% in fees matters

Choose Square If:

• You process under £5,000 monthly or have very low average transactions (under £10)
• You need free POS software, booking, or online store (worth £80-£100/month)
• You sell online and in-person and want unified platform
• You want zero contracts and complete flexibility
• You're a service business needing appointment booking (salons, healthcare)
• You're just starting out and want to test without commitment