Dojo vs Barclaycard Payments: which saves you more?
Dojo comes out ahead for most businesses. Under £100,000 a year in card turnover its Fix plan is £39.99 a month, covering card turnover up to £3,999 a month, then a 1% flat rate above £4,000: a 1.0% effective rate at £5,000 a month against Barclaycard's typical rates from roughly 1.6%. Above £100,000 Dojo quotes a custom rate, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses. Add next-day settlement as standard against Barclaycard's typical 1 to 2 days, no setup fee, and the terminal free through MerchantSwitch. Barclaycard makes sense if you want payments, banking and lending under one major-bank relationship.
Rates and contract terms checked 27 August 2026· Based on providers' published pricing
Dojo
- Fix plan
- £39.99/mo
- Settlement
- Next day
- Terminal
- From £179
Barclaycard Payments
- Rate from
- ~1.6%
- Settlement
- 1-2 days
- Terminal
- Leased
The MerchantSwitch route: Free Dojo terminal (no rental) through MerchantSwitch. Up to £3,000 towards your exit fees when you switch through MerchantSwitch. We have seen Dojo quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses. Get the offer.
Feature by feature
Pricing, settlement, contracts and support side by side, based on each provider's published or typical terms.
| Feature | Dojo | Barclaycard Payments |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Fix plan: £39.99/month covers card turnover up to £3,999/month, then 1% flat above £4,000 (under £100k/year); custom quote above | From ~1.6%, varies by turnover |
| Settlement | Next day as standard | Typically 1-2 business days |
| Setup fee | None | A setup fee may apply |
| Contract length | 30-day trial, then a 12-month price-locked plan | Often 12-18 months, early termination fees can apply |
| Terminal | From £179 upfront; free via MerchantSwitch | Leased or purchased, model-dependent |
| Support | Dedicated UK-based support | Large bank infrastructure, can feel less personal |
| Trustpilot (indicative) | 4.3 / 5 | ~3.5 / 5 |
The takeaway: Dojo leads on every row in the table - a lower cost at typical SME volumes (the Fix plan works out at 1.0% effective at £5,000 a month against roughly 1.6%), next-day settlement, no setup fee, and a 4.3 / 5 Trustpilot score against roughly 3.5 / 5. Barclaycard's case rests on brand recognition and breadth of banking services, not on the payments terms themselves.
Want Barclaycard and Dojo priced at your numbers?
Tell us your monthly card takings and we will quote both, honestly. Free Dojo terminal with no rental if Dojo wins it, and if you are locked into Barclaycard, Dojo pays up to £3,000 towards your exit fees when you switch through MerchantSwitch (eligibility confirmed at quote). We respond in under 5 minutes.
Where Dojo wins
- Cost at SME volumes - the Fix plan is a 1.0% effective rate at £5,000 a month (custom quote above £100k a year), against roughly 1.6%
- Cash flow - next-day settlement as standard from week one
- No setup fee - and the terminal is free through MerchantSwitch
- Flexibility - a 30-day trial, then a 12-month price-locked plan, lower switching risk than longer bank terms
- Service - dedicated UK support and a 4.3 / 5 Trustpilot score
Where Barclaycard wins
- Brand recognition - a major-bank name your customers know
- One relationship - payments alongside business banking and lending
- Breadth of services - a wider product range beyond card acceptance
- Terminal choice - leased or purchased models to suit larger setups
How we calculated this
We take Dojo's and Barclaycard Payments's published or typical advertised rates and apply them to example monthly card volumes. Total cost is worked out as transaction fees plus fixed monthly fees over 12 months. Rates change and individual pricing can often be negotiated, so treat these figures as a like-for-like guide rather than a quote. Always confirm current pricing with Dojo and Barclaycard Payments before you commit.
The verdict
Choose Dojo if
- You want the lower cost at SME volumes, with custom quotes as volume grows
- Next-day settlement matters to your cash flow
- You want no setup fee, with the terminal free through MerchantSwitch
- You prefer a 30-day trial and then a 12-month price-locked plan
- You value dedicated UK support over a big-bank helpline
Choose Barclaycard if
- You want payments, banking and lending under one roof
- A major-bank brand matters to your customers or landlord
- You need Barclaycard-specific integrations or services
- You are comfortable with a 12-18 month term and possible setup fees
See also the full UK card machine rates table, every published rate in one place, or head back to the Dojo card machines hub.