Dojo vs Square: which saves you more?
Dojo is cheaper on rate at every volume: 1.2% all-in for businesses under £100,000 a year in card turnover, against Square's 1.75%. At £5,000 a month that is 1.2% of £5,000, £60.00, against Square's £87.50, about £330 a year saved. Renting the terminal from Dojo narrows it: the 0.55 point gap only covers a £15/month Wired above about £2,730 a month, or a £25/month Go Max above about £4,550. Through MerchantSwitch the terminal is free with no rental. Above £100,000 a year Dojo quotes a custom rate per business, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses. Square wins if you would rent a Dojo terminal and take under about £2,730 a month, or need its free EPOS and online integrations.
Rates and contract terms checked 27 August 2026 · Based on providers' published pricing
Dojo
- Under £100k/yr
- 1.2%
- Over £100k/yr
- Custom
- Hardware
- From £149
Square
- Transaction
- 1.75%
- Monthly
- £0
- Hardware
- £249
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.
Total monthly cost at your card volume
Transaction fees plus monthly costs. Square is worked from its published 1.75% rate; Dojo from its published 1.2% all-in rate, with the terminal free through MerchantSwitch (renting one from Dojo adds £15/month to £25/month; see the takeaway). The published rate runs up to £100,000 a year (about £8,300 a month); above that Dojo quotes a custom rate, so the higher rows use 1.2% as a benchmark rather than a price you are promised. Check the maths yourself.
| Monthly turnover | Dojo | Square | Dojo saves |
|---|---|---|---|
| £2,500 | £30.00/mo (1.2%) | £43.75/mo | £165/year |
| £5,000 | £60.00/mo (1.2%) | £87.50/mo | £330/year |
| £8,000 | £96.00/mo (1.2%) | £140/mo | £528/year |
| £10,000 | Custom quote; ~£120/mo at a 1.2% benchmark | £175/mo | ~£660/year at 1.2% |
| £30,000 | Custom quote; ~£360/mo at a 1.2% benchmark | £525/mo | ~£1,980/year at 1.2% |
The takeaway: Dojo wins on total cost at every volume in the table, from about £165 to £528 a year on the published rate with a free terminal, and more on a keen custom quote at higher volumes. The trade is the terminal. Rent one from Dojo and Square's £0 monthly cost wins below about £2,730 a month on a Wired (£15 divided by 0.55%) or £4,550 on a Go Max (£25 divided by 0.55%): at £2,000 a month Square costs £35.00 against Dojo's £24.00 + £15 = £39.00, so stay put. Through MerchantSwitch the terminal is free with no rental, so the same £2,000 costs £24.00 on Dojo. Dojo’s fees schedule also lists a secure transaction fee, a refund fee and a minimum monthly payment, each set by your agreed plan; the amounts are not published, so ask for them in writing.
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Feature by feature
| Feature | Dojo | Square |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 1.2% all-in blended rate on all cards (under £100k/year); custom quote above | 1.75% flat |
| Monthly cost | £0 on the Essential plan; terminal rental from £15/month if you rent (none through MerchantSwitch) | £0 |
| Hardware cost | From £149 upfront or £15/month; free through MerchantSwitch | £249 upfront |
| Settlement speed | Next day | Next day |
| Contract | Minimum term set in your application documents; at least one month’s written notice; no early closure fee in the first month | No contract |
| UK support | 24/7 phone | Email + chat |
| Setup time | Next day | Same day |
| Free EPOS | Basic | Full system |
| Online payments | Available | Integrated |
Where Dojo wins
- Total cost - about £165 to £528 a year cheaper at the published-rate volumes above with a free terminal, more on a custom quote
- Hardware - from £149 upfront or £15/month, and free through MerchantSwitch
- Effective rate at volume - 1.2% all-in, £60.00 at £5,000 a month vs Square's flat 1.75%
- Support - 24/7 UK phone support
Where Square wins
- No monthly fee - cheaper under about £2,730/month if you rent a Dojo Wired (£4,550 on a Go Max), where the rental outweighs the rate gap
- Free EPOS - full point-of-sale system included
- Online integration - stronger for omnichannel retail
- App ecosystem - works with 100+ business apps
How we calculated this
We take Dojo's and Square's published or typical advertised rates and apply them to example monthly card volumes (£5,000 to £30,000 a month). 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 Square before you commit.
The verdict
Choose Dojo if
- You take about £2,730 or more a month on cards, or take the terminal free through MerchantSwitch
- Total cost matters more than a free EPOS
- You want a free terminal through MerchantSwitch rather than buying one
- You want UK phone support around the clock
- You mainly sell in person
Choose Square if
- You take under about £2,730 a month on cards and would rent the Dojo terminal
- You need a full free EPOS system
- You sell online and in person equally
- You rely on app integrations
- You can pay £249 upfront for the reader
See also the full UK card machine rates table, every published rate in one place, or head back to the Dojo card machines hub.