Dojo vs SumUp: which card machine saves you more?
On rate alone Dojo is cheaper at every volume: 1.2% all-in for businesses under £100,000 a year in card turnover, against SumUp's 1.69%. At £5,000 a month that is 1.2% of £5,000, £60.00, against SumUp's £84.50: about £294 a year saved. The terminal decides smaller shops. Rent one from Dojo and the 0.49 point gap has to cover the rental, so the break-even is about £5,100 a month on a Go Max (£25/month) or about £3,060 on a Wired (£15/month); below that SumUp's £0 monthly cost wins. Take the terminal free through MerchantSwitch and there is no rental to cover. 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.
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
SumUp
- Transaction
- 1.69%
- Monthly
- £0
- Hardware
- £29-£39
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.
The verdict, by monthly card volume
A 1.2% all-in rate plus whatever the terminal costs you (Dojo) versus a flat 1.69% and no monthly cost (SumUp): which wins depends on how much you take on cards each month.
| Monthly card volume | Cheaper option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under £3,060/month | SumUp | Only if you would rent the Dojo terminal: at £2,000 a month Dojo is 1.2% × £2,000 = £24.00 plus £15/month for a Wired, £39.00, against SumUp’s £33.80. Stay put. With the terminal free through MerchantSwitch, Dojo is £24.00 and cheaper at any volume. |
| £3,060 to £5,100/month | Dojo | On a rented Wired (£15/month) Dojo wins from about £3,060; on a rented Go Max (£25/month) only from about £5,100. At £5,000 a month: £60.00 + £15 = £75.00 on a Wired, £85.00 on a Go Max, against SumUp’s £84.50 |
| Over £5,100/month | Dojo | Dojo wins on any terminal: at £8,000 a month, £96.00 + £25 Go Max rental = £121.00 against £135.20. Above £100,000 a year Dojo quotes a custom rate per business; we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% |
The takeaway: on rate alone Dojo wins at every volume (1.2% against 1.69%), so the terminal decides it. Renting from Dojo, the break-even is ~£3,060/month card turnover (1.2% + Wired £15/month vs SumUp 1.69%), or ~£5,100/month card turnover (1.2% + Go Max £25/month vs SumUp 1.69%). Below it, SumUp's £0 monthly cost wins: at £2,000 a month a rented Wired makes Dojo £24.00 + £15 = £39.00 against SumUp's £33.80, so stay put. Through MerchantSwitch the terminal is free with no rental, so the same £2,000 costs £24.00 on Dojo and it wins at any volume. The published rate runs up to £100,000 a year (about £8,300 a month); above that Dojo quotes a custom rate per business. 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 | SumUp |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | 1.2% all-in blended rate on all cards (under £100k/year); custom quote above | 1.69% flat, no monthly fee |
| Monthly cost | £0 on the Essential plan; terminal rental from £15/month if you rent (none through MerchantSwitch) | £0 |
| Hardware | From £149 upfront or £15/month; free through MerchantSwitch | £29-£39 |
| Contract | Minimum term set in your application documents; at least one month’s written notice; no early closure fee in the first month | None |
Where Dojo wins
- Effective rate at volume - 1.2% all-in, £60.00 at £5,000 a month vs SumUp's flat 1.69%, £84.50
- Hardware - buy the terminal upfront from £149, rent from £15/month, or take it free through MerchantSwitch
- Volume - the cheaper total above about £3,060 a month on a rented Wired, or at any volume with a free terminal: around £294 a year at £5,000 a month
Where SumUp wins
- No monthly cost - £0 vs £15/month to £25/month if you rent a Dojo terminal
- No contract - walk away any time vs a minimum term set in Dojo's application documents and at least one month’s written notice
- Low volume - the cheaper total under about £3,060 a month if you would rent the Dojo terminal
How we calculated this
We take Dojo's and SumUp's published or typical advertised rates and apply them to example monthly card volumes (under £5,000 to over £10,000 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 SumUp before you commit.
The verdict
Choose Dojo if
- You take about £3,060 or more a month on cards, or take the terminal free through MerchantSwitch
- You want the 1.2% all-in rate under £100,000 a year, or a custom quote above
- You want a free terminal through MerchantSwitch rather than buying one
- You are comfortable with a minimum term set in your application and at least one month’s written notice
Choose SumUp if
- You take under about £3,060 a month on cards and would rent the Dojo terminal
- You want no monthly fee
- You want no contract at all
- You are happy to buy the reader for £29-£39
See also the full UK card machine rates table, every published rate in one place, or head back to the Dojo card machines hub.