Dojo card machines compared: Go Max, Pocket, Wired and Tap to Pay
Three machines and an iPhone app, three jobs: portable payments, table service, and the counter. Here is the current lineup with verified specs, and which one fits which business. Dojo prices hardware from £149 upfront or £15/month to rent, with each device's price in the table below.
Hardware details verified against dojo.tech product page content, August 2026. MerchantSwitch is an independent comparison site; you can switch to Dojo through MerchantSwitch, and Dojo pays us a fee when a business we introduce completes a switch. Any Dojo terminal arranged through us comes with £0 upfront and no monthly cost. Rates checked: 27 August 2026.
The lineup at a glance
| Terminal | Type | Price | Screen | Connectivity | Battery | Receipts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dojo Go Max | Portable | £149 upfront (launch offer, usually £229) or £25/month | Touchscreen | Wi-Fi and 4G | Up to 10 hours | Not stated by Dojo: confirm at quote |
| Dojo Pocket | Handheld | £239 upfront or £20/month | 4.95-inch screen | WiFi or 4G | Up to 8 hours (slim 143g handheld) | No printer: digital receipts by email or QR code |
| Dojo Wired | Countertop | £179 upfront or £15/month | Countertop unit | Wired connection | Mains powered | Receipt printing at the till |
| Tap to Pay on iPhone | App on your iPhone | Free, no contract | Your iPhone | Your iPhone connection | Your iPhone battery | Digital receipts |
Specs per dojo.tech product page content, checked August 2026; prices per dojo.tech/pricing, checked November 2026 (Dojo Go Max £149 is a launch offer, usually £229). The three terminals accept chip and PIN, contactless and mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay); Tap to Pay on iPhone is contactless only. All settle next-day as standard, with weekend payouts on Dojo's faster settlement upgrade.
Counter service or table service? Match the machine to the job
Counter and till trade (retail, salons, takeaways, cafes where customers pay at the bar): the Dojo Wired does the job with the least fuss. It sits by the till, connects over a cable, and Dojo's EPOS integration pushes the sale total straight to the card machine so staff never key an amount twice. If your counter sometimes moves, say for pavement tables in summer, the Dojo Go Max covers both: it works on the counter and keeps working when it leaves it.
Table service (restaurants, pubs, anywhere staff go to the customer): the Dojo Pocket is built for exactly this. One 143-gram handheld takes the order at the table, sends it to the kitchen through the EPOS integration, then takes the payment at the same table, with the receipt going out by email or QR code. If your customers expect a printed receipt, confirm the printer option for the Dojo Go Max at quote: Dojo lists its 10-hour battery and Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity, but not a printer.
Mobile and events trade (markets, food trucks, mobile services): the Dojo Go Max, on its own 4G connection, with up to 10 hours of battery. No phone pairing, no WiFi dependency, receipts printed on the spot. For occasional or very low-volume trade, Tap to Pay on iPhone takes contactless payments with no hardware and no contract at all.
Whichever machine fits, the hardware cost does not have to
Free Dojo terminal: £0 upfront and no monthly terminal rental for the life of your contract when arranged through MerchantSwitch. Going direct, terminals cost from £149 upfront or from £15/month to rent, so the arrangement removes the whole hardware cost. Up to £3,000 towards your exit fees when you switch through MerchantSwitch if you are escaping an existing contract.
How we are paid: the arrangement is funded by the fee Dojo pays us on a completed switch. Your pricing is the same either way, the 1.2% all-in blended rate under £100,000 a year of card turnover or a custom quote above it; see how Dojo pricing works.
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Dojo hardware FAQs
What card machines does Dojo offer?
Four ways to take payments, as of November 2026 (per dojo.tech): the Dojo Go Max, a portable machine with a built-in thermal printer and automatic WiFi/4G connectivity; the Dojo Pocket, a slim handheld for taking orders and payments at the table with digital receipts; the Dojo Wired countertop machine for fixed till-side trade; and Tap to Pay on iPhone, which turns an iPhone into a contactless reader with no hardware or contract. All take chip and PIN, contactless and mobile wallets (Tap to Pay is contactless only).
How much does a Dojo card machine cost?
Dojo lists a price per device (dojo.tech/pricing, checked November 2026): the Dojo Go Max is £149 upfront (launch offer, usually £229) or £25/month; the Dojo Pocket is £239 or £20/month; the Dojo Wired is £179 or £15/month. Tap to Pay on iPhone needs no hardware at all. Arranged through MerchantSwitch, the terminal comes with £0 upfront and no monthly cost for the life of your contract.
Does the Dojo Pocket print receipts?
No. The Dojo Pocket has no built-in printer; receipts go to the customer digitally, by email or QR code. That is a deliberate trade for its size (it weighs 143 grams and slips into an apron pocket). If your customers expect paper receipts at the table, the Dojo Go Max with its built-in printer is the better fit.
What happens if the WiFi drops mid-service?
The Go Max and Pocket connect automatically to any available 4G network when WiFi fails, so payments keep going through. For a busy Friday service or a market pitch with no WiFi at all, that failover is one of the stronger practical arguments for Dojo hardware over Bluetooth card readers that depend on your phone.
How quickly does Dojo settle the money?
Next-day settlement as standard, and weekend and bank holiday payouts are available with Dojo's faster settlement upgrade. With the upgrade, Saturday takings arrive Sunday rather than waiting for Tuesday, which is a genuine cash-flow advantage for hospitality: most pay-as-you-go readers settle in 1 to 3 working days.
How do I get a Dojo terminal without paying for it?
Arrange it through MerchantSwitch: £0 upfront and no monthly cost for the life of your contract, against £149 to £239 upfront, or £15/month to £25/month to rent, going to Dojo direct. Disclosure: we are an independent comparison site, paid by Dojo when a switch completes through us. The arrangement covers the hardware; your pricing is exactly as it would be direct, the 1.2% all-in blended rate under £100,000 a year of card turnover or a custom quote above it.
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Keep researching
- The Dojo hub - pricing, review verdict and every head-to-head in one place.
- Dojo pricing UK - the 1.2% rate, the custom tiers and the worked arithmetic.
- Getting Dojo: eligibility and setup - who qualifies and how long it takes to go live.
- The full Dojo review - our honest 4.5/5 verdict, cons included.