How to switch card machine provider without losing a day of card sales
The switch itself is straightforward; the traps are in the old contract. This page walks the whole route: what leaving actually costs at each of 15 UK providers, the order to do things in so both machines overlap, and when the honest answer is to stay put until your term ends.
Exit terms verified against provider terms documents, 25 August 2026. We are paid by providers on a successful match; switching help is free to you, and no provider pays for a verdict.
1 to 4 weeks
for a contracted acquirer switch; same week for a pay-as-you-go reader
5 of 15 providers
publish no exit terms at all; your contract summary is the only source
Up to £3,000
of exit fees covered by Dojo's switcher deal through us (Dojo's switcher offer; eligibility confirmed at quote)
The switch, in the order that avoids the traps
- 1
Find your contract end date and notice period before anything else
The slowest part of most switches is the old contract, not the new provider. Dig out the contract summary (or ask your provider for it - they must supply one) and note three lines: minimum term end date, notice period, and the early termination clause. Notice runs from one month at Dojo and 30 days at Tyl to 90 days on takepayments' online product, and 5 of the 15 providers we track publish no exit terms at all, so the contract is the only place the truth lives.
- 2
Price the switch on your statement, not on headline rates
Pull your last three monthly statements and find the effective rate: total fees divided by total card turnover. That number, not the advertised rate, is what a new provider has to beat, and it is usually higher than you think once authorisation fees, PCI charges and minimum service charges are counted. This is the sum we do free in a statement review.
- 3
Set up the new provider before serving notice on the old one
A pay-as-you-go reader works the same week you order it; a contracted acquirer switch typically takes 1 to 4 weeks through application, underwriting and terminal delivery. Either way, get the new terminal live and tested first, run both machines side by side through the handover, and only then serve notice. Sequenced this way there is no day without card payments.
- 4
Serve notice in writing and deal with the exit fee
Follow the cancellation route in your contract - phone plus written confirmation is the safe pattern. If you are inside the minimum term, the exit fee question has three honest answers: wait it out, pay it if the savings clear it quickly, or have the new provider cover it. Through MerchantSwitch, Dojo pays up to £3,000 towards your old provider's exit fees (Dojo's switcher offer; eligibility confirmed at quote).
- 5
Return the hardware and check the final bill
Rented terminals go back on a deadline: within 30 days at Dojo (non-return costs up to £400 + VAT per machine), 5 working days for a rented Tide reader, 7 working days at Teya. Do not cancel the direct debit before the final bill collects, and check the last statement for trailing fees. Keep the courier receipt.
Worked example
A shop taking £5,000 a month, mid-contract: leave or wait?
On a 1.75% flat rate the shop pays £1,050 a year in transaction fees. On Dojo's published 1.2% the same volume costs £720: a saving of £330 a year before hardware, and more if a negotiated quote beats the published rate.
Against that saving sits the exit cost. On the one published formula in the market, Barclaycard's countertop reader at £7 + VAT per remaining month, six remaining months cost £42 + VAT: cleared by the saving in under two months. An unpublished exit fee has to come from your contract summary, and if it is under a year's saving, leaving usually wins, before counting the up to £3,000 of buyout available through us.
Rates from provider pricing pages, checked 24 August 2026. Working: £60,000 × 1.75% = £1,050; £60,000 × 1.2% = £720.
Leaving a specific provider? Start with its own guide
Step-by-step cancellation guides, with each provider's published terms and the parts they keep in the contract.
All exit terms in one table: the exit fees database, verified 25 August 2026.
Questions people ask
How long does switching card machine provider take?+
A pay-as-you-go reader (SumUp, Square, Zettle): the same week, since you just order it and start. A contracted acquirer: typically 1 to 4 weeks covering application, underwriting and terminal delivery. Your old contract notice period, commonly one to three months, runs in parallel once served, so it rarely adds time if you sequence the switch properly.
Will I lose card payments during the switch?+
Not if the new terminal goes live before the old one goes off. Set up the new provider first, run both machines side by side for a few days, then serve notice. The overlap costs a few days of the old provider's fees and removes the risk entirely.
What exit fee will I pay to leave my current provider?+
It depends on the contract, and most providers do not publish it: of the 15 providers whose terms we checked on 25 August 2026, only the no-contract readers publish full exit terms. Barclaycard is the exception that publishes its formula (priced per remaining month, their example being £7 a month plus VAT on a countertop reader). For everyone else, the amount is in your contract summary and nowhere else, so read that, not a comparison site's guess.
Can I get my exit fee paid for me?+
Sometimes. Some providers advertise contributing to your old provider's exit fees when you switch to them. Through MerchantSwitch, Dojo's switcher arrangement covers up to £3,000 of exit fees (Dojo's switcher offer; eligibility confirmed at quote) and includes the terminal. Whether that beats waiting out your term is arithmetic we will do with you on the phone.
Is switching worth it, honestly?+
Not always, and a comparison site should be able to say so. If you are on a flat 1.69% taking £1,500 a month, the realistic saving is a few pounds a month and switching is a chore that can wait. The case gets strong when volume grows: at £5,000 a month, moving from 1.75% to Dojo's published 1.2% saves £330 a year in transaction fees alone, and negotiated rates at higher volumes save multiples of that. The break-even test: annual saving must comfortably beat exit fee plus hassle, and if it doesn't, stay put for now.
What happens to my old merchant account and money owed to me?+
Final settlements arrive on the normal timetable after your last transaction, and any chargebacks from old sales are deducted from them. Keep the final statement for your accountant, and keep the direct debit open until the last bill collects; cancelling it early is the classic way a £30 final charge becomes a debt-collection letter.
One call handles the whole switch
We check your notice period and exit terms, price the alternatives at your volume, and coordinate the changeover so both machines overlap. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details. Mon to Fri, 9am to 5:30pm.
Not sure the numbers stack up yet?
Send a statement first; we reply with the leave-or-stay arithmetic in writing.