Cheapest Card Machine UK 2026

Top 3 Cheapest Card Machines

1. Square Reader - Cheapest Upfront (£19)

• Hardware: £19 + VAT
• Transaction Fee: 1.75%
• Monthly Fee: £0
• Best for: Very low volume (under roughly £2,300/month)

2. SumUp Solo - Cheapest Per Transaction (1.69%)

• Hardware: £29 + VAT
• Transaction Fee: 1.69%
• Monthly Fee: £0
• Best for: Low to medium volume

3. Dojo - Usually Cheapest Overall (Above ~£2,300/month)

• Hardware: from £179 bought upfront (Dojo does not publish per-device prices; £0 upfront with no monthly rental through MerchantSwitch)
• Pricing: Fix plan at £39.99/month for businesses under £100,000 a year in card turnover, covering card turnover up to £3,999/month, then 1% flat above £4,000/month; custom quote above £100k/year (as low as 0.29% seen for high-turnover businesses)
• Setup Fee: £0
• Best for: businesses taking more than roughly £2,300/month in card sales

True Cost Comparison

Based on £10,000/month card sales over 36 months:

• Square: £6,319 total (£10,000 × 1.75% × 36 = £6,300 fees + £19 hardware)
• SumUp: £6,113 total (£10,000 × 1.69% × 36 = £6,084 fees + £29 hardware)
• Dojo: £10,000/month is £120,000 a year, above the £100,000 ceiling for the Fix plan, so the rate is a custom quote. At a conservative 1% benchmark: £10,000 × 1% × 36 = £3,600 fees + hardware from £179 = £3,779 total, and we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses

The honest verdict: at this volume Dojo beats the pay-as-you-go readers even at a conservative 1% benchmark, and only your own quote can confirm by how much more.

How to Choose

Under roughly £2,300/month sales: a no-monthly-fee reader. SumUp has the lowest rate (1.69%), Square the cheapest hardware (£19)
Roughly £2,300 to £8,300/month: Dojo's Fix plan, £39.99/month covering card turnover up to £3,999/month, then 1% flat
Over £8,300/month (£100k/year): custom quotes are standard at this volume, so negotiate hard