Best Card Machines for Gyms & Fitness Studios UK 2026
Compare payment solutions for gyms, yoga studios, CrossFit boxes, and personal trainers. Recurring billing, class bookings, and membership management.
Gym Payment Processing Requirements
Gyms and fitness studios have unique needs:
- Recurring billing: Monthly membership auto-charges
- Direct debit alternative: Card-based recurring payments
- Class bookings: Pay-per-class or packages
- Joining fees: One-time setup charges
- Failed payment handling: Retry logic for expired cards
- Membership management: Active/frozen/cancelled tracking
What a Typical Gym Pays Each Month
Before the recommendations, a quick cost check. Assume a gym or studio taking roughly £10,000 a monthby card at a £40 average payment. At the providers' current published rates (checked 27 August 2026), the monthly processing cost works out as:
| Provider | Rate | Monthly cost at £10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| SumUp | 1.69% flat | £10,000 × 1.69% = £169.00 |
| Square | 1.75% flat | £10,000 × 1.75% = £175.00 |
| Zettle | 1.75% flat | £10,000 × 1.75% = £175.00 |
| Dojo | Custom quote at this volume (£10,000/month is £120k/year, above the Fix plan's £100k ceiling) | £100.00 at a conservative 1% benchmark; we have seen custom quotes as low as 0.29% at high turnover |
Under £100,000 a year of card turnover, Dojo's published Fix plan is £39.99 a month covering up to £3,999 a month of card takings, then 1% flat; above it, Dojo prices each business individually. If your volume differs from the assumption, redo the sums with your own figure, because the cheapest provider can flip as volume changes.
Top Solutions for Fitness Businesses
1. Square - Best for Boutique Studios
Rating: 9.2/10 for Fitness
Square offers free recurring billing and class booking software, saving yoga studios and small gyms £60-£100 monthly on membership software costs.
Pricing:
- In-person: 1.75%
- Online/recurring: 2.5% + 25p
- Terminal: £269
Perfect for Fitness Because:
- Free Square Appointments - Class booking and scheduling
- Recurring memberships - Auto-charge monthly subscriptions
- Class packages - Sell 5, 10, 20-class bundles
- Online booking - Clients book and pay online
- Automatic retry - Failed card payments retried automatically
- Client profiles - Track attendance and purchase history
Ideal for: Yoga studios, Pilates studios, CrossFit boxes, boutique gyms under 200 members.
2. Dojo - Best for Traditional Gyms
Rating: 8.4/10
Large gyms (200+ members) save with Dojo compared to Square's 2.5% on recurring billing. Under £100,000 a year in card turnover, Dojo's Fix plan is £39.99 a month, covering up to £3,999 a month of card takings with a 1% flat rate above £4,000, which works out around a 1.0% effective rate at gym volume; above the threshold Dojo quotes a custom rate, with quotes as low as 0.29% seen at high turnover. Either way it comfortably undercuts Square's recurring rate.
Pricing:
- Fee: Fix plan £39.99/month + 1% above £4,000/month under £100k/year card turnover; custom quote above
- Terminal: from £179 upfront going direct (pay-monthly hardware unavailable under £100k/year), or £0 upfront with no monthly rental arranged through MerchantSwitch
Cost Comparison (200 members at £40/month = £8,000):
- Dojo Fix: £39.99 + 1% × (£8,000 − £4,000) = £79.99/month Yes
- Square: £8,000 × 2.5% = £200/month
- Savings: £120/month = £1,440 annually
3. GoCardless + Card Machine - Best for Membership Gyms
Rating: 9.0/10 for Large Gyms
Many gyms use GoCardless for Direct Debit memberships (cheaper than card recurring) plus card machine for joining fees and pay-as-you-go.
GoCardless Pricing:
- Per transaction: 1% (capped at £2)
- For 200 members at £40: £80/month (£0.40 × 200)
Combined with Dojo:
- Memberships via Direct Debit: £80/month
- Joining fees (£2,000) via Dojo at an illustrative 1.4% quote: £28/month
- Total: £108/month (cheaper than putting everything through cards)
4. Stripe - Best for Digital-First Gyms
Rating: 8.3/10
Gyms with apps or online platforms use Stripe for powerful API and recurring billing.
Pricing:
- Online: 1.5% + 20p
- In-person (with Stripe Terminal): 1.4% + 20p
5. SumUp - Best for Personal Trainers
Rating: 8.1/10
Mobile personal trainers use SumUp's £19 portable reader to accept payments at client locations or outdoor sessions.
Pricing:
- Fee: 1.69%
- Reader: £19
Recurring Billing Considerations
Card vs Direct Debit for Memberships:
| Method | Cost per £40 Membership | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Debit (GoCardless) | £0.40 (1%, capped £2) | Large gyms (200+ members) |
| Card Recurring (Square) | £1.25 (2.5% + 25p) | Small studios (<100 members) |
| Card Recurring (Dojo) | £0.56 (illustrative 1.4% quote) | Medium gyms (100-300 members) |
Final Recommendation
Choose based on gym size:
- Personal trainers (mobile): SumUp (£19, portable)
- Small studios (20-100 members): Square (free booking + recurring)
- Medium gyms (100-300 members): Dojo + GoCardless
- Large gyms (300+ members): GoCardless Direct Debit + Dojo for joining fees
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