Best Card Machines for Hotels & B&Bs UK 2026
Compare payment solutions for hotels, B&Bs, and guest houses. Deposit handling, no-show protection, multi-currency, and integration with booking systems.
Unique Needs for Accommodation Businesses
Hotels and B&Bs have specialised payment requirements:
- Deposit collection: Take £50-£100 deposits at booking (50-100% of room rate)
- No-show protection: Charge cards for cancellations within 24-48 hours
- Card pre-authorisation: Hold £100-£200 for incidentals
- Multi-currency: Accept EUR, USD for international guests
- Booking system integration: Sync with Airbnb, Booking.com
- Split payments: Room + extras (meals, bar tab)
What a Typical Hotel or B&B Pays Each Month
A cost check before the rankings. Assume an accommodation business taking roughly £20,000 a monthby card at a £150 average booking. At the providers' current published rates (checked 27 August 2026), the monthly processing cost works out as:
| Provider | Rate | Monthly cost at £20,000 |
|---|---|---|
| SumUp | 1.69% flat | £20,000 × 1.69% = £338.00 |
| Square | 1.75% flat | £20,000 × 1.75% = £350.00 |
| Zettle | 1.75% flat | £20,000 × 1.75% = £350.00 |
| Dojo | Custom quote at this volume (£20,000/month is £240k/year, above the Fix plan's £100k ceiling) | £200.00 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 5 Card Machines for Hotels
1. Worldpay - Best for Full-Service Hotels
Rating: 9.1/10 for Hotels
Worldpay specialises in hospitality with pre-authorisation holds, multi-currency, and integration with property management systems (PMS).
Pricing:
- Fee: From 0.85% (negotiable based on volume)
- Monthly: £25-£35
- Terminal: FREE
Hotel-Specific Features:
- Pre-authorisation holds (hold £150 on check-in, charge actual on checkout)
- Multi-currency processing (GBP, EUR, USD at point of sale)
- Integration with Opera, Fidelio, RoomRaccoon PMS
- Group bookings and split billing
- Corporate billing accounts
- Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) for international guests
2. Dojo - Best for Budget Hotels & B&Bs
Rating: 8.6/10
Dojo publishes a Fix plan at £39.99 a month for businesses under £100,000 a year in card turnover (covering up to £3,999 a month of card takings, then 1% flat) and quotes a custom rate above that, with quotes as low as 0.29% seen at high turnover. Hotels and B&Bs processing £10,000-£30,000 monthly sit in the custom tier, and the quote usually beats the flat-rate providers.
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 from £15/month above £100k/year), or £0 upfront with no monthly rental arranged through MerchantSwitch
Features:
- Fast processing for quick check-ins
- Card storage for deposits
- Email receipts
- Multi-location for small chains
3. Elavon - Best for Hotel Groups
Rating: 8.5/10
Elavon offers enterprise hospitality solutions with centralized management for hotel groups and chains.
Pricing:
- Fee: Negotiable (from 0.70% for large groups)
- Monthly: £25-£40 per property
4. Square - Best for Boutique Hotels
Rating: 8.2/10
Modern boutique hotels use Square for sleek terminals and online booking integration.
Pricing:
- Fee: 1.75%
- Online bookings: 2.5% + 25p
- Terminal: £269
5. Zettle - Best for Airbnb Hosts
Rating: 7.9/10
Airbnb hosts and small B&Bs use Zettle for PayPal integration (many guests book via PayPal).
Pricing:
- Fee: 1.75%
- Reader: £29
Handling Deposits & No-Shows
No-shows cost UK hotels £380 million annually (AA Hospitality Services). Card machines help:
- Booking deposits: Charge 50-100% at booking (Square, Worldpay)
- Card pre-authorisation: Hold £100-£200 without charging
- Late cancellation fees: Charge one night if cancelled < 48 hours
- No-show charges: Full room rate charged automatically
Multi-Currency for International Guests
Hotels in tourist areas need multi-currency capability:
- Worldpay: Process EUR, USD, JPY at terminal
- myPOS: Best multi-currency rates
- Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC): Let guests pay in home currency (you earn 1-2% commission)
Integration with Booking Systems
Ensure your card machine integrates with your PMS:
- Booking.com: Works with most providers via API
- Airbnb: Manual or use Zettle (PayPal integration)
- Opera PMS: Worldpay, Elavon
- Little Hotelier: Square, Dojo
- Cloudbeds: Multiple provider integrations
Conclusion
Best for most hotels: Worldpay or Dojo depending on volume
Best for boutique hotels: Square (modern, integrated)
Best for B&Bs: Dojo or Square (low fees, simple)
Best for hotel groups: Worldpay or Elavon (enterprise features)
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