The lowest card machine rates in the UK, by turnover
There is no single lowest card machine rate; the rate you can get is set by your card turnover. Pay-as-you-go readers charge a flat 1.69 to 1.75% with no monthly fee, Dojo's Fix plan is £39.99 a month under £100,000 a year (1% flat above £4,000 a month, about a 1% effective rate at volume), and above that acquirers quote each business individually. We have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses. Which tier wins for you depends almost entirely on your monthly card volume.
Rates and contract terms checked 27 August 2026· Based on providers' published pricing
| Provider | Transaction fee | Monthly fee | Setup fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldpay | Bespoke rates | £15-50 | £0-200 |
| Dojo | Fix plan under £100k/year: £39.99/month covering up to £3,999/month card turnover, then 1% flat; custom quote above (as low as 0.29% seen at high turnover) | £39.99 Fix plan fee (platform included); hardware from £179 upfront, or from £15/month at £100k+ turnover | £0 |
| Barclaycard Payments | Bespoke rates | £20-60 | £50-150 |
| Zettle by PayPal | 1.75% fixed | £0 | £0 |
| Elavon | Bespoke rates | £15-50 | £50-200 |
| Lloyds Cardnet | Bespoke rates | £20-50 | £50-150 |
| Revolut Business | In person from 0.8% + 2p (domestic consumer cards); other card types cost more | Included with Revolut Business plans (a Revolut Business account is required) | £0 (Revolut Reader currently £49 + VAT, bought upfront) |
| Tyl by NatWest | 1.39% + 5p (UK/EU personal cards) or 1.99% + 5p (other cards), published under £50k/year card value; custom quote above | Terminal rental £13.99-£19.99+VAT/month; Tap to Pay £0/month | £0 |
| Teya (formerly Saltpay) | Start plan: 1.59% on consumer cards (published); higher-volume plans priced per business | £0 membership on Start; £29.99 in months with under £2,500 card turnover | £0 (hardware bought upfront: Teya Pro £179, Teya Lite £89) |
| Trust Payments | Bespoke rates | £15-40 | £0-100 |
| Worldline | Bespoke rates | £20-60 | £100-300 |
| Adyen | £0.11 + interchange + 0.60% markup (Visa/Mastercard, interchange++ pricing) | £0 monthly or setup fees; a minimum monthly invoice applies, set by industry | £0 |
| Global Payments | Bespoke rates | £15-50 | £50-250 |
| EVO Payments | Bespoke rates | £12-35 | £0-100 |
| AIB Merchant Services | Bespoke rates | £18-45 | £50-150 |
"Bespoke rates" means the provider prices each business individually based on turnover, sector and card mix. Figures are providers' published or typical advertised pricing, checked 27 August 2026. Rates change; always confirm with a current quote.
Want this table priced at your card volume?
Leave your details and we run the comparison at your numbers, including the bespoke-rate providers. Free, no obligation.
What 1.75% flat actually costs per year
The arithmetic on the published flat rate, before any monthly fees:
| Monthly card takings | Cost at 1.75% / month | Cost / year |
|---|---|---|
| £2,500 | £44 | £525 |
| £5,000 | £88 | £1,050 |
| £10,000 | £175 | £2,100 |
Above roughly £4,000 to £5,000 a month, a negotiated rate with a monthly fee usually works out cheaper than 1.75% flat. Below that, the no-monthly-fee readers tend to win. That crossover is the single most useful thing to know before you sign anything.
How low can card machine rates actually go?
The floor is set by interchange, the fee the card schemes charge on every transaction, which UK regulation caps at 0.2% on consumer debit and 0.3% on consumer credit cards. A provider's rate has to sit above that floor, but how far above depends on your volume: the fixed costs of running an account are spread over more transactions as turnover rises, so the markup shrinks.
In practice the market prices in three tiers. Small volumes pay a flat published rate: 1.69% (SumUp) to 1.75% (Square, Zettle), no monthly fee, no negotiation. From there, Dojo's Fix plan for businesses under £100,000 a year of card turnover is £39.99 a month covering up to £3,999 a month, then 1% flat: an effective rate of about 1% at £4,000 a month and above, but 2% at £2,000 a month. Above £100,000 a year, everything is a custom quote, and quotes fall steeply with volume; we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses. So any single-number rate claim is not the whole picture in either direction: it overstates what a large business should accept and understates what a £2,000-a-month stall pays per transaction on a fixed monthly fee.
The practical consequence: if you turn over more than about £8,000 a month on cards and you are paying anything close to a headline flat rate, you are almost certainly overpaying. The fastest way to find out is the free statement review: send one recent merchant statement and we show your true blended rate and what current quotes at your volume look like. If your deal is already competitive, we say stay put. Rates are negotiable more often than most owners assume; the negotiation guide covers what moves a quote.
What is the lowest card machine rate in the UK?
It depends on your card turnover. Pay-as-you-go readers charge 1.69 to 1.75% flat with no monthly fee. Dojo's Fix plan, for businesses under £100,000 a year of card turnover, is £39.99 a month covering up to £3,999 a month with 1% flat above £4,000, which works out at about 1% effective from £4,000 a month upwards. Above £100,000 a year, acquirers quote each business individually, and quotes come down sharply with volume: we have seen quotes as low as 0.29% for high-turnover businesses. Nobody pays one universal "lowest rate"; the lowest rate for your business is set by your turnover, sector and card mix.
Why can some businesses get rates below 0.5%?
Because the underlying cost of processing a consumer debit card is capped interchange of 0.2% plus scheme fees, a provider can still make a margin at well under 0.5% on a high-volume account. The fixed costs of running the account are spread over far more transactions, so the percentage markup can shrink. That is why a £5,000/month shop is quoted a very different rate from a £100,000/month business, and why a flat published rate mainly tells you what the smallest businesses pay.
How do I get the lowest rate at my turnover?
Get quotes at your actual numbers rather than accepting a headline rate. Send us a recent statement via the free statement review and we compare what you pay now against current quotes at your volume, including the bespoke-rate providers who never publish pricing. If your current deal is already competitive, we say stay put.
Methodology
We track the published and typical advertised pricing of 15 UK card machine providers and re-check it periodically (last check: 27 August 2026). Flat published rates are stated exactly. Where a provider prices individually, we say so rather than invent a number. Worked examples are pure arithmetic on the stated rates. No provider pays for placement on this page.
Spotted an out-of-date figure? Email hello@merchantswitch.com and we'll correct it.
Want this table worked out at your numbers?
Tell us your monthly card takings and we'll run the comparison at your volume, including the bespoke-rate providers. Free, no obligation.