Merchant services
Card machine fees in the UK: what you really pay in 2026.
Published rates, terminal prices and extra charges for 18 UK card machine providers, read 26 October 2026, with worked examples you can apply to your own takings.
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Published rates, terminal prices and extra charges for 18 UK card machine providers, read 26 October 2026, with worked examples you can apply to your own takings.
Published rates from every major UK card machine provider, plus the quoted rates that only come on request. You see them side by side, on your own takings.
The short answer
UK card machine fees range from 0.8% + 2p (Revolut's starting rate for UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) to 1.75% (Square and Zettle) among providers that publish rates, read 26 October 2026. Dojo charges 1.2% under £100,000 a year, Flatpay 1.49% and SumUp 1.69%. Worldpay, Teya, Elavon, takepayments and Clover quote only. Add terminal costs, monthly fees and per-transaction charges before comparing.
Published prices read 26 October 2026 from each provider's own pricing page. Quote only means the provider gives rates on request; we obtain those for you.
| Provider | In-person card rate | Monthly fee | Card machine | Contract | Payouts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SumUp Source | 1.69% pay as you go, or 0.99% on Payments Plus (domestic cards) | £0, or £19 on Payments Plus | Solo Lite £25, Solo £79, Terminal £135 (ex VAT), bought outright | None, cancel anytime | Next day, 7am, weekends included |
| Dojo Source | 1.2% blended under £100k a year; custom above | £0 Essential; Plus £11.99 new customers (£25 list) | Go Max £149 or £25 a month; Pocket £239 or £20; Wired £179 or £15 | 30-day rolling or 12-month fixed (custom rate) | Next day |
| Square Source | 1.75% UK cards; +1.5% non-UK cards | £0, or Plus £29+ | Reader £19; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None, cancel anytime | Next day free; instant for 1.95% |
| Zettle Source | 1.75% all major cards | £0 | PayPal Reader from £29; Terminal £149 (ex VAT) | None | Within minutes to PayPal balance |
| Worldpay Source | Quote only | Terminal £20 a month (indicative) | Rental, quote | Minimum 18 months | Next day |
| takepayments Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | 12 months | Next day |
| Teya Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | No lock-ins stated | Next day, weekends included |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| Paymentsense Source | 1.40% debit and credit (price tool); bespoke over £150k | Terminal £20 + VAT; minimum service charge £24.95 | Rental, £20 a month + VAT | Not published | 24 working hours |
| Clover Source | Quote only | Rental only | Flex Pocket £15, Mini £20, Station Duo £30 a month + VAT | Not published | Next business day |
| myPOS Source | From 1.10% + 7p (under £10k a month) | £0 | Device prices not on fees page | Not published | Instant to myPOS account |
| Revolut Source | From 0.8% + 2p (UK consumer Visa and Mastercard) | £0 for the reader | Reader £49; Terminal £169 + VAT | None | Within 24 hours |
| Stripe Source | 1.4% + 10p EEA cards; 2.9% + 10p non-EEA | £0 | WisePad 3 £49; S700 or S710 £229 (ex VAT) | Pay as you go | Standard free; instant 1% |
| Barclaycard Source | Quote only (example 0.7% + 3p, representative) | £16 to £29 + VAT service fee | Smartpay Anywhere £29 + VAT | 12 to 18 months, or none for Anywhere | Next day |
| Elavon Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | Not published | Next day for eligible businesses |
| Viva Source | 1.69% UK consumer cards | £0 to £15.99 plans (min £3.99) | Not published | Change plan monthly | Real time |
| Tyl by NatWest Source | 1.39% + 5p personal cards (under £50k a year) | Machine hire from £13.99 + VAT | PAX A920 Pro £19.99, A50 £14.99, A80 £13.99 a month + VAT | 12 months | Next business day |
| Lloyds Cardnet Source | Cardnet quote only; Lloyds Accept 1.5% + 20p | £10 minimum monthly charge (Cardnet) | Saturn £23 or Clover Flex £21 a month + VAT | Not stated; Lloyds Accept none | Not published |
VAT is excluded where the provider states it. Rates are for in-person UK consumer cards unless stated. Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Tell us about your business. We compare the whole market, including the providers that only quote on request, and come back with the lowest total cost for your takings and the right machine. You keep a named account manager who looks after you after setup.
Our service is free to you. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose; it never changes the price you pay.
Most people compare the headline percentage and stop there. Your real bill usually has five parts. The transaction fee is the percentage taken from each sale. Some providers add a fixed charge in pence per sale, often called an authorisation fee, the small charge each time a card payment is approved. Then come monthly fees, the cost of the machine itself, and occasional charges for refunds, disputes and payouts.
Behind every rate sits interchange, the fee the customer's card issuer charges, and scheme fees, the fees Visa and Mastercard charge. Flat-rate providers such as SumUp, Square and Zettle fold all of this into one percentage. Quote-based providers such as Worldpay, Barclaycard and Elavon price it to your business, which can work out cheaper or dearer depending on your takings and card mix.
These are the in-person rates providers publish on their own websites. Each applies to a stated turnover band or card type, so check which band fits you.
Several large providers publish no rate at all. Worldpay, takepayments, Teya, Clover and Elavon quote only. Barclaycard and Lloyds Cardnet publish examples but say pricing is tailored. A quote-only provider is not automatically more expensive. It means you need a quote to compare, and the quote depends on how well your business is presented.
On £2,000 a month of card sales with an average sale of £20 (100 sales), SumUp pay-as-you-go at 1.69% costs £33.80. Square and Zettle at 1.75% cost £35.00. Flatpay at 1.49% costs £29.80. Dojo at 1.2% costs £24.00 before the machine. myPOS at 1.10% + 7p costs £29.00. Stripe at 1.4% + 10p costs £38.00, because the fixed fee adds £10. Revolut at its starting rate of 0.8% + 2p costs £18.00.
On £5,000 a month (250 sales of £20), SumUp pay-as-you-go costs £84.50. SumUp Payments Plus at 0.99% on domestic cards costs £49.50 plus the £19 monthly fee, so £68.50. Dojo costs £60.00, Flatpay £74.50 and Square £87.50. Paymentsense at 1.40% is £70.00, plus 5p per sale (£12.50), the £20.00 terminal fee and the £4.95 PCI fee, so £107.45 before VAT. The cheapest headline rate is not always the cheapest bill.
If you take a modest amount by card, buying a small reader that pairs with your phone is usually the cheapest way in. The Square Reader is £19 + VAT. The SumUp Solo Lite is £25 excluding VAT. The PayPal Reader from Zettle is £29 excluding VAT for your first reader, then £69 for more. Barclaycard Smartpay Anywhere is £29 plus VAT with no contract. Revolut Reader and Stripe's BBPOS WisePad 3 are both £49.
Flatpay offers its payment terminal for £0 to start, with no monthly fee, at 1.49% per transaction. Tap to Pay, which turns your phone into a card machine, is listed at £0 for hardware by SumUp and Dojo. A standalone machine that prints receipts costs more: SumUp Terminal is £135, Square Terminal £149 + VAT and Revolut Terminal £169 + VAT.
The extras are where small businesses lose money. Paymentsense publishes a minimum monthly service charge (MMSC) of £24.95, which means if your fees come to less than that you pay the difference. It also lists a £28.00 chargeback fee, a 50p refund fee, a £4.95 PCI DSS fee and £35.00 a month for PCI non-compliance. PCI DSS is the card industry's security standard; providers charge to manage it, and more if you have not completed it.
Worldpay's quote tool shows an indicative £15.00 MMSC, a £20.00 chargeback fee and a £5.00 PCI fee, with a minimum 18-month contract for online applications. myPOS lists a £15.00 inactivity fee. Square charges 1.95% for instant transfers, and Stripe 1% with a 40p minimum. Teya adds 0.10% if you are paid into a non-Teya bank account.
We compare the whole UK card machine market for you, including the quote-only providers that never publish a rate. We use your real takings, average sale and card mix to find the lowest total cost, then negotiate the rate and the monthly fees with the provider on your behalf. We check the extras too, such as minimum monthly charges, PCI fees and rental, because these often cost more than the headline rate suggests.
We also handle the switch, including any contract exit, so your takings keep flowing. You get a named account manager who stays with you after setup and checks your statements. Our service costs you nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose, and we tell you which one.
A small reader costs from £19 + VAT (Square Reader) or £25 excluding VAT (SumUp Solo Lite), read 26 October 2026. Flatpay's payment terminal is £0 to start. Rented machines run from £13.99 + VAT a month (Tyl PAX A80) to £20.00 a month (Paymentsense). Transaction fees are charged on top.
On hardware price, the Square Reader at £19 + VAT is the cheapest published reader, followed by the SumUp Solo Lite at £25 excluding VAT. Flatpay offers a terminal for £0 at 1.49%. On fees, Revolut's starting rate of 0.8% + 2p is the lowest published rate for UK consumer cards.
Some do and some do not. SumUp pay-as-you-go, Square Free, Zettle, Flatpay and Dojo Essential have no monthly fee. SumUp Payments Plus is £19 a month, Paymentsense charges £20.00 per terminal a month, and Barclaycard countertop is £16 + VAT a month, read 26 October 2026.
It is a fair rate for low volumes with no monthly fee. On £1,000 a month it costs £16.90. Above about £2,714 a month of domestic card sales, SumUp's own Payments Plus plan at 0.99% plus £19 a month becomes cheaper. Dojo publishes 1.2% and Flatpay 1.49%.
Check for a minimum monthly service charge, PCI DSS fees, PCI non-compliance fees, authorisation fees in pence per sale, chargeback and refund fees, terminal rental and exit fees. Paymentsense, for example, publishes a £24.95 minimum monthly charge and a £35.00 monthly PCI non-compliance fee.
Yes. Several providers say so directly. SumUp offers bespoke fees from £10,000 a month, Dojo offers custom rates above £100,000 a year, Paymentsense advises on bespoke pricing above £150,000, and Teya, Worldpay and Elavon quote each business individually. A stronger application usually gets a better quote.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.