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Salons and barbers take fewer, larger payments than a café, often with a tip, and sometimes a deposit in advance. Here is what to look for and what it costs, with prices read 26 October 2026.
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
A salon or barber needs a simple countertop or portable card machine with tipping, and a cheap way to take deposits. On £7,000 a month, published card fees are £84.00 with Dojo at 1.2%, £104.30 with Flatpay at 1.49% and £118.30 with SumUp at 1.69%. Revolut starts from 0.8% plus 2p on consumer UK cards (read 26 October 2026).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Flatpay Source | 1.49% all cards (terminal, under £200k a year) | £0 | Payment terminal free to start | Not published | Daily |
| 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% |
| 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 |
| Viva Source | 1.69% UK consumer cards | £0 to £15.99 plans (min £3.99) | Not published | Change plan monthly | Real time |
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 salons take payment at a reception desk, so a small countertop machine or a reader on a stand works well. A portable machine helps if clients pay at the chair, or if you work as a mobile hairdresser visiting homes, in which case you need a machine that works on mobile data.
Average sale size shapes your costs. A cut and colour may be £60 to £120, while a barber's cut may be £15 to £25. With larger sales, the percentage rate matters most. With smaller ones, any fixed fee per payment becomes more noticeable.
Three other things matter. Tips: clients often want to tip the stylist, so tipping on the machine helps. Deposits: taking a deposit by payment link or online booking reduces no-shows, but online payments usually cost more than in-person ones. And quiet days: many salons close on Sunday or Monday, so a plan with no monthly minimum suits uneven weeks. Booking software is often separate from the card machine, so check the two can work together.
Dojo publishes 1.2% on all cards under £100,000 a year, which covers most independent salons, with machines from £15 a month or £149 upfront. Flatpay publishes 1.49% with a PAX A920 Pro terminal at £0 and no monthly fee. SumUp publishes 1.69% with no monthly fee and readers from £25, or 0.99% on UK debit and credit cards with Payments Plus at £19 a month.
Square publishes 1.75% and free till software. For deposits taken by typing in a card, Square charges 2.5%. SumUp online payments are 2.5%.
Viva publishes 1.69% on UK consumer cards with plans from £0, subject to a £3.99 minimum monthly charge, up to £15.99. myPOS publishes from 1.10% plus 7p under £10,000 a month. Revolut publishes from 0.8% plus 2p on consumer UK Visa and Mastercard, with American Express at 1.7%, a Revolut Reader at £49 and a Revolut Terminal at £169 plus VAT.
Card fees only, on published rates read on 26 October 2026, before machine costs. SumUp Payments Plus assumes UK debit and credit cards at 0.99%. Revolut uses its starting rate for consumer UK Visa and Mastercard; American Express and other cards cost more.
No-shows cost salons real money, and many now take a deposit when a client books. That deposit is usually taken online or by payment link, not on the card machine, and it often costs more. SumUp publishes 2.5% on online payments. Square publishes 2.5% on manually entered payments. Zettle, now PayPal Point of Sale, publishes 2.5% on Zettle Invoice. On a £20 deposit, 2.5% is 50p.
Tips are a separate question. Ask each provider whether the machine can show a tip screen, whether tips can be tracked by stylist and whether they are paid out with the rest of the takings. These features were not priced on the pages we read.
If you use booking software, check it can link to your card machine, so the bill and any deposit already paid are shown at checkout without retyping. If it cannot, a simple reader is usually enough and costs less.
Salons generally prefer flexible terms. SumUp states no long-term commitments. Square lets you cancel your plan at any time. Revolut states no contracts. Viva lets you change plan monthly. Dojo's Essential plan is free under £100,000 a year. Flatpay and myPOS do not publish contract terms.
Payouts vary. SumUp pays into its business account by 7am the next day, including weekends. Dojo says next day. Revolut states funds within 24 hours. myPOS pays instantly into a myPOS business account, with a £1.50 charge to transfer in GBP. Viva states real-time settlement on all in-person plans.
Watch for fees on quiet periods. myPOS publishes a £15.00 inactivity fee and a £30.00 no-acquiring fee after 10 months without card payments. Viva's Zero plan carries a £3.99 minimum monthly charge.
Salons often sit just under the thresholds where providers start to quote, so a small change in takings can change which option is cheapest. We compare the whole UK card payment market, including Dojo, SumUp, Teya, Flatpay, Paymentsense, Square, Worldpay and others, against your real card sales, your average sale and the way you trade. Where a provider only gives quotes, we request the quote for you and negotiate the rate, so you compare real numbers rather than list prices.
When you have chosen, we handle the switch: the application, the paperwork and the timing with your current provider, so you keep taking payments throughout. You then get a named account manager who stays with you after setup, checks your statements and deals with the provider when something needs fixing. You pay us nothing. We may receive a fee from the provider you choose.
For a salon under £100,000 a year, Dojo's published 1.2% and Flatpay's 1.49% with a free terminal are strong options. Barbers with smaller takings often prefer SumUp at 1.69% with no monthly fee. Revolut publishes a lower starting rate on consumer UK cards. Compare on your own takings.
Flatpay's PAX A920 Pro is £0. SumUp readers are £25 to £135 excluding VAT. Revolut Reader is £49. Dojo machines are £149 to £239 upfront or £15 to £25 a month. Prices read 26 October 2026.
Yes, usually by payment link, invoice or online booking rather than the card machine. SumUp online payments are 2.5%, Square keyed payments are 2.5% and Zettle Invoice is 2.5%. Check your booking software links to your payment provider.
Barbers with lower average sales often use readers with no monthly fee, such as SumUp at 1.69% or Square at 1.75%. On £3,000 a month at £20 a cut, published fees run from £27.00 with Revolut to £52.50 with Square.
Many card machines can show a tip screen, but none of the pricing pages we read list tipping as a priced feature. Ask each provider to show tipping working, and whether tips can be split by stylist.
A mobile hairdresser needs a portable machine or Tap to Pay on a phone, working on mobile data. SumUp, Square, Revolut and myPOS publish Tap to Pay options. myPOS charges its standard rate for Tap to Pay with no extra fee.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.