Merchant services
Card machine for pubs and bars.
Pubs and bars trade late, take most of their money at weekends and process a high number of payments. Here is what that means for your card machine and your fees, read 26 October 2026.
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Pubs and bars trade late, take most of their money at weekends and process a high number of payments. Here is what that means for your card machine and your fees, 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
Pubs and bars need fast contactless payments, late-night support and weekend payouts. On £12,000 a month, published card fees are £137.80 on SumUp Payments Plus, £178.80 with Flatpay at 1.49% and £210.00 with Square. Most pubs take over £100,000 a year by card, where Dojo and Teya quote. Teya pays out daily, including weekends (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teya Source | Quote only | Not published | Not published | No lock-ins stated | Next day, 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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% |
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.
A busy bar needs speed. At the bar, most payments are contactless rounds of £10 to £40, so the machine must accept a tap quickly and the queue must keep moving. Many pubs use a fixed machine at each till and a portable machine for food service at tables or in a beer garden.
Tabs and tips matter more than in most businesses. Ask whether the machine can hold a tab open, often called pre-authorisation, which holds an amount on the customer's card until they settle up. Ask whether tips can be added on the machine and how they appear in your reports. Split bills at food tables are also common.
Then look at your hours. A pub trading until midnight needs support that answers late and payouts that include weekend takings. Battery life on portable machines matters on a long Saturday, and the machine should cope with a weak wifi signal in a cellar bar or garden. Most of these features are not shown on pricing pages, so test them before you sign.
Settlement, when your takings reach your bank, has real rules. Barclaycard publishes next-day settlement only if transactions are taken before 7pm, or before 9pm on its countertop and portable machines. A pub taking most of its money after 9pm should check exactly when that money will arrive.
Teya pays the next day, every day, weekends and bank holidays included, which suits a pub where Friday and Saturday carry the week. SumUp pays into its SumUp Business Account by 7am the next day, including weekends and public holidays. Dojo says you get your takings the next day. Paymentsense states a settlement time of 24 working hours. Square transfers in one to two working days free, or instantly for a 1.95% fee.
For support, Teya and Flatpay state 24/7 support. Barclaycard's existing customer line is open Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm. Dojo promises a real person in the UK within minutes without stating hours.
Card fees on published rates read on 26 October 2026, before machine costs unless shown. SumUp Payments Plus assumes UK debit and credit cards at 0.99%. Paymentsense uses its pricing tool's default figures.
Published rates are mostly for smaller businesses. Dojo's 1.2% applies under £100,000 a year. Paymentsense offers bespoke pricing above £150,000 a year. Flatpay's 1.49% applies under £200,000 a year. Square offers custom rates on its Premium plan above £200,000 a year. Teya and Barclaycard quote every business.
Most pubs and bars take more than £100,000 a year by card, so most of the market will quote. Quotes depend on your card mix: the share of debit cards, credit cards, business cards and American Express. Part of every rate is interchange, the fee the card issuer charges on each payment, and it differs by card type, so give each provider your exact card mix to get a quote you can compare.
Watch the fixed charges as well as the rate. Paymentsense publishes a £20 a month terminal fee, a £24.95 minimum monthly service charge, a £12.95 reporting fee after 3 months free and a £28.00 chargeback fee. Barclaycard publishes monthly service fees of £16 plus VAT for countertop and £18 plus VAT for portable machines on 18-month contracts.
Most pubs already use a till system, also called EPOS, that handles tabs, stock and staff. The card machine should link to it, so the amount goes from till to machine without being typed. Teya lists more than 200 till integrations. Dojo describes its Sidekick app without a price.
Published machine costs vary widely. Dojo Wired is £179 upfront or £15 a month, and Dojo Pocket is £239 or £20 a month. Barclaycard's countertop is £16 plus VAT a month and its portable is £18 plus VAT a month, each on an 18-month contract, and its Smartpay Touch till is £29 plus VAT a month on 12 months. Flatpay's terminal is £0. SumUp's Terminal is £135 excluding VAT, bought outright.
Count how many machines you need on your busiest night. Rental costs multiply with each machine, while bought machines are a one-off cost.
At pub volumes most providers quote rather than publish, so the best rate comes from putting several quotes side by side on your real figures. 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.
A pub needs fast contactless, tabs and tips, a link to its till and weekend payouts. Teya publishes daily payouts including weekends and links with over 200 tills. Dojo, SumUp, Flatpay and Barclaycard publish machines suited to bars. At pub volumes most rates are quote only, so compare quotes.
Many can, using pre-authorisation, which holds an amount on the customer's card until the tab is settled. None of the pricing pages we read list it with a price, so ask each provider to confirm it works with your till.
It depends on the provider. Teya pays the next day every day, including weekends. SumUp pays to its business account by 7am the next day. Barclaycard settles next day only for payments taken before 9pm on its countertop and portable machines.
On £12,000 a month, published card fees run from £137.80 on SumUp Payments Plus to £210.00 with Square, read 26 October 2026. Most pubs over £100,000 a year are quoted, and the quote depends on the mix of debit, credit and business cards.
Not always. Barclaycard countertop and portable machines are on 18-month contracts. SumUp has no long-term commitment, Square lets you cancel anytime and Teya states no lock-ins. Dojo offers 12-month fixed or 30-day rolling plans above £100,000 a year.
A fixed machine at each till handles bar service. A portable machine is needed for table service, a beer garden or events. Check the battery lasts a full shift and that the machine works on the wifi or mobile signal in every part of the building.
Tell us what you need and where you operate.